Where else can you find thousands of potential publishers from across the world within minutes?

Breaking into the business of writing for the web is similar to beginning to get published off-line with one big, added benefit - the opportunities are not bound by your geographic location.

According to research conducted by the OCLC Online Computer Library Center, there are approximately 2.2 million Web sites that offer publicly accessible content. These sites contain nearly 300 million Web pages, OCLC reported in the results of "Web Characterization Project," which was released in September. The Center estimates that the number of public websites tripled from 800,000 to 2.2 million during a two-year period from June of 1997 to June of 1999.

Why should you care? What does this mean for writers? How can this help you?

Consider this question - What do many websites deliver to the public?

I believe one of the primary products/services on the web is INFORMATION.

Who provides this information?

Experts, businesses, corporations, sales people, marketers and WRITERS - right?

Will the public's need for information ever die?

It's doubtful.

So writers have a job to do on the web.

Web businesses, site owners and publishers have to fulfill this need to keep their customers/readers/users satisfied.

Therefore writers have to try to provide a continual supply of original, innovative, resourceful information for these websites and/or online publications to deliver to Internet users from all over the world.

I'd be willing to venture a guess that at least 1/3 or more than 750,000 of those 2.2 million sites offer opportunities for writers to get published. Whether those sites are home to some major magazine, like Readers Digest or Salon, they will pay us to publish our work on the web.

Some smaller sites and literary ezines cannot afford to pay for contributions, but they still provide writers with an opportunity to be published. They usually offer writers, who can create content that meets the needs of their targeted audience, the chance to self-promote with some sort of resource box, recognition or link to your website.

Breaking into the business of writing for the web is similar to beginning to get published off-line with one big, added benefit - the opportunities are not bound by your geographic location.

According to research conducted by the OCLC Online Computer Library Center last year, there are approximately 2.2 million Web sites that offer publicly accessible content. These sites contain nearly 300 million Web pages, OCLC reported in the results of "Web Characterization Project," which was released in September.

Why should you care? What does this mean for writers? How can this help you?

Consider this question - What do many websites deliver to the public?

I believe one of the primary products/services on the web is INFORMATION.

Who provides this information?

Experts, businesses, corporations, sales people, marketers and WRITERS - right?

Will the public's need for information ever die?

It's doubtful.

So writers have a job to do on the web.

Web businesses, site owners and publishers have to fulfill this need to keep their customers/readers/users satisfied.

Therefore writers have to try to provide a continual supply of original, innovative, resourceful information for these websites and/or online publications to deliver to Internet users from all over the world.

I'd be willing to venture a guess that at least 1/3 or more than 750,000 of those 2.2 million sites offer opportunities for writers to get published. Whether those sites are home to some major magazine, like Readers Digest or Salon, they will pay us to publish our work on the web.

Some smaller sites and literary ezines cannot afford to pay for contributions, but they still provide writers with an opportunity to be published. They usually offer writers, who can create content that meets the needs of their targeted audience, the chance to self-promote with some sort of resource box, recognition or link to your website.

You may also want to check out the following resource that provide links to thousands of ezines or online newsletters at http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art12836.asp

Are you inspired by now?

Danielle Hollister (2004) is the Publisher of the Free Ezine for Writers featuring news, reviews, and continuously updated links to the best resources for writers online like - freelancing & jobs, markets & publishers, literary agents, classes & contests, and more... Read it online at - http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art157.asp