For those article writers out there....how did YOU start?

For a start, are you good at writing?

It's all well and good wanting to make some money, but if you can't write, you're not gonna get far. That being said, offer some free review copies to people looking for writers, and it might lead to further paid work from them.

Even if it doesn't, you still get testimonials, and that should be enough to get you started.

Ben.

Your original post shows me that you can write. That's a very good start.

So, the next step is to build a virtual "tear sheet" representing your work. There are several ways to do that.

1. Publish several articles at eZineArticles.com. Make sure they're worthy of lots of views and downloads. Those stats can support your marketability as an article writer.

2. Contact some "blog for cash" sites and write for them, as well. Then, you can say you've been a paid writer.

3. Write some articles as a freelancer, via Fiverr, eLance, and so on. Then, get some gigs with article writing services.

4. Meanwhile, get some gigs in print media. Your public library should have a current copy of "Writers Markets 2012" with a list of who's buying what, and how to approach them.

5. Build a website representing yourself as an article writer. Include your CV and links to some current articles.

And, feel free to contact me if you have questions. I've written or co-authored over 15 books currently in print, and I've freelanced for magazines since the late 1970s.

I would suggest starting at a site like iWriter.com. They pay to your Paypal every Tuesday. Do that just long enough to put up a Warriors for Hire thread or get a website set up to advertise your services.

Either that or you could advertise here on WF through your sig.

You could try at freelancer.com; you have to bid but if you have already created different articles that you can use as samples, then you could include those in your bids. What you earn on freelancer.com depends on how much you think your skills are worth.

First, you should and will need to do some research for article writing. I know that you mentioned that you cannot spend money; Well, I think you should change you attitude from CANNOT to CAN, because if you want to promote your services you will have to invest money, besides you find a sponsor!

Start doing some research about how to write articles. You can do that by opening a thread and asking questions. I´m sure many Warriors are happy to help you. You can also use Google for the research.

The best way to get started is to just do it. The easiest way to being with article writing is when you write an article about something you really enjoy. You will find it easy and enjoyable.

Hi Joe,

Starting out as an online freelancer is incredibly difficult. Like you have mentioned, a lot of people bank on their reputation to get clients on a regular basis. Here on this forum too, whenever somebody inquires about hiring a writer, the first thing everyone will say is to hire someone with an amazing reputation.

Your first job anywhere is crucial. You must be willing to do it for a very low price. You can start out on a freelancing website such as Freelancer.com - Hire Freelancers & Find Freelance Jobs Online , www.odesk.com , vWorker.com: How work gets done. Guaranteed! , www.elance.com etc. There are quite a lot of writing jobs on these sites which you can bid on. Fiverr - Hire people to do things for $5 is good for writers too.

Sample writing pieces pay a critical role too. If you have good samples to show potential clients, this could encourage them to hire an inexperienced online writer.

I hope this helps