By Span Glers
Every job hunter who has the ability and passion to write must have wondered at one time or another how can it be a source of good and stable income. Where do successful writers find their writing opportunities? These days, writers are a step closer to finding regular writing gigs that can put food on the table. With each of the millions of Internet website needing fresh content each week, article writing jobs and opportunities are flowing in heaps and buckets.
• Freelance Writing Jobs. This is ideal for those people who can work independently and can manage their own time. It can be a stress-free writing job if one knows how to self-manage the job and if one knows how to find regular writing jobs. Being an employee who needs to be monitored during the shift can be too stressful. One is usually provided a daily quota of articles to write that one needs to submit by the end of the shift. To write creatively, a writer needs inspiration for the creative juice to flow. For real writers, this is hard.
• The Writing Portfolio. Freelancers need this when applying for a job post. This contains all the necessary information, achievements, and experiences of the writer. People who want to start a career in writing need to build one; this can’t be done overnight. In time and with continuous effort to build one’s writing portfolio, one can get better-paying and more regular article writing jobs. With this, a killer resume and a covering letter; you’re ready to find your first writing job.
• Freelance sites. Find and checkout freelance sites. It is true that many writers were scammed in these sites. Nevertheless, many successful writers were also bred from these sites; you just need to find that one perfect employer or client for you. If the employer improves his or her online business with your help, the relationship can grow to a stable and mutually productive one. Learning to spot scams is as important. Do not trust people who use fictitious names and pictures.
• Specialist or Generalist. The Internet is a world of niches. Specialization means becoming associated with a certain niche. This is important as competition is whittled down, but writing can become too mind-numbing having to write similar topics. For new writers, being a generalist is easier though not as lucrative. This means writing any topic that is asked by a client who is into article farming or marketing. Competition is more vicious, but not as monotonous.
• “A dime a dozen.” Self-proclaimed writers are just too many. With millions of websites needing content, the demand for online writers is up. With the majority of Internet audience ranging from high school students to interested learners, thriving writers are pounded to produce articles for this lot. This means simple articles, simple words, and simple explanation. Thus, high school graduates and college students became overnight writers and bloggers. There is nothing wrong here if they can maintain quality and not just recycled articles.
• Google’s Panda and Penguin Updates. In April of 2012, Google released these two animals to put self-proclaimed websites and writers in their places. These updates are attempting to boost the quality of articles in the Internet for the improved reader experience. The Updates annihilated hundreds of websites in less than 48 hours; Panda and Penguin became the most dreaded “animals” in cyber space. This put an end to a myriad of so-so writers and shoddy websites.
It is easy to become a writer these days, but it is hard to be a good one. Article writing jobs will still come for real writers despite the onslaught of Google’s Updates or whatever other animal updates that Google release in the future. If they are skilled, passionate, and professional, they will thrive and succeed.