Article writing towards depression..

Thanks for all the replies so far!

If I were you, I'd get a very simple offline job that pays just enough to get you by and start working on some real IM projects in free time

I have been applying for jobs for months

I'd like to be able to start my own article writing business and pay others to write and manage the business! I just don't know how to start and where to get customers. I have decided to give up the $2.50 articles for good.

Get more orders, hire your own writers, supervise their work, create a great team, expand and win.

Reyone said:

Get more orders, hire your own writers, supervise their work, create a great team, expand and win.

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Where do I get the work from? I think it wouldn't be too hard to gather together a team of writers. I just need someone to work with me and help set up the base of my business! Would I need a website?

My friend don't fret, don't moan and don't think yourself useless.

I started in IM in something called forum posting. That was long long long long ago. Don't know if it still exists. I remember I was posting in some 10 forums and earning about $5 a day. I was still working somewhere in Boston flipping burgers. Had to keep my day job.

But something told me that my path was in IM so I stuck with the measly pay and slowly started getting friendly with clients who introduced me to better paying gigs. But you must start by deciding to get out of the rat race. Nothing wrong with starting in the trenches, but please, stop thinking that the world owes you anything. Worse, stop thinking you are a loser.

Only then will you open your eyes to OPPORTUNITY. Some of which is right under your nose. Saying that you can't find work at BHW, is ok. Saying you NEVER will is dangerous to your pocket.

Now on a cheesy note. I know you won't believe me and I may catch some flack. Get yourself one of those Napoleon Hill "think like I'm a godamn rich mf" books. I can assure you, you'd rather read a cheesy book than wallow in misery.

Good luck and you will do better.

At the end of the day most of us are article writers, it is just that most of us put our articles to better use than selling them. I personally write about gambling and make good money out of it. You should find something profitable you can write about and use your articles to build websites.

Ok. You've already received a handful of suggestions, so I am sure your cup is already full, but if there's some space still left, then please take some suggestions from my end.

There's a popular fable about two wood cutters. Both of them were given similar tasks and axes. John was a hard worker, so he instantly went in the neighboring jungle and started chopping trees. On other hand, Shawn who was a smart worker started sharpening his axe. While John spent 9 hours cutting tree logs, Shawn spent eight hours sharpening his tool and spent hardly one hour to cut tree logs. Despite having spent only 1 hr for cutting tree logs, at the end of day Shawn's output was equivalent to John. Here, it's interesting to note that Shawn had sharpened his tool, so next time when he's asked to cut logs, he will end up saving 8 hrs and use that time for doing other activities. What do we learn from this fable?

1) Sharpen your tools: As a writer, your tools are typing speed, grammar and vocab. A majority of writers are desperate for earning money, so not only do they spoil the market, they even ruin their own prospects of growing in the industry. Your initial target should be to become excellent in your field. I remember a quote of Steven Covey. He said, "there's hardly 1% of people who are excellent in their respective fields and since these people are best in what they do, so opportunities always their knock their door and what's astonishing is the fact that they are making 20-40 times more money than an average worker". Your goal should be to become the best in your field, and then you will see clients or buyers beg you to take up their orders.

2) Be a smart worker: Gone are the days when you could slog your ass in the office all day long and you could get appraisals from your boss. It's 21st century and people want results. If you can't give quick results, then people won't waste time talking to you. Come up with innovative ideas to increase your style of writing. Find new ways to write an article. Offer something different than what other sellers in the market have to offer. If you wish to stand out from the rest, then you got to offer something different or at least market yourself in such a manner that people find your services worth buying. This is smartness. Even a donkey does hard work, then what's difference between us and a donkey. Always keep this in mind..

Now, coming out of this fable thing and talking in realistic terms. I seriously think you're at a wrong place. If you feel that your worth is more, then start marketing yourself and look for those people who value your quality. It's difficult to find high paying buyers on IM forums because here people have limited budgets and unless they have some high profile website, they would want to get the work done at the cheapest possible cost. What's stopping you from approaching offline companies? Why don't you approach offline magazines? Start with random/cold calling and give a short intro about yourself. Thereafter, you can ask them whether they have a vacancy in their company. If you call 20 companies, you may certainly get a company who might be interested to hire you and once you have a company interested in hiring you, then you should start using your persuasive skills in order to seal the deal with the best possible per article price. I can go on and on, but I don't want your cup to overflow. All the best. I am sure soon you'll rock in future. Just believe in yourself.

Do not forget though if you spend too much time "sharpening your tool" on the internet, you will not get far.

mickyfu said:

Do not forget though if you spend too much time "sharpening your tool" on the internet, you will not get far.

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The irony is that although most people know the advantage of sharpening their tools, they hardly devote time for the same. And, I don't see any harm in using Internet for increasing typing speed, grammar and overall improvement as a writer. If you're talking about wasting time on Internet, then we're soaring in an altogether different domain.

I don't know where to start in starting my own business though?

BrianKade001 said:

The irony is that although most people know the advantage of sharpening their tools, they hardly devote time for the same. And, I don't see any harm in using Internet for increasing typing speed, grammar and overall improvement as a writer. If you're talking about wasting time on Internet, then we're soaring in an altogether different domain.

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I was talking about the euphemism of sharpening ones tool.

I don't know where to start in starting my own business though?

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You know, in my previous post I told you that you should stop writing for $2.5/500 words and you should contact me to see if I can solve your problem (hint- giving you more per 500 words).
Anyways, I see you're so eager being your own boss, and guess what, you already are.....and guess what, you suck at it. You killed this thread with your moaning and crying. You either got it or you don't. Reading your post I can say that you don't have what you need to be an entrepreneur.

SkyrocketSEO said:

You know, in my previous post I told you that you should stop writing for $2.5/500 words and you should contact me to see if I can solve your problem (hint- giving you more per 500 words).
Anyways, I see you're so eager being your own boss, and guess what, you already are.....and guess what, you suck at it. You killed this thread with your moaning and crying. You either got it or you don't. Reading your post I can say that you don't have what you need to be an entrepreneur.

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I agree. Instead of taking up opportunities, stashing a few $$ to use it as capital for his own venture, he 's still whining and just dreams of being a "boss". I think he 'll keep writing articles for $0.5/100 for a long time if he continues that way.

YoutubeMarketing said:

Where do I get the work from? I think it wouldn't be too hard to gather together a team of writers. I just need someone to work with me and help set up the base of my business! Would I need a website?

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A website will make things easier - makes you look legit, and has your contact info

Even a wordpress site will be good enough for what you need

Domain costs $10 a year

Hosting costs $10 a month

If you are not technical, somebody can get your wordpress blog up and running for $10

You can then write to web design agencies, and SEO agencies, and refer them to your site

Unable to find people to pay you more than 2.5$ per 500 words? Then let's hire other people to write and i am going to be the boss and make money on top of them. Seems legit.

PS: If you are not able to find clients to make a living for yourself, there is no way you are going to find clients to run a content writing business with a team of writers.