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, particularly written for that publication. Individuals, companies, journalists, influencers, housewives and many others publish blogs, which are sometimes not written in the 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 to write a blog depends on what you are writing about. For example, if you take advantage of your free time and decide to start a blog, you can possibly write several short blogs in less than an hour. But if you need to explore the moral implications of synthetic intelligence using reliable sources, completing an article can take hours. The better the writing and sourcing, the better an article will perform, so it’s worth making the extra effort to be informed and publish grammatically correct copy.
You don’t want to delight in a blogger. Anyone can do this, even if it would take a while before you adapt to a popular taste and voice. You want readers to make money from a blog. People make money from blogging in a variety of ways:
How much can you earn from blogging? The answer varies depending on how you list, what type of payment method you use, and how popular your paintings are. Some sensible bloggers make six figures a year. Sponsorships with giant corporations like Walmart that pay other people to sell their products can be lucrative and pay thousands of dollars. But most bloggers make a few hundred dollars a month, enough to pay a car bill or car loans. credits, but not enough to live.
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.
Ghostwriting can take many forms. You can produce communications for the CEO of a company or create an e-book about a vital occasion for an old company. Each task is a little different. Ghostwriting requires several years of writing experience, however, if you are an expert in the box (for example, if you are a nurse tasked with writing articles for a nursing curriculum), You could possibly get a task done without writing. The amount of time spent on a task varies, but it takes longer than writing a blog. Ghostwriting requires a high level of 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, although you will rarely get a byline and the writing is rarely presented in the first person. Copywriting includes copy on corporate websites, brochure curtains, project statements, advertisements, newsletters and much more. People with writing skills are persuasive and transparent writers who can convey data and inspire sales.
You can start with undeniable writing assignments and paint your way up to higher-paying assignments. Larger corporations require experience, but small businesses in your town can hire an eco-writer. You can start by reaching out to them and offering them, for example, to rewrite your online page or publish a monthly newsletter. As you gain wisdom and confidence, you’ll be able to access bigger places online. Follow freelance job forums to find new opportunities, interact with companies on LinkedIn to spread your call, and send letters of intent to hiring managers anywhere you want to work.
You can also get a little artsy when it comes to finding work. Find newsletters from companies you like or share your past experience with. Send them a letter of intent that describes your background and what you can bring to the table. Copywriting requires precision and background research, and is more time-consuming than many other types of writing. You can make a smart living because, as with ghostwriting, clients end up paying at the high end of the writers’ pay scale, $40 an hour or more. Top writers can earn more than $150,000 a year.
Technical writing refers to the communication of data on specific topics, such as medicine, engineering, manufacturing, or construction. It can also cover things like commands to assemble anything or operate an electronic device. The purpose is to create understandable and informative content while getting rid of the jargon.
Technical writing requires a lot of writing experience, but it can be lucrative. Few people have the ability to summarize data and provide it in the right format. It can take hours to complete even a short writing task, as you might expect. Express well and omit superfluous words. But the maximum jobs are paid per hour ($60 and up for experienced writers), so the time and effort will 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 make money writing, can involve simplifying jargon and creating complexities for a lay audience.
Social media writing is a new way to make money. Many corporations rent other folks to write Instagram captions, YouTube video descriptions, LinkedIn idea leadership posts, and much more. This is a wonderful access point for writers with little formal experience.
Social media copywriting will pay more modestly than other types of copywriting, between $15 and $35 per hour. However, it requires less effort. You can publish many posts in an hour and it takes very little wisdom or experience beyond knowing the character limits of other social platforms. You can locate tasks by checking task forums or contacting companies directly with letters of intent. Try small businesses first in your hometown to get some examples for your resume before heading to more prominent locations.
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 probably wouldn’t break the bank writing journalism. Even some larger magazines and publications pay less than $1,000 per article and need to do many jobs to make a living. But to make extra money and, perhaps, make changes, there is nothing better than journalism. You’ll want to let the publication’s taste advisor know and adhere to it in the articles you submit. Editors take on responsibilities that you can take on by introducing them (by sending a bloodless email) explaining the concept of your story and why you are the right user 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.
Conclusion
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.
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 diversity for a writer, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, is an average of $73,690 per year, or $35. 43 per hour. Income increases in line with levels of delight.
You can find hundreds of websites that pay for writing. A few of the most popular include:
The Penny Hoarder
Bustle
long reads
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.
You can get paid to write reviews on various platforms for products ranging from books to vacuum cleaners. Some of the most popular include Get Reviewed, Kirkus, UserTesting, and Amazon Vine, but keep in mind that you get paid in products for this site. .
For a reviewer, you might not want to enjoy many sites. They value reliability and fair feedback. Some rent to other people they locate through online reviews they’ve already posted. Other sites require more pleasure when writing reviews. For example, if you want to work for DotDash, one of the largest publishing operations on the internet that publishes a lot of reviews on its sites, you’ll want to delight in writing for a main internet site and product experience.
You can write letters and get paid by searching for those jobs on freelance sites like Uppaintings, Contently, compose. ly, and Fiverr, which serve as clearinghouses for hiring writers for companies. A company may want a letter or a series. You can repeat paintings if you do a smart 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 do I get paid to write for beginners? Breaking in with little experience can be difficult. Some aspiring writers volunteer to create their portfolios, but you can probably find a low-paying job that does 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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