Freelance Writing: Online Residual Income vs. Traditional Writing Gigs

There seems to be a bit of a debate going on in the online freelance writing community regarding writing for sites such as HubPages, Suite 101, Helium and other residually paying sites vs. the previously traditional method of seeking clients by sending out query letters and securing higher paying gigs.

If a writer chooses to send out query letters in an attempt to find higher paying gigs vs. writing for online residually paying sites, it's a decision that should be made by the freelance writer. What I'm having a difficult time in understanding is why do many writers feel it's an all or nothing scenario? Why not do a combination of both when it suits the writer.

Newbie Writers

One school of thought is that newbie writers should not settle for the low paying online writing gigs. By doing so it somehow cheapens the more experienced writers and makes it difficult for them to find lucrative writing assignments.

I have mixed feelings about this. As a more seasoned writer, I choose not to accept such low paying gigs. However, my teenaged child who is fresh out of high school and is testing the waters has to learn the ropes. Anyone who has a teenaged child understands that parents cannot always impart their wisdom. The child has to learn via the school of hard knocks.

An 'independent' teenager who knows more about the internet than his parents (or believes he does) sometimes has to learn the hard way. After being rejected a few times, the teen understands that the only 'clients' that are willing to accept the newbie writer are those offering the lowest pay. A bright child soon learns the ropes and graduates, but he must first learn the ropes.

Without the existence of the low paying sites, many newbies (especially those with low confidence levels), would not be able to secure freelance writing assignments.

Residual Income Writing Sites

There's also another argument that residually paying freelance writing sites are either a waste of time or they only benefit the publisher and not the writer. This school of thought believes the writer spends untold hours writing article after article only to earn a mere pittance. Do I buy this argument? Partially.

Writers looking to earn residual income can be stiffed if a site goes out of business, but isn't that the case with any 'employer?" After all, what's the going unemployment rate?

An astute writer will spend a little time learning about how the internet works, SEO and keywords. With a little education, freelance writers writing for residually paying sites like Suite 101 and HubPages can make their learning and writing pay off. Additionally, residual income continues for as long as the site is in existence. For those who think writing lots of articles for little pay is a waste of time, think about this:

Suzie goes to school to become a professional widget maker. She spends 4 years in college (paying tuition) and she writes term paper after term paper on subjects relating to becoming a professional widget maker. During the 4 years she learns and pays to learn.

Harry, who has a knack for writing, decides to forgo the 4 years of widget making school. He decides that he wants to try his hand at online freelance writing. He signs up for several residually paying sites and begins to write until his fingers fall off. He doesn't spend money, but he spends his time learning the ropes.

Four years later Suzie gets an entry level widget making position. Widget makers earn next to nothing their first three to four years in the industry. Money doesn't really start to pick up until after several years of experience. However, when the money starts coming in, when asked how much she makes, Suzie quotes her salary for the current year.

Four years later Harry has learned quite a bit. He's honed his writing skills. The articles he wrote the first year of his learning the ropes are earning modestly. The articles he wrote the second year of his school of his hard knocks education are earning a bit better. The third and fourth year articles are doing much better because he's pretty much got a good handle on internet writing, SEO and keywords. When asked how much he makes, some individuals will go back to his first year of writing and average every single article he has ever written to determine how much each one is worth.

This is an over simplified scenario and it is not to encourage anyone to forgo widget making school in order to sign up for a residually paying freelance writing site or visa versa.

Traditional Writing Gigs

The more traditional writing gigs involve sending query letters, securing clients and following up. Once a writer understands the process and secures enough clients to maintain the income level that she wishes to maintain, there is always the need to continually query new writing gigs in the event one or two go out of business or undergo a personnel shift.

Traditional writing gigs are usually more lucrative per assignment than writing online content, but the writer must keep accurate records and follow up as necessary to ensure payment. Payment can be several months after article submission and acceptance. vHaving a base of steady high paying clients is what many freelance writers strive for.

I've been employed as a technical writer, a business writer and a requirements writer. I was fortunate enough to be able so secure high-paying offline writing gigs along with having several long-term paying clients. I have a few websites, several blogs and write for residually paying online writing sites.

When I first started freelance writing, I accepted low paying writing gigs until I was able to secure higher paying ones. Now, a couple of years later, in conjunction with my own sites and blogs, I choose to write for residually paying sites. Where else can income continue to come in when life gets in the way of writing (just my humble opinion)?

I cannot forget where I came from and cannot fault writers for accepting low paying gigs during their evolution as a writer. What's your opinion?