If you got fired or laid off as a result of a bad economy, paid writing jobs can help you start making money quickly. Anyone can sign up for paid writing jobs and begin earning part-time or full-time income. Let me show you how!

Paid writing jobs are the unemployed worker's best friends. Do you know why? Because paid writing jobs do not require any special work history, diploma or college degree, special training or signup fees. Anyone over 18 is eligible to sign up, even if they don't live in the United States. New writers can live anywhere in the country and still get paid to write.

What Is a Paid Writing Job?

A paid writing job is an online freelance job. Now, don't let the word "freelance" scare you off. You're not responsible for finding all your own work - it's much easier than that.

New writers can sign up with writing/publishing websites, such as Associated Content, Bukisa or Bright Hub. These sites pay writers for short articles. In some cases, writers earn upfront payment. How does that work, you might ask?

Writers submit an article for "upfront payment." An editor will review the article and judge how valuable it is to the website. They will send you an offer accordingly. You might receive $2 for your first few articles or up to $25 for special article assignments or exemplary articles. It all depends on the content and writing quality.

Other websites pay based on performance. In other words, the more views your article receives after it's published, the more money you make.

Let's say you have an article about "How to Choose the Perfect Baseball Bat." Your article might receive 10,000 views the first month. At a website like Bukisa that pays $3.00 for every 1,000 views, your article just made you $30. Multiply that times several articles, and you're making a lot of money each month!

How Can You Get Accepted into Paid Writing Jobs?

All you have to do is sign up at places like Associated Content and Bukisa. In some cases (like with Break Studios or Bright Hub), the sign up form will require a résumé or writing sample. In most cases, this isn't a problem. All you have to do is submit a well-written, 400-500 word article. Places like Bright Hub will accept writers who have some knowledge (personal or educational) in a certain topic (like parenting, electronics and gadgets or travel). They pay $10 upfront play pay per view revenue share. This is a great deal!

Even better yet, there are better jobs on the horizon that pay at least $15 per article. These are highly coveted and take a little bit of experience to get into, but these types of companies need thousands of writers, so your chances of getting accepted are fairly high.

What Type of Work Will You Have to Do at Paid Writing Jobs?

As a freelance writer, you can choose to complete predetermined assignments or come up with your own article ideas - the choice is up to you.

Assignments: Assignments have a fixed upfront payment. You might complete a $4 article outlining the best video games of the year. You might fulfill a $15 assignment about hotels in New Orleans. It all depends on what the client or website asks for at paid writing jobs.

Your Own Articles: Write about what you enjoy. Tell people how to buy a new camera, print off photos or create a scrapbook. Inform new parents how to potty train their toddler or get them to quit chewing on furniture. Topics with such knowledge are valuable in the online community and can earn you a lot of money in the long run.