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I’ve taken a bit of a hiatus from Triond to explore some other online writing opportunities. Of all the sites that I’ve dabbled with so far, I believe Suite101 has the most to offer in terms of what a writer gets out of the experience monetarily and otherwise.

Application Process at Suite101

To be a writer at Suite101, you must apply. The application process requires that you describe yourself and then submit two writing samples of 600 words maximum.

It appears that the application has been simplified a bit since I applied. When I applied, I had to also list my publication credits and what topics I was interested in writing about for Suite101. I had to describe how how my experience qualified me to write on these topics.

Tips for Being Accepted as a Suite101 Writer

I’m a newbie on Suite101, but from hanging out a bit on the site, I have some unofficial recommendations for being accepted as a Suite101 writer.

Suite101 does not accept every writer who applies, so some strategizing is in order. I would suggest that you include your publication credits in your application. Suite101 loves to see professional writing experience. They also tend to favor writers who are working on or have earned a degree. List any schooling you have.

For your writing samples, I would include professional samples written in the third person (no “I,” “you,” “we”). Suite101 articles are all written in the third person. It would also be good to include articles in which you cite your sources since Suite101 requires that all Suite articles include sources.

Writing the First Article for Suite101

I found writing my first article for Suite101 to be a bit daunting. I think I spent about 10 hours on it. It took me so long because I was trying to learn and apply the principles from the Suite101 handbook that all writers must follow.

Your first article at Suite101 is carefully reviewed by an editor. The editor flags the article for issues that you must resolve before the article goes live. My first article was flagged because it was too long. The editor suggested I break it into two articles. She also suggested improvements for my use of keywords and asked me to cite my sources. Suite101 likes all articles to link to two external sources (other credible websites, books, and so on) and two internal sources (Suite101 articles).

After your first article goes live, your subsequent articles go live immediately. The editors review these subsequent articles after they have been published. If they find problems, they will flag them and you will have to go back and revise them. So far I’ve written 12 articles for Suite101. In addition to the flags on my first article, I’ve had one other article flagged. I’ve found that the editorial flags have been worthwhile and have helped me improve my online writing.

Suite101, a Professional Site with High Standards

I am very impressed with the professionalism of Suite101, and I wholeheartedly recommend them first and foremost because of this. Suite101 takes online writing very seriously and has high standards. They employ professional editors, who take an active interest in writers and help them to improve their skills. Suite101 also has a great community of writers, who are passionate about writing and about helping one another. I have learned more at Suite101 in a few months about being a successful online freelance writer than in my previous six months of writing online by sort of winging it.

Learning the Art of Writing Online at Suite101

Suite101 has many resources to help new Suite writers. There is an extensive Learning Hub, with tutorials on where to find images, how to write SEO keyword phrases, how to write good titles for articles, how to generate revenue, how to promote articles, and so on. The Suite101 forums are also especially useful for new online writers to get tips and advice from seasoned writers.

Payment at Suite101, Pros and Cons

Now on to what most writers who apply to write for Suite101 want to know: how much does the site pay? Well, payment on Suite101 isn’t quite as straightforward as pay-per-page-view sites. Suite101 pays solely on ad clicks. In other words, it doesn’t matter how many people read your article; it only matters how many ad clicks your articles get.

Payment by ad click alone has its pros and cons. Writers do not necessarily have to get a high volume of traffic to their articles to earn money on Suite101. However, writers must be cognizant of what types of articles generate ad clicks. For instance, articles that do well on Triond might not do so well on Suite101 because of the way payment work. My cat humor articles do well on Triond, but probably would not fair well on Suite101 because people looking for a laugh probably aren’t looking to click on an ad to buy something.

To do well on Suite101, it is imperative to use the Google Adwords Keyword Tool to research keywords, research that includes the competition for ads, CPC (cost per click) for ads, number of monthly searches, and so on. There is a big learning curve. However, the skills that you learn on Suite101 can translate into your writing on other sites. This knowledge can come in especially handy on Triond since Triond has now integrated with Google AdSense.

The Bottom Line About Suite101

Some writers on Suite101 are doing very well. It was recently disclosed that one writer, Lena Gott, recently earned $5,000 in one month. Other writers are earning enough to pay for their mortgages each month. The site has great potential for those who stick with it and pour in the time and energy needed to learn the ropes of successful online writing.

Suite101 also offers perks for writers who stick with them. All writers must sign a contract to produce 10 articles every three months. Writers earn a 10 percent bonus on all earnings after they publish 50 articles. Writers who are promoted to Feature Writer status earn an additional 20 percent bonus on all earnings. Feature writers specialize in one particular topic area, and must produce a certain amount of content for that area, but are also free to publish in other topic areas.

I definitely recommend Suite101. Nevertheless, time will tell if I will reach the level of success on the site I would like to. For now, I’m content increasing my earnings by a few pennies each week, and I’m anxiously awaiting the day I will reach the $10 payment threshold.

If you write for Suite101, please post a comment sharing your experience.

Readers may also enjoy reading about my experience on Associated Content, Constant Content, and Demand Studios.