by Simon Wright

Created on: March 02, 2007   Last Updated: December 30, 2011

As websites such as Helium demonstrate, the range of online articles that people are interested in reading is almost unlimited. As a writer, however, how can we come up with ideas for new articles that publishers will be willing to pay for, or that websites will be happy to publish?

Write about topics that you are an expert on

We all have skills and expertise that others could benefit from, and these abilities don't have to be limited to your professional life. The fact that you spend all your spare time hillwalking, knitting or writing poems may provide every bit as much ammunition for online articles as the fact that you are a financial adviser or mechanic in your day job.

When considering how to leverage your skills and expertise, think about what aspects you would have found useful to know about when you were just starting out. There may already be lots of articles on your chosen pasttime. but the chances are that there will still be plenty of scope for additional articles, and you may be able to mine a rich seam around the fringes of your area of expertise.

See what articles and issues are being discussed

If you're stuck for inspiration, then it can be useful to browse article topics that have been posted on websites such as Helium. Our brains often make connections between words and topics, so seeing an article on one thing may suddenly give you an idea for a new article. Checking out existing articles can also help you to identify what the current hot topics are, so that you can close in on article ideas that may be best placed to earn you money.

Read newspapers and magazines

Again, check what issues are currently in vogue. The letters pages may also prove useful - sometimes publications even pose questions that readers have submitted and which they are looking for answers to. If there are websites that cover your area of expertise, then speaking with people in chat forums can also be a way of identifying topics that people would like help with.

For example, if you are into fishing, you might find a website where people are discussing what the best fishing marks and techniques are, and you might be able to create online articles to answer those queries. I've also seen people using the social networking website Linkedin to ask people for ideas for blog articles.

Brainstorm ideas with friends/relatives/other writers

There are plenty of techniques that can be used to generate ideas, and this extends to creating ideas for online articles too. Get a

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>