Getting paid to put in writing might sound straightforward, however the actuality is a bit more difficult. Freelance writing will be onerous to interrupt into, and the pay will be low (or nonexistent) for freshmen.
The trick is to get your first few articles or artistic items printed after which use them to attain greater purchasers and higher pay. And even when long-term freelancing isn’t your purpose, constructing a portfolio that showcases your printed work can bolster your profession as a author or subject-matter skilled.
Nonetheless, publishing these first few items is often the toughest a part of your writing journey. To assist, we’ve compiled a number of locations the place you may get paid to put in writing now. We’ve additionally included tried-and-true methods to permit you to develop as a author and, ideally, make more cash writing within the long-term.
Get Paid to Write for Flat-Charge Web sites, Blogs and Extra
Should you’re new to freelance writing, one of many first issues you could discover is how opaque the entire course of is. Web sites, blogs and publications typically depend on armies of freelancers, however their contributor tips and pay are sometimes nowhere to be discovered.
As a substitute of diving straight into negotiations with editors about assignments and pay, first attempt to discover a website or publication that has an easy course of for contributors in order that you already know precisely what they’re searching for and the way a lot they’re paying. (We’ll cowl pitching and negotiating additional beneath.)
Able to generate profits writing on-line? Listed here are 20 websites to attempt pitching:
1. Copyhackers
Copyhackers is a content material firm primarily based in Canada. It gives academic supplies to assist new copywriters in addition to paid alternatives for writers to publish prolonged articles on Copyhackers’ weblog.
Its submission tips are clear: You ought to be effectively versed within the subject that you simply’re pitching. And you need to anticipate to be writing weblog posts which can be 2,000 phrases or extra “until it’s extraordinarily splendidly amazingly readable studying.”
Pay: $300 to $1,000 per weblog submit
Classes/Subjects: Promoting, branding, UX (Consumer Expertise) or advertising and marketing ideas; freelance life-style or recommendation; entrepreneurship
2. Listverse
As its identify implies, Listverse focuses on listicles aka checklist posts. These are extremely clickable posts the place every important level is a part of a numbered checklist (type of just like the article you’re studying proper now!).
The contributor tips point out which you could write articles associated to “any subject you want” — sports activities, self-help, private tales, or gaming excluded — as long as it’s attention-grabbing, well-researched and within the type of an inventory of not less than 10 with two paragraphs per itemizing.
To slender that down ever so barely, the web site is damaged into a number of subjects: weird, leisure, basic information, life-style, science, society and extra. Your articles ought to roughly pertain to these areas.
Observe: Listverse will solely pay freelance writers by way of PayPal.
Pay: $100 per checklist submit
Classes/Subjects: Weird, leisure, basic information, life-style, science, society and extra
3. Narratively
To know what kind of articles Narratively publishes, look no additional than its tagline: “Human tales, boldly instructed.” All sections of the web site are open to submissions. Simply make certain that your story is longform, gripping and has sturdy narrative parts.
For an in-depth breakdown of the completely different sections and story sorts, learn Narratively’s submission tips. You’ll want a Submittable account to ship in your draft.
Pay: $300 to $400 per article
Classes/Subjects: Private essays, extraordinary highschool sports activities tales, sudden household companies, hidden historical past, and reported articles with a story, human-interest method
4. Reader’s Digest
Reader’s Digest wants no introduction. However what you in all probability didn’t know is that it gives one of many funnest and low-risk methods to receives a commission to put in writing.
However as an alternative of swinging straight for the large leagues with a front-cover function story, you’ll be able to submit jokes and micro-stories to Reader’s Digest, which can publish them on-line and within the print journal. In case your submission is chosen, you’ll get $100 a pop. (That’s among the many highest per-word charges within the business.)
Make sure to observe the suitable tips for jokes and 100-word true tales.
Pay: $100
Classes/Subjects: Jokes or true private tales (100 phrases or fewer)
5. Unemploymentville
In line with its web site, Unemploymentville is “a spot for anybody who has felt the sting of being out of labor.”
It additionally occurs to be a spot you’ll be able to write visitor weblog posts you probably have attention-grabbing small-business concepts, useful job-searching methods or private tales about coping with job loss.
Unemploymentville accepts submissions each different month. You may solely submit tales in January, March, Might, July, September, and November.
Pay: $25 to $75 per weblog submit
Classes/Subjects: Unemployment, job looking, facet hustles, private essays associated to discovering work
6. Author’s Digest
Author’s Digest is a century-old journal devoted to publishing “every little thing writers want to remain impressed, to enhance their craft, to grasp the distinctive challenges of publishing at present, and to get their work observed.”
In line with the submission tips, Author’s Digest accepts submissions for quite a lot of sections of the journal, and it sometimes accepts chilly pitches for visitor posts on-line.
Pay: 30 to 50 cents per phrase (print); or $50 to $100 (on-line)
Classes/Subjects: Private essays, memoirs manuscripts and have tales of curiosity to the writing neighborhood
7. RankPay
RankPay focuses on offering enterprise options with providers like PPC, content material advertising and marketing, and web site design.
In line with the Blogger Program submission tips, RankPay accepts article submissions which can be helpful, well-written, actionable, and naturally 100% authentic content material. It takes about 2 weeks for a response when you submit an article; not all submissions will obtain a response.
Pay: $50 per weblog submit
Classes/Subjects: search engine optimisation, content material advertising and marketing, small enterprise
8. B. Michelle Pippin
Michelle Pippin is the founder and CEO of Ladies Who WOW, a corporation of girls entrepreneurs. Writers with first-hand enterprise expertise can earn cash by being printed on the corporate weblog or by way of a personal publication.
Pippin requires hires writers with precise first-hand enterprise expertise, notably on subjects referring to ladies entrepreneurs. You’ll earn extra money in case your article is printed within the members-only print publication, although it may well by no means be republished elsewhere.
Pay: $50-$150 per weblog submit
Classes/Subjects: First-hand enterprise expertise, advertising and marketing and revenue “hacks”
Get Paid to Write Utilizing Freelance Web sites
To diversify your earnings as a contract author, you can too join freelance marketplaces, generally known as content material mills. For a lot of these freelance web sites, there’s usually some type of screening course of concerned earlier than you begin working with purchasers.
Typically the businesses will feed freelance gigs to you, and you may settle for or decline them. Different occasions purchasers will attain out to you personally by way of {the marketplace}’s messaging system. Cost varies by market, however it’s all the time funneled by way of {the marketplace} as an alternative of coming instantly from the shopper.
Freelance marketplaces are a low-risk approach to take a look at the waters as a contract author, however they aren’t probably the most profitable long-term possibility.
9. CopyPress
CopyPress is a content-marketing company that gives its personal content material administration system that freelancers can use to attach with initiatives from CopyPress’ purchasers.
Whereas it gives some freelance gigs for designers, builders and influencers, content material writing and enhancing is CopyPress’ bread and butter.
Join free and begin your coaching.
Pay: About 6 to 10 cents per phrase (author); 1 to 2 cents per phrase (editor)
Classes/Subjects: Varies by venture
10. Fiverr
Began in 2010, Fiverr is a freelance-service market that has grown to turn into nearly synonymous with freelancing. You may supply nearly any skilled service conceivable on the location, however freelance writing providers are particularly standard.
You should create a freelancer profile to begin bidding on and accepting freelance gigs.
And opposite to its identify, you’re allowed to cost no matter quantity you need — not simply $5. Nonetheless, Fiverr takes 20% of the lower.
Pay: Your charge minus 20%
Classes/Subjects: Varies by venture
11. iWriter
With iWriter, you’ll be able to earn a set charge for each article. The speed largely is dependent upon your star score, which you obtain primarily based on a trial article and subsequent initiatives with purchasers.
In line with the location’s FAQ part, you earn 65% of the value that purchasers pay for typical assignments, which can translate into very low charges as you’re beginning out.
For instance, the bottom tier of task is 150 phrases and would earn you 91 cents. Changing into an “elite plus” author (4.85 score or increased) will drastically improve your earnings. Full a author utility to get began.
Pay: 91 cents to $282.75 per venture
Classes/Subjects: Varies by venture
12. nDash
Based in 2014 as a one-person operation, nDash now boasts a community of greater than 10,000 freelance writers, which it connects with its purchasers, a few of whom are family model names.
To get began with nDash, it’s essential join, create a free profile that highlights your experience and previous expertise, and arrange an account with Stripe as a way to receives a commission.
You’ll be capable of set your charges primarily based on venture kind (weblog, whitepaper, e mail, article, and so on.). nDash doesn’t take a lower of pay like different marketplaces. It expenses its purchasers as an alternative.
Pay: 100% of your set charge ($150 to $450 on common, in accordance with nDash)
Classes/Subjects: Varies by venture
13. Upwork
Upwork is one other large on-line freelance market. It caters to every kind of industries, together with and particularly writing providers.
Earlier than you settle for gigs, you’ll must register free of charge and arrange a freelancer profile. With Upwork, you set your personal charges and discover work by pitching purchasers instantly, accepting work from purchasers who reached out to you or by bidding on initiatives that purchasers posted.
Whereas Upwork is free to enroll, it expenses you a payment primarily based in your lifetime earnings with a shopper, between 5% and 20% of your set charge.
Pay: Set charge minus 5% to twenty%
Classes/Subjects: Varies by venture
Get Paid to Write Poetry, Fiction and Different Artistic Works
To receives a commission to put in writing artistic work, overlook nearly every little thing you already know about freelance writing. Getting your artistic writing printed is a wholly completely different beast, and only a few individuals make a dwelling writing poetry or fiction alone.
Nonetheless, seeing your identify in a literary journal generally is a gratifying expertise, and that have is barely heightened if you receives a commission to your artistic masterpiece.
Not all artistic writing publishers pay. The truth is, it’s frequent to see “submission charges,” which means you are paying them to evaluate your work. In these circumstances, publication isn’t assured. You wish to keep away from these situations solely if you’re simply getting began.
Under, we’ve included a number of publications that don’t cost any such charges and pays you a modest sum besides.
14. Blue Mountain Arts
In case your poetry has a extra lyrical, feel-good vibe, take into account writing for greeting playing cards. (Literary journals are notoriously snobbish towards this sort of writing.)
Blue Mountain Arts, a greeting card and reward firm, accepts season poetry submissions on-line and by mail.
First place receives $350. Second place receives $200. And third place receives $100. Successful poems are printed in greeting playing cards and on-line. Exterior of the poetry contest, you might also submit seasonal poems that observe these tips.
Pay: $100 to $350 per poem
Classes/Subjects: Really feel-good poetry associated to particular events
15. Rattle
Rattle is an internet and print journal that publishes solely poetry, and it gives poets weekly alternatives to receives a commission to put in writing.
Whereas the print journal publishes quarterly, Rattle additionally holds a weekly “Poets Reply” contest on-line that asks poets to put in writing a couple of present occasion that has occurred inside the previous week.
Pay for acceptance into the print challenge is $200 per poem, and on-line publication pays $100 per poem. Reference the suitable submission tips earlier than sending in your work.
Pay: $100 to $200 per poem
Classes/Subjects: Poetry
16. The Threepenny Overview
A quarterly literary journal, The Threepenny Overview publishes nonfiction essays, memoirs and opinions, fiction tales and poetry in print.
Relying on the kind of piece, you’ll be able to anticipate between $200 and $400 per printed work.
In line with the author tips, The Threepenny Overview doesn’t settle for e mail submissions and doesn’t settle for any submissions between Might 1 and Dec. 31.
Pay: $200 to $400
Classes/Subjects: Evaluations, criticisms, memoirs and different nonfiction works; poetry and fiction
17. Poetry Nook
Poetry Nook is an internet site and discussion board for poets and poetry lovers. It’s operated by the literary journal Plum White Press.
Every week, Poetry Nook holds a free-entry poetry contest (for 350 weeks and counting). A number of winners and honorable mentions could also be chosen. Winners obtain a $20 cost by way of PayPal, and honorable mentions obtain $10.
Poetry Nook’s competitors is an effective way for budding poets to receives a commission to put in writing. There are not any theme or size necessities for the poems, it’s “natural impression and memorability that issues,” in accordance with the entry tips.
Make sure you’re coming into the right contest, because the hyperlink modifications every week. Yow will discover the most recent contest on Poetry Nook’s homepage.
Pay: $10 to $20 per poem
Classes/Subjects: Poetry
Different Methods to Get Paid to Write
There’s rather more to writing than freelance web sites and open-calls for submissions. As soon as you’re feeling comfy (and maybe after you have got a couple of profitable initiatives underneath your belt), you can begin to implement some longer-term methods to construct your repute as a profitable author.
They won’t be as clear lower because the choices above, however they’re nonetheless necessary.
Pitch to Your Favourite Publications
Pitching unsolicited article concepts is a difficult and imprecise course of. However pitching is a vital ability for freelance writers, particularly freelance journalists and content material writers. There are untold alternatives to get printed by your favourite alt-weekly, native newspaper, journal or on-line publication, they usually’re hardly ever (if ever) marketed.
In our insider information to pitching your article concepts, we lay out precisely learn how to discover the precise particular person to pitch and what to incorporate in your pitch e mail.
Listed here are some key takeaways:
- Pitch the right editor or your e mail won’t ever get learn.
- Have a deep understanding of what the publication has already printed on the subject.
- Craft a brief and candy e mail that reveals a busy editor that No. 1, your pitch is a good suggestion and No. 2 that you’re one of the best particular person to put in writing it.
Discovering an editor’s e mail will be tough. Scour the publication’s masthead or employees web page and use instruments like Hunter.io to guess and confirm particular editors’ e mail addresses.
Even when the editor likes your concept, the work doesn’t cease there. You then should be prepared to barter your pay — one other imprecise and casual course of. Our information will assist you determine precisely out how a lot to cost to your freelance work.
Begin Your Personal Weblog
Should you’re fascinated with freelance writing or launching a contract writing enterprise, likelihood is you both already created a weblog otherwise you’re contemplating it. Running a blog is extremely standard amongst writing hobbyists, and it’s one of many first steps many new freelance writers take after they wish to receives a commission to put in writing.
The reality is, running a blog is hard to monetize. It’s definitely not a fast approach to receives a commission to put in writing, nevertheless it’s not out of date both. It can take sustained effort to turn into a profitable blogger. Fortunately, we’ve a plethora of assets that will help you.
First, you’ll must learn to begin a weblog, should you haven’t already. This consists of:
- Selecting a writing area of interest
- Choosing a catchy area identify and discovering an internet host to your website
- Constructing a user-friendly weblog
As soon as the fundamentals are arrange, you’ll wish to make a devoted plan to monetize your weblog. Profitable monetization methods typically embody:
- Writing informative and authoritative weblog posts which can be optimized for serps
- Writing for different blogs and publications that permit you to hyperlink again to your personal website
- Signing up for affiliate partnerships with manufacturers associated to the subject you cowl, as a way to earn a fee on sponsored hyperlinks in your weblog posts
- Permitting ads in your pages, normally by way of Google AdSense, as a way to receives a commission when individuals go to your web page and work together with the adverts
As a result of time funding of running a blog, we suggest that you simply concurrently write for a number of the publications talked about above so that you simply get some cash coming in when you construct your web site. And don’t fret if it doesn’t take off. On the very least, your weblog can double as a portfolio website that will help you land different purchasers and gigs.
Launch a Profession as a Author
The freelance writing enterprise isn’t for everybody. There are lots of unpaid hours and late nights concerned in getting issues arrange. (And that’s not mentioning further tax burdens and lack of advantages.)
The excellent news is which you could break right into a profession in writing by quickly freelancing to construct up a portfolio. Then you should use that portfolio to land a full-time job with well being bennies and paid break day.
What writing jobs are on the market? Loads — and except for the apparent journalist and writer jobs, too.
In all places you look, there are phrases. Phrases on e-book covers. Phrases in your car’s guide that train you what that dang squiggly exclamation level image in your dashboard means. Phrases that entice you to purchase stuff.
You get the thought. There’s an individual (or possibly even a crew of individuals) behind all of these phrases, they usually’re getting paid. Their titles embody copywriter, UX author, product author, technical author, content material advertising and marketing author and extra.
Much more excellent news: Some of these jobs had been already distant pleasant earlier than the pandemic. The truth is, writing jobs are among the many mostly listed openings in The Penny Hoarder’s Work-From-Dwelling Jobs Portal.
So whether or not or not freelancing was your finish purpose, the printed clips you rack up alongside the best way will help you construct a powerful portfolio, set up your self as an skilled on a sure subject and even launch your profession as a full-time author. The choices are infinite.
Incessantly Requested Questions (FAQs) About Writing for Cash
Listed here are solutions to a number of the most steadily requested questions on getting paid to put in writing.
Who Will Pay Me to Write?
Loads of individuals and publications pays you to put in writing articles, weblog posts and extra. Should you’re freelancing, all of it is dependent upon how you discover your shopper. Many corporations rent writers as workers. Promoting businesses, on-line publications and advertising and marketing corporations are among the many hottest forms of corporations that instantly rent writers.
Should you’re utilizing a contract web site like Upwork, the pay will come from Upwork — indirectly from the shopper, since Upwork operates like a matchmaker.
Should you’re submitting your article or artistic writing on to a publication, it should pay you normally by direct deposit, test, PayPal or another established cost technique.
The place Can I Submit Writing for Cash?
The best locations to submit writing for cash are publications which have clearly said submission tips. Some web sites, together with content material mills, on-line magazines and literary journals might settle for submissions year-round and have their charges publicly displayed. We cowl a number of such locations to submit your writing on this article.
Alternatively, you’ll be able to chilly pitch magazines, newspapers and a few blogs together with your story concept after which negotiate your pay in the event that they like your concept.
How Can I Make Cash Writing On-line?
Running a blog and freelance web sites like Fiverr and Upwork are among the many hottest choices for being profitable on-line by writing. However they’re not all the time the quickest and most profitable choices.
Along with these standard strategies, you must also take into account writing articles for blogs in addition to extra conventional forms of publications like magazines, newspapers and literary journals — all of that are very more likely to publish on-line.
Nobody technique is a money cow, however should you mix them, it’s attainable to make a dwelling writing.
The place Do I Discover Freelance Writing Jobs?
Discovering freelance writing gigs is far simpler should you diversify your sources. Along with pitching publications instantly and signing up for freelance web sites, you need to arrange e mail alerts for a job board or two.
Mediabistro, The Penny Hoarder Work-From-Dwelling jobs portal, FlexJobs and generally even the usual job boards like Certainly and Glassdoor will be helpful instruments in looking down high quality writing jobs.
And as an alternative of ready for the gig to be posted on a job board, you’ll be able to go on to the supply. Large on-line publishers akin to DotDash (which owns Verywell, Investopedia, The Spruce and several other different on-line publications) and Vox Media (which owns The Verge, Vox, Eater, Polygon and others) submit freelance author openings on their very own job boards on a regular basis.
How Do I Begin a Writing Profession?
Writing careers don’t all the time begin by getting a level in journalism or English, both (although a associated diploma definitely helps). A number of writers discover success by falling in love with writing later in life, selecting to freelance and slowly build up experience and a portfolio earlier than lastly making use of for a full-time job as a bonafide author or journalist.
One factor is for certain, whether or not by credentials or beforehand printed work, you should be capable of reveal your writing expertise to land a job.
Matt Matasci is a Southern California freelance author who writes on expertise and enterprise, plus journey and life-style subjects.
