If you’re looking for ways to earn some extra money online, writing is one of the most lucrative methods. Listed below are 5 sites that will pay you to write unique articles either through revenue sharing, per article, or a monthly salary for a commitment to write a certain amount of posts per week/month.

You will be a content provider and the content you provide MUST be unique in every way. Your articles cannot be copied and pasted from any other site or source, including your own blog, so keep that in mind. These sites have zero tolerance for plagiarism and will suspend your membership and payment if you submit someone else’s work as your own.

It’s important that you read through each site’s guidelines and know exactly what they expect from you. This will save you from having to spend precious time and energy on rewrites. You may also want to familiarize yourself with SEO (Search Engine Optimization) techniques to ensure your articles show up high in search engine results.

1. Demand Studios

As a writer at Demand Studios, you get paid per article and the rates will vary depending on the format or website where it will eventually be published. They will provide you with hundreds of titles that you can search through by category, target website, or price. Find one you feel confident in writing, claim it as your own, and you will then have seven days to write the article and submit it for publish and payment. Once you’ve submitted it, it will be looked over by professional copy editors and if all is well, they will approve it, send it to be published at the target website, and promptly process your payment.

There may be times when your article is sent back to you for a rewrite if the copy editor feels there are changes that need to be made. Don’t get frustrated. Simply make the changes and resubmit. This will actually serve to help you to learn their guidelines and become a better writer.

Demand Studios pays twice per week via Paypal. This one is great for those who also work outside the home, because it allows you to write according to your own schedule.

2. Break Studios

Break Studios is very similar to Demand Studios in that they pay per article and provide you with titles to claim and write about. However, the topics and target sites are a bit different and look to be more upbeat and fun, (Break.com, MadeMan, Holy Taco, Cage Potato, Screen Junkies, and Chickipedia).

Once you’ve submitted your article, it will be looked over by an editor who may suggest changes. Once it has passed approval, your article will be published at the target site. Break Studios pays once a month via Paypal.

3. Bright Hub

Unlike Demand Studios and Break Studios,  the content you publish at Bright Hub shows up on the Bright Hub site instead of a target website. There are two ways to make money at Bright Hub: per article pricing and revenue sharing. You have the choice of three channels you can join as a content provider: The Editorial Community Channel, The Self-Publishing Community Channel, and the Hubfolio Channel.

If you decide to write for the Editorial Community Channel, you will be provided with titles that you can claim. Each title pays $10 plus revenue share. So even after you are paid the $10, your article can continue to make you money, depending on its performance. Of course, the Editorial Community Channel has very strict guidelines that you must adhere to, and you will work together with the Managing and Contributing Editors. You will also be responsible for updating and maintaining your articles over time.

If you’d prefer a little more freedom, you can go with the Self-Publishing Community Channel and write articles based on your own planning and analysis. You will still be expected to adhere to the guidelines and maintenance plan, but you won’t be working with editors. You will be on your own. However, you will not be offered assignments that pay per article; your compensation will be through revenue sharing only. Those writers that have been accepted into the Editorial Community Channel are also free to self-publish if they like.

If you are new to content publishing and simply want to try and hone your skills as a professional online writer, you may want to join the Hubfolio Channel. You will have a wealth of content creation resources at your disposal. The goal is to help you earn more money online with your writing. You will still have to adhere to Bright Hub’s guidelines, and you will be compensated for your content through revenue sharing.

Bright Hub pays once per month through Paypal or by check. If you live outside the United States, you will be paid via verified Paypal only.  If you have earned above the minimum of $20, your payment will be sent. If not, the amount carries over until such time the minimum has been met.

4. Associated Content

Associated Content is a little different than the sites mentioned above in that you can pretty much write about whatever topic you desire, unless you apply to be a featured contributor. Featured contributors are assigned to a specific category or subcategory. The benefits of becoming a featured contributor include paid assignments, greater access to Associated Content personnel and prominent featuring around the site.

There are two ways to make money at Associated Content – performance payments, which are based on the amount of traffic to your content, which is currently $1.50 per thousand views; and upfront payments, which range from $2 to $15, which is in addition to performance payments. Upfront payments are only offered for certain content. If you submit an article for an upfront payment and it is rejected, you can still earn money in performance payments. Occasionally there will be assignments available to you, and some will have an upfront payment, but most will be for performance payments only.

You must live in the United States and be at least 18 years of age to be paid by Associated Content. Upfront payments are paid daily upon article approval; however, performance payments are paid at the beginning of each month providing you have accumulated at least $1.50. Associated Content pays their writers exclusively through verified Paypal accounts.

5. Suite101

As a content provider for Suite101, you will receive compensation via revenue sharing. However, you won’t be paid according to page views. Instead, you will receive a share of the revenue that is generated from Google ads that are placed on your article pages. This may seem like a waste of time to many online writers, as trying to make a decent amount of money with Google ads can be quite frustrating.

However, according to an article at Bnet, there are some writers who earn a very nice income writing for Suite101. If you understand how SEO (Search Engine Optimization) works, and you strategically place the right keywords in your articles, you can do well at Suite101. And if you are consistent in your publishing, you can build a nice income over time. Suite101 provides you with all the tools and information necessary for you to write quality articles that will generate a decent ad revenue.

After you have established yourself as a contributing writer at Suite101, (published at least 10 engaging articles), and you meet all the criteria, you can apply to become a feature writer. As a feature writer, you will receive a 20% bonus on each day’s earnings, and once you have published 100 articles, you will receive an additional 10%. So, you can see how, over time, you can earn a pretty respectable income there.

Suite101 pays their writers once per month via a verified Paypal account.