A writer's journey

My other journey thread has been lacking updates, but mostly because nothing exciting has happened (yet), so I thought it would be a good idea to keep you updated on my recent endeavours.

What will this journey be about?
About writing! That's right, I will try to see how much I can make on a daily basis just from writing and selling articles. I am somewhat of a writer, as I have been meddling with various article-writing websites for quite some time now (a few years I reckon), but I never did quite manage to get into serious writing. Started off with mind numbing rates of 50cents per 500 words, I managed to get up to 3 dollars for 500 words, but I never did quite go any higher. I stopped writing up until a few months ago, when I had a few websites set up for which I had to provide my own content.

Sources of income
I'm going to try iWriter (don't worry, its not one of those threads) and Fiverr. iWriter seems like a good website, although I don't think I will be able to write for them for a prolonged period of time. Mainly because of the system they use - in which the buyers can reject any article for no reason, and perhaps even steal it if they see fit. Fiverr has been widely popular all over the internet, so I thought I'd give it a try. Set up 5 gigs already and now I'm waiting for buyers - and boy, what a wait will it be. Perhaps it will take weeks before I actually get some work from Fiverr. Ah well, patience is a virtue.

Started on iWriter yesterday, wrote 3 articles and now waiting to get paid. Already got 2 articles cleared from yesterday, and with the two I wrote today that makes 5. Just hoping they get cleared and rated fast, as I really cannot stand to write 500 word articles for a pesky 2 dollars. It will definitely be more worth it if I can maintain a high rating and become an Elite Writer.
If you guys know of any other great article writing websites please do tell, as I can use all the help I can get. I'm willing to write for other members as well if they want to (no, I'm not hard-selling my services here), although I do not know how the process would work.

I was toggling with the idea of setting up my own BST, but perhaps it is too early for that. Was also thinking of putting together some samples and emailing SEO companies in the hope that they might hire me, although I do not want to seem pushy. Will probably try those things eventually, just need to get a little bit motivated.

Anyhow, wish me luck as I try to embark on a journey towards making some money to sustain my other projects. Will try to update daily, or whenever I see fit.


10.12.2013 Earnings - 8.11$ - from the 2 articles I got up on iWriter

Nice. Good lucky on your journey!

Bets of luck on your journey man!

Got an article rejected on iWriter and rated with 3/5 stars. It's really amusing how these idiots can reject your article for no apparent reason. The buyer did not even specify a reason as to why he rejected it and it seems as if iWriter staff accepts this. This truly is amazing. Ah well, no need to despair, I will get going again.

On the plus side I got 3 articles up for review now, so I should be seeing some earnings later today (hopefully). I also wrote a few samples so that I can pursue other monetizing sources. Planning on hitting up some SEO companies and offering them my services. Perhaps I can get a more stable income source this way.

Sounds like a different journet, will follow this, as i am a content write to.

OP why don't you sell your writing services here? Get jr vip and open a BST for your writing services

Congratulations with starting this journey. It will be a bumpy road, but if you stay motivated; you will succeed.

+1 on Erickishere

Opening a sales thread here can open the door to many opportunities, even a steady supply of orders.
Also have you thought about purchasing a few gigs from yourself on Fivver? Or get a few people here to order from you, if you show some samples.

Thank you all for your support. It truly means a lot to me.

Alright, so yesterday was kind of slow. I did manage to get 4 articles in on iWriter, 2 of which got approved - 1 today and 1 yesterday. One got rejected and I am still waiting on the fourth. At least now I got 5 reviews so I can write articles without having to wait 40 minutes in-between.

What's next?
Well, I am planning on becoming an Elite writer on iWriter, which means I will have to write a few more articles and maintain a rating of 4.6+ stars. Hopefully I will manage to do so in the next few days. Fiverr is still slow and I haven't gotten any orders yet - and I've no clue if I truly want orders from Fiverr, as I don't really enjoy working for peanuts. I will write some well-researched samples these next few days and try to get some work off various websites/SEO companies.

P.S: For those of you who PM'd me with work offers. I really appreciate your help and the fact that you want to help me make some money. However, as I said before, I do not want to write for peanuts. I want to value quality over quantity. So really guys, if you want cheap writing then try Fiverr and/or DP. I am very grateful for the fact that you took your time to write me a PM in which you offered me work, but I am somewhat unwilling to accept low paying jobs.

As for those who suggested a BST - I did mention I was considering it. Yet I do plan on making some more money before I try something as serious as a BST thread. I would also like to take the time to improve my writing and research skills a bit more before I try taking it to the next level.

11.12.2013 earnings: 2.43$ - from the 1 approved article on iWriter

Interesting journey you have going on here.

I personally believe only write for what you think you are worth and that can sometimes mean rejecting jobs - it has to be done. Take a step back and ask yourself how much you would pay for the article you've written.

One thing I hate in the writing game is the way writers sell themselves short just to make a few dollars. I'll tell you one thing, figure out your rate and stick to it! If your writing is good enough you will get the clients and they will return! It may not be fruitful in the short run, but over time you will have yourself a sustainable and profitable client base to work from.

Good luck my friend!

Cheers.

Good luck on your journey.

Over the last few days I got involved with other projects and neglected this journey a bit. I am happy to say that I got my first order from Fiverr yesterday, and even completed it an hour later. The buyer was satisfied with the work I did and has given me a positive review. I hope I do get a few more orders, as money is always great.

As for writing articles on iWriter, which is probably one of the worst article writing websites out there, I did write a few more articles there as well. Got 9 reviews at the moment, averaging a 4-star rating. Mainly because 3 people rejected my articles, as they were not 'compliant' to their instructions. Ah well, what can you do...

Planning on gaining 30 views on iWriter and hopefully get a star rating above 4.6 so that I can write Elite Articles. That will surely increase my earnings. I also do hope to get a few more Fiverr orders, as it is isn't really that bad of a website. Sure, the pay is low, but I can use the experience and the money.

I also started doing some English tests from old school books so that I can improve my grammar. The only way I will get to be an accomplished writer is by writing quality articles. And the only way I will do that is by truly mastering the English language.

Won't bore you with earnings as they are really low. Will update this journey once I get some more free time, and once I truly start earning.

Good luck with your journey mate

Got about 4 orders from Fiverr today but I have a problem... I completed an order for a guy, and then it was cancelled via Paypal dispute. Then he went ahead and ordered another one. Now I have no clue if I should write another article for him and risk working for free again. I left him a message asking about the cancelled order and I had no response, so I went ahead and made a support ticket. Few hours passed and I got another order, submitted from another user but in the same manner as the others. I went on and checked today's first order as well, and it seems the user who submitted it no longer exists. Am I working for free now?!

What is there to do in such a situation? I get orders for which I am not sure I will be getting paid... Anyone had any similar experience?

Just a quick update.

I've really had it with Fiverr. I got a ton of 'spam-buyers' trying to get free articles out of me. It really isn't worth the effort. Heck, you get 4$ an article and you sometimes work for free - really not worth it. Decided to take TheArticleMan's advice and set my standards a bit higher. I already got a list of samples that I can send out to possible SEO firms in the hopes that they might hire me. At least I'll do more stable work then.

In the meantime I decided to give iWriter another go. I already got 13 reviews in and I'm getting closer to 30. I also picked up a few tips on how to ensure good reviews and a high acceptance rate. I will probably write a few more articles and who knows, maybe I'll get to be an Elite Writer. It will surely be more worth it then.

Again, if any of you know of some good article writing websites that I could try, then please let me know. I would really appreciate it.