Ways to Make Money as a Writer

how to make money as a writer. Ways to make money from writing. Learn How to Make Money Writing Online. Freelance
What are the best ways I can make money off writing?

Writing has always been a powerful tool for communication, storytelling, and knowledge sharing. In the digital age, opportunities for writers to monetize their skills have expanded significantly. Tips on how to make money as a writer.

Whether you’re a seasoned writer or just starting out, there are numerous avenues to explore when it comes to making money through writing.

This blog post will delve into various ways to earn an income as a writer, providing detailed insights and strategies for success.

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How Much Money Do Writer Makes?

This is a great and challenging question to answer because it depends on so many factors. Are you a full-time writer? What type of writing do you do? Do you write primarily fiction or technical documents? Are you a long-form writer or a copywriter?

There are tons of different types of writers, and if you want to find out how much professional writing jobs can net you, I encourage you to check out websites like Indeed that allow you to search by job type and job location.




Strategies For Earning Money By Writing – Writer Money

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.




1. Freelance Writing – How To Make Money as a Writer

Becoming a freelancer is one of the best ways that a writer can make money online. A freelancer is someone who offers services to a business or company.

As a writer, your service would, of course, be writing. Freelancers are independent contractors and can have many clients at once.

As a freelance writer, you can work when you want to. You can also choose what type of articles you want to work on. You may start off as a lower paid writer, but as you continue to get more work and build your reputation, you can raise your rates.

Finding Clients

Freelance writing is one of the most popular ways for writer to earn money. To succeed as a freelance writer, you need to find clients who require content for their websites, blogs, or publications. Here are some effective strategies for finding clients:

  • Freelance Platforms: Websites like Upwork, Freelancer, and Fiverr connect writers with clients looking for various writing services. Create a compelling profile, showcase your writing samples, and actively bid on projects that match your skills.
  • Networking: Join writing groups and forums to connect with potential clients. LinkedIn is an excellent platform for networking with professionals and finding freelance writing opportunities.
  • Cold Pitching: Identify businesses or websites that align with your writing niche and send personalized pitches offering your services. Highlight how your writing can add value to their brand or content strategy.

Setting Your Rates

Determining your freelance writing rates can be challenging, especially when you’re just starting. Consider the following factors when setting your rates:

  • Experience and Expertise: Writers with more experience or specialized knowledge can charge higher rates. Consider your expertise in specific industries or writing styles.
  • Project Scope: Consider the complexity and length of the project. Longer or more complex projects may warrant higher rates.
  • Market Rates: Research the average rates for freelance writers in your niche to ensure your pricing is competitive.




2. Blogging

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 or WordPress.

You can create a blog to make money as a writer. The opportunities are endless. You can use your website for advertising your writing services, or you could discuss different topics on your blog.

You can sell products on there as well. When you’re coming up with your blog, you do want to figure out a niche or two. Then you can start promoting it to people who like that niche.

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Your blog will also turn into your portfolio. Once it gains, traction potential clients will find you. You may start to get emails from people looking for your writing help.

Having a blog can change your life. If you’re a writer, it’s something that you should seriously consider doing.

As you’ve just read, there are several ways that you can make money online if you’re a writer. Freelancing, editing others’ work, writing an eBook, and creating a blog are just a few ways.

If you need to earn extra money, figure out which way works best for you and get to work.

Starting Your Own Blog

Blogging is an excellent way to establish your online presence and generate income through various monetization strategies. Here’s how to get started:

  • Choose a Niche: Select a niche you’re passionate about and have knowledge of. Focusing on a specific topic will help you attract a targeted audience and establish authority in that area.
  • Create Quality Content: Consistently publish high-quality, informative, and engaging content that resonates with your audience. Use SEO techniques to optimize your blog for search engines.
  • Promote Your Blog: Utilize social media, email marketing, and collaborations with other bloggers to drive traffic to your blog.

Monetizing Your Blog

Once your blog gains traction, you can explore various monetization options:

  • Advertising: Join ad networks like Google AdSense to display ads on your blog and earn money based on clicks or impressions.
  • Affiliate Marketing: Promote products or services relevant to your niche and earn a commission for each sale made through your referral links.
  • Sponsored Content: Collaborate with brands to create sponsored posts or reviews in exchange for payment.




3. Writing for Publications – Money Writing

Writing for established publications can be a lucrative way to earn money and build your portfolio. 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.

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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.

Here’s how to get started:

  • Identify Target Publications: Research publications that align with your interests and expertise. Consider both online and print publications.
  • Study Submission Guidelines: Carefully read the submission guidelines for each publication to ensure your pitch or article meets their requirements.
  • Pitch Ideas: Craft compelling pitches for article ideas that would resonate with the publication’s audience. Be concise, professional, and demonstrate why your idea is a good fit.

4. Self-Publishing

Self-publishing has become a popular option for writers looking to publish their work without the constraints of traditional publishing.

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.

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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.

Here’s how to succeed as a self-published author:

  • Write a Book: Choose a topic or genre you’re passionate about and start writing your book. Ensure it’s well-edited and professionally formatted.
  • Publish on Platforms: Use self-publishing platforms like Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) or Smashwords to publish your book and make it available to a global audience.
  • Promote Your Book: Utilize social media, book promotion websites, and email marketing to promote your book and reach potential readers.




5. Content Writing – Money as a Writer

Content writing involves creating content for websites, blogs, and social media platforms. Companies and brands often hire content writers to maintain their online presence.

With the rise of social media and digital marketing, businesses are often in need of writers to create content for their websites, blogs, and social media accounts. This can be a lucrative way for writers to use their skills and earn income.

The pay for content creation can vary greatly depending on the company, the type of content, and the writer’s experience. Some writers may earn a flat fee per project, while others may be paid by the word or hour.

If you want to become a full-time content writer, you can earn a lot of money, but these jobs can be difficult to get.

Here’s how to excel as a content writer:

  • Understand SEO: Learn the basics of SEO to create content that ranks well in search engines and attracts organic traffic.
  • Research and Adapt: Stay updated with industry trends and adapt your writing style to suit different audiences and platforms.
  • Create Engaging Content: Focus on creating content that is informative, engaging, and adds value to the reader.

6. Ghostwriting

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 involves writing content on behalf of someone else, usually without receiving credit for the work. It can be a profitable venture for writers who enjoy writing in different voices and styles.

A popular form of freelance writing is called ghostwriting. As a ghostwriter, you write content for someone else, but under their name, not yours.

Many website owners, entrepreneurs, and other small businesses are too busy to write themselves, but want good content and are willing to pay for it.

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You won’t be able to add any of your ghostwriting work to your portfolio, but often these gigs can pay more because of that fact.

If you are just starting out as a writer, you may want to build your portfolio first, but if you’ve been writing for a while, ghostwriting can be another stream of writing income.

Being a good ghostwriter means being able to capture your client’s voice when you write. While they are your words, you want your writing to reflect their style and opinions.

Here’s how to become a successful ghostwriter and make money as a writer:

  • Build a Portfolio: Create a portfolio showcasing your versatility and ability to write in different styles and tones.
  • Network with Authors: Connect with authors, entrepreneurs, and professionals who may need ghostwriting services.
  • Negotiate Contracts: Clearly outline the terms and expectations in your contracts, including payment, deadlines, and confidentiality agreements.




7. Technical Writing – Money as a Writer

Technical writing involves creating instructional manuals, guides, and documentation for products and services. It requires a strong understanding of complex topics and the ability to communicate them clearly.

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.

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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.

Here’s how to excel as a technical writer:

  • Develop Technical Knowledge: Gain expertise in a specific industry or technology to write accurate and informative technical content.
  • Simplify Complex Information: Break down complex concepts into simple, understandable language for your audience.
  • Use Visual Aids: Incorporate diagrams, charts, and images to enhance understanding and engagement.

8. Copywriting – Make Money as a Writer

Copywriting involves creating persuasive content that encourages readers to take specific actions, such as making a purchase or signing up for a newsletter.

It 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.

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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.

Here’s how to succeed as a copywriter:

  • Understand Persuasion Techniques: Learn the principles of persuasion and how to craft compelling calls to action.
  • Study Successful Copy: Analyze successful ad campaigns and sales pages to understand what makes them effective.
  • Practice Brevity: Write concise and impactful copy that captures the reader’s attention and drives conversions.




Where to Find Writing Jobs Online – Ways to Make Money as a Writer

There are several ways to find freelance jobs. Let’s take a look at some of the places where writers can find jobs.

Job Boards

Job Boards are a way for writers to quickly search through listings of job postings. Typically these are free for job seekers to search. Check out the following job boards and see if you find any jobs that look promising for you:

If you are in the beginning stages of being a freelancer, you can use websites like Upwork or Fiverr. Writing gigs are typically low paying on these sites, but can help build your portfolio and get you started.

Getting started is the most important thing. Building your writing business won’t happen overnight.

Traditional online job boards can also be a source for writing jobs. You just need to refine your searches to focus on writing jobs only. Here are a few more job boards that could lead to writing jobs:

Conclusion on Ways to Make Money as a Writer

The world of writing offers numerous opportunities for those looking to make money with their skills.

Whether you choose to freelance, blog, write for publications, or explore other avenues, success as a writer requires dedication, continuous learning, and the ability to adapt to changing trends.

By honing your craft and exploring different writing opportunities, you can turn your passion for writing into a profitable career.