There are different types of online writing jobs, such as writing articles for content websites, copywriting and blogging. A writer may choose to explore these options so as to diversify his or her income stream. It may be a while before the money earned from online writing is enough to give up the day job, but it can provide a useful additional income.
Furthermore, the Internet provides a good opportunity for aspiring writers to gain experience of their craft and generate exposure for their work, as well as learn the valuable skill of writing website copy that attracts search engine traffic.
Online Article Writing Jobs
Content websites hire writers to write articles and post them online. Articles are accepted in a variety of different categories, such as travel, health, politics, business, finance, television, history, food, animals and sports, to name a few.
These types of websites usually pay writers directly for their articles, reward them according to how many page views their articles receive, or offer them an ongoing percentage of online advertising revenue. Some even offer writing contests with financial rewards.
Websites such as About, Associated Content, Bright Hub, Bukisa, Demand Studios, eHow, Helium, LovetoKnow, Squidoo, and Suite101, hire writers to provide online content for them, but it should be noted that not all of these websites are available to non-American citizens. They also vary in their terms and conditions, signup procedures, acceptable standards of writing and writing styles, as well as the publishing rights they require over written content.
Online Copywriting Jobs
A different type of website writing is copywriting for business websites. This takes the form of writing advertisements and other promotional material in order to promote a product or service online. Rather than making money from online advertising revenue, the purpose of this type of copy is to catch readers’ attention and capture their interest in whatever it is a business is trying to sell.
Businesses looking for a copywriter often require expertise in certain areas, such as the financial or medical sectors, and sometimes post copywriting jobs on online job boards. There are also copywriting agencies which hire writers and provide them with online copyrighting work, as well as various networking websites which allow writers to post their portfolios for potential business clients to view.
Blogging Jobs
There are many blogging networks that pay bloggers to write blogs about subjects they are passionate and knowledgeable about. Some of the popular blogging networks include 451 Press, B5media, Today and Weblogs, Inc. Payment for blogging is usually based on a share of advertising revenue, the number of page views a blog gets, or a fixed fee per post.
Blogging networks and companies looking for bloggers to promote their businesses often post vacancies on online job boards, but can also be approached directly. Blogging vacancies require the blogger to blog regularly, often specifying a minimum number of weekly posts.
Rather than join a blogging network or blogging for a company, writers can set up their own blogs using a free blog platform such as Blogger or Word Press, blog about any subjects they like, and keep all the advertising revenue rather than share it. A blog can also be used to drive traffic to a writer’s own website advertising his or her online writing services.
If a writer has one, or even several online writing jobs, it can lead to many hours looking at a computer screen. This can result in eye strain and reduced work productivity. To avoid this, read How to Prevent Symptoms of Computer Eye Strain.
Sharon Kirby - Sharon is a freelance health writer and contributes to various print and online publications. Writing credits include Nursing Times, Good ...
