[melle]

I don't think it's silly at all - I can't speak for everyone but most people I run across on forums and such who write for "article" sites, do not have any specific writing training. Most of them are probably college educated so have some writing experience in college and such but no professional training - that is not the case with everyone but a lot. I would be wary of writing courses personally because most people offering them are making a lot of money doing it but it may be worth a try if it is not too expensive - I believe that Barry - above - offers a course but I have no idea how much he charges and would not want to speak badly about anyone in particular just be wary of general internet courses which are geared to churn profits for the site owner.

I personally am a stay at home mom with a degree in health care. I started writing because I heard that I could make some money. I started on AC - my first article was rejected for not following submission guidelines but I was easily able to correct it and got started. AC helped me learn to follow style/writing guidelines. I then joined textbroker which basically has no guidelines except the buyers instructions but learned about keywords and how to write something that you don't really care about - such as a proprietary HGH supplement or colonic cleanse program (I don't care about either of these things but I did a few articles for them). Now I have been able to go onto higher paying sites such as Demand Studios, Bright Hub and Constant Content as well as obtaining some direct clients through sites such as oDesk or Guru which are very confusing to use but have been profitable for me.

I recommend that a person start with AC and textbroker because they are easy to use and navigate. The drawback is that they do not pay well at all but you can make a little money while you learn and get your feet wet. Think of it as doing a low paid internship. Alternatively, you could take a course - check Barry's out...it may be great - I just haven't needed it.

For writing articles, you should concentrate on an area that you know a good deal about - for me it is health care topics of all types. Occasionally I write craft articles and such but mostly I still stick to the medicine niche.....

I am still certainly not making it rich but it is good enough to pay some bills and keep me from having to go back to full time outside work - I am confident that if I put more concentration into it I could make a decent salary - since the kids are back in school for the fall I am doing a lot more than I was this summer!

Hope this helps!

melle