The Online Article that Got Me a Job

Recently, I started doing some writing at a new residual earning site called Zujava.  I like it so far.  It is fun and I'm enjoying being creative.  I started the account with the intention of writing about television shows because I love reality shows and crime shows.

But at the suggestion of a post in the forum, I decided to write a leaf (that is what they are called there, kind of like articles on Squidoo are called squids) about my home town.  So, I wrote this nice indepth leaf about Swan River, MB.

I didn't really think too much of it.  It was really just for fun.  What I didn't know was that the president of the Chamber of Commerce had a Google Alert for "Swan River" and found it through that! And he seemed to like it because he forwarded the article to his mailing list.  Once that happened I started getting comments from various people in Swan River that are involved in the town and the tourist committee.  That was pretty cool.

I also wrote a bio for myself on Zujava because it is important to get the word out about yourself when you make a living online.  For one person that read my Swan River leaf, it lead him to my bio.  And that person was Brian Gilroy, the general manager of the Swan Valley Star & Times, our local paper.  It just so happened that they were in need of another reporter for the paper and he invited me to come and talk to him if I was interested.

After a few emails and a discussion, I got a job as a freelance reporter for my local paper!

There's a point to all of this, other than just being proud of the work I've done to promote myself.  The point is that you never know who is going to read your online work, so make it good.  And you never know where it is going to lead you so make sure it is representative of what you are really capable of.

Would you like to do some writing at Zujava, too?  It will give you exposure and you can earn money from your writing!

Writing at HubPages has Taught me a Few Things

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I've been writing at HubPages for 9 months now and I've written 100 hubs.  I've learned a thing or two in that time.

I've learned that certain articles get more views.  And there are good reasons for that.

I've learned that the way your present your articles gets them read more.

I've learned your subject and how your write about it can get more comments.

And I've learned that HubPages really can bring more traffic to your sites!  And that's a big one for me!

And of course, I've learned that the more your write, the more money you make!  Isn't that what we are all writing for?

CLICK HERE and read about the things that I've learned while writing for HubPages.

New HubPages Writers - Tips for You!

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If you're just getting started writing for residual income online you'll likely find that it is a bit of a challenge!  There is so much to learn.

Some people want to learn it all before they start.  They read and read and read.  And eventually, all that information becomes so intimidating that it can be hard to get going.

My biggest advice?  Just get started.  Don't waste all that time trying to learn everything before you start.  You can learn as you go.  The best thing you can do is just write something and get going.

Another thing you should do is treat your online writing seriously.  Don't just write when you are inspired.  Write with a purpose. Your purpose is up to you.  But if you treat it as a hobby that is all it will ever be and you will likely never fulfill the purpose that you have started with.

If you really want to write online and be successful at it check out these 8 tips for newbies to HubPages.  They'll apply to writing for other sites, too.

Are Your Articles Being Read?

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One of the toughest things to learn is how to write articles/hubs that are actually being read.  So, many new writers spend their time writing articles that never get read.

One of the ways you can tell that your articles are actually being read is that they get comments.  You might have lots of traffic but without readers your articles are just a waste of time right?  And if people are actually reading your articles they will sometimes be inspired to leave a comment.

It's great to get comments on your article because it makes you feel like your time writing online is well spent. Even if the money isn't coming in yet (be patient, it will!) you can feel rewarded by the comments that people leave.

If you want people to read your articles there are several things you can do to encourage reading.  Remember that online readers tend to scan first and then decide if they want to read so making your articles scannable is very important!

You can find more tips for making your article reading here.