Wholesale Writing v. Self-Employment

by eibhlin morey macintosh

That website provides you with short-term income, faster than you'd make with your own new website. Realistically, even if you've written keyword-rich articles, it can take months for you to earn as much from the same affiliate and advertising sources that commercial websites rely on.

So, what's a struggling writer to do... get a job at McDonald's and wait for his or her website to earn good income?

Think of your writing as an asset. And, just as if it was actual cash, diversify how you invest your writing skills.

When you're starting out, write for anyone and everyone who will buy from you. If you can only sell $2 articles, write lots of them. If you can sell $15, $30, or even $150 articles, go for it. Online markets pay faster than print media, but you're likely to earn less per article online. If you need immediate income, online markets are your best choice.

If your website will take awhile to build, consider print media--magazine articles--for the best income over a longer period of time.

As soon as you can, take some of that income and start your own website. To attract many visitors, you'll need to have a good spot at Google and other search engines, and that can take as long as six to eight months. So, the sooner you get your site started--and have at least ten content webpages at it--the sooner the clock starts ticking, moving you towards a viable position at the search engines.

In the interim, consider writing for cooperative content sites, where you retain ownership of what you write and you share the advertising income with the site owners. There probably won't be any pay at these sites, but it's an opportunity to link to build an audience.

These sites include AllInfoAbout.com, BellaOnline.com, and others. Similar sites open daily.

A quick review: This is a three-step process. (1)Write for others, (2) write for a co-op site, and (3) create your own website/s.

The worst thing that you can do is write for others and that's all. You're selling your writing at wholesale prices, and someone else is making as much as you--and probably a lot more--from what you write.

When you're getting started, it's fine to develop your writing skills by working for others. However, plan ahead. Develop your writing skills, learn marketing and how to create (and promote) your own website.

As soon as you can, quit selling your writing wholesale to online markets. The real money will come from your own website. Make that your long-term goal and a very high priority.