Freelance writing offers the opportunity to make money from home and gives a writer a chance to work on an almost endless variety of projects. A writer can either focus on an area of expertise, or write a greater variety of general knowledge articles. With the internet, there are many more freelance opportunities today than ever before, and the field is expanding daily.

Where to find Freelance Writing Jobs:

While magazines and newspapers are the more traditional route for freelance writers, the internet has provided a whole new arena for writers. There are internet magazines (sometimes called e-zines) and blogs (short for weblogs) on almost any topic available. While many do not pay writers, some are beginning to. Content sites are another source of writing jobs.

There are also freelance websites specifically designed to help bring together clients and writers. The writers can bid on jobs, and then the client will chose the writer who best suits their needs, both in talent and price. Some of the jobs will be creating new content, while others want people to rewrite existing articles, to make them fresh. Most of these bidding sites do charge fees of some sort. Some of the charge the client to post the job, while others charge the writers either to join, or a percentage of the total payment agreed upon for the job. The benefit of going through one of the sites where you bid on jobs, is that the money is held in escrow, so that writer is guaranteed payment upon successful completion of the project. The writer has to balance the convenience of someone helping find them work versus the expense of promoting themselves to potential clients.

Skills you need:

In addition to basic typing skills, you should have a creative streak that allows you to present information in a new, informative and entertaining way. You should have good grammar and spelling skills, as most of the freelance jobs require the product to be delivered with minimal errors. While experience is good, it is fairly easy to begin a freelance writing career by building gradually, possibly even writing a few articles for free to build a body of work to show potential clients as writing samples.

Tools you need:

As with most jobs that require typing, a reliable computer and internet connection is a must. You should have a word processing program that allows you to save to a variety of formats, as clients have different needs.

How much money can you make?

The payment for content articles can be anywhere from $3-20. Other projects pay by the word or by the page. The price varies greatly, based on the market in which you are sending your work. A traditional magazine will often pay more per article than an online content site.

Word Processing Jobs

Word processing jobs are a good source of income from home. Sometimes they are listed together with data entry jobs. Doing word processing would include a wide variety of tasks, from typing up newsletters to helping organize a research project. Some jobs might require transcribing a manuscript from a handwritten copy to a computer file, possibly even for use as an e-book.

Where to find Word Processing Jobs:

There are many job search sites that specialize in word processing jobs. Local colleges and universities are also a source of typing jobs, for busy students who don't have the time to type out their papers.

Skills you need:

Good typing skills are a must. Many employers require anywhere from 60 – 70 wpm, or better. Accuracy is also crucial. You should be very familiar with programs like MS Word and Excel. There are sites that promise job training to improve your word processing skills, but good typing skills should be enough for most jobs. Many promise jobs with high pay, approach these with caution and do your research first. It would also be advisable to be familiar with PDF (Portable Document Format) file format, Adobe and how to create and edit pdf's.

Tools you need:

A dependable computer is a must, and possibly a printer, in case you are required to turn in a hard copy of the documents being typed. A solid internet connection and software including Word, Publisher and Excel.

How much money can you make?

Some companies promise from $1000 - $4000 a week, but this is likely a sign of a scam or ‘typing for pay' programs that you should avoid. Others offer $250+ per week or a per page wage. These are more likely to be real job offers. Many times freelance typists bid on work and the lowest bidder with the skills required gets the job. That can be a good place to start and gain experience but you're not likely to make a very good wage that way.