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Felicia A. Williams is a freelance writer and blogger. She spends her time raising her family and writing. In addition to being the Insurance Feature Writer at Suite 101 and freelancing wherever she can, Felicia spends her time tinkering around with her sites, Tidbits and Stuff (a site full of useless and useful information), BLULOW, (all about living green) and Visit Hudson Valley.

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Earn Internet Income Freelance Writing for Suite101.com

March 10th, 2008 • Related • Filed Under

Suite101.com calls itself an online magazine. It’s a content rich site whose articles are contributed by freelance writers which allow the writers to earn internet income. The freelance writers are broken into two categories, Feature Writers and Contributing Writers.

  1. Feature Writers are responsible for their particular section of expertise. They are required to write a certain number of articles per week on their topic and maintain an associated blog. They may, if they are so inclined, also write articles on any other topic of their choice as long as they maintain their Feature Writer requirements.
  2. Contributing Writers can write on any topic of their choice and are only subject to the 10 articles over a period of three months writing requirement.

Apply as a Freelance Writer

To become a freelance writer for Suite 101.com, you have to become a member (membership is free) complete an application and submit a resume along with two writing samples. Suite101.com will review your work and notify you if you are accepted.

Suite 101 has been around for over 10 years and has developed a readership of over seven million readers monthly. They offer a quality product; so if you are not serious about writing quality articles, don’t bother to apply to Suite101.com.

If you do decide to earn internet income by writing for Suite101.com and are accepted, be prepared for editor interaction. The editors review the work and offer quality feedback. Any writer knows that feedback is part of the growing process. The editors are there to help you improve your craft. Take the criticism as constructive criticism and learn from it. It’s a good place to get honest critiques that server to improve your writing

Payment

Payment is made via Paypal and is based on the number of page views and ad revenue generated by your articles. None of the writers know the actual page view/revenue share formula, but we do know that payment is made monthly as long as your earnings exceed $10.

Earnings from Suite101.com vary depending on the number of articles written, topic popularity, seasonal fluctuations and a host of other variables. Once you’ve written a few articles, you get a feel for which ones work and which ones don’t. Additionally, Suite101.com provides a user interface whereby each writer can see just how well each article is doing and were the traffic is coming from. You can see which search terms were used to access your articles. It’s a useful tool when it comes to honing SEO skills.

Article Ownership

You maintain the copyright for your work; however, you grant Suite101.com exclusive electronic rights for the first year that your article appears on their site. After that, you can post your article anywhere you wish.

Success?

Success can be measured in several different ways. First of all, having a Suite101.com profile has helped me in getting other writing assignments. One link to

Latest Articles by
Felicia A. Williams

Suite101.com was all it took to show what and how I write.

Success can also be measured by level of income. I’ve had moderate success financially. Let me preface my success by saying that I maintain the 10 articles per three-month minimum requirement. Some writers write in excess of 100 articles in that period of time (other obligations prevent me from doing so).  Unfortunately I had to remove the actual figures earned as I found out that it is a violation of the Suite 101 Terms of Service.  Suffice it to say that my earnings have increased over time.

That number is a little deceiving because some of the articles were written as recently as two days ago which haven’t had time to be process through the search engines as yet. Some articles get great traffic while other ones are not popular at all.

Either way, as long as I continue as a freelance writer for Suite101.com, the articles will remain on the website and I will continue to earn internet income. Even if I stop writing, as long as the articles remain on the site and generate revenue, I will continue to earn and get paid.

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There Are 29 Responses So Far. »

  1. Comment by Sydney Hazelton on 13 July 2008:

    Hi Felicia,

    I must say that you have reviewed the website well. Most of the information that I would like to know are spelt out here. I might try Suite101. I have been writing for Triond but I don’t earn as much as you mentioned you got for Suite101 with the number of articles you have written. All the best!

  2. Comment by Felicia on 13 July 2008:

    Thanks for the well wishes Sydney.

    Your comment made me realize that I had not updated my Suite earnings in a little while. Drum roll please….

    As of July 10th, my income for 86 articles was Oops, had to remove the figures. Posting my earnings is a violation of Suite 101 TOS. You can see how the per article value increases over time.

    It’s not that I’m rolling in cash, but every extra dollar helps.

  3. Comment by Felicia on 19 August 2008:

    Here’s the latest update. As of yesterday, August 18, 2008, I have 91 articles on Suite (I’ve barely been meeting the 10 article per three month requirement - I’m working on writing more) and have earned - Oops cannot share the earnings. It’s a violation of Suite 101 TOS.

    Currently, each article I write for Suite 101 is worth more than each one I write for Demand Studios. Imagine that.

    I still write for Demand Studios because they pay weekly (more or less) while Suite 101 pays monthly.

  4. Comment by Alyssa Vita on 20 August 2008:

    Felicia,

    I visited Suite101.com and read some of your articles. I have to admit Suite101.com isn’t new to me. I’m taking courses on professional indexing and I read most of the articles about indexing on that Web site.

    The point I want to make is that I knew there was something that drew me to you. I read your profile and realized that you and I share a similar background. I started out in the Insurance industry - on the brokering side. I was also an MGA for a very long time and wrote several risk management and loss control articles for the professions. This led to my career as a technical writer drafting online help and user guides.

    Like you, I want to break away from the dreariness of writing in this rigid discipline. A few days ago, I commented on how hard it was to come up with a blog theme and related topics. At first I thought I’d reach out to the professionals who buy insurance, and then quickly dismissed the idea. I’m not the least bit interested and it would translate into a bad blog. So, I continue to analyze my hobbies, interests, and passions. I’m sure I’ll come up with something.

    I knew I’d like you…

    Best,
    Alyssa

  5. Comment by Felicia on 20 August 2008:

    Hey Alyssa,

    Thanks for stopping by. Us insurance type have to stick together.

    I agree with you about not doing an insurance blog. I tried it and was bored silly with it. I was following the dollars and not my passion.

    I’ve tried a few blogs, but quickly found that if my heart wasn’t in it, I wouldn’t post. Hang in there. I’m sure you’re going to find something soon.

    Regards,
    Felicia

  6. Comment by Tana (2 comments.) on 16 September 2008:

    Are there any word count requirements?

    Also, this is from the site (suite101) and it explains why your earnings increased a bit:
    * earn an additional 10% ad revenue after 50 articles
    * earn an additional 20% ad revenue after 100 articles

    Good luck from me!

  7. Comment by Felicia on 16 September 2008:

    Hey Tana,

    Thanks for the comments. As far as the 10% bonus, I hit that milestone quite some time ago. I’m only an article or two away from the 100 article mark. I guess if I stop talking about it and actually write the next two articles, I’ll see exactly how the additional bonus affects my earnings (so close, yet so far).

  8. Comment by Tana (2 comments.) on 16 September 2008:

    You hit the nail on the head! If you (and me, and other writer) spend less time talking and browsing the Net, more articles will be finished. :) I am getting a pro in wasting my time in a myriad of creative ways. :)

  9. Comment by Felicia on 24 September 2008:

    I’m disappointed to report that Contributing Writers who reach the 100 article milestone at Suite 101 do not get an additional 10% bonus.

    I contacted Suite about it and I was told that only Feature Writers get the bonus. The wording on their website is misleading and I advised them accordingly.

  10. Comment by Lisa Russell (2 comments.) on 18 October 2008:

    They did update that, maybe because of your note, and they sent out an explanation in the newsletter.

    I’m a FW at 49 articles and My numbers are just about where yours were at 50, I’m at (oops, had to remove your earnings. Don’t want you to violate the Suite 101 terms of service) I quit writing for Demand a few months ago and chose to focus my efforts on my own sites and Suite101. At Suite, the more you write, the more you make. Your experience has shown that. I go in spurts, though.

    I wish someone would develop a graphic tool we can look at to see which of our Suite articles are cross-linked. Other than simply making a list, There must be a way to map out a visual web so we can make sure we’re maximizing the inter-linking.

    Anyway- nice to meet you
    Lisa
    http://www.30queries30days.com

  11. Comment by Felicia on 18 October 2008:

    Hi Lisa,

    I’m glad they updated the site so other writers won’t be disappointed when they find that they don’t get the additional 10%.

    In addition to a graphic tool to show the cross links, it would be nice to know how much each article makes. I started writing for eHow and one of the nice features is that it shows how much each article earns so you can get an idea which ones are money makers and which ones aren’t.

    It makes sense to concentrate on your own sites in addition to writing for Suite and other content sites. I bounce back and forth between my own sites, Suite, eHow and a few affiliates.

    Thanks for stopping by and I’m going to spend a little more time going through your site. It looks very interesting.

  12. Comment by Julie on 20 October 2008:

    Felicia,

    I am so glad I found this blog. I have written to three or four writers on Suite 101 for advice on getting started as a freelance writer on the site and have not gotten a repsonse from any of them. I am getting ready to apply to the site. I have written two articles (in third person)for the travel section. I have not been published and most of my written work was for college, my personal blog, and various journals that are scattered throughout my house. :)
    Before I submit these first articles for application, is there anything I shold know about applying? Looking for advice….

  13. Comment by Felicia on 21 October 2008:

    Hi Julie,

    Thanks for stopping by. As far as applying to Suite 101, I applied about a year ago so my application memory is a bit fuzzy.

    If your posts to my blog are an indication of your writing ability, I believe you’ll be fine. Writing in the third person is a big plus when it comes to Suite.

    I guess my biggest tip would be to remember your audience. Some new writers like to show off their writing ability by using too many descriptive words and trying too hard to impress the editor. You seem to be a solid writer, and I don’t think you’ll have a problem being approved.

    Let us know how it goes.

    Good Luck!

  14. Comment by Felicia on 22 October 2008:

    Hmm,

    I recently found out that technically, I’m not supposed to share my Suite 101 earnings. It’s a violation of their terms of service.

    To that end, I’m going to have to delete all reference to the income I make there. I guess in the future, I’ll have to be a bit more general about my earnings rather than specific.

    Oh well. Since I signed the contract, I have to honor the agreement.

  15. Comment by Veronique (11 comments.) on 22 October 2008:

    Weeks ago I submitted my application to Suite 101 and was rejected. Sunday I was determined I would become a contributor and resubmitted my application; this time I was accepted!! Wahooo!

  16. Comment by Felicia on 22 October 2008:

    Congratulations to you Veronique!

    As a newbie writer for Suite, expect to receive feedback from the editors when you submit articles. It might take a little getting used to their writing style.

    Once you get the hang of it, things should go smoothly.

    Best of luck to you!

  17. Comment by Veronique (11 comments.) on 22 October 2008:

    Thank you so much Felicia.

    I’m looking forward to any feedback they may have for me. I’m looking at this as a new experience and another opportunity to polish my writing skills.

  18. Comment by Julie on 22 October 2008:

    Felicia,

    Thank you very much for your compliment, that means a lot. Also, thanks for the tips!

    Veronique, Congratulations! Any pointers on the application? Good luck to you. It is wonderful and motivating to find other writer’s!

  19. Comment by Julie (11 comments.) on 22 October 2008:

    Felicia,

    Good to know Suite will not allow you to post earnings!

    Julies last blog post..Eat, Pray, Love

  20. Comment by Veronique (11 comments.) on 22 October 2008:

    Hey Julie,

    The only tip I have is to sit down, take your time and carefully review everything during and before submitting. I think that was my problem with the first application. I was in a bit of a hurry and talking with a client via instant messenger. Shame on me. Sunday morning I brewed some coffee, had a clear mind and was able to focus on what I wanted to accomplish.

    Thank you for the best wishes Julie.

  21. Comment by Julie (9 comments.) on 23 October 2008:

    Thanks. I may be spending too much time and over-analyzing! I have the articles done, but am not sure what to include or the format of the resume since I have never published anything professionally.

    Julies last blog post..Baby Steps

  22. Comment by Julie (9 comments.) on 24 October 2008:

    Felicia and Veronique,

    From the Suite 101 application: “Please submit researched journalistic articles that cite sources; no pure opinion, blog posts, or poetry or fiction. This means your samples should be objective, balanced, and should not include the first-person “I” voice. Do not include links to online work, but rather copy the text into these fields.”

    Do I need to cite sources? What exactly does this mean-”researched”? I wrote travel articles about two places I have actually visited. Do I need references? One of my articles is in my blog. I appreciate the help. :)

  23. Comment by Felicia on 24 October 2008:

    Wow, I applied so long ago and when I applied we were able to write in the second person.

    What I would probably do is take the travel articles that you’ve already written and re-write them in the third person voice. I would include a couple of facts about the region and site one or two references as the source of my facts.

    The facts can be a sentence or two so that it doesn’t detract from your article, but apparently they want to see that you can take facts, digest them and make them relevant in your article.

    It seems that they want more of a journalistic flair rather than a down home blog flavor (well at least that’s my take on it).

    Hope that helped.

    Anyone else have any good advice to offer Julie?

  24. Comment by Julie (9 comments.) on 26 October 2008:

    I got accepted as a contributing writer! Yay - thanks for the tips. And, wish me luck as I begin this new journey of freelance writing! Whew!

  25. Comment by Felicia on 26 October 2008:

    Good for you Julie!

    Congrats on becoming a contributing writer for Suite! You’ll do great. Make sure to use the same tips from Maria O’Brien’s book on Suite 101 and you’ll do very well.

  26. Comment by James on 4 November 2008:

    Felicia I would like to thank you for the post on suite 101. I have been looking around the internet and weeding through the scams for freelance writing. When I came across your post I realized finally a site, maybe some real income, and a way to start writing. I am new to freelance, but have been writing many years; short stories, poems, a book, and some blogging. Would you say that suite101 is a means to not just better your writing ability but improve on writing for income? I have read your above article after your earnings were removed. So if I concentrate on suite101 is the earning possibility worth the effort. I would like to earn 200 or more plus a month extra, with the work involved of course. I am asking for us, the “newbies.”

    Thank you for the comment, or the advice.

  27. Comment by Felicia on 4 November 2008:

    Hi James,

    Suite 101 is a legitimate site and you can definitely earn $200 or more per month. It doesn’t happen overnight, but it is doable.

    Spend a little time getting familiar with SEO and keywords. Writing online is a bit of a different animal than writing for print publications. It took me a little while to truly understand the difference. Once I got a better handle on it, my earnings improved quite a bit.

    The Suite editors will help you transition your writing for the web by offering constructive tips.

    All in all, I find my experience with Suite 101 a positive one and well worth the effort for the income.

  28. Comment by Julie (9 comments.) on 20 November 2008:

    Hey, I just wanted to pass on that I got my first Suite 101 article posted. Thank you for the inspiration and motivation. I guess I am now officially in the freelance writer club with Suite and ehow. Thanks again. Here it is.

    Vacation in Los Cabos Mexico

  29. Comment by Felicia on 20 November 2008:

    Wow, Julie, I see you’ve been very busy!

    Good for you! Congratulations on becoming a freelance writer for both Suite and eHow!

    You’ll find that over time the income will continue to grow.

    By the way, after reading your article, I’m ready to go to Los Cabos!

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