I love writing and I love getting paid to write. So when I read about a new service that would allow me to do that, I went straight to the site and signed up. The service is called Blogitive and this is not a scam. I have actually earned money from this site.

Signup is simple. Fill out a form, add your blogs and then wait for them to place appropriate phrases in the 'open offers' section of your account. There are three ways you can earn money.

The first is to be paid for a post. The blogger is given a phrase, such as Mother's Day Flowers, and a link to a website. The blogger then has to create a post around that phrase. This is actually fun as I have to write about subjects I wouldn't choose and make them sound interesting. It's a good exercise for a writer. It also solves the problem I have on some days of deciding what to post about. Inspiration can come in some unexpected forms. So far, I've been paid $5 a time for these posts. Not bad for 10 minutes' work.

The second is ghost blogging. Like ghost writing, this involves posting fresh content to a company's blog. I haven't had any offers on this yet. The third is comment moderation. Again, I haven't tested this bit yet, either.

There are two important things to remember when posting. The first is to use the link only once. The second - and more important - is to use the phrase exactly as given, even if it contains typos.

Which Blogs Qualify?
I'm not sure about this. I have three blogs and only two of them made the grade. I think the one that didn't make it is quite specific and my two others are general - that's probably why Blogitive were interested in them.

How Much Have I Made?
I'm sure that's what everyone's dying to know. I don't think there are any restrictions on discussing my earnings, but just in case, I'll put it this way. I've made enough so far to treat six to eight people to Starbucks and cake (provided they're not greedy).

What About Referrals?
Bloggers can also make money by referring people to Blogitive, though this is not easy as there is no automated system. Bloggers who sign up need to leave a comment giving the name and paypal email address of the person who referred them. I've signed up under my real name so if people want to let me have the referral money they can use that and PM me for the Paypal email address. This does not take anything away from those bloggers' income.

PS. I posted this on my other blog a few days ago. Since then at least four bloggers have signed up and one has already got paid!