Writing online can be fun and rewarding, but it is full of risk. Scams and low paying gigs litter the web, inviting a writer to waste his or her time and money on ventures that do not pay off. Cut through the waste and focus on only these five, the best online opportunities for writing articles for pay online.
Write for Triond
Without a doubt, Triond is the easiest and most fun web site for writing online to use. Aside from its "first to publish online" request, it has zero content restrictions. One can post poems, short stories, and even video, audio, and pictures. These articles are then sorted into niche websites for easy access. Thanks to their recent integration with adsense, their pay is very competitive too.
Write for Bukisa
Bukisa now only pays if you have chikta or adsense. Medium-length articles are written about a variety of topics. Bukisa has some minor technical issues that make it more difficult to use than Triond, but at least the don't demand exclusivity or first rights.
Write for eHow
Ehow specializes in how-to articles. Writing articles for them often takes a while now, because now you have to go through the Demand studios editing process, but the potential for pay is quite high. However, there are occasional technical bugs and the value of the articles are not high outside of eHow itself. Earnings, although sometimes large, are unpredictable.
Write for Helium
Helium has a broad range of topics, but is perhaps the most restrictive site to write for because articles must adhere strictly to very specific prompts. Pay is highly volatile and depend on a ranking system where users rank articles against each other. If a writer can consistently come out on top, they can quickly make hundreds of dollars through contests and awards, but if they are below average or mediocre, they will make very little here.
Write for Suite101
Suite101 is a very good place to write online, yet it is also very exclusive. Unlike the previous four websites, writers have to pass a special application and submit two writing samples in order to gain admittance to Suite101. The pay is good, but more importantly, the articles have a long shelf life and are very helpful outside of the website as portfolio builders. Writers who want to make a career out of writing will make the most out of Suite101. The one downside is it requires the most work and time.
Other guides go through a greater number of web sites, but these five are undoubtedly the best websites for writing online.
Jared Plotkin - I recently graduated from UC Irvine and I am trying to make a career out of freelance writing. I enjoy writing about a wide variety of ...
Join the Conversation