We writers know how hard the business of writing is. In the world of freelance writing, where do you start? And is there really money to be made? The answer is "yes".

Being published by a major publication isn’t every writer’s dream; There are some of us who just want to make a living, and writing a book isn’t part of the plan. I’ll be the first to admit that I’m a writer by accident, really! I had no plans of writing for a living - writing wasn’t even something that I had ever considered and before, if someone mentioned “freelance writer”… well, I’m sure that I could not have given a good description.

That was then.

I’m not going to go into a big long description but I wanted to work from home. My son was abducted by his father (my ex) and taken to another country. I’ll write an article about how to deal with stress later, but for four years I didn’t have a clue where my son could be. Determined to find him, I did and my need to work from home was even greater than before. That’s where freelance writing came into play for my family.

I’m not going to lie either, there are some weeks that are just bad and I only make about a hundred bucks … even now. Then there are those good weeks when seven hundred bucks sure does come in handy. The point is, I’m doing it! I’m working from home earning an income to supplement my husband’s income and my family is living better because of it, which makes me feel so great.

I bet you’re thinking “wow that’s great, just march on, chick…who cares!”

There are thousands of other parents who want to do the same thing and writing may be the answer. Google was one of the best things that ever happened for Internet writers and I know that I’m not alone in profiting because I have plenty of friends whom I’ve met on the Internet who write just like me. Some people are better at writing than others, but I respect writing because who can judge the words that dance across a page, the very words that came from deep within someone’s heart? I don’t claim to be an expert - I don’t claim that my writing is all that and then some, either; I do say that almost anyone can make money writing on the Internet.

If you can write a letter, a book report or make out a grocery list, you can write content for websites. When I first began writing, I was rolling out a dozen articles a day because I was excited and as much as I hate to admit it, most of those sold for about ten bucks or less. Now, when I see writers who charge such an inexpensive pay for work, it makes me mad because it’s so valuable and to let hard work go for literally pennies is a shame, not to mention, it gives some website owners the idea that they can take advantage of writers.

Overall…I do understand because I did it, too.

I’m not going to knock free article writing, especially for self-promotion—that’s why I sometimes do it and then other times I write for free because I see a reason to do it. The fact is, any opportunity you have to build your writing skills … take it. Writing can’t be taught because no one can package up the words for you, it comes from within and when you practice, the words just come more easily. One of the most valuable lessons is to write what you know.

Writing What You Know

Everyone knows something. You may be a victim of child abuse, a skilled poker player, a gifted story teller, a great housekeeper with good tips, a childcare professional, a skilled crafter... maybe you’ve had a broken heart, you may know a lot about animals or perhaps you just know how to make a brown paper bag puppet to play with — write about it!

When you write what you know, you feel more confident because these are things you know. No one will write the exact same thing and besides, there may be things you know that a lot of people know, too, but they’ve never written about it. Face it; someone will want to read what you write.

Practice Makes Perfect

Writing what you know will give you some good practice - just sit down and type away to see what comes out. Read it and critique yourself, but don’t be too harsh. Look at your writing style; do you think that your words would keep someone reading? Is your work jumbled, or should parts of your work be broken down for more clarity and do you think that you effectively expressed yourself?

Practice and write as much as you can, and have fun with it. One day you’ll be surprised at what you can do - look at me … I amaze myself everyday!

Open Up And Be Read

Let other people read your work and ask them what they think; sometimes friends are not the best candidates because even if it’s bad they will lie. Find a critic, usually writers on the Internet are more than happy to do this and they will be honest. Post your work on a message board and ask people to give you some feedback or if you feel that you’re writing is good, sell it!

Sell Your Work

The first time I ever submitted an article for money, in the back of my mind I really thought that it would not sell and I really didn’t care if it did or not. My expectations were extremely low and I wondered who would want to pay money for my “crap”. I made fifteen dollars on my first sell, my ego was boosted and I wanted more.

There are thousands of websites who need content on a world of subjects; Surely, your topic would fit somewhere and learning how to market your work will do wonders. I can’t do all of your homework but I will say there are writer sites all over the place with free information to help you learn the steps to marketing your work that will lead to some money for you.

There are sites that outsource projects; there are requests for editors, copywriters and content writers all the time, so get your share of the pie. The writing jobs on the Internet are endless! When you begin selling your work, you may need to read about organizational skills because staying on top of everything you do can be hard and if you think that you can’t be a busy writer, think again.

Be Careful What You Wish For

It is possible to have too much of a good thing. I once took on so many projects that one person couldn’t possibly handle and I completed all the work I took on, then I had to take two weeks off. Even though you may be excited at first, don’t burn yourself out. It was my own fault because I wished I could make oodles of money by writing and I did, but it also came with a price.

I’ve pulled “all-nighters” before! Rushing to reach a deadline, sleep deprived, bath deprived and malnourished myself getting wrapped up into the world of word. It’s an easy thing to do but I learned a lesson, too. 'Don’t take on more than you can handle' is one of them and the other lesson that learned is not to be greedy. Help a fellow writer - if you see a project and you know that you can’t do it, pass it on to someone else.

After all, I wrote this piece with the hopes that my own experience would benefit someone who may want to be a writer. Good luck.


About the author:
Lisa Gonzalez is a generalist freelance writer, a mother, a columnist for a few sites, a pizza junkie and the owner of www.zonemom.com and www.keywordprincess. She also loves e-mail so if you want to contact her she’ll definitely respond.