Online Writing Resources for Freelance Writers

Editor's Note: This is a guest post by Jodi Jill. She is the founder of the Ehow Writers Group and has a free ebook on How to Write for the Examiner.com.

As writers we want our creative energy to have some results. As a published author with books at the bookstore, I know how difficult it can be to find your ‘perfect outlet’ that provides results. I mean words need to have audience even if it is just a few eyeballs.

I write roughly 7,000 words a day. It could be articles, stories or even press releases, but I really strive to push myself and my words out. Yet, I ran into a problem a while ago…where do I put all these words? I could write books (which I have done extensively) or I could find a place that allowed me to be creative and push the edge a bit. That’s when I started looking online for writing possibilities.

Writing Online

It started slowly with my online writing. Perhaps too slowly as I was going at a snail’s pace all worried and way too cautious that someone might steal my work. Then one day I just pitched my online inhibitions to the wind and decided online writing was going to be my next positive experience as I was tiring of the worry (and I have yet to find anything but positivity writing online).

The idea of an online audience tends to be a huge relationship difference from the old way of books. We connect with our readership instantly and this association allows us to infiltrate our words in such a way we learn, hands on, how to really share an idea or story without pitching flowery wordage to readers. It also forces writers to think as more in bites. Sound bites. Commercial bites. Focused bites.

As an online writer I have found ways to grow into what I write and where I place it online. It tends to stagger when you just rely on one website so you find you need to have the all the websites posted with your work so you can make some money. Money is essential in this whole online experience. You really need to be making some cash to be a real writer as accolades are nice but don’t pay the bills.

Freelance Writing Websites

Now you may be wondering where do I put my writing online? Good question! Here are some of my solid websites:

eHow.com. This is a how-to site that focuses on a step by step process. You can how-to just about anything I suppose. As you write, you include photos and resources for your readers to do their projects and needs in everyday life. The topics range from golf swings to home improvement and everything in-between.

Bukisa.com. Another how-to site that also includes videos, audio and a huge overview of articles you can write for readership. This isn’t quite a structured as eHow, but has a strong global audience where a writer wouldn’t normally be exposed.

InfoBarrel.com. This is a website where you can write about darn near anything non-fiction. You will see this is a smaller site than the two listed above, but the quality of writing brings readers back again and again. Included in your writing pieces that can range from the traditional how-to to writings on reviews of restaurants is a signature about you and your work.

Examiner.com This is a website where you can write, on a regular basis a column local to your community. It is an extraordinary way to show appreciation to a local subject while still making money writing. I admit it has to be one of my favorite sites and I make good money posting here daily.

The idea of writing online is one of the most positive experiences I have ever encountered. It is something that can be tapered at your level of energy and really allows you to grow as a person as well as a writer. I encourage everyone to consider writing online to find their words all over the Internet and beyond. Don’t forget that one day those words online will be the mainstay of your life and bring home the house payment!

Jodi Jill lives in Los Angeles, California with her dog Tiger. You can reach her directly at Jodi@quitwhining.com