Many writers agree: if you want to have a successful business, you need a website. Not only does this increase brand awareness with potential clients, a website–if designed and promoted the right way–can propel you as an expert in your given niche, leading to more writing and money-making opportunities.

But behind every successful “writer’s website” is an equally as successful domain name. Unfortunately, most writers make this their last priority, when it really should be their first.

Writing Job Resource reviews Freelance Writing Online: A Guide for Beginners, an e-book recently released by Suzanne Alicie, a freelance writer and founder of Freelance Writer Online.

If you don’t have the time–or don’t want to make the effort–to create your own ads to attract new clientele, there is another option: taking advantage of the site’s features to find clients already advertising writing work.

For writers, here comes a legitimate concern: how do you differentiate scammers from trusthworthy, real-paying clients?

Granted, Craigslist isn’t a reliable place to find writing clients–there isn’t a guarantee they’ll pay your invoices on time (or at all) or offer a fair price for your web content. But this doesn’t necessarily mean it’s impossible to find writing clients on Craigslist–in fact, one of my highest paying clients found me through Craigslist.

Jessie Haynes recently explained the deets behind her own writing schedule, so I want to share mine with you: the High/Medium/Low method. With the High/Medium/Low Method, you simply rank your writing tasks in order, from highest priority to lowest priority. With the High/Medium/Low Method, you get plenty of flexibility, without the hassle of sticking to hour-by-hour schedules.

Today, I want to bring you an equally straightforward how-to article about keeping both your writing assignments and writing business income steady. Now, keeping either of those things steady proves a challenge for most freelance writers. In her book ‘Six Figure Freelancer’ Kelly James-Enger talks about mentally dividing your freelance writing assignments into three categories: work that you’ve contracted and have to write, queries for which whether or not you have the assignment is outstanding, and work which you’ve completed but are awaiting payment. Whether you’re primarily a magazine freelancer, like James-Enger, or a web writer that works for content networks, or you work for clients, you can apply this methodology.

Networking just isn’t essential for improving your writing–it can get you actual writing gigs. Like in the “real” world, most online writing jobs aren’t advertised, and sometimes networking is the only way to get it. Establishing relationships with other writers can help you find writing gigs advertised “behind-the-scenes”, eliminating the work of finding a job on your own. Use these websites to kick-start your networking potential.

Don’t underestimate your worth. Online freelance writers have a plethora of skills–marketing, social media, web design skills–that many traditional freelance writers don’t have. Pimp out these skills to improve your monthly money-making revenue. Remember, your skills are worth money, and people are willing to pay for it (even the skills you don’t think are marketable). Here are 36 additional ways you can make more money writing online.

Creating an online writing portfolio is an excellent way to raise you e-cred: nearly all writers have a writing website that highlights their qualifications, skills and what they can offer potential clients. But getting traffic to your website–and finding potential clients to supplement your income–isn’t as simple as keyword optimizing your portfolio. To get more traffic, it’s all about letting everyone know your online writing portfolio actually exists. Use these effective key concepts to naturally increase human traffic–and potential clients–to your website.

So you’ve finally signed up with Elance, set up your profile, and have the required credits to bid on a writing project. There’s no doubt you’re a qualified writer: your skills and credentials clearly demonstrate you have the knowledge required to complete any project accurately–and on time. There’s only one tiny problem…you don’t have any feedback. For most writers, they depend on positive feedback to win projects. But if you know how to really sell yourself, you won’t need any feedback to win good paying projects.