by Natalia Jones

Created on: October 01, 2009

Millions of people worldwide get paid to write articles on the internet and still there are opportunities for new entrants. Internet writing is slightly different to writing offline because of the speed of access to information.

An article that is posted today in America can be read across the world in the Asia within the minute, so readers expect your content to be spot on. There is hardly any room for stale information, so if your writing revolves around volatile information, for instance stock market changes or political commentary, you need to be up-to-date and informed. This aside, becoming a paid internet writer is fairly easy.

What You Need

All internet writers, quite obviously need to have a computer that is in good working condition and a reliable internet connection. This allows them to keep a good record of the work they produced for the month and so be able to predict their monthly income. A reliable connection also means that you won't be disconnected in the middle of responding to a job offer or posting your article. Internet writers also need to open an account with PayPal or other similar service provider to receive payment. Most writing sites and content mills pay using PayPal and unfortunately this provider does not service all countries, although they do cover a wide region. It is advisable to research your payment options before you invest time and effort in any writing venture.

Where to Look for Work

There are several options for getting paid to write articles online, but the majority is divided into three categories;

1. Sites that pay contributors for their articles, either with upfront payments, page view compensation or a combination of both.

2. Sites that pay for contract jobs. These sites, called content mills, offer their members contracts to complete for a specified price and by a determined deadline. Payment is transferred on completion of the job.

3. Sites that bring together freelancers and job providers. These sites allow freelancers to bid for jobs and then facilitate the communication between freelancer and job provider for a fee. Elance.com and Guru.com are two examples of this business model.

How to Get Started

You can get your feet wet as an internet writer by writing articles for a site that pays for your content. Sites that foster a writing community, such as Helium.com are great for nurturing new writers and keeping experienced writers sharp because there are constant competitions and the writing is put through a rating system. After a while you can then start submitting for work on contract to supplement your writing income.

You should always be on the look out for new opportunities because it is dangerous to depend too heavily on one particular site for your income. If the site changes its payment policy you may find yourself in a sticky situation. Remembering the old 'don't put all your eggs in one basket' adage is especially important for internet writers.

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