Finding freelance writing jobs online is more than just a challenge. There's a lot of steps you must take to ensure you sign up for a reputable freelance job and get paid when you're finished with the assignment.

As a freelance writer, getting paid is your biggest concern. Since payment isn't given until you've finished the writing assignment, chances are, an irreputable client might take your finished work and never pay you for it.

I'm a part-time freelance writer myself, and even though I can personally attest that I've never had a problem with payment, I've heard horror stories of other writers not getting paid for their work. Maybe the client ordered an assignment and then changed his or her mind after the job was completed. Perhaps they weren't paid in full for a half upfront, half upon completion job.

That's why you should always work for an established client when freelance writing. Here's a few tips to keep in mind when searching for freelance writing jobs:

1. Never pay to sign up: No reputable company will make you pay to apply. They should be the ones paying you, not the other way around. If they're making you pay, they don't have enough writing assignments to keep themselves afloat, let alone you, too.

2. Write for places with thousands of writers: Chances are, thousands of writers won't put up for abuse. If a company isn't paying out, writers will quit in droves and report them.

3. Don't give away your work for free: Of course, there are exceptions, but if you want to make a career out of freelance writing, you should get paid. Clients who ask for several free articles aren't worth your time. Offer one or two writing samples as a credence to your good writing, but nothing more.

4. Link responsibly: Depending on the client you work for, you may or may not be allowed to include links to your own website, blog or affiliate program. Other sites require you include one reputable source in your writing. If this is the case, use sites with a .gov or .edu extension. These are typically highly-researched authority sites that have no ulterior motives to get readers to buy products or surrender credit card information.

5. Start with the easy sites: Places likes Associated Content and Bukisa are open to the public, and they pay pretty well to boot! Associated Content pays upfront payment and pay per view performance payments while Bukisa pays per view. Both of these make writers several hundred or $1,000+ per month!

So where in the world do you begin? Well, you could always start applying at places like oDesk, eLance and other online freelancing agencies. But finding work here as a beginning contractor is tedious and nearly impossible. Unless you have a glowing resume, chances are, you won't find full-time or even part-time work.