by Jessica Hughey

Created on: November 14, 2009

There are many websites that pay for the work of freelance writers. Some pay better than others. I currently write for four such sites and have applied to write for a fifth. Of the four I currently submit articles to, Demand Studios seems to be the most selective, both in terms of your initial application and the writing you will eventually do for them. They do, however, provide you with extensive writer's resources and editorial guidelines to follow. The writing, itself, is mostly research based articles and how-to's and most pay a flat fee ($7.50 $15.00 per article) while some assignments offer revenue share, paying you a percentage of whatever advertising revenue your articles pull in. The content created for Demand Studios will end up on any of a number of Demand Media owned sites, including eHow.com, Livestrong.com, AnswerBag.com and others. If your writing isn't quite up to snuff, though, I wouldn't start out at Demand, due to their more stringent editorial policies.

Helium is probably the best place for new writers, who want to break into the paying, online writing market. Helium is a unique site that adds a bit of competition to the traditional model of "pay per click" writing. Your pay at Helium is largely based on your article ratings, which are determined by other Helium writers and users of the site. These ratings and the number of articles you've posted combine to make up your "star rating", which is anywhere from one to five stars. This aspect is great for beginning writers as it allows you to get feedback on your writing and see where you may need to improve. You must have at least one rating star to collect any pay for your Helium articles. It's a lively writing community and the air of competition can be appealing to writers, such as myself. I am truly enjoying writing for them. Helium also offers "Marketplace" titles which pay a bit more but most are open only to premier writers, or those with the most stars. There is no application process to write for Helium, you simply sign up and start writing and rating articles.

Suite 101 is another site that doesn't hold you to one particular category, nor do they offer a list of predetermined titles to pick from. You do pick categories or interests in your initial application, but they don't hold you to it. You can submit articles on any of their topics and share in the revenue the articles bring in. I haven't done much writing for them, thus far, but I can tell you that my first article for them was sent back for rewrites twice, before being published.

Examiner.com is a good place to gain exposure for your writing and they have a big push on for writers right now. This might be the best place to begin for those who want to break into the paying online writing markets. You will apply for a particular topic and you are limited to writing on that topic, only. The good news is there are hundreds of topics, along with some very narrow niches, so you're sure to find something that interests you. Only your first article will be seen and critiqued by an editor. After that, you may post at will, similar to a blog, but you still must stay within your topic.

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