Beginners Online Article Writing Guide

This post is mainly for the beginning article writer with little or no experience writing online. I decided to write it because when I first started as an online article writer, I had no computer experience and no idea what to expect. I had a vision of sitting at the computer, joyfully tapping away at the keyboard all day, sipping lattes and watching little birdies flit around outside my window. I suspect that may be how many beginning writers envision this career. 

Unfortunately, it's just not that idyllic. There's much more work to online article writing than that. Just like any other career, it's not easy money. You have to work hard and educate yourself to succeed. You also need the proper tools.

Basic supplies - You'll need a good reliable computer and internet connection. Your computer should have a word processing program. If you can't afford one, download one for free. Always write and save your articles on the word program. Copy and paste them into the writing template on the site you're writing for, rather than writing directly in the site template. This way, you have a copy of your work in your word program in case of website problems. You should also periodically save your work in GoogleDocs or on a flash drive in case of computer issues. Some writers do both.

Getting paid - You 'll need to have a Paypal account to be paid for online article writing. This is the way most online article writers are paid. Some venues will give you an upfront payment for online articles they have a demand for, plus a page view bonus. Some pay only upfront payments. Others pay only for page views. Payments vary depending on the website and the type and quality of your article. As a general rule, private clients pay a lump sum, one time payment based on word count and content quality.

Plagiarism - Plagiarism can and will get you barred from ever writing again on most websites. Think about how you would feel if someone copied or rewrote your articles. Producing original well written, insightful articles will gain you respect in the writing community. Rewriting the work of another will have the opposite result. Be the type of writer others look up to.

Pictures for articles - Online article writing usually involves posting pictures for your articles. Wikimedia Commons is one good website for pictures. Fiickr is another. Or, use your own pictures to accompany your articles. Be sure the pictures you are using are public domain pictures, or that you have been given permission to use them. Pictures can be plagiarized too.

Re-sizing pictures - Occasionally, you may find that a picture loads very slowly or is not accepted by the publishing template. Re-sizing your pictures to site specifications will solve this problem. Online article writers can go to Pixlr to re-size and edit pictures for free with no registration required.

Educate yourself - If you want to be an online article writer, you must constantly educate yourself. Be aware of things like SEO and LSI. These are the main techniques that will help you generate page views and increase your income. There are many more ways to accomplish this. Read at least one educational article in the field of online article writing daily. The internet is constantly changing. Only those who keep up with new trends, regulations and techniques will succeed as online article writers.

Writing for multiple websites - Why is it important to write for multiple websites? The answer is simple. Diversification works for online article writers the same as for other professionals. You'll have a wider range of experience. You'll be able to see what niche your writing fits into. You'll have multiple income streams. You'll become a well rounded online article writer. Plus, if one website shuts down, you'll have a back-up income.

Private Clients - Once you build a good writing reputation and online presence, you may be approached to write for private business websites. If not, you should do everything in your power to market yourself to appeal to them. Why? Well, to put it bluntly, they pay much better than the content sites where you cut your teeth. You can solicit private clients by marketing yourself on your own author site. You can also add a professional writing page to your Facebook account and/or advertise on sites like Craigslist.

The importance of Email - It's essential to keep up with your daily emails. This is where you'll find some offers of work from the sites you write for. You can also direct potential clients from your website to your e-mail through a contact form. Your email can be used to keep in touch with other online article writers. Most websites for online article writing will send you an email message every time one of your articles, or that of another writer you've subscribed to, is published.

Organizing Email It's a good idea to separate your emails into separate folders. Most online writers receive thousands of emails a day. Separating them allows you to process them more quickly. For instance, you might have one folder for each website you work for, a folder for personal email, a folder for PayPal notifications and a folder for other notifications.

Subscribing to other writers - As you build your online writing career, you'll want to subscribe to the work of other online article writing pros. Reading their work can give you valuable information. Reading other peoples articles helps keep ideas flowing as well. Never copy the work or ideas of another online article writer. It is, however, perfectly acceptable to write your own article on a similar subject with a different angle.

Promote yourself  - Self promotion is not merely acceptable in online article writing. It's absolutely necessary. You'll need to sign up for social networking sites such as Facebook, Google+ and Twitter. Post a link to your articles on these sites every time you publish. This is one way other people find your articles and click to read them. This is how you get paid.

Bonus tip: Consider building an author's website featuring your work and fees. You can even do it for free.

Promote others - Don't just promote yourself. Help out other writers in your community by promoting them too. Post their articles on your social networking sites, as well as on your own author site. This isn't just about one hand washing the other. This is about common courtesy and consideration for other online article writers. Be a good online writing citizen.

Social networking - You'll want to make plenty of friends in the online article writing community. You can do this by chatting, playing online games together and discussing your writing experiences. Social networking helps gain exposure for your work. It's fun getting to know other writers and educational too. In fact, you may find yourself getting lost in social networking.

Prioritize - Be careful not to spend your entire day networking. It's easy to do. Remember, you're doing this to make money. The majority of your day should be spent writing, editing and preparing your work for publication. Try to establish a set routine that will guarantee your success. Play games at the end of your writing day, when all your work is finished.

A few vital parting tips and takeaways:

*Keep yourself educated.

*Manage your time well so that the majority of your day is spent writing.

*Give yourself breaks and get adequate exercise.

*Bookmark all the sites you write for and frequently visit for easy access.

*Promote the work of yourself and other online article writers.

*Build a reputation for high quality original and interesting articles.