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Okay, so you know how to write and you are sending out your query letters and your short stories, but you need a way to make some dough in order to feed your writing habit. Well, you can sell your wordsmithing abilities through a few websites that hook up freelancers with folks who need someone who knows how to write.
The following sites are, for the most part, designed for computer dorks who want to code for a living. But they do have copy writing sections that may help you get paid for a change. So check them out, get some bids in and see how it goes.
Rent A Coder
This is an excellent site to get started at. Though they don't pay as well as some other sites and they have high commissions, they do have a nice interface, they let you send samples with your bid, and they have a nice feedback section where you can get reviewed for your work. Additionally, they work very hard to protect you and make sure that you get paid for the work you do. And I think their pay rates might be getting better, which is nice. Overall, the site is roughly equivalent to AA baseball in that you can get some good idea of how you are doing and you can sharpen your skills before attempting to move up into the big leagues.
Elance
This is the site I have been using for about a year now and they are the best that I am familiar with. They pay pretty well, but the commissions are high and you have to pay them just to sign up. As well, the competition is fierce, so you need to put together an excellent portfolio if you want to get jobs. But if you can hang, you can make some decent money for the effort. Personally, I recommend moving up to Elance after you have tightened your chops at Rent A Coder.
Get A Freelancer
I probably should not include this turd in the list, but it is there, so I will. They don't have a portfolio section and you can't upload samples with your bid, so the only thing the buyers have to go on is the amount of money you bid. Needless to say, there's always some idiot who bids $5 on a 120-page ebook, so you will get screwed. If Rent A Coder is AA and Elance is AAA, then Get A Freelancer is the Frontier League. They suck, suck, suck, but at least you won't have to worry about anybody caring whether you finish the job or not.
