After a few years of stumbling, grumbling and generally fumbling attempts at writing articles and getting paid for them, I finally found a way to do something I loved and make money in the process.

The article market may be intriguing or, At the very least, confusing (at least, that's what I thought when I heard established article-writers shoot off at the mouth) but you'll find that writing freelance articles isn't exactly rocket science.

You do not need to forge a silver pen, memorize encyclopedias and import truckloads of talent...

1. Post Your Profile

The first step to writing articles and getting paid for them is to have access to the article market. You can hardly expect to write articles in an underground shaft by candlelight, stash them in a rusty metal safe, bury the key and expect your work to be splashed all over ezines and web pages when you resurface.

The best places in to sign up for are those with great reputations, places where clients will be comfortable in approaching to find writers that will give them great articles.

Incidentally, the best places are the places who let you sign on for free. Of course, there are some places where you are required to pay a registration fee (tell me where there aren't) but I'll advise you tiostick to the freebies.

oDesk is a great place to register with, one of the foremost in the article market at this time, and they are easy and free so sign up with. Other great places include Freelance.com, directfreelance.com and HireAGhostwriter.

Of course, these are only a few of the many great places to register with. The only snag with these places is that they are already saturated wih article-writers, and some may think it would be better to register with smaller publishers and by doing so make it easy to get selected for jobs.

Either way, always make sure you apply for jobs that you know will not be a problem for you to tackle. No need to be greedy and grab at jobs you have no conidence in. There are enough jobs to go round, so you can afford to be honest.

3. Applying For Jobs

Keep in mind that the jobs you will be displaying interest in and applying for may have many other article-writers bidding for them. The application you will be submiting should stand out, should catch the clients eye.

Now, there is no need to enclose pornographic material or appeal to his better nature. Take, for instance, an application along these lines:

"Dear Sir,

I am applying for the job I saw at HotshotArticles.com. I am not very solvent at the moment and would like to do the job. I really need this break. Please give me the job and I promise to do the best I can.."

The client is not a Cheerful Giver or a charity affiliate. He is going to be paying for the article and will not be too happy giving the job to someone who will be more grateful than professional, thinking of the balance in his bank account as he thumps down the facts.

If, as I earlier elaborated, you pick only jobs you have interest for and knowledge in, your enthusiasm and expertise need not be faked and will be all the more credible.

4. Doing Your Job

When you get a job, do not do rushed or slipshod work. Remember that your name will be attached to your article, with your credibility round its neck. If you give your client a peice of junk, it may very well be the peice that will drown your reputation for good.

Another mistake some new article-writers make is to smile and sit back once thay have been pre-paid for a job, opting to take the money and run instead of submitting the article. I advise these smart guys to think again. Taking money for a job you have no intention of doing can be done only once. After that, you may rest assured that you will never get another job again.

Once again, it all comes down to the question of honesty and credibilty.

Your jobs could be fun if you have the required expertise, but sometimes your personal knowledgebase may not be enough. Great places to get information on the Internet include historyorb.com, thebfp.com and the omnipresent Wikipedia.

Submit punctually after checking out to see if there were any 'trivial' spelling mistakes that say alot about an article-writer's credibility.