Problems And Solutions For Copywriters Getting Started Online
Sorry for being so late with this post, but I was at a fantastic webinar with the blogging genius Michael Martine. Subscribe to his stuff, he’s awesome!
I’ve received so many questions both on and offline, I decided to make this my question and answer day. That’s right! Writer coaching and writing advice! If you have any questions at all, send them in and you can get answers to your online writing questions.
Q: How do I start copywriting online? I’m not sure if that’s something I want to do.
Getting started can be a bit tough. The number one rule for getting started is NEVER spend money to have the pleasure of writing for someone else!
I recommend getting an account at Helium.com or Associated Content when you start writing online. These sites are a completely 100% free way to try writing from home with no requirements or commitments. You even get to scrape together a few extra dollars.
I like Helium because you can write about anything either fiction or non-fiction. You submit it and others rate your writing. It gives you a chance to see how well you do your first time writing online. The forums are a valuable source of free writing advice. They also have a writer-mentoring program there that isn’t a permanent thing, but you will certainly learn about writing web content that way as well.
Once you get some time in there, try one or two posts at Associated Content. They pay more than Helium does on a regular per post basis. If you don’t live in the US, however, you won’t qualify for some of their pay programs (at the time of this post anyway.) You still get advertising revenue, so test it out a bit.
Both sites will continue to generate money on your posts as long as you log into your account every so often. Whatever you do, don’t focus on these sites too much. They are ok to start with, but they will not provide you with enough pay to make them worthwhile. That has been my experience with them anyway.
Helium has a marketplace and contests, but I prefer to spend time writing articles I know will sell and are worth my time to write. You will notice with the marketplace that an article might be worth $40+, but there will be 100 or more articles written for that single request.
Plenty other sites exist out there that will supply you with endless job opportunities, but that, my friends, is another post…Any questions?
December 13, 2008 at 7:05 pm | For the Writer | 2 comments
Thanks for the recommendation, there are a ton of WAHMs (in addition to all sort of other writers) on Associated Content and they’re making anywhere from $5-$1,000 a month. Our VP was actually just on WAHM talk radio, if you’d like to listen to her hints for writing at AC. http://www.wahmtalkradio.com/blog/work-at-home-moms-talk-radio-249/
Please visit the blog sometime, too!
Laura’s last blog post..Associated Content Going Strong
Hi Laura!
First of all, it’s great to meet you and thanks for the link and for stopping by! I wanted to mention to my readers that I found Associated Content to have a higher pay rate per 1000 views than Helium in the post and forgot. I would sure love it if they would start paying outside of the US for content! *hint*
AC, like Helium, is a great place for writers to start. I’ve yet to encounter anything other than encouragement and enthusiasm there. I found this to be a huge problem elsewhere.
Now that I know AC has a blog, I will most certainly stop by. (AC is on Twitter too! @acnews )
I’ll be in touch!