Writing Screenplays For Fun And Profit

I'm an experienced online content creator with several streams of passive income from my writing. I'm here to share my secrets.

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Can You Make Money Writing Online Articles at HubPages?

The short answer: YES.

The long answer: YES, as long as you're patient, persistent, and a clear communicator. I have worked hard to build up an online library of articles, and I have learned A LOT in the process. This article is one of a series designed to share what I have learned in my years of online work.

The Way I Write Articles: The ATAC System

In this article I'll describe a method of writing that will automatically produce strong, effective online articles. This is the template that I use when I begin a new article. I call it the ATAC System, and I address it to myself:

Authority – Why should people listen to me? How can I demonstrate my expertise and experience from the very start?

Topic – Explain very clearly what my topic is, and then stick to it. Tell my reader what to expect, and make sure I fulfill my promises.

Accuracy – Rely on high-quality sources for those things that I need to look up, and explain everything very clearly to my reader.

Clarity – Use plain language and perfect English.

Follow this system and your articles will have a much higher chance of being featured on HubPages, and of making some money for you down the road.

Why waste time going about things the wrong way? Have a good system right from the start.

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The ATAC System of Writing Online Articles

Writing online takes a fair amount of discipline and determination. Fortunately, you get to choose your own topics and write about things you know. Combine a topic you know about and the determination to communicate clearly, and you will become a successful, and profitable, online writer. One valuable tool for making this happen is the ATAC Method.

ATAC stands for Authority, Topic, Accuracy, Clarity. Follow these principles to give your hard work its best chance of being seen by the public.

People will be very quick to see through you if you are just repeating what you read on Wikipedia, or rambling on about what you think is true without doing any research.

A: Authority

Authority: You must have at least some level of experience and expertise with your topic. People will very quick to see through you if you are just repeating what you read on Wikipedia, or rambling on about what you think is true without doing any research. BUT if you do have authority about a topic or subject, AND you have done legitimate research on serious, respected sites, definitely let your readers know! I often include a short section that sketches out my qualifications for writing about a topic.

T: Topic

Stick to the topic! Writers on HubPages often wander away from their original point, which will lose readers every time. As I tell my writing students, it's often best to write your headlines and introduction last. This is because your actually article or story may stray from the original idea as you come up with new angles and new areas of authority. In any case, make sure that your headlines describe the article accurately, and that you stick to the subject throughout the entire article.

A: Accuracy

I cannot stress enough how important it is to be accurate and precise about your subject. If there's one thing that will send you to the millionth page of Google returns, it's factual mistakes and "fudging." People out there need to trust you, especially if you're dispensing health advice, but even if we're talking about shoes — I had to rewrite an entire article about cap-toe oxfords just because I thought I knew what an oxford shoe was, but I was only half-right. Do your research, write with accuracy, and take your job very seriously.

C: Clarity

This is where writers for whom English is not their first language often struggle. The way you communicate through writing will make or break your career on HubPages, and if you're unable or unwilling to write grammatically perfect, smartly constructed English sentences, then you will struggle. It's very difficult to get an article with spelling mistakes featured, and nearly impossible to have one rank well on Google.

An Example of the ATAC System in Action

A while back I wrote an article about choosing the right electronic drum set for a child. I was determined to establish myself as an authority in a niche I knew something about: rock and roll instruments for children. I calculated that this would be a profitable niche, especially around Christmastime, when parents looking for a good gift for their children would be looking for advice, and might go straight to Amazon from my article to buy a guitar or drum set. Here's how I used the ATAC Method to write the article.

Authority: I was very careful to establish my qualifications to advise parents about their kids' instruments with a brief, succinct paragraph near the beginning of the article.

Topic: I did not discuss anything other than the importance of drumming, why electronic drums are preferable to acoustic drums, which sets are the best, and where to get them.

Accuracy: I did my homework! I looked up all the drum sets and their specifics. I read through dozens of reviews. I scanned dozens of other websites. I made notes of my own experience with electronic drums for kids. Only then did I start writing.

Clarity: I view writing on HubPages as technical writing. In other words, I am seeking to inform, not entertain. I can be as funny and quirky as the next guy, but HubPages is not the place for that. My article about electronic drums is about that: electronic drums. I have plenty of rock and roll road stories I could toss in, but no one coming to this article is looking for those.

Like a well-organized work space, a well-organized article is more efficient and productive.

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ATAC Works for Me!

My article, 2019's Best Electronic Drum Sets for Kids and Beginners, was receiving almost 200 hits a day within a matter of weeks. I sold close to $2,000 in drum sets that first Christmas, which meant I made about two hundred dollars in one month from that one article. While it's true that this is an exceptional outcome for a new article, I know that sticking to the ATAC Method was what made it such a success.

Pro Tip: Proofread

Good writers proofread! Many new writers on HubPages.com fail to proofread their articles and use good English. HubPages.com is an English-language site, and they demand a very high standard of fluency. The site employs very good editors who will read your articles very closely as they look for errors. More importantly, the editors are also looking for articles that communicate ideas very clearly. No matter what you're writing about, you will be held to a high standard of clarity and accuracy.

Putting the pieces together in a well-organized article means you have a better chance of earning income for your writing.

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How the ATAC System Helps Me Make Money Online

I use the ATAC method all the time. If you look at my articles, the ones that earn me serious money, you'll see that I follow the method closely: I define the topic clearly, I establish my authority, and I use accurate, clean language to describe and explain my contributions to the topic. It's not exactly creative or artistic writing, but it's very effective in getting me to my goal – meaningful passive income from writing online.

About Me

I am a seasoned online content writer with over 15 years in the business. I make decent money from this side-hustle: last year I made about $20,000 from my combined libraries of online articles, and all of that income was passive (I made money 24 hours a day, whether I was writing or not). It's a sweet source of income that I use for travel and other luxuries.

When I first started writing online, it was really more for my own entertainment than anything else. I chose topics at random, ignored SEO, and thought I could do everything myself. As a result I made more or less every mistake a rookie online writer can make. But I learned from my mistakes, and I got better.

These articles are my way of sharing what I've learned with other online content creators. They are free for you to read and act on, if you choose. If there's anything I have left out or got wrong, feel free to comment down below. Good luck to you, and I hope you see your income streams become rushing rapids!

Take a Quick Poll!

PT Richard (author) from USA on May 08, 2020:

Cool happy to help!

Philip Agutu from Mombasa Island on May 07, 2020:

I Iike the ATAC strategy! Thanks!

PT Richard (author) from USA on May 07, 2020:

Thanks! Happy to help.

Mitchelle Peter from Dubai, U.A.E on May 07, 2020:

Great Article! Thanks for the tips! :)

PT Richard (author) from USA on May 07, 2020:

Thanks!

Bhavishya HR Gandhi from Austin, Texas on May 07, 2020:

Great Post!