Heather's Telecommute : Make Money Working at Home: 2014

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Using Forums to Find Legitimate Work at Home Jobs

The general chat area may be used to get to know other moms that work at home. Learn about work at home pay, work requirements, work hours and other tips to find a job.

There was a time that the internet was full of work at home scams. Advertisements persuading internet users to pay a fee for working at home were prevalent online. Times have changed and there are legitimate work at home jobs available. One of the best ways to locate legitimate work at home jobs is to use work at home forums.

Legitimate work at home forums are always free, never pay to join. The forums discussed require free registration. Forums typically separate each type of work at home opportunity by the company name. Most work at home forums also have a general chat area. The general chat area may be used to get to know other people working at home.

Work Place Like Home

At Work Place Like Home there are folders for each work at home company. The first message in each of the forums will include links and information to apply to that company. Before applying, it is wise to read the forum posts. Posts from current employees will provide a wealth of information about that job. There are frequently posts in each folder requesting information about pay, work requirements and work hours as well. Browsing the posts will help a forum user to know if the job is right for them.

WAHM.com

Another forum that is very popular and a wealth of work at home information is WAHM.com. This website has a link in the upper left hand corner of the homepage to a list of companies that regularly hire people to work from home. Also in the upper left hand corner of the homepage is a link to the work at home forums. The forums here area bit overwhelming. Most jobs are discussed in the folder "telecommuting moms." However, there are folders for many other work at home opportunities as well.

Rat Race Rebellion

This website isn't a true work at home forum, so a work at home mom cannot network and learn from other work at home moms. But, this website is worth mentioning because they have constructed the most comprehensive work at home job listings on the internet. If at home research, consulting, data entry, writing, or providing customer service over the phone sounds interesting there will be a link to get started at Rat Race Rebellion.

Friday, August 29, 2014

How to Earn Money Writing for HowToDoThings.com

There is a website called HowToDoThings.com, where you can earn money as a freelance writer. I submitted an article there on Sept. 15th, 2009. I didn't promote it, or link to it at all. As of January 31st, 2010, (4 1/2 months later) my article had 239 views.

HowToDoThings.com pays it's writers a share of Google Adsense revenue. Writers get 50%. You are required to have a Google Adsense ID to make money writing for HowToDoThings.com. When you apply to write for this website, you will list your areas of expertise. You are originally approved for up to 3 areas, but you can always apply for more later.

Earning Money at HowToDoThings.com

Writing for HowToDoThings.com

As I mentioned above, HowToDoThings.com pays 50% of Google Adsense earnings and you must have a Google Adsense ID to get paid as a writer. For me, that meant that I earned a whopping 24 cents from my 175 word article in 4 months. That is 6 cents per month and while it isn’t a lot, it is something. Because everything is paid directly from Adense, there is a minimum payout of $100.00.

Page Rank at HowToDoThings.com

Writing for HowToDoThings.com

Google Pagerank of HowToDoThings.com Articles

My keyword density in my article “How to Make an Herbal Syrup” was 1.94 for the keyword phrase “make an herbal syrup.” That is pretty average (possibly a little lower than what you want for SEO). Regardless of that, if you Google “make an herbal syrup,” you will find my How To Do Things article listed number 2 on the 1st page of Google search results. It ranked above an eHow article on the same topic.

The homepage of HowToDoThings.com has a Google Page Rank of 6, which is very good. It means your articles written there will get noticed by Google.

If you can think of a few Amazon products that fit perfectly with what you've written about, add them here!

Links and Pictures

Writing for HowToDoThings.com

How To Do Things lets you put links and pictures in your articles, so you can add some visual appeal and also create backlinks to articles you have previously written. This is a great way to promote your work.

Editorial Process and Editing Your Articles

Writing for HowToDoThings.com

Once you have submitted your articles, they go through and editorial process. They place it in a queue for revisions if they want anything corrected. If not, it is published and you can no longer edit the article. You do not retain any control over your writing and you cannot delete articles written at HowtoDoThings.com.

Writing Requirements

Writing for HowToDoThings.com

When you write for HowToDoThings.com, you must write in a professional, third-person voice. The FAQs say that the articles must be 400 words, but my 175 word article was published without any re-write request back in September, 2009.

101 Best Freelance Writing Websites

Questions or Feedback about Writing for HowToDoThings.com

Leave Your Opinion on Writing for How to Do Things

savateuse Mar 30, 2012 @ 5:20 am

thanks for the info!
Upon-Request Feb 28, 2011 @ 8:09 pm

Hadn't heard of this site - thanks for the tip!

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Freelance Writing at Elance - Review

Working as a Freelance Writer and Bidding Contract Work at Elance

Elance is a website where you can find work as a freelance writer. Many people have heard of Elance and some have tried their hand at bidding contract work through Elance, but how do you get steady clients? How do you make real money contracting through Elance? Do you really get to make your own hours freelancing? All these questions are answered below.

What Writing for Clients is Really Like

Be Your Own Boss... Is It All It's Cracked Up to Be?

I’ve been a member of Elance since March of 2008. I have won some contracts their and I can tell you that contracting with clients is much different than writing for a website. Before you get started marketing your writing skills to clients on Elance, you may want to consider the differences between contract writing and writing for a “content mill,” or writing website.

1. To make it as a contractor at Elance, you must see yourself as a professional providing a service to your client. You must focus on giving the client what they want, not on your own ideas of what your work should be. You are pleasing the customer.

2. You will be your own boss and free to do whatever you wish with your time, but it is important to note that you must still meet client deadlines and prioritize your day to ensure your business is successful. It won’t be a boss telling you what to do, but rather, the business requirements such as tax laws and client requests that define your schedule.

3. You will spend a lot of wasted time working with clients to have nothing pan out in the end. There are going to be bad clients out there. The goal is to find one that works and create a lasting, long-time relationship.

Make More Money at Elance

You’ve heard the cons of contract writing. Now, why would anyone choose to write for clients? The answer is simple. Once you land a good client, you can earn much more money freelance writing than possible at internet content mills.

If you see writing as a temporary job, stick to writing for online websites. If you want to make a career of writing, use Elance to find some clients. The pay is better and you can find some relationships with real earning potential at Elance.

1. Build your portfolio on Elance. Include your best work and links to published writing online.

2. Add your resume to Elance. If you don’t have a resume, have someone professionally prepare one for you.

3. Choose your rates. Don’t accept less than you can earn elsewhere.

4. Build your reputation. As you gain experience with Elance, work hard to make sure you are building a good reputation!

If you see writing as a career, contract at Elance!

Sign Up with ELANCE!

What Do You Think of Elance?

Questions, comments, or experiences about Elance are welcome here!

John Jul 17, 2012 @ 1:00 am

I encountered great people to work for my company in Staff.com. I used to pick workers from Elance and Odesk before but I had some issues with them leaving right away because they have full time jobs before I got them to work for my business. Good thing my business friend told me to try different alternatives and finally I found the perfect place for my outsourcing business. Staff.com has full-time workers and not those that will leave you in pain…as for now I will stick to this site and will continue doing partnership with them. Many many thanks to their staff!
Apr 25, 2012 @ 10:11 am

I had a contract for a different type of job listed on Elance. It worked out okay and was a good experience. I appreciate your encouragement to charge what you can get elsewhere. There's no point in working for nothing.
WhiteSockGirl Oct 15, 2011 @ 5:26 pm

I landed one contract on Elance.
Most employers on Elance and oDesk offer like $2-$3 for 300-600 word articles. Not worth it.
scarlettohairy Aug 22, 2011 @ 10:49 pm

I've never tried elance but it sounds like a good option for freelancers.

Make Money Writing for Examiner.com

Earning Money Writing About News in Your Local Area!

Examiner.com hires writers to cover news in their area of expertise for their local city. Examiner also offers national positions for their expert writers. The site is actively hiring as it continues to expand the number of cities for which it offers news. They also have plenty of interests from which to choose. If you enjoy writing about the latest news, examiner.com may be for you.

Getting Hired

Make Your Application Stand Out

Explain what makes you an expert in the subject matter. As you list your qualifications, be sure to mention places, events, and happenings in your local area to demonstrate your expertise in a local light. In a month, or less, you will hear back from Examiner.com. Examiners are independent contractors and they choose what they write about and how much they write. Most examiners spend 4-6 hours per week writing for examiner.com, but there is no minimum currently in place to stay active.

Write and Earn Money from Examiner.com

How Much Will You Make?

The articles you submit to examiner.com earn per article view. Your articles show up as news in search engine results, so earnings often spike immediately after an article is published and then drop off over time. Make sure you include locations and helpful information to other people in your city. My experience is that earnings are approximately 1 cent per view. Because earnings are based on views at Examiner, be sure to promote your articles to get the most traffic from them. High paying keyword phrases are not as important as traffic.

Apply to be an Examiner

The Application Process at Examiner.com

Go HERE. Choose an area of expertise in which you enjoy writing. Ideally, it is a topic that you already keep up on daily. This makes research less of a chore. You will be required to submit a writing sample and explain how you can relate your expertise to your local area. If you would like a referral, input the examiner code 13881.

How to Overcome Writer's Block

Tips to Overcome Writer's Block

You can use your everyday life experiences as ways to overcome writer's block. All you need is to know how to put these experiences to use as a writer. You also need to know what websites will allow you to use these everyday experiences to showcase your talents. Below are many ways that you can turn a normal day into an inspiration and overcome writer's block.

The First Step to Overcoming Writer's Block is to Relax

Relax and Enjoy Writing

Don’t forget the first step to overcoming writer’s block is to relax. Making unrealistic goals for your writing productivity, or worrying over your dry spell can be counter-productive. Relax and enjoy writing! Before you know it you’ll be saying, “What Writer’s Block?”

Feel Like Spending the Day Chatting With Others?

Tips to Use Chatting to Overcome Writer's Block

If you are feeling chatty, why not spend the day using that to overcome your writer’s block. There are several places online that you can get paid to chat with other as a writer.

Paid Forum Posting
Answer Questions
…or network with your writer friends, by commenting on their articles to gain exposure online

Did You Buy a New Product

Use New Purchases to Overcome Writer's Block

You can use your new purchase of a product to overcome writer’s block. Sign up with one of these paid review websites and get paid to write product or service reviews on your recent purchase. If you still have the product manuals on hand, they can be great sources of inspiration as you are writing.

Shvoong
ePinions

Do You Feel Like Surfing the Web Today?

Using Internet Research and Surfing to Overcome Writer's Block

Sometimes I get in the mood to learn something new. As I browse online, I learn as I go. Sometimes, it is difficult to remember where you saw this or that. You browser bookmarks can become cluttered if you bookmark everything that interests you. That’s where Squidoo lenses come in. Why not use your internet research to overcome your writer’s block? As you surf the net, create a lens on the subject you are researching. Link to interesting webpages, write comments that you find helpful, write your opinions, and put your own spin on the topic. Before you know it you will have written a new lens and overcome your writer’s block.

Maybe You Just Want to Talk about Your Day

Tips to Overcome Writer's Block by Blogging

You can overcome writer's block by simply blogging about your day. If you don't feel the events were particularly worthy of writing, you would be surprised. Blogging about your after school activities with the kids may help someone else come up with activity ideas.

Blogger - Create your own blog

You enjoy greater freedom over what you write to overcome your writer's block at your own personal blog, but you may not enjoy as much traffic as you would on a website that hosts your blog along-side a social network.

Blog at the Today.com Website

Today.com allows you to blog and enjoy the benefits of traffic to their website to gain exposure for your blog. However, you do not have as much control over your content.

Did You Finish a Project You are Proud of?

Using How-tos to Overcome Writer's Block

You can put your daily projects and accomplishments to work as ways to overcome writer’s block. You might not think sewing a patch, knitting a scarf, or changing your own oil is an accomplishment, but to some people your knowledge has value. Put simple tasks from your own daily life, such as baking a potato, or making perfect popcorn, into how-to format. Your how-to tips are perfect ways to overcome writer’s block and there are many websites that would love to publish your finished article:

How To Do Things
eHow
FireHow

Heather's Telecommute | A Work at Home Blog

101 Websites for the Freelance Writer: Websites for Publishing Writing
Are you looking for a new website to publish your freelance writing?...
Suite101: I began writing for Suite101 at the beginning of 2009. Many writers are intimidated by the applicant...
Best Freelance Writing Jobs that You Can Do From Home!

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

101 Websites for the Freelance Writer

Websites for Publishing Writing

Are you looking for a new website to publish your freelance writing? Many websites allow you to make money by publishing online, including writing articles, reviews, paid forum posting, or poetry. As you probably know, there are websites that pay a hefty sum for writing and websites that pay pennies for hours worth of work.

That is why I have created this list of 101 websites for the freelance writer. (Since it's creation, it's grown to many more than 101 websites and gets bigger every month.) The list has the ranking feature. If you have experience writing for one of these websites, you can help make this list great by voting for your favorite website, or leaving a comment about a website that isn't current in the list. To vote on a writing website, simply click the up arrow to the left of the website link. Finally, some of the links direct you to reviews of the website to provide you with more information. The review will always provide a direct link to sign up at the freelance writing website, if you wish to do so.

Photo Credit: Orin Zebest

Freelance Article Writing Websites

55 Websites Where a Freelance Writer Can Publish Articles

1 Squidoo

9 Questions to Ask About a Website Before Writing

Considering writing for a new website? There are some questions to ask yourself before you begin. Evaluating a freelance writing website for your own person...

Where to Contract for Freelance Writing

5 Websites Where a Freelance Writer Can Find a Client

1 Elance

26 points

2 oDesk | Outsource to Freelancers

18 points

3 Guru.com

11 points

4 iFreelance.com

6 points

5 ScriptLance.com

4 points

Get Paid to Write Reviews

9 Websites Where a Freelance Writer Can Get Paid to Review Products

When a freelance writer is looking for a new website to submit their content, it is helpful to keep some key points in mind.

What type of content do you enjoy writing as a freelance writer? Signing up to write for a blogging website will not be a good idea if you enjoy writing reviews. Stick to what you like.

Do you retain rights to your freelance writing? Some writers prefer to retain ownership of their freelance writing. Other writers do not mind selling their rights. The terms of a writer agreement are available when registering for a new website. These legal documents often spell out the terms.

Do you prefer passive income or upfront payment from your freelance writing? Often, passive income is the most lucrative form of freelance writing, however some writers need their money quickly, so they will write for upfront payment.

Does the freelance writing website allow links to be added to your writing? Links added to your freelance writing allow you to backlink to your previously written articles. If the freelance writing website allows links you can also insert affiliate links into your writing.

Does the freelance writing website have a good Google page rank? A good Google page rank on a freelance writing website will help your articles get noticed in the search engines.

Does the freelance writing website look professional? You don’t want your freelance writing to be placed alongside unprofessional writing.

Does the freelance writing website have a good reputation? If a website is good to its writers, it will gain a good reputation and that information will be shared on work at home forums.

Does the freelance writing website employ many writers? Some small websites that hire freelance writers are a good gig, but you will minimize your risk by working for a website that is well-known and hires many freelance writers.

Does the freelance writing website have a minimum payout? If a freelance writing website has a large minimum payout, you might be waiting for your writing income for a while.

Does the freelance writing website allow pictures? Your writing will always be better if the website allows pictures throughout.

Does the freelance writing website allow you to delete, or edit your writing? If not, you do not have control over the writing submitted to this website.

What is the Payment Structure of the Freelance Writing Website? If the website doesn’t make upfront payments, you will want to know the payment structure of the website. Do they pay you for the views or ad clicks your writing receives?

Does the freelance writing website allow do follow backlinks? Do follow backlinks from this website to your previous writing will help you older writing gain page rank with Google.

What does the freelance writing website require for writing length? If you earn a dollar a month from your writing on the website and writing length requires 400 words, you have more time invested that you would if the website required 200 words in the writing.

Duel

#link

Edit

Do YOU Write for Residuals or Upfront Payment?

Express your opinion

There is so much variety to writing online web content. The website that suits me best, may not be best for you. Tell the world about if you prefer writing for upfront payment or residuals. Let us know why you feel that way.

Do YOU prefer writing for Residuals or Upfront payment?

Residuals

says:

wow! This is links galore...Thanks....Great lens.....Upfront is my choice...

says:

Residuals, cause I think better if we get the fee based on what we done.

deepa says:

residuals are best

ScentsWithBling says:

I am just getting started and can see the benefits of both. Really can't pick a side yet

snippet says:

snippetsnippetsnippetsnippet

Upfront

fathomblueEG says:

i say both because having several streams of income is better than one.

rihannsu says:

I've been working mostly for upfront pay. Squidoo is my first foray into revenue share.

gonweller says:

Both, but I get whatever makes sense long term. Obviously, it's easier to get a nice solid one time payment for full rights on an article somewhere like Constant Content, which happens to be one of my favorites.

gonweller says:

Yes...both ;)