I love to write. I started writing when I was young, just as poetry and a diary, but kept plugging away. A few years ago I started writing for Associated Content. I found that I really enjoyed it and could put a few pennies in my pocket. From there I branched out and wrote for a few other companies as well as getting a few by-lines at places like LiveStrong.com and Work.com.

I enjoyed writing for these and had a little bit of success and thought taking on Private Clients was the next step. Truth be known, I don’t charge as much as I should, that is what my Business Coach tells me. But in a market that is flooded with writers I honestly feel that charging more is not the answer. I need to expand my services.

So with that in mind I am taking a step back and re-evaluating what I am doing, what I need to be doing and where I want be.

With that in mind, what services would YOU want from a writer? Looking for ideas, so any and all input is appreciated!

Making a fortune on the internet. Think about it. All those people you follow on Twitter, on Facebook, on linked In, they are all touting the same thing. Follow me, spend your money on my product and I will show you how to make a fortune. In the meantime, they themselves are making a fortune, hopefully.

And this is a good way to make money. There are people out there that will buy just about anything with the promise of making a fortune. Ok let’s face it there are people out there that buy for just the promise of making enough to pay the mortgage right now. The financial state of this country is in such turmoil that people will grasp anything to help them through.

Which brings through another point. There are a lot of geniune people out there that want to help people make money on the internet. They have a geniune concern to help people. Most are people who have made it and are now helping others up that hill.

But as many people out there that are great people to follow and learn from there are a bunch of scammers as well. To be quite frank, telling the genuine from the scammers can be a full time job.

So what are we left with? Really? Are we left floundering to the left and right trying to figure out the “real” way to make money on the internet? Do we jump on the bandwagon and the latest craze that everyone else is following? Do we blaze our own path to see what we can see out there?

Well I honestly think there is a few golden rules to follow when you are trying to make your fortune here on the interent.

1. Follow your heart. Do what you love. Let’s face it, if we do something that we are not the least bit interested in to make money, we will eventually fail. We have to find something that our hearts are in.
2. Give your customers/clients what they came to the internet looking for – Information. That is what anyone entering a search word in google is looking for. They want to know something about something. As long as you deliver on that promise, you will succeed.

You could sell information on how to make a fortune on the internet, if that is what you are good at and where your passion lies. You could offer information on how to change a burned out rear turn signal on a Ford Focus. While it may not make you an instant success sooner or later you will find your niche and with persistance you will be able to pay that mortgage or even make that fortune you are dreaming of.

And if that fails, consider the lottery. It’s always a back up plan!

On the internet, or the World Wide Web, communications is the way we share information or express our opinions. Those who make their livings online find that they are constantly communicating. It can be in the form of articles, ebooks, special reports, podcast, webinars or many other inventive ways. All of these are ways of communication. Expressing your thoughts and ideas to someone else.

As a writer I try to express my ideas as clearly as possible, but still there are times when I find that my writing is about as clear as mud. It also happens that what I write may have sounded crystal clear in my head did not come across that way. There was a fault in the line. I mis-communicated an idea.

When we write, especially online, we need to remember the audience. We are not writing for ourselves, we are writing for others. Either to inform them, to sell them or to sway them to our way of thinking.

So how does a writer avoid that troubled line? That mis-communication?

First by using language that is generally accepted. Avoid slang, big words and acronyms. While you may get it, there is a chance that your reader will not. Unless of course you are targetting a specific market that you know will understand it. Use the language of your reader! If you are unsure they will understand a word, don’t take a chance, find an alternative that you KNOW they will get.

Second, write in a style that is easier to read. Studies have shown that when people read on the internet they like short words, short sentences and short paragraphs. Get to the point. Don’t beat around the bush.

Third, encourage your audience to ask questions if you have muddied up the water by accident. It’s going to happen, don’t worry, beleive me. No matter how hard you try, some day you will write something that will leave them scratching their heads. Make sure your readers know that they can ask you to clear the waters. Ensure they can leave comments and answer them!

And don’t bore your audience. Get your point across with out a bunch of fluff. Honestly people don’t like fluff. It’s a face paced world. People want their information. They want it now. They don’t want to wade through a bunch of “fluff” to get it.

I hope that cleared the water. I hope this makes sense. Let me know if I am clear as mud!

Words are something that many of us take for granted. They come easy for some. Some of us have a gift for gab, while others only use the words when they have important messages to get across.