While the art of writing certainly requires a bit of talent, learning the techniques of good writing through free online writing courses can send your own writing quality into the stratosphere. When it comes to online writing, the truth is that good things come to those who write well. Once your articles reach wide distribution and your name gets out there as a recognizable source for excellent writing - your earning potential as a freelance online writer is limited only by how much time you have available to devote to your writing.

Previously, I've written quite a bit about free online resources and tools for online writers, and I've also provide a little bit of insight into the path that you can follow to become a freelance writer. However, in order to lay down a solid foundation as a writer, you really need to take a few writing classes - so I've decided to put together a useful list of the top 10 sites that offer free online writing courses in order to provide you with a page that you can bookmark and return to often whenever you'd like to take another free writing course.

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It happens to the best of us - the day when you're faced with the issue of dealing with criticism. Maybe you've spent hours researching and writing up your work of word-art, yet within the first few days of it being posted and online your comment area is inundated with both constructive and hurtful criticisms.

Maybe you messed up a point or two in your article, or maybe you just completely missed the plot. If this has ever happened to you, I'm going to offer a few tips for bloggers out there on dealing with both kinds of criticism on your blog in a way that displays healthy maturity, but also in a confident and non-confrontational way.

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As a professional website SEO consultant, it's my job to help my clients strike gold in that magic "top 10" list on Google's listings. The problem is that many blog and website owners don't truly appreciate what it takes to do so, and many who do come to appreciate it sometimes realize that they simply don't have the ability to make the necessary sacrifices.

Website SEO Consultant Work Can Be Frustrating

It's one thing to run a blog or a website that's beautifully created and brilliantly coded - but it's quite another to draw in the crowds and keep their attention. The Internet is a fascinating social environment (in fact, one of the world's most amazing and long-running social experiments), and the "back-door" operations of that environment provides a fascinating glimpse of what the world wants to know about. Or, at the very least, it shows what people use the Internet for.

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First, I'd like to thank all of my loyal readers who visit this blog often. However you found your way here, regardless where you came from or why you're here, I wanted to take a moment to recognize you.

I started really focusing on publishing my writing on the Internet last year, and only because I needed to generate some income to support my family. My love on online publishing didn't come from a need for income though, it came from a side passion known as Reality Uncovered. That was (and is) a website I own with my good friend from the UK, Stephen Broadbent. The focus of the site is to serve a unique and narrow niche related to a scientific analysis of the paranormal - specifically UFO's. After a few years of intense research and writing there, I found that I was running on empty. Family medical issues became a financial drain, so I need to produce more income. So, I turned to what I love to do - write.

Since then, I started several blogs and began writing on a whole miscellaneous array of topics for clients I found at Scriptlance. I was able to earn income from writing online, but the hours were very long and the pay wasn't very good. In fact, competing with the folks from India who can mass-produce web content at a rate ten times what I could - I really had to work to convince web designers that my quality was far above and beyond. In time, it no longer took convincing, I had a steady stream of regular clients, and a constant supply of work.

Writing Work Expands Upon Itself

From there, things only got better. I was hired as a writer at LoveToKnow, a very cool informational website - and eventually was promoted to Site Editor and finally to Group Editor for three channels, Sci Fi, Web Design and Online. I've also been hired as a Staff Writer at MakeUseOf, the coolest geeky tech site on the Internet (and likely how many of you found your way here).

Since then, the traffic and interest within all venues has increased and I couldn't be more greatful for all of the fantastic contents an interest from readers. So I've decided to establish a hosted blog that serves as a central point for all of my writing. I've migrated all of my posts here to that blog, and I'll be keeping both this "free" blog and my hosted blog updated constantly. If you are ever curious what I'm up to - check it out. The new location (please update your bookmarks!) is FreeWritingCenter.com.

Thanks again to everyone - see you there!

For anyone who missed it, back in January I commented about Helium.com, remarking that, "Helium is not the place I would recommend going if you hope to earn the big bucks." As you can see here, I've written a fair share of articles at Helium.com, but that was mostly at the beginning of my online writing career, when I didn't really know any better and was just testing the waters.

Helium Decides to Step it Up a Notch

To my surprise, only a few weeks after I published that article, Helium.com decided to increase their revenue sharing approach. So, in all fairness, I must reassess my original take on Helium. Instead of earning a "paltry" income from investing your time on the site, you will now be earning a "very tiny" income - but only if you're willing to invest a fair amount of time. Here's how the new system currently works.

Helium is now willing to offer "up-front" payments for your articles, similar to Associated Content, but at a lower rate and dependent upon your "writing stars" and your "rating stars." The current rates are as follows:

* 1 Writing Star – $0.50 per article published
* 2 Writing Star – $1.00 per article published
* 3 Writing Star – $1.50 per article published
* 4 Writing Star – $2.00 per article published
* 5 Writing Star – $2.50 per article published

The catch? You have to have "1 rating star." If you don't maintain at least a single rating star, you won't earn those upfront payments. How hard is it to maintain a rating star? Read on.

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I've got some great news for loyal readers and followers of this blog. First, I'd like to than you all for visiting and following along as we explore the world of online content and freelance writing. It's been a great ride even over these short months, and already I've decided to invest a bit and purchase a domain to step this blog up a notch. Within about a month FreeWritingCenter.com is going to go live, with even more content, tools and resources for professional online (and offline) writers.

I'm also planning to provide a great deal of insight regarding where other online writers have found tremendous financial and personal success in their online writing efforts, and how web designers have altered their websites, even just slightly, and brought in tremendous traffic. The new site will feature media, interviews, updated breaking news and much more. Stay tuned, and thanks again for following along. I'll provide an update here when the new site goes live!

Here I am, blogging from the comfort of a vehicle, traveling at 70 miles per hour on the interstate. A thought struck me as I watch other passengers texting, using mobile email, or with a laptop on their laps and tethered to their mobile phone - surfing Google just like they were sitting at home. We are living in reality conceived by the sci-fi authors of the past.

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