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7 Websites where you can Make Money as a Creative Writer

• by Michelle
• June 3, 2020

Creative writing is a super fun activity to convert your unstoppable creativity and imagination and put it in use. Not only is it a brain pleasing activity but also a rewarding job to earn money through tasks that aren’t tedious for the bursting brains of passionate writers. Whether you’re a creative writing degree holder or just a passionate writer; you can use your skills to start earning money online through a range of websites that require services of writers like you.

What is Creative Writing?

Creative writing is any writing that involves the creativity of mind. It’s a broad term that covers different types of writing styles, all of them encompassing human emotions. Creative writing can be for used for a number of purposes including entertainment, information and education. This type of writing puts human imagination to test. Here are the most common forms:

• Poetry writing
• Fiction writing
• Story writing
• Speech writing
• Television and Movie scripts
• Personal essays

Earn Money as Creative Writer: List of 7 Websites

Here’s a breakdown of a few websites where you can work and get paid for creative writing:

Poets&Writers

Poets and writers is a literary magazine and a platform for writers to interact with each other and share their writing materials. The website has a database of numerous writing job opportunities on the web; ranging from writing and editing, to publishing. You can click on the link of your preferred job and you will be directed to the employer’s site.

PAYMENT DETAILS

Writing bunny.

Writing bunny offers a wide range of writing jobs for creative writers and allows them to choose different topics based on their skill set. Once you create an account on the website and pass their quality control test, Writing Bunny will deliver any available writing jobs that matches your skill set, to your email. You can set your rates in your profile and then increase them once your stats improve. You can apply as a writer, a translator and even a voice actor at writing bunny.

WeLocalize requires services of writers who can translate a language and write content in that specific language. The company offers translation jobs in languages such as Dutch, German, Japanese, Vietnamese, French, Portuguese, Hebrew, Indonesian, Swedish, Turkish and Italian.

Once you apply, you will have to complete a language test and then you can start applying for jobs.

Sports Networker

Sports Networker offers a writing internship for writers who are passionate about sports. They require writers who can research well and contribute to daily article production on the website. If you have experience in online publishing and are familiar with word press, then you can apply for this position. In addition, you are also required to have some SEO experience.

Contentor is a text translation services company. It offers job opportunities for content writers and translators. You can submit your resume through their online application system. The team at Contentor will evaluate your application and let you know if you are suitable to be a part of their writers team.

RelayPub is a book packaging and publishing company that works with freelance writers who work closely with the company to write books and stories that make their way to the market. RelayPub gives its writers a topic to brainstorm on and create a devouring story using their imagination. You can submit your application on the website along with a writing sample.

InboxDone is an email service provider for business managers, CEOs etc. The aim of this service is to manage emails for busy people who have too much on their plate managing their business and don’t have time for emails.

The company hires inbox managers who work online managing emails of different company individuals and writing appropriate replies to different emails. The company hires inbox managers on a yearly rolling basis. If this kind of job holds your interest you can apply on their website. Once you get selected, you will undergo a training period of one month in which you will learn to handle emails and work effectively.

As a writer you have a wide range of job opportunities on the web and most of these jobs don’t require you to be an acclaimed professional writer. You can use your passion and creativity for writing to earn money through a job that you enjoy. If you enjoy writing, check these websites on how to make money online through proof reading and 10 writing websites that pay upfront .

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Last updated on Aug 13, 2021

20 Creative Writing Jobs for Graduates (+ Entry-Level Positions)

Being passionate about creative writing hasn’t always been associated with a stable career path, but that’s not to say that there aren’t any opportunities out there to bring well-written stories into your job. In fact, we’re here to talk about 20 different creative writing jobs — 20 professions that let the storyteller in you shine! We’ll discuss the industries, entry level jobs, and potential income for each job below. 

When it comes to creative writing, the first thing that pops up in our mind is books! While writing is the obvious option (and we’ll cover that later on in the post), most writers choose to work in one of the following positions in the publishing industry to gain financial stability first. 

❗ Note: The “per book” rates below are made with 50,000-60,000 word manuscripts in mind. 

1. Ghostwriter 

👨🏽‍💼 Entry level positions: freelance writer, ghostwriter, editorial assistant 

💰 Potential beginner’s earning: $2,000-$9,000 per book or $0.10-$0.15 per word

If you’re all about creative writing but you’d prefer an upfront payment for your words, then ghostwriting is the job for you! Here’s how it works: an author hires you to help them write their story. It could (and usually is) a memoir or an autobiography which the author doesn't have the time or skills to write themselves. Fiction authors also sometimes use ghostwriters to help them write sequels and satisfy popular demands. 

Ghostwriters are freelancers, so you can start by getting some freelance writing gigs. As a beginner, you might start with short-form projects like articles, white papers, website content. Here are some resources, complete with tips from experienced professionals, that might be helpful:

• How to Become a Ghostwriter in 6 Essential Steps (+ Tips from Professionals) 
• How to Start Freelance Writing: 5 Steps to a Soaring Career
• How Much Do Ghostwriters Make: The Ultimate Breakdown

👩🏻‍💼 Entry level positions: editorial assistant

💰 Potential beginner’s earning: $25,000-$30,000 per year or $800-$1,000 per book

Writing is actually not all there is to creative writing jobs — if you really love stories and are always finding ways to make a story better, then editing is a suitable profession for you. There are many types of editors: some (like development editors) work more on the plot and theme of the book, and others (like copy editors ) specialize on its language and style. 

Editorial assistant jobs are the common first steps to this career path. Entry-level positions are quite competitive in publishing, so you’ll likely need a relevant degree (English Literature, MFA, etc.) to get the job. 

Freelancing, as always, is an option, but it can be quite difficult to get clients if you start without any editing experience. Oftentimes, editors start working in-house and later transition to freelance . 

Below are some more resources for you if you want to pursue this career path:

• How to Become an Editor: A Guide for Beginners
• Copyediting Certificates: Do You Need One and Where to Get It?
• Editor Salary: Can Your Skills Pay the Bills
• Working in Publishing: An Insider's Guide

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3. Proofreader

👨🏼‍💼 Entry level positions: freelance proofreader

💰 Potential beginner’s earning: $20-$30 per hour or $550-$650 per book 

Proofreading comes after editing — the proofreader reads the manuscript one final time, after all the revisions are made, to see if any spelling and grammatical errors are missed out. They’re incredibly crucial to the production of a spotless book, so there’s never a shortage of proofreading jobs . 

This task is often done on a freelance basis, either by full-time freelancers or by editors who want to take on side jobs. You can specialize in proofreading alone, though most professionals will combine editing and proofreading crafts for better income. As a beginner, opportunities for short-form projects will often be more accessible — stay open-minded about taking them up, but also do some proofreading training to prepare for more exciting gigs. 

We’ve also got some resources for this topic for you to check out:

• How to Become a Proofreader: The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide
• How to Choose Your Proofreading Rates

There’s more to journalism than just breaking news on CNN, which means there’s plenty of space for the creative writer in you to flourish in this industry! Let’s take a look at a couple of options you can consider. 

4. Columnist 

👩🏽‍💼 Entry level positions: fellowships, junior writer/columnist, freelance writer

💰 Potential beginner’s earning: $25,000-$35,000 per year or $100-$300 per piece 

If you like creative nonfiction , you probably have already considered becoming a columnist. In fact, you can even be a books columnist! Job options range from book-specific sites like Electric Literature or Literary Hub, to prestigious newspapers like The Guardian or The New Yorker. But that’s not necessarily the only thing you can write about! You can become a columnist in just about any topic, from social issues to entertainment, as long as you’re interested in the niche. 

Look out for fellowships and junior writing jobs in newspapers and magazines and get ready to apply! A degree in relevant subjects like Journalism or English Literature is a great advantage, though your ability to follow up on leads, conduct thorough research, and keep up with the latest trends in a certain niche will be carefully assessed. You can also be a contributing writer first to forge a relationship with the editors before going after a full-time position. 

👨🏻‍💼 Entry level positions: junior writer, freelance writer

There’s a fine line between a critic and a columnist: critics are usually more academically inclined, and they often work more on the arts than columnists. Columnists cover social issues, sports, entertainment in their more general sense, while critics while home in on a particular piece of art, literature, theatre, or movie to offer expert assessment of it. 

Similar to the columnists, you can begin with junior writing positions and freelance gigs, in which you build up a writing portfolio of relevant work. Ideally, critics will be more savvy to the technicalities of whatever subject you critique — be it filmography or literature. In other words, formal training like a bachelor’s degree is a good launch pad. 

6. News journalist 

👩🏼‍💼 Entry level positions: staff writer/journalist

💰 Potential beginner’s earning: $30,000-$35,000 per year 

Writing news articles is different from the writing column pieces: a journalist must maintain an impartial voice and be succinct. Moreover, you’re always looking out for the latest story, whether on social media or on the street (which is where your love for creative writing can come in). 

The most common way to get into news journalism is to get a salaried position. You can also apply to internships as well, and there are compensated ones to look out for. What you will need is a degree and some journalist training so that you can use shorthand, know what makes a good story, and know what sources to chase, among other things. 

7. Investigative journalist 

👨🏽‍💼 Entry level positions: staff writer/journalist

And what if you’re a fan of true crime ? You might find yourself drawn to investigative journalism! You can chase the tail of anything under the sun, from kidnappings to factory production, from local to international events, so long as there’s an uncovered story there. The topic will often be assigned to you by an editor, and you’ll be given some time to collect information and write the article. It’s a slower pace than daily news, but it’s thrilling nonetheless. 

Similar to the news path, you’ll likely start off with an internship or a junior writing position. With this job opportunity, you can build a portfolio that demonstrates your ability to peel back the layers of the onion to reveal new insights to a matter. Again, a degree and training in journalism are essential. 

Copywriting

Copywriting is writing to sell a product or service, and it could be anything from newsletter emails to slogans to even commercial scripts! There’s definitely a creative element to it, as you’re always looking for a unique and memorable way to capture the attention of consumers. And since it's so rooted in consumption culture, copywriting is definitely a writing career that's in demand!

Below are several types of copywriting jobs you can go into. 

8. Technical copywriter

👩🏻‍💼 Entry level positions: technical writer, freelance writer

💰 Potential beginner’s earning: $32,000-$38,000 per year 

A technical writer works on instructional materials for manuals, white papers, and other informative pieces of writing. A technical copywriter combines that level of specialty with marketing tactics, thereby focusing on promoting products and services that are a bit more, well, technical. Think electronic companies, software developers, repair and maintenance services. 

Ideally, you’d have some education or experience in technical sectors (i.e. IT, engineering, finance). That way, you won’t take too much time to familiarize yourself with the jargon, and employers are more likely to hire you. You can also begin with technical writing, if you don’t mind working on material that’s a bit less creative. 

9. Advertising copywriter

👨🏼‍💼 Entry level positions: junior copywriter, communications copywriter

For a more creative writing job, you can go for advertising. This often involves a lot of brainstorming with the creative team of your agency to come up with advertisement campaigns that will leave a mark. When working on this you can write all kinds of content, from slogans to image copies to web content. 

Having a bachelor’s degree in marketing or an essay-based discipline is usually beneficial if you’re looking for this kind of job. You can work for a big brand, which will constantly be needing new content, or you can work for a marketing agency, tailoring your work to every client. 

10. PR copywriter

👩🏽‍💼 Entry level positions: junior copywriter

Public relations (PR) is, simply put, the art of building a good reputation, whether that’s for an individual or a brand. You’ll work on press releases, report and presentation writing, material for internal and external communications to present your client’s motivation and direction. 

For this kind of job, the precision of your language and your ability to stay up to date with the competitors will be important. A degree in communications or business administration are a plus point. And as is often the case in most writing jobs, the ability to find the human story behind everything will be your best tool. 

Content Marketing

Nowadays, traditional marketing on TV, billboards, and posters are only a part of the industry, the other is all about online content. And with so many things zooming about on the Internet, every company will be looking for the most creative person to help them stand out. Which means you get plenty of opportunities to be imaginative, working on website content, blog posts, social media posts, and even videos.

11. Social media manager 

👨🏻‍💼 Entry level positions: assistant/junior/freelance social media specialist

💰 Potential beginner’s earning: $20-$30 per hour or $30,000-$35,000 per year 

With our evermore online world, social media-related jobs definitely is a writing career that's in demand. So many things can happen on social media — you might very well go viral overnight! The challenge is getting there. As a social media manager, you get to be the voice of the company, interacting with customers in a friendly, casual way, while also learning their habits and preferences so that you and others on your team can better engage with them. 

This is a relatively hands-on job, so experience running a public social media account is the best thing you can have on your CV. A degree in communications can be beneficial, though many job postings don’t require anything specific.

12. Blogger

👩🏼‍💼 Entry level positions: blogger, freelance writer

💰 Potential beginner’s earning: $0.10-$0.15 per word

Blogging is probably something you’re familiar with as a writer — but do you know it can earn you a good penny? By focusing on a specific subject (it can be books , technology, fashion, the freelance life, etc.), you can attract companies who are looking to strengthen their brand awareness and will sponsor you. It’ll take time to build an attractive platform, but it’s definitely possible. 

Beyond that, you can write for others as well. There are plenty of websites that promote creative writing jobs all over, so you can sift through them for the suitable ones. No degree requirements for this job, just your skill with a (proverbial) quill! 

13. Content creator 

👨🏽‍💼 Entry level positions: content marketer

💰 Potential beginner’s earning: $27,000-$34,000 per year 

If you’re happy to do a bit of everything, then apply to become a content creator. You’ll also get to collaborate with a team to come up with an overall strategy in this position.

You can work for all kinds of companies in this career. A bachelor’s degree in Marketing, English, Communications are highly relevant, though adjacent, essay-based subjects tend to do the job, too. Brushing up on search engine optimization (SEO) is also wise. 

Pop culture, the latest rumors and gossip, interesting observations served on a pretty platter — if any of that sounds interesting to you, you can jump into the media industry. Here are some job options if you want to take this route. 

14. Screenwriter

👩🏻‍💼 Entry level positions: assistant/associate writer

💰 Potential beginner’s earning: $20-$30 per hour or $9,000-$15,000 per project 

Everyone of us has probably at one point or another thought about entering the film and TV industry, and that career goal is definitely achievable, if you know where to look. A lot of people start with assistant positions to learn the ropes and get an opportunity to work on bigger productions. If you prefer to write from the get-go, you can go for lower-budget projects. 

To get one of the assistant positions and put yourself out there, touch up on craft skills like plotting, story structures , character-building to be prepared. No qualifications are specified in most cases. 

15. Broadcast journalist 

👨🏼‍💼 Entry level positions: staff writer

We’ve covered written news — now comes broadcast news. From televised reports to radio sessions, you can be the writer behind the words that reporters or presenters read out. It’s a fast-paced job that deals with the latest real-life stories, which can be incredibly rewarding, even if it’s not explicitly creative. 

Many broadcast journalists work project by project (unless it’s periodical news), almost like a freelancer. You’ll still need to have all the skills necessary to put together a good news story, so some journalist training will be beneficial. 

16. Podcaster 

👩🏻‍💼 Entry level positions: assistant/associate writer or producer 

💰 Potential beginner’s earning: $18-$25 per hour, or $26,000-$32,000 per year 

Along the same lines as a broadcast journalist is the job of a podcaster. This is a bit more topical than journalism, and you can really home into certain fields and explore it in depth. Another special thing about podcasters is they usually host the shows, too! So if you’re confident about your voice, and about interviewing others, there’s no reason not to try this out. 

As with screenwriting, the route to get into this sector can be a little bit challenging, since it’s often a case of catching an opportunity from the right people at the right time. Which is why assistant jobs are a strong start. 

And finally, we arrive at the section that hopeful writers often dream about more than anything else. Publishing a book is not easy, it requires not just time and effort but also finances, if only to keep you afloat while completing the manuscript. That said, it’s possible to do it on the side with another full-time job, as is the case for most published writers. 

The cool thing about this career is that you are your own boss — i.e. there are no entry level positions. You are an author the day you call yourself one. 

17. Short story writer

Short stories are charming in their own right, and with the booming literary magazine sphere , there’s no shortage of space to get your words out there into the world. Publishing an anthology with a publisher is also an option but it’s harder — you often need to have an established career first. 

In any case, most magazines aim to have enough funds to pay their contributors. Small ones can pay $15-$20 per story, bigger ones $100-$200. You can also enter writing contests to win higher prizes.

18. Novelist 

Being a novelist comes with the difficulty of having the time and finances to write a full draft before you can propose it to publishers, or even publish it yourself. It’s a long commitment, and it doesn’t guarantee a payoff. If it does get printed, a book deal can get you an advance in the $5,000-$15,000 range. If you self-publish, what you get depends on how well you market your books — emphasis on the plural noun!

That said, it’s not impossible. We’ve got a whole post on how to become a novelist here if you want some pointers from famous writers like Anne Lamott and Zadie Smith! 

19. Nonfiction author 

Who says creative writing jobs have to be all about fiction? Creative nonfiction is a growing field that’s always welcoming new stories. From memoirs and biographies to true crime, from self-help to essay collections, you can focus on many different topics with this option. 

The nice thing about it all is that unlike fiction writers, you can pitch your book proposal to publishers before you complete a whole manuscript for nonfiction titles, meaning you can be guaranteed some kind of results before you start writing. The advance amount is similar to that for novels.

And last but not least, you can become a poet! Poets tell stories with rhythm and rich imagery, and not just on paper but also with their voice. Performing poetry is one of the special advantages that comes with this form of writing. Not only does it let you and the audience experience in a new way, it’s also a great opportunity to grow as an artist. 

On top of that, you can also dabble in other industries (advertising, music producers…) as a lyricist. As it’s a gig-based employment, you probably want to diversify your work portfolio to make sure there’s always something you can work on. The rates are usually similar to that of a ghostwriter.

And voila, that’s the end to our master list of creative writing jobs! Hopefully, there’s something to help you passion live on among this many options.

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12 Creative Writing Jobs Sites to Make More Money from Your Passion

BIG NEWS! We just released The Freelance Files , a collection of professional done-for-you email scripts, contracts, invoices, and more for smarter freelancing. The first 50 customers, save 50% with this link .

12 Best sites to find creative writing jobs

Creative writing jobs vs. other writing jobs, the basics of creative writing jobs, types of creative writing jobs, how to land creative writing jobs, building a creative writing career.

Landing creative writing jobs is a dream of many people around the world: high pay, flexible hours, interesting assignments… What’s not to like?

The hardest thing about taking the leap and starting a creative writing career is that it’s very unclear where to start.

Where do you even find jobs and projects? What skills should you possess? What kind of salary can you expect?

We will answer all of these questions and more in our comprehensive guide to creative writing jobs. Read about some of the best sites where you can land a job , tips for successful applications and possible fields you can work in.

You might also want to review our guide on how to make money writing once you’re done with this article.

1. ProBlogger

ProBlogger is a writing platform that has its own blog section with tips and tricks for writing. At the same time, it features one of the most versatile creative writing job boards out there.

To start applying for creative writing jobs on ProBlogger, simply sign up and provide some of the details about your experience and expertise. As soon as you confirm your application, you will have an opportunity to start taking up jobs.

2. Freelancer

Freelancer.com is a versatile platform where writers of all niches can find extra work.

You can filter project and contest announcements according to your interests and track creative writing jobs by receiving notifications when a new project comes up.

If you consistently provide top-quality service and get great reviews, you can also join their Preferred Freelancer program and get access to exclusive creative writing jobs.

3. SolidGigs

Sign up for this direct-to-your-mailbox job listing service to save your hard-earned hours for what matters most. They help find the best online gigs for you, and all you have to do is apply.

Not just a creative writing jobs site, SolidGigs provides a library chock-full of resources to improve your business. Pretty sweet!

Similarly to Freelancer, Upwork is a freelancing platform that gathers clients looking for a service and writers, designers, programmers and other experts.

The job application process is structured in the form of bidding: when a job posting becomes available, you can bid with your rate, cover letter, milestone requests and other questions for the client.

You can also create a specialized profile that will attract clients who are looking for creative writing experts.

iWriter is another writing platform which functions a bit differently than those we have previously mentioned. Instead of bidding on projects and waiting for your application to get accepted, you simply pick up a topic that a client requested.

Topics can widely range and you can accept only those you are interested in. After you accept a project, you will have a certain amount of time to submit it on iWriter’s platform.

The payment for your articles depends on your experience and ratings. If you consistently receive great ratings and you do a lot of work on the site, you will be eligible for high-value writing projects which are available only to premium writers.

6. Freelance Writers Den

This one is very popular among US-based writers. Freelance Writers Den is an online writers’ community where users can simultaneously learn how to increase their income and visit the job board for new gigs.

The job postings are collected and published by the FWD editing team, along with applications made over the site. The site guarantees a junk-free job board with loads of attractive and interesting creative writing jobs.

However, the job board is visible to members only, so you will need to sign up first if you want to start taking up Freelance Writers Den projects.

7. FlexJobs

FlexJobs is focusing on providing an all-encompassing job platform for all remote-friendly jobs: from writers to IT professionals and customer support experts.

Unlike some of the other platforms that we’ve mentioned, FlexJobs gigs are not exclusively freelance, but they present employment (both part-time and full-time) as well. The only condition is that a job can be done fully remotely.

After you sign up and access the job board, simply use the filter to highlight only those creative writing jobs that you’re interested in.

8. WritersWork

Just like its name says, WritersWork caters specifically to writers, so it’s not like some other huge platforms with loads of professionals from all industries (which can be a good thing and a bad thing).

The site is not only a job board, but a very extensive collection of information and tips any writer can wish for. It’s a great resource for building your brand and business and making a living solely from writing.

After taking a look at some of their blog posts and info packages, hop on over to their carefully-selected job board to find epic creative writing jobs!

9. Constant Content

Constant Content works as a writing marketplace where clients can ask for services they need and find writers who will fulfill them. Similarly to iWriter, you will be able to apply to jobs as a writer after you go through their application process.

After you get accepted, you will get access to all sorts of creative writing jobs. Of course, you have the opportunity to take up only those gigs that you find interesting or worth your while. This allows a great degree of flexibility and freedom, which are known to be jet fuel for creativity.

Medium is a bit different than the majority of writing platforms. It’s a publishing tool that you can use to post your articles, stories and essays publicly, but you can also earn from your creative writing.

The monetization of your writing is done through their Medium Partner Program. Once you sign up, your stories will become eligible to earn money.

For example, if a Medium subscriber “clapped” only to your article, you would get USD 5 from that clap. If a subscriber clapped to 500 others, you would receive USD 0.01 from that subscriber.

11. All Freelance Writing

Founded in 2006, AFW is an online writers’ community where you can find loads of resources to get you started on your path as a creative writer.

There is a job board where you can view current open projects and you can also post your profile and let clients come to you.

Next to that, you will also find a rich collection of articles and eBooks focusing on the writing process, which you can use to perfect your craft and learn how to turn your hobby into a lucrative business.

12. SalesFolk

If you’re interested in crafting awesome email campaigns, promotional material and other marketing building blocks, SalesFolk is the right address for you.

It’s specialized for creative writers who want to work in marketing and help clients increase sales through the power of words.

There are thousands of categories and niches in which modern writers can work in. Next to creative writing jobs, there are also technical writing, scientific writing, grant and proposal writing and much more.

So, how is creative writing different than other writing jobs?

Throughout history, literature has been the synonym of creative writing. But now, the definition has significantly expanded.

In our digital world, the realm of creative writing is not as narrow as literature and fiction anymore. We now consider the field and industry of creative writing as large as ever, covering a wide array of categories and employing hundreds of thousands of experts around the world.

What separates the creative writing process from other writing jobs is that technical writing is based on facts and source reviews.

Take journalism, for example. Even though a journalistic article is a result of someone’s process of creativity and imagination, it’s still grounded in actual, checkable facts. Another piece, such as a column, that incorporates subjective thinking and opinions could be considered creative writing.

Skills and education

For many aspiring creative writers out there, the question of whether they are good enough is among the burning ones when first starting their career.

Of course, many people have a knack for writing and the ability to tell stories in a compelling way, but is it enough?

Well, it’s a great basis to start with, but in order to skyrocket your career, you will need much more than a talent for writing. The creative writing market is more competitive than ever and it’s important to develop skills that will set you apart from other writers.

Education can be a great asset, but you don’t need to have a degree to become a creative writer. Some clients prefer to see a university-level education, while others simply don’t care.

A great base for developing your career would be an education in, of course, Creative Writing, Literature, Linguistics, Communications, Media Studies and other Humanities.

Just like any other job, the salary can wildly differ from one writer to another. The rate for your writing pieces will depend on, of course, the client, your experience, your skills and many other factors.

You will usually see the price offered alongside the project description, so you’ll know what to expect. When there is no price listed, you should use your own standards that you usually charge other clients.

Of course, when you first start, the pay will be much lower than after you have already been working for 2 years. However, just like you start any job at a junior position, you have to approach creative writing with the same mindset.

Copywriters are very sought-after in today’s economy. From eCommerce websites to business advertisements, every company needs someone who will present their work in a captivating way and attract new leads and customers.

Copywriters usually write ad copy, slogans, and promotional texts. If you are interested in marketing and psychology and their connection to words, copywriting is the right job for you!

Story writer

A story writer is a job that closely resembles the traditional notion of copywriting. Here is where you can let all your ideas and creativity loose, develop characters, storylines and narratives.

Clients look for stories for many different purposes, and not just independent publishing. Sometimes, companies require stories as part of their brand messaging.

In this case, your task will be to develop a storyline on the history of the company and its mission and vision.

Screenwriter

Another very creative profession, screenwriting has blossomed due to the increased demand for video content. Of course, you will not start by screenwriting for Hollywood blockbusters, but who knows, you might just end up there!

“In general, companies use screenwriters to produce text for their promotional videos, campaigns, animations and other forms of multimedia content. It’s a very lucrative writing field with thousands of projects being posted every day,” says Kathy Thompson, a creative writer at SupremeDissertations .

eBook writer

Creative writing has fully exploded with the advent of Kindle and eBooks. Now, everyone has the chance to sell their own book , be it fiction, non-fiction, self-improvement, biography…

An eBook has slightly different requirements and formats that a physical print book. That’s why you will first have to look into some basics of formatting for eBooks .

You can either self-publish or work for a client that will buy the rights to your eBook. In any case, first, you need to do a cost-benefit analysis and see what’s more efficient for you.

Speech writer

When we hear the term “speech”, we usually think of State of the Union or Urbi Et Orbi, but the fact is that speeches are happening every day, across all sectors and industries.

Be it a conference, seminar or a company gathering, it’s expected that top executives hold a speech to serve the purpose of motivating their employees or presenting the company to investors.

At the same time, many execs are not very skilled in speech writing, so they resort to hiring a speech writing expert who will help them get their point across. This is where creative writers come in!

Corporate branding

Every company needs corporate branding in order to start operating, and creative writers are part of the effort to craft a message that will resonate with potential customers.

Corporate branding relates to everything from the company name to the mission and vision statement.

Content writer

Content writing is a field that covers many categories, but some sub-categories imply creative writing.

Sometimes, clients and companies need a blog post that will promote their brand in a unique, compelling way.

Travel writer

With the travel industry growing faster than ever, it’s no wonder that all sectors related to it are growing as well: from travel websites and forums to gadgets and travel accessories sales.

Many companies are now looking for travel writers who will present destinations and attract new tourists. You can work with a travel agency or directly with the city or country that’s trying to promote itself.

Ghostwriter

Even though ghostwriting jobs can be highly creative and lucrative, they’re not the favorite choice of creative writers who want to get famous. Why? Because every ghostwriter completely hands over the rights to their text and agrees never to be mentioned as the creator.

If this is something you’re okay with, ghostwriting is a great way to earn a lot of money with creative writing, especially if you’re ghostwriting for best-selling authors.

Children’s writer

Children’s books and videos are an evergreen industry that’s been constantly growing for decades.

If you have a good understanding of a child’s worldview and you’re able to “get down to their level”, writing books for children would be perfect for you! It’s also a way to escape reality and teleport back to those happy days of childhood and innocence.

On job boards and professional writing sites, there is a limited space for information where you can explain why you’re best for a job. Follow some of these tips to increase your chances of landing your next creative writing gig:

Write an awesome personal introduction

Your personal profile introduction is a crucial component of your presentation. Think of it as your personal brand message: convey to the reader (potential client) what you do, how you do it and why you do it well.

Prepare a portfolio

Most clients will ask to see what kind of work you’ve done before. This is not only to check your experience, but to see whether your style and tone of voice match their brand.

On most writing platforms, you can upload a portfolio of the work you are most proud of. If not, you can develop a simple portfolio website where you will feature your best work.

When bidding for a project or submitting an application, you can simply direct the client to that website.

Try writing short samples

Put yourself in the client’s shoes: how can you tell that a writer will be up to the task and be able to provide a satisfactory end result?

With nothing to rely on except a shiny portfolio and a personal introduction, clients have to gamble and trust that a writer’s experience will guarantee successful work.

So, if you want to prove to the client that you’re able to provide exactly what they need, consider writing a short sample of 100-200 words based on their project requirements. This way, they will see whether you will be able to carry it out to the end.

If you have a talent for writing, a creative writing career can be a path for connecting a passion with work. In order to succeed, you will have to put in a lot of time and effort into perfecting your craft and consistently provide high-quality outputs.

You will also have to work hard on attracting new clients, especially if you work as a freelancer. A good place to start is by signing up at one of the websites that we listed above and see what the offers are.

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Freelancing Growth

Written by Marques Coleman

Contributor at millo.co.

Marques Coleman is a blog writer at EssayAssistant and specializes in marketing and copywriting. Moreover, he is an avid traveler and always tries to learn something new.

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Get Paid to Write: 13 Sites That Pay Up to $450 per Article

Our readers always come first.

The content on DollarSprout includes links to our advertising partners. When you read our content and click on one of our partners’ links, and then decide to complete an offer — whether it’s downloading an app, opening an account, or some other action — we may earn a commission from that advertiser, at no extra cost to you.

Our ultimate goal is to educate and inform, not lure you into signing up for certain offers. Compensation from our partners may impact what products we cover and where they appear on the site, but does not have any impact on the objectivity of our reviews or advice.

Paid freelance writing is a lucrative way to get paid to write from home. You don’t need a degree or even the most eloquent prose to have a lucrative side hustle as a freelance writer.

• Side Hustles

Our mission at DollarSprout is to help readers improve their financial lives, and we regularly partner with companies that share that same vision. If a purchase or signup is made through one of our Partners’ links, we may receive compensation for the referral. Learn more here .

When I started a blog four years ago, I had no idea I could get paid to write about anything. Fast forward three years. Now I get paid to write about things I love, and I make a full-time living doing it.

Freelance writing can be a great way to make money from home. But with any business, there’s a steep learning curve. You have to know what editors want, where to find jobs that are legitimate, and what to charge as you progress.

A Look at the Best Freelance Writing Websites

When you’re building your writing portfolio, there are some freelance writing sites that stand out for offering legitimate jobs and paying writers a living wage. They’re the best freelance writing websites for beginners.

Upwork is a freelancer marketplace and go-to source for business owners looking for all kinds of digital services. You can find hundreds of paid writing jobs in dozens of subjects.

One of the benefits of using Upwork is that you won’t have to chase down payment from clients. All invoices and payments happen through Upwork, and you’re guaranteed payment for the work you do.

The downside is that Upwork charges a 20% fee on your first $500 earned with each client, 10% up to $10,000, and 5% beyond that. It’s a good place to get started, but you won’t want to use it for long.

Known for offering services starting at $5, Fiverr is a marketplace for freelancers to showcase their services to prospective clients. You create a profile, list a “gig,” and then it becomes available to a global audience.

All communication and payments are processed through Fiverr, but it also charges a steep 20% fee on all earnings. If you’re nervous about reaching out to clients yourself, Fiverr can be a good platform where they come to you.

But you’ll have to do something to make yourself stand out in a sea of other writers. That’s where specializing in one subject matter can be your strength.

3. Textbroker

Textbroker only offers content and writing services on its platform. Writers who sign up with Textbroker will find many resources on how to improve their writing, including editors to review articles, writing tutorials, and videos on how to get the most out of Textbroker.

Earnings per word depend on your quality level. You can earn from $0.07 per word up to $0.50. You choose from thousands of orders available based on your quality level, and there are no additional fees. Textbroker also offers milestone and quarterly bonuses when you achieve different word counts.

Writers, designers, videographers, and other creatives can all find jobs on Skyword . Skyword is a marketplace where you can find jobs and be found by clients. It works with both small and high-profile clients and is a great way to make the jump from lower-paying job sites.

You can’t just sign up for Skyword clients. Fill out a profile and wait until you’re hand-selected for jobs, meaning your profile can sit in Skyword for a long time before you’re submitted to clients or able to view job opportunities. You can increase your chances of being picked by editors by keeping your social media relevant and updated.

5. ClearVoice

ClearVoice connects qualified writers with job opportunities based on the writer’s CV or ClearVoice portfolio. Once you complete your CV, you’ll be able to join ClearVoice’s Talent Network and have your CV sent to prospective clients.

Writers are then handpicked for opportunities based on their CV, so there’s an incentive to create one that stands out. You set your own rates and are paid via PayPal upon assignment approval, so you get the security of going through a marketplace without the fees typically associated with them.

6. Contently

Contently is an online writing agency that connects freelance writers with businesses. Many writers use the site for its free portfolio service, but Contently editors use these portfolios to handpick freelancers for clients.

Many high-profile websites and companies use Contently to source writers, so the jobs pay well. These jobs tend to go to the most experienced candidates, and it can take years for an editor at Contently to refer you to a client. But if you’re patient, Contently can offer lucrative writing opportunities.

Another place experienced freelance writers can find high-paying jobs is on nDash . nDash is a content platform where writers can create a profile and pitch ideas for blogs, articles, and whitepapers to prospective clients.

nDash claims the average writing assignment on its platform pays between $175 to $450. Once an assignment is approved, payment is deposited directly into the writer’s bank account within two to three business days.

It’s a relatively new site so not as many companies are using it, but writers have reported that if you’re willing to pitch more, you’ll make a decent income.

8. SmartBug

SmartBug is a content marketing company specializing in B2B (business to business) marketing and copywriting. Its writers produce content for the web, social media, email, sales pages, and more.

This is a great site for writers who aren’t beginners but may not have the experience or portfolio to compete for jobs with other top writers. There’s no direct way to apply, but you can fill out a general interest application on the website.

9. NewsCred

NewsCred is a community for experienced freelance content creators. In-house editors pair creators with customer programs, but you can also view freelance positions on the platform. Then NewsCred’s editorial team serves as your managing editor for all client work.

You can find high-profile Fortune 500 companies from a variety of industries using NewsCred, the most popular being tech, healthcare, and financial services. There’s currently no button to apply on NewsCred’s website, but you can contact the company via the contact form on its website.

10. The Writer Finder

Growth Machine is an SEO-focused content marketing company with a freelance writing platform called The Writer Finder . Growth Machine works with a variety of clients in AI, travel, wellness, dogs, weddings, and more.

What sets The Writer Finder apart is the Slack group for freelance writers. It lets you communicate with other freelance writers on the team. Rates are competitive, and you’ll also have the chance to learn sought-after SEO skills.

Related: 51 Freelance Jobs Websites with the Best Remote Work Opportunities

Apply for Assignments on the Best Freelance Writing Job Boards

Job boards are easy places for companies to post their jobs. The job board doesn’t vet freelancers, handle payments, or make promises on behalf of clients.

There are some things to be aware of when applying and taking a job from a job board. Because the service is free for writers, you’re competing against thousands of other bloggers for a limited number of jobs.

Job boards are also notorious for phishing scams. “Clients” may ask you to download a zip file of their payment terms or writing guidelines and ask you to invoice them via PayPal. The zip file is actually a keystroke logger allowing them to steal your PayPal credentials. Be careful when applying to jobs on these boards.

11. ProBlogger

The ProBlogger job board is updated daily with blogging and article writing jobs across all subjects.

Businesses have to pay ProBlogger to post their job ad, meaning the writer isn’t paid through ProBlogger. They don’t charge the writer any fees for joining or getting paid.

Another job board filled with many freelance writing opportunities is Indeed . You can find full-time, part-time, and freelance remote writing jobs across all subjects, and because of the vastness of the board, competition isn’t as high compared to others.

You can sign up for job alerts based on your searches. Simply enter your email address and activate emails to see them as soon as they hit the website.

13. MediaBistro

Journalists and anyone else in media will find MediaBistro helpful for finding jobs in the industry. If you’re looking for paid writing jobs in marketing, advertising, television, or news, you can find hundreds of jobs from recognizable names on MediaBistro’s job board.

There are entry-level positions listed, but your best move is to get enough writing experience to make a professional-looking resume before you start applying for jobs on this site.

How to Get Paid to Write (Step by Step) 

Before you apply to get paid for writing, there are a few things you should do to make yourself stand out to potential clients.

1. Choose What to Write About

When you’re writing for money, you might think that only writing about a couple of topics limits your options, but it actually expands them. Sites and companies that pay well don’t want freelancers who write about anything, they want experts in their field. When you stick to a single niche and become known for it, you’ll become a sought-after writer.

Choosing one topic also allows you to scale your business faster. You learn your subject thoroughly, research less, work faster, and can take on more clients. All this leads to being able to earn a higher hourly rate for your work. The key is to pick a profitable niche.

2. Create a Portfolio

There are several ways to create a portfolio. The first is with a blog. Every new writer should have a blog, especially if you don’t have many clips to show potential clients.

Once you choose your niche, write five to ten blog posts on various topics within it. This shows potential clients your writing style, expertise, and gives them a place to contact you.

You can also make money with a blog . One way is to find products and services related to your niche that you like using and see if they have an affiliate program. Then every time someone makes a purchase through your affiliate link, you’ll earn a small commission.

3. Create Profiles on Multiple Sites

Once you’ve written a few articles for other sites or publications, you can create profiles and portfolios on multiple professional freelance writing sites. Clippings.me is a portfolio site for journalists, Contently is used by many web-based content writers, and LinkedIn is a go-to place for businesses looking for expert writers.

Having a presence on a few different sites makes it easier for clients to find you and your work. They may also learn personal facts about you that give you an edge over other writers so don’t underestimate including things like your alma mater, pets, and hobbies.

4. Post on Social Media

Building a social media presence around your niche can also put you ahead for freelance writing jobs. Twitter is most popular for journalists and print publications while Instagram is becoming a popular place for e-commerce businesses to find writers.

You don’t have to make another social media account just for your writing. Post facts, breaking news, advice, and stories related to your niche and tag them with relevant hashtags. It’ll help brands find you, and it can further reinforce to potential clients that you’re knowledgeable and stay current about the topics you write about.

Related: How to Become a Social Media Manager

5. Accept Smaller Jobs While Building Your Reputation

While you’re building your portfolio and expertise in your niche, you’ll have to be willing to accept lower-paid writing jobs. Think of them as practice that you’re getting paid to do. The more organizations, editors, and platforms you work with now, the more you’ll be able to impress high-paying clients in the future.

You can also pitch websites to guest post. You won’t get paid to write guest posts, but you may be able to add links to your blog posts in your article. This will help your posts rank higher in Google, and potential clients may be able to find you through simple Google searches.

Related: How to Get Paid to Write Reviews

 6. Learn to Network

You can start freelance writing on your own, but if you want to build a business and make a living writing, you need a network of other writers. Your network should be filled with writers and editors in your niche who are a little ahead of you and a little behind you in the journey.

Your network can also help you find sources for stories, give you feedback on pitches, advise you on rates to charge, and help you to feel like you’re not alone in this often isolating industry.

Related: How to Make More Money as a Freelance Writer

Resources on How to Get Paid as a Writer

When you’re running your freelance writing business, you’ll want to have some resources to make it easier to write and get paid.

Freelance Writer’s Den

Started by veteran freelance writer Carol Tice, the Freelance Writer’s Den is a membership site just for freelance writers. You have access to over 300 hours of freelance writing education including eCourses, webinars, and podcasts.

There’s also a forum for networking with other writers and a job board with new writing jobs posted every Monday and Thursday, all with a minimum rate of $50 per article.

Membership for the Freelance Writer’s Den only opens twice a year. If you’re interested in joining, sign up for the waitlist to be notified.

Get Paid to Write for Blogs (Course)

This is a course geared towards new freelance writers that was created by Cat Alford (who, coincidentally, has been a freelance writer on DollarSprout in the past).

The course features eight video modules covering beginner-level lessons, including how to create a portfolio that will attract high-value clients. The course also covers everything you need to know about running the business side of things. 

Related: The Best Online Writing Courses for New Freelance Writers

Getting Paid to Write is Possible

You can get paid to write in any field at any level. Like any business, it’s difficult to get started.

However, if you work your way through the many content marketing agencies and job boards, you’ll be able to find steady work and grow your business.

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How to Get Paid for Creative Writing

• POSTED ON December 22, 2020
• by Hazel Santos

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Being a freelance writer presents a whole lot of opportunities to make more money than a regular employee. You have countless outlets to check out, and your specialization is in demand in this content-hungry era. You will always find clients who are searching for ‘ write my essay for me ’. Many platforms are brimming with creative writers who make their websites even more interesting and compelling through the artistic use of words and imagery to create digestible content. So if you are a writer seeking to expand your income outlet, here’s a guide on how you can get paid for creative writing.

Why go freelance?

Freelancing offers irresistible benefits any writer can never say no to. First of all, it allows writers to control their own time, which is crucial in letting the creative imagination flow. Secondly, it is so convenient that they could work from anywhere—the couch included. And lastly, freelancing yields substantial pay that you could earn from multiple jobs simultaneously.

Many creative writers have chosen this path to maximize their time while doing their passion. And there are other freelance writers who treat this as a side job while fulfilling a full-time job in the day time. Feeling intimidated by the idea of working remotely? Utilize our online courses in freelance training and land your next job with confidence! Either way, you are in for a serious treat as there are multiple ways you can make money as a freelance creative writer.

How to make serious money in creative writing

Here are the best ways to get paid for creative writing .

1. Start your own blog, build a niche, and get paid to promote products.

Probably, the most high-yielding and long-term way to make money by freelancing is by starting up your own blog . It will be a painstakingly long process, but once your blog gets promising traction, you’ll start earning the fruits of your labor. 

But before building your own blog, there are lots of things to consider to ensure success, and you’ll reap what you’ve sown. Here are some tips to successfully make money in a blog.

• Pick a niche that works best for you. Think of the kind of content you produce. Whether you specialize in poetry, novels, short stories, you can work around this in finding the niche you can build for your blog.
• Claim your website and start producing compelling content that will grab the attention of the public.
• Implement various marketing strategies to grow your traffic and popularity.
• Start monetizing by getting ad placements and deals with brands around your niche.

Writing your own blog is a sustainable way to make money as a freelance creative writer. It is the perfect outlet to bust out your creativity while guaranteeing the flow of earnings.

2. Write for content-hungry websites.

If you want a variation of content production, you can try freelance writing for content-hungry websites that capitalize on creative content. The boom of the internet paved the way for the demand for powerful content to lure in the audience. And this is your strength as a creative writer; various platforms are after your talent in helping them gain readers and customers.

So, where do you find these content-hungry platforms? You can check out content-rich sites that are constantly on the lookout for contributors. Some of these may include online publications, magazines, news platforms, entertainment sites, and more. One of the most popular ways to get paid with your contribution is by writing for Medium , a blogging platform where you can read other people’s posts.

When you become a Medium member, you can publish member-exclusive articles that can earn you $50-$500 a month. This is an easy way to build your creative portfolio while making a substantial amount of money for every content produced.

3. Publish your own book or e-book.

Want to take freelancing a notch higher? Why don’t you pursue getting your collection of creative content published? The whole idea sounds overwhelming, but it actually requires minimal effort to get your novel or collection of poems published. 

For instance, Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing offers a breezy self-publication service for aspiring authors. It only takes as low as five minutes to publish your content on Kindle. Your book will appear on the Kindle store within 24-48 hours. In this venture, you can earn up to 70% royalty on sales in selected countries.

4. Do ghostwriting for people of authority.

One of the prevalent ways of producing content or publishing books consistently for authority pages and prominent personalities is hiring a writer to ghostwrite for them. It’s not openly discussed, but it’s a common practice for famous personalities like celebrities, professionals, speakers, and even best-selling authors. And this practice is now pretty standard for digital creators like bloggers and site owners who want credits over the content they can’t personally write.

Professional ghostwriting services is an easy way to make money as there is a demand for it. You can even earn lucrative pay as you need to live up to the reputation of your client. The content you can write varies from autobiographies, novels, short stories, how-to guides, blog articles, and more.

Recommended courses for you

The creative writing jobs that make money

Here is a list of the most popular gigs to get paid for creative writing:

Novelists write fiction stories for a living. The whole writing process is tedious, which makes it a very challenging job. You have to think through the story plot, develop the characters, and find a publishing company to take your project. 

Short story writer

While novels hold bigger recognition, short stories are more sustainable and more likely to cash in continuously. There are several fiction websites and literary magazines that hire writers for short stories in various genres. The great thing about writing short stories is that you can produce more in a shorter time, enabling you to earn more.

Screenwriter

A screenwriter writes scripts and dialogues for concepts meant for a screenplay. Screenwriters mainly write for TV and movies, and now more recently for original series of streaming services like N etflix. They primarily develop a script from a given story or skit. They provide the dialogues, setting instructions, required actions, and more.

Playwrights are similar to screenwriters in the way that they both write scripts for an adaptation. However, playwrights write for the theater, not the screen. They wrote about the stage versions of literary works. Most of the time, they are allowed to write librettos–the written text used for doing operas or musicals.

If you have a penchant for writing poetry, you can absolutely make money doing what you love. Some publishing companies, websites, and freelancing platforms look for this kind of creative writing.

Children’s book author

Writing children’s books provides you a variety of genres to take on. You can write fables, short stories, picture books, fairy tales, and storybooks for the children. If you enjoy writing these and can handle your children’s books’ self-publication, you may give this a try.

Video game writer

With thousands of video games available in the digital market right now, there is definitely a huge demand for video game writers. Video game writers are responsible for scriptwriting, storyboarding, plot development, world-building, character creation, and more. This job requires a creative mind in depicting all possible scenarios in a video game.

Ghostwriter

Ghostwriting implies that you are writing on behalf of someone. This someone could be anyone of authority like celebrities, executives, politicians, and even authors. Usually, they hire ghostwriters to represent them when they are too busy to write for themselves. The anonymity is a good reason to drive up the cost of the project deal. You can find lots of ghostwriting opportunities on freelancing platforms. 

Speechwriter

Similar to ghostwriters, speechwriters have their anonymity when writing for a particular person. They mostly wrote for prominent people like executives, politicians, and high-profile people who don’t write their speeches themselves. This job requires you to be quick and updated with politics, recent events, and the familiarity on the playing field of what the client represents.

Content writer

There is a wide variety of niches to write about in content writing for websites. You can write for travel, food, science, technology, business, lifestyle, fashion, and many more. This is one of the most in-demand writing jobs in the freelancing market right now. With the surge of demand for digital content to amp up SEO of websites, content writing is one of the fastest ways to make money by writing.

Creative writing websites to make money

Here are some of the creative writing websites you should check out:

Poets&Writers

This platform serves as a literary magazine which also enables writers to connect and share their writings. It offers a considerable number of writing opportunities which include writing, proofreading, and publishing.

BunnyStudio

BunnyStudio features a wide variety of jobs in creative writing. It enables writers to choose the topics they want to work on and the subjects that match their skill set.

This job platform is a book packaging and publishing company that hires freelance writers who will write books and stories. If you have experience publishing your book, you have an edge when you apply here.

If you want to give freelance writing a try, this job platform is one of your safest options. You only need to filter down the jobs on your feed to find the writing gigs that match your skills. Thousands of writing positions are waiting for you on the platform. You may also know more about freelance writing in this course .

Upwork is one of the most prominent freelancing websites where creative writers flock. It features a secure payment process that protects you from getting fraud clients. Upwork allows you to have multiple specialized profiles, which amplify your chance of getting hired. Check out this guide to learn how to make money on Upwork.

iWriter works differently from all other mentioned writing platforms. It works by signing up for an account, picking the topics you want, writing for the accepted projects, and waiting to get paid, depending on the client’s satisfaction. There is a wide variety of topics to write on, so you get to choose what suits your writing skills.

Constant Content

Constant Content is a writing marketplace where clients can find the right writers for their needs. Like iWriter, writers may choose the topics they are interested in to encourage flexibility and freedom in writing.

The wonderful thing about finding jobs on these online platforms is that you can easily compare the available gigs, helping you pick which ones fit you best. There is a wide variety of writing jobs, which may vary from ghostwriting, content writing, copywriting, and more.

Need some tips on how you can brush up your skill in creative writing and find the best freelance job for you? Here are some Skill Success courses we recommend to take with you:

• Creative Writing Course: Master Tips of Writing
• Secrets of a Freelance Writer
• Introduction to Working as a Freelance Writer and Ghostwriter

Ready to make serious money through creative writing? Click here to get started.

Ready to fully dive into your learning? Join All Access Pass and unlock our entire course library for only $15/month.

Click here to learn more

Hazel Santos

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Writing Jobs: 21 Great Places To Find Work That Pays (2024)

Finding a writing job is tough if you don’t know where to look. Discover your best options.

Well, good news. If you want to get paid to write, you have more opportunities than ever. The days of the starving artist are over thanks to:

• Content marketing
• Copywriting
• Freelance writing online
• Self-publishing

Today you can earn hundreds or even thousands of dollars a month income from expressing your creative ideas, telling stories and sharing your expertise through the written word.

Here’s what we’ll cover in this article: I’ve listed 21 websites, services and platforms that offer writing jobs for all types of writers. Each section includes:

• An analysis of the website
• What kinds of jobs they offer

Keep in mind some sites offer other types of writer jobs than what I’ve included in this guide. Rates also vary widely depending on your niche, location and time of year. Writing is a diverse career that offers many different ways to earn money. Let’s get started.

Writers Work contains freelance writing opportunities for writers who want to start their career

Where Can You Find Writing Jobs That Pay?

1. problogger, 3. bloggingpro, 5. freelance writing jobs, 6. flexjobs, 7. freelance writers den, 8. freelancer, 9. craigslist, 10. constant content, 11. writers work, 12. writeraccess, 13. scripted, 14. mediabistro, 15. all freelance writing, 16. online writing jobs, 17. writerbay.com, 18. american writers and artists, inc. (awai), 19. listverse, 20. medium, 21. linkedin, salaries and rates for writers, how i earn an income from writing, what to do with your writing income, diversify your writing income, how do i turn my writing into a career, what jobs are in creative writing, is writing a good career choice, what jobs can you do as a writer, what writing jobs are in demand, what jobs require a lot of writing, what writing jobs pay the most, what jobs can you get with a ph.d. in creative writing, what are entry-level writing jobs, what 4 jobs in writing did edgar allan poe have, where can i find high-paying content-writing clients, how can i get paid for writing with no experience, what type of freelance writing pays the most, is there a high demand for writers, need help getting paid to write.

Praise be for the internet. Now you can write from anywhere and get paid for your hard work. Be it Miami, Seattle or Dublin, online writing jobs that pay well are available without any geographic restrictions. However, smart writers know where to look.

You could write for content mills–a site or service that churns out cheap articles for other websites–but those don’t pay much.

Instead, set up job alerts on popular writing sites (I’ll give you all the details below.) and stay up-to-date on the best writing gigs available.

ProBlogger is one of the best job boards for bloggers. It’s a great place to find copywriting jobs and a fantastic way to recruit freelancers.

The site includes several resources that bloggers can use to improve their blogs and attracts some of the best writers and authors from around the world.

The job boards attract some of the highest paying and some most prestigious writing opportunities and editing jobs. Many top bloggers I know advertise here looking for part-time and full-time writers.

Types of Writing Jobs Offered

• Blog post and content writers
• Copywriters
• Ghostwriters
• Editors and proofreaders
• Journalists
• Researchers
• Content marketers
• Social media managers
• SEO consultants

Similar to Upwork, the rates of ProBlogger jobs are based on the work. Determine your price ahead of time based on average time and effort needed and make that clear to the job advertiser. Note:  This job board will help you find prospects. It’s up to you to make sure they’re the right fit and meet your income requirements.

• One of the leading marketplaces for blogging jobs over the past 10 years
• No sign-up process or profile creation needed
• Job advertisers required to pay at least $70, a fee that weeds out bottom feeders
• Only five or so leads every day
• Difficult to earn full-time income right away
• Site doesn’t screen jobs

Upwork , previously known as oDesk, is a one-stop solution for all kinds of writer jobs.

BloggingPro is a free job site that classifies jobs according to type—freelance, internship, contract, part-time or temporary. Simply browse for work using these categories.

Known for freelance jobs, Upwork makes it easy and cost-effective to find, hire and work with the best professionals around the world.

Whether you are looking for creative writing jobs, greeting card writing gigs or medical writing projects, this is a good platform to start. I’ve used Upwork to source a video editor, podcast editor, designer, bookkeeper and more.

• Social media marketing
• Content writing
• Information security
• Freelance writing

Pay rates on Upwork vary, as nearly all listings in the job search are freelance. Potential workers define their payment rate (or bid) in their proposals.

Upwork charges a small fee depending on your account type. This starts at 20% for the first $500 billed and drops to 5% for lifetime billing once you exceed $10,000.

Novice freelancers might find it hard to make good money at first because of the complicated bidding system.

You’ll also need to take on some low-paying work at first until you’ve built a reputable Upwork profile.

Fortunately, you can take expert skill tests for freelancers. Once you pass the criteria, you can display it on your profile and show your expertise to clients.

• Long-term contracts
• Opportunity to earn bonuses
• Ability to build long-term relationships with clients
• Return and referral clients
• Free to join
• A lot of spam jobs
• 20% commission for the first $500 billed with a client (higher than other platforms)
• Low-paying jobs
• A lot of competition
• Takes time to build a profile that stands out on Upwork

The BloggingPro job board caters mostly to bloggers. Online freelancers can find the latest jobs offered, like blogging, content writing, creative writing, journalism or working as a content strategist. BloggingPro is a free job site that classifies jobs according to type—freelance, internship, contract, part-time or temporary. Simply browse for work using these categories.

Once you find a job you like, send an application. Most employers require a resume and previous work as a reference.

On that last point, no matter where you look for work as a writer, it’s a good idea to  start your own site  and capture client testimonials.

• Content strategy

BloggingPro recommends that employers pay a minimum of $15 per hour or 500 words; however, rates on the site vary like on most other writing job boards.

• BloggingPro job board updated daily
• Job searching done for you
• Free for job seekers
• BloggingPro charges $30 for 30 days to those looking to hire writers.
• Writer job descriptions do not indicate compensation.

4. iWriter

iWriter is an easy-to-use place to find online writing jobs.

To start, sign in and take a short writing test. Once you pass the test, you can pick articles and start writing.

As you receive positive reviews, your writer level increases and makes you more desirable to those hiring.

• Article rewrites
• Product descriptions

Writers receive 65% of the price of each article from the general writing queue. The actual dollar amounts vary based on your writer “level,” i.e., standard, premium, elite or elite plus) and the length of the article.

For example, an experienced writer can earn $80 for a 500-word article.

Writers get paid via PayPal and must have a valid PayPal account. Unfortunately, that means some additional fees and a lousy exchange rate.

Building trust by consistently delivering high-quality work will result in the highest pay on iWriter.

Job advertisers can send you special requests once you have established yourself. Moreover, writers receive 70% of the article cost for these special requests.

• Large variety of writing niches
• Freedom to choose how much you want to write each day
• Ability to earn up to $80 per 500 words once established
• Opportunity to build a client base and receive special requests
• Can write only basic articles when starting on iWriter
• Pay discussed above requires elite writer status on iWriter

Freelance Writing Jobs , also known as Freelance Writing Gigs, helps writers and authors find jobs that pay well.

The site hand-picks work from job sites, classified ads and company websites i.e. more than just   remote writing jobs . They include positions that might not directly involve writing but are still writer- and editor- related.

• Remote writing
• Short story writing
• Freelance copywriting
• Editing and proofreading
• Paid internships

The job ads on this site don’t include compensation rates. You negotiate compensation with the person/company that hires you or you learn the payment rate after they hire you.

• Jobs updated Monday through Friday
• Multiple posts about job sightings and helpful freelance writing articles
• Site doesn’t accept low-paying jobs
• Doesn’t include rates in job postings
• Job seekers limited to the jobs the blog chooses to feature

FlexJobs is a career site geared toward people looking for flexibility in a job. They focus on work-at-home, part-time and freelance jobs. FlexJobs promises that each job they list is flexible and scam-free.

• Content manager
• Managing editor
• News writer
• Technical writer

Wages vary based on word counts, kind of work, level of expertise and the advertiser. Anyone who wants a job with some flexibility such as telecommuting, freelance or flexitime jobs should use FlexJobs. If you are searching specifically for telecommuting jobs, check out Virtual Vocations .

• One of the most accredited resources for job seekers
• Scam screening
• No advertisements
• More than 50 categories and subcategories
• Offers a money-back guarantee
• A 10-year track record of providing freelance jobs
• Membership costs $14.95 per month (There are also options for yearly or 3-month memberships and coupon codes are regularly available.)
• Some writing jobs not exclusive to FlexJobs.

The Freelance Writers Den is a well-known community for part-time and full-time freelance writers. It claims more than 1,400 members and is run by well-known blogger Carol Tice, for whom I’ve written guest blog posts .

This membership-based website and community is dedicated to helping good writers make more money. You can get help from other motivated freelance writers from around the world on the Den’s 24/7 forums, saving you time and helping you achieve your  writing goals .

• Health writing
• Technical writing
• Creative writing

This website doesn’t indicate publicly the average pay you can earn. You can get paid per hour, per month or per project.

I found one listing that offered $40 per hour and another that offered up to $1,000 per month. The Den job board is known as the “junk-free job board,” in that it doesn’t accept any jobs below $50 per blog post or $100 per article.

• Provides more than 300 hours of mini-courses on different aspects of freelance writing
• Offers access to an informative forum where members can discuss boot camp material and ask for advice about freelance writing
• Includes collection of useful resources
• Features only jobs paying decent rates
• Posts one live event and one prerecorded podcast monthly that features experts discussing topics related to freelance writing
• Contains a collection of all of the Freelance Writers Den’s podcasts and webinars
• Most job ads cater to U.S. writers and authors.
• Membership in Freelance Writers Den costs $25/month.
• Membership opens twice per year rather than whenever you want. (Get on the waiting list to be notified if a seat opens up sooner.)

Freelancer is the world’s largest freelancing and crowdsourcing marketplace, determined by the total number of jobs and users.

Freelancer is a job board that offers different types of job listings and work opportunities. If you’re a copywriter, editor, grant writer, content strategist or creative writer, you’re sure to find a suitable writing job. You can get work in three easy steps:

• Browse jobs matching your niche and skills
• Apply for the job
• Newsletters
• Grant writing
• Resume writing

You’ll define your payment rate (which is your bid) in your proposal.

• Flexible hours
• Lots of writing job offers
• Organized tech support
• Regularly refreshed writing opportunities available
• Free sign-up
• Withdrawing money takes a while (14 days to receive your payment after the withdrawal request).
• Offers are not sorted according to the area of expertise, though there is a keyword search.

There’s more to Craigslist than buying and selling. It’s also a popular place for people to find job openings at businesses in their area. It’s a good source of freelance writing and editing jobs.

If you’re searching for a more permanent writing opportunity or even a part-time job, Craigslist offers a variety of permanent positions, including staff writer, content lead and SEO specialist.

Search for writing jobs under the “Writing/Editing” category of the job listings. Unfortunately, you’ll have to browse through each city’s listings first.

• Column writing
• Magazine work
• Guest post writing

Rates vary based on jobs and employers

• Established classified ads site
• Good source of freelance jobs
• Classifieds for specific cities and metro areas
• Variety of jobs in many niches
• Employers can post jobs anonymously, so you don’t know who is hiring.
• Writing jobs are not verified.
• You need to browse each city first to look for a specific job.
• Listings are very general, meaning it takes time to find a good part time job .

Constant Content is one of the largest and most established marketplaces for ready-made content.

Essentially, this content marketing service connects top writers with large companies like Uber, Walgreens and eBay.

Constant Content helps writers and authors feature and sell their work, while editors and proofreaders on the site give detailed feedback and support to writers.

However, like many premium writing job sites, acceptance criteria are stringent.

• Freelance writing  
• Custom content writing service
• Press releases

Set your price. Their top writers earn thousands of dollars per year.

• Established platform
• Flexible schedule and workload
• Can build long-term relationships with clients
• Ability to work alone, on a team or in an expert group
• Every content writer must pass a quiz and provide a  writing sample.
• Only a fraction of applicants is accepted.
• Constant Content takes a commission from your client free.

Writers Work connects writers with companies that need an expert in the written word. It’s an all-in-one platform for landing paid writing gigs. They’ll offer career training, writing tools, an online portfolio, portfolio assessment, and more.

Writers Work positions include part-time, full-time, and contract positions that are   remote gigs or freelance projects. The site provides training through videos, courses, and live support.

Writers Work minimizes time spent searching for jobs by curating writing job listings from many sources. If you want to learn more about using this service to finding writing jobs, read our Writers Work review.

• General content
• Social media posts

Freelance writers can earn from $20-$65/hour. Payment varies depending on skill level and average time spent on each job. 

• Distraction-free text editor with readability functions
• A variety of places to pitch writing work
• Effective training videos
• Easy to navigate
• Membership requires one-time fee of $47.
• You can’t filter older opportunities.
• The goals feature needs far more options.

WriterAccess is an award-winning online marketplace connecting thousands of customers, writers, copy editors, proofreaders, and translators.

Their platform makes it easy for companies and agencies to find good writers and translators in any industry.

I often use Writer’s Access to hire other people who have a skillset like copywriting or understand a particular niche.

A platform like Writers Access is good if you have expert knowledge in specific areas like healthcare, the law, security, and so on.

To stand out on Writers Access, it’s a good idea to upload a writing sample for your profile. You may also want to identify your niche (e.g. healthcare, personal finance, etc.) and specialisms (e.g. copywriting).

Many editors and owners of popular B2B websites and blogs use Writers Access to hire writers for short-term gigs e.g. Write 1,000 words about the latest healthcare trends in XX.

If you want to stand out from the pool of writers on Writer Access, I’d recommend honing your SEO skills. The job listings are varied and even include poetry submissions.

Services include everything from public relations tasks to editing jobs.

• Whitepapers
• Translating
• Website copy

You are paid based on your rankings and ratings.

Ratings are determined by the number of stars your   writing skills earn, proficiency, and years of experience. Your star rating sets the per-word payment you’ll receive. Writers get 70% of the order price.

Ranking System

The ranking or rating system pays in accordance with ability. Currently, the levels and their minimum per-word pay are as follows:

• The most basic payment level offers 2.8 cents per word.
• The most advanced payment level offers $1.40 per word or $105 per hour.

The higher your star level, the more you’re paid for writing projects, ranging from 1.4 cents to more than 7 cents per word.

However, if you are an elite writer who is part of the Pro Marketplace tier, you negotiate a price leveraging your certifications, awards, and verified pay rates.

• Can match your writing skills and interests with brands and agencies
• A higher star rating yields a higher expected rate per word
• Most communication occurs between client and writer.
• In many cases, writers compete for articles.
• Entry-level writers rarely get to choose which articles to write.
• New writers may find the payment system complex.

Scripted is an online marketplace that connects companies with freelance writers who can fulfill different writing gigs like blogs, articles, and even bulk social media posts.

On Scripted, you write as a ghostwriter for clients who need fresh content. Your name will not be published on what you create, and all rights to the content belong to the client when they accept the article.

Scripted considers writers in the U.S. and other countries, including Canada, Australia and in Europe.

• Digital Marketing
• Consumer reports

How much you earn varies according to the type of content, article length, and topic. You can set your own prices. Some assignments pay about $20 apiece, while other writers claim they’ve earned four figures a month.

Writers are automatically paid five days after their work is accepted. They can also qualify for partial payment on any rejected assignment.

• Opportunity for clients to “favorite” your writing, which gives you first dibs on assignments from those clients
• More than 158 writing niches to choose from
• Quick payments
• Work isn’t often available.
• Writers must pass tests to gain acceptance on the site.
• Reviews are mixed

Mediabistro is a well-known freelance writing job board and career destination for savvy media professionals.

This site will be of help if you’re searching for new online writing opportunities or want to improve your skills. The job search board is primarily for finding work in media in the U.S. They also offer freelance work and remote jobs from time to time.

Mediabistro serves as a network to connect you with other media professionals.

• Graphic design
• Digital Production

Rates vary, however, these are a few of their recent writer job descriptions:

• Freelance research analyst – remote – $15–18 per hour
• Copywriters/Researchers for magazine database – $100+ per post
• Freelance Fiction Writer – $50 per 1,500 words

Note:   Premium members gain access to full-length articles that provide advice for newbie freelance writers. You’ll also learn how to make a compelling pitch and format content properly.

• Easy-to-navigate website
• Free basic offering
• Lots of opportunities to sort through. You’ll need a good idea of what you want.

All Freelance Writing has helped freelance writers build their writing careers since 2006.

It’s a job board for   novice writers  who are looking for new writing gigs.

The site displays pay rates upfront, so you know what to expect before even deciding to write a cover letter. All Freelance Writing includes a writer’s market or jobs board for print jobs and writing opportunities.

It also offers a collection of resources and tips for advancing your professional writing career . All Freelance Writing is an excellent site for mastering the business side of freelancing.

The job listings are varied and even include poetry submissions.

• Ghostwriting
• Guest posts
• Blog writing
• Web content
• Prose/Poetry
• Business writing
• Healthcare or medical writing
• Magazine writing

Rates vary. The site categorizes between low pay and pro-rate. Some of the advertised writing jobs go up to $500 or more. Here is how jobs are categorized:

• Very low: $1–35 e.g. for a 400-word blog post
• Low: $25–$50
• Semi-pro: $50–$100
• Pro: $250–$500+
• Free service for job seekers
• Includes only freelance writing jobs and rate information
• Limited number of writing jobs
• Smaller jobs board than other sites in this guide

Online Writing Jobs , previously known as QualityGal.com, is a free website for U.S. freelance writers. It offers writing opportunities for those at any skill level, including entry-level writers.

You will need to know SEO (search engine optimization) to work on this site, as the clients usually want to increase website visits.

• SEO content writers

Pay for most articles ranges between $10 and $50. Several factors can influence your remuneration, including your authority within given writing niches.

• Writers paid weekly
• Helpful resources available to writers
• Available to U.S. freelance writers only

WriterBay.com is a supplier of freelance writing jobs. They’re looking for writers who are proficient in their respective fields and who can deliver high-quality articles or papers on time.

There are 4 simple steps to join:

• Fill out the application form.
• Pass a test that will assess your grammar and formatting skills.
• Write from a brief prompt and upload a sample essay.
• Find and scan your higher education certificate for uploading to their site.

Other than writing skills and a strong desire to make money , all you need to begin working with them is an internet connection..

• Freelance writing jobs, both academic and non-academic

Though the site does not indicate specific rates, WriterBay.com lists the top ten writers’ profits for the past 30 days. At the time of this writing, the highest listing was $6,563.

• No registration fees and free lifetime membership
• Competitive rates
• Wide variety of exciting projects and assignments
• Room for personal growth
• 24/7 writer support team
• Freelance work can be demanding and often lacks a reasonable time frame.
• Writerbay.com seems to prefer writers who are always online on their system.
• Your level of education should be a bachelor’s degree or above.

American Writers and Artists, Inc. , teaches nonfiction writers how to earn thousands of dollars through copywriting (writing words that sell products or services).

This type of writing gig is quite profitable. For example, a B2B company may hire a copywriter to produce copy for a series of landing pages . Instead of getting paid per word, the copywriter may receive a commission based on the number of conversions that the landing page generates.

They’re one of the more established providers of writing training in the industry today. They also teach content marketing and direct response. One of their courses even specializes in teaching writers how to work at home and earn a living.

AWAI offers a “ten thousand” challenge that allows you to build your portfolio (and earn some decent cash) before you finish the program. I’ve taken some AWAI copywriting courses, and their materials are first-rate.

• Direct response writing
• Banner ads and text ads

Rates vary, however, AWAI provides a  free pricing guide  to the work their website offers. Here are some of the examples from the guide:

• Home Page Content: SEO and Sales-conversion Copywriting: $1,500–$3,000
• Product Page Update: SEO and Sales-conversion Copy: $50–$100 per page
• Article of 1,200–2,000 words with SEO: $250–$500
• E-book: $2,000–$7,000
• E-newsletter/E-zine: $800 – $1,500
• Lots of online writing opportunities for freelance work
• Translates to other types of writing, e.g., blogging
• AWAI requires a joining fee. Their basic copywriting programme costs $497.
• Copywriting and direct response writing require specific skills and training.
• Building a name for yourself and acquiring high-profile clients takes time.

Listverse is a popular site featuring list articles. It will pay you $100 for writing a 10-item “listicle.” Typically, you’ll need excellent English, knowledge of pop culture, and a sense of humor.

• Writing list posts or listicles

$100 per approved listicle

• Listicles are fast to write
• Relatively modest pay
• Supports only Paypal, so you’ll face fees
• They might reject your listicle

Medium places much of its content behind a paywall for premium readers. They allocate some of this fee toward paying writers who are part of the partner program based on the post’s member rating.

The Medium partner program enables any member of Medium to get paid for writing stories for members each month. I’m a member and receive more or less than one hundred dollars each month depending on what I wrote.

That doesn’t sound like much, but I don’t focus too much on this platform.

I’m also in a Medium group and members in that group receive five figures a month from writing on Medium. They usually cover topics like entrepreneurship or personal development and work from home.

You can write about whatever you like in Medium. The trick is finding an audience who will read it!

You don’t need to worry too much writing long-winded writing to get paid by Medium. The platform is less about landing a writing gig and more about attracting traffic and readers to your published articles. Because anyone can press publish.

That said, top Medium writers publish on publications. If you want to write for those, build a relationship with the editor on Medium, or look for submission guidelines.

Medium copy editors and proofreaders will work with top writers on their stories and even promote them.

• Self-help advice
• Entrepreneurship advice

Here’s an update from the Medium partner program team for June 2019:

• 55% of writers who wrote at least one story earned something.
• 7.8% of active writers made more than $100 in a month.
• $13,577.33 was the most collected by a writer for June, and $3,913.74 was the most received for a single story at the time of writing.
• Great for building a name for yourself
• Easy to use
• Contains a built-in readership
• Relatively easy to earn a modest amount each month (approximately one hundred dollars)
• Only top Medium writers earn four- or five-figures a month.
• You might not get any feedback on your work if people don’t read it.
• Medium, like any social media network, takes a few months to master.

LinkedIn is a relatively useful social media network for writers and editors looking for work.

Firstly, if you’re a freelance writer, you can reach out to your connections and pitch them relevant ideas. You’ll need a LinkedIn premium membership to get the most out of this InMail service.

Secondly, many LinkedIn users share updates when their company has a vacancy. So it’s worth checking your feeds for updates once or twice a week if you’re looking for part-time or full-time work.

Finally, reputable companies all have dedicated pages on LinkedIn. These pages feature high-quality vacancies and will appear in your feed provided you’ve set your interests accordingly. These vacancies cover a range of disciplines from copywriting to content marketing.

• High-quality writing jobs and vacancies from reputable companies.
• Competition is high.
• You will probably have to go through a standard recruitment process with an HR team or interviewer.
• Not specific to just writing

How Much Can Writers Get Paid?

Rates for writers vary depending on what you write and where you sell your work. According to the  U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics   (BLS), writers and editors in America earn up to $98,840 per year.

I asked my editor about this salary and she said it sounded too high. Salary reports for writers vary a lot. Therefore, here are five more sources that provide detailed data regarding how much writers are paid for their work.

Like most online jobs , these rates and salaries vary by time of year, location, and industry.

I’ve captured the rates at the time of writing this article (August 2019). If you’d like me to update a figure, leave a comment below.

1. Glassdoor

According to Glassdoor, freelance writers earn an average of €48,252 per year in the United States. You can earn more if you specialize in an area like copywriting or content writing. Source

2. PayScale

A freelance writer can expect to earn $21.59 per hour, excluding commissions and bonus sharing. They can also expect an average salary of $40,148 depending on their industry and experience.

My takeaway?

This industry rate is on the low-side and covers too many specialisms.

Freelance copywriters, for example, regularly earn over six figures.

(Just take any of the AWAI courses !)

You can also earn a lot more by providing additional services like SEO, consulting, or even coaching.

Alternatively, consider turning your work into a book or course that you sell for a higher price-point. Source

3. Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA)

Similar to PayScale, the EFA provides salary data for subcategories of writing.

Here is the data from their 2019 report: Source

• $40–50/hour; 20–25 cents/word
• $50–60/hour; 26–50cents/word
• $50–60/hour; 30–95cents/word
• $40–50/hour; 26–50cents/word
• $60–70/hour; 80–95cents/word
• $40–100/hour; 20cents–$2/word
• $50–60/hour; 45–55cents/word

4. The Irish Times

Much of the data provided above concerns, American writers and authors.

However, New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco aren’t the only hubs for earning money as a writer. Just ask me. I’m an Irish writer!

The Irish Times  says many new authors struggle to sell more than 100 copies of their book in a single year and  earn less than $500.

However, writers can earn more money by investing in a good book  and advertising their books. Amazon pays writers as follows:

• Books sold for $2.98 or under 35% of the price
• Books sold for $2.99 to $9.99: up to 70% of the price

If a writer sells a thousand copies of a book for $9.99 in year one, they can earn up to $7,000 for one book. If a writer self-publishes multiple versions of their book (Kindle, print, large print, audio, etc.), this is achievable.

5.   The Society of Authors

In a 2015 survey of 317 writers, the Society of Authors found average earnings for British authors are £12,500, or $15,000, per year.

The report states, “This figure is just 55% of average earnings in the U.K., coming in below the minimum wage for a full-time job at £18,000 and well below the Joseph Rowntree Foundation’s minimum income standard of £17,100.”

That’s a social policy research and development charity in the U.K. Source

I’ve always loved to write, so after graduation from secondary or high school, I trained as a journalist between 2000 and 2004.

I worked as a print, news, and technology journalist for Irish newspapers and radio stations. I earned an income from writing in the traditional sense—getting paid by an employer for my work.

During the recession in 2008, many freelance journalists were let go, and some prominent Irish media publications went out of business, including a few I worked for.

I worked in social care (or in a residential care facility) for a few years, and I wrote mostly fiction as a hobby. I entered my stories into writing competitions that paid winners a small amount, but I didn’t have much luck.

So while out of work, I decided to start a blog about technology, thinking I could start the Irish version of popular US technology and productivity blog Lifehacker. 

I called it WorkReadPlay, which was a terrible name for a site.

Eventually, I realized I’m more interested in topics like creativity, writing, and productivity. So in 2014, I relaunched my site as Become a Writer Today .

After I relaunched my site, I wrote articles that no one read. Wondering how I could find readers, I started reading articles and then taking courses in blogging.

I also worked with the owner of a successful site who later became a mentor, Jon Morrow of Smart Blogger. His articles and courses laid out the path to earning a living from writing online.

After I’d found some readers, I faced extra costs like website hosting and my email service provider.

Next, I wondered how I could pay for these. So I studied how other online writers earn an income from their work on my own time.

Today, I earn money from writing through self-publishing books, freelance writing and creating courses.

I also earn money as a copywriter and content marketer in the B2B industry. I spend about 10-15 hours a week on freelance writing activities.

I earn money from recommending courses, software, and services that writers on my email list find beneficial. I

In some cases, I review these services for writers, and in other cases, I simply explain how I use them in my business via a video, email, or article.

I’ve taken dozens of courses in online business, entrepreneurship, and self-publishing.

They all recommend variations of the same business model: Figure out your ideal audience, create content that helps your audience then create or recommend relevant products, services or even books.

Invest in your education as a writer.

When you start earning an income from writing, my best tip is to set aside a small amount for learning each month.

At first, that might simply be a budget for buying business books. As your income grows, set aside a larger budget for taking online writing classes or   MasterClasses online classes  that help improve your craft.

The first time I spent a thousand plus dollars on an online course, I worried that I was being scammed and giving my money to a random person on the internet.

That person later became my mentor and taught me a lot about online business, over the course of five years.

Almost every course I have taken paid dividends directly in revenue or indirectly in soft skills.

I also recommend gaining expertise in areas like content marketing and diversifying your writing skillset.

Your path to getting paid to write might look different than mine, but most successful online writers earn more by diversifying their income streams.

Most successful nonfiction authors, for example, earn more money by offering additional services like courses or consulting.

Getting paid to write is easier than ever once you figure out your niche and who your ideal reader is. Lots of new jobs come online every day for writers. The question is do you have the right skill set?

Your niche could be creative writing jobs, greeting card writing, writing jobs for beginners, targeted ads, technical writing, content marketing, or academic writing. More writing jobs are online now than ever. You just have to know where to look.

Writing Jobs FAQ

Combine your ability to write about a particular topic with a secondary skill set. For example, learning the basics of SEO means you can write articles that rank in search on Google. Companies will hire your for this combination of unique skills.

Consider studying content marketing. This type of work combines creative thinking and ideas with traditional writing and marketing. Content marketers are also in high demand as the internet thrives on content.

Writing is a fantastic career choice. Thanks to the internet, writers have more opportunities than ever today. Even if you don’t earn a full-time living from writing, the ability to think clearly by writing is a secondary skill set useful for most professions.

Traditional writing jobs include working as a journalist, magazine writer or editor. Some better options today include freelance writing, working as a digital copywriter or content marketing. Employers are looking for writers with skillsets in all of these areas as the internet thrives in content. You could also write and self-publish a book or start a blog.

Writing is a universal skill that can be useful in almost all careers. However, if you are looking for a job where writing is a central element of your daily tasks, then there are many jobs out there for you right now. They include the likes of online content, as well as technical writing jobs, not forgetting all the work currently available within both the marketing and communications industries.

If you love writing, then you should know that these are just some of the jobs that require a lot of writing: communications executive, marketing executive, technical writer, PR executive, copywriter, and researcher. 

You can make excellent money working as a content marketing manager, with the average salary of this role about $70k per year. However, if you want to become a millionaire, you may need to succeed in your creative writing pursuits and have a lot of luck too!

Your Ph.D. in Creative Writing could help you get a job as a reporter, copywriter, editor or within marketing. In fact, your PhD could help you in any job hunting scenario, as it proves that you have an ability to work independently and creatively and shows you are a hard worker. 

Entry-level writing jobs include junior copywriter, junior reporter, proofreader, and content executive. That is not an exhaustive list. New writing jobs emerge as the tools and platforms for writers evolve. For example, the title of e-commerce copywriter didn’t exist in the early 2000s.

Edgar Allan Poe was a short-story writer, a poet, a critic, and an editor. He was born on January 19, 1809, in Boston, Massachusetts and died on October 7, 1849. Poe is famous for his macabre storytelling.  

To find high-paying content writing clients, consider utilizing freelance marketplaces (Upwork, Freelancer, and Fiverr), job boards, and cold-pitching to businesses in your niche. Networking at industry events and leveraging referrals from satisfied clients can also help you connect with high-paying clients. Additionally, use social media platforms to showcase your writing skills and attract potential clients.

To get paid for writing with no experience, consider writing for content mills, guest blogging for established blogs, pitching articles to websites and magazines, offering your services to local businesses and non-profits, and starting your own blog. These opportunities can help you gain experience, build a portfolio, and eventually attract paid writing gigs.

The type of freelance writing that pays the most varies depending on several factors, such as the writer’s experience, expertise, and the demand for their services. Some of the highest-paying freelance writing jobs include: 1. Copywriting for businesses 2. Technical writing for software, engineering, or medical industries 3. Grant writing for non-profit organizations 4. Ghostwriting for books, speeches, and articles 5. Content creation for high-traffic websites or blogs 6. Scriptwriting for television shows or movies.

Yes, there is a high demand for writers in various industries and sectors. With the rise of digital content, businesses and organizations are increasingly recognizing the importance of quality written communication to engage their audiences, drive traffic to their websites, and promote their products or services. Here are a few reasons why there is a high demand for writers: Content Marketing Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Digital Media and Publishing E-commerce and Product Descriptions Copywriting and Advertising Technical Writing Freelance Opportunities

Do you want an intensive course in non-fiction writing for fun or profit, plus the help you need to succeed as a blogger, freelance writer or non-fiction author? The Savvy Non-Fiction Writers Club will help you get paid to write fast. It’s the only resource you need if you want to become more prolific, earn more money or make an impact .

Bryan Collins is the owner of Become a Writer Today. He's an author from Ireland who helps writers build authority and earn a living from their creative work. He's also a former Forbes columnist and his work has appeared in publications like Lifehacker and Fast Company.

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Survey Results: How Much Should I Pay a Freelance Writer? [Infographic]

• Written By Allie Freeland
• Updated: November 9, 2023

At ClearVoice, we probably get asked this question more than any other: “How much should I pay for a freelance writer?” As creating content for marketing becomes more popular, everyone wants to know what the going freelance pay rates are for well-written blog posts, email newsletters, social media content, and ebooks.

On the flip side, we know freelancers are curious about how they stack up to others in terms of pay. Let’s face it, it’s a seldom-spoken topic. If you do a quick search on pay for freelance writers, you’ll see that many other publications begin to answer this question, but most fail to actually list any rates. That’s because the answer depends on many factors, but it’d still be nice to see some actual numbers.

How much should you pay a freelance writer for your marketing content?

This FAQ doesn’t have a simple answer. Most intermediate to advanced freelance writers charge between $0.10 and $1 per word, depending on the amount of work they will have to put into the project. But, the way they bill that average range will vary. Some freelance writers bill at a flat rate, per hour, or per monthly retainer for frequent work (in this case, a volume-based discount should apply), rather than per word. Typically, freelance writers who use one of those last three billing methods will include services beyond just the content.

In addition, rates change per industry, company, writer, location, and project ( and many other variables ), which is probably why this question often goes unanswered on the Interwebs. But, that’s not helpful for anyone.

Freelance writing rates explained

So we decided the best way to give you a useful answer on freelance writing rates was to ask freelance writers themselves what they charge:

Methodology of our freelance writer payment survey

We addressed a big question in content marketing: How much should you pay freelance writers? Or, if you are a freelance writer, how much should you charge? It’s kind of hard to know unless someone tells you, right?

The best way to get an answer to “how much to pay a freelance writer” was to take it to the streets. We polled 500+ freelance writers from around the country to see what they charge, how they charge, what type of content they produce, the corresponding level of experience, and even gender to see if a gap exists like in so many other industries.

Questions we asked in our survey on freelance writing rates:

1. how many years of experience do you have as a professional freelance writer.

• Beginner — 0–3 years’ experience
• Intermediate — 3–7 years’ experience
• Professional — 7–15 years’ experience
• Expert — 15+ years’ experience

2. How do you charge?

• Retainer/ project fee
• A mix — depends on the client

3. What do you charge per hour? (Approximate if N/A)

4. what do you charge per word (approximate if n/a).

• $0.11–$0.25
• $0.26–$0.50
• $0.51–$0.75
• $0.76–$1.00
• $1.00 and above

5. What tasks do you complete for clients?

• Blog posts/articles
• Email newsletters
• Social media content
• Print collateral
• Ebooks/white papers
• Research papers
• Other [Specify]

6. What is your gender?

• Prefer not to answer

Key findings around freelance writer pay, experience, and gender

After months of collecting data from freelancers near and far, we were able to see some pretty cool trends on freelancer pay rates. Some were expected and obvious. Others were a bit surprising.

There were several common themes:

1.  You get what you pay for: Rates and level of experience are correlated.

When asked the question, “What do you charge per hour?” rates were cut pretty evenly, aside from the $1 to $20 range.

Here is the breakdown per hour and per word:

• $21–$40: 19%
• $41–$60: 18%
• $61–$80: 14%
• $81–$100: 19%
• $0.01 –$0.10: 14%
• $0.11–$0.25: 18%
• $0.26–$0.50: 18%
• $0.51–$0.75: 13%
• $0.76–$1.00: 25%
• 12% did not answer because they did not charge per word.

As we suspected, rates and level of experience are connected. Of the writers who charged the lowest rate, 25% were beginner freelancers, while only 1.5% of expert-level writers charged within that range. In fact, of the writers who charged the highest rate – $100+ per hour – most were experts (41%).

The findings were the same for per-word rates. Of the freelancers who charged between $0.01 and $0.10 per word, 32% were beginner writers, while only 0.8% were experts. And of the writers who charged more than a dollar per word, 54% were experts, while only 5% were beginners.

More on pay rates and quality

Interested in learning more about pay rates, experience, and quality? We previously reported on the correlation between pay rates and quality in our pay rate study for the travel industry and subsequent study for the  tech industry . It was no surprise to find that writers with more experience, who charged more, were overwhelmingly better than more affordable, less experienced writers.

2. We found a gender pay gap in our sample that was the opposite of most industries.

Interestingly enough, we didn’t find the traditional gender pay gap in freelance writing, at least in our survey pool. Women, on average, charged more than men except in one category, which was at the intermediate level. When we scale-adjusted the pay ranges to the percentages within each group, it came out to…

Average of all pay levels:

• Women charged an average of 11.7% more per word.
• Women charged an average of 8.3% more per hour.

At the beginner level:

• Women charged an average 25.4% more per word and 37.8% more per hour than men.

At the intermediate level:

• Men charged an average of 5.4% more per word and 6.3% more per hour than women. *It was the only level where men charged more than women.*

At the professional level:

• Women charged an average 20.5% more per word and 11.1% more per hour than men.

At the expert level:

• Women charged an average 11.3% more per word and 5.7% more per hour than men.

Note: Only eight respondents in the survey selected “Prefer not to answer” on the gender question. In future studies, we will add a “non-binary” selection.

3. Most freelance writers are flexible in how they charge.

When asked the question “How do you charge?” freelancers overwhelmingly responded that “it’s a mix – it depends on the client.” In fact, nearly 60% of respondents vary their rates based on different clients, while 12% charge per hour, another 12% by word, and nearly 16% charge by retainer (or per project). This is good news for brands, as budgets and payment terms vary from business to business.

One data point that stuck out was that men were about twice as likely to charge per word than women.

4. No surprise, but articles and blogs are the most common type of content produced.

Overwhelmingly, blogs and articles are the most common type of content produced by freelance writers. In fact, 90% of respondents produce articles and blogs, a rate that was consistent across all experience levels. Here is a breakdown of all the content types in our survey:

• 90% produce blog posts and articles
• 52% produce email newsletters
• 56% produce social media content
• 30% produce “other” types of content
• 26% produce print collateral
• 25% produce ebooks and white papers
• 14% produce research papers
• 13% produce books
• 10% produce website copy

For the most part, men and women produced content types at about the same rate, with one exception: 41% of men reported producing ebooks and white papers while only 25% of women reported the same — the biggest gap for any content type.

5. Counter to popular opinion, older and more experienced freelancers were far more likely to do social media content.

While 80% of experts (those freelance writers with 15+ years of experience) reported doing social media content for clients, substantially fewer beginners, only 47%, reported the same. We found this point to be most surprising, as it counters the notion that social media is dominated by those who are younger. Perhaps putting your brand’s reputation in the hands of a freelancer requires the assurance they are more experienced?

Translating pay rates into the cost of content types

Although charging per word might not be the ultimate method of calculating pay with your freelancers, knowing the approximate word count for the content types you need can help you estimate initial cost figures to work from.

What type of content do you want to produce?

• Quality posts should be 800–2,200 words, depending on strategy
• Typically 5–150 words per post.
• Usually billed monthly or per project for bulk work.
• Intermediate to expert freelancers should include some strategy and research.
• Typically 100–800 words.
• Usually billed at a flat rate per email.
• Rate could be higher if research, media, distribution, or cross-publishing is required.
• Design is not included in the content rate.
• Typical ebooks range from 1,500–5,000+ words, while case studies often range from 300–900 words (usually translating into 1–3 pages for print collateral).
• Ebook writers are often more experienced freelancers  (and quite possibly subject matter experts).
• Should always include research, sources, and media.

Parting Words

Sending a special thanks to the hundreds of freelance writers out there who took time out of their day to participate in this study. After viewing the study, we hope freelancers have a better pulse on what others charge. And same goes for brands! Now you should have a better idea of reasonable rates based on levels of experience.

Related articles to help you determine pay and hire quality freelancers:

• 5 Great Reasons to Hire Freelance Writers : Whether you don’t have the time yourself or your team is already overloaded, learn the big benefits of hiring freelance writers.
• The Power of Pay: Are Freelance Rates and Quality Correlated? [TRAVEL STUDY] : We assigned one travel article to seven writers and had 30 editorial pros rate the quality of the submissions. Did vetted experts outperform less experienced writers?
• Survey Results: Factors in Determining Freelance Rates for Different Assignments : Different assignments, different rates, but same freelancer. Do really value and understand your freelancers’ time? If you need more editorial insight on gauging the work that goes into assignments, Jenna Rose Robbins captures many points marketers and newbie publishers need to know from the freelancer’s perspective.
• 15 Scenarios When You Should Pay Freelance Writers More : Developing a solid working relationship with freelancers is no less important than fostering respect with your fellow FTEs. Educate yourself on the most common contingencies and special circumstances that warrant you paying a freelancer above and beyond their normal rate.

And related articles for freelance writers trying to boost their income:

• How to Make $100k or More as a Freelance Writer: Successful Women Share Their Advice : Get ready to make more than ever before after hearing how these freelancers hit the $100k mark—and beyond.
• How to Address Clients When Rates Are Higher Than They Expect : Hear directly from successful freelancers on how they proved their worth to clients and got the rates they deserve.
• How to Grow Your Freelance Writing Rates (and When It’s Time to Ask for More) : When you become your own boss: How do you know when you’re due for more money? Learn when to ask clients for more.

Looking to outsource your content? Connect with a content strategist today and discuss your content needs, goals, and budget.

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23 Creative Ways to Get Paid to Read Books

Posted: March 19, 2024 | Last updated: March 19, 2024

If you love reading, there are several opportunities to get paid to read books. Some are best suited for those looking for a low-cost side hustle that will earn you extra money in your spare time. Others may lead to full-time careers in the book publishing industry or owning a business. Here are 23 ways you can make money reading books:

Publishing houses, self-published authors, and anyone who writes anything for public consumption need skilled proofreaders. Proofreading requires meticulous attention to detail and thorough knowledge of grammar, spelling, punctuation, and capitalization. You can find freelance work on job boards like Upwork and make between $30 and $40 an hour.

Copyediting is a bit more specialized than proofreading. In addition to fixing typos and correcting spelling, copyeditors make more substantial edits. A good copyeditor will address style, formatting, clarity, and flow in addition to grammar. You might also do some fact-checking or suggest changes that make the writing more readable.

Boost Your Credentials and Get Certified

If you’re interested in a career as a copyeditor or want to start copyediting freelance, you might want to pursue a copyediting certificate. A certificate adds credibility while strengthening your existing skills and likely learn new ones. Several colleges, universities, and professional organizations offer online and in-person copywriting certificate programs. Including:

• University of Chicago
• Emerson College
• UC San Diego
• Editorial Freelancers Association
• Poynter ACES Certificate in Editing
• Writer’s Digest Copyediting Certification Course

Translate Books and Documents

Communicating in multiple languages is a highly sought-after skill for freelancers and job seekers. You’ll need a thorough understanding of at least two languages to make money translating books and other written works. Depending on the type of material, you might also need some knowledge of idioms, slang, technical terms, and cultural differences to ensure that your translation reads well.

Get Paid to Narrate Audiobooks

You can make money narrating audiobooks if you can speak clearly and have a compelling voice. You’ll get paid to read books aloud , cover to cover. It’s a good side hustle for book lovers; the pay is decent, and there aren’t many startup costs or ongoing expenses. Writers don’t want to miss out on more exposure and an extra revenue stream, and audio brings in additional revenue, so there is good demand.

Design Ebooks or Book Covers

Best-selling fiction writers are great at telling a riveting tale. Successful nonfiction authors are highly skilled at explaining things simply. Both may struggle with the rest, but that’s where your opportunity lies. With more aspiring authors publishing independently, there is a growing need for book cover designers and those who understand the technical formatting required for popular ebook formats like MOBI for Kindle, EPUB, and more.

Blog About Books

Starting your blog about books allows you to write about the books you enjoy in your writing style. Blogging also allows you to earn via multiple revenue streams, including affiliate commissions through direct links to products you recommend, display ads, recurring subscriptions, or sponsored posts. But success won’t come overnight; it will take time, effort, and the ability to build an audience online. 

Start a Podcast About Books

As with book blogging, starting a podcast about books gives you freedom. Also, like blogging, podcasting requires technical skills, familiarity with tools like audio editing software, and the perseverance to keep going until you build a large enough audience to generate revenue. You can monetize a podcast through paid sponsorships, joining an ad network, affiliate marketing, or using Patreon for monthly recurring revenue from subscribers.

Start a YouTube Channel

Book lovers are finding a home and building communities on YouTube. You can share your takes on your favorite books, review recently released titles, or do bookshelf tours. Whether you prefer the classics, sci-fi, YA fiction, children’s books, or any genre, your audience is out there. YouTube content creators can monetize through AdSense ads, affiliate links, sponsored videos, and donations or subscriptions.

Coach Writers

An author can get stuck with writer’s block, lose confidence, or need guidance to help them finish their book. A book writing coach can help them get their book across the finish line. As a book coach, you might help authors with:

• The writing process
• Brainstorming ideas
• Feedback on their work
• Staying organized and on track
• Getting published
• Marketing strategy

Summarize Books for Instaread

Instaread is an app that provides subscribers with summaries of popular books in text and audio form. Writing summaries entails reading a book cover to cover, breaking each chapter down into its main points, and providing your insights. Their summaries are meant to be consumed in half an hour. If you’re an avid reader willing to take thorough notes and provide your analysis, the company pays $100 per book summary. 

Write Book Summaries for Getabstract

People looking to get the key insights from the best books without spending the time it takes to read them turn to getAbstract. They tend to focus on business and personal development but also cover history, politics, and classics. They look for freelance writers who can distill the main points of a book into a 10 to 15-minute read.

Earn $200 per Novel You Read

WordsRated reviews are not like that of typical book review sites. The company collects statistics about books to create data-driven studies. You’ll need to record things like:

• What kind of animals appear in the novel
• The number of characters by gender
• The number of sentences given to male and female characters
• How many questions are asked in the book

You can read one book per month or several. If you deliver accurate data on the specific things they’re looking for, they will pay you $200. The job title is Bibliophile-at-large, but it’s not always open.

Review Books for Online Book Club

Online Book Club is a popular book review website and community for book lovers that pays reviewers $5 to $60 per review. You won’t get paid for your first review, but you get a free book. You’re eligible for payments after they accept your first review.

Online Book Club looks for honest reviews with a book summary, your thoughts, and a star rating from 1 to 4. They’re looking for genuine reviews, so don’t feel you must write a positive review to get paid.

Write for the u.s. Review of Books

The U.S. Review of Books hires freelancers to write reviews for thousands of books across every genre. Its tagline is “Professional Reviews for the People,” which should give you an idea of the quality they expect. A standard review is 250-300 words, and the copy conforms to the Chicago Manual of Style. You’ll have 2 to 3 weeks to complete your review. Then, you’re paid monthly by check for all reviews completed during the previous month. 

Write Reviews for Book Browse

BookBrowse is an online magazine for avid book readers. The magazine seeks and recommends the best in fiction and nonfiction titles. They only feature books they consider enjoyable to read. They pay $50 for an honest review of about 600 words. You’ll also write a “Beyond the Book” article that dives deeper into one interesting aspect of the book as a companion to your review.

Review for Kirkus Media

Kirkus Reviews is a well-known and highly respected source of book reviews and services for authors. They’re looking for freelance book reviewers to write reviews of English and Spanish language titles covering all kinds of books in almost every genre. You are expected to complete your 350-word review within two weeks.

Be a Freelance Book Reviewer for Booklist Online

The American Library Association publishes Booklist , a book review magazine that helps librarians and readers select books. Booklist reviews fiction, nonfiction, young adult titles, audiobooks, and DVDs. Booklist publishes approximately 8,000 book reviews annually and accepts freelance book reviews on a book-by-book basis to maintain that volume. Booklist Publications pays $15 per review and $5 for a rejected review.

Contribute to the Women’s Review of Books

The Wellesley Centers for Women at Wellesley College publishes the Women’s Review of Books, which provides in-depth reviews of books by and about women. The types of books WRB reviews include scholarly works, fiction, poetry, and memoirs by women. Academics, journalists, and experienced reviewers contribute most of the reviews to this feminist magazine. The compensation is $100 per review.

Write Book Reviews for Writerful Books

Writerful Books is an author services company that publishes book reviews on its website. It is looking for passionate readers to write insightful reviews of books in their favorite genre. Depending on its comprehensiveness, writerful Books pays $10 to $50 per review. The reviewer who publishes the most quality reviews also gets a $100 Amazon gift card.

Submit Reviews to Publishers Weekly

Publishers Weekly is a weekly news magazine that bills itself as “the bible of the book business.” It publishes industry news, interviews, and book reviews across various genres. The magazine has a database of reviews available to subscribers from 1987, so your reviews could receive a lot of exposure. Writing book reviews for Publishers Weekly requires a resume, examples of your past work, and a sample review of a recently published book. 

Provide Book Reviews for Bethany House

Bethany House is a publisher of Christian Books. They look for fans of Christian nonfiction and fiction books to help promote their book launches and Christian authors through reviews. They’re looking for reviewers with an established audience through YouTube, social media, or a book blog. There’s no mention of payment in cash for book reviews, but you get free book copies in exchange for your review.

Post a Book Review for Moody Publishers

Moody Publishers is another Christian book publisher with a blogger review program that offers free books in exchange for reviews. The program requires you to post honest reviews on your blog and other sites like Amazon or Barnes & Noble. If you participate in the program, you won’t get paid, but you will get free books for reviewing the Christian titles they publish. 

Compose Short Reviews for New Pages

If you can keep your reviews short, NewPages.com is looking for flash reviews of books, literary magazines, and other pieces of writing you’ve read recently. They publish original reviews of up to 200 words. NewPages doesn’t currently offer any compensation for reviews, but you will get exposure via their blog and social media accounts.

Making Money Reading Books

If you are passionate about the written word , you can get paid to read books. An avid reader looking for extra cash or a new job can find plenty of opportunities to earn money by reading books within or without the book industry. If reading is your passion, reading books for money is a viable way to make extra money or build a career in proofreading or editing for book publishing companies.

The 41 Biggest Wastes of Money

To earn more money toward your goals, examine your spending habits. By tracking your spending and seeing where every dollar goes, you’ll likely find several instances of spending money you don’t have to. It could be little things that add up or recurring monthly expenses that are an utter waste of money.

Once you eliminate your bad spending habits, that money can go toward your emergency fund, paying off debt, or other essential things. Here are the 41 biggest wastes of money to look out for.

Avoid These 19 Pointless Expenses When Living Paycheck to Paycheck

Living from paycheck to paycheck puts one in a dangerous financial bind. It’s more prevalent than you can imagine. According to a survey by CNBC, more than half of all Americans (58%) live paycheck to paycheck. When money is tight, it’s crucial to pinpoint and cut out wasteful expenditures that eat away at your hard-earned savings.

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Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing The Write Stuff for Writers

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Grow Your Writing Passion into a Career with Liberty’s Online MFA in Creative Writing

Many people write creatively, but few hone their skills to develop their writing craft to its highest form. Even fewer learn the other skills it takes to become a successful writer, such as the steps needed to get a book published and into the hands of readers. Liberty’s 100% online Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Creative Writing can help you develop your writing passion into a career so you can set your works free to impact culture and the world.

Employers in every industry need professionals who have strong writing skills, so you can be confident that your ability to write effectively can also help set you apart in your current career. With in-demand writing expertise and the ability to customize your degree with electives in literature or writing practice, Liberty’s online MFA in Creative Writing can help you achieve your professional writing goals.

Our online MFA in Creative Writing is designed to help you build on your writing skills with specific workshops dedicated to the craft of fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, or screenwriting. With a work-in-progress approach to writing practice and mentorship from our faculty of experienced writers and scholars, you can learn the specific skills you need to make your writing stand out.

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Why Choose Liberty’s MFA in Creative Writing?

Our online MFA in Creative Writing is mainly offered in an 8-week course format, and our tuition rate for graduate programs hasn’t increased in 9 years. Through our program, you can study the writing process and develop your creative skills through workshops with experienced writing professionals. With our flexible format, you can grow in your creative writing while continuing to do what is important to you.

As a terminal degree, the online MFA in Creative Writing can also help you pursue opportunities to teach writing at the K-12 or college level. You will gain comprehensive and in-depth exposure to writing, literature, publishing, and many other professional writing skills that you can pass on to students. Partner with the Liberty family and learn under faculty who have spent years in the field you love. Your career in professional writing starts here.

What Will You Study in Our MFA in Creative Writing?

The MFA in Creative Writing program is designed to help you become an excellent creative writer across the genres of creative fiction, nonfiction, screenwriting, and poetry. You can learn how to produce aesthetically and culturally engaged creative works while gaining professional knowledge and practice. You will also study foundational contemporary literature so that you have a background in studying important works to draw on for your writing.

To help you in your professional writing, you will also study many essential skills in editing, layout, and the business of publishing so that you can best position yourself for success in the market. Through your creative writing courses and workshops, you can develop your craft so that you will be ready for your thesis project.

Here are a few examples of the skills Liberty’s MFA in Creative Writing can help you master:

• Marketing your projects and pursuing new writing opportunities
• Organizing writing and adapting it to different types of writing
• Tailoring writing to specific audiences and markets
• Understanding what makes art effective, compelling, and impactful
• Writing compelling stories that engage readers

Potential Career Opportunities

• Book and magazine writer
• Business communications specialist
• Creative writing instructor
• Publications editor
• Screenwriter
• Website copy editor and writer
• Writing manager

Featured Courses

• ENGL 600 – Editing, Layout, and Publishing
• ENGL 601 – Writing as Cultural Engagement
• ENGL 603 – Literary Theory and Practice
• WRIT 610 – Writing Fiction

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• This program falls under the College of Arts and Sciences .
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Admission Information for the Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing (MFA)

Admission requirements.

• A non-refundable, non-transferable $50 application fee will be posted on the current application upon enrollment (waived for qualifying service members, veterans, and military spouses – documentation verifying military status is required) .
• Unofficial transcripts can be used for acceptance purposes with the submission of a Transcript Request Form .
• Creative Writing Sample – A creative writing sample of one creative writing work of at least 2,500 words or a culmination of creative writing samples totaling 2,500 words.*
• Applicants whose native language is other than English must submit official scores for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or an approved alternative assessment. For information on alternative assessments or TOEFL waivers, please call Admissions or view the official International Admissions policy .

*A sample of one or more poems totaling a minimum of 750 words may also be submitted. Song lyrics are not accepted at this time as writing samples.

Preliminary Acceptance

If you are sending in a preliminary transcript for acceptance, you must:

• Be in your final term and planning to start your master’s degree after the last day of class for your bachelor’s degree.
• Complete a Bachelor’s Self-Certification Form confirming your completion date. You may download the form from the Forms and Downloads page or contact an admissions counselor to submit the form on your behalf.
• Submit an official/unofficial transcript to confirm that you are in your final term. The preliminary transcript must show a minimum of 105 completed credit hours.
• If you are a current Liberty University student completing your undergraduate degree, you will need to submit a Degree/Certificate Completion Application .
• Send in an additional, final official transcript with a conferral date on it by the end of your first semester of enrollment in the new master’s degree.

Dual Enrollment

Please see the Online Dual Enrollment page for information about starting graduate courses while finishing your bachelor’s degree.

Transcript Policies

Unofficial college transcript policy.

Unofficial transcripts combined with a Transcript Request Form can be used for admission. Official transcripts are required within 60 days of the admissions decision or before non-attendance drops for the first set of matriculated classes, whichever comes first, and will prevent enrollment into future terms until all official transcripts have been received.

Before sending unofficial college transcripts, please make sure they include the following:

• Your previous school’s name or logo printed on the document
• Cumulative GPA
• A list of completed courses and earned credit broken down by semester
• Degree and date conferred (if applicable)

Official College Transcript Policy

An acceptable official college transcript is one that has been issued directly from the institution and is in a sealed envelope. If you have one in your possession, it must meet the same requirements. If your previous institution offers electronic official transcript processing, they can send the document directly to [email protected] .

If the student uses unofficial transcripts with a Transcript Request Form to gain acceptance, all official transcripts must be received within 60 days of the admissions decision or before non-attendance drops for the first set of matriculated classes, whichever comes first. Failure to send all official transcripts within the 60-day period will prevent enrollment into future terms until all official transcripts have been received.

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Liberty University is dedicated to providing world-class educational experiences to military students across the globe.

Who May Qualify?

• Active Duty
• Reserve/National Guard
• Veterans/Retirees
• Spouses of Service Members and Veterans/Retirees
• Current Department of Defense Employees

Available Benefits:

• Tuition discounts – $275 per credit hour for graduate courses
• Additional discount for veterans who service in a civilian capacity as a First Responder (less than $625 per course) *
• 8-week courses, 8 different start dates each year, and no set login times (may exclude certain courses such as practicums, internships, or field experiences)

*Not applicable to certificates.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an mfa in creative writing.

A Master of Fine Arts degree, or MFA, is a terminal degree in an artistic craft that demonstrates that you have achieved the highest level of training and skill in your discipline. Like a doctorate, an MFA often allows you to teach courses at the graduate level while also providing many opportunities for scholarship and leadership in education. If you want to grow your creative writing skills to become the best writer you can be, then the Master of Fine Arts can help you get there.

How will students work towards developing their writing skills?

With creative writing workshops and a thesis project, you will receive support and guidance to help you become the best writer you can be.

How long will it take to complete the MFA in Creative Writing?

You can complete the MFA in Creative Writing in just 48 credit hours!

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Brand deals

Affiliate marketing, online courses.

• Ad-revenue share programs

Platform creator funds and bonuses

• User-generated content

Speaking engagements

Subscriptions, experiences, how to get paid and make money as a content creator.

• Content creators can earn money in many ways.
• From partnering with brands to teaching online courses, creators can build multiple income streams.
• Business Insider spoke with influencers about how to make money as a creator on social media.

In the past few years, earning money as a content creator and building an influencer career have become more accessible.

Many creators on platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram are now earning six figures or more annually through a variety of income streams.

How much creators earn can depend on factors like follower count, audience engagement, and the type of content they post. But it's now possible for creators with smaller followings to make consistent and lucrative income by building a personal brand on social media. And as the creator economy has matured, the ways influencers can make money have multiplied.

Personal finance YouTuber Reni Odetoyinbo, for example, has built seven income streams with just 19,000 YouTube subscribers and has made up to $34,000 a month. ( Read more about how she built her business .)

Here are 12 common ways influencers earn money, based on conversations with dozens of industry insiders.

Partnering with brands for sponsored content is the most widespread way for creators to make money. 

Depending on the size and engagement of an influencer's following, they can get paid hundreds of thousands of dollars (or even millions) to advertise products or services.

But it's not just influencers with millions of followers who can monetize their content this way.

Micro influencers — those with less than 100,000 followers — can be especially appealing to companies, as they often appear more authentic, have more engaged audiences, and tend to charge less for partnerships. 

And sponsorships are not limited to social-media platforms: creators can also land brand deals on their newsletters or their podcasts. Simran Kaur and Sonya Gupthan, cohosts of the podcast "Girls that Invest," have made podcast ads a cornerstone of their thriving million-dollar financial literacy business .

Here's how much influencers earn from brand partnerships on different platforms:

• How much 13 TikTokers make from brand partnerships and what they charge per post
• How much 11 Instagram micro influencers earn from brand deals
• Tej Patel, a TikTok creator with 55,000 followers, shares how much he makes from three income streams
• Kirsty Ip, an Instagram influencer with 42,000 followers, breaks down what she earns
• Nate White, a fashion TikTok creator with 1.8 million followers, reveals how much he's made from brand deals
• Joel Bervell, a med student and TikTok creator, explains how he makes six figures from brand deals
• Gabby Beckford, a travel influencer, makes over 85% of her six-figure income from partnerships with brands

With affiliate marketing, creators can earn a cut of the sales of certain products.

When signing up for an affiliate program, the creator generally receives a personalized link. They then get a percentage of each sale that is driven through the link. The percentages vary based on product type and program.

Some of the most popular affiliate programs include Amazon, LTK (formerly known as RewardStyle), and ShareASale. ( Read more about the top affiliate programs for influencers .)

In recent months, creators have been scoring big paydays from TikTok's affiliate program, which pays commission for products sold on the platform's feature Shop. Some creators are earning thousands of dollars a month from it.

Another core affiliate program for creators is the Amazon Influencer Program. Here's a breakdown of how to join the program as a creator and how much it pays.

Here's how much creators have made through affiliate marketing:

• How influencers use affiliate marketing programs to make money and how much they earn
• How much money influencers make driving sign-ups for investing apps like Robinhood and Acorns
• Manny Ortiz, a photographer and YouTuber with 660,000 subscribers, shares how much he earns from affiliates
• Sal Farzin, who makes videos reviewing tech products, made six figures in a year through affiliate commissions on Amazon
• Creator Keesh Deesh shares how she made over $200,000 from affiliate marketing on her Facebook group
• How a laid-off former marketer made over $100,000 from affiliate links and how she got started

Starting a course can be a way for creators to supplement their income by sharing their knowledge of a specific field or industry. 

When pre-recorded, courses can also become a source of passive income.

Some creators also update and strategically time the launches of updated versions of their courses to generate more interest among their audience.

"The idea of doing launches, instead of an evergreen model where it's always available, is that you are creating scarcity," said Catarina Mello, a travel influencer who made over $1 million in course sales. ( Read more about Mello's business . )

Here's how much creators have made through online courses:

• Alika Bhatt, a painter and YouTuber with 700,000 subscribers
• Debra and Barry Benton, 2 full-time RVers
• Rob Lennon, a creator who sells courses about AI 

When it makes sense for their brand and there's interest from their audience, some creators turn to making products.

This can mean merchandise —  personalized branded items , usually apparel that can range from hoodies to plush toys — but also other types of physical or digital products that fit within a creator's personal brand.

For example, Aisha Beau Frisbey, a full-time lifestyle content creator with 36,000 Instagram followers, launched a deck of affirmation cards. 

Apps can also be lucrative digital products. Te ssa Barton, a fashion influencer with over one million Instagram followers, built a photo-editing app that had $32 million in projected revenue in 2023 .

And in recent months, a new avenue has emerged for creators and brands who want to sell products directly on social media — TikTok Shop . The feature allows creators to build a storefront on their own profiles and sell their own products. Writer Adam Beswick, for example, was able to quit his job as a nurse and become a full-time writer after he began selling his novels on TikTok.

Here's how much creators have earned from products:

• Sooraj Saxena, a TikToker with over 3 million followers, shares how much he made in sales from an apparel line he launched
• Matilda Djerf, a Swedish fashion influencer, built a clothing brand that made $34 million in yearly sales
• Bianca Ingrosso, a Swedish influencer, founded a beauty brand that made $50 million in revenue in 2023
• How much 2 influencers earned in a year selling bucket hats, hoodies, and other merch — including $40,000 in a single day
• Jack Neel, a true-crime creator with 8.5 million TikTok followers, shares what he's earned from products
• Aisha Beau Frisbey, a lifestyle creator with 34,000 Instagram followers, reveals what she's earned selling affirmation cards

Ad-revenue-share programs

For the past 16 years, the "gold standard" of ad-revenue-share initiatives on social media has been the YouTube Partner Program. Creators can earn a cut of the revenue from the advertisements that appear before and during their YouTube videos.

Recently, other platforms have started following YouTube's example. Snapchat now shares advertising revenue with creators who are part of its Snap Stars program, and Facebook does the same on Facebook reels . TikTok also offers a cut of its advertising revenue to top-performing creators, with a program called Pulse .

For some creators, Facebook is proving a particularly effective avenue to repurpose content. Some say it's an overlooked "cash cow." Creator Shaniece Brown said she was making an average of $700 a month from the platform's ad-revenue-share program in June 2023. For food creator Wasil Daoud, ad revenue on Facebook is as lucrative as YouTube.

Read more about how six creators are making thousands of dollars a month on Facebook.

Snapchat is also seeing a resurgence is creator interest with its Snap Stars program. Some creators are posting up to 400 times a day to maximize revenue, and making thousands in the process. ( Read more about how some Snap Stars are making millions. ) Smaller creators have also been able to rake in some serious cash. Creators AJ and Grey made six figures in 2023 and even decided to leave behind brand deals on other platforms to focus on posting on Snapchat. Here's how they got into the Snap Stars program.

Related stories

On YouTube, the Partner Program has expanded to include creators who reach 10 million views in 90 days on shorts — YouTube's short-form video offering — as well as 1,000 subscribers .

Here's how much YouTubers earn from advertisements on their videos:

• 8 YouTubers explain how much money they earn per 1,000 views
• 19 YouTube creators reveal how much they get paid per month for their videos
• How much money a YouTuber with 1 million subscribers earns, according to 4 creators
• How much money YouTube pays for 1 million views, according to 3 creators
• 7 YouTubers explain how much money they earned during the first month of the new shorts monetization program

Some platforms offer bonuses or "creator funds" that pay influencers money for the views they receive on their content, primarily short-form videos.

These types of payout structures have long been a pain point for creators — some expressed frustration with these programs paying very little, being an unreliable income stream, or being unavailable in many countries .

Recently, platforms have also started rethinking the creator fund model.

The funds Meta offered for Instagram reels and reels on Facebook have been put on pause , while YouTube replaced its creator fund for short-form content with a revenue-share program in early 2023.

TikTok rolled out in 2023 a new version of its fund, specifically for longer-form videos over 60 seconds. Some creators reported making tens of thousands of dollars from this fund, called the Creativity Program Beta , now known as the Creator Rewards Program , but it's unclear how long its benefits will last.

Here's how much creators have earned from platform bonuses and funds:

• 11 influencers reveal how much money Instagram and Facebook paid them for reels
• How much money the TikTok Creativity Fund pays, according to 7 influencers

As companies and brands recognize the power of having a social-media presence, they are increasingly looking to gain expertise on how to leverage social media from the influencers themselves.

This can become a valuable income stream for creators, who get paid by companies to provide support as consultants or advisors. 

UCLA quarterback and influencer Chase Griffin, for example, has been consulting for companies on how to get involved with athlete creators and name, image, and likeness campaigns after scoring over 30 NIL deals.

Here's how much creators have earned consulting for companies:

• Jack Neel, a true crime creator with 8.5 million TikTok followers
• Tejas Hullur, a TikTok creator with over 500,000 TikTok followers
• Kirsty Ip, a food influencer with 42,000 Instagram followers

'User-generated content' (UGC) ads

In recent months, TikTok's immense growth has led to a newfound interest from brands in acquiring the rights to "user-generated content" that they can repost on their social channels or use for paid advertisements.

UGC can be a lucrative income stream for creators who have expertise in crafting content but don't have the following to land big brand deals or want to avoid flooding their audience with sponsored content. In fact, some brands prefer creators with small followings because their content costs less and feels more authentic. 

Unlike sponsored content that gets posted on a creator's personal page, this UGC is used on brands' channels. 

The boom of this type of content has enticed many creators to try their hand at it. Here's the advice of some seasoned UGC creators on how to set rates as a beginner.

For those who are just starting out with UGC, TikTok offers the Creative Challenge program, which allows creators to participate in UGC campaigns advertised by brands directly on the platform. Creators called it one of the platform's "best-kept secrets." One creator, Joseph Arujo, said the program provided some much-needed income when his film-related sponsorships ground to a halt during the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike.

Some creators shared how they got started on the program and made money from it.

Here's how much creators have made creating user-generated content for brands:

• TikTok has led to surging demand for 'UGC' ads. Here's how creators are cashing in.
• How much money 6 UGC creators charge brands to make videos and images
• Erin Confortini, a personal-finance TikTok creator with 180,000 followers, shares what she earns from UGC
• Salha Aziz, a nano influencer with 5,000 TikTok followers, breaks down her UGC earnings

The messaging app Snapchat announced Lens Studio at the end of 2017, which enables Snapchat creators to make augmented reality lenses for the app for free.

Some creators are building careers by focusing not on posting content, but on making tools others can use to help power virtual experiences. Creators can earn money by creating branded augmented reality lenses that others can use on Snapchat.

TikTok also launched a $6 million fund in May 2023 to help augmented-reality creators earn up to $50,000 a month.

Here's how much creators have earned building AR lenses:

• Cyrene Quiamco, who earned $750,000 in a year making augmented reality lenses
• Philip Walton, who created Snapchat's viral potato lens
• AR studio Paper Triangles, which made $4 million from AR lenses in a year

Some creators receive a payment when they are invited to events or conferences to speak, both virtually and in person.

DIY creator Emma Downer said she has been invited to speak publicly about how DIY can improve people's problem-solving and build a sense of personal autonomy, as well as how to use TikTok effectively, both for paid and unpaid opportunities.

Here's how much creators earn from speaking engagements: 

• Matt Upham, a software engineer and tech creator with 500,000 TikTok followers
• Reni Odetoyinbo, a personal finance YouTuber with 19,300 subscribers

One way for creators to generate a consistent income stream is to use subscription models where fans can pay to access exclusive content.

One of the most popular platforms to publish subscription content is Patreon — but there are many other ones like Fanfix, Fanvue, Fourthwall, or OnlyFans. Some creators even build their own websites to host exclusive content.

Subscription platform OnlyFans has become prominent among adult content creators, some of whom have become millionaires thanks to their presence on the platform. ( Read more about how seven OnlyFans creators price their content to earn millions . )

Here's how much creators have made from subscription programs:

• Anela Malik, a food creator with 38,000 Instagram followers
• Jake Tilk, a YouTuber with 18,000 subscribers
• Mrs Robinson, an OnlyFans creator with 1,600 fans
• Steph Mi, an OnlyFans creator with 50,000 fans

On top of selling digital and physical products, it's become increasingly common for creators to sell experiences.

These can range from online or in-person events to classes or trips. For example, travel influencer Tia Cooper built a lucrative business as a travel agent  and sold $119,000 worth of trips in eight months in 2023.

Podcaster Ariana Nathani hosts in-person events in New York connected with her popular dating podcast. The events were her biggest source of income in 2023.

Here's how creators have made money selling experiences:

• 5 travel influencers explain how they're building businesses beyond content, from planning group trips to becoming certified advisors

Watch: Logitech's chief marketing officer tells Insider that creators 'take my brand places that I can't go alone'

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