How to Start a Web-Based Freelance Writing Business

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By Patricia Gilliam
eHow Community Member

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(25 Ratings)

Though writing on the web is a fairly new field, it is growing and a great option for writers of all ages and backgrounds. In this article, I want to give you tips and direct you to resources that would get you off to a good start.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

The desire to start a web-based writing business
Computer with Internet connection (includes libraries)
In some situations, a PayPal and/or bank account to receive payments from websites.

Step 1

The first thing to do is to give some thought into what you would like to write about. This is because some websites may be better suited for you than others. For example, eHow is a fantastic site for writing how-to articles and pays well in my opinion, but their format does not fit creative writing such as short stories or poetry.

In any type of business, it's almost always to your advantage to have a niche or specialty. That doesn't mean that you can't do other things, but it helps from a marketing standpoint. If you write on a particular topic really well, that can be carried across different formats including articles, blogs, and even books.
Step 2

Next, do a search for websites that will pay you for the content you want to produce. Read the fine-print and terms of working with these websites carefully. I personally work with sites that pay for non-exclusive rights, meaning that the site is paying you to display your work but you still own it.

If you don't know where to begin, I have a short list of general sites I work with at the link below titled "Web Writer Central." This information is free, and given enough time you can figure more out on your own once you understand how these sites generally work.
Step 3

Begin building up an inventory of content. I began making money with my articles and short stories the first week I found a set of paid writing sites. It took about six months however to generate an income that I consider significant. In less than a year, I'm not too far away from being able to do this full-time without needing a job. It's just like any other business, but in this case your creative work is your product.
Step 4

From a financial standpoint, I find it easier to have one bank account to send your earnings that's separate from your personal account. Speak with the person who does your taxes, and they can give you more information on what records you need to keep and what is and isn't considered tax deductible with your expenses.
Step 5

Something that I've found very helpful is connecting all of my articles and stories to each other, so if a reader likes one thing I do they will continue to read more. Google Page Creator also has a way of creating a very clean looking portfolio site for free.