Content writing. Why not?

I've worked as a freelance writer since 1991. That's a long time. But never have I felt as challenged, and frequently frustrated, as I do today. Since mid-2008, seven of my regular print-magazine clients have gone out of business. Several more have gone solely to in-house writers as they struggle through this horrible economy. I'm surviving, but I'm juggling more assignments than I ever have to meet my monthly income goals.

I've also dipped my toe into the largely unsatisfying world of online content writing. You know what I mean: places like Associated Content, Suite 101, Examiner.com, Demand Studios, b5 Media and the rest. They're content mills that place greater value on quantity than they do on quality. Writing for them is a bit brain-numbing, I admit. But a writer's gotta' do ... well, you know.

I have one advantage in this strange new world: I can write fast, really fast. And when I'm writing for content sites I can write especially fast.

'Course, that doesn't mean I necessarily enjoy content writing. And I am still learning as I go. I've found content-mill writing to be extremely frustrating at times, especially when it comes to search engine optimization. I also find myself getting overly excited when one of my online stories earns even the smallest amount of revenue. I wouldn't touch a print-magazine story for anywhere near the same amount of money. I'd consider it an insult.

I set up this blog to share my journey through the content-writing landscape with my fellow freelance writers. I'll post my experiences with content sites. I'll let you know how much I'm earning, how quickly I'm doing it and whether I enjoy what I'm doing even the tiniest bit.

And I hope you'll share your thoughts with me, too, on whatever content writing you're doing. Maybe you love it. Maybe you hate it. Maybe you recognize that in the world of online writing, speed is king, quality is not necessarily a priority and earnings are small.

But, again, if you're fast enough, if you can really pound away at that keyboard, those small earnings just might add up.

Or maybe they won't. I'll let you know.