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.

Every once in a while in the world of online writing, you come across a kindred spirit. You meet someone that for whatever reason, spurs you on to bigger and better things. If you are really lucky, that person turns out to be a pretty fine human being to boot. My good buddy Randy over at Barefoot Scribbles is just such a dude. I dare say that it is hard to imagine how anyone could be unaware of his blog by now, but if you have not checked it out, click that pretty link above and give him a visit.

You can thank me later.

What is so cool about Barefoot Scribbles is that you can learn something about online writing while laughing your arse off. His writings are always chock full of great advice, while still entertaining as hell. He is what I aspire to be – A writer that keeps people coming back for more, if only to find out what he is up to.

On a personal note, this guy has always had an open door policy with me. From the first day I met him in Associated Content’s forums, he has made himself available to help. That is rare in the cynical world of web writing. I hope that I have been that same thing for others, and followed his honorable lead.

If you have a budding online writing career, I would highly suggest that you head on over and subscribe (after subscribing here of course) and dive into his huge amount of content. You will find more advice than you will ever need on virtually any subject you can think of where writing is concerned.

Thanks Randy for being a friend and mentor as well.

Article writing is a very complicated way to make a living. Your money is limited by how many article ideas you can generate. There are a million ways to get article ideas, however. The thing is, most article ideas will never actually generate any page views. How do you generate article ideas while still making sure they are articles that will be viewed and generate income?

This article will help you figure that out. Here are a few ideas for how to generate money makers, based on my own experience and the advice of others greater than I:

1. Use Google Trends - Google Trends is a great resource to know what is hot. It is a list of the hottest search trends on Google. If it is hot on Google, you can be relatively sure it is hot everywhere. The thing about using Google trends is that it is often being used by thousands if not millions of other online writers. How do you bypass that?

Simply by finding your slant. Here is a tip. Find a hot Google Trends story. Now find another one on the list that is related. How can you mix the two together? For example:

Free Money is a hot trend. (always)

Playing Games is a hot trend. (always)

Why not do an article about how to get free money playing games? (yes, you can do that believe it or not)

Google Trends is valuable.

2. Sign Up at Wordtracker.com – This is one of the coolest little tools on the Internet. You put in a search term and it sends you back hot article titles. Honestly, this is the coolest thing ever and worth your time. Give it whirl. You will be glad you did. This tool is my favorite thing. Just punch in ideas and get free information. Free is always good.

3. Sign up for Problogger.com’s email updates – While you may or may not be a blogger, this guy always puts out information that can really help with article ideas. The email updates are very non-invasive, and they always are worthwhile. I take the time to read everything that comes from him, and it has made a huge difference.

4. Keep a journal of article ideas on your person 24 hours a day. Seriously. I have a pen and pad beside my bed. I never leave to even go to the store without it. If you do not write it down, you will never ever remember it tomorrow. Write it down!

5. Watch the local news – If you need ammunition, then the news will give you all the article ideas you can think of. Foodie writers have it made. They can simply turn on the Food Network or Emeril and have tons of ideas. Us writers that write on boring stuff have the same resources if we think in that way. Think outside the box and use those 5000 channels your satellite service provides.

I hope that this will at least get you juiced up and ready for some great writing. Be sure and subscribe to the blog, and I will see you tomorrow!

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!

Every writer comes to a point in time when they are faced with the decision to take a low paying job. Is it really a good idea for you to take a low paying job, however? Many writers do not feel that they should change their payment standards in order to accommodate to the needs of a particular client. Here are some things to consider when trying to decide if you should take low paying jobs.

Do You Need the Money?

If you really need to make some extra cash, taking a low paying job can be a great way to earn it. There are many low paying jobs out there. Unlike many of the moderate to high paying jobs for writers, the low paying ones aren’t quite so competitive. Those who really need the money should be sure to think about taking a low paying job. It can be one of the best and easiest ways for a freelance writer to earn some extra pocket change.

Are You Knowledgeable on the Subject?

You don’t want to spend a lot of time doing research if you are not getting paid too much for the work that you are doing. Taking low paying jobs in areas that you have a lot of knowledge about is a good idea. Think about how many articles you could do per hour, and see what the pay rate will be for you. This is a good way to determine if the job is worth what you put into it.

Do You Want a Regular Client?

One of the main benefits of taking low paying jobs is that there is a possibility that you may be able to find a long-term client. If you want to ensure that you have a consistent flow of work, this can be highly beneficial. Knowing that you will always have the stability of getting work that you can get paid for is one of the main reasons to think about taking a lower paying job. You may even want to ask the client if they can provide you with consistent work if you agree to do the job according to their pay scale.

Have You Considered Other Options?

Instead of taking lower paying jobs, you may want to think about other options. Websites like Associated Content may be able to provide you with the extra cash that you need. The turnaround is quick, and you will be able to keep earning on the work that you have produced through page views. If you really do not want to lower your pay standards for work, this can be a great idea.

Taking low paying jobs is something that writers have their own opinions about. A lot of writers also have their own opinions about what they consider to be low pay. While one writer may be satisfied with making $5 per article, there are others who would not consider taking even $15. Coming up with your own pay scale, and sticking to what you believe can be very important for most writers. There may come a time when a low paying job is ideal for you, however.

A common misconception is that freelance writing is a job that’s ideal for everyone. This couldn’t be any further from the truth. Although freelance writing is a very suiting career for many individuals, it is not an online job that is the right choice for just anyone. Here are some of the reasons to rethink quitting your day job to pursue a career in freelance writing.

You can’t type quickly. Freelance writing allows you to work at your own pace, for the most part. However, you are going to have deadlines. If the idea of typing a lot of words in a short period of time seems challenging for you, then it may be a good idea to rethink pursuing a career in freelance writing. To make the most money and ensure that your clients are always happy, typing at the quickest pace possible is ideal. Here are some tips for improving typing speed and accuracy.

You have poor grammar skills. If you do not have very good skills in grammar or punctuation, a career in freelance writing is definitely not ideal for you. Have you ever browsed the internet, and found websites that were filled with typos? No one enjoys this. Unless you are willing to brush up on your grammar skills, it is a good idea to avoid a career in freelance writing.

You don’t enjoy doing research. Ultimately, you are going to be able to decide what freelance writing assignments you want to take on. However, the pickier that you are about what you want to write, the less money you are going to earn over time. Those who do not feel comfortable writing about topics that they are not familiar with may struggle with this. Doing internet research, and knowing how to provide sources when necessary, is one of the main keys to being a successful freelance writer.

You have very poor editing skills. Most freelance writers are their own editors because it costs too much money to hire a third person to do this job. If you do not have an eye for what looks right or wrong and if you tend to overlook the mistakes that you make, there is a possibility that freelance writing may not be for you. Here are some tips for editing your own work.

Although many people will make great freelance writers, there are some will not be too successful at this online job. Considering all of the factors prior to making the decision to pursue this as a career choice is very important. It is best to see how it works out for you on a part-time basis before quitting your day job to become a full-time freelance writer to pay the bills.

Topicontent is set to take off as one of the best online writing websites around. The whole idea is to gather some of the best writing on the web in one place. As such, we are always looking for new writers to come on board. If you feel you could help out and write in any of our categories, then by all means come and check us out today! We welcome all inquiring minds, and hope to grow over time. If you are interested in submitting to Topicontent, then send a letter of inquiry through the link “About us” located at the top of the page. Thanks for your interest, and I look forward to working with you all.