Great Online Sportswriting Outlets II

Aside from Suite101.com, another good place to write is HowtoDoThings.com. Although they don't offer positions such as "Feature Writer," they do have some perks.

A smaller site than Suite101.com, HowtoDoThings.com is growing and articles enjoy good readership. Usually it seems, the more articles you write for a particular site, the better your search engine ranking (especially if you're interlinking articles, marketing on social networking sites, forums, blogs, etc.)goes up. At HowtoDoThings.com, my page views began receiving good traffic right away.

Another perk is that writers are purported to get 50% of the ad revenue earned from click-throughs on articles. There's a twist to the 50% rule. Say one click-through from one of your articles earns .50, you don't get .25 and HTDT.com gets .25. The rule is that half the time you get the click throughs and half the time HTDT gets it. In other words, on a particular page load, it might be your turn to get all ad revenue for that page load, or it might be HTDT.com's turn. I haven't gotten a good explanation for when it's my turn and when it's theirs.

Everything considered, it's a great place to write. They've featured one of my articles on their home page, How to Get Golf Lessons, and plan to feature my profile there as well. Both are good boosts to traffic. They're a pleasure to work with and responsive to questions. Good site for which to write.

Great Sportwriting Outlets for Beginning (and Experienced) Freelancers

If you want to become a freelancer, or you're simply looking for new outlets for your writing, there are some good places to explore. Over the next several days, I'll be providing my experience with some of them. Here's the first:

Suite101.com - In my experience, Suite101.com's three major advantages are as follows:

1) They don't let just anyone become a writer. There is an application process. Prospective writers need to have a background in their chosen area and they have to submit sample pieces that meet standards. This gives the site a higher degree of egitimacy.

2) They offer Feature Writer positions for people who publish regulary and with some longevity. Writers are eligible to become a Feature Writer after publishing 10 articles.

3) Great search engine placement. Suite101.com has been around for some time and they have earned a good reputation. Although much is dependent upon the writer in doing his/her "keyword" part, 7 million page views per month is a big boost.

I've enjoyed great success with Suite101.com's golf section over the past year. My Feature Writer position has added immesureable legitimacy to my freelancing career. Suite101.com is certainly worth your time.

Sportswriter HQ is LIVE!

This is the first post on what will become a top resource for freelance sportswriters. From novices pounding away at the keyboard and learning the ropes, to seasoned veterans looking for leads and new information, Sportswriter HQ will be the Net's home base.

Please, contribute what you know about freelance sportswriting, ask questions about what you don't know, and comment on what you see here (good or bad). After all, any information about sportwriting will be appreciated and used by someone.

Come back often and let's all have some fun and succeed together!