How to Write & Sell Your Articles, Booklets & Books Online

Make money online by selling different formats of written work.

Wordsmith and poet, William Wordsworth once said, "Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart." Whether they are words spilling out the details of your life, or a simple instructional booklet to help others solve a problem, writing and selling your work online is achievable. Breaking down the writing process into a step-by-step plan can help potential writers complete written works to sell and to use as examples in building a resume or writer's portfolio. Discover ways you can turn your words into profitable income.

Things You'll Need

• Word processing software

Instructions

Writing Your Work

1. Find a topic or niche to write about. Brainstorm a few ideas from subjects you know well. Write them down on a sheet of paper. From those topics, come up with a few subtopics to flesh out the idea. If you cannot come up with any subtopics, either discard the idea or expand the subject to allow for more options. Pick topics in which you have firsthand or professional experience.

2. Do research. Get an idea of the audience you seek to write for and what questions or problems they are having, then see if you can come up with solutions or answers for these problems. Research the topic you are writing about to gain further knowledge that can support the information you are providing.

3. Decide on your format. Figure out if the topic you have chosen works best as an article, a booklet or an e-book. An article ranges anywhere from 200 to 2,000 words, a booklet can range from 2,000 words to several thousand words, and e-books range in word count anywhere from a few thousand to tens of thousands of words.

4. Outline your piece. After deciding on a format, create an outline to lay out the information you have gathered. Create a title and subtitles, and come up with a hook, such as an interesting fact or quote, to grab your readers' interest in the introduction.

5. Write your first draft. Fill in the outline by writing the copy for the format you have chosen. Once the draft is finished, go back and proofread and revise what you have written. Rearrange information to present your points more clearly, correct spelling and grammatical errors, and add copy where it's needed.

6. Ask someone to review your work. Before selling your work, have a friend or family member read your piece. Ask her to comment on how the information was presented and ask if she correctly understands the point you are trying to make.

Selling Your Work

1. Format your piece. All formats of written content should be presented in a clean, professional font, with as few grammatical and spelling errors as possible. Aim for a black, 12-point font; Arial, Courier New, and Times New Roman are common web fonts. Black type on a white background provides the easiest contrast to read.

2. Figure out your market. Writers have a wide selection of options available where they can publish their content online. Try setting up a website or blog and then self publish your work. Article database websites allow users to post their information on specific platforms. Link articles written to these platforms back to your website. Advertise your work through social networking and micro-blogging sites. Compile a newsletter featuring your book or article and send it to your followers and readers.

3. Sell your e-book or booklet through an online publisher or e-zine to gain money and notoriety. Use your website as a portfolio base to sell to an online publisher. Query by writing a short cover letter to book publishers about your work. Include an attachment of the manuscript in the email.

4. Compete in an online contest. Many print and online magazines host contests for books and articles. Pick several, read the guidelines and submit your work before the deadline. Winning the contest can allow you to publish your work, receive money and build your resume.

5. Get credit for your work. Make the work you sell help build your credibility as an author and as a professional. Talk about terms with the potential buyer of your work to find out if your byline and biographical information will be included. Build off of the information you have written to create more pieces on the same topic.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep a file of all the work you have published online and in print. Refer to this file when seeking a new writing position or building a bio about yourself.

• Many writers sell work by working with a specific buyer under a contract. Make sure both parties understand the terms and payment of your work before you begin. Prepare a written contract for both parties to sign before handing over your work.

References

• Self-Publishing: Make Money Self Publishing Booklets, e-Booklets and Special Reports
• "Your Guide to e-Book Publishing Success"; James Dillehay; 2001
• Life Tools for Women: Words Pay: Earn Money Writing From Home
• The Dollar Stretcher: How to Write and Market Booklets for Cash: Paulett Ensign
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology: Safe Web Fonts
• Think Exist: William Wordsworth Quotes