Ways to Make Money Online as a Writer Without Publishing a Book

Yes, you read that right: Ways to Make Money Online as a Writer Without Publishing a Book

Maybe I should add, "and without losing your sanity [or your soul]".

Seriously, when did writing become so hard? I don't know about your local paper, but there are no jobs for non-journalist joes like me. I couldn't schlep my way into a position if I tried. Not that the journalistic quality of my local paper is actually worth it, but hey...it's the thought that counts, right??

Anyway, if you are wondering if you can make money ( > $0.01) online - yes, you can. Honestly, the opportunities are out there. I'm a mom of three-going-on-four with a full-time job and a husband that works and goes to school. Trust me, my time and energy are at a premium. Spare time? Ha, what spare time?! So trust me, if I can make money writing online, you can too. And you can do it without spending ridiculous amounts of money on some educational course or without wasting half your life bidding for jobs that will never come your way.

First of all, the opportunities that I found fruitless. Your mileage may vary:

1. Elance and places like it
Seriously, who wants to waste time bidding for jobs that will only go to some schmuck in India? I can't tell you how many hours I wasted bidding for jobs that eventually went to someone else. And even the jobs that were sent to me with an invitation to "please apply!", ended up without work. I know that there are people who make money on the site and others like it, but I'm not one of them, and I think there are more efficient ways to make money quickly.

2. Squidoo
Okay, this is a cute site and it's great for getting your name out. But the layout is a bit tedious to maneuver and in the end, it's only useful for teaching you how to write a great blog post. And in the end...why not just put all the great content on a blog? I think that if you have a business or a site that you need to direct traffic to, Squidoo is great. But to make money? No. Don't waste your time.

3. Yahoo Contributor
This site is great if you write content that is really popular, but in the end you might get pennies. It's a good way to get your name out (see #2), but it won't make you much money and honestly isn't the best use of your time, especially if you can instead put great content into a blog.

4. HubPages
See #2 again. If you're going to something like Hubpages or Squidoo, pick a niche and work it, but don't expect tons. Honestly, it's not worth your time if you don't have much time to waste. (I don't.)

5. Blogging about random crap
Seriously, don't do this. I mean, who wants to read about your dog? Really, the best way to create a successful blog is to pick a niche that people actually want to read about (like making money online!), and write it to death. Write to an audience, just like for any other medium. And keep writing - consistency matters. However, don't expect to make money at first...or ever. I still recommend blogging, but don't expect to pay your bills with it. At least not in the first year, in my opinion.

And now, the ways to make money online writing without publishing a book:

1. Textbroker
I love Textbroker. Okay, scratch that. Textbroker sucks out my soul and spits it into little pieces that leave me exhausted and hating capitalism. But I can easily make $5-$30/day (if I work at it and the jobs are good), and that equates to $150-$900 month before taxes if I'm consistent. The only problem with Textbroker is 1) their rating system, and 2) the availability of jobs. One day might be great for jobs, and then you could end up with a dry spell. The best way to work this is to write when the jobs are hot and available, and so by the end of the month you will still have enough to pay a bill or two. Unfortunately, you will write a lot of "SEO" type content - marketing articles, credit card reviews, medicaid write-ups, and other things that really are mindless and soul-sucking. But it pays about a penny a word, and is at least guaranteed money compared to pay-per-click options. So can you make money writing for Textbroker? Why yes, yes you can!

2. Constant Content
I think Constant Content is a great site, although the downside is that what you write is really up to you. Most authors who make a lot of money on CC tend to write at least five articles a day, every day, and price their work from $25-$50+ per article. Their volume of work will also tend to get them private orders and thus consistent work. I haven't gotten to this point yet, but I plan to in 2013. (Hello, New Year's Resolution!)

And ways to make money without writing (at least, without much writing):

1. Zazzle shop
2. Amazon affiliates (on your blog! with cowbell!)
3. Selling stock photography
4. Etsy / Ebay / Artfire selling