Some writers feel that you should never send original samples to clients for fear of them freely using your hard-earned work on their blogs. Some scammers ask writers to submit original samples for job try-outs and the writers never receive a response about the job or they are turned down and their work is still used.

There is a risk involved in submitting original samples for freelance writing jobs, but I have learned that it’s often worth the risk to send the sample. I’ve worked with several companies and individuals who have asked me to try-out an article. In a couple of occasions, I realized through the process of writing the sample, that the work involved wasn’t worth the money. In most cases, I completed the sample without a hitch, and I got the freelance writing job.

You are taking a greater risk when you submit original samples to clients who advertise on gig sites, like Craig’s List. However, I wouldn’t discount sending a short original sample to these potential clients. I usually don’t answer ads that say that the position is perfect for students or interns. That translates into low pay or no pay. I also like to apply to ads that list a rate. I find that many companies give job applicants a long lists of requirements, but they fail to detail how much the writer will be paid. That’s a red flag, in my opinion.

I usually avoid sending original samples to start-up companies unless I’ve read about the company on a message board and have read positive reviews from others. I want to know that others have gotten paid from the company if they were hired.

People who want to write for a living should understand, that you may end up spending a considerable amount of time applying to work for companies. You’ll have to fill out online forms, send e-mails with resume attachments and cover letters. In some cases, you may have take a writing test. You can spend all day, simply applying for positions. Because clients are inundated with applications, it could take weeks before they contact you, if they contact you at all.

Writing is a lot of work, and some clients want to see what you can do with their particular project before they consider hire you. There are some individuals who refuse to write original content to get a job, choosing instead to apply only for positions in which they they use previously published materials. You are eliminating yourself from some great opportunities if you go that route.

When I worked as a guide for About.com, I spent several weeks in a training program writing content for free and learning how to use the site tools. If I had refused to take that chance, I would not have been hired to write for About.com.

Smorty is an online site which allows you to blog for money . This is a great way to get paid to write. Remember, earning money by doing practically anything legitimate has some work involved, so don’t get all happy, thinking that this is a get rich scheme! It’s best to write your true thoughts and feelings about a product or a service so that you are always representing the real you. Be true to yourself! I find that Smorty writing is fun, but it’s challenging to write on a consistent basis.

451 Press is looking for people to blog on its site. Bloggers will get paid. This looks like a great blogger job. I noticed that there are quite a few openings for city bloggers. Just go to the site and see if your city is on the list. If the position is open, you’ll see a link to the application. Good luck! If positions happen to be filled, continue to check back; you never know when a blogger job will become available.

Are you trying to write sticky content for your website? People love to read features articles, particularly about other people who have succeeded or overcame challenges. Profiles are a great addition to your website. Your readers will be able to relate to the people you interview and empathize with them. They may even be inspired to succeed or learn from others’ mistakes. You don’t have to be a Pulitzer Prize winning author to write effective profiles. The following tips will help you choose good interviewees, formulate questions, and write a solid, thought-provoking profile.

1. Your first job is to select a good topic. Article topics are all around you, but you certainly want to choose a topic that is related to your website and newsletter. Visit bulletin boards; talk to people. Hear their stories. You are looking for people who have overcome challenges or have done something interesting or unique. For example, if you have a website related to internet marketing you may find someone who has increased her site’s unique visitors from 25 to 100,000 visitors within a day using a new marketing tool. If you are running a work at home site, you may find a person who has become a millionaire by selling knitted blankets on eBay. The stories become even more interesting if the subjects have faced particularly difficult challenges to succeed.

2. Once you have found your subject, you need to politely ask if she is willing to be interviewed. Most people will be flattered and happy to receive the publicity, especially if you offer to include a link to their website or include a short blurb about their business in the article. Other people, receive so many interview requests that you may not even get a response.

3. Now you need to come up with your questions. You need basic background information, their name, location (city or state is fine) and occupation. Now, what else would you like to know about this person? How did this person achieve her goal? When she begin? How hard did she work? Was it luck? What were some of the challenges she overcame to succeed? What advice would she give to others in the the same boat? Did she expect to succeed? If the person failed at something, what did the person learn? As you interview the person, you can always add other questions based on what your subject has said.

4. Interviews can be conducted in person, by telephone, instant messenger, e-mail, or faxed questions. Ask the person if you can contact her for additional questions if you think of something else while writing the profile.

5. Writing the lead, the first paragraph of the story, can be your most difficult challenge. Your lead should capture your reader’s attention. The best leads have a twist or a surprise. Here is an example:

With more than a million hits a day, Joe Snoe has already made his first $1 million in advertising from his home-grown blog. So far, he has planned to buy his first mansion in St. Croix with his profits, as long as his parents agree. Joe is 10 years old.

See how the last sentence gave the readers a surprising twist in my made-up example?

6. Your second paragraph should tell the reader more about the subject. You can include a quote from the person you interviewed and weave in a little background information.Let’s see how that works in my Joe Snoe example.

“I learned how to create blogs from my Dad,” said Joe, who created his video game blog when he was 9. “I told all of my friends at school about it, and they told their friends. Before I knew it, people were chatting about my blog on bulletin boards and advertisers were offering big money to place ads on my blog.”

Each quote should appear in its own paragraph, followed by a paragraph that paraphrases information from the person you interviewed. Use transitions, like next, although, first, now, later, etc., to move your story along.

7. Your conclusion should wrap up your story with a final thought. Consider ending with a strong quote.

“Just last year, I was an ordinary kid who loved video games,” Joe said. “Now, I am an ordinary kid who fulfilled an extraordinary, grown-up dream. If I can do it, you can too.”

Happy Holidays! ‘m sure that you are going to need some extra money to pay off some of your holiday bills. I just wanted to share with you that with Writing Up you can earn money writing your own blog on that site. You can earn anywhere from $50 to $400 ( or more) per month on your blog. Write about the topics that interest you.

I write for Writing Up, and they say that it’s best to write in your blog every day to generate cash. The good thing about writing for writing up is that you can earn money based on working on your own schedule. As I mentioned before, you are also able to write about any topic you wish. I would like to caution you, however, that personal diary-type blogs may not generate as much cash as narrowly targeted niche subjects. For example, a blog about Indonesian language may generate more cash than a blog about foreign languages in general. A blog about raising a 2-year-old with a language disability may generate more cash than a general blog on raising children? Why? When you target your blog, you cut out the competition. You become an expert on a subject, and you have the opportunity to have more targeted ads on your blog.

So start you own Writing Up blog by clicking here! It’s free to sign up and the bonus is that you can earn money through ads on your site. All off the directions for doing this are on the site.