Like many of you, I have tried my best at finding opportunities to make money online. I have tried a handful of methods. Some have worked out really well. Some have not quite paid off. I hope to continue to expand my online income streams, so please give your best ideas in the comments below. The list is roughly in order from best to worst, but I did not use a scientific method to pick the order.
eHow Writer's Compensation Program
eHow has been my biggest paying online money maker since I joined at the end of 2007. Over the roughly two years I have been a member, I have earned well over $1,000. Not a living by any means, but not too shabby either. After being accepted for the program, I wrote a total of about 35 articles over my two years. The best thing about eHow is that you make residual earnings on your articles. I make about $30 a month these days for not doing anything. For some reason, the earnings have fallen over time. You can see my articles under my user page: Eric1985 at eHow.
Demand Studios
Demand Studios is a subsidiary of Demand Media. Demand Media is the owner of eHow, so this overlaps a little bit. At Demand Studios, I am paid a fixed rate (I only take $15) or a residual for writing articles for eHow or a list of other affiliated sites. Something nice about Demand Studios, which requires a professional application, resume, and writing samples, is that the work is always there. I could potentially earn a full time income from the site if I put in the time. If has been my best success lately.
Blogging
Blogging is not something I do for big profits by any means, but it does produce a small income stream. I have made the $100 AdSense cutoff one time before, but it takes a long time to earn anything there. I have also earned income from sponsored posts and direct advertising sales. However, hosting and domain registration across my several domains makes blogging just a bit more than a wash. The hourly rate is dismal. I do it because I enjoy doing it. If you want to “pay me” for what I do here, the best way today is to sign up for one of my affiliate sites. I only choose affiliates that I really use in real life. You can sign up for Lending Club right now to get started.