What are Revenue Sharing Sites and Why Should You Care?

This is the third post in the series “How to Start SEO Copywriting.”

The importance of getting your writing published, even if it’s for free, has been covered. Now I’m going to help you find places to get published.

You’ll hear controversy about revenue sharing websites. Many writers turn up their noses at them. And I don’t recommend trying to make a living with revenue sharing sites. Use them as stepping stones. Skip over them on your way up and move on.

Revenue Sharing Sites

Shared revenue sites publish your work on their website and then share whatever revenue is generated from ads on your article pages. You will probably make little, if any money unless you work very hard at it. But you’re not there for the money; you’re there to get published.

The goal is to have your writing published on a website other than your own. Once you have built up a portfolio of published articles you can leverage those to find jobs that pay.

There are many sites. The best known ones are listed here. Some of them allow anyone to sign up. You’ll have to start there if you have nothing published yet. Others require you to apply and be approved.

Open to Everyone

• Squidoo.com – Started by Seth Godin, yes the famous one, their revenue sharing model is one of the best at 50/50.
• Hubpages.com – This one has great name recognition. The writer selects which affiliate program to join for revenue sharing.
• Helium.com – Writers compensation is determined by a ranking system. You have to be a prolific and popular writer to earn here.

Requires Approval

• Suite101.com – You will have to submit a writing sample to be approved. Send them your best on an interesting topic, it’s not easy to get in.
• Examiner.com – You apply to cover a specific topic from the available ones on the site. It’s based on your location. You’ll see topics such as “Panama City Working Moms Examiner.”
• About.com – Writers here are called guides. They post topics that are open and you can apply to cover the topic. This one is tough to get in.

Now you know where to start. Go sign up and start writing. In the next installment we’ll cover content farms. (Oh, I said the bad word.)

If you missed the previous posts in the series it begins with How to Start SEO Copywriting. Installment two is called  Get Your Writing Published. Go catch up and we’ll see you next time