By Carol Tice

If you’re looking to break into freelance writing today, there are many more options open to you than just a decade or so ago. One new type of paid writing in recent years is content sites—Associated Content, Brighthub, Demand Studios, Seed and others.

You’ll see these sites advertising for writers constantly, and new ones pop up all the time. It’s easy to sign up and start writing articles for them…but most pay $20 an article or less, or only pay a royalty based on pageviews or ad “clicks”…assuming they stay in business. That’s why many writers refer to them as “content mills.” At best, they’re usually a place for a brand-new writer to experiment a little and hone their craft. Soon, most writers want to move on to better-paying markets.

The thing to remember is content sites are not taking over the world of freelance writing – they’re just one new type of market. Despite what you may have heard, freelance rates have not collapsed, and savvy writers are still earning well.

Up until 10 years or so ago, most writers who started their freelance career did it without ever writing for a content mill. Content sites didn’t exist yet. How did we manage it? » Read more: Job Opportunities: Many Ways to Break into Paid Freelance Writing