Blogging on a Promise: Revenue for Words

Now that blogs have seeped into every single aspect of online media, and bloggers are suddenly considered legitimate writers, the opportunities for new work abound all over the Internet. The offers look enticing, with their promise of revenue percentage and potentially unlimited income. But is blogging on the mere promise of revenue a good idea, or any sort of viable way to establish a writing career?

Revenue for Words

Search any job board touting opportunities for freelancer writers, and you’ll find them: ads crying out for bloggers. The topics are seemingly unlimited, the offers are all over the place and the urges to respond are almost undeniable. With a siren song promising revenue for page clicks and the idea that perhaps your blog could become the most popular around, these ads compel many writers to dive right into blogging on a promise. No upfront money is offered. No base income is given. There is only possibility…and for many who want to establish themselves as writers, the possibility seems like enough. But, is it?

Blogging on a Promise

Creating any material or product on the mere hope of receiving revenue in return is, essentially, working for free. The mercurial nature of the Internet promises nothing solid, and the truth is that all those hours of typing away could add up to a big fat zero. Not-yet-established writers longing to break in, create a reputation or simply get their words out there will be rewarded with seeing their names in print and possibly - not probably, possibly - earning a little bit of income. The instability in pay, however, might be enough to deter more seasoned writers who have already landed a few writing gigs.

Are Clicks Enough?

Establishing any Internet content is a tricky business, and blogs are essentially nothing more that lots of content. Blogs are popular only because they are content - filled with keywords, rich in links and pictures, blogs are loved by search engines. But there are -literally- millions of them out there, and nothing guarantees the public at large will have any success finding yours. Building keyword-rich content actually takes time, in fact many different blog posts, before even the hope of a true readership can be established. It is a time-consuming affair, and the revenue that trickles in usually comes very slowly if at all. But for those who have the time and wherewithal to truly work toward establishing well-read blog posts, per-click income will arrive. It takes many thousands of clicks each week for this money to add up to anything substantial, a goal which is attainable at least but often improbable at best.

Is blogging on a promise a viable start to success with writing? Everyone starts somewhere, and blogs offer lots of writers plenty of opportunities. It isn’t likely you’ll make your first fortune from earning through page clicks on blog posts, but it is likely you’ll have the chance to improve and perfect your craft. Sometimes, the means justify the end.