Writing articles for online publication is quickly becoming one of the most popular ways to make money on the internet. Some companies are suggesting income possibilities in the hundreds or thousands of dollars per month range. Most people, though, try a few articles and then quit when they've only made seventeen cents.
The way to make money online is to increase your quantity.
Quality is a given. If you write poor quality articles, you're not going to make a lot of money. You're going to get a reputation for writing articles that are thrown together and you'll lose the respect of your peers, not to mention your self-respect. Your name is on these pieces - obviously you want them to be good. Three amazing articles, though, is not the way to get rich on the internet.
Increase article quantity without decreasing quality
The key to writing great articles en masse is focus. People talk about niche marketing and niche blogging, and the secret to success here is writing niche articles. On any given topic, there's a lot to write about. If you want to write about digital cameras, you have a couple of choices. You can write one general article or you can write twenty specific ones. You can write about lenses, pricing, accessories, point-and-shoot vs. SLR - whatever you want. Twenty times the articles can mean twenty times the money, and that's just in the initial pageviews. Twenty times the articles also means twenty times the chances of getting your pieces into Digg, StumbleUpon, and the like.
Write articles about things you already know
Just because you're an expert in a topic doesn't mean everybody else is. Submitting an article for online publication doesn't have to be a painstaking process, but the trick here is reducing your need for research. If you know everything there is to know about iPods, write about them. Then your time is spent writing, not cruising the internet trying to research a topic you know nothing about.
Understand how plagiarism laws affect your article writing
According to the University of Alabama at Huntsville, “Cyber-plagiarism occurs when you download or copy in part of or all of an article, research paper, or ideas found on the Web, without giving the original author credit.” Obviously, don't directly copy. Don't change a few words. Don't change every word but keep the tone and idea of the article identical. However, utilize resources for inspiration. American Poet Audre Lorde wrote, “There are no new ideas. There are only new ways of making them felt.” You don't have to reinvent the wheel, you just need to find new ways to create value in your articles. If you've just read ten books about low-carb diets, writing a top 5 list of how to make low-carb diets work is not plagiarism.
Understand how original content rules affect your article writing
Many writers for online publication think that each article idea must arrive, fully formed and unique, out of the blue and into their head. This is an easy way to keep your earnings low. What you can do here is change your spin or your focus. Let's say you've written an article about the top ten XBox 360 games of the year. You can then write ten subsequent articles reviewing each one, for the same or different publications. If you write an article for Triond
about the pros and cons of buying an iPhone, that doesn't preclude you from writing another article giving the top five reasons an iPhone is the perfect Christmas gift.
Know the purpose of your online writing
Your articles are not doctoral theses. They are generally intended to be short and informative, entertaining, or both. Create value, make good points, but don't overthink the process. This is not about rocket science, it's about sharing what you know in an easy-to-read format.
Most importantly, write your articles in your own voice
If you write the same way you speak, you'll spend a lot less time editing and a lot more time writing. More writing equals more money. Imagine you are explaining your concept to a friend. You wouldn't drag out the thesaurus to find the perfect word. You'd find the best way to make your point in a concise, understandable way. Do this with your articles and you'll utilize your time more effectively.
