One thing that works well for me is to have generic projects that I work on regularly. At need I switch them to focus on particular sites, or drop them entirely if something special needs to be done, but having regular things I do really helps keep things moving.

Write 5 Articles or Blog Posts Per Day

This is actually down from in the past when I could easily manage 7 in a day. But with a baby I have less writing time, and this goal reflects that.

At that, it’s a really challenging goal to reach right now. A lot of days I don’t manage it because time can be just so tight. That and the baby loves to pull up on my desk and pound the keyboard. Not a good thing when I’m trying to write. How I long for an office door some days!

Writing 5 a day means that I can get all the blog posts for one week, Monday through Friday, done in a single day. If I like, that means the rest of the week any articles written for that site can be for article submission.

Since I write for more than one site, it does not mean that I could write four times as much content for distribution as I do for my site. If I could do that, I’d probably just slightly up the blog posting frequency for a better balance.

10 Blog Comments Per Day

This one challenges me much of the time, but it is a bit easier to schedule. I can read through blog posts with my little Busy Bee on my lap, keyboard pushed in on its shelf under the desk, and figure out which posts I want to comment on later.

It’s nice to have something to do where I can spread the effort out a little. It doesn’t work all the time, and I think commenting earlier is better than later for actual views of my comments, but it helps.

10 Forum Posts Per Day

I’ve been slacking off on this one way too long.

Forums can be a huge time suck, but appropriate forums that allow signatures can bring in respectable traffic if you keep your posts interesting. It’s not so much about advertising as it is building a reputation as a helpful participant in the forum.

Other Link Building Activities

The trouble with blog comments and forum posts is that they can be no follow on many sites. That’s not that bad a thing if you focus on eyeballs rather than search engines, but you want a range of links coming in to your site.

Social bookmarking sites can be useful, and they go well beyond delicious. Seek them out and add your links as appropriate to the particular site. But pay attention to the rules so your links aren’t just dropped as spam.

I’ve quit doing link exchanges long since. They’re rarely worth the trouble. I had a small link exchange directory on this site for a time and the real link to random spam ratio was terrible and I finally deleted the whole mess rather than having to go in and delete spam submissions.

Finding the Time???

The worst of it all is finding the time for all of this. If you have the budget, I strongly suggest figuring out what you can put out to a virtual assistant. Link building can be a good choice for example… tedious, time consuming and really doesn’t need your personal touch. Let someone else have that headache.

Anything that you need to do on your own, figure out when your most productive hours are and use them! Turn off Twitter, Facebook and anything else that might distract you. Let TiVo get your favorite shows if you’d miss them.

If the kids are awake and the weather’s nice, send them outside. If it’s not nice, have them dress appropriately and send them out for a bit anyhow! Well, not into a blizzard or anything, but if warmer clothes are all that’s needed, they can play outside for a time.

These plans are of course only approximate, and will change regularly. But having a general outline has always worked better than a solid schedule for me.

What works for you?

Writing is one of the most popular work at home jobs. It’s something many people can do, even if not everyone loves to write. The equipment needs are minimal and the demand is there. Pay, however, is extremely variable, depending on the kind of writing you want to do and what you ask for.

Qualifications/Training Needed?

Writing jobs don’t always have a lot of qualifications listed, but other times you need specific training or the ability to research unfamiliar topics well enough to write clearly about them.

There are a few kinds of writing. Copywriters, for example, write ad copy. If you’re good at this it can be one of the best paid types of writing job. It involves a lot of testing and practice to learn what works best and what works for particular markets. Little changes can do a lot.

Article writing is very popular now that a lot of websites need it for promoting their sites. However it pays far less on average. The more you get paid as an article writer, the better your research on a given topic will be expected to be.

Any paid writer needs to have excellent grammar and spelling skills. Don’t trust to spell check alone, as it is notorious for missing the use of an incorrect but properly spelled word. If you’re too lazy to proofread, working as a writer is probably not for you.

Job Duties

Write whatever it is you’ve been asked to work on. What you write depends on the kinds of work you choose to look for.

Equipment Needed

You probably have everything you need. A computer with Microsoft Word or Office and an internet connection is about it.

Where to Search for Jobs

Writing job listings at Home with the Kids
Blogging job listings at Home with the Kids
Craigslist (beware of many, many scams!)
Hire My Mom
Go Freelance
Telework Recruiting
Elance
Guru

Related Scams

The main scams to look out for are paid job boards that really don’t offer any jobs, as well as any job posting that offers an exceptional amount of pay for the amount of work done.

Poetry contests and similar are also very common scams for writers, as are writing contests.

Recommended Reading

88 Money-Making Writing Jobs
The Definitive Guide to Making Money Online With Your Writing
ProBlogger: Secrets for Blogging Your Way to a Six-Figure Income
6 Figure Freelancer

Take some time and write letters to family members or friends. It’s a great habit to get the kids into, and you don’t have to limit yourself to thank you notes.

Just think of all the people who would love to hear from you in a letter. Grandparents. Friends who have moved away or you’ve moved away from. Pen pals.

You can of course just send emails, but there is something about a handwritten letter that’s a little extra special. If your handwriting is as poor as mine is, you’ll have to take extra care to keep it legible. That’s the problem with typing everything.

For children still mastering their writing skills, this is a great and fun way to practice. They can even write to friends who are in the area. Kids get such a kick out of getting mail, and you can build up a habit between your kids and their friends.