Looking to the experienced writers for help...please?

[ukridgethoughts]

Hi, I joined late last month and have submitted only one article yet. It's been sold thrice for the usage price and I'm really happy with this.

I have been writing off and on for the online article world for at least a year- mostly to pad my measly pocket money. I'm thinking about seriously taking it up as a career, but feel hesitant because I'm not sure about future prospects here. Before CC, the sites I worked for paid me very low prices and I didn't even realise how low!
Now, I have a better idea, but I'm not sure if writing regularly for a site like CC would secure a good, steady income in the future, after my college is over. I'm in my second year now. After college I'll only have a BSc in Economics. I find that I can write really well and would probably do alright in this line.

Do you think I should? If I take this up full time, what can I expect in the future? Will I be writing as much as I am today to earn a good monthly income, say, twenty years from now, or will I be able to ease up. I don't know any one who has this career, so I can't turn to them for advice and I'm really, really scared. I feel like I might be making a mistake by taking on something that I don't understand, that has no guarantees and for which I might have to keep slaving for years in order to build up a good saving.

I'm sorry if I've made a mess of my question. But I'm so confused that I need all the suggestions and guidance I can get.

To help me, will you guys please, please, tell me something about yourselves? How did you get into this line? How old were you? Are you simultaneously doing some other jobs? How long have you been in this line and has it paid well?

I've gone over much of the forum, but I'm sorry if I've missed a similar discussion and bothering everyone. Jeez, I sound nervous. Help?

[Antonia]

Welcome! It's great that you've already sold one article three times for usage - many people don't see their first sale till a few more submissions down the road, so you're off to a good start.

The nice thing about writing for places to CC is that you don't HAVE to commit to a long-term career. You're only in your second year of college - who knows what life after graduation holds, let alone twenty years down the road?

Write as much as you have the time and inclination for now. The more experience you get, the more opportunities will arise. If you find that freelance writing or web writing starts to lose its appeal after a while, no big deal...but in the meantime, enjoy the extra cash (or possible full time income) that CC brings.

[ukridgethoughts]

Thanks Antonia, but I'm already seriously thinking about writing full time. I don't really have the luxury of time after college to think about what I want to do. I have to decide now and then stick to it. So, I guess what I am saying is that if writing articles is not something that is a feasible long-term career, I want to know now.
The opportunities you spoke of?...I want to know (if possible) what those opportunities are so that I can streamline my plans in that direction.
Thanks again.

[aprilk10]

Welcome to the world of freelancing! First, I want to say that if you are thinking of quitting college to pursue a career in freelancing...don't. Even if you end up not directly using your degree, your college education will provide you with knowledge that will be used indirectly for the rest of your life. It will also be nice to have a variety of options open to you. If you decide to pursue freelancing and it ends up not working out, you will have other opportunities available to you. You also need to remember that with freelancing, you are your own boss. While this initially sounds like a dream to most, it also means that you are responsible for such things as self-employment taxes, retirement planning, insurance, etc. Perhaps one of the most difficult things about being your own boss is motivating yourself to work. After all, nobody is there to keep you in line! That being said, I am certainly not knocking it, as I do it myself...or am trying to!

I quit my regular "job" a year ago and began pursuing a full time career in freelancing on Jan. 1, 2010. I had been freelancing on the side since March 2009 and finally decided that if I had the time to devote to it, I could make a go of it. I have a degree in English, but had basically just been letting it sit while I maintained a dull, barely over minimum wage job. I do not drive for medical reasons, so was somewhat limited in where I could work. I finally decided that it was time to put my degree to some use and make a go of it! I had nothing to lose after all! So, a year has passed and I have increased my work opportunities! My hunch was right...if I had the time to devote to it, I was sure I could at least get to a level of income equal to what I had been making with my other job. I added CC to the mix early in the game and was advanced to the highest level of pay at another site where I get work (Textbroker). The problem was that I got lazy! I didn't make nearly what I should have last year. It wasn't because the work wasn't there though, it was because I enjoy "relaxing" too much! So, to answer your primary question, yes, you can make a living from it, and some do very well. However, it is work to get there.

My humble advice is to continue with your education and in the meantime, keep working on the freelancing. Look into other freelancing opportunities as well. CC is absolutely amazing, but the majority of freelancers find that it is necessary to put multiple eggs in their basket! You can't know what various opportunities will make themselves available to you in the future. Your education will bring even more opportunities your way though. In my personal experience, you can't really "plan" your life out...things come up, things happen, you find new interests, you encounter setbacks, and other opportunities are opened up. Sorry, I know this was a long post, but hope it helped you in some way! Good luck!

[Celeste Stewart]

Many people have made careers out of writing, long before the Internet came along. Much of online writing is done on a freelance basis, though not all. Semi-traditional writing jobs include working for an ad agency, newspaper, or magazine. Other ways you can write full time at an actual business include becoming a script writer for a video production company or public relations specialist for any number of companies. If Web writing is truly where you want to be, you could work for Web development firms and ad agencies or you could do what most of us here do: freelance.

I'm with April, finish college and squeeze in writing part-time while you complete your studies. If you can also take a few courses in copywriting, Web usability, Web content development, and related topics, that would be helpful. Think about how you can blend economics with writing? Maybe start contributing articles to personal finance magazines and websites, blending your two loves and establishing yourself as an expert in your field. Even if you later pursue a career in economics, image how impressive your resume will look with published articles on topics important to potential employers.

As far as freelance Web writing goes, it is a fun career with its challenges and rewards. A couple books I recommend are: The Wealthy Freelancer (cheesy title but loaded with good information) and the Yahoo! Style Guide. Also, according to CareerOneStop.org, writers in the US earn a median wage of over $25/hour or $53,900 annually (some earn over $100K).

April, nice to hear of your success this year! I have advice for you, too. Set a daily budget. I'll explain later. Have to go right now. . .

[jadedragon]

Check out more Celeste's advice on my Innovative passive income blog where she just did an interview for me. She's a pretty successful writer. Also you might read http://master-dayton.blogspot.com/ for some great perspective on starting as a freelance writer (he submits here too, just not active in the forums).

I actually write for fun and profit part time. I've never had a job, instead I've always been in business for myself mostly in real estate related businesses. I could earn a full time living freelancing but I like my other businesses more. I write professionally because I enjoy it and it keeps my writing skills sharp. I also love how the articles I've placed here just sell themselves and the cash lands in my paypal account with no further effort on my part.

Get your degree. I worked before I went to university, than took a break to work, than went back and finished my degree. I highly recommend getting a degree. I use mine every time I tackle a new project.

[ukridgethoughts]

Welcome to the world of freelancing! First, I want to say that if you are thinking of quitting college to pursue a career in freelancing...don't. Even if you end up not directly using your degree, your college education will provide you with knowledge that will be used indirectly for the rest of your life.

Thanks so much April and don't worry, I don't intend to quit college. I've had some problems in the last few years and had to give up studies for one year, but I'm back now and I really want to get my degree! I'm really grateful that you included your story with your suggestions and yes, they did help me. I guess my degree can help me too and maybe I'll even get to do post grad after that. I really want to, but can't if I don't have some avenue of earning money.
I know I can't plan out my entire life and I promise I wont try , but where I live if I can't say with confidence that given some time I'll make a decent earning from this, I'll never get the opportunity to try.

I'm with April, finish college and squeeze in writing part-time while you complete your studies. If you can also take a few courses in copywriting, Web usability, Web content development, and related topics, that would be helpful. Think about how you can blend economics with writing?

Thanks to you too Celeste. I'm writing part time now, but freelancing is definitely what I would choose to do online, if I decide to take up writing full-time. The courses would probably be a really good idea and I think I'll sign up for some online, after college gets over. I hope my knowledge in economics comes in handy too.

Also, according to CareerOneStop.org, writers in the US earn a median wage of over $25/hour or $53,900 annually (some earn over $100K).

The problem with this is that I'm not a US citizen. I'm from Calcutta, India and I find that most of the better paying writing sites are closed to me- Textbroker, wordsofworth, AssociatedContent, SEED etc. It's majorly frustrating, but I am holding out the hope that better sites will come up or I will discover a site that I haven't heard of, or examined yet. I like Constant Content already because they haven't thrown me out. Perhaps US tax laws don't scare them?

I worked before I went to university, than took a break to work, than went back and finished my degree. I highly recommend getting a degree. I use mine every time I tackle a new project.

I read the interview and some more articles in your blog. Really neat place you built. Also Master Dayton's blog was informative and inspirational. Thanks for them.
I'll get my degree in one more year, but the problem is that I'll be twenty three by then, when I would have passes out this year if I hadn't taken a year's break. I can't quite explain why this is a huge deal for my family, but since it is, I have to know that a career in writing online wont make me waste more years chasing a certain annual income that would be impossible to earn. The articles helped a lot, as did knowing that someone else gave up studying, worked and then went back to it.

I like writing and given all the advice you guys gave me, I suppose it'll be worth the risk to make a real go of it, after college. Thanks again, all three of you!

[aprilk10]

Found this list of places that accept international writers...at least it said they do. Here is the link to the blog: http://frugalfreelancer-freelanceliving ... ccept.html

I see wiseGEEK is on the list. I just got accepted there. I have read numerous accounts of people saying that they are hard to get into. I think this may primarily be because they aren't hiring all the time though. I think their form letter they send out to applicants doesn't always reflect the fact that the reason for the rejection is that they aren't hiring. I think they let you keep applying though...it is not a one time and your done deal. I had seen an ad that they were hiring last month and applied. If they like your application, you will go through a testing process where you complete 3 batches of 3 articles (for which you are paid). If you make it through all 3, you are assigned an editor and can start accepting as many articles as you want. They are an encyclopedia type format and the guidelines are a bit different than what many are used to writing, so it is important to thoroughly read the guidelines and follow them. I am not sure if they are still hiring, but it is worth a try. They are on this list, so I would try it. However, I know that I had to send them w-9 info, so I am not entirerly sure they accept international writers. Go to their website and click the link at the bottom of the page for freelance writers and it should take you to their application page. They pay between $10-$14 per 400 word article and authors are required to complete at least 5 a week. Internet Brands and LovetoKnow are also good sites. You could consider becoming an "expert" in economics at a site like Lovetoknow, About, or Suite 101.

Hope this list helps. I just found it by searching "writing sites that hire international writers" and it is on the above blog...so I am not guaranteeing that they do all accept international writers. Good luck!


About.com
Associated Content
BrightHub
Bukisa
Consumer Search
Constant Content
Content Current
Cracked
Demand Studios - UK and Canada Writers
Freelancewriters.info
GetaFreelancer
Ground Report
Helium
InternetBrands
KGB
LovetoKnow
Mahalo
Makeuseof
MyLot
Neutral Existence
Niner Niner
Prospect Solutions
Scriptlance
Squiddo
Suite101.com
Triond
Words of Worth
Wordstart
Writers Research Group
Writers Work Station
Xomba
WiseGeek

[ukridgethoughts]

Ah! Thank you, April. Some of these are sites I haven't yet tried, but a few others are sites that do hire international writers, but only ones who are 'native English speakers'. Like writers from South Africa, I guess. I'll try out all the other sites. Thanks again, April.

[jadedragon]

CC is not afraid of US tax laws because it is based in Canada. Writers from anywhere are welcome here. If you are in India than consider odesk. Lots of writer contracts there - though the pay will be lower than here you are writing for customers that hire you compared to on spec.

[aprilk10]

While "native English speaker" technically should mean that English is your first language, I think some sites may state this but mean primarily that you have a good command of the English language...which you certainly have if you are successfully submitting to CC! I would give those sites a try anyway...the worst they can do is tell you no!

Just had my first batch of articles (besides the testing) reviewed by my editor at wiseGEEK! She had excellent comments...I hope that continues! I have a hunch they will be one of my new favorite sites to contribute to! I would definitely give them a try! The articles are simple to write once you learn their formatting and style guidelines! Good luck! Another site to try is Factoidz!

[ukridgethoughts]

odesk is a good idea, but as with all freelance bidding sites, isn't the competition fierce? I'll probably sign up with them during my summer holidays. I'll have the time to devote to it.

Congratulations April! I hope you do well there. WiseGEEK has a page that redirects international writers and asks them to send in an email asking for a form to fill up. So, Yay! I'll attempt it along with odesk in april. If I run into any trouble I'll ask you for help, k?

My first language is english, my vernacular, bengali has been my second since school, but Demand Studio and a few others weren't satisfied. Oh, well.

[ukridgethoughts]

Something I forgot to ask:

My dad asked me how these sites work or what their structure is. What he meant was: what guarantee do we have (as employees of sorts) that CC won't fold tomorrow? Does it have an office in Canada (Thanks, jadedragon ) and a registered business in that country? He's worried I guess that an internet based site couldn't be depended on for the long term.

Um, answers?

Thanks.

[aprilk10]

Just as with ANY business, you have no guarantee that they won't fold someday. For example, I live in a small town where many people depend on the local factories for employment. With the downfall of the economy in the past few years, those factories that have been here for decades are folding and people are left without a job. Granted, it may be more probable that an Internet site will suddenly disappear. That actually happened to me right at the beginning of my freelancing endeavors. I was writing small descriptions for an auction site. Right after I had made the decision to pursue freelancing full-time, the site was abandoned! Luckily, it wasn't the primary site I was getting work at and I knew there were plenty of writing sites that I needed to explore. That is why it is important for freelancers to keep more than one egg in their basket! One important factor to consider is how long the site has been in existance. For example, CC has been around longer than just about any other content site I think. Not sure of the date...2000 I think? Celeste would probably know. The Internet itself has only been around since the 1980s and it likely isn't going anywhere. What you need to look at is demand. Since the Internet is likely only going to continue to grow, the need for content is always going to be there. As a freelance writer, you will be able to provide that content to a variety of clients.

Oh...about registered offices! Some of them do have registered offices and can be found on file with the BBB. One thing I always look for before sigining up with a site is contact info. If there is no actual physical address, I am not likely to sign up. Before you sign up with any site, read their about section and check out their contact section.

[Celeste Stewart]

CC started in 2004 (http://www.constant-content.com/about/about-us.htm) and is part of the RevenueWire Network (http://www.revenuewire.com/about/). Explore RevenueWire and you'll learn more about the parent company.