I get e-mails all the time from moms who really want to work from home.  Many of them are new moms that have a college degree and want to help with family finances. Some are moms that don’t  have much formal education, but they do have a lot of life experience to share! All of them want to know how they can legitimately work from home. 

I get some background info from every person who contacts me and I try to point them in the right direction. I usually offer these suggestions: Contact legitimate companies that hire people to work from home (I suggest certain companies),  start your own small business (I give them ideas & resources), or join a Direct Sales company like Mary Kay or Tupperware (we have a partnership of Christian moms with reputable teams to join). 

For the moms that have excelled in English and writing, I suggest that they start freelance writing from home. 

Here are some questions to ask yourself to help you decide if you could earn an income freelance writing from home:

1. Did you receive good grades in English and Spelling?

2. Do you have someone willing to proofread your writing?

3. Do you have a computer and Internet access?

4. Do you have some uninterrupted time each day to write?

5. Can you keep deadlines?

If you’ve answered yes to all or most of these questions, then you should at least give freelance writing a try!

Here are some suggestions to get you started:

1. Take an online writing course. There are many colleges that offer some kind of online writing course for free. Visit this link for more information: http://education-portal.com/articles/10_Universities_Offering_Free_Writing_Courses_Online.html 

2. You can literally start getting paid TODAY to write online articles. I write for www.associatedcontent.com, but there are many other sites that pay writers to
submit their work (www.examiner.comis another one). I recommend Associated Content because you can actually start making money with them quickly. They either pay per  click OR you can submit your article for up-front payment and receive a greater amount. I have received direct payments for $5 for just one article, so just think: if you spend a few hours and submit 10 articles per day that they are willing to pay $5 for, that’s an extra $50 a DAY in your pocket! They sometimes pay more or less depending on the type of content you submit. They also offer contests and other money making bonuses!

3. Once you have a project in mind, create a writing schedule. For instance, M, W, & F from 2-4pm will be your time to write.  Note: If you have young children, you need a quiet, private place that you are able to go to while your children are napping. (If nap time is a thing of the past then you need to facilitate at least 2 hours of quiet time per day for any kids that are at home. Children can nap, read, play quietly in their rooms or whatever, but they are not allowed to bug you unless it is an absolute emergency! [discuss what constitutes an emergency] You might meet some strong resistance at first if you haven’t had anything like this in the past. But  consistency is the key!  Have rewards and consequences in place and this WILL work!)

4. If you are serious about Christian writing, become familiar with these sites: www.thechristianpen.com  and www.acfw.com (American Christian Fiction Writers) Consider attending their conference, too!

5. Purchase a copy of the Christian Writer’s Market Guideby Sally Stuart. This can also be found on Amazon.com.  This is a comprehensive guide to just about every Christian publisher.It tells you what they are looking for in a writer and how to contact them. From books & periodicals to greeting cards & ebooks. This is a MUST HAVE for the Christian Freelance writer!

6. Write and RE-WRITE! Do not write something and send it inas-is just because you think it is the BEST THING you have ever written or because you are sure that God gave you these words to share with the world. While that may be true (editors hear those lines all the time) you have to be willing to RE-WRITE and allow someone else to critique your work.

7. Have your work critiqued by a professional! ReallyWorkingFromHome.com has contracted with a professional editor to offer critiques at a great discount!

What is included in your critique?

• An assessment of your strengths and the areas you need to improve as a writer. 
• Your work will be critiqued by our professional editor who has worked for Focus on the Family, Zondervan, Thomas Nelson, NavPress, Christian Booksellers Association and more!
• An honest evaluation of the potential that your work has to be published.
• A “next step” recommendation will also be given.
• Your critique will be delivered to you via e-mail within 1-2 weeks of submitting your work and payment.
• Cost: $65 (generally costs $100-$250)
• Click HERE to purchase and submit your material