Digital Point forums was an eye opener for me. I had been toiling away for what seemed like an eternity on Associated Content, Demand Studios, and other online writing sites. I was churning out a minimal living doing this, but I knew that something better had to be out there.

Then one day, I had the pleasure of visiting a blog that changed my outlook on things. The name of the blog is onlinewritingjobs.net and it is run by a man that changed things for me. Not only is the blog great, but good ole Robert is pretty great too.

On this blog and in Associated Content’s forums, Robert pointed out that you an actually market your own work directly on digital point’s forums to private clients. No strings attached, and no bull. You simply post what you have for sale, and you get real time offers and feedback from other members!

This was rather exciting to me, and it changed my writing career.

I headed right over there and started checking it out. When you first sign up, you have to participate in the forums for awhile, and post some comments,etc. After you go through that initial warm up, then you are allowed to post on the site’s “buy/sell” area.

The first day on digital point’s buy sell area I sold nearly one hundred dollars worth of content. From there it just grew more and more.

The best part of digital point was that it taught me to value my work more. I made several contacts, and now I am working directly with a gentleman in a full time gig. This job would never have come along if it had not been for digital point forums.

There are a few things to keep in mind when you sign up there:

-Always request at least half the payment upfront. Do not do work without payment upfront unless they have a very good itrader. itrader is like ebay feedback, and can be found under their user name.

- Be patient! Many people start dropping their prices if their content does not sell the same day. Be patient and the buyers will usually come and find you.

- Never ever bump your thread. You will get banned.

Outside of that, you should have no problems. If you would like to see some threads that actually work as far as how to format the thread, etc, feel free to let me know and I will gladly try to help you with how to put it together.

When your website is not exactly hopping with traffic and you are not sure how to change things, an article writing campaign can really jump start things. While reading a great post on article writing campaigns over at SiteproNews, I started to realize yet another reason that we are needed as article and content writers – for good quality content that is optimized for the web. Some website owners are more than capable of delivering their own content. Others have no chance whatsoever.

After careful consideration, I have come up with the top ten reasons that you might need an article writer. Here they are:

10. You do not know the difference between their and there.

9. You think keywording is naming your piano keys.

8. You have written articles and are still getting no traffic.

7. Your last article was around 1980.

6. You want dynamic and exciting content that can drive traffic to your site organicly.

5. You want tons of backlinks to your blog/website.

4. You are working in a niche that you are unfamiliar with on the whole. (not recommended)

3. You are short on time due to multiple ventures.

2. You want the best that the web has to offer.

1. Your website has grown stale.

If any of the above things apply to you, then you may want to look into hiring an article writer. A great content provider can make the difference in an good or a great website.

As the editor of several websites, it is part of my job to go through online writing applications on a semi-regular basis. These online writing applications are often by request, and they are supposed to include a few writing samples. Writing samples are supposed to be a snapshot of what the writer is capable of, and it will be the first impression that a potential client will have of you and your writing.

Unfortunately, most potential article writers give very little thought to the online writing samples that they provide. There are a number of tips about writing samples that I would like to pass along to those of you that apply to online writing sites. Hopefully, some of these might help you to secure more gigs, and make more money online.

Monkey's Rule (Except In Writing Samples)

1. Make sure that you send the writing samples as an attachment. Also do not pick some newfangled formats or funky files. A simple text file does rather nicely. If I have to download something to read your writing sample, that is a big fat no-no.

2. For goodness sakes, browse the website or company that you are applying to. For example, if the website is about the Dallas Cowboys, do not send over a writing sample titled, “The Washington Redskins Rule” please. You would be shocked. It happens. Know the niche you are applying for.

3. Another important note on visiting the website – Take a moment to read some of the content. Is the tone of the website bloggish, or is it more technical? This type of information is vital to your writing sample. Make sure your writing sample matches the website in form for the best results.

4. Make sure you send your best work. Do not send over a lackluster effort. If I read a writing sample and it is throwing out grammar issues in the first paragraph, I don’t bother to go on. The reason? If they do not care enough to proofread a writing sample while asking me for a job, they surely won’t once I am paying them.

5. Use a standard font when you submit article writing samples. No pink italics please. Also, I do not know Chinese, so do not send over that type of script unless the application asks for it. Straight English, 12 pt black – Times New Roman is perfect.

6. Do not send over custom writing samples. If people are requesting custom writing samples, then chances are they are scamming you. If they are willing to pay for them, then that is something else. I have seen jobs ask for a custom writing sample with no guarantee that you will be paid. That is very bad. An existing writing sample on the Internet is more than good enough to show if you fit the job. Watch out for the scammers folks.

If you are just getting started writing for the web, then earning a little cash has to be on the list of things you are looking to do. Getting your start is not always easy. Earning money as a writer can seem nearly impossible at first. Inevitably, new writers turn to the online writing sites that litter the web.

While these online writing sites are wonderful at their best, they are horrid at their worst. The key is to find the good ones and not waste time with the others. To that end, I have decided to tout the three online writing websites that helped me the most as a new writer. These websites all have their ups and downs, but they all are beneficial to a new writer.

Here they are:

Associated Content - This web writing giant has had a number of ups and downs over the years, and they certainly are not perfect. One thing I will say about Associated Content is that they are quite punctual with payment and they generally do a good job of keeping your web writing in the search engines. They pay an upfront amount for your work if it is well done, keyworded, optimized for the web, and they do not already have a large amount on the subject. They also pay you a page view bonus each month based on the number of views you garner.

Associated Content also has a special place in my heart for another reason. They awarded me 5000 bucks for a contest.

Demand Studios - Demand Studios is a step up in compensation and expectations. They are a little tougher than AC when it comes to editing, etc. Still, they offer upfront money as well. I earned a great deal of money from them over a year’s time, and they taught me a lot about writing for the web. I highly recommend them to anyone interested in writing for the web and earning money.

Hubpages – Hubpages is a bit different in that they do not pay upfront. Instead you put your adsense code in and are paid on a percentage basis of your views. The thing I love about Hubpages is the fact that you can really garner some serious page views. Also, you are free to add pics, Amazon, Ebay affiliates, and a number of other great earning sites. Finally, Hubpages gives you a fantastic way to build pages that can include video, pics, polls, and more. Hubpages is highly addicting! You can make money on Hubpages!

Hopefully you will check out some of the great websites I have listed, and do not give up. Though you are starting there, you will not finish there if you are dedicated. More earning power will come from these sites over time, and you will quickly find private clients are more than willing to pay for great content!

It happens to almost everyone: you have promised to get a certain freelance writing project done in time, but something has happened that will cause you to be late. While you can always email the client to let them know that you need a later deadline, there are some clients who are simply uncooperative. After all, you’re the one who said that you would have it done in time…

The only thing that you can think of doing without causing yourself to look bad is asking for the help of a fellow writer. Is it wrong to do this, however? Here are some of the things that you should think about prior to asking for other writers for help with the project that needs to be completed.

Has the Client Specifically Asked You Not to Do This?

If the client that you are working for has asked you at any point to ensure that the work you provide them is entirely your own, it may be a bad idea to ask another writer friend for help. On the other hand, how will your client ever know? By doing a bit of editing, you can help ensure that the articles will look a lot more like your own. If you were told that you should never provide work that was completely by a team of writers, it is best to avoid doing so, however.

Do You Actually Trust the Writer You’re Asking For Help?

Remember that there are measures that you can take to ensure that the work you are about to send one of your clients has not been plagiarized. You should not think about having to do this, however. It is important to think about how much you really trust the writer friend who you are asking for help. If you really feel that this writer will provide you with 100% honest and good work, then you should feel slightly better about asking for help.

Would You Think About Telling Your Client?

Some clients may be more open to the idea of multiple clients working on their projects than others would be. If you feel that your client is open to the idea, you may want to think about telling them. Simply let them know what the situation is, and tell them that you can still provide the same turnaround if they are okay with the idea of another writer completing some of the project. Your client may either reject the idea or they may extend the deadline so that you can finish it on your own, but there is a good chance that they will be appreciative of your honesty. Be sure to consider how long you have worked for the client, and the type of relationship that you have had with them so far before making the decision to ask them about this.

Many writers make the decision to ask for the help of their friends. The best thing that you can do is use your intuition. If the idea seems wrong even after you have given it much thought, then you may be better off trying to ask for an extension so that you can finish the project all on your own.

Here are some tips for managing your time as a freelance writer, to prevent yourself from getting into this situation in the first place.

Making the decision to write for a new client can be fairly difficult. With so many internet scams out there, you will want to know what to look out for. Here are some tips on how to know if a client is trying to scam you.

Extremely Low Pay

On the one hand, it is always good for a client to be upfront about their payment terms. However, if you are being offered an extremely low amount of pay that seems really unreasonable, then it is important to keep in mind that you are being scammed in a way. You should not get paid $1 per article if there is somewhere that you can write that same article and get paid a much higher amount of money. Most people will make much more money writing for Associated Content or Demand Studios. Consider how much you’re being paid and whether it seems like a good deal or not before deciding to take on a client full-time.

Delay in Payment

If your client is constantly giving you the run around, this is a good sign that you are being scammed. When you are told that you will be paid on a certain day, then your payment should come on that day. If it is delayed, then you should be given a specific time, and it should definitely come by then. It will be easier to trust a regular client over time, but keep in mind that they can scam you with payment delays as well. For first time clients, it is a good idea to ask for 10 or 25% of the total payment upfront.

Asking For Personal Information

Keep in mind that a client should never ask you for information that is personal. They should not ask for your SSN, unless it is because they want tax information. Although it is not all that common for identity theft scams to happen with writing clients, it is always a possibility that you should be aware of at all times. Any time that you asked for personal info on the internet, you should never provide it and know right away that someone is trying to scam you.

These are just a few signs that a client is trying to scam you. If one or more of these signs seem to happen, it is important to be cautious when making the decision to work for the client. When you begin to notice anything usual happening or if you do not get paid, it is time to take action. But what can you do if a client doesn’t pay you? Check back tomorrow to find out.

Being an underpaid writer can be quite frustrating. Many writers consider asking their clients for more pay. Is this really something that you should do though? Here are some things to keep in mind when asking a client for a pay raise.

How Large of a Pay Increase Do You Want?

It is important to consider how much of a pay increase you want before asking. Ideally, you should ask for no more than 8-10%. About 5% is pretty harmless, depending on the amount that you are already making. Keep in mind that it can be a good idea to gradually increase the amount of pay that you want over periods over time. Asking for too much at once can be hurtful to your chances of actually getting it.

Can You Risk Losing the Client?

Another important question to ask yourself is whether you can risk losing this client. Depending on how much you depend on them for your monthly earnings, this can really go either way. As much as we would like to think that all clients will be agreeable to a pay increase, there are many who will become offended or will simply be annoyed by the fact that you have made such a request. This leads to another very important factor to consider.

What is Your Relationship With the Client?

Before making the decision to ask for a pay raise, it is important to consider the relationship that you have with your client. If it has been on a professional level, this is not necessarily a bad thing. If the client has sent you mostly warm and friendly vibes, then asking for a pay raise may be ideal. If your client is very strict and somewhat cold, then it may not be such a good idea to ask for a pay increase unless you are willing to risk losing this client.

There are many factors which determine whether it is a good idea to ask a client for a pay raise. Before requesting an increase in pay, it is important to think about all of these things. If your gut instinct says not to do so, it is important to remember that there is a possibility that your client may turn you down. If you are making too little on the work that you are providing the client with now, it is important to remember that you can always find a new client with a fairer pay scale.