Back in my college days when I used to write for the university publication, I thought that there is no future in writing. I believed that there is no money in it, unless you have powerful connection in society where you are rubbing elbows with politicians, publishers, and among other influential people. That notion, however, changed through time. There is money in writing...and blogging. And that I realize since I embarked my freelance career.
Thanks to social media! Now, the internet is inundated with opportunities. I say it is opportunities because it doesn't automatically give you instant money. You need to explore and work hard for it.
I am not saying this because I have earned much. No! I am still learning the ropes. And I am still at the beginning of my race. Most of the times, I learn by myself through endless browsing and reading.
Here, I won't be extensively discussing how to earn a living or how to make money from blogging and writing, but I am going to share common revenue-generating activities.
1. Getting online writing projects. After leaving the corporate world, I decided to pursue a freelance career. I started getting projects from Odesk and Freelancer. It's been keeping me busy all the time. Many of my projects include blogging, article writing, ghostwriting, web content and product reviews. Though I favored research and lead generation projects, but for some reason what I'm getting are writing projects.
Other websites that you can get writing assignments or projects include Donanza, Elance and People Per Hour.
2. Monetizing your blog. I'm still working on this. It is only recently that I was actively monetizing my blog through Google Adsense, advertising programs and affiliate programs. There are thousand out there that are willing to be your business partner.
3. Sponsored reviews. Currently, I am affiliated with sponsoredreviews.com. Some companies and organizations seek for bloggers who can discuss or create a review about their products or company. Some interesting sites that I still need to check include Blogging Ads, Link Post, Review Me, Shvoong, PayPerPost, and Smorty.
4. Writing Gigs. Many online magazines and websites accept submissions, contributions or feature articles. While many require you to apply to be a writer or contributor, some sites will pay you upfront for articles that meet their standards.
5. More blogging opportunities. Sites like Technorati, Helium, Hubpages and Bukisa welcome bloggers and let you earn passive income. They don't pay for your blogs upfront, but you will have the exposure and earn revenue from your blogs. I'm interested in doing this, but because I am still kind of slow in writing, I can't manage it yet. I'm talking one step at a time. Though I have set accounts to a couple of those sites, I haven't posted anything as of this writing.
