Have You Considered Online Writing?

There are many talented writers in the world that cringe at the thought of full-time freelance writing. After all, most full-time authors aren't exactly rolling in the dough. The work is hard, tedious, and often, unappreciated. But things are changing in favor of the struggling writer. And, it's all due to the many writing opportunities now available on the Web.

When many people hear of successful Internet gurus, they picture the multi-millionaire that owns four or five businesses and basically conducts those businesses on the Web. Well, there are many people who would fall into that category. But, did you know that you could bring in more than $100,000 each year by simply doing the thing you love to do? Writing! You heard me. The starving poets are a thing of the past. If you are interested in making a serious living as a writer, here are some opportunities now available to you.

Article writing: This is one of the most popular forms of writing on the Web today. Many businesses are discovering that article marketing is one of the easiest and fastest ways to drive targeted traffic to their websites. The problem is that many of these web owners are not writers. They don't have a clue how to put together an article, so they will gladly pay you to do it for them. An average article is 400-700 words, making it easy for you to write several of these a day.

Web content: Just as with article writing, there are many people out there looking to set up their own web site, but they do not possess the talent to write their own content. This is another area where owners are willing to pay you to produce the content for them. This often involves writing introductions to the company, biographies, sales letters, product descriptions, and the like. The work is not difficult, but it does require some knowledge and familiarity with web site design.

Copywriting: This is writing basic sales letters for a company or individual. In the letter, you describe the product or service being offered and try to convince the reader to purchase it. I'm sure you've received a multitude of these offers in the mail. The online versions are set up the same way. These letters are written in a casual tone, making it much easier for you to write. There are other variations of copywriting, but this is the most popular.

E-books: Here, you have two choices. You can write and sell your own e-books. This method requires a lot of work on your part because you will have to set up arrangements for selling and marketing, but in most cases, you will get to keep all of the profits. There are also people out there with a great idea who are looking for someone to write an e-book for them. The pay is not usually great, but the work is relatively easy, especially if you are already familiar with the topic.

Blogs: Again, there are a couple of different options in this area. You can set up your own blog and sell advertising on it. The alternative is writing for someone else's blog. As with e-books, the pay for each posting is not great, but you could write several postings in an hour. The more blogging jobs you get, the more money you can bring in.

Ghostwriting: This is where you write a book, article, story, etc. for someone else, but they get the credit for the work. When you are paid as a ghostwriter, you are being paid for not only the use of your work, but also the rights for it. Basically, your employer gets to claim the work as his/her own. Because of this, writers can charge a little more for this service. Occasionally, a ghostwriter is acknowledged for his/her assistance, but not always.

Editing & Proofreading: In this area, people pay you to correct their mistakes, whether they be grammatical or typographical. Each job is a little different. Some employers want you to make the project sound as good as possible, even if that means butchering their work. Others want only the most basic of your editing skills. Be sure to find out what your employer wants before taking on the job.

These are just a few of the many online jobs now available to you as a writer. If you are just starting out, it can be very difficult to find these jobs. In that case, I would suggest trying out some of the different writing services like Elance or Guru. On these sites, you bid on the different writing jobs that interests you. There are many writing jobs listed each day, so you can count on always having work. Other resources you can use are writing sites such as Freelancewriting. Here, the jobs are listed, and you have the opportunity to directly contact the person who placed the advertisement.

The possibilities are endless. With a little discipline and motivation, you can easily become a full-time freelance writer. I've given you a few ideas of where to start, but I promise you that if you'll dive in, you'll find more opportunities than you can handle. So, choose wisely. You don't want to over-commit, but you do want to make a living. And, now you can, doing the thing you love most.