Write Web Content for Content Mills or Residual Income Sites?

Is it more profitable to write web content for content mills or for residual income sites?

If you write for a content mill, you are guaranteed X amount of dollars per article, provided it adheres to the company's editorial guidelines. Depending on the amount of time it would take for you to research and write an article, starting out, it may be more profitable to write web articles for a fee.

Residual income sites do play a role in increasing your overall earning potential. Due to the strict editorial guidelines of some content mills, many writers elect to submit an article which did not meet the company's guidelines to a residual income site, such as Associated Content. You may or may not receive an upfront payment for the article, but you will receive a share of the advertisement earnings the article generates. The amount of advertisement earnings is dependent upon the number of views your article receives. It is always wise to optimize your article for search engine visibility without spamming your article with unnecessary keywords.

For guaranteed income, stick with the content mills or work on securing private clients. To add extra, residual income to your earnings, submit original SEO articles to residual income sites.

Productivity Tools for Freelance Writers

What productivity tools are absolute "must haves" for a freelance writer? Have you downloaded a new Mozilla Firefox add-on or extension that has increased your productivity?

Lazarus form recovery is an add-on available via www.mozilla.org which prevents the loss of data entered into forms and templates. Accidently refreshed your screen and the data that you spent precious time entering into the template disappear?  With Lazarus form recovery, all you have to do is right click and restore the information that was previously typed into the form. This tool certainly comes in handy and has saved me from missing more than one important deadline.

Another useful tool that I use daily is Fox Splitter. I'm able to write my content within the template while simultaneously researching my article in another tab, which is in a split screen format.

What are your favorite productivity tools?

Freelance Writers, Rethink Textbroker

When I first became interested in writing SEO articles in 2008, I didn't know where to begin. I had heard that a significant amount of income could be earned writing web content, but I was unsure as to which companies were legitimate and which were not. Textbroker.com was the first content mill to which I had applied. My writing sample surely wasn't the best, but within a few days, I had received a welcome email and I was allowed to begin working on assignments.

For quite some time, I had not attempted to claim any articles on Textbroker.com, simply due to the fact that I had read some forum posts discussing the low rate of pay for new writers. My account sat there inactive for months until, after joining another work at home type of forum, I began to read many positive reviews of Textbroker.com. Other freelance writers, who had worked their way up in ranks were now rated at a Level 5, which is the highest level a writer can earn at Textbroker.com, and earning .05 per word.

Textbroker.com may not pay as high a rate as some other content mills when you first begin to claim articles. It's all dependent on your submitted writing sample and the writing level you are assigned by an editor. Articles are reviewed after every five submissions and you have the opportunity to advance to higher levels, thus earning additional income. The staff and editors there are friendly and more than helpful. They really are a great group and are willing to assist new writers in improving their craft.

Textbroker.com is a wonderful place to get your feet wet if you are new to writing content for the internet. I recommend anyone interested in freelance writing to sign up on the website. Also, please visit their blog, which can be accessed via a link on the bottom of their home page.

Writers earn extra income working from home

Many writers earn extra income working from home. For talented, experienced writers, the opportunities that are available to earn extra income working from their home office are plentiful. Talented, inexperienced writers, those who are new to writing Search Engine Optimized articles, are afforded many opportunities to produce quality content, as well.

If you are new to the work at home world and interested in beginning your writing career working from home, visit www.textbroker.com . Textbroker offers freelance opportunites to novice writers. A variety of topics are available and you have the ability to select the articles you wish to write. Textbroker is a great place for beginners to gain experience writing Search Engine Optimized articles. Another wonderful organization, which hires beginners, is www.wordgigs.com . Both companies pay via Paypal, and payment is normally received as scheduled. If you're interested in beginning your writing career and earning an extra income working from home, Textbroker and Wordgigs are two eggs that should be added to your basket.

Working from Home - Getting Started

So, you've decided that the idea of working from home sounds rather intriguing. You may wonder if it is possible to earn an income from home and if so, where does one begin?

First off, I'd like to suggest not to resign from a current brick and mortar job. When I first began dabbling in freelance work, I viewed it as an income source supplemental to my primary employment. Over time, it is certainly possible to earn a full time income at home, however, it may take some time to build your business.

Re-evaluate your skill sets. The reason for this is because many times, resumes aren't updated on a regular basis. Have you acquired any new skills, such as learning a second language or customer service, that would boost your marketability? Make a list of your work experience in order to gain a better understanding of your current skills. Many companies that hire employees or self-contractors working from home, require experience in certain fields. Applying for work that you may not be qualified for is a waste of time, unless you are planning to enroll in a training course or the employer accepts newbies and is willing to train them.

What sort of equipment does one need to work from home? The type of work certainly determines the sort of equipment one would need to work from home. Customer service work would normally requires a land-line and a computer with a reliable, high speed internet connection. Some companies do allow self-contractors to use VOIP or cell phones, however, most do not. A printer is not necessarily a “must-have”, but, I do not feel that I would be as productive without my printer/copier/scanner. One may need to scan and email identification documents to a prospective client or employer, and, really, it's such a time saver to be able to fax or email documents from home – not to mention the fuel it saves from driving to and from the local shop or library where you have access to a scanner or fax machine.

You'll also need a method to receive you pay. A couple of the most popular, free and secure online payment processing services are PayPal and Moneybookers. Many clients also offer direct deposit payment into your bank account or payment by standard check, but may charge a small fee for such payment methods.

Also, working from home will normally not allow you to become rich overnight. We've all seen the advertisements which claim how you can earn $5,000.00 a month, working as little as a few hours a week. Not to sound too cliche-ish, but, if it sounds too good to be true.....it probably is. Working from home as a freelancer requires hard work and dedication. Even though you may have certain work-related deadlines pertaining to your work at home assignments, you're basically working on your own. Time management and organization are imperative.

Until next time!