Finding Ways to Write for Pay from Home

Writing is perhaps the most classic work at home job out there. There are many options for people with excellent writing skills and the ability to come up with good ideas for stories.

Freelance writing comes to mind. You can write for local newspapers, websites, magazines... any place that publishes the written word needs writers.

These areas have need of a wide range of writers, but many places are highly competitive. It can be very difficult to become a published author or to get in with a magazine or newspaper as a contributor.

Pay varies tremendously. Some pay very little while others pay fairly well. The difference, of course, has to do with reputation and expectations. You may have to accept lower paying jobs to build that portfolio and reputation that shows you to be a capable writer.

Some people also build their skills as copywriters. If you can write compelling copy to sell other people's products you can earn very good money at it. As with any other sort of writing, you have to build your reputation to get the best jobs.

The Internet has opened up many more possibilities. You can bid on writing jobs at a variety of websites. There are sites that pay you to write articles on topics of your choosing... no promise that they will pay for every article, of course. The site must approve the articles for pay.

You can also blog. This is pretty popular, as it gives you a lot of freedom. It can be more challenging, however, as you take all the risk upon yourself. No guarantee of income and you have to figure out how to run your blog yourself as well as market it.

There are even sites that pay bloggers to post about their sites. Some people feel this is selling out, but it is for others the easiest money they've made. For most, so long as you stick to your honest opinions it should not present a problem.

Don't mistake the life of a writer as an easy one. Most people find writing to be hard work. Finding the right words, the right phrasing, even the right topic takes effort. Many writers strongly prefer to be left alone as they write, as interruptions can completely derail a train of thought beyond easy recovery.

If you want to write at home, don't wait. Even if you aren't sure what you want to write about or who you want to write for, just start writing every day. Keep it up and think about what you would like to focus on. The practice will be good for you and very helpful when you start writing for pay in earnest.

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About the author

Stephanie Foster offers a free newsletter at http://www.homewiththekids.com/newsletter/ for at home parents. She also offers more work at home writing job resources on her site.

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