So, the first step is looking at the schools you are interested in, and checking their accreditation.  There are two types of college accreditation, regional accreditation and national.  Regional accreditation is the most important, as regional accredited schools are recognized by all employers, and their credits are transferable from school to school.  So if you find that you don’t like this school as much as you thought you would, from a regional accredited school you can transfer your course credits to a new school.

Now after you have a list of schools that interest you, with regional accreditation, you can move on to the next step.  Here you want to compare all the important factors.  Cost being a major one, think about how much the schools cost, because this student debt will take you some time to pay off.  Now you want to look at student population and student teacher ratio.  Schools with fewer students are usually more desirable, as are schools with a higher number of teachers compared to students.

Also make sure to look at the school’s graduation rate and how many credits are necessary to earn either an Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree.  You want a school with a higher graduation rate, and with an acceptable amount of credits required.  The more credit’s a school requires, the longer it will take you to earn them, or the more money they will cost.  So take that into account when picking an online college.

Now you should have a fine tuned idea of which schools interest you the most.  From here you should get into contact with a school representative and discuss your interest.  Contact all the schools you’re interested in, and make sure you don’t make a decision until after you’ve voiced your questions and concerns to every school individually.

So obviously the first step to earning more money from your writing, is to write more.  Writing as much as possible is the truest way to get better, and to create enough content .  By writing more, you create more opportunities for yourself, by being more available.  The presence you make online is the most important factor at being a successful writer.  The more renown you have, more jobs will become available, and they will pay higher rates.

Take all the opportunities you can to read others writing.  Especially writing that’s in the same field as yours.  See what the competition is doing, and where the trends are in writing.  By participating in these, and using them to influence your topics and style, you stay current.  Staying current in an ever changing medium on the internet, is paramount. Especially if you hope to be successful.

Write outside your comfort zone to develop your skills.  By writing about topics, or in styles that you’re not familiar with, you grow as a writer.  This way you can use what you’ve learned in your own work.  You’ll be a more solid writer because of it, and your writing will reflect that.  There’s really no better way to find your own unique voice than to attempt everything you can.

Invest in yourself.  This means time and money.  Have faith that your hard work will pay off.  That’s why you are a writer, because you know where it can take you if you work hard.  So keep on going to that end.  You never know how far the road will take you, if you’re too afraid to invest the necessary efforts to get there.

But if you want to be a writer, the first step is making sure you have the skills.  I’m not necessarily talking about the degrees you think you need, but rather the knowledge.  If you want to be a freelancer you absolutely need the Associated Press Stylebook.  It’s a listing of everything you need to know for journalism trends concerning grammar, spelling, and how you should write a journalistic article for any topic.  It’s your writing bible, so keep it with you while you write until you know the facts inside and out.

Start up a personal blog.  This will serve for a resume of sorts, where you can continually update your personal accomplishments and day to day musings.  Your blog will serve as a good introduction to employers, and could even earn you extra money in the process, from advertising.  Not to mention it’s a free and easy way to hone your writing techniques, something you desperately need to do at all times.

Keep a list of your goals around your work area, so that you can keep sight of your target.  That way whenever you’re feeling less than motivated to be a successful writer, you have constant motivation.  Never stop working toward those goals, and keep them close to your heart.  Anything is possible if you’re willing to work for what you want.

Finally, now that you’re set to really get started, look for work.  Submit your writing to websites, there are a plethora available for freelance writers.  In the beginning be prepared to work for low money to develop a good work history, or even free at times.  But once your history is more reputable, the better jobs will consider you.  The more of a name you can make for yourself, the more valuable and expensive your services will become.

First off, establish a good work record.  Don’t take too many sick days, in fact stay away from taking any unless absolutely necessary, for at least a three to four month period at your job.  This establishes you as a dependable worker, committed to the company.  Also you appear willing to get the job done for the reasons that you enjoy what you do.  If you’re not always trying to leave the workplace, you look more likely to care what you are doing.  After you’ve gone a good long while without taking any days off, you can make your case for getting a raise with your commitment as a very good reflection on why you deserve more pay.

Also, take advantage of as many overtime opportunities as possible, including days that your boss may ask you to work that don’t fall into your normal agreement.  This shows you to be a dependable worker, and beyond what you can get in the long run, will put some quick cash in your pocket as well.  Plus after you’ve established your loyalty you can make a good case for yourself to get that raise.

Make sure you keep accurate records of agreements made with your supervisors, so that you can show that you always achieve your goals, and that as often as possible you push past their expectations to deliver the best work possible.  Nothing makes a case for why you should be paid more, than doing the job the best that you can, and being able to back that fact up with data.