What is Copyscape?

As you browse for freelance writing gigs, you will frequently come across the term Copyscape. Many clients will require that your writing "passes copyscape". So, What exactly is Copyscape?

Copyscape is software that is used to check the originality of your content. The client who purchases your writing wants to make sure that it is not plagiarised. They want to make sure that you haven't just altered content from elsewhere on the web and tried to pass it as your own.

What does this mean to you? Don't steal someone else's work and you should be ok. As long as the content you produce is your own, you should have no problem passing Copyscape.

Finding Clients for Your Freelance Writing

Finding clients for your freelance writing may be easier than you think! There are many job posting boards on the Internet where you can search for freelance writing jobs. Many of these sites require that you bid on jobs and some clients want to interview you before they hire you.

Some job posting sites are listed in my sidebar. Getafreelancer.com is a decent site for beginning freelancers if you can show some examples of your work. Articles you write for Associated Content, Helium articles, and your blog can serve as samples of your writing. You can sometimes send samples of your writing to the potential client.

When you use job posting sites to find freelance writing work, don't sell yourself short. Don't accept jobs that pay less than you'd make publishing your content elsewhere. You can usually make at least $3 off an article on Associated Content and also earn performance pay. So, why would you produce an article for someone for only $1? If you don't think the money is worth the work, don't accept the job.

You'll also want to keep in mind that these sites usually charge a set fee or a percentage of what you earn. Be sure to bid an ammount that takes this into consideration.

Start Creating Multiple Streams of Income

I say start, because this can be a long tedious process. You have to start somewhere and some time. Now is as good of a time as any.

Chances are that you already have some form of income. How do you start creating multiple streams of income?

1. Associated Content and Helium are good places to start. The articles you write on these sites will continue to earn performance payments. So, not only will you earn when you write, but you will also be creating passive income.
2. Start writing a blog. Starting early will give you time to slowly build up your blog or blogs. If you later decide to monetize your blog you will already have content rich blogs and the process will be easier and more profitable.
3. Social Networking. Joining social networking sites, such as myspace, twitter, and mylot will put you in contact with others who are trying to make some money through freelancing. Find out what they are doing to make money. The friends you meet will also likely be some of your traffic to your articles and blogs.
4. Find other freelance gigs. Once you have some friends, some passive income, and an idea of what kind of writing you want to do it is time to find some other writing gigs. You can find many links to freelance boards in my side bar. You can also explore other areas such as magazines and newspapers.

Start A Blog

Have you started your own blog yet? If not, why not? There are many free blog sites out there that will host your blog without you ever paying a dime. Check out some of the free blog hosts in my sidebar. Heck, why not try them all?

I like blogger but many writers swear by wordpress. They're all free so take your pick.

Blogging gives us the opportunity to write about anything we want to write without conforming to any writing standards. There is no word count minimum and dissatisfied customers (except maybe your readers). You won't have to go back and revise anything unless you want to.

You can use your blog to try out topics and experiment with different writing styles and techniques. Play with your layout, make friends, and gain readers. You can even write articles for your blog and then publish them on ad revenue sharing sites and make money off the page views. What do you have to lose?

Passive Income

Who wouldn't like to just sit back and let the money roll in? Problem is, nothing in life is free. If you want to make some passive income from your freelance writing, the first thing you have to do is write.

The trick is to write and write regularly. Successful freelance writers are disciplined and committed. Whether writing for clients, blogs, or article submission sites, writing regularly is the key to success. When and how does the passive income come in?

Passive income will start rolling in after you take the time to build up your blog, submit a lot of articles, and/or fill your website with a lot of fresh content. Passive income is the payout for your commitment and perseverance as a freelance writer.

Free Keyword Tool

Keywords are an important part of SEO. You not only need the right keyword density but you also need the right keywords. There are many services that you can pay for to assist you in finding popular keywords, but why pay for what you can get for free?

Wordtracker offers a free keyword suggestion tool that allows you to type in a word and get many keyword suggestions in return. Along with keyword suggestions, you will get an estimate of how often those words will be searched for within a 24 hour period.

You can use these keyword suggestions to choose the keywords for your writing. Knowing which keywords are most popular for your topic will also assist you in choosing titles for your content.