Writing for Websites: Then and Now

Writing for Websites

…that was then…

The year was 1999 and I had signed up for my first writer’s conference (the Sandy Cove Christian Writers Conference) in nearby North East, Maryland. Having never attended a conference before, I was not sure what to expect. And I was afraid I might get bored during some of the workshops, so I stopped at a nearby newsstand and purchased a few magazines so I would have something to read in case I needed a distraction. Thankfully, the conference was fantastic, and I learned a lot from the editors, authors, publishers and other faculty members who shared their knowledge with the attendees.

One of the magazines I had purchased was the September 27, 1999 issue of Time Magazine. The cover story was called: “Get Rich.com: Secrets of the New Silicon Valley.” It featured profiles and interviews with some of the newest websites in a wide range of categories. During the early days of the World Wide Web, startups were happening so fast it was hard to keep up with all of the new sites. After reading about some of the places, I visited their websites, found contact e-mails and sent a short message that went something like this:

"I just read about your new venture in Time Magazine. Congratulations, and I wish you lots of success. And by the way, if you ever need a freelance writer for any projects, please let me know. I have been published in a few newspapers and magazines."

Thank you.

John Riddle

I sent those e-mails at about 9 p.m. (ET) and didn’t think I would ever get a reply. Then, about three hours later, close to midnight (after enjoying Jay Leno’s opening monologue on The Tonight Show) I checked my e-mail before going to bed. I was shocked to find replies from three of the people I had sent messages to just a few hours earlier! One of them read: “Thank you for your e-mail! As a matter of fact, we do need freelance writers to create content for our new site. How much do you charge? Money is no problem.”?

I had to read the message a few times to make sure I was understanding what they were saying: Yes, we need writers, and we can pay lots of money!

All three messages were similar, and by morning, a few more e-mails had arrived. Everyone needed “content,” and they were willing to pay…and pay well. Within a few days I had received official assignments for articles. Topics ranged from “How to Get Your Child to Brush Their Teeth” to “Five Ways for Men to Eat Healthy.”

Most of the newspaper articles I had written up to that point were about 1,200 to 1,500 words. And some magazine articles were nearly twice that long. But the best part about writing for Websites was the length: most ranged from 250 to 400 words. In my mind, those were “fillers,” which in the old days were mini articles/pieces of information that “filled up” a hole in a newspaper or a magazine.

I was more than happy to write as many articles as they needed. The pay ranged from $1.00 to $5.00 per word. Yes, you read that correctly. Some websites had so much cash they were paying up to $5.00 per word. Imagine how I felt earning $2,000.00 for a 400- word article! I think the most I had ever been paid for a long magazine article had been $600.

So, over the next few weeks I continued to surf the Web, finding new sites and sending them a short e-mail asking if they needed any writers (NOTE: make sure you read the “You Need a Promo” article in Section Three!).

During the next 9 months I had so much success in making money writing for Websites that I wrote a short e-book: How I Made $66,270.00 in 9 Months Writing for Websites: Let Me Show You How It’s Done!

I started selling copies online through a website, via e-mail to any writer I could find that had an e-mail address, and I also printed out hard copies and took to conferences where I was teaching workshops on how to make money as a freelance writer.

I received lots of e-mails and feedback from people who bought a copy at $14.95. (Yes, back then you could sell a ton of e-books online at higher prices than today.)?

This one really made me proud that I had started sharing how to write for Websites:

"I wrote to you several months ago about getting a $2,000.00 assignment from Education Direct as my very first assignment in commercial writing. I just want you to know that I am working on assignment number seven for $2,500.00. Hallelujah and thanks for your book. It is the best $15 bucks I ever spent!"

Catherine Cronin?

…this is now…

To read the rest of the story, pick up a copy of "The Flying Nun, A Light Bulb Moment And Me: 40 Years Making Money As A Freelance Writer (Hey, You Can Do It, Too!"

Available on Amazon. And while you're there, look for the "I Love To Write Day Creative Writing Journal" that was published to celebrate the 20th anniversary of ILTWD, a grassroots campaign I launched in 2002 to have people of all ages spend time writing every Nov. 15th.