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Online Writers

Understanding the "ins and outs" of freelance writing online can be very complex. Earlier today, I surfed the web for articles about how to earn income as an online writer. I came across various forums that denounced particular websites and praised others. After more than an hour of researching the topic, I came to the conclusion that - more research would be necessary. In the end, I may have to choose a freelance position based on trial and error.
I've often wondered while browsing informational forums such as about.com, ehow.com and hubpages.com, etc. - what type of people write the articles. From the little I've learned today, informational sites hire article writers that have knowledge on specific subjects. One site I checked out recently requires the candidate to initially write a lengthy article that would be reviewed and approved/disapproved. My understanding is a range of topics are presented and the potential candidates submit their articles for selection by the website.
The complexity I spoke of in the beginning is how the writers are compensated. I've read comments from individuals claiming to be freelance writers for various sites. These freelance writers indicate most are paid by the amount of traffic directed to their site. Other comments I've read suggest it is the amount of "ad clicks" on your page that generate your revenue. There are a few sites that pay once per article, I've read - but this didn't seem to be the norm from what I've researched thus far. The online writers' contract with these entities, I've read. One term I've learned today was "Search Engine Optimization" or "SEO". SEO deals with "improving the volume of quality of traffic to a website" ...see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Search_engine_optimization.
This SEO business appears to be serious stuff and is mentioned often in the online writing forums.

In a nutshell, it doesn't appear to me at this point in my research that one can earn a lucrative income freelance writing online -"lucrative being relative to the individual". However, most comments I've read seem to feel the residual income is welcome no matter how small. One important plus for novice writers, in my opinion, is the fact that one can use the online writing experience to pen themselves a "freelance writer."  For the novice, I believe the online writing experience can eventually lead to other opportunities in the print media and book publishing areas for the committed writer.
Bottom line:  research, research and research more before you sign a contract for online writing. Be realistic about the income you'll generate.  Most importantly, I believe, find out the specifics on how much you'll be compensated "per view", "per article", "per ad click", etc. Unless you're writing purely for fun, you don't want to spend numerous hours writing multiple hours  for pennies.

My five cents....

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