As long as there have been connections between computers, ezines have been an effective method for businesses to distribute content online. Writing a recurrent ezine or newsletter can be a powerful marketing tool, but not every business owner has the time to produce regular content in-house. Freelance writers can produce articles for ezines, typically at no cost, as a means of establishing their own expertise in the field.

Given that these free web articles benefit the marketing of both the web writer and the business newsletter producer, article clearinghouse web sites are available to match ezines with articles. Writers are now able to post articles online at these sites, granting permission for their articles to be reproduced freely so long as the original authorship material remains intact. Ezine producers can then search these sites for relevant content to keep their clients and prospects engaged, and freelance web writers increase exposure to their work.

While searching the internet for relevant ezine content may be easier than writing it, some companies prefer to use a select number of regular, contributing article writers to guarantee a volume of well-written articles for each issue. Whether or not a regular writing relationship is paid or free depends upon the perceived value of the content provided for the ezine. Smaller businesses may be less willing to pay, but establishing a reputation through one or more smaller ezines will make breaking into a paid ezine article writing gig a much smoother process.

A solid way for any writer to prove his or her skill is by having published articles. Amassing a body of articles on a particular subject demonstrates a depth of knowledge that many customers paying for web writing will require. Ezine articles generally include a byline that links to the author’s web site, so the more widespread the distribution of the articles, the more exposure, and ideally credibility, the writer’s work will receive.