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Get Paid to Write: 13 Sites That Pay Up to $450 per Article

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Paid freelance writing is a lucrative way to get paid to write from home. You don’t need a degree or even the most eloquent prose to have a lucrative side hustle as a freelance writer.

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When I started a blog four years ago, I had no idea I could get paid to write about anything. Fast forward three years. Now I get paid to write about things I love, and I make a full-time living doing it.

Freelance writing can be a great way to make money from home. But with any business, there’s a steep learning curve. You have to know what editors want, where to find jobs that are legitimate, and what to charge as you progress.

A Look at the Best Freelance Writing Websites

When you’re building your writing portfolio, there are some freelance writing sites that stand out for offering legitimate jobs and paying writers a living wage. They’re the best freelance writing websites for beginners.

Upwork is a freelancer marketplace and go-to source for business owners looking for all kinds of digital services. You can find hundreds of paid writing jobs in dozens of subjects.

One of the benefits of using Upwork is that you won’t have to chase down payment from clients. All invoices and payments happen through Upwork, and you’re guaranteed payment for the work you do.

The downside is that Upwork charges a 20% fee on your first $500 earned with each client, 10% up to $10,000, and 5% beyond that. It’s a good place to get started, but you won’t want to use it for long.

Known for offering services starting at $5, Fiverr is a marketplace for freelancers to showcase their services to prospective clients. You create a profile, list a “gig,” and then it becomes available to a global audience.

All communication and payments are processed through Fiverr, but it also charges a steep 20% fee on all earnings. If you’re nervous about reaching out to clients yourself, Fiverr can be a good platform where they come to you.

But you’ll have to do something to make yourself stand out in a sea of other writers. That’s where specializing in one subject matter can be your strength.

3. Textbroker

Textbroker only offers content and writing services on its platform. Writers who sign up with Textbroker will find many resources on how to improve their writing, including editors to review articles, writing tutorials, and videos on how to get the most out of Textbroker.

Earnings per word depend on your quality level. You can earn from $0.07 per word up to $0.50. You choose from thousands of orders available based on your quality level, and there are no additional fees. Textbroker also offers milestone and quarterly bonuses when you achieve different word counts.

Writers, designers, videographers, and other creatives can all find jobs on Skyword . Skyword is a marketplace where you can find jobs and be found by clients. It works with both small and high-profile clients and is a great way to make the jump from lower-paying job sites.

You can’t just sign up for Skyword clients. Fill out a profile and wait until you’re hand-selected for jobs, meaning your profile can sit in Skyword for a long time before you’re submitted to clients or able to view job opportunities. You can increase your chances of being picked by editors by keeping your social media relevant and updated.

5. ClearVoice

ClearVoice connects qualified writers with job opportunities based on the writer’s CV or ClearVoice portfolio. Once you complete your CV, you’ll be able to join ClearVoice’s Talent Network and have your CV sent to prospective clients.

Writers are then handpicked for opportunities based on their CV, so there’s an incentive to create one that stands out. You set your own rates and are paid via PayPal upon assignment approval, so you get the security of going through a marketplace without the fees typically associated with them.

6. Contently

Contently is an online writing agency that connects freelance writers with businesses. Many writers use the site for its free portfolio service, but Contently editors use these portfolios to handpick freelancers for clients.

Many high-profile websites and companies use Contently to source writers, so the jobs pay well. These jobs tend to go to the most experienced candidates, and it can take years for an editor at Contently to refer you to a client. But if you’re patient, Contently can offer lucrative writing opportunities.

Another place experienced freelance writers can find high-paying jobs is on nDash . nDash is a content platform where writers can create a profile and pitch ideas for blogs, articles, and whitepapers to prospective clients.

nDash claims the average writing assignment on its platform pays between $175 to $450. Once an assignment is approved, payment is deposited directly into the writer’s bank account within two to three business days.

It’s a relatively new site so not as many companies are using it, but writers have reported that if you’re willing to pitch more, you’ll make a decent income.

8. SmartBug

SmartBug is a content marketing company specializing in B2B (business to business) marketing and copywriting. Its writers produce content for the web, social media, email, sales pages, and more.

This is a great site for writers who aren’t beginners but may not have the experience or portfolio to compete for jobs with other top writers. There’s no direct way to apply, but you can fill out a general interest application on the website.

9. NewsCred

NewsCred is a community for experienced freelance content creators. In-house editors pair creators with customer programs, but you can also view freelance positions on the platform. Then NewsCred’s editorial team serves as your managing editor for all client work.

You can find high-profile Fortune 500 companies from a variety of industries using NewsCred, the most popular being tech, healthcare, and financial services. There’s currently no button to apply on NewsCred’s website, but you can contact the company via the contact form on its website.

10. The Writer Finder

Growth Machine is an SEO-focused content marketing company with a freelance writing platform called The Writer Finder . Growth Machine works with a variety of clients in AI, travel, wellness, dogs, weddings, and more.

What sets The Writer Finder apart is the Slack group for freelance writers. It lets you communicate with other freelance writers on the team. Rates are competitive, and you’ll also have the chance to learn sought-after SEO skills.

Related: 51 Freelance Jobs Websites with the Best Remote Work Opportunities

Apply for Assignments on the Best Freelance Writing Job Boards

Job boards are easy places for companies to post their jobs. The job board doesn’t vet freelancers, handle payments, or make promises on behalf of clients.

There are some things to be aware of when applying and taking a job from a job board. Because the service is free for writers, you’re competing against thousands of other bloggers for a limited number of jobs.

Job boards are also notorious for phishing scams. “Clients” may ask you to download a zip file of their payment terms or writing guidelines and ask you to invoice them via PayPal. The zip file is actually a keystroke logger allowing them to steal your PayPal credentials. Be careful when applying to jobs on these boards.

11. ProBlogger

The ProBlogger job board is updated daily with blogging and article writing jobs across all subjects.

Businesses have to pay ProBlogger to post their job ad, meaning the writer isn’t paid through ProBlogger. They don’t charge the writer any fees for joining or getting paid.

Another job board filled with many freelance writing opportunities is Indeed . You can find full-time, part-time, and freelance remote writing jobs across all subjects, and because of the vastness of the board, competition isn’t as high compared to others.

You can sign up for job alerts based on your searches. Simply enter your email address and activate emails to see them as soon as they hit the website.

13. MediaBistro

Journalists and anyone else in media will find MediaBistro helpful for finding jobs in the industry. If you’re looking for paid writing jobs in marketing, advertising, television, or news, you can find hundreds of jobs from recognizable names on MediaBistro’s job board.

There are entry-level positions listed, but your best move is to get enough writing experience to make a professional-looking resume before you start applying for jobs on this site.

How to Get Paid to Write (Step by Step) 

Before you apply to get paid for writing, there are a few things you should do to make yourself stand out to potential clients.

1. Choose What to Write About

When you’re writing for money, you might think that only writing about a couple of topics limits your options, but it actually expands them. Sites and companies that pay well don’t want freelancers who write about anything, they want experts in their field. When you stick to a single niche and become known for it, you’ll become a sought-after writer.

Choosing one topic also allows you to scale your business faster. You learn your subject thoroughly, research less, work faster, and can take on more clients. All this leads to being able to earn a higher hourly rate for your work. The key is to pick a profitable niche.

2. Create a Portfolio

There are several ways to create a portfolio. The first is with a blog. Every new writer should have a blog, especially if you don’t have many clips to show potential clients.

Once you choose your niche, write five to ten blog posts on various topics within it. This shows potential clients your writing style, expertise, and gives them a place to contact you.

You can also make money with a blog . One way is to find products and services related to your niche that you like using and see if they have an affiliate program. Then every time someone makes a purchase through your affiliate link, you’ll earn a small commission.

3. Create Profiles on Multiple Sites

Once you’ve written a few articles for other sites or publications, you can create profiles and portfolios on multiple professional freelance writing sites. Clippings.me is a portfolio site for journalists, Contently is used by many web-based content writers, and LinkedIn is a go-to place for businesses looking for expert writers.

Having a presence on a few different sites makes it easier for clients to find you and your work. They may also learn personal facts about you that give you an edge over other writers so don’t underestimate including things like your alma mater, pets, and hobbies.

4. Post on Social Media

Building a social media presence around your niche can also put you ahead for freelance writing jobs. Twitter is most popular for journalists and print publications while Instagram is becoming a popular place for e-commerce businesses to find writers.

You don’t have to make another social media account just for your writing. Post facts, breaking news, advice, and stories related to your niche and tag them with relevant hashtags. It’ll help brands find you, and it can further reinforce to potential clients that you’re knowledgeable and stay current about the topics you write about.

Related: How to Become a Social Media Manager

5. Accept Smaller Jobs While Building Your Reputation

While you’re building your portfolio and expertise in your niche, you’ll have to be willing to accept lower-paid writing jobs. Think of them as practice that you’re getting paid to do. The more organizations, editors, and platforms you work with now, the more you’ll be able to impress high-paying clients in the future.

You can also pitch websites to guest post. You won’t get paid to write guest posts, but you may be able to add links to your blog posts in your article. This will help your posts rank higher in Google, and potential clients may be able to find you through simple Google searches.

Related: How to Get Paid to Write Reviews

 6. Learn to Network

You can start freelance writing on your own, but if you want to build a business and make a living writing, you need a network of other writers. Your network should be filled with writers and editors in your niche who are a little ahead of you and a little behind you in the journey.

Your network can also help you find sources for stories, give you feedback on pitches, advise you on rates to charge, and help you to feel like you’re not alone in this often isolating industry.

Related: How to Make More Money as a Freelance Writer

Resources on How to Get Paid as a Writer

When you’re running your freelance writing business, you’ll want to have some resources to make it easier to write and get paid.

Freelance Writer’s Den

Started by veteran freelance writer Carol Tice, the Freelance Writer’s Den is a membership site just for freelance writers. You have access to over 300 hours of freelance writing education including eCourses, webinars, and podcasts.

There’s also a forum for networking with other writers and a job board with new writing jobs posted every Monday and Thursday, all with a minimum rate of $50 per article.

Membership for the Freelance Writer’s Den only opens twice a year. If you’re interested in joining, sign up for the waitlist to be notified.

Get Paid to Write for Blogs (Course)

This is a course geared towards new freelance writers that was created by Cat Alford (who, coincidentally, has been a freelance writer on DollarSprout in the past).

The course features eight video modules covering beginner-level lessons, including how to create a portfolio that will attract high-value clients. The course also covers everything you need to know about running the business side of things. 

Related: The Best Online Writing Courses for New Freelance Writers

Getting Paid to Write is Possible

You can get paid to write in any field at any level. Like any business, it’s difficult to get started.

However, if you work your way through the many content marketing agencies and job boards, you’ll be able to find steady work and grow your business.

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Strategies For Earning Money By Writing

Ghost writing, copywriting, technical writing, social media writing, magazine and newspaper writing, frequently asked questions (faqs).

Do you have a way with words? You could turn your prowess with pronouns, verbs and adjectives into a lucrative side hustle when you learn how to make money by writing. Many large and small websites hire freelance writers to produce their content, offering you a platform to share your insights and an opportunity to make some extra dough. Even those who have never written anything besides personal social media posts or journal entries can find a place to sell their writing. This list provides a step-by-step guide to how to earn money by writing and will answer all your questions, whether you’re a beginning or veteran scribe.

You can make money by writing in many different ways, including blogging, ghost writing, penning reviews and working for small businesses. You have a greater chance of being published by pursuing several options simultaneously instead of prioritizing one. It’s like baiting multiple fishhooks. The more you cast, the better your odds of pulling something in.

You will make the most money by working for bigger sites and businesses, and you can do nearly all of it remotely. Ghostwriting pays better than blogging because businesses want more polished, focused writing. Blogging, however, may take less time and allow you the chance to complete more assignments. Journalism gives you greater opportunities for creativity in your work, and social media writing appeals to those who like pithy, funny writing. Copywriting and technical writing can be drier, but they also provide higher payment and steadier work than other writing. Here is a breakdown of the main ways to make money while writing.

Blogging means publishing content online written especially for that publication. Individuals, businesses, journalists, influencers, homemakers and many more publish blogs, which are often but not always written in first person. Anyone can write their own blog and publish it through a self-publishing platform, such as Medium, Blogger, Substack or WordPress.

The time and effort required for blogging depends on what you write about. For instance, if you run in your spare time and decide to start a running blog, you may be able to write several short blogs about running a race in under an hour. But if you want to explore the ethical implications of artificial intelligence using reliable sources, it could take hours to finish one post. The better the writing and sourcing, the better a post will perform, so making the extra effort to be informed and publishing grammatically correct copy is always worth it.

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You don’t need experience to become a blogger. Anyone can do it, though it may take a while for you to settle into a style and voice that becomes popular. You need readers to make money on a blog. People make money on blogs in several ways:

• Advertising : You can sign on with a blogging ad network or sell your own ads to local businesses to make money.
• Sponsorship : You can write about a sponsor’s products in return for money, though you must disclose that you received compensation for your post.
• Syndication : You can sign on with syndication networks to distribute your blog on larger networks that will pay for your work.

How much can you make from blogging? The answer varies according to how often you publish, what type of payment method you use, and the popularity of your work. Some top bloggers make six figures per year. Sponsorships with big companies like Walmart that pay people to hawk their goods can be lucrative, paying thousands of dollars. But most bloggers make a few hundred dollars per month, enough to pay off a car or credit card bill but not enough to live on.

Blogging, ghost writing, copywriting, technical writing, social media writing and newspaper and ... [+] magazine writing are six of the most lucrative ways to earn money writing.

Ghost writing is the most lucrative type of writing. Ghost writers channel the voice of a third party, writing as though they were that person or business and presenting their ideas in first person. Businesses and thought leaders use ghost writers to take their thoughts and ideas and present them in a prettier package.

Ghost writing can take many forms. You might produce communications for a company CEO or create a book about an important event for a historical society. Every job is a little different. Ghost writing usually requires several years of writing experience, though if you are a subject matter expert on something—for example, if you are a nurse asked to write articles for a nursing degree program—then you may be able to get a job without writing experience. Time spent on an assignment will vary, but it takes longer than blogging. Ghost writing demands high-level clarity, grammar and readability.

You can make money by earning an hourly or per-project rate from the client. Most ghost writing gigs pay well, from $50 per hour and more. Some ghost writers pull in six figures per year, though those have extensive experience. To get started, search LinkedIn for the words “freelance writer” or “writer.” Or think about companies you would like to work with and send an email to the hiring manager introducing yourself and spelling out your expertise. You can also sign on with agencies that hire out ghost writers to businesses. Again, send your resume and a letter of introduction (LOI) to the agency hiring manager or search job ads online.

Copywriting is similar to ghostwriting, but sometimes you will receive a byline and the writing is not always presented in first person. Copywriting includes copy on businesses’ websites, material for pamphlets, mission statements, advertising, newsletters and more. People with copywriting skills are persuasive and clear writers good at conveying information and encouraging sales.

You can start with simple copywriting jobs and work your way up to higher-paying ones. Experience is required for bigger companies, but small businesses around your town might hire an inexperienced writer. You can begin by approaching them and offering to, for instance, rewrite their website or start a monthly newsletter. As you gain knowledge and confidence, you can reach out online to larger places. Follow freelance job boards to find new opportunities, interact with companies on LinkedIn to get your name out there, and send LOIs to hiring managers wherever you want to work.

You can get a little creative to find jobs, too. Find newsletters for companies you love or share expertise with. Send them an LOI outlining your subject matter background and what you could contribute. Copywriting work requires precision and often background research, and it takes longer than many other types of writing. You can make a good living as, like with ghost writing, clients tend to pay on the higher end of the payscale for copywriters, often $40 per hour and more. The best copywriters can make more than $150,000 per year.

Technical writing refers to communicating information about niche topics, such as medicine, engineering, manufacturing or construction. It can also encompass things like the directions to put something together or operate an electronic device. The aim is to create digestible, informative content while eliminating jargon.

Technical writing requires a great deal of writing experience, but it can be lucrative. Few people have the skills to boil down information and serve it back up in the right format. It can take hours to finish even a short writing assignment because you need to get every word right and leave out extraneous ones. But most jobs are paid per hour ($60 and up for experienced writers), so the time and effort pay off.

A lot of technical writing jobs are full time. But you can find part-time opportunities using job sites such as LinkedIn, Indeed, Monster and more. Taking courses in technical writing could be a worthy investment, as that background will open up new opportunities and give you valuable experience.

Technical writing, a great way to earn money by writing, may involve simplifying jargon and ... [+] complexities for a lay audience.

Social media writing is a relatively new way to make money. Many businesses hire people to write captions on Instagram , video descriptions on YouTube , thought leadership posts on LinkedIn and much more. This is an excellent entry point for writers with little formal experience.

Social media writing pays more modestly than other types of business writing, anywhere from $15-$35 per hour. However, it takes less effort. You can often bang out lots of posts in an hour, and very little knowledge or experience is needed, beyond knowing the character limits for different social platforms. You can find jobs by looking at writing job sites or reaching out directly to businesses with LOIs. Try small businesses in your hometown first to get some examples for your resume before targeting more prominent places.

Magazine and newspaper writing is one of the more specialized forms of writing to make money. But if you have some training and are more interested in writing as a means of changing the world and informing people, it is a worthy pursuit. You can start by publishing pieces in hometown newspapers or niche magazines.

You won’t break the bank with journalism writing. Even some bigger papers and publications pay less than $1,000 per story, and you would need to string together a lot of assignments to make a living. But to make extra spending money and perhaps affect change, you can’t beat journalism. You will need to learn the publication’s style guide and adhere to it for pieces you submit. Editors make assignments, which you can get by pitching (sending a cold email) to the editor explaining your story idea and why you are the right person to write it.

Time and effort vary depending on the scope of the story. Many can be quite involved. Editors often prefer to work with people who have experience, so build up your resume with pitches to smaller publications first.

Bottom Line

Writing can be a fun way to make extra money, or you can even turn it into a high-paying career with the right experience. Whether you pen blogs, website copy or social media posts, you can find an outlet that’s “write” for you.

How Much Do Writers Make?

Writers can make a decent salary depending on their experience level and who they write for. How much writers make may depend on on where they work, how many clicks their work generates, and how long the job took. 

The salary range for a writer, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics , is a median of $73,690 per year, or $35.43 per hour. Income rises with higher experience levels. 

What Websites Pay You To Write?

You can find hundreds of websites that pay for writing. A few of the most popular include: 

The Penny Hoarder

Bustle  

Transitions Abroad

Vibrant Life

Scary Mommy

Paying websites look for writing they think will draw readers. Using search engine optimization (SEO) techniques, such as incorporating keywords that people search for, can generate higher traffic, so be sure to mention any SEO knowledge when you apply, as that will help your chances. The more views you generate, the more money the website makes. Create a portfolio of your past work that you can share when you apply for jobs that shows your best efforts. 

How Can You Get Paid To Write Reviews?

You can get paid to write reviews across a number of platforms for products ranging from books to vacuum cleaners. Some of the most popular include Get Reviewed , Kirkus , UserTesting and Amazon Vine , though note that you get paid in products for that site. 

To become a reviewer, you may need no experience at all for many sites. They value trustworthiness and honest feedback. Some hire people they find through online reviews they have already posted. Other sites require more extensive background in writing reviews. For instance, if you want to work for DotDash, one of the largest editorial operations on the web that runs lots of reviews across its sites, you will need writing experience for a major website and product expertise. 

How Can You Get Paid To Write Letters?

You can write letters and get paid by watching for these jobs on freelance sites such as Upwork , Contently , compose.ly and Fiverr , which serve as clearinghouses to hire writers for businesses. A business may need one letter or a series. You can gain repeat work if you do a good job. 

You may have seen TikTok and YouTube videos about writing handwritten notes for businesses and earning $5 per letter. This is a scam that has been debunked by multiple websites. You won’t find companies paying you a lot of money to write handwritten letters. They want polished, professional copy for communications with clients and customers, and you must have experience doing this type of work. It falls under copywriting and can pay $40 per hour or more. 

How Can You Get Paid To Write As A Beginner?

How can you get paid to write for beginners? Breaking in with little experience can be difficult. Some aspiring writers choose to take volunteer gigs to build their portfolio, but you can probably find low-paying work that will do the same for you. 

Search job boards such as Indeed, ZipRecruiter, Monster and LinkedIn. You can also start a blog of your own with no experience, though it will take time to monetize it using the strategies outlined above. You could also submit poetry or prose to literary magazines, which usually pay an honorarium, or submit finished essays to magazines or newspapers. As you gain experience, you can approach higher-paying markets. 

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39 Ways to Make Money as a Writer: The Ultimate Career Guide for Writers

by Kate Sullivan | 9 comments

Getting paid to write: that’s really living the dream! And there’s more ways than you might think to actually earn a full-time living as a writer.

We’ve identified the top 39 jobs and paid freelance opportunities for writers!

How to Make Money as a Writer

When we think of writing careers, most of us think of “novelist” or “journalist,” although these days, “copywriter” may come in a close third. And it’s true—these are all great career options for someone with writing talent.

But they’re not the only options available. There are many, many career paths for someone with solid writing skills. Which job is right for you will depend completely on your personal preferences and talents.

• Do you excel at creative writing?
• Are you particularly persuasive?
• Do you love to talk to people?
• Do you enjoy research?
• Do you prefer writing fiction or nonfiction?
• Do you prefer writing short-form articles, short stories, towering novels, or in-depth nonfiction works?

Your answers to all these questions will help shape which writing career is best for you.

So what options do you have if you want to pursue writing full-time?

How to Make Money as a Creative Writer

The following are great options for creative writers looking to earn money for their novels, screenplays, short stories, and more.

1. Novelist

This is undoubtedly the first job anyone thinks of when they think about getting paid to do creative writing. Being a novelist carries with it a ton of romance and appeal—after all, you’re getting paid to make stuff up and be imaginative all day!

But it’s also tough work—your novels may not always sell well, you may have trouble working through the plot or getting a character to cooperate, and navigating either traditional or self-publishing can take a lot of time and know-how.

However, today’s digital publishing revolution has made it easier than ever to get started as a novelist, and with the help of a professional editor and a book designer, you can easily create a pro-quality ebook from your manuscript, ready to upload to your distributor of choice (like Amazon’s Kindle platform) and start selling.

Of course, if you’d like a professional team to help you, you could always go the traditional route with a publisher like TCK Publishing that can produce your novel on your behalf. The choice is yours!

2. Tie-In Novel Writer

If you’re a superfan of a particular media franchise, like Warcraft, Star Wars, or Bioshock, you might want to try your hand at writing and selling tie-in novels. These books pick up where the video game or movie left off, telling the stories of background characters or expanding the world in some way (like by setting up a prequel or exploring some other aspect of the franchise).

Often, they’re commissioned by the video game studio or movie studio that handles the main media arm. And lots of successful authors have gotten their start doing tie-in novels for video games or other media, while others still write tie-ins even while writing novels! Chuck Wendig and Brandon Sanderson have successful author careers as novelists, but they still turn out novellas and novels in other people’s worlds.

Because you’re writing in someone else’s world, basically creating paid fanfic, you have to be careful about releasing tie-in works. Unless you’re working through Kindle Worlds , it’s best to approach the publisher of an established tie-in series directly instead of self-publishing your tie-in work. That avoids possible copyright issues involved with selling work that’s based on someone else’s creative content.

3. Short Story Author

Although novels often get all the glory, short stories may pay the bills! Many venues, such as fiction websites and literary magazines, pay for short stories in a variety of genres. And because short stories are often faster to write than long novels, you can constantly be producing more stories to send out while you’re waiting to hear about current submissions.

Plus, digital publishing helps here, too! You can produce digital-only editions of your short stories to release on Kindle and other ebook platforms. 99 cents doesn’t sound like much when you think about creating a writing career, but it adds up over time as more people discover and buy your work!

4. Screenwriter

If your favorite part of writing fiction is creating characters and dialogue, then screenwriting might be the career for you. A screenwriter creates a script based either on their own original concepts or adapts someone else’s work to play out better on screen. They may write for TV or movies.

Typically, screenwriters are freelancers who develop scripts and then shop them to production companies, a bit like how a novelist shops their work to publishers. In some cases, though, you might be able to get a job on a writing team for a TV show. Many scripted comedies and dramas rely on a team of skilled writers to come up with plots for each episode and then to turn those plots into coherent documents that include dialogue, setting notes, suggested actions, and more.

It can be tough to sell a screenplay, but with more and more outlets for video entertainment, you can come up with some creative ways to make a living as a screenwriter. Consider scripting a short web series and enlisting friends to help you produce it for YouTube, or work on audio-only scripts that you could produce as a podcast.

Of course, with Amazon and Netflix now financing more original series and holding competitions for series ideas, there’s more chances than ever for a screenwriter to break into the business.

5. Playwright

Similar to screenwriters, playwrights use their literary skills to paint scenes and depict character interactions. But playwrights focus on creating scripts for the stage, rather than for film or TV.

You might create your own original work, or you might adapt someone else’s work into a stage version. Creative writers who want to work with the stage may also be able to write librettos, which are the written text used for something like an opera or long musical. Creating a libretto is a bit like doing a “film to novel” adaptation, only for a musical work.

Broadway is booming these days (and tickets to Hamilton are still impossible to come by), so playwrights with a great sense of timing and who can work well with a composer may have an advantage in this area.

But remember, not everything has to be a major three-act epic or a chart-topping Broadway toe-tapper. There are lots of one-act play festivals all over the world that you can work with to get your plays produced and to start getting a reputation in the field.

6. Lyricist or Songwriter

If you’ve always had a knack for poetry and rhyme—or just a really good sense of rhythm—you might want to look into becoming a songwriter. This can be a bit of a hard field to break into, especially if you’re not personally a wonderful musician, but every singer requires great lyrics that tell a story, and who better to craft them than a great creative writer?

A lyricist writes lyrics, whereas a songwriter writes the whole piece, music and words. It’s easiest to break into the industry if you can write the full song—and even more so if you can perform it yourself for a demo. But it’s definitely possible to enter the music industry with nothing more than catchy lyrics that tell a story in a way you just can’t get out of your mind.

If you have a tin ear, you may want to find a friend who’s good on guitar or keyboard to help you craft the notes to go with your lyrics. This will particularly help with breaking into the field, as just sending out songs with no music won’t get you very far. If you can put up some samples on YouTube, though (one way to shop around a demo these days!), it’ll give you a creative and business boost for your songwriting career.

Many professional songwriters and lyricists are associated with recording studios or record labels, writing music for the artists those labels produce. Others are freelance, producing work for hire.

7. Children’s Book Author

Another great career option for a creative writer with a knack for rhyme and catchy stories is becoming a children’s book author . The range of possibilities here is really vast—you might write picture books, educational books for kids, storybooks for toddlers, compilations of fairytales or myths, topical books explaining current events or history for younger children, or beyond.

Picture books, written for some of the youngest kids who are just learning to read, often rely on images even more than words to tell the story. If you’re not a talented artist, you’ll probably want to find a friend or a freelancer that you can work with to create the images to accompany your words. If you do, make sure you get a “work for hire” agreement made so that you have all the rights to sell the images and the text together. This is important regardless of whether you’re self-publishing or using a traditional publisher, because otherwise, you could find that your illustrator revokes permission or asks for a percent of your royalties.

Because they’re so often illustrated, children’s books are frequently more expensive to produce than other creative writing works, and parents don’t often read to their kids on a tablet, making digital editions less popular. So traditional publishing, rather than self-publishing, is still the most popular option among children’s book authors.

8. Greeting Card Writer

If you’re particularly witty or have a talent for coming up with heartfelt sentiments that turn your loved ones to mush, you might want to consider becoming a greeting card writer. This is a pretty competitive industry, with only a few job openings at the major players like Hallmark, but advances in digital printing and online sales make it possible to start your own stationary line relatively easily.

Think about investing in a really good color laser printer and some nice paper, then designing your own greeting cards using your sayings, jokes, and more. Package them neatly and post them on Etsy and you’re on your way to being a successful greeting card writer!

Again, just like with children’s book illustrations, if you work with someone else to illustrate or design your cards, be sure to get a work for hire agreement so you don’t have any nasty financial or legal surprises down the road. And if you use photos for your designs, make sure you have the rights to use them—free or low-cost images are available from plenty of legitimate sources online, so make sure to check the use rights of any image you find online to be sure you’re allowed to use it in commercial work.

9. Comic or Graphic Novel Writer

Comic books aren’t just for kids anymore (although there are plenty of those still around!). Graphic novels have come into their own as an art form, and there’s a huge need for great writers who can tell a punchy, action-packed story…or even a heartfelt, thoughtful drama.

Graphic novel writers typically work with a team, interacting most with the artist for the project (the inker and colorist aren’t as involved with the writer as they are with the illustrator).

You’ll often work within an existing world or franchise, creating new adventures for a set of characters (this is how Marvel and DC comics get made). But with an independent comic studio, you might have the opportunity to come up with new, exciting characters all your own.

Yet again, the internet is an amazing advantage here. If you’re a good artist or you have talented artist friends, you can produce a webcomic online that can help you get exposure for your creative writing. It’s a lot less expensive than producing and marketing an underground comic, let alone a traditional comic book or graphic novel, and it can help you gain a fanbase and make contacts to start getting writing jobs with bigger comics producers.

10. Video Game Writer

Writing for video games combines a lot of different skills: scriptwriting, graphic novel storyboarding, plot development, character creation, worldbuilding, and more. Nonlinear creative writing and plotting can be tough, but it’s also incredibly rewarding, especially if you have the kind of creative mindset that thinks of a thousand different scenarios all at the same time.

Video game writers typically work in teams, scripting out dozens of possible scenarios that players might want to explore within the world of the game. You’ll often start from the preferred plotline and expand outward to create more and more options for players to navigate through.

This is a great career option for a non-linear thinker who likes to throw plot curveballs at their audience, as well as for writers who love creating dialogue.

Most of the time, video game writers are employed directly by a game studio rather than working freelance.

11. RPG Writer

RPG writers, like video game writers, are creating interactive works that allow the audience a lot of leeway to determine how the plot takes shape. However, they might also write long descriptive passages, a lot like short stories or novellas, that set up particular scenarios or adventures. They may also create handbooks describing aspects of a world like its creatures or the magic that’s used.

Writing for RPGs can also be a lot like being a tie-in writer or graphic novel writer, in that you’re often working within a setting or world that many other writers are also working in. You’ll have to be good at communicating and coordinating with others to make sure that all the parts of the stories you’re all working on mesh well together and don’t create any huge plot holes or major contradictions.

RPG writers often work for gaming companies, like Wizards of the Coast or White Wolf, but you can also create games on your own. Kickstarter has proven to be a fantastic resource for budding game developers and you might want to look through the gaming section on the site to find new companies in need of freelancers. You can also consider developing and selling your own games or scenarios through distributors like Drivethru RPG.

12. Creative Writing Instructor

Once you’ve established your skills as a writer, you might want to consider passing them on to others! Creative writing instructors are often needed at local community colleges, which frequently don’t require a graduate degree in writing as long as you can show a good portfolio of work and publication credits, as well as a good teaching presence.

You might also look into providing small-group or private creative writing classes in your community, perhaps in partnership with a career development council or a local bookstore.

Again, you’ll need a good classroom presence and plenty of patience, as well as good editorial insight to complement your creative writing skills. It takes a special kind of person to help bring out and polish the creativity in others, but it can be incredibly rewarding to see your students start to build their own writing careers!

Making Money with Nonfiction Writing

These nonfiction gigs can help you put your skills to use.

13. Nonfiction Author

Writing nonfiction books can be an excellent source of income for a writer. Your best bet here is to pick a topic that you’re an expert on, then find an approach that you can really make your own. If you can create a niche and write multiple books in that area, you can establish a thriving career writing and publishing nonfiction books.

Just like with fiction authors, writing multiple books in one area or series is the best strategy for building a full-time income. Also like with fiction books, you can choose to go through a traditional publisher or self-publish your nonfiction works. It all depends on how involved you want to be with the technical parts of the publishing process.

14. Magazine Writer

There are thousands of magazines available throughout the world. From glossy newsstand magazines like those you see on racks at the grocery store or airport to association magazines and trade journals, there’s a magazine for every topic, in print or online.

And all those magazines need articles written for them!

It can be difficult to break into writing for the best-known magazines; those tend to have regular groups of writers they work with often or even have staff members writing most of their articles. However, even big magazines are often willing to take pitches from new writers. Your best bet here is to send in a query pitching a short piece for a section at the front of the magazine; freelancers have the best chances here.

If you’re an expert on a particular topic, search for trade journals or association magazines on the subject. These publications often don’t pay much, if at all, but they help you to gain visibility in the industry and get additional publication credits for your portfolio, which will help you find more and better paying jobs at larger publications.

15. Ghostwriter

Not everyone has your way with words—and that’s okay, because you can do the writing for them!

Ghostwriters interview clients and help them create an outline of the book they want to create, then work to develop themes, cover important topics, and craft a well-written book using the client’s thoughts, expertise, and experiences.

This is a great job for someone who likes to talk to people and is good at coaxing ideas out of a busy or distracted executive or politician. You also have to be someone who doesn’t mind working behind the scenes, as ghostwriters are almost never credited publicly for their work.

That anonymity is usually balanced by a nice paycheck, as ghostwriting services can run from a few thousand dollars up into the tens of thousands per book.

If you’re looking for ghostwriting clients, you can apply for our ghostwriter program here.

16. Speechwriter

Much like ghostwriters, speechwriters need to have a way with words and be comfortable with being anonymous. Politicians, executives, and other high-profile speakers don’t usually write their speeches themselves; instead, they hire speechwriters to craft their talks on their behalf, bringing extra verve and style to the table.

To excel at this job, you’ll need to be able to write quickly on a range of topics, keep up-to-date on politics or on the happenings in the business field (depending on who your clients are), and be able to quickly capture an audience’s attention with your writing. You might want to join Toastmasters, a group that helps members develop public speaking skills, to get a better idea of how cadence and presentation can be worked into your speeches to help your client bring audiences to their feet.

You’ll also need to be able to adapt your style and your client’s message to the target audience for a given speaking engagement, so flexibility is key here!

17. Memoirist

If you’ve lived a fascinating life full of adventure and intrigue, overcome a major obstacle, solved a huge problem many people face, or inspired others with your life’s work, you might want to consider becoming a memoirist!

Memoirs are the personal thoughts and memories of an individual, presented as a book. This isn’t just the realm of Holocaust survivor stories or uplifting inspirational recollections. Modern memoirists also detail aspects of their more mundane struggles, like cutting sugar from their diets or downsizing into a tiny house.

The best memoirs take an experience or challenge that many people can relate to and make it deeply personal…while still helping readers see how your own experiences can help them make the best of their lives.

18. Biographer

Instead of writing about your own life, how about writing about the lives of others? Biographers study the lives of contemporary or historical figures to determine what shaped them and how they became known.

You’ll need to be an excellent researcher, as telling the stories of some historical figures may involve diving into dusty archives or ferreting out information that others haven’t found before. You’ll also need to be able to put a fresh twist on a story—if you’re writing about a well-known figure, you’ll need to find a way to make the story feel new, while if you’re writing about someone no one’s ever heard of, you’ll have to quickly make clear why they need to know about this person.

For someone who loves to share inspiring lessons from the past and how influential people have shaped history, this could be an ideal career path.

19. Textbook Author

If you have a deep knowledge of a particular topic and a knack for explaining technical things clearly, you might make a great textbook author!

Big academic publishers frequently revise older editions of their textbooks and this can be a great way to get into the field—rather than writing a full textbook all at once, you might just update a few chapters to fit with recent developments or discoveries.

There are also indie publishing opportunities with textbooks. As online learning is becoming more prevalent, smaller academic publishers are popping up to create low-cost, interactive digital textbooks that offer more flexibility than traditional hardcover textbooks. There are also opportunities to write for K–12 courses, not just college courses, as more school districts are looking for targeted learning resources.

You might also be able to find work with a local university or community college annotating existing textbooks for busy professors, or creating worksheets for classes and labs.

20. Travel Writer

The only thing better than getting to travel is getting paid to travel!

Of course, that means that there are a lot of travel writers and aspiring travel writers around, so this can be a hard career to break into.

Still, if you have a flair for vivid imagery and can paint a picture of the places you’ve been and the things you’ve experienced while traveling, this could be a fantastic career option.

One of the best ways to break into the travel writing area is to find a spin that’s uniquely yours. If you’re great with traveling in style on a tight budget, you could submit articles to frugal travel websites, pitch a column to a family magazine on how to get a luxury vacation on the cheap, or even start your own blog on the subject. How about writing about traveling while you work? Or specializing in family travel to exotic locations?

Tying your articles to amazing pictures on Instagram will help you gain a following and make it easier to pitch your articles to magazines and websites, because you can show you have an audience that might read the publication you’re writing for.

21. How-To Writer

Are you good at breaking complex tasks down into easy-to-follow steps? You’d make a great how-to writer! No matter what skill you’re an expert in, there’s someone else who wants to learn.

You can identify a niche and start pitching articles to magazines and websites in that area, or you can start your own blog on the topic. Consider writing about how to do DIY home projects, how to decorate your home, how to create a sustainable garden or yard, how to build your own furniture, and more. What about articles on how to keep bees or weave rugs? Fix your own iPhone? The options are really endless!

22. Food Writer

One of the most delicious career options has to be food writing. From restaurant reviews to recipe development, there are quite a few areas that can call on your skills at whipping up a great meal and then describing it accurately and vividly for others.

You can publish a cookbook through a traditional publisher or issue it yourself, offer your services as a restaurant reviewer to a local newspaper or hyperlocal website, or even approach local cafes and restaurants to offer to help them overhaul their menus to be more descriptive and appealing.

23. Arts Writer

Much like food writers, arts writers often attend events and produce reviews. Here, though, you’ll be concentrating on art gallery openings, museum exhibitions, theatre performances, concerts, books, and more.

You can find your unique niche, like writing about underground punk concerts or yarnbombing installations, or you can work for a larger publication covering all the theatre events in your city. Many websites look for art writing on various topics, such as book reviews or visual arts coverage, so you can start pitching your work right away.

You’ll need to be able to vividly describe a piece of art, music, or theatre in terms that make people feel like they were there. You’ll also need a thick skin—being a reviewer often means giving critical reviews, and there will be plenty of people who think that critics should be neither seen nor heard! But remember, critics help people figure out whether a work is right for them, so giving your honest, thoughtful opinion is helpful as long as you’re not trying to cut someone down.

24. Blogger

If you want to be your own boss and build your own publication from the ground up, being a blogger could be a perfect career choice for you. You can write on any topic you please, so long as you’re producing content regularly and you’re offering value to your readers.

As you start gaining a following, you can add affiliate links and paid advertising to your site; some bloggers also do sponsored posts that are paid for by a particular company.

So why not take advantage of your amazing expertise in underwater basketweaving to create the go-to online destination for how-tos, news, photos, and creative posts on that subject?

Get Paid for Business Writing

There’s a whole market out there for business writing, from cover letters to grants and much more.

25. Technical Writer

Technical documentation, product specifications, test plans, white papers, requests for proposals, and more are all the purview of the technical writer.

Being a technical writer takes a lot of specialized skill and often a deep knowledge of a particular industry, as you’ll frequently be writing high-level documents intended for experts in that area. You might write papers explaining a breakthrough by R&D researchers in a particular company, turn design specifications into formal plans for manufacturing, or create official requests for proposals for bids on a project.

Technical writers are frequently members of a company’s in-house team, but really skilled writers specializing in one field can often find work as a freelancer. If you do work as a freelance technical writer, you’ll often have to sign a non-disclosure agreement stating that you won’t discuss any important proprietary information you learn about that client while writing their technical documentation.

26. Grant Writer

Many universities and nonprofits need help getting access to funding. That’s where grant writers come in.

In this field, you’ll be compiling materials in support of an application for a grant from a government department, foundation, charity, or other source. You’ll need to be able to do solid research, follow directions perfectly, and write very persuasively to convince the grant board that your client deserves the money it’s asking for.

Skilled grant writers can make a very good living working with a variety of clients across industries. Any organization that needs to compete for funding could use a good grant writer!

27. Resume and Cover Letter Writer

Most people dread updating their resume and writing a cover letter. It seems like a horrible chore to condense all you’ve done into a single page that will barely get glanced at by a recruiter.

If, on the other hand, you think that presenting someone’s work history, skills, and expertise in a simple, clear, brief format is an exciting challenge, you’d make a great resume writer!

In this largely freelance field, you’ll help job-seekers polish up their resumes, focus on what’s really important for the next job they’d like to have, write a compelling cover letter, and maybe even tune up their LinkedIn profile.

You’ll need to combine the talents of a marketing copywriter with the personal touch of a career coach, homing in on what makes your client special and how to help them stand out at a glance.

28. Business Plan Writer

Combine the skills of a resume writer with those of a grant writer and you get the business plan writer!

As more people flex their entrepreneurial muscles, there are increasing opportunities for freelancers who can distill someone’s business vision into a thorough, clear document that can be presented to banks, investors, and others to help the business get funding.

You’ll need to be able to understand complex business topics, analytics, financial information, and more and be able to craft storylines out of this to explain why an investor should want to back the business. You’ll also need solid research skills to help uncover possible market competition or opportunities that should be presented in the plan.

Being a whiz with PowerPoint will also help here; if you can transform your business plan into a pitch deck for your client, you’ll be invaluable!

29. Instructions Writer

These days, it seems like nearly everything comes with an instruction manual, either in print or online. And someone has to write all those instructions!

In most cases, these booklets are created in-house at the company that manufactures or retails the product being described. However, many smaller companies may not have an in-house writing team and will need help getting a good, easy-to-follow set of instructions written.

If you have a manufacturing industry in your town, consider reaching out to see if they need help with the instructions for their products. With a few jobs in your portfolio, you can start marketing your services writing clear instructions to more and more companies in the industry you’re interested in—or even find a full-time, in-house job as an instructions writer, if you want!

30. Executive Assistant

No, this isn’t a mistake—executive assistant can be a great job for a writer! You’re not just fetching coffee and managing conference room bookings here; you’re helping draft business memos, write formal correspondence, manage emails, and more.

If you have an impeccable professional persona and you’re able to juggle many tasks and deadlines at once, this could be a good fit for you. You’ll help your boss make sure that emails are responded to clearly and thoroughly (and on time!), prep for presentations and speeches, and more—maybe even managing the company newsletter or assisting with generating reports and studies for the board or various clients.

31. Marketing Copywriter

Ad and marketing copywriting isn’t all Mad Men antics and midafternoon whiskey breaks. It’s actually a complicated fusion of business insights, creative writing skills, consumer psychology, and out-of-the-box thinking that all mixes together to create memorable, catchy ad campaigns to sell products or services to consumers.

Marketing copywriters work on everything from TV ad campaigns to billboards, magazine ads, online banner ads, creative Snapchat campaigns, product packaging, direct mail flyers, and more.

Whether you’re working in-house or as a freelancer, you’ll often work with a graphic designer to pair the right words and images for maximum effect.

If you’re already working a full-time job, you might be able to build your copywriting portfolio by offering to do some work with the marketing department; if your company doesn’t have a dedicated marketing department, offer to do some copywriting to help boost the company’s latest initiative.

Alternatively, you can also reach out to local businesses or even colleges in your area to pitch your services as a marketing copywriter to start building your portfolio. You can also offer to swap your services with other freelancers if you need work done—how about trading a tagline and some website writing to a graphic designer in exchange for getting a new business logo?

32. B2B Copywriter

B2B (business-to-business) copywriters help businesses sell their products or services to other businesses, rather than directly to end consumers. If you’re a whiz at increasing conversion rates and can sell ice to a penguin, this could be your perfect career.

As with most writing careers, you’ll need samples of your work and proof that you get good results with your work, but it’s fairly easy to get started by offering to help write landing pages or improve sales scripts for some local companies or setting up a profile on Upwork or Fiverr to get some small jobs to build your portfolio.

33. Social Media Writer

As companies realize that they need to be on social media, they are also starting to realize that they need help keeping up with all the content required there. Social media writers craft Facebook posts, Twitter updates, Pinterest boards, and more to help companies connect with their audiences.

You’ll need a good understanding of audience outreach and what types of posts and content work best on what channels. You’ll also need a good grasp of analytics to help you show the ROI for your work and what social media investments are paying off for the company.

Having multimedia capabilities is a bonus here—if you can design an infographic, create image posts for visual media like Instagram or Pinterest, or produce videos for Facebook and Snapchat, you’ll be in high demand as a social media writer!

34. Media Relations Specialist

Bridging the gap between a business writer and a journalist is the media relations specialist. As part of a company’s communications department (or as a freelancer), you’ll help companies connect with journalists and publications to spread the word about their products and services.

You’ll often find yourself writing press releases and arranging (or even giving) interviews about your company’s or client’s services. Hopefully you won’t frequently be doing damage control over some crisis or scandal, although that’s also part of the job!

If you’ve previously worked as a journalist, this might be a fantastic new career for you—knowing what journalists need and want to get from their contacts will make it easier for you to craft solid pitches that bring excellent media exposure for your clients.

Earning a Living in Journalism

Ever dreamed of becoming a journalist? With so many online platforms, there are more opportunities than ever.

35. Newspaper Reporter

Even in today’s fast-paced digital world, there’s still a thriving market for newspapers. Plenty of people want the day’s news, opinions, stock market moves, and more delivered to their door in the morning—and as more newspapers expand their online operations, there are actually new jobs for agile reporters being created.

As a newspaper journalist, you’ll probably start out by working for a local daily, weekly, or monthly paper that covers activities in your town. You might get sent to a town board meeting one day and a high school basketball game the next—one thing’s for sure, you’ll never get bored with the same old routine!

You’ll need excellent interviewing skills, a good memory (or fast note-taking and transcription abilities), and an ability to get along well with others while still asking probing questions to get to the heart of a story or the best angle for your coverage. You’ll also need to be willing to work strange hours—reporters have to be available to cover news whenever it happens, and you’ll often have assignments on nights and weekends.

With experience, you can move up to a larger paper in a bigger market, help develop online offerings for your paper, or become what’s called a “stringer” for a news service like AP or Reuters. Basically, you’ll be a freelancer covering breaking news in your area or on your beat (your topic of expertise) and you’ll file stories that newspapers all over the world can pick up and run—with your byline on them. Pretty cool!

36. News Blogger

Similar to a newspaper reporter, a news blogger is always looking for the latest scoop. But in this case, rather than reporting for a print publication with an online component, you’ll be working for a fast-paced online publication.

In many cases, breaking news sites need writers available 24/7 to cover whatever happens next in the world—so this can be a great job for night owls or people who like working unconventional hours.

You might also work covering news in a particular industry, like mining news or business openings and closings. Many trade or association websites need associate editors monitoring all the happenings in their industry and blogging about this breaking news to keep their audience up to date.

37. Long-Form Journalist

Though many lamented the death of long-form writing when the internet seemed to slash all our attention spans, the field is undergoing a renaissance…thanks to the internet! Sites like Medium encourage readers to engage with pieces that go beyond the bite-sized into really in-depth discussions of weighty topics.

Plus, more magazines, newspapers, weekly editions, and other publications are starting to include long-form articles in their mix again. Readers want to know more about what’s going on behind the scenes, and long-form journalists are able to dive deep into a topic to present not just what’s going on now, but what led to it and where it might be going in the future.

If you love researching and presenting a topic in all its complexity, this could be a rewarding path to pursue. You’ll need to be good at developing a narrative voice and shaping themes around a nonfiction topic, much like a nonfiction book author would do, but you’ll also need to be able to condense all that information into a mid-range length—something that takes an hour or two to read, rather than a few minutes or a few days.

38. Investigative Journalist

Deep cuts to the budgets of many newspapers and news TV shows left naysayers fearing that hard-hitting investigative journalism was becoming a thing of the past. After all, who would pay people to dig deep into political scandals, economic crises, environmental issues, or social movements if the newspapers were going broke? The internet is just for entertainment, right?

Wrong! Investigative journalism is alive and well—and often funded by websites that want to do more than simply publish listicles about cat videos. In fact, some of the most powerful investigative and cultural journalism of recent times has appeared on Buzzfeed, a site that made its name as a mindless pop-culture haven.

Lately, though, Buzzfeed and other sites have started breaking news about spying rings, digging into celebrity and political scandals, uncovering bad behavior by tech companies that can jeopardize consumer privacy, and more.

If you love finding out the truth behind a story, this career is for you! You’ll need a lot of patience and perseverance, as tracking down your scoop will require doing lots of interviews, pinning down sources, wading through government information requests and huge stacks of complex documents, and more.

But the end result of informing and enlightening your audience while pushing for change and reform? Totally worth it.

39. Columnist

Newspapers, websites, magazines, and other publications often rely on the opinions of informed individuals to round out their coverage. Becoming a columnist is a great way to share your expertise and opinions with a broader audience.

Most columnists start out with a smaller publication, whether that’s their hometown newspaper or a trade magazine. To get the job, you’ll want to send samples of your work on a particular topic, demonstrating how you can add a fresh voice to the conversation and provoke interaction from readers.

The best columnists don’t just stand on a soapbox; they get other people talking and continue engagement across channels, no matter what they’re writing about.

So as you can see, there’s pretty much an ideal career path for anyone who’s interested in making money writing. And getting started in any of these areas is really just a matter of putting your mind to it, learning the craft, and investing time and effort in your work.

At first, you may need to put in some long hours outside your day job to build your skills and to create some samples to show to potential employers, especially if you’re transitioning from a different area into a writing career. But if you spend just an hour or two a day on writing some articles and sending them out in your area of interest, you may find yourself building up enough of a side hustle writing that you can decide to make it your full-time career!

With all these options, it’s clear: there’s a writing career for everyone. Which path will you take?

Check out even more strategies for how to make a full-time living as an author:

• 16 Ways to Increase Your Author Earnings and Earn a Full-Time Income as an Author
• 8 Ways to Increase Your Income for Writers and Authors
• Get Paid to Write Short Stories: 22 Places That Will Buy Your Fiction

Kate Sullivan is an editor with experience in every aspect of the publishing industry, from editorial to marketing to cover and interior design.

In her career, Kate has edited millions of words and helped dozens of bestselling, award-winning authors grow their careers and do what they love!

Hello I am an Asian writer looking for a writing job But unfortunately, in the country where I live, it is not possible to have a writing job. The reading per capita here is very low and I can’t make money from the ways I read in this article from your site. In the country where I live, the salary of writing is very low and I am looking for a better way to earn money. If you know a way, let me know. Thankful. Thanks for your good website.

Hello, Hekmat. One thing you can do is expand your search and look for writing jobs outside of your country. Technology’s made it possible to connect and collaborate with people from all over the world.

Here and here are a list of ways you can start.

First, let me thank you for the insights contained in this loaded article. I am a writer actually but haven’t gotten a platform to showcase my works to the larger world. I would like assistance to publish some of my poems – lots of which tend to be prophetic – and get paid. What I need really is exposure (publication). Lots of them have been published on my Facebook wall and got quality comments

Hi Martin-Paul, thanks for your comment! In addition to the sites you can try from this list, we have a list of poetry publishers that you can check out :)

Does it pay well

Interesting little article. I am about to turn 18, and though I have never considered a career in writing, I am thinking it may be worth dabbling into. I write mainly poetry and short stories on my own time for myself, although I show them to other people. two years ago I started a magazine at my school publishing student submitted poems and stories to the rest of the school. My friends have said that my work is very good, even comparing to famous poets such as Robert Frost or others – and I agree that my work is very good and I am proud of it.

Assuming that my work is worthwhile to publish or send somewhere, what would you recommend as a pathway for having more people see my work?

Hi Tom, thanks for your comment! I would recommend publishing some of your poems on a blog or social media, and definitely submitting to publications (many of which pay). We have a list of some great ones here .

Excellent information! Thank you for writing it. I’m in my 60s, with retirement looming. However, I’m alone and will need to continue to earn income. I’m educated. Three degrees, in fact. I just don’t really know how to find the right direction. Any insight would be appropriated.

Hi Peg, I’m glad you enjoyed the post! What kind of writing are you interested in? Fiction, nonfiction? Books? Articles?

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The 21 Best Side Hustles for Writers: Get Paid $1000+ per Month

What are the best side hustles for writers?

The good news is writing is a great, in-demand skill to make money from. Yes, even in the age of Chat GPT , there are lots of writing side hustles that can earn you money in your spare time.

I compiled this list based on:

• My own 15+ years of experience as a writer
• Interviews with dozens of other side hustling and professional writers
• The potential earning power for each option

Ready? Let’s do it!

1. Build a Helpful Website

2. sales copywriting, 3. freelance writing, 4. tutoring, 5. teaching online, 6. create an online course, 7. email newsletter, 8. publish a book, 9. children’s publishing, 10. proofreading and editing service, 11. writing coach, 12. ghostwriting, 13. creative writing workshops, 14. social media management, 15. resume and cover letter writing, 16. mystery shopping, 17. virtual assistant service, 18. live chat customer support, 19. transcription service, 20. translation, 21. online surveys, the best writing side hustles: your turn, looking for more side hustle help.

If you enjoy writing, building an informative website is the first side hustle I’d consider. I wouldn’t call it “blogging,” but more creating content that answers people’s questions.

I’ve done this several times, including with this site and another project that  earned over $500,000 over its lifetime . Websites make money in several different ways, but most commonly through:

• advertising
• affiliate partnerships
• selling your own products and services

One trend that’s been successful recently is what I’ll call “the modern comparison shopping site.” This model involves creating in-depth content comparing and contrasting two or more products in your niche.

For example,  Fin vs. Fin  does this really well with direct-to-consumer brands. Similarly, Tami Smith employed  the same strategy with fitness equipment .

Next Step:  If you’re ready to get started, my  free 6-part video course  will walk you through how to set up your site for less than you might think.

Daniel Throssell was an electrical engineer working 12-hour shifts on a remote island off the coast of Australia.

He stumbled upon  copywriting as a side hustle , and landed his first jobs on  Upwork . “Because I had no experience, I just resolved to out-prepare my competition, and overdeliver on all my jobs,” Daniel explained.

Within a year, he was charging  $200 an hour  for his work — and left the engineering job behind.

Another common side hustle for writers is freelance writing. Most freelance writers get paid on a per-word basis, with rates ranging from $0.05-0.35 per word.  That adds up to around $50-$350 per 1000-word article.

(This article, for the sake of comparison, is around 2,000 words.)

I sat down with Georgia Austin, who found customers for her  content writing service on Fiverr . As demand increased, she raised rates and ultimately hired other writers to help fulfill all the work!

To learn more, check out this free guide from the American Writers and Artists Institute :

Writing is such an important skill, and one that many students struggle with. That’s why there’s an opportunity to turn your writing prowess into a tutoring business.

You could focus on English vocabulary, spelling, essay writing, creative writing, or reading comprehension.

And there’s money in this niche too — one Side Hustle Nation reader reported earning $1000 a week with his part-time tutoring business .

Platforms like  Wyzant  help connect students with tutors. As a tutor, you get set your own rate (typically between  $20-60 per hour ) and availability.

While one-to-one tutoring can be rewarding and even pretty lucrative, it’s still trading time for money. One side hustle with a little more scale is to teach an online group class through a platform like  Outschool .

On The Side Hustle Show, Jade Weatherington shared how she was earning  $10,000 a month on the platform , primarily teaching middle school English writing classes.

Who knew all that 5-paragraph essay practice would pay off!

The peer-to-peer education marketplace focuses on students ages 3-18, and has courses on nearly every topic imaginable.

Since late 2014, I’ve earned  over $20,000  on  Udemy  from a course I created about self-publishing.

With Udemy, you can create a video course in your area of expertise, and put it up for sale on their platform of more than 50 million students.

I think there’s a cool scaleable side hustle for writers in creating a “niche newsletter .” In this model, you email out your favorite content in a given niche on a daily or weekly basis.

The topic you choose could be based on your writing experience, or any other hobby you’re into . Since you’re probably already consuming content in the niche, it would be a valuable service to curate the best of the best for subscribers.

For example, Danielle Desir-Corbett took her grant-writing expertise and started a newsletter called Grants for Creators . With both free and paid versions , she shares grant opportunities she finds every two weeks.

Once you have people paying attention, you can monetize with affiliate offers, advertising, or your own products and services. This is a side hustle that’s low overhead, relatively simple to manage, and may even have a lucrative exit strategy — the popular daily business newsletter Morning Brew sold for a reported $75 million !

Self-publishing is one of my favorite writing side hustles. It’s earned me over $80,000 over the last decade.

My titles have all been non-fiction so far, but fiction actually sells more as a category . Through Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing , you can set your own price and earn a 70% author royalty on Kindle books sold between $2.99 and $9.99.

Matthew Ralph is a children’s book author from England, who quit his full-time marketing job to focus on his publishing and freelancing business.

His bestselling work to date is  Sam the Speedy Sloth . The idea of which came to him while walking through an airport, and by the time his flight landed, the book was almost written!

Matt has since added more books to his portfolio, while freelancing to help other self-publishing authors.

If you have an eye for detail, there’s  money to be made as a proofreader  or editor.

Like I mentioned above, self-publishing is exploding, and all those authors (at least the serious ones) need help editing their work.

For this side hustle, I found my first clients on  Fiverr , but ultimately established positive word of mouth referrals in some Facebook Groups and among students of a popular self-publishing course.

I started out charging $100 for every 10,000 words, but slowly inched up rates as I improved. (And as a bonus, I got paid to read some pretty interesting books !)

According to PayScale.com, proofreaders can make an average of $12-$30/hour.

Check out companies like ProofreadingServices.com to apply for a remote part-time or full-time position.

Through her business, Paper Raven Books , Morgan Gist MacDonald helps authors turn their ideas into books they can be proud of. 

The service starts at $10,000 and includes:

• narrative arc outlining
• accountability check-ins
• editing and design
• building a launch and marketing plan

Could you start a similar service for first-time authors?

My friend Joshua Lisec is a freelance writer turned sought-after ghostwriter , specializing in entrepreneurship books. Over the last few years, he’s helped create over 80 titles and built a multi-6-figure ghostwriting business.

When we last spoke, he had a unique way of generating qualified leads through YouTube .

Jeff DiOrio, a math teacher and high school dean in Illinois started teaching after school chess lessons . Today, EliteChess is a 6-figure side hustle with classes both in-person and online.

I believe there’s an opportunity to create a similar business for students (or adults) to get together and just write. You could provide story prompts, guidance on structure, and constructive feedback.

Another side hustle idea for writers is to manage Twitter and LinkedIn accounts. These are still primarily “writing first” platforms, meaning if you can craft compelling hooks and threads, you can help other business owners grow their following.

For example, Pete Macleod ( @petecodes ) turned this into a $10k/month business . Creating Twitter and LinkedIn content was something he enjoyed doing anyway, and began offering it as a service to other content creators .

Mike McRitchie has a unique writing service, specializing in cover letters and LinkedIn profiles for the telecom industry . 

He’s been doing this for years on the side from his day job. Because of his industry expertise, he’s able to command premium rates. 

And since the outcome of a strong resume and cover letter is so strong — a new job — candidates are happy to pay for help in this area.

Mystery shopping isn’t directly related to writing, but many of the tasks involve writing a report about your experience at the store or restaurant.

Jenn Trinidad reported earning $2,000 a month as a mystery shopper . 

Virtual assistants generally charge  $15-40 an hour to provide remote administrative support to clients. Those tasks might include:

• Drafting social media posts
• Managing email and scheduling appointments
• Creating blog content or email newsletters
• Providing customer support

If that sounds like a fun side hustle you can set up shop on your own  or jump on board with an established VA company.

To learn more about starting your own virtual assistant company, check out the  free video training  from my friend Abbey Ashley, who started her VA business on the side.

FlexJobs is the leading site for work from home jobs. With more than 50 career categories, you’re sure to find options here for your writing experience.

One area that comes to mind is live chat customer support jobs, where skills like compassion, speed, and multitasking are critical.

FlexJobs does charge a nominal monthly fee to access their listings, but you’ll easily earn that back — and then some — with just one job.

Pro Tip: Before you join, use their job search filter to see what part-time positions are currently being advertised for.

When you see something that’s a great fit, you can join the site to apply.

Transcription—turning audio recordings into text—is often a part-time work-from-home position. Many transcribers specialize in a given industry, like medical, legal, or podcast transcriptions.

Several sites, including  Rev.com , hire transcribers. If you’re fast, you might be able to earn  up to $15 an hour.

To learn more about transcribing work, check out this  free 7-day mini course  on how to get started.

More and more businesses are realizing the importance of translation. In fact, the employment of interpreters and translators is projected to  grow 19% from 2018 to 2028 .

That’s pretty surprising in the age of Google Translate, right?

Spanish, French, Arabic and the Asian languages are all  in high demand .

However, being a translator isn’t just about translating. It’s about having strong writing skills and an understanding of the niche.

Finally, an old fall back of pretty much every list of ways to make extra money: surveys.

These definitely won’t make you rich, but they are an easy way to for writers to make a little extra money in between projects or during breaks in your day. 

Here are some of Side Hustle Nation’s top picks:

• Swagbucks – Earn up to $35 a survey with this mega-popular app, and get a $10 bonus  just for signing up!
• Product Report Card – Get notified about higher-paying product tests, clinical trials, and online focus groups.
• KashKick – Get paid to answer surveys, test games, and try new products.
• Survey Junkie – Take 3 surveys a day and earn up to $100 a month.
• InboxDollars  – Get a  $5 bonus just for signing up!
• American Consumer Opinion – Join millions of free members and earn up to $50 per survey.

What do you think is the best side hustle for writers? Of course, which option you choose depends on your unique experience, interests, and goals.

Some writing side hustles (like freelancing) are relatively easy to start earning money quickly. Others, like starting a website, will require a bit more time and education to start to see results.

• Start Your Free $500 Challenge . My free 5-day email course shows you how to add $500 to your bottom line.
• Join the free Side Hustle Nation Community . The free Facebook group is the best place to connect with other side hustlers and get your questions answered.
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The award-winning Side Hustle Show is a Top 10 Entrepreneurship podcast with over 1,200 5-star ratings!

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About the Author

Nick Loper is a side hustle expert who loves helping people earn more money and start businesses they care about. He hosts the award-winning Side Hustle Show, where he's interviewed over 500 successful entrepreneurs, and is the bestselling author of Buy Buttons , The Side Hustle , and $1,000 100 Ways .

His work has been featured in The New York Times, Entrepreneur, Forbes, TIME, Newsweek, Business Insider, MSN, Yahoo Finance, The Los Angeles Times, The San Francisco Chronicle, The Financial Times, Bankrate, Hubspot, Ahrefs, Shopify, Investopedia, VICE, Vox, Mashable, ChooseFI, Bigger Pockets, The Penny Hoarder, GoBankingRates, and more.

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8 Online Writing Sites That Pay You [Ranked For 2024]

Are you looking for online writing sites to jumpstart your freelance writing career? Check these 8 websites that offer writing gigs across all skill l

Are you looking for ways to earn money with your writing skills but don’t have the experience? You’re not alone!

The onset of COVID-19 brought freelance writing gigs to the forefront of remote employment opportunities. Research reveals over 70 million Americans did freelance work in 2022.

Of that number, 82% are freelance writers. That’s around 54 million people in the U.S. alone! Now you’d think that’s too much competition for beginners to handle, but the truth is the opposite.

Finding online writing sites that pay money doesn’t have to be taxing, and most are open to beginners!

This article introduces you to 9 freelance writing sites with extensive job postings fit for your skill level.

Key Takeaways

• Freelance writing platforms streamline job searches and connect writers with clients.
• Key features include trust ratings, pay ranges, job listings, and application processes.
• Upwork, Blogging Pro, and Fiverr are top choices for beginners and niche writing.
• Higher-tier sites like Contently cater to experienced writers seeking premium gigs.

Best Online Writing Sites [At A Glance]

The internet has many opportunities for freelance writers, but only a few stand out for bringing in real profit and helping you become a successful freelance writer.

Here are our top picks for 2023:

• Upwork : Our Pick
• Blogging Pro : Runner-Up
• Fiverr : Also Great
• Contently : Best for Experienced Writers
• Writers Work : Best Pooled Writing Jobs
• iWriter : Best for Tiered Writing Gigs
• WriterAccess : Best for Long-term Writing Jobs
• ProBlogger : Best for Blog Writing

An Overview of Online Freelance Writing

There is no official date when freelance writing started because freelance writers have been around even before digital platforms were created.

But it’s safe to consider the early 2000s as the dawn of the online freelance writing job trend. Notable sites like ProBlogger shares their small-scale origins , which have become a huge success over time.

What are Online Freelance Writing Sites?

Freelance writing sites are the one-stop shop for businesses and startups seeking writing services. They’re central hubs for hiring writers and finding job boards with quality writing gigs.

Some more intuitive websites have features that allow clients to match their writing jobs with the ideal candidate. This results in a mutually beneficial arrangement that guarantees satisfaction for both the business and the content writers.

Why Are Freelance Writing Sites Important?

A freelance writing website reduces the need for companies to shoulder all the legwork involved in hiring talents. They don’t need complex contracts to engage experienced freelance writers.

On the writer’s side, accessing these freelance platforms streamlines the job search process and helps boost their writing portfolio.

You can have multiple freelance writing jobs in a few months, which allows you to gather referrals and recommendations from happy clients.

Do I Need an Online Writing Site to Build a Freelance Writing Career?

Freelance writing sites aren’t required to build a writing career, but they help speed up the process.

Taking on multiple writing jobs within this active community builds up your reputation, skill, and network — factors that help you stand out from the competition.

The Best Online Writing Sites at a Glance

We’ve rounded up our best picks for freelance writing websites and come up with two all-rounders.

What is the Best Online Freelance Writing Site?

With approximately 5 million clients using the platform, Upwork is our best pick for starters looking to understand how freelance writing works.

Its ‘Writing & Translation’ job board category boasts 146k+ active contracts, with clients giving an average 4.8 -star rating to writing professionals.

This includes a range of talents like proofreaders, content writers, translators, ghostwriters, and more.

What is the Best Free Online Writing Site?

Blogging Pro is our top choice for niche-focused freelance writing gigs.

It’s a job board that prospective freelancers can use for free, minus the need to create an account.

One of the things we like about this portal is its straightforward application process that details everything you need to know about a job with just a click.

Clients of this site must pay their writers a minimum of $15 per project, eliminating the risk of getting scammed.

Features to Look for In an Online Writing Website

Freelance writing opportunities have attracted many full-time professionals, so the competition is high.

This can result in some people, especially those with no experience, agreeing to jobs that don’t honor their contracts.

To avoid falling into freelance scams , you must be critical in assessing whether or not the portal you’re signing up for is legit.

Here are features to look for before taking on online writing jobs:

1. Trust Rating

Be wary of freelance websites with a Google review star rating of less than 3. While online ratings are ultimately subjective, they reflect the user experience that professionals and clients have for the platform.

You also want to check review sites like TechRadar or online forums like Reddit and Quora to see what other users think of freelance writing websites.

2. Pay Range

Online freelance writing jobs vary in pay range, and it’s primarily driven by the fact that clients have their specific project budgets. Some portals require businesses to offer a specific job price range, while others leave it to the client.

3. Job Listings

The best freelance writing sites have extensive job boards. This allows them to attract clients from all sectors and freelancers of different skill sets.

4. Application Process

Check the requirements for signing up with a portal and see if you fit their eligibility. You’re better off starting small and building your portfolio rather than trying to break the big game without a solid portfolio to back it up.

5. Online Courses or Blogs

The freelance writing industry is saturated with talent. And while there is a global demand to match that up, beefing up your skill set is necessary to ace the competition.

Check for platforms with built-in writing tools or knowledge bases. Do they have a blog you can subscribe to stay current with the freelance writing landscape?

Best Online Writing Sites: Our Top 3 Options [Ranked & Reviewed]

Here are our top 3 freelance writing sites, handpicked for their combined reach, user reviews, and job opportunities.

1. Upwork : Our Pick

Upwork is a global freelancing platform that connects businesses or startups with individual professionals. It hosts a variety of industries that include writing.

It’s a marketplace where the main currency is your skill. Housing over 12 million freelancers as of 2023, Upwork’s an attractive platform to boost your professional network too!

Key Features of Upwork

Below are features that make Upwork a powerhouse in freelancing:

• Global Network: Upwork is available in over 180 countries, making connecting with global clients easier.
• All-In Mediation: Upwork handles all the contracts, billing, and invoicing processes. This helps you focus on your craft instead of tracking all admin-related requirements before getting paid.
• Robust Writing Job Board: Upwork has 80 writing-related categories under its filter, giving you more options to check if your first few don’t work.
• Upwork Connects: A “Connect” serves as your internal currency and allows you to send client proposals or applications. Upwork’s free plan grants you 10 connects per month, while its Freelance Plus gives you up to 80 connects.
• Top Rated Badge: This one’s given to Upwork’s top freelancers who have built a strong reputation on the platform and consistently get positive feedback from clients. Acquiring this badge gives you access to Upwork’s exclusive features like premium support and in-house talent scout assistance.

Pros of Upwork

• Hassle-free Onboarding: All you need is an email address to start creating an account for free. No need for samples and exams to start searching for writing jobs.
• Seamless Portal Interface: Upwork has intuitive navigation that helps you sift through job listings without getting lost.
• Location Flexibility: Compared to some platforms that require you to be within the state or city near your client, Upwork supports fully remote jobs.

Cons of Upwork

• High Competition: Landing the first gig remains challenging for any new freelance writer. Clients looking for content writing services often look for a solid portfolio before hiring their freelancer.
• Commission Fee: Upwork takes 20% of the first $500 you bill to your clients. This can be too hefty, especially for starters with minimal projects.
• Dispute Resolution: Users report difficulty connecting with Upwork’s resolution team to settle payment disputes.

Upwork Income

Content writing jobs on Upwork have an average pay of $15 to $40 an hour. Some companies who want a long-term arrangement with writers pay a flat fee of $800 a month.

Final Verdict

Upwork is a great job search engine that offers freelance writing jobs globally. It can take a while to build a solid reputation and attract regular clients, but it is nonetheless the most robust platform for writing gigs that pay.

2. Blogging Pro : Runner-Up

Blogging Pro is an easy-to-navigate job site for professional writers looking for trusted clients. Unlike most platforms that require you to create user profiles, Blogging Pro gives you total control over when and to who you want to apply.

Key Features of Blogging Pro

Here are the top features why we recommend Blogging Pro:

• Multiple Job Setup: Most job listings in this platform are remote, though a few require onsite arrangements. They also offer freelance, contract, or part-time setups.
• Writing Tips & Tutorials: Blogging Pro has quick links to articles that help you enhance your freelance work quality. Access is free with no sign-up requirement.
• In-demand Writing Categories: The platform only advertises writing jobs such as content writing, journalism, and copywriting. This saves you time from having to sort through vast, non-writing jobs.
• Direct Apply: Once you select a writing gig, you’ll get a comprehensive list of responsibilities and requirements and a snippet of the client’s background. Hitting ‘Apply for job’ leads you to the client’s website to complete the application.
• Fast Response Time: Blogging Pro requires clients to respond to applications within 24 to 48 hours. This guarantees you’ll get a response whether you make it or not.

Pros of Blogging Pro

• Free to Use: You don’t pay anything with Blogging Pro. No add-on costs, hidden fees, or cutbacks for commissions.
• Transparent Pricing: Most jobs in this portal provide their exact pay range. If not, their websites will, which you can access when you apply.
• Reliable Clients: Blogging Pro’s client list is a combination of established companies and startups with either brick-and-mortar stores or a legitimate online presence.

Cons of Blogging Pro

• Minimal Job Updates: Unlike bigger portals with daily job streams, Blogging Pro only updates when clients choose to advertise on their platform. They do an average of weekly updates with fewer than 20 new jobs.
• Requires Experience: While all positions are open to beginners, many clients indicate specific writing experience in their eligibility requirements. This can be tough to break for anyone with no portfolio to show.
• Inconsistent Income: Blogging Pro doesn’t set any price range guideline for clients apart from the minimum $15 requirement. It’s up to you to determine if the company’s offering a competitive price for the writing service required.

Blogging Pro Income

Blogging Pro guarantees a minimum of $15 hourly pay for writers as part of its initial agreement with clients. Some jobs, like social media writers, can pay up to $300 per project.

Blogging Pro is an excellent choice for finding freelance writing jobs covering different niches.

Its direct link to clients gives you full control of the application process and an overview of the job budget, so you won’t have to do the guesswork in finding out how much you’ll earn.

Still, it doesn’t offer many jobs, and you’ll often need to showcase proof of writing experience to land a gig.

3. Fiverr : Also Great

Fiverr is the perfect platform for individuals who prefer working with other individuals instead of a large-scale company.

This website is an ideal entry-level choice since you won’t have to bid or negotiate for jobs.

You’ll also have access to a potential client or buyer’s requests, including instructions and files to assist you in delivering their expected result.

Key Features of Fiverr

Let’s look into the features we like best about Fiverr and see if it fits your ideal freelance writing website:

• Worldwide Reach: Fiverr is available in 190 countries, with 42% of its users based in the U.S. It also houses clients from Canada, India, and the U.K.
• Seller Levels: You can climb up the levels if you constantly deliver quality tasks on time.
• Pro-verified Feature: If you have the background and experience of a trusted writer, then Fiverr might approve you as part of their ‘Pro Services’ feature. You can charge higher and increase the potential of attracting high-paying clients.
• Extensive Filter Customization: Fiverr wants an ideal match for their clients, so their filters are extensive. You can consider this feature when setting up your profile, delivery timelines, price range, and writing style.
• E-learning Products: If you’re looking to enhance your skills, try enrolling in Fiverr’s business and technical courses led by niche experts.

Pros of Fiverr

• Admin-free Experience: The platform handles the admin side of things like producing invoices, promotions, transaction recording, etc.
• Option for Early Payout: While only available to select sellers, the feature is an advantage. It’s an advantage if you need cash immediately instead of waiting for the typical 14-day clearing period.
• Opportunities to Broaden Skills: Fiverr’s writing jobs range from simple content writing to more challenging gigs like technical writeups. You’ll encounter task requests you haven’t tried before that can be a great learning opportunity.

Cons of Fiverr

• Low-paying Gigs: While you can charge your services for up to $995 per project, only top-rated and long-time freelancers enjoy that profit. Most starters will have to settle for the low price of $5.
• Issues with Scams: There are reports of freelancers not getting paid by clients claiming they have yet to receive their orders. It can be difficult to dispute this unless you have complete and detailed communications with the client.
• Commission Fee: Fiverr takes 20% off your earning regardless of your seller level or service cost. If you earn $5, you’ll only receive $4 as your take-home pay.

Fiverr Income

Your Fiverr income depends on the number of services you deliver. You can price it from $5 per project up to $995.

Fiverr’s a great place for freelancers who want to start small, minus all the hassle of promoting their services. By setting up an account, your profile’s automatically pooled under your chosen gig category.

It’s entry-level at best, which might not be the best option for advanced writers with considerable writing experience.

Notable Mentions: Other Writing Sites To Check Out

If you’re looking for alternative options other than our top 3 picks, you can try out these freelance writing sites:

4. Contently – Best for Experienced Writers

Contently is for expert freelance writers looking at landing a gig with big companies. Some of their clients include Coca-Cola, Dell, Walmart, and Google.

Unlike the other platforms on our list, you don’t apply for a writing job to be a part of their team. Their in-house talent scouts choose writers from all around the web and invite them for an interview.

That being said, having a solid creative platform that showcases your diverse writing portfolio is an essential factor to be considered for any of their gigs.

Why is Contently a Great Option?

Landing a gig at Contently is a surefire way to skyrocket your freelance career. You can add your experience with them to your portfolio along with the brands or companies you worked with.

Best of all, you can negotiate your rate. If you think they’re offering lower than your regular rate, you can demand higher pay.

Drawbacks to Contently

Its obvious drawback comes from the fact that it isn’t for beginners. Contently only contacts specialists with years of experience whose consistent portfolio speaks for their work quality.

Contently Income

Contently has a proprietary rate sheet that dictates the price range options for their projects. While we can’t divulge the specifics, online writers share earnings between $300 and $1,200 per piece.

5. Writers Work – Best Pooled Writing Jobs

Writers Work is a paid freelance writing platform that offers real-time data on writing gigs worldwide. They offer a lifetime subscription of $47 or a monthly option of $15.

It’s an excellent platform allowing you to do all your writing tasks in it. It has a built-in text editor and work tracker feature to help you organize your workload and set writing goals.

Writers Work also has one of the most diverse types of writing requests, such as writing stories for magazines or even fishing equipment reviews.

Why is Writers Work a Great Option?

One thing that Writers Work does well is its writing-only job board. You won’t find other popular gigs like graphic design or video production in its pool.

It’s a great platform for getting a constant stream of gigs you can easily filter by categories like finance, tech, and entertainment.

Drawbacks to Writers Work

There’s high competition in this platform, which may deter freelancers who are looking at quick payments. While there are varied writing options, landing those high-paying gigs requires skill and experience.

Writers Work Income

Writers get paid between $20 to $65 an hour. Other projects offer a fixed rate of $100 per project.

6. iWriter – Best for Tiered Writing Gigs

iWriter is an excellent platform that offers opportunities for writers to upgrade their skills and earning potential while writing more.

The platform offers four writing levels – Standard, Premium, Elite, and Elite Plus. Accessing higher levels mean higher-paying gigs.

We found iWriter to have a diverse niche in terms of topics and ideas, with clients providing specific writing instructions, including required keywords and formatting.

Why is iWriter a Great Option?

It’s easy to join iWriter as a freelancer. You’ll only need to pass two 200-word writing tests to complete the registration. Once done, you can start using the platform to find gigs.

Happy clients also have the option to give you tips for a job well done, helping you increase your income. You also have the opportunity to get paid weekly or biweekly, with a minimum of $20 in earnings.

Drawbacks to iWriter

A significant drawback of iWriter is its steep commission. The platform takes 35% of your total earnings, which is higher than other platforms in our list charge.

Rising through the ranks may also be challenging for new writers as you must deliver 30 articles with a minimum of a 4-star rating before leveling up a step.

iWriter income

Depending on your writing tier, you can earn between $1.25 to $260 in iWriter. There’s a fixed price assigned to word counts across the board, which varies in level.

7. WriterAccess – Best for Long-term Writing Job

WriterAccess is home to over 40,000 brands, all looking for quality writers. Many freelancers who start working with the platform often receive repeat orders from companies, agencies, and small businesses they’ve worked with.

This platform’s an excellent starting point for skilled writers looking for a freelance job with the potential for long-term employment.

Why is WriterAccess a Great Option?

WriterAccess is excellent for building a freelance writing career with reliable clients. You can get hired for all sorts of jobs, from writing blogs to writing short stories.

The platform screens all interested writers. If you pass, you’re automatically given a star rating, unlocking jobs within that level. The higher the rating, the bigger the pay.

Drawbacks to WriterAccess

While joining WriterAccess is free, getting approved can be a challenge. You must provide at least two public web pages as sample works on top of your general and industry experience.

WriterAccess income

All writers are paid 70% of what the client pays for each project.

8. ProBlogger – Best for Blog Writing

ProBlogger is a must-try platform if you’re into SEO writing and blogging. Most of its job postings are from website owners who want to outsource the writing part of their content marketing strategy.

This platform is ideal if you enjoy writing across different topics and are fine communicating directly with the client or managing your workload.

Why is ProBlogger a Great Option?

ProBlogger is great because of its real-time job listings and quality clients who pay well for your services. Joining the platform is easy, and you don’t have to pay anything.

All you need is to register to create your online resume. From here, you can bookmark jobs and create job alerts to get up to speed with the most recent job ads.

Drawbacks to ProBlogger

ProBlogger’s quality clientele attracts the most talents, so expect tough competition. The fact that these clients pay $80 to post their job ads on the platform means they’re willing to pay, but they can also be picky in hiring freelance writers.

ProBlogger income

Writers earn from $25 to $200 per piece, depending on the complexity and research work required. In-house or full-time bloggers earn between $45,000 to $90,000 annually.

Other Online Gigs to Check Out

Is online writing too tough for starters? Here are alternative options to earn money online.

• High-paying Surveys: Do you like answering surveys or giving quality feedback for products and services? This article introduces you to online surveys that pay well.
• How to Get Paid Playing Video Games: Bring your gaming experience to a new level and get paid! Know websites and apps that pay money, gift cards, and other rewards.
• Get Paid to Text: This is perfect for anyone who wants easy side hustles you can do any time, anywhere, even while on the go.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do online writing jobs pay well.

ZipRecruiter reports an average $38 hourly rate for online writers, a decent figure for remote work. The total compensation, however, will depend on other factors like the number of hours you write, the employer, and fees taken out of your earnings.

What is the Best Writing Niche?

The popularity of writing niche fluctuates, but top picks this 2023 include digital marketing, cryptocurrency, e-commerce, healthcare, and personal finance.

Wrapping Up

The freelance writing business is booming, and bagging a gig that pays well is possible if you know where to look.

Upwork is our top pick for the sheer volume of writing opportunities. Its thousands of jobs and multiple subcategories remain unbeatable, even with competitors like Fiverr.

Blogging Pro is also a favorite if you’re looking for niche-focused writing with clients that pay well.

Overall, checking out the online writing platforms we’ve listed opens you to opportunities to earn money by writing, even with little experience.

About This Side Hustle

Learn more about this side hustle and find others similar to it

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• The Ultimate Side Hustle: 11 Best Ways to Earn Money Writing

Jackie Pearce

Your Options for Best Ways to Earn Money Writing

Ghostwriter, technical writer, transcriptionist, proofreader, script writer, social media writer, copywriter and seo, advantages of being a freelance writer, get the recession-proof freelancer – free.

Being able to make money as a writer might seem like some far-off dream, but it might be more realistic than you imagined. However, there are a lot of options so this article will deep-dive the best ways to earn money writing.

Compared to other careers out there, writing can be done from anywhere in the world at any time of day, giving you more freedom over your schedule.

Whether you choose to pursue writing as a freelancer, as a side hustle, or want to find a job in the industry, this will break down some of the most popular options out there so you can find the best fit for you and your lifestyle.

• Technical Writer
• Script Writer
• Social Media Writer
• Copywriter & SEO

Let’s dive into all the best ways to earn money writing so you can find the right fit for your career and goals. We will also cover some basic pay rates so you can get an idea of what you will earn for each type of writing.

When it comes to making money as a writer, most people think of becoming authors. While this can be a little bit harder to get into than other types of writing, it’s an exciting option for someone who wants to write books .

Now, when it comes to making money as an author, you have a few potential paths in front of you. You can publish your own book, you can ghostwrite someone else’s book, or you can go down the traditional path and get a book publisher.

Each of these have pros and cons in their own right, but you might want to think about your overall purpose for want to becoming an author. If you write for someone else, you won’t receive any of the attention or notoriety that comes with having your name on a book.

If you go with a traditional publisher, you will need to pitch editors and wait until a company agrees to take your book on to publish.

Average pay as an author : Traditionally published authors make between 5 and 20% of royalties on their books with advances being between $50,000 to $100,000 .

If you want to become a blogger, you have two choices: you can write for your own blog or you can write for someone else’s blog . Of course, you can do both, but you might want to start with one path to start to test the waters and see if it’s a good fit.

Becoming a blogger means you’ll need to understand what makes a good blog and you’ll have to keep up with the current trends (they change often!). As long as you’re someone who can write consistently and often, you might enjoy blogging as your writing side hustle.

Average pay as a blogger: Glassdoor says that the average blogger salary is over $32,800 per year. Quite a few bloggers who run their own site average anywhere from $500 to $5,000+ per month from their blog.

Freelance writers tend to have a ton of flexibility and find their ways into various niches or types of writing. It can help to pick a niche or a particular type of writing so you can find clients, but if you choose to go down the path of freelance writing, know that your work will often progress and change with time.

Freelancing is one of the easiest ways to get started when you’re looking for the best ways to earn money writing. If you have decent writing skills, you can often find clients organically or through freelance job boards.

Average pay as a freelance writer: ZipRecruiter reports that freelance writers make an average of $63,488 per year.

If you have a sharp eye for detail and are one of those people who can spot typos or grammatical errors from a mile away, you might want to have a side hustle as an editor. You might need to suggest deeper, overall changes to the structure and the flow of what you are editing.

Average pay for editors : Freelance editors currently charge around $26.91 per hour .

If you’re someone who doesn’t mind someone else getting credit for your work, ghostwriting might be the perfect fit for you.

There are a lot of people who are experts in their field but have terrible writing skills, which is where you come in. You take their expertise and transform it into something readable and interesting.

Average pay for ghostwriting: If you choose to ghostwrite a book, beginning ghostwriters can expect anywhere from $2,000-$9,000 per book. Once you have solid experience, your rate raises to $20,000-$60,000 per book. Just ask our founder, Carol Tice .

When it comes to articles or blogs, the rate depends on the industry, but you can often expect $300+ per article.

If you have knowledge or skills in a particular niche, you might enjoy technical writing. You will almost always see technical writing under the science and technology niches, but it extends to other areas as well.

As you can imagine, you’ll need a lot of niche knowledge or you need to be a great researcher. You will be tasked to break down complicated language and instructions to make them readable and easy to understand.

Average pay for technical writing : On average, technical writers make $50,000-$73,000 per year.

The job of a transcriptionist is to transcribe audio into the written word. You might be brought on to do things such as turn podcasts into transcribed blogs, for example. It’s usually not as labor-intensive as other kinds of writing and editing, which might make it a good fit if you need a less-intense side hustle.

Average pay for writing transcripts : $15-30 per hour.

Proofreading might sound like editing, but generally, the skills needed are different. Editors can be deeply involved in a writing project and help make big shifts to things such as the plot or overall story, whereas proofreaders mostly focus on the grammar and spelling. If you are good at catching simple errors and can scan text quickly, this might be a perfect fit.

Average pay for proofreading: The national average is around $53,800 per year.

Script writers can be hired to write anything from YouTube scripts to advertising scripts. If you’re able to write in a conversational way, you might find this kind of work enjoyable. Keep in mind, this is different than screenwriting, which is a completely different industry on its own.

Average pay for script writing: The average pay for commercial writing (scripts for commercials) is $69, 842. The average YouTube script writer earned around $59,410.

Some companies hire writers exclusively to write social media content. You might end up doing things like writing Instagram captions, LinkedIn posts, or Facebook group posts.

More and more companies and people need social media posts but they don’t have the time to create them themselves, which makes this an excellent choice if you already love to read social media posts and have an idea of what they need.

Average pay for social media writing : The average pay for social media writers is $44,500 . Keeping in mind that you could also offer things like scheduling and creating the posts to boost your rate.

While copywriters and SEO specialists are usually different jobs, they’re often under the same umbrella as marketing and advertising writing. Clients will often search for candidates who have knowledge in both areas.

Average pay for copywriting and SEO work: The average salary for a copywriter is $53,159 per year . SEO specialists average $52,894 .

That said, direct response copywriters can make even more, especially if paid on commission.

There are quite a few reasons that freelance writing is one of the best ways to earn money writing. You’re able to pick it up when you want or turn it into a full-time gig if you so choose.

You’re often able to work from home and on your own schedule. Granted, you’ll need to be able to hit your deadlines and keep your clients happy, but usually, they don’t care if you work at the crack of dawn or late at night.

As a freelance writer, you also have the ability to be picky with the projects you choose to take on your plate. At a job, you often cannot tell your boss “no” to certain projects, whereas as a freelancer, you can deny or accept any project that comes your way.

As you can see, there are a lot of options out there for freelance writers. Now you just need to find the best ways to earn money writing for you.

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29 Great Ways to Make Money Writing Online in 2024

• Updated: 04/30/24
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Are you looking for a way to get paid to write? Do you want to make money by writing articles, blog posts, stories, or maybe something else entirely?

There are so many different ways to make money from writing, depending on your skill set and desires.

Whether you want to write for magazines, blogs, or other outlets, you can get paid to write from the comfort of your own home.

It’s often a very flexible job with flexible rates and hours.

Writing can be a great side business to start or even a full-time gig, depending on what you’re looking for.

With the right approach and some tips from this guide on how to make money writing, you’ll be able to turn your passion into a lucrative career!

We’ll cover everything from finding clients to understanding different payment methods, and more.

What Skills Do You Need to Get Paid to Write?

The good news is that you don’t need much at all to start a writing career – just a few basics.

• Writing Skills: Of course, you should have some experience with writing. But the cool thing is that you can be a self-taught writer. You don’t need any special credentials or qualifications to get started.
• Grammar Skills: Of course, you’ll need to have a good understanding of grammar and punctuation. Your work shouldn’t need any additional proofreading.
• Research Skills: Being able to research topics quickly and accurately is essential for any kind of writing job. You may be required to cite your sources.
• Time Management Skills: As with any job, managing your time well will help ensure that you meet deadlines and keep clients happy.
• Marketing Skills: Promoting yourself as a writer is key in order to get new clients and maintain existing ones. You don’t have to be an expert in marketing but it helps! It also helps to have marketing experience to include in your writing to help your clients reach their audiences better.
• Communication Skills: This is important to communicate submission deadlines and negotiate your rates.

29 Ways to Get Paid to Write Online

Making money online is the ultimate dream for many people and why wouldn’t it be? Work when you want and often for how much you want.

The world of writing can open up your career to so many different opportunities.

Let’s explore those opportunities in more depth below.

1. Blogging

Why rely on others to pay you money for writing when you can be your own boss? One of the best ways to make money writing is to start blogging .

There are a lot of ways to monetize blog content , including affiliate programs , sponsored posts, display ads, or selling your own products and services.

It takes time and effort to build an audience for your blog but it can be a much more rewarding way to get paid for writing.

Once your own blog becomes successful, you can also accept guest posts from other writers to help you save time and focus on other areas of your business.

It’s also very common for many bloggers to also have freelance writing gigs on the side while they are working on building their blogging business.

2. Freelance Writing

If you don’t have the time or desire to maintain a blog, freelance writing may be a better option for you. Freelance writers are hired by individuals, companies, websites, and publications to produce content on their behalf.

You’ll need to market yourself in order to land jobs as a freelance writer but once you do, you can start making money from home while writing about topics that interest you.

Plus, there are so many options for where to find freelance work — from job boards to social media groups—so it’s easy to find gigs that fit your skillset.

There are freelance writing opportunities in almost every area that we will discuss on this list.

3. Content Writing

A lot of companies, websites, and publications hire content writers to produce blog posts for them.

As a content writer, you are responsible for researching topics, creating engaging content, and optimizing it for SEO.

This is an excellent way to get paid to write because you can find jobs in almost any industry.

Consider your writing niche and whether you want to be known for one particular niche or a variety of niches.

It’s also helpful to have experience with content marketing.

Many companies also offer regular updates so you won’t have to worry about finding new work once the first assignment is complete.

This type of online writing can be either a freelance or a full-time writing career, depending on the needs of the client.

4. Copywriting

Copywriters write persuasive messages that aim to convince readers into taking action (e.g., making a purchase).

They typically specialize in marketing copy for sales pages, emails, and more.

Copywriters need strong research skills, creativity, and an understanding of consumer psychology in order to craft effective copy that will resonate with their target audience.

Because copywriting is a more specialized form of writing, you can often get paid more in this industry.

5. SEO Writing

Search engine optimization (SEO) is key if you want people to find your content online.

SEO writers write articles that follow SEO best practices to ensure their content can easily found by search engines like Google or Bing.

In order to be an SEO writer, you should have an understanding of how blogs use SEO to drive traffic.

SEO writers typically get paid more than other types of writers because it’s considered a specialized skill.

If you’re familiar with keyword research and SEO, this is a great way to get paid to write.

Related: 17 Best SEO Content Writing Services

6. Technical Writing

Technical writers create documents such as instructions, manuals, and tutorials for products or services.

You need to be able to explain complex information in an accessible, concise way.

It can be a lucrative and stable career since it often requires long-term contracts with clients. Plus, you don’t have to worry about finding new work as often as freelance writers do.

That said, technical writers must have strong writing skills as well as an understanding of the subject matter they’re writing about.

7. eBook Writing

Writing eBooks is another popular way to make money from writing online. You’ll need to come up with a unique concept and construct compelling sales copy in order to attract readers — but if done right, it can be a great source of income.

The best eBooks are usually around 20,000 words and will cost you anywhere from $2-$10 per eBook.

Plus, once your book is published, it’ll be available for sale indefinitely — so you can continue to make money even after the initial launch!

8. Ghostwriting

Ghostwriters write content for other people without taking credit for it.

This type of writing requires discretion as you will often be required to sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) before your start the project.

It’s a great option if you’re looking for regular work, but just keep in mind that you won’t get any recognition or public acknowledgement for your efforts.

Ghostwriting is usually done for celebrities or high-profile clients who want to write books but don’t have the time or expertise to do so themselves.

The ghostwriter does all the work and then hands over the finished product to the client.

9. Proofreader or Editor

If you’re an experienced writer or editor, you may be able to make money by proofreading or editing documents for other people.

You’ll need a sharp eye for detail and the ability to catch any errors that may have been missed.

Proofreading is usually paid on a per-hour basis but it’s also possible to negotiate flat rate fees with clients as well.

Plus, if you become known as a reliable and accurate proofreader, you can start charging more for your services over time.

10. Essay Writing

If you have a background in academia or research, you may be able to get paid to write essays.

There are websites that provide essay-writing services to others that hire talented writers.

They usually charge per word or page so it’s important to be aware of how much you’ll get paid before committing to any project.

You’ll need some research skills as well as the ability to create an engaging story in order to succeed in this area — but if you have both, it can be a great way to make money online.

11. Resume Writing

If you have an eye for detail and a knack for distilling complex information into easily digestible chunks, resume writing may be the perfect job for you.

People often hire resume writers to help them create compelling resumes that will help them stand out among other applicants.

Resume writers typically charge by the project rather than hourly so it’s important to price your services accordingly.

Plus, once you establish yourself as a reliable service provider, you can start charging more over time.

12. Journalism

If you’re interested in pursuing a career as a professional journalist, there are plenty of opportunities available.

Journalists write news stories for magazines, newspapers, and websites.

You’ll need to have strong research skills and the ability to write compelling stories in an engaging way.

Many publications also require their journalists to have some experience with photography or video production.

Journalism can be a rewarding career — but it’s important to understand that writing for a living can be quite demanding at times.

13. Social Media Copywriting

Social media copywriting involves writing copy for social media posts.

Bloggers and other online publications pay writers to write social media copy for ads and organic posts.

This type of writing requires a unique blend of creativity, knowledge of the platform used, and an understanding of how to craft compelling messages that engage the target audience.

You should have at least a basic understanding of copywriting and know how to produce high-quality copy that resonates with the client’s audience.

14. Sales Page Copywriting

Sales page copywriting is one of the most lucrative areas of copywriting.

This type of writing requires you to craft persuasive sales messages that will entice potential customers to purchase a product or service.

You’ll need to understand how to structure an effective sales page and create copy that engages readers and convinces them to take action.

Sales page copywriters are often paid well for their services — but they also have a significant responsibility in terms of helping businesses meet their revenue goals.

So make sure you have the necessary skills before taking on this type of work!

This is a great job for a freelance writer because people don’t necessarily need sales page work on an ongoing basis.

15. Email Marketing Copywriting

As a copywriter that focuses on emails, you generally need to write emails and newsletters that build relationships with customers and keep them engaged.

Because email marketing is also often geared towards sales, you generally also should have experience with persuasive writing that drives conversions.

You should be familiar with email marketing best practices such as using personalization, segmentation, automated workflows, and A/B testing.

These skills will help you create content that resonates with your audience and drives desired action.

16. Grant Writing

Grant writing involves researching and applying for grants from governments, foundations, corporations, trusts, and other organizations.

As a grant writer, you’ll need to be able to research and identify potential funding sources, write compelling applications that demonstrate a clear need for the requested funds, and develop a thorough budget outlining how the money will be used.

Grant writing is an important part of many businesses — but it can also be very lucrative if you’re successful in securing grants for your clients.

Plus, once you become established as a reliable grant writer, you can start charging more for your services over time.

17. Teach Others to Write

If you have a lot of experience in professional writing, you may be able to make money by teaching others how to write.

You could set up courses on Skillshare , Udemy , other online learning platforms and help people learn the basics of copywriting, blogging, SEO, and more.

You’ll need to do some research into your target audience before creating any course content — but once you get started, it can be a great way to make money while helping others become better writers!

18. White Papers

White papers are in-depth research documents that provide detailed information about a specific topic.

They are often used as promotional materials by companies and organizations to inform potential customers and attract new business.

As a white paper writer, your job will be to write compelling content that is both informative and persuasive — so you’ll need excellent writing skills as well as some knowledge of the industry or topic you’re writing about.

It’s not an easy task but it can be very rewarding if done correctly — both in terms of money and recognition!

19. Start a YouTube Channel About Writing

Another great way to write for money is to create a YouTube channel to teach others how to do what you do!

You could create videos about copywriting, blogging, SEO, and other topics related to writing and then monetize your channel with ads.

You’ll need to have an engaging personality as well as the ability to produce high-quality content in order to draw in viewers — but if you put in the effort, it can be a great source of income.

So if you’re passionate about writing and want to share your knowledge with others, why not give it a try?

20. Short Stories

Writing short stories can be a great way to flex your creative muscles and make some money in the process.

You can submit your stories to literary journals and magazines, or even self-publish them on platforms like Amazon Kindle.

It takes an immense amount of work to create a compelling short story, but if you have the skills it can be a great way to make some extra income while doing something you love.

And who knows — maybe one day you’ll become the next JK Rowling!

21. Podcast Show Notes

If you’re an experienced writer who enjoys listening to podcasts, you may be able to make money as a podcast show notes writer.

This involves writing up summaries of the content discussed in each episode of a podcast and posting them on the show’s website or blog.

Most podcasters require this type of service and it’s a great way to network and build relationships in your industry.

You’ll need excellent summarizing skills as well as the ability to write concisely and accurately — but if you have both, this can be a great way to make some extra money from home.

22. Fiction Writing

For those who prefer longer works of fiction, writing novels can be a great way to make money from your writing.

You can self-publish your book or try to find an agent and traditional publisher — but either way, it takes a lot of hard work and dedication in order to get your novel out there.

If you have the willingness and ability to put in the time and effort required, though, it’s a great way to create something that will last forever!

So if you’re passionate about storytelling and believe that you have what it takes, why not try your skills as a fiction writer?

23. Transcribe Audio Files

Another great way to earn money for writing is by transcribing audio files.

Transcriptionists listen to audio recordings and type out what is said in the form of a written document.

You can find transcription jobs on freelance websites like Upwork and Fiverr, or you can reach out directly to podcasts and other audio-related services that are looking for transcribers. Transcribing audio files may not be as glamorous as other typing jobs , but it’s a great way to put your writing skills to use while making some extra cash!

24. YouTube Scripts

If you have a knack for writing engaging scripts, you may be able to get paid to write YouTube scripts.

Many YouTubers hire writers to create scripts for their videos that include the words they will say on camera and any other text they need to appear on the screen.

You’ll need to have an understanding of video production as well as some experience with scripting — but if you do, this can be a great way to get paid for writing while helping others get their messages across!

25. Copywriting Consultant

If you’re an experienced writer with a strong understanding of copywriting principles, you may want to consider becoming a copywriting consultant.

Copywriting consultants provide advice and guidance to clients who are looking for help improving their copywriting.

You’ll need to have a thorough understanding of marketing principles, web design trends, and SEO techniques in order to be successful in this role.

Plus, you’ll need strong communication skills in order to effectively consult with clients and provide them with useful feedback.

It can be an incredibly rewarding job — but it’s important to be prepared for the challenges that come along with it.

26. Writing Contests

Writing contests are a great way for experienced writers to showcase their skills and make some money at the same time.

You can find writing contests in various genres such as fiction, nonfiction, poetry, personal essays, and more — and you can often win cash prizes that can range from $50-$1000 or more.

By participating in these types of contests, you can also gain recognition from other writers who may be able to help open doors for new opportunities down the line.

A writing contest a great way to get your writing out there while also earning some extra cash — so be sure to keep an eye out for any upcoming writing competitions you may be interested in entering!

27. Product Review Writer

If you have an interest in technology or other consumer products, you may be able to make money writing product reviews.

Product review writers are responsible for researching and testing products, then writing detailed reviews of them that can help inform potential customers about the pros and cons of various models.

When writing reviews, you should have knowledge and experience with the products you’re reviewing.

This type of writing may be better as a side hustle because you may find it hard to earn enough income to do this full-time.

28. Paid Writing Internships

If you’re just getting started in the world of writing, a paid internship can be a great way to gain valuable experience and make some money at the same time.

Many companies, organizations, media outlets, and other businesses offer internships for writers who are interested in learning more about the industry.

These internships usually involve working closely with experienced writers and editors on various projects — so it’s a great opportunity to learn from the best!

Plus, many internships are paid — so you can also make some cash while gaining valuable experience.

29. Press Releases

Writing press releases is another great way to get paid for writing if you have a background in marketing.

Press releases are statements sent out to news outlets in an attempt to draw attention to a certain event, product, or business.

A good press release should be concise, clear, and informative — so you’ll need excellent writing abilities as well as some knowledge of how the media works in order to craft effective press releases that get noticed.

10 Best Websites to Find Writing Jobs

Now that you know the many ways you can write for money, let’s look at some of the best places to find writing jobs.

Many of the following websites have job boards that will help you find work as a freelance writer or part-time or full-time positions with companies.

You’ll also find many remote work opportunities with the job boards below.

• Upwork – Upwork is a great resource for finding freelance writing jobs of all kinds. You can find one-time projects, long-term contracts, and even full-time positions.
• Freelancer.com – Freelancer.com is another popular job board for finding freelance writing gigs, website designers, and other remote work.
• Fl exJobs – FlexJobs is a great site with for finding legitimate remote writing jobs with job boards in every industry you can think of.
• ProBlogger Job Board – ProBlogger is a great place to find freelance writing opportunities with a job board related to blogging and content creation.
• Guru – Guru is a platform designed specifically for connecting freelancers with remote job opportunities in a variety of industries, including writing.
• Indeed – Indeed is an online job board with millions of listings from all over the world. You can find a variety of writing jobs in different industries and locations.
• LinkedIn – LinkedIn is a great place to network with potential clients and search for freelance writing opportunities on their online job boards.
• Fiverr – Fiverr is a popular platform for finding one-time writing gigs and short-term projects.
• PeoplePerHour – PeoplePerHour is an online job board for finding short-term and long-term freelance writing gigs.
• WriterAccess – WriterAccess is a great platform for finding freelance writing jobs with companies that need content written on a regular basis.

How to Get Started Writing for Money

Let’s talk about some steps to consider when you’re getting started.

1. Explore Opportunities

The first thing you need to do if you want to get paid for your writing is to figure out what kind of writing you’d like to do.

The purpose of this article is to help you understand what opportunities exist, so take another look at the list above and do some additional research into any opportunities that interest you.

Explore some of the job boards to get a better idea of how much individual gigs pay and what is expected of you for each type of work.

2. Develop Your Writing Style and Process

Developing a consistent writing process is key when it comes to becoming a successful freelance writer.

Having a clear plan for how you create your content will help you stay organized and keep track of deadlines.

It’s also important to know your strengths and weaknesses so you can focus your time on what works best for you, whether it’s planning, researching, or writing itself.

Having a routine that works for you and sticking to it will help increase your productivity and efficiency as a writer.

Remember that every writing niche is different. Do some research into whatever niche(s) you choose to get ideas of what successful writing looks like.

3. Create a High-Quality Portfolio

Creating a portfolio of your work is essential if you want to make money online with writing.

The best place to showcase your portfolio is on your own website or blog.

High-quality examples of your work are always helpful because they provide potential clients with an idea of what you can do for them.

Make sure to include samples from different topics and genres, as this will show potential clients that you’re capable of writing on a variety of subjects.

4. Network with Other Writers

Building relationships with other writers is a great way to increase your chances of finding more and better writing opportunities.

You can network with other writers in person or online through social media sites like Twitter and LinkedIn.

You can also join online writer communities such as the Writer’s Guild or Freelance Writers Network.

There are also a lot of Facebook groups specifically for freelance writers that are great places to find leads as well as tips and advice from experienced professionals.

Networking with other writers is one of the best ways to learn more about the industry, find new opportunities, and get your work seen by more people.

5. Negotiate and Know Your Worth

When you’re looking to get paid to write, you want to make sure that you know your worth and negotiate for it.

This may be a little harder when you start writing because you may lack the experience or the credentials to charge premium rates.

It may make sense to start out with competitive rates and work your way up.

If you’re a professional writer and know that your work is worth a premium rate, never be afraid to ask for it or negotiate better terms.

It’s important that you value your own work and stand firm on what you think it’s worth.

6. Have a Contract in Place

Before you start any writing gig, it’s important to have a contract in place.

A good freelance contract will include the payment terms, communication expectations, submission guidelines, and other elements of the job.

You should have some kind of contract even if you’re not freelancing, but companies will often write this for you if you’re looking into a regular part-time or full-time position.

If you’re a freelancer, it may be up to you to create the contract.

Understanding the legalities behind the writing job is essential if you want to stay safe and avoid any potential issues down the road.

7. Consider Starting as a Freelancer

If you’re just starting out as a writer, it may be best to start as a freelancer.

This way, you can explore different types of writing and get experience without the commitments that come with a full-time position.

Freelance writing also gives you the flexibility to work on your own schedule and establish yourself as an expert in whatever topic or genre interests you the most.

Overall, freelance writing is one of the best ways to get started making money online through your writing.

7. Promote Your Services

Once you have some writing samples, it’s time to start promoting your writing services online.

The best way to do this is by creating a website where potential clients can view your portfolio of writing samples, read testimonials from previous clients, and contact you directly for freelance work.

You should also create social media accounts for your writing business and start building an online following by sharing useful content related to the topics you write about.

Having a presence on multiple platforms makes it easier for potential clients to find you online.

If you’re interested in longer-form writing, pitching stories to magazines is a great way to make money. Magazines are always looking for new content, so approach them with an interesting idea that you think they’d be interested in.

5 Tips on How to Make Money Writing Online

Whether you’re a freelance writer or someone looking for a full-time gig, these tips are going to be really important before you start writing or promoting your writing services.

1. Use AI Writing Tools

AI writing tools are an absolute must in the world of writing. What many people don’t understand is that they aren’t a complete replacement for professional writing.

The best way to use AI with your writing is a supplemental tool to help you generate ideas and improve your writing speed.

You will still need to add your own unique writing style and personal stories to your content to set it aside from the rest.

Jasper is our favorite AI tool for writing and what we use in our own business.

2. Focus on Quality Over Quantity

In the world of writing, it’s easy to get caught up in trying to write as much content for as many people as possible.

While this may seem like a good idea in theory, it could actually be damaging your reputation and hurting your income potential.

Instead of focusing on churning out massive amounts of content, focus on creating high-quality pieces that will impress clients and help you build a name for yourself as a professional writer.

High-quality work is more likely to be seen by more people, which can lead to better rates and increase your chances of landing bigger projects.

You’ll also find that clients are willing to pay more for top-notch work because they value quality over quantity.

This will also help you build better relationships and get repeat clients.

3. Stay Informed on Industry Trends

It’s important to stay up-to-date with the latest trends in the writing industry, as this can help you determine what type of content is popular and what opportunities that are available.

Reading industry publications and newsletters, attending writing conferences, joining webinars, or taking online courses will give you insight into what’s trending in the field.

Knowing what types of topics and content formats are popular right now can also help you come up with ideas for articles, blog posts, and other pieces that clients may be interested in.

5. Invest in Learning SEO and Marketing

As a content writer, you can usually earn a lot more with a background in SEO and/or marketing.

This will make your skills more valuable and marketable and help you land more gigs with better rates.

You can use SEO tools like Surfer SEO to optimize your content so it can be seen by more people, as well as how to create compelling copy that will drive conversions.

Investing in courses about digital marketing and SEO is a great way to learn the basics of these topics and start applying them to your work.

Google is always updating its algorithms, so it’s important to stay up-to-date with the latest trends in SEO.

5. Offer Additional Services

One way to stand out from others is by offering additional services such as editing, proofreading, SEO, or content strategy advice.

This can help you make more money as a writer and give clients another reason to hire you.

Adding extra services like this also shows clients that you’re an expert in the field and have a lot of experience.

It can be a great way to boost your income without having to take on more writing clients.

FAQs About How to Make Money Writing

There are many ways to make money writing. You can do freelance work, write for blogs or magazines, create content for websites and companies, write books, and even teach writing classes. Depending on the project, you can get paid per word or per hour. With a bit of research and dedication, anyone can start making money through writing!

Yes, it’s entirely possible to make up to $1000 a month or more with freelance writing. There are plenty of ways you can get paid for writing. You could look for remote jobs on job boards, write articles and content for websites, or start your own blog and use it as a platform to find clients. You’ll need to create a portfolio of your work and promote yourself as much as possible to gain more clients and increase your earnings. With the right skill set and dedication, you can make money writing in no time!

If you’re looking to make some money from your writing skills, there are lots of different ways to write for money. From blogging and content creation to freelance gigs and even full-time jobs – there’s no shortage of options when it comes to getting paid for writing. To get started, check out websites like Upwork , Fiverr , and Freelancer – they all offer opportunities to connect with businesses that are looking for writers to help create content.

Absolutely! Writing can be a great career option if you have the creative flair for it. Freelance writing, copywriting, and blogging are just some of the ways you can get paid to write online. You can also find traditional jobs that require writing skills in fields like journalism, marketing, and public relations. So don’t worry – there’s plenty of opportunity to earn a living from writing.

Writing is a profession like any other, and with the right skills and determination, anyone can get paid to write. In fact, while you need to have sufficient grammar skills, writing is also often a self-taught skill. From content marketers to copywriters, from freelance bloggers to ghostwriters – there are a wide variety of writing gigs that pay well if you’re willing to put in the hard work. Plus, the work is often remote and very flexible.

Yes, it is possible to make a six-figure salary as a writer. You’ll need to have the right combination of skills, connections, and determination to achieve this kind of success. You may also want to specialize in an area such as copywriting, content marketing, or SEO writing so you can charge higher rates. Having repeat clients can help you achieve this goal so that you don’t have to search for new work on a month-to-month basis.

Key Takeaways for How to Make Money Writing

No matter which type of online writing job you’re considering, there are plenty of ways to get paid to write from the comfort of your own home.

Whether it’s blogging, copywriting, SEO writing, or something else entirely, you’ll find that there are plenty of opportunities out there for you to earn a living writing.

One of the best ways for new writers to get started is to try freelancing to get some experience and build up a portfolio of samples.

As an experienced writer, you can easily earn a full-time income online.

Check job boards regularly for openings and network whenever possible.

Get Paid to Write Essays: 21 Great Sites For Making Money

In a rush? Writers Work is a great place for getting paid to write essays. Our guide to the top essay-writing companies from academic to personal essays.

Academic writing can be an excellent way to make money. Students will pay writers to create example research papers or assist them in writing their school essays and papers. Learning how to write a 5 paragraph essay  will open the door to more income potential. There are two primary methods to make money writing essays, and the first is to write academic essays.

How To Get Paid to Write Essays Online

Essay writing companies look for writers who can create high-quality English essays and academic-style papers, and you can make a good income as a freelance writer. The second method is to write personal essays and pitch them to online and print magazines. Either way, the income potential is quite good. The key is finding the right essay writing service company to write for so you can avoid any scams; these 18 are a good starting point.

Writers Work contains freelance writing opportunities for writers who want to start their career

1. Writers Work

2. academic writers online, 3. paperhelp, 4. speedypaper, 5. advancedwriters, 6. writing creek, 7. essaypro, 8. iwritessays.com, 9. essayshark, 10. bluecorp, 11. lancerhop, 12. writers lab, 13. dame magazine, 14. the change agent, 15. buzzfeed, 16. narratively, 17. new york times modern love, 18. the smart set, 19. vox first person, 20. practical wanderlust, what are the advantages of getting paid to write essays, what is the best essay writing site.

Writers Work is a popular platform for new freelance writers. It connects writers, including aspiring essayists, with online clientele, enabling you to fulfill tasks and earn income, all from the comfort of your office or library. You’ll need to pay a fee to sign up. Once inside, Writers Work aggregates dozens of writing jobs and opportunities across various niches and magazines. If you want to spend more time writing essays and less time pitching, it’s worth checking out. Read our Writers Work review to learn more. 

Academic Writers Online has a free application process for potential freelancers. This site has a small pool of writers, so you have a better chance of getting quality freelance writing work here. They pay between $9 and $15 per page, and writers are paid on their credit card via wire transfer two times per month. You can also check out our guide on how to get paid to write a blog .

PaperHelp is an academic essay page that takes ghostwriters. You must submit a resume via email, then take a writing test. Understanding MLA and APA formatting is helpful for this page. After the initial test, they then put writers on probation for lower pay, and eventually, you can work your way up the writer ladder if you publish flawless work, opening the door to higher-paid work.

SpeedyPaper is a large essay and paper writing company that provides excellent customer support for its paying customers. To write for them, you will need to email them or use the live chat feature to access the writer application. They pay a minimum of $8 per page, but the pay range varies depending on the length and type of paper.

AdvancedWriters has a large team of writers who write everything from case studies to research papers. They do not advertise their rates or application process, but you can email them directly to get the application. They have a writing test and sample essay process you will need to go through to write for them. You may also be interested in our guide on the best ways to get paid to write poetry .

Writing Creek has a constant workload of academic writing projects. They pay between $4 and $12 a page, depending on experience, via Payoneer or PayPal. You will need proficiency in your area of study and good use of the English language. You will need to take a test and submit a sample essay to write essays for money for this site.

Essaypro offers payment on the 15th of each month and then again on the last day of the month. They don’t use PayPal but Payoneer, so writers must be comfortable with that. Customers will place orders; then, writers bid on those orders. Turning in papers on time and following directions will increase the pay rate.

iWriteEssays advertises itself as a student homework help and essay writing service. Students use an order form to input the instructions and deadline for their paper, and then they get matched to a writer with the correct writing style. As a writer, you’ll interact directly with the student to ensure the final project meets their needs well. You must upload a writing sample and pass a grammar test on writing for them. They don’t publish their writing rates.

EssayShark is a unique essay writing service. They allow freelance writers to register as writers and then bid on writing projects. They have a high work volume, and writers who deliver excellent work can get bonuses, but there can be a lot of competition for available jobs. If you feel like taking on the competition of bidding for jobs, consider registering here.

Bluecorp is a top-notch writing website for essay writers. They are very strict about their formatting, so you will need to know how to make a title page, references page, citations, and similar structural elements of academic papers. They also offer proofreading and editing services for students. Work is paid per page with a range of $3.50 to $9 a page for writers with an undergraduate degree, and all work must be plagiarism free.

LancerHop is a unique site in that it offers both academic writers and writers for web content and general copywriting. They also have review writers. If you are looking for freelance writing jobs that cover a wide range of topics and are interested in adding essay writing to your skillset, apply for LancerHop. You will need to take a writing test for this site. The rate of pay will vary depending on the type of work you do.

Writers Lab offers academic essay and personal essay writing jobs and general article writing. This is a one-stop shop for freelance writers, and they pay between $5 and $26 per page with bonuses if you are very efficient with your work. Writers Lab hires both native English writers and ESL writers for their writing projects.

Dame Magazine takes personal essays on subjects that interest women. The current pay rate is around 13 cents per word, with an average of $350 to $750 per piece. This particular magazine is looking for edgy, unexpected topics. You will have to pitch a topic to the site to get your writing published.

The Change Agent accepts essays on social justice and changes topics. This magazine focuses on adult education, paying $50 for essays between 200 and 1,000 words. However, payment is made in the form of a gift card, not actual money. Also, they only take articles a few times per year, and they will publish a topic to write on.

If you want to write personal and argumentative essays and get a lot of exposure for your work, then Buzzfeed is your site. You can pitch topics on culturally hot topics. They are looking for argumentative essays that connect to culture in some way, and they pay well. The average pay rate is between 13 and 27 cents per word for accepted essays.

If you have a personal story, consider pitching it to Narratively . They are looking for essays with click-bait titles that will gather traffic from social media. All essays for this site need a takeaway, which is a lesson for the reader. Expect between $200 and $300 for accepted essays between 2,000 and 2,500 in length.

The New York Times is a prestigious publication, and you may be able to get a piece posted through the Modern Love column . Your essay will need to cover marriage, dating, and relationships in some way. They also accept parenting articles. The pay is $300 per essay of 1,500 to 1,700 words.

The Smart Set is an established print magazine for the literary world. It is published through Drexel University in Pennsylvania and is regularly on the lookout for personal essays. The rate of pay is 7 cents per word. This magazine prefers long essays between 1,000 and 3,000 words.

Vox First Person takes first-person essays or thoughtful discourses on hot political and cultural topics. You will need to email the First Person Editor to pitch your topic, but you will earn between 19 and 41 cents per word for essays up to 3,000 words.

If you want to become a travel writer and make money on essays, consider writing for Practical Wanderlust . They pay $300 a piece for essays of around 3,000 words and require pitches. You will need an essay that makes people stop and think or laugh, and it must be travel related.

FAQs About Ways to Get Paid to Write Essays

Learning to write essays for pay can help you add to your freelance writing income. You will be able to write on various topics and have steady work. There is a high demand and great flexibility to write for this niche.

EssayPro is considered one of the top essay-writing sites. It pays consistently and has steady work. Customers know they can count on EssayPro to deliver plagiarism-free high-quality work.

To learn more, check out our tips on blogging for writers !