This blog is focused on making money from your writing. But if you’re first starting out, a recurring roadblock to profiting from writing that many of us encounter is when you’re asked to provide samples of your writing, preferably published clips.

A good place to get nearly-instant published clips is through submissions to article databanks on the Internet… no previous experience or credentials required.

Article databanks like EzineArticles.com, GoArticles.com, and IdeaMarketers.com provide opportunities for writers to publish their original articles, as often and as many as you want. Yet, opportunities go far beyond writing and posting to a public forum. Here are just a few:

1. The obvious benefit is the resulting published clip. Make a habit of submitting articles regularly and you can put “recurring contributor to name-of-site” on your resume and in your credentials when trying to attract assignments.
2. Demonstrate your ability to grasp and write on different topics to show versatility. Or stick with a single subject to show your depth of expertise, which could lead to an assignment for a recurring column, secure ongoing assignments from a specific client, or build content for your first book.
3. Generate income from your online articles. Although article databanks don’t pay you to post your work, there are ways to profit from them.

• If you have a website where you market your services and products, make sure you have a link to your URL.
• Do you have a book on Amazon or are you promoting one in your article? Include a link to it with an Amazon Associate link.
• Sign up to be an affiliate for a product or service related to your topic–one that you sincerely recommend. If the article content databank allows it, include your affiliate link in the bio of your article—if someone buys from your link, you make a commission. If affiliate links are not allowed, send readers to the specific page on your website that promotes the affiliate product or service.
• There are also sites like eHow, Associated Content and HubPages that give you a byline and have compensation programs. The monetary reward is typically miniscule so you won’t get rich or be able to quit your day job, but you will learn discipline, get exposure, and gain some satisfaction in having your work published.

Writing articles for online content databanks eliminates the “I have no published clips” excuse for not pursuing your writing career. More importantly, they provide an opportunity for you to choose a direction for your writing style and content. Take it.

TIP: Contributing regularly to article databanks and content sites can be time consuming, especially if you also have clients to serve or a fulltime job. You’ll do yourself—and them—a favor if you learn to write great content quickly, whether it’s for articles, novels, non-fiction books, memoires and more. Click here to learn how to write fast!

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