earnmoneywriting

Сlaiming your blog at Technorati is supposed to bring more traffic to it, but I have heard from some people that it does not matter much, Technorati is overcrowded, and you will not get considerable exposure unless you write on popular subjects that bring many visitors anyway. Well, I’ve got two blogs here at Today.com, so I decided to claim one and not claim the other and compare how the two perform.

So I had claimed this blog, “Earn Money Writing,” a little less than 3 weeks ago. As of today, this blog has almost twice as many unique hits than the other one, dedicated to marriage. I had started both blogs at approximately the same time, so they have about the same amount of posts. I’ve been promoting them the same as well, except for the Technorati gig.

Of course, I don’t know for sure whether Technorati is solely responsible for better success of this blog, but it seems to be worth something.

I kept hearing about Xomba, a site where people claimed you could earn money writing articles and blog posts. I have finally taken time to check it out. Well, Xomba is a revenue sharing site (which is where I lose interest). You register and submit writing on any subject you like, with the minimum word count of 150 words. These pieces are referred to as Xombytes. Xomba will place Google ads on each of your Xombytes, and you will get 50% of ad revenue they bring. You also receive 10% ad revenue for each referral you bring to the site.

To me, none of this is enticing. I prefer either upfront payment for my writing or specified and guaranteed payment in reasonable time.

On their front page, Demand Studios invites freelance writers, copy editors, transcribers, title proofers, and filmmakers. Writers work “on numerous topics in various different formats” and receive unspecified upfront payment. Payments go out every Friday.

According to people I know who have sold their writing to Demand Studios, what’s needed is How To articles, and the pay is $15 per article. You give DS exclusive rights for your work and cannot re-publish it elsewhere. You can pick one of existing topics or suggest your own.

I have browsed through the available topics; most of them are technology-related, which is of no interest to me. I might be able to pick several out of hundreds available though.

Applying as a writer requires submitting your resume. From what I have heard, getting approved takes a long time.

Have you made any money selling Thanksgiving-related articles? The best turkey recipe, or perhaps how to survive that family dinner with relatives you can barely stand?

Seasonal articles are fun to write and easy enough to sell if you choose the right time, shortly before the holiday, while the theme is in high demand. Right now, it would be a good time to start writing about Christmas. Of course, you will be competing with many other writers who do the same, but the Internet is huge, so there is enough room for everyone.

In addition to specific holidays, you can write articles tied up to seasonal activities. Gardening tips will do well in spring and summer; sharing your wisdom about homemade remedies to treat cold and flu would be a good thing when winter is about to arrive. There is always something you can write about that people want to read – right now.

I see many discussions on the Internet about recession-proof jobs. Well, content writing, even though it is not strictly a “job” with benefits and such, appears to be pretty recession-proof. Most of the online venues I know of are operating as usual, some are even trying to come up with new incentives to bring in more writing.

It can be exactly because of the recession: with the economy struggling, more people are trying to make income through the Internet. More webmasters are working hard on building their sites and forums, which means that they need more articles, blog posts, forum posts, and other types of content. So we’re doing good!

Those who have tried to earn money writing content know that there are popular subjects that always sell and draw a lot of traffic. In my case, those are exactly the subjects I do not care for or do not have much to say about: stock market, finances, insurance, real estate, etc. Technology related topics are in demand as well, and I am no computer whiz, I’m just a user who knows little about megabytes and motherboards.

If you are like me, there are two things you can do: you can research the unfamiliar subjects or you can write about what you know. Most of the time, I prefer the latter, leaving stock market articles to stock market experts. Sure, I will not earn as much writing about pets, books, or cosmetics, but those topics have audience as well, so I can write much more plus save myself a lot of headache.

If you have been looking for online work opportunities, you have probably come across ChaCha, a service that offers its users to ask questions and receive quick answers via text messaging. The answers are researched and typed in by human guides. Guides make 10-20 cents per answer, which can amount to $8 per hour or $150 per week, according to testimonies I have seen online. There are also other positions, like Expeditor, that earn considerably less but their work is easier and quicker.

To become a guide, you need to apply online and then pass a screening test (I failed it). The test includes typing and answering sample questions. I was not given any explanation as to what part of the test I did not do well on, just a notice that my score was not good enough. So while ChaCha sounds like a decent opportunity, you may or may not qualify to be able to try it out.

I joined LetterRep only yesterday (see my previous post about this company), and I wrote five letters for them to test the waters. All five were reviewed within 12 hours, as promised, and accepted. Today, I have received an email notification from LetterRep stating that one of my letters has been sold. So I’ve already made my first $10 – not bad for a start.

Of course, there is still the 30 day wait during which the buyer can ask for their money back, but I am still very pleased with such quick results. We’ll see how the other 4 letters do, and of course I plan to submit many more.

I had noticed it a long time ago that many people have trouble writing a letter. Well, I’ve just found an online company that takes advantage of that, allowing writers like you and me to earn money by composing letters for such people.

The company is called LetterRep . First, you need to register as a writer, and then you can start looking at letter requests, of which the company claims to receive hundreds each week. When you see a request you are interested in, you can write and submit a letter. It will be reviewed, and, if approved, sent to the customer. If the customer buys it, you get paid $10.

While the pay is good, there is a drawback of having to wait for 30 days each time your letter is sold before your PayPal account is credited. This is done because buyers have 30 days to ask for their money back if they do not like the letter. According to LetterRep, it only happens in 1% of cases.

I have just discovered this site called Content Tycoon . It appears to be similar to Constant Content , serving as a meeting place for content writers and content buyers. When accepted as a content producer, you upload your articles, set the price, and wait for a buyer. When an article is sold, Tycoon takes 30% of the price, you get to keep 70%. They pay via PayPal or check.

Tycoon currently accepts applications from writers who live in US, Canada, UK, and Australia. To apply, you need to send them an email with your name, postal address, and a link to a couple of your writing samples.

I do not know whether Tycoon accepts only exclusive writing or you can re-sell your already published articles under a usage license. I have emailed them asking this question; we’ll see how they respond.