by Doreen Martel

Created on: October 13, 2010   Last Updated: October 20, 2010

Freelance writing sites have opened up countless doors for freelance writers.  In spite of this, there are still facts about earning money from online writing that you may not be aware of.  Countless hours of research, potential of your work being stolen and a good handle on marketing are some of the things may be counted among the little known facts about earning money from online writing.  Here are some important facts about earning money from online writing.

Earning takes time and patience

Contrary to what some people think, earning money from online writing does take time. While there are sites that allow a freelance writer to start earning immediately, building a long term income does not happen overnight. For many freelance writers, the investment in time today may mean additional income down the road.

Income is not always steady

Some months it seems like no matter how much you write, you cannot get your earnings to match previous months.  Earning money from online writing is possible but, you cannot depend on the earnings growing every month.  If you are basing your income goals primarily on up front payments you have some control but longer term earnings come from page views which can be erratic.

Marketing is required

If you are not interested in marketing then you may have challenges earning money from your online writing. Unless you are selling all of your articles, your earnings potential from page views is driven by marketing. Those who are planning on earning a living writing online should learn the basics of internet marketing.

Not everyone makes it

While you often hear success stories about how someone has made it as an online writer, the fact of the matter is that it is not for everyone.  Some people never are able to succeed as an online article writer. Some writers give up too soon while others find they cannot adapt to the style that is required for online writing.

Quality wins over quantity

Some online writers are tempted to write as much as they possibly can on as many sites as possible in order to get their earnings started faster. This is not a good strategy. The fact remains that quality articles will nearly always get more attention than the quantity of articles that you write.  Focusing on quality over quantity may result in it taking longer to get earnings rolling in, but in the long run it will more than likely prove more beneficial.

Online articles and off-line articles do vary

Freelance writers who have written in other venues may not be aware that offline and online articles require different styles.  Readers online tend to be more prone to "scanning" work than they are to reading it completely. This means that keywords, formatting and SEO are critical to finding success with online writing.

Summary

These are some facts about earning money writing online that you may find can help you succeed. Each person who elects to write online will have a different perspective on what constitutes an important fact or an unimportant fact. Learning to write online for a living can be very rewarding, and those who find success in the online writing marketplace can find it very lucrative.

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