by Gordon Hamilton

Created on: January 09, 2010

Is online writing really a profitable business is a question which people can readily be forgiven for asking. The nature of the Internet means that the vast majority of alleged money making opportunities online are scams, which in extreme cases can actually cost one money as opposed to allowing one to earn money. Online writing is a different consideration, however, and provided that one has at least a modest writing ability, chooses the correct site or sites to write for and is prepared to put in a reasonable amount of time in the pursuit of one’s goals, online writing really can be a profitable business.

In order to make online writing a profitable business, the first decision one has to make is upon what topic one intends to write. The vast majority of people have at least one subject upon which they know enough to write a considerable number of articles - writing ability permitting, of course - but many people have considerably more. For each subject that one identifies as being a possible writing resource, one should in turn research the opportunities available online for writing to the subject and the payment terms on offer. There are many sites such as this one, Helium, which offer an incredibly wide range of subjects upon which to write but equally, there are many specialist sites. There is no right or wrong answer in this respect but one must be prepared to invest the initial time in finding the most appropriate and potentially lucrative s for one’s work.

There are many ways in which one can earn an income from online writing. Very often, some form of upfront, one-off payment is made to the writer. Alternatively, one is dependant upon the number of page views one’s writing accrues or Google Adsense revenue it generates for income to be earned. Occasionally, sites will offer payment in both these respects and this is clearly the preferred writers’ option.

Making online writing a profitable business is not simply about writing the article, submitting it and leaving it to its own devices for all eternity. Even where one is not in a position to secure further payment from doing so, promoting one’s own work online is always beneficial to one’s reputation. Where one is, however, dependant upon page views or Adsense revenue for future earnings, the promotion of one’s work on an ongoing basis is essential. This can be achieved via blogs, social networking sites, or virtually any online location in which one has a legitimate opportunity to promote oneself and one’s work. The results from this activity alone can at times be staggering.

Online writing is not a profitable business for everyone who engages in it but where one has the necessary talent, knowledge and simple desire and passion to succeed, online writing can be a very profitable business indeed.

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