Freelance Writer

Freelance writing is a classic side hustle that’s exactly what it sounds like: creating written content for clients, working mostly independently instead of as a traditional employee.

You can produce almost any type of writing on a freelance basis, but some kinds are more popular than others. Below, we’ve listed several major types of content that people often hire freelancers to produce:

• SEO blog posts
• Website copy
• Email marketing copy
• Academic articles and white papers
• Journalistic pieces
• Resumes
• Grant proposals
• Ghostwritten e-books (mainly nonfiction, although the romance genre is also popular)

How freelance writers land work

Many freelancers find work on freelance marketplaces, such as Upwork and Fiverr, or on content mills (which are websites that generally pay relatively low rates, but also have less demanding assignments).

Some writers also contract with clients directly, or pitch articles to the editors of popular blogs, magazines, and other publications.

We’ll elaborate on the types of content that freelancers create and how they land jobs further down in this article.

Many freelancers charge by the word (although not all—some prefer to charge on an hourly or per-project basis). Regardless of the payment model used, freelance rates are highly variable, and depend heavily on:

• Experience: It probably won’t come as a shock to you that your track record as a writer will affect the kind of pay you can command. If you’ve been writing professionally for 20 years and have a substantial portfolio, you’ll make a lot more than a beginner.
• Expertise: Similarly, if you can write authoritatively about a specialized and challenging topic (such as medicine or finance), you’ll also often be able to earn a lot more.

Per-word rates by experience level

Here’s roughly how much freelancers can expect to make at various stages in their careers:

• Beginning writers: $0.08–$0.13 per word
• Intermediate writers: $0.14–$0.20 per word
• Experienced and specialized writers: $0.20–$0.50 per word

Those are just rough averages, and many writers earn rates that fall outside those ranges. Freelancers who primarily find work on content mills often earn just a few cents per word (which means they have to turn around projects very quickly to make their side hustle economically viable). Conversely, very well-established freelancers who’ve built relationships with corporate clients, editors at prominent publications, etc., can sometimes earn $1–$2 per word or even more.

Again, writing is a challenging and competitive industry, and if you’re just dipping your toes into it for the first time, you shouldn’t count on landing particularly lucrative jobs. However, if you’re talented and motivated, it’s possible you’ll be able to work your way up to them eventually.

We’ve already mentioned a few types of content that freelance writers may be hired to create. We’ll expand on them below.

If you’re starting your own writing side hustle, your first step should be to review these niches and pick one to specialize in. Of course, there’s no law saying you have to pick just one—it’s perfectly fine to experiment with multiple if you aren’t sure yet which type of project you’re most interested in.

1. Web content writing

What it is: A significant number of writing-related freelance jobs consist of producing content for websites. There’s a particularly large market for blog content, since many brands use blogging as part of their digital marketing strategy.

Web content is very diverse, and regardless of what your interests and skills are, you’ll probably be able to find at least a few clients who want articles on a topic you’re qualified to write about. That said, these subjects are perennial favorites in the blogging world:

• Beauty
• Business
• Fashion
• Food (recipes, restaurant reviews, etc.)
• Health and wellness
• Marketing
• Personal finance and investing
• Politics
• Product reviews (various industries)
• Travel

Requirements: Regardless of the niche you pick, to create this kind of content, you’ll need to be familiar with the conventions of web writing, which differ significantly from those of print media. You should also develop your knowledge of search engine optimization (SEO), a set of techniques that make web content more likely to rank well on search engines like Google.

SEO has a mixed reputation, but much of the negative press is undeserved. These days, it mostly boils down to common-sense strategies that make your content more readable by both human beings and machines. You can learn the most important points in a week or two of study.

How to get started: You can find web content writing jobs on freelance marketplaces and content mills (listed in the next section). You can also reach out to companies directly and offer your services as a writer, particularly once you have a track record of writing content that performs well online.

It’s also possible to earn money from starting your own blog. It will take a while for this to pay off; even if you’re skilled and lucky, building a following is a slow process. However, if your content does catch on, there are many ways you can monetize it with ads, sponsored posts, and other methods. What’s more, you’ll derive some benefit from having an active blog even before you see a dime from it, as you’ll be able to use your posts as portfolio pieces when you apply for freelance gigs.

2. Technical writing

What it is: Technical writing is an umbrella category that refers to any type of content that covers a particularly challenging or technical subject, just like the name suggests. Product manuals (e.g., for electronics) are one particularly common and familiar type of technical writing, but there are many others, including:

• Academic papers
• Business proposals
• Instructional how-to guides and tutorials
• Standard operating procedures (SOPs)
• Technical documentation for software
• White papers

Requirements: In this specialty, your technical knowledge will be just as important as your skill as a writer. You’ll need to be highly informed about a scientific or technological subject, and good enough with words to explain it clearly for audiences that may include both experts and laypeople. If you have actual industry experience in your chosen field, that’s even better.

How to get started: You can find technical writing jobs on freelance marketplaces and by directly contacting potential clients. If you do have industry experience, don’t be afraid to lean on your professional network, too. Put out the word that you’re looking for technical writing opportunities and see if any of your colleagues can tip you off to something.

3. Copywriting

What it is: “Copy” is any text that attempts to persuade readers to do something, such as:

• Make a purchase
• Navigate to a different page on a website
• Download a digital product
• Submit their email and subscribe to a newsletter

Advertisements are an obvious example of copy, but there are many others, including product descriptions and email marketing sequences. These days, copy is often (although not always) meant for online publication, which means that copywriting has a certain amount of overlap with web content writing.

Requirements: Effective copy is persuasive without being obvious and in-your-face about it. To be good at producing it, it isn’t enough to be an effective writer and communicator. You’ll also need an understanding of marketing. If you have a background in sales, you’re well positioned to become a freelance copywriter.

How to get started: Here again, you can find clients on online job boards and freelance marketplaces. You can also try directly pitching to companies.

4. Social media writing

What it is: This is a particular subset of copywriting that’s popular enough that it’s worth examining in detail. If you’re someone who’s social media savvy, you can use your writing skills to create content for businesses to post on it. This can come in the form of video scripts, written posts, or captions for images. You can also help plan a social media campaign by creating posting schedules.

Requirements: When you work as a social media content writer, you’ll need to have other skills to accompany your writing. Above all, you’ll need familiarity with popular social platforms, such as Facebook and Instagram.

You will normally be asked to perform other tasks that go beyond just writing, such as actually posting the content. You may also need to be able to create images with graphics software, such as Canva or Adobe Creative Cloud.

How to get started: You can find work through freelance sites, but there’ll also be part-time roles to be found via traditional job-hunting sites, such as Indeed. It’s also worth approaching companies you’d like to work with directly, especially if you have a contact at that company who can refer you.

5. Ghostwriting

What it is: This one is for the aspiring authors out there. Ghostwriting consists of producing work that will be published under someone else’s name. People often hire freelancers to ghostwrite ebooks, which they then self-publish via services like Amazon Kindle Direct. (Ghostwriting is also common in traditional publishing, but as a freelancer, it’s less likely you’ll be able to land industry jobs like that, at least in the beginning.)

Speeches, press releases, and scripts (e.g., for TikTok or YouTube videos) are also often ghostwritten; ebooks probably constitute the largest segment of this market, but are by no means dominant.

Requirements: The skills you’ll need to be a ghostwriter depend entirely on the type of material you want to produce.

If you’d like to ghostwrite nonfiction ebooks, you’ll need a certain level of expertise in your desired field (self-help and health/wellness are two of the largest niches here). If you want to ghostwrite fiction, you’ll need to be skilled at crafting compelling narratives and very familiar with the conventions of the genre you plan on writing in (especially if it’s romance—many avid fans have definite expectations for the books they consume).

In addition to your chops as a writer, you’ll also obviously need to be comfortable with not getting public credit for your work. In some cases, you may actually have to sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) forbidding you from telling anyone you were involved in its creation.

How to get started: You’ll occasionally see ghostwriting jobs on freelancing websites, but many of those will be relatively poorly paid, and almost all will be intensely competitive. The best way to land this type of work is to begin with another writing side hustle while advertising ghostwriting services on your website and putting out feelers on your personal and professional networks.

6. Journalism

What it is: If you’ve ever read a newspaper, you already have an idea of what journalism is, although the field is more expansive in scope than some people realize. All of the following are examples of journalism:

• Reporting news
• Writing opinion pieces on topical issues (e.g., op-eds)
• Conducting and publishing interviews
• Doing investigative “deep dives” into particular issues (feature reporting)
• Reviewing media products

These days, many websites that publish journalistic content also act as aggregators, republishing news from elsewhere (and sometimes providing commentary or putting their own spin on it).

Requirements: There are no hard requirements to become a freelance journalist, although—as with writing in general—it’s a competitive field. There are a lot of aspiring journalists competing for relatively few jobs.

If you have past newsroom experience, even if it was just at your college paper, that will be a strong plus. If you don’t, you’ll almost certainly need a portfolio of your past work (not necessarily professional work—topical content or interviews that you published on your personal blog will do just fine).

How to get started: Look for websites and magazines that accept pitches from freelance journalists. Brainstorm a list of article ideas they might be interested in, and get in touch with the editors, being sure to follow their instructions for submissions (if they provide any).

Most publications that are open to freelancers receive a lot of pitches, so you’ll probably have to do this for a while, but if you keep at it, eventually, you’ll get a bite.

7. Grant writing

What it is: This is a type of business writing (another broad category that encompasses all sorts of content used in a business or corporate context). It consists of writing proposals for grants—funding packages awarded by the government and various foundations. Many nonprofits and educational or research institutions rely on grants to function.

This is a popular side hustle because, in contrast to many of the others we’ve listed, it’s relatively AI-proof. Grant writing is a high-stakes endeavor; when you apply for funding, there aren’t any do-overs, so mistakes are a big deal. It’s possible that at some point, large language models (LLMs) like GPT will be able to churn out effective grant proposals, but for the time being, the vast majority of organizations that apply for grants are still more comfortable relying on human writers.

Requirements: To be a good grant writer, you’ll need to be familiar with how nonprofits and other academic and business institutions function, as well as the kind of language they use. If you’re new to this subfield, it’s a good idea to look up examples of successful grant proposals and spend a while studying them.

If you get serious about this side hustle, there are professional grant-writing certifications you can get, but you don’t need any of them to start working as a freelancer, and going out of your way to obtain them probably isn’t worth it until you give this gig a try and see if it’s something you want to stick with.

How to get started: You can find work via all the avenues we’ve already mentioned (marketplaces, directly contacting companies, etc.). One of the best methods is to make a list of organizations in your area that rely on outside funding—you can do this by searching for press releases and local news articles about recently awarded grants. Contact those organizations via email and ask if they’re in the market for a grant writer for any upcoming projects.

8. Resume writing

What it is: If grant writing appeals to you, you might also be interested in doing a similar type of work on a smaller scale. As a freelance resume writer, you’ll help people create effective resumes that showcase their skills and experience in the best possible light. In some cases, you may also help them with the other (written) aspects of the job application process, like creating cover letters.

Requirements: As with grant writing, you’ll need to be very familiar with professional norms. In particular, you should have a feeling for when employing business and industry jargon is appropriate, and when it’s counterproductive and will actually make a bad impression. Because it’s important for resumes to be well-formatted in addition to being well-written, you should have a decent grasp of design principles and above-average fluency with word processing software, too.

This is one specialty where being professionally certified can be a significant boon, although it isn’t required. The most popular qualification for resume writers is the Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) credential (to the extent that some freelancers in this field advertise themselves as “CPRWs”).

How to get started: Job-seekers sometimes put out calls for resume help on social media (e.g., LinkedIn). However, a more sustainable strategy is to actively advertise your services via the same channels and try to entice potential clients to contact you rather than the other way around.

Recruitment agencies also sometimes hire CPRWs to brush up their own clients’ resumes, so keep your eyes peeled for those sorts of gigs on job boards like Indeed.

When you’re finding your feet as a freelance writer, arguably the biggest hurdle you’ll have to clear is landing your first few jobs. Many newcomers find this intimidating, but it isn’t the impassable barrier that it initially appears to be.

You can find work by using:

Freelancing marketplaces

Marketplaces are websites that connect freelancers with potential clients. On most of these sites, clients post jobs that they need workers for; as a freelancer, you’ll create a profile and send in applications for the gigs you want (usually attaching a short pitch that explains why you’re the right pick).

Marketplaces have a low barrier to entry, and they can be a good place to gain experience. However, they do have downsides, most significantly that many of the gigs on them are poorly paid. What’s more, these websites will usually take a cut of everything you make.

Many fresh writers rely on these sites when they’re first starting out, but move off of them eventually; contracting directly with clients is more work, but it’s also more lucrative.

Popular freelance marketplaces

• Upwork
• Fiverr
• Freelancer.com
• PeoplePerHour

Pros and cons of freelance marketplaces

Content platforms / content mills

Content platforms, sometimes referred to as content mills, are freelancing marketplaces that are aimed specifically at writers. The jobs on these usually consist of writing web content, often in bulk and for relatively poor rates. These days, they may also involve using an AI model, such as ChatGPT, to produce a base of content, which you’ll then edit.

Content mills have a lot of the same advantages and disadvantages as general-purpose marketplaces. Many of them are saturated with writers, further driving down their already-poor rates, but they can still be decent places to build a portfolio at the beginning of your freelance career.

Popular content mills

• ClearVoice
• Compose.ly
• Constant Content
• Contently
• nDash
• Scripted
• Zerys

Pros and cons of content mills

Online job boards

It’s sometimes possible to find gigs on mainstream job-hunting websites (i.e., ones that aren’t just meant for freelancers). These differ from marketplaces in that companies usually post ads for longer-term opportunities rather than one-off tasks.

Some of the writing jobs you see on these websites may still be meant for contract or freelance gigs. Others may be ads for traditional employment with a company that hires writers.

Popular job boards

• Indeed
• Monster
• Glassdoor
• FlexJobs (a good platform for freelancers, since it’s geared toward remote and flex-time work)

 Pros and cons of job boards

Cold pitching

Cold pitching refers to sending unsolicited messages (e.g., emails) to companies or individuals that you think might be interested in hiring you as a writer. Cold pitching is also known as direct outreach.

Depending on the type of writing you’re interested in doing, you might try cold pitching:

• Editors of magazines, blogs, and other publications (to pitch journalistic pieces, op-eds, blog posts, and personal essays)
• Individuals (to pitch ghostwriting or resume-writing services)
• Companies (to pitch business writing services, e.g., web content or copywriting, grant writing, etc.)

In some niches, you’ll be contacting people who expect to receive submissions and inquiries like this. Most magazine editors, for instance, are used to fielding emails from freelancers.

In other cases, you’ll be contacting people who haven’t put out a call for writers and don’t know they stand to benefit from services like yours at all. In that case, you’ll have to concisely explain what you offer and how they stand to gain. For obvious reasons, cold outreach like this can be challenging and stressful, but when it’s successful, it’s also one of the most rewarding ways of finding work (both on a personal and financial level).

Pros and cons of cold pitching

Advertising via your own website

As a freelancer, regardless of how you plan on finding work, you should have a professional website. If you play your cards right, you may be able to leverage it to get clients to come to you rather than the other way around.

Your website should feature:

• An explanation of the writing services you offer
• A portfolio showcasing the highlights of your past work
• Success stories and testimonials from clients (as soon you have some)
• Contact info so that new clients can get in touch with you

You can build a website using a service like WordPress. Link to it from your profiles on any freelancing websites you use, as well as your social media accounts (e.g., Twitter/X, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.), and consider starting a blog to drive traffic to it.

This method of acquiring clients starts slow but has the potential to snowball. When you’re an unknown quantity, you probably won’t get many (or any) offers—if you want jobs, you’ll have to get out there and hustle for them. However, once you’ve been at it for a few years and have a strong track record, you might be surprised by how much work falls in your lap with no active effort on your part.

Pros and cons of advertising via a website

Follow these tips to have the best chance of breaking into freelance writing:

Create a strong writing portfolio

You don’t need a degree to be a freelance writer, but you do need to have a great portfolio that showcases your past work. This is what most clients will look at first when they decide whether or not to hire you.

Some freelance writers skip this step because they haven’t completed any paid jobs yet. Don’t fall into that trap—regardless of your experience level, you need a portfolio.

If you don’t have any professional experience as a writer, spend a few weeks whipping up a few sample projects in whatever niche you’re hoping to work in. As mentioned, you can host these on your personal website, but you can also consider creating a portfolio on a site like Authory or Journo Portfolio.

Don’t undervalue yourself

As a fledgling freelancer, you’ll probably run into clients who will ask you to work for very little money (or for “experience” and “exposure,” i.e., for free). It can sometimes be worth taking these jobs, but a lot of the time, it isn’t.

Bylines on big-name sites can genuinely help you get your foot in the door, but many virtually unknown sites also use this as a lure to get cheap or free content from new writers who don’t know any better.

If a job is poorly paid, think carefully about whether the side benefits (gaining experience, building your portfolio, etc.) are actually worth it before committing to it.

Be realistic about the work that’s out there

The hard truth is that there’s a lot of competition for the most desirable freelance writing jobs, and succeeding in this industry often means taking on work that doesn’t particularly inspire you.

If your dream is to be a fiction ghostwriter (to give just one example), that’s a great goal, but it may be a while before you work your way up to that, if you ever do. It would be nice if your odds of success came down solely to your talent and effort, but the whims of the market will greatly affect it, too.