Legitimate Ways to Earn Online

As we sift through the thousands of websites that offer to earn us an unlimited income, we find that most are scams that only earn their originators any real money. However, for those who enjoy writing, earning online can become a reality.

For those who enjoy writing in the fiction genre, there are several e-zines that pay for your work. Sites such as WritersWrite.com and Duotrope’s Digest offer extensive lists of paying markets. These lists make it easy to search for your specific area of fiction, and keep their lists up-to-date.
*UPDATE* I've had three of my short stories published with a company called Triond.com, and they've got an interesting concept. Instead of paying you one time for your story, article, or poem, they pay you as your piece gains exposure. Each piece is given its own page, with specific ads on it. As others read your work, they can click on the ads and you receive a little of the income. This way, your work can earn you a steady income as long as people continue to read what you've had published. I haven't earned a lot of money from them yet, but I do see potential with this site. I will keep you posted with this one, but so far, it looks like a good idea.

For those who write non-fiction, the market is limited only by the writer’s abilities. If you’re proficient in article writing, check out AssociatedContent.com. This site pays between $3 and $10 per accepted article. Though this site will allow writers to write fictional pieces, there is no pay for this style.

Another great way to earn a little money is by blogging. Blogging is quickly becoming one of the best ways to earn a little extra money, though you probably won’t be quitting your day job very soon. Most blogging sites allow users to place their Google Adsense code into their blogs and earn from keyword-targeted ads. If your blogs have the right keywords within, your chances of earning more money increases.

Some blogging sites offer other ways to earn. Hubpages.com not only allows its users to place Google Adsense ads on their pages, but they can also place ads from Amazon.com and Ebay. A new blogging site on the map, BlogChex.com, places ads on each users page, then splits the profits with the users. This way, users don’t need to put in their own codes.

For those who have been blogging for some time and have several blogs posted and quite a few readers stopping by, there is the option of writing ads for certain companies through the use of such sites as Blogsvertise.com and Money4Blogs.com. These sites run a check on your blog to ensure that it meets their standards. Once your blog is approved, they send you tasks to write about. Basically, they give you a link to check out and you do a review of the site. You simply add a couple of links back to the site, and get paid.

There are, or course, hundreds of pay-per-click sites, paid e-mail sites, and paid survey sites, but most of these don’t pay much. They are evolving, however, and some are beginning to pay quicker than ever before. When dealing with sites such as these, always read the fine print.

Legitimate money-making opportunities are out there, if you know where to look and know that like any job, it takes real work. Keep in mind that with the above methods, you’re probably not going to end up being independently wealthy. You can, however, earn a comfortable living from the privacy of your own home and earn an unlimited wealth of information.