Websites To Kick Start Your Writing Career Part 1

When you embark on a career in writing, you'll probably have an idea of where you want to go in mind. Whether you want to work for a magazine, newspaper, within a specific industry or see your name on the front of a paperback, you can't just expect to get to your destination as soon as you start to write seriously. As the old saying goes, everyone has to start somewhere! The advent of the Internet can help you!

Not only has the Internet opened up more jobs than ever before for freelance writers but it has given them a base to launch their career off, and working on various Internet sites can give you a great foundation. Every now and again, I will be posting some of the sites out there that can get you start with a quick review and a link so you can go right to the site and get started! They all offer an assortment of projects that can give you experience in various areas of writing and can help you to earn cash along the way!

1 - Rent A Coder - Rent A Coder is undoubtedly one of the best websites out there for starting off your writing career. There are hundreds of projects posted every single day concerning a huge variety of skills, from proofing and editing to articles to white papers to sales letters to press releases! It's all there. There are also a large number of buyers on there that will go out of their way to hire new people to the site to give them a leg up as well as those looking to form long term relationships with writers as well. Better still, the nature of the site means that all funds for jobs are escrowed before you start work on them so you are guaranteed to get paid if you complete the work. There's absolutely no chance of getting stiffed! Signing up is completely free as well, as is bidding for as many jobs as you like! What more could you ask for?

2 - Get A Freelancer - Get A Freelancer is also a great site for beginners because there are plenty of buyers on there that will accept bids for jobs from people that have never written professionally before. It is free to sign up but you do stand a better chance of getting a project on there if you sign up for gold membership, which currently stands at $12 a month. Of course, it is easy to make this money back! It is easier to withdraw money from GAF than most sites because you can have your own debit card. You can have the funds that you have earned transfered into that account and withdraw it at ATMs, which beats waiting for it to be transferred! Finally GAF is one of the easiest sites to work out! Just log on, post a message to buyers offering the jobs you want and away you go!

So there you have it - the first two sites you can look at for getting a foot on the writing ladder! More coming very soon so watch this space!

The Rocky Road To Freelance Writing

No matter what age you are, you are never too young or too old to start writing with a view to doing it for a living. Everybody can write but very few can do it well enough to make a living from it. If you are one of that number that has a gift for writing then you should nurture your talent and actively look to make the most of it. Today is as good a day to start as any - new year, new opportunities!

There is much more to being a freelance writer than meets the eye. However, there has never been a better time for trying to forge a career out of it. The Internet has opened up a wealth of opportunities for the individual find work, but there are three rules that you have to adhere to in order to get started on the right foot. They are as follows:

Rule One - Know Your Ability!

Freelance writers are often amongst the most self-doubting people on the Earth. Very often, they do not recognise exactly what they can do. This includes both strengths and weaknesses. However, having the ability to accurately assess your skills will help you to figure out exactly what projects you could do and which ones you should avoid. For example, some great writers can just reel off an article in ten minutes flat, whereas others need to plan it all out and take 30 minutes to an hour. The subject matter may be the same, as may the quality, but the latter kind of writer should probably avoid tight deadlines. Of course, there are many situations that this applies to but the rule is the same for all of them.

Rule Two - Gain Exposure

If you started writing yesterday then you are not going to make money from it tomorrow, unless you are very very lucky! 99.9% of writers will need a day job when they get going if they want to pay the bills, but they will obviously need to gain exposure by working on the side. You can use a website that offers a bidding system for individuals looking for writing work. Rentacoder and Guru are great sites for that. Alternatively, you could set up a blog or complete article projects for free. All of those options will get your name out there and help you to build a reputation.

Rule Three - Constantly Look To Improve

There are so many freelance writing skills today that a good writer has to have a working knowledge of several if he or she wants to compete with their fellow writers for a client list! Many clients will require a writer that can complete press releases as well as generic articles, for example. You should do all you can to build your repertoire of skills so that you appeal to more clients whenever you get the chance!

There you hae it - the three golden rules! Stick to these when you are first starting out and you will not go far wrong!

Welcome To The Freelace Writer Journal!

Being a freelance writer is a tough job - there is absolutely no doubt about that and any fellow writer will confirm this statement for you! You soon get used to the 20 hour days, juggling jobs and buyers that want the Earth for little return.

I am a freelance writer myself and know just how difficult it is to get into the business so I fully appreciate just how much of a struggle some of you will be experiencing just to get a break. I am lucky in that I have an estabished reputation and have regular buyers that repeatedly provide me with work, but for those of you that are having to settle for a lousy $1 an article, this blog is for you!

There will be a whole host of resources here for you to tap into including freelance sites that can help you and tips from me to get a better return for all of your efforts!

Good luck!

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