RATIONAL INSANITY
Online writing jobs – an income option
About four months ago, I was trying to find an alternative source of income and I came across what most call as home-based writing jobs or freelance writing gigs. The deal was actually quite simple; you needed to have an account with a particular site and from that site, you could get jobs that ranged from $5-$15 per page (double spaced). Of course, to get an account, you had to apply first, and the application process involved submitting an online application form, your work samples, then going through an examination process. When you successfully passed all these requirements then you were on you way to writing for students from all over the world who need research papers, essays, and whatever else they could not do on their own. Anyway, I went through the process and got my own account. On the side, I had also been doing re-writing jobs for a private client who paid me $2 for each article rewritten. I did not have to write anything, all I had to do was rephrase and rewrite the articles that he had already given to me. It turns out; the rewriting job was way too boring compared to the other writing jobs that I had tried out.
The question with these on-line writing jobs always have something to do with their legitimacy; are they legitimate, do they really pay, or are they simple scams that squeeze writers of their creative juices, and make them growl until the pay is given; or for some, the pay never comes at all. Honestly, I have been with the writing company that I am currently in for the past four months only and I am supposed to get my first pay out this April 1-3 period. So far, I have requested for my salary and it has been processed and sent to my bank account through wire transfer last April 2. It takes from 5-7 working days for a wire transfer to reflect in our local bank accounts so, considering the holidays, I should get my first salary sometime in April 14-15; so, technically, I still do not have any proof that the site that I am working for really pays, but don’t worry, I will update you on that matter; either to warn you all or to validate that this site of mine is a legitimate writing site. I may even provide you with the address if in fact it is a legit site, so that you can earn a few bucks yourself. Don’t get your hopes high yet, let me be your guinea pig.
Anyhow, my experience with my customers has been more enriching than otherwise. As a writer, a creative writer, for that matter, I had to read tons of poetry, lots and lots of short stories and essays, and other pieces that I had to write a reaction, an essay, or a research paper on. So, even if the pay-out does not come, I actually had enough mental stimulation already – almost equivalent to a full term in literature school. On the other hand, the amount of work that I have done for the site makes me feel that I really should get paid, even only for the effort, besides, even the pieces that I write for local clients earn me from 1,000 – (God knows how much) a piece. I am a writer, and a starving writer for that matter, so it is but natural that I expect money from the work I do from a site that legitimately claims that I can earn from my expertise; well, let’s see about that.
In as far as online writing is concerned, there are very few legitimate sites that actually offer legitimate home-based writing jobs; the general rule of thumb with these sites is if they ask for payment for you to join their site, then they are more likely scams. For those of you who would like to venture into the world of online writing, there are a few things to remember: make sure that you have a home pc and good internet connection, brush up on your grammar skills, have a dollar account ready before you start or before you reach your payment session period, have other options for payment like a debit card or a paypal account, and finally, be very keen on validating the sites that you join – google them first before taking the plunge or you might end up with tons of work and not a single cent in payment. For legit sites, however, home-based writing jobs can give you from 15,000-40,000 a month in additional cash – I’m serious, 15,000 being the minimum. Now, before you get out there and spend hours searching for legitimate writing jobs online, hold your horses; be very very very sure that you find a legitimate site, even go to the extent of checking their company profiles against registered businesses with the Department of Trade and Industry (something I did not do) for companies with local offices, and be very very very familiar with the e-commerce law, just in case they try to scam you of your work later on. Anyway, to give you an idea, this column (this amount of text) can earn me from $15-$25, easy, that’s how lucrative the pay is – if indeed the site is legitimate.
Be rational; be insane…every once in a while! TTFN!
I love you all! Byers!