7 Best Ways to Make Money Writing

If you don’t have much writing experience, a good way to get started is to sign up for some of the many freelancing marketplaces out there.

You can find all sorts of writing jobs on these sites. People frequently need writers for:

• Website content and blog articles
• Social media posts
• White papers
• Research articles
• Press releases
• Product descriptions
• Video scripts
• Fiction ghostwriting
• Resumes
• Academic essays
• Technical writing for manuals and other publications

To get started, pick the types of writing you’d like to do. Create a profile on a popular job board and start applying for jobs that match your interests.

General-purpose freelancing websites

Some of the most popular freelancing sites are:

• Upwork 
• Fiverr 
• Freelancer
• PeoplePerHour

These sites aren’t writing-specific, but there are still dozens or hundreds of writing jobs posted on them per day. Rates vary widely.

Content-writing services

Content-writing services are job boards and marketplaces that are specifically meant for freelance writers. They act as a sort of middleman between writers and businesses.

Some of these platforms have a poor reputation among freelancers, who find that they offer relatively low rates and sometimes refer to them as “content mills.”

It’s true that once you’re more established, you’ll probably be able to get more competitive rates by working directly with clients, but when you’re getting your start, working for a content-writing service can be a good way to get experience and build a portfolio.

Here are a few of the platforms you can apply to:

• Constant Content
• ContentWriters
• ContentGather
• Contently
• Crowd Content
• Compose.ly
• Toptal

Again, this is a good way to get started as a writer, since you won’t need tons of experience or an amazing portfolio to sign up. However, you’ll still usually need to go through a screening process, which might include one or more tests and may require you to write a sample.

Miscellaneous job boards

There are other, more general job boards you can use, such as:

• Flexjobs
• Indeed
• Craigslist

If you’re a member of a writers’ or editors’ association, you may also find jobs through their website.

We spoke to Jennifer Della’Zanna, who has 20 years of experience as a freelance writer and editor and is a member of the Editorial Freelancers Association. She recommended job boards as her top way to find writing gigs and singled out the EFA’s own board in particular, calling it “an embarrassment of riches for work.”

However, to access the EFA’s board, you need to become a member of the EFA, which costs $145 for one year and $260 for two years.

There are many popular blogs and websites that will pay you to write articles for them on all kinds of topics. You can start by looking through the publications listed below.

Note that this list is by no means exhaustive—there are dozens of other websites that you can sell pieces to. Your best bet is to pick a topic that you know a lot about and search for publications that focus on it.

Websites that pay for articles

• Cracked: This is an “infotainment” website for humorous articles. They pay $150–$250 per article.
• Listverse: This is another infotainment website that features listicles. They pay $100 per article.
• Making a Living Writing: This website offers tips and resources for freelance writers. They pay $75–$150 for guest posts.
• Narratively: Narratively accepts nonfiction (biographical) articles with a narrative arc. They don’t specify their rates, but some sources suggest that they pay about $.10 per word.
• International Retirees: This is a website about retirement—how to enjoy it and how to live cheaply as a retiree. They pay $100 for 1000 words.
• Bitch Media: This publication analyzes contemporary culture from a feminist perspective. They accept all types of articles, from critical essays and reported features to interviews and reviews. Payment varies but generally ranges between $250–$1000 per article.
• Chickpea: This is a publication that describes itself as an “indie vegan lifestyle guide.” They’re in the market for guides and tips, recipes with stories behind them, and DIY projects, among other types of articles. They guarantee that they pay writers, but don’t specify how much.
• Veg News: This is another magazine that features articles about vegan recipes, travel, news, food, reviews, and more. They’re interested in anything related to a plant-based lifestyle. However, they don’t guarantee that you’ll be paid for your submission—just that “many contributions to VegNews are paid.”
• FanSided: This site caters to sports fans. They want writers to share stories about the world of sports, both on and off the field. This includes columns, essays, interviews, and analyses. Their rates depend on the article length, your experience, and other considerations.
• Copyhackers: This site is for copywriters and UX writers. They publish articles on business- and career-related topics, like how to build a business, freelancing, product design, and more. They pay $300–$1000 per article.

With this kind of work, you’ll often have to start by sending a pitch, which is a preview of what you plan to write. This helps editors determine whether your idea is right for their publication and whether they want you to go ahead and send them the entire article. Read the website’s guidelines to make sure that you’re following the right procedure.

Pitching to newspapers and magazines

It’s also possible to pitch story ideas to print publications, like newspapers and magazines.

This is one of the more difficult ways to make money as a writer. Journalism is a very competitive industry, so media outlets get a lot of pitches from hopeful writers.

Normally, you’ll need to build up a solid portfolio before you can do this—especially if you want to write for prominent publications. Once you’ve assembled your portfolio, you can start pitching article ideas to commissioning editors (the journalists who recommend the articles that their publication should run).

If editors like your ideas, you might get hired on a freelance basis to write one or more articles.

It’s also possible to make money writing for yourself instead of for a client. One way to do this is by starting a blog and eventually monetizing it.

This isn’t an easy path—there are a lot of bloggers out there with the same idea, so it’s very competitive. However, you have nothing to lose by giving it a shot (except time). Blogging also makes for great writing practice, and even if your blog doesn’t take off, you can still use your posts as portfolio pieces.

How to set up a blog

Getting started is easy. You can create a blog by using sites like:

• Wix
• WordPress
• Blogger
• Squarespace

Before you actually create your blog, decide on a strategy. Pick a topic that you’re confident you can write interesting posts about, then work out how you’re going to attract followers (e.g., by using social media to garner attention or by networking with other bloggers who write about similar topics).

Monetizing your blog

Once your blog is established, there are several strategies you can use to make money from it:

• Add advertisements: You can use programs like Google Adsense or Media.net to put ads on your blog. The more traffic you get, the more you’ll get paid.
• Write paid reviews: You can also make money by writing reviews of products and services. To do this, visit a site like ReviewMe.com or PayPerPost and list yourself as a blogger. You’ll get offers from companies that will pay a set rate for you to review their products.
• Write sponsored content: Sponsored content usually looks like a normal blog post, but it actually promotes products or services. For example, if you’re a fitness blogger, you might write about a piece of fitness equipment or a nutritional supplement and include an “affiliate link” that your readers can use to buy it. If someone does, you’ll receive a commission. You can also share unique discount codes, which do the same thing.

One easy way to start using affiliate links is to join Amazon Associates. This is a free program that lets you earn commissions by recommending products and posting links to their Amazon page on your website or social media.

Of course, for companies to be interested in paying you for sponsored content or advertising, your blog needs to have quite a bit of traffic. Achieving this level of popularity will be an uphill road.

Do your best to pick a blogging niche that’s not completely saturated and that you think you can create worthwhile and unique content for.

There are ways to get paid for writing reviews of all kinds of products. Here are a few ideas.

Book reviews

If you’re interested in writing for a living, then you probably also enjoy reading. If so, try writing book reviews for these sites:

• Online Book Club: This is a free online community where you can get paid to read and review books. Their site says that most payouts are currently $5–$60 per review.
• Kirkus Media: This is an American book review magazine that’s often looking for experienced reviewers. They don’t specify how much they pay, but rumor has it that you can get $50 per review.
• Reedsy Discovery: This site doesn’t pay you directly for book reviews. Instead, it lets readers tip you $1, $3, or $5 for your work.
• The US Review of Books: This is a contemporary book review publication that regularly hires freelance book reviewers. To apply, you can get in touch with the editor by email (include a resume, samples, and at least two professional references with your application). Unfortunately, their site doesn’t specify how much they pay, but some other websites claim that it’s in the range of $25–$75 per review.

Other sites that will pay you for reviews

If book reviews aren’t your thing, you can also try reviewing movies, music, or other pop culture products. Try one of these sites:

• Cineaste: This is a magazine that “offers a social, political, and aesthetic perspective on the cinema.” They accept film reviews and DVD or Blu-ray reviews (both of new and vintage/classic films), as well as book reviews. They pay $18–$45, depending on the type of review.
• Screen Rant: This entertainment website features reviews of movies, TV shows, video games, and comics, as well as various types of entertainment news. They want writers to contribute this content on a regular basis (and even have opportunities for full-time writers). However, their website doesn’t specify the pay.
• Cultured Vultures: This is a British pop culture website that covers gaming, movies, TV, and more. They accept game reviews and film reviews, along with other types of content. They pay a base rate of £5 (approximately $6) and then additional money for every 200 views you get.

As mentioned, if you have a blog with a decent following, you can also approach companies and offer to review their products for a price.

Small businesses often need copy for things like:

• Brochures, pamphlets, and flyers
• Digital or printed newsletters
• Product descriptions
• Press releases
• Social media posts

If you’re a skilled copywriter, there are a lot of opportunities in this area. According to Kara L. Gray, an experienced freelancer and a member of the National Association of Independent Writers and Editors (NAIWE), “Almost every company needs good writing and it’s getting harder to find.”

Small businesses often hire freelance copywriters for project-based work, as it’s rare for them to have in-house writers. You can find a lot of jobs on the sites we’ve already mentioned (e.g., Upwork), but you can also try pitching your services to a local business in your area that you think needs a boost.

Even if a business isn’t actively hiring, if you point out areas for improvement, they may see the benefit in getting your help with their promotional materials and other writing tasks.

This will be an easier sell if you have a track record of success. For instance, if your social media accounts have a lot of followers, you’ll have a better chance of convincing businesses to let you revamp their social media presence.

Self-publishing is a great way for writers to get their work out on the internet. Although you almost certainly won’t achieve overnight success and fame from a self-published book, if it gets popular enough, it can open other doors, such as helping you to get a book deal or to establish authority in your chosen subject. This will make it easier to land clients and pitch articles in the future.

In the era of Amazon and Kindle, it’s easier than ever to self-publish. You can do it for free on platforms like Kindle Direct Publishing and Apple Books (although these sites will then take a cut of your royalties for any copies you sell).

There are several places you can submit prose, poetry, song lyrics, and other artistic works for publication and get paid. These include:

• Literary magazines: These will often pay you for poetry, prose, non-academic essays, and more. Try the Poetry Foundation, the American Poetry Review, or the Sun Magazine.
• Greeting cards: There are several sites, including Viabella, Oatmeal Studios, and Blue Mountain Arts, that will let you submit poetry for greeting cards.
• Song lyrics: To get paid for writing song lyrics, check out SongBay (where you can also sell poetry) and Premium Lyrics.
• Writing competitions: There are always writing contests going on, and some have very generous cash prizes. Reedsy maintains a yearly list of popular competitions; take a scan and see if any appeal.

Being a freelance writer is an attractive career, but it isn’t an easy one—especially today, when many clients prefer to use AI-generated content. Use these tips to get your career off the ground, regardless of the type of writing that you choose to do.

Build a solid portfolio

Serious writers need portfolios. When you start out, you may need to take on projects for lower pay or even for free to help you build up a catalog of pieces, which should include at least three samples of your best published pieces.

It’s easy to share your portfolio on sites like Contently and Muck Rack.

Tips for creating an attention-grabbing portfolio

When you create your portfolio, it’s good to be thorough—don’t forget to include any of your best work—but avoid going overboard.

We spoke to Rebecca Hey, founder of the digital marketing company Strategically, who has extensive experience hiring freelance writers. She told us, “The reason why I think spending too much time producing a portfolio can be detrimental is that it’s easy to get caught up in the less important aspects, like presentation, and you can lose track of the actual purpose of a portfolio (i.e., showing a client that you can write).”

She added, “Having been on the other side, looking at writer portfolios as an employer, I know that clients are often scanning through tens of applications and just want to access your writing samples in as few clicks as possible.”

The takeaway is that, while your portfolio should look professional, remember to keep the focus on your writing, and make sure it’s easy to navigate. Don’t make potential employers click through multiple pages to get to your sample pieces.

Get your foot in the door with audio transcription

Transcription involves listening to voice recordings and putting the content down in writing. It’s a good job to try if you have great listening and typing skills.

Transcription doesn’t involve creating your own content, but according to Robert Jellison, an editor who previously managed a platform for freelance writers, it’s close enough that it can serve as an entry into the world of writing.

If you prove yourself with several transcription jobs on freelance platforms, you can leverage your reputation and have a better shot at landing actual writing jobs. (Be sure to ask your clients to leave positive reviews if they’re happy with your work.)

“It’s particularly easy to jump from transcription to writing on platforms like Upwork and Fiverr,” said Jellison. “The key is to get that first five-star review to prove you’re reliable. Once you do, a lot of doors will open up.”

If you discover you have a knack for this type of work, you can also check out these sites for more transcription opportunities:

• Rev
• CrowdSurf
• TranscribeMe
• Daily Transcription
• Musixmatch

Note that for higher-paying transcription jobs, you’ll usually need specialized knowledge. This is especially true for legal transcription.

Promote yourself

There are many ways to let people know you’re available for hire. You can (and should) set up a website, which should link to your portfolio.

You can also advertise your services on social media, or, if you prefer a more traditional approach, distribute pamphlets, flyers, or pass out business cards.

Word of mouth also works very well. In particular, tell fellow freelance writers that you have time in your schedule for extra work. Many established writers get more work than they can handle and are happy to pass on projects that they can’t fit into their schedule.