There are many places to write online and get paid. I work with four of them, each of which has its advantages and disadvantages, which I’ll outline for you. The order below is random, not order of preference.
Online writing site #1: Associated Content
Associated Content is the place I’ve written the longest, and my first experience with online writing. Everything you write here gets paid by the click, but you can try to submit for extra payment as well, although, in my experience, these payments are usually only a few dollars. There are also suggested articles, some of which have additional payment. If you write a lot on one topic, you can apply to be a featured contributor, and then you will get assigned special articles every month that pay a bit more.
You can even submit things you’ve published elsewhere, or submit and retain rights (but either of these forgoes extra payment). And there are no requirements for publication. You write it, and up it goes.
If you write with a lot of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and on popular topics, this can be a good site. It’s also nice to have a site that will take short pieces of any nature.
Online writing site #2: Fortitude
Fortitude pays by the article, not the click. Anything that is accepted (which is pretty easy; it has to be at least 3500 characters and not violate copyright) will get at least $1. If it makes the “front page” it will get more – between $10 and $100. What makes the front page is determined by ratings from other Fortitude writers. Fortitude puts together its articles daily, and publishes once a day. One disadvantage here is that there is a membership fee ($2 per month). Another is that you can’t publish a lot of pieces in one day. Advantages are that you can get paid quite a bit, and that you can also get paid for reviewing articles (only 2 cents an article) or for recruiting others (the amount varies, but a minimum of $12, plus you get paid $1 each time someone you refer gets a front page publication)
Online writing site #3: Demand Studios
Demand Studios also pays per article, not per click, and only accepts responses to their requests. They have very extensive and specific style requirements, which can be a bit of a pain, but you get responses from an editor when you submit. Most articles get paid $15. Although DS only accepts responses, they have a lot of requests – hundreds and hundreds – but it can be a bit hard to find ones you want, as they aren’t that well organized. (They have an organization, but it’s not that well done). An advantage here is that you can submit as many articles per day as you want, so if you are writing full time, it can add up. Also, if you meet their style requirements they will accept the article. Another advantage is prompt payment. For me, writing here seems the most like “work”.
Online writing site #4: Seed
Last but not least, there’s Seed. Seed is another pay per article site, and it only accepts responses to requests. The biggest advantage here is that some of the requests pay a lot of money – sometimes more than $100. Also, Seed lets you write the way you want to – it doesn’t have a huge style guide. The disadvantages are that they don’t have as many requests as Demand Studios, their rules for acceptance aren’t obvious, and payment can be slow.
Summary of online writing
Depending on the type of writing you do, how much writing you do, how good you are at SEO vs. following a strict guidebook, and so on, maybe one or more of these online writing sites will be right for you. I use them all a little, and like them all.
