Most people who think about earning money from blogging think about creating their own blogs as way to promote their existing businesses.

Or they think of blogging on market niches, building audiences, and then hooking up with AdSense, or one of the sites which will pay them to post product reviews or links to companies related to those niches.

1) You Can Get Paid for Writing Someone Else's Blog

But there's another form of paid blogging which requires nothing of you except that you have expertise in a certain area, or can do research of a quality that lets you write as if you're an expert.

Many companies and website owners know that blogs are important marketing tools, but don't have the manpower to maintain them.

And they are more than happy to pay someone to post on their blogs. Freelance blogging, or paid blogging, is a way for you to earn an online income without knowing a thing about coding or Internet marketing.

That is, of course, unless you are asked to blog on coding or Internet marketing. How can you get started on a career in paid blogging?

2) You Should Create a Sample Blog

The first thing you should do is build a collection of blog posts which you can shop around to prospective employers.

You'll do that by creating your own blog on whatever topic will best showcase your writing skills. WordPress is far and away the best blogging platform; its free, with an exceptionally simple interface, and many themes and plugins to help you give your blog a professional look.

It's best to select a somewhat impersonal blogging topic on which you can write informatively and interestingly.

Your prospective customers will probably not be interested in blogging of a personal nature, so stick with topics like health or nutrition, or money management, or marketing, or parenting.

Write a brief introductory post letting your readers know the purpose of your blog, and explaining your interest in the topic. Then start your regular posts, but always make sure that you can back up any statements with research if necessary.

Your posts should stay on topic, and be short enough to hold your readers' attention.

3) You Should Join Some Outsourcing Sites

When you have ten or twelve posts, set up accounts at outsourcing sites like http://rentacoder.com or http://elance.com.

These sites act as go-betweens for buyers who are looking for bloggers and bloggers who are looking for work. The buyers will post descriptions of what they need, and invite bids.

You can bid on the paid blogging projects for which you think you are qualified, and attach a link to your blog along with any other information which might give you an edge against competing bidders.

Most of the buyers will set a maximum bid, and if you don't think you can work for that, don't bid.

4) You Should Build a Reputation for Excellence

There are rating systems on most of these sites, so once you win a paid blogging job, do whatever it takes to get the best possible rating. It will pave the way for more paid blogging opportunities!