The Internet has become so deeply entrenched in culture and daily life. So much so that it's surprising if one never thinks of earning money from it. The truth is that you can, and it isn't that hard to do. If you can spend all day in unproductive chat with your virtual friends, or help spread urban legends through e-mail, then nothing worthwhile can be too hard for you. So if you're ready, why not learn to make free money online today?



Now there are various ways to make free money online - posting ads on your web space or blog, selling merchandise, paid surveys, auction sites, etc. We will focus on only one - writing. More and more people are getting into web-based freelance writing, and with good reason: You work at home, don't use gasoline and, depending on where you live, probably pay no taxes.

You may say you aren't a writer. But if you've ever had a web site or a blog, chances are you write well enough to be make free money online. All that's really needed is your willingness to write and spell-check your work with a word processor, and to write and submit on time.

Freelance writing jobs vary. One of the most common is writing web content for third-party sites. A middle company pays you to write articles, which they in turn sell to the third-party web sites that order them. You have nothing to do and have no interest in who gets your articles, so long as you get paid. Usually this type of freelance writing is anonymous, but sometimes you will be required to put your real name in the articles. Salary is usually per assignment or project. If the company is "outsourcing" to your country from another country, your pay may be low. But once you learn to write articles fast (say, 30 minutes per 500 word article), you can make free money online in no time.

Legitimate freelance writing gigs do not cost anything to join. Usually you just have to submit a resume and/or samples of your writing. If you are accepted, they will tell you what topics to write about, usually focusing on specific keywords to target search engines like Google.

Another type of web-based freelance writing is blog writing. If you have a blog that shows quality content and skillful writing, you may get offers to blog for someone else, or about specific topics. Some companies want full-time bloggers who can update their blogs everyday, others only need part-time writers. To make free money online as a blogger, it helps to start by writing about things you care about. It can literally be anything - pet care, computers, sex, fiction, travel, etc. If you're able to find a niche for yourself or offer unique content that no one else has, you're more likely to be noticed. Just don't go about it merely for the sake of money. You have to really love what you write about and have genuine knowledge of it. It will show anyway.

Now it isn't that hard to make free money online is it? Think of all that typing you have done in instant messaging and e-mail. Why not turn a profit off that keyboard for a change?