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Good news: there are a LOT of different options when it comes to paid online writing. No matter your interests or areas of expertise, if you’re ready to bring in some extra cash, opportunities are waiting for you.
Whether you want to write an occasional article for extra spending money or dedicate your free time to running a blog so you can one day quit your day job and become a freelance writer for hire, we’ll show you 30 easy ways to make money writing online in 2022 and everything you need to know to get paid for your writing skills.
1. Start a blog
Blogging is a tried-and-true method for writers to make money online. You may be wondering if it’s still possible for new bloggers to make money with all the established blogs already online, and the answer is YES.
Blogging requires dedication and consistency, and it will also take some time for your blog to gain momentum before you see much income, but it is absolutely possible.
The first step to starting a blog is picking your niche. This is the topic you’ll write about. It’s good to get specific here; there are many blogs on the internet, so if you can provide a unique perspective, your readers are more likely to stick around.
Next, you’ll need to pick your domain, design your blog, and get it all set up. There are a ton of great resources out there to help you with this (just remember you get what you pay for: while there are free blog hosting sites and free templates, top bloggers agree that you’ll need to spend a little money upfront if you want to make money writing in the long run).
Once you’ve got your blog established, remember to post regularly, promote your posts on social media, and engage with your readers. No blog has ever been an overnight success, but you can make good money from blogging with a little time and consistency.
2. Create blog posts (for others)
If you’re not quite ready to start your own blog, you can always dip your toes in the water by guest blogging. Many bloggers hire other bloggers to create content, and a lot of companies will hire freelance writers to contribute to the blog section of their website.
If you decide to go this route, make sure to do your research beforehand. Familiarize yourself with the blog you’re writing for, so you can match the tone and blend in with the existing content.
3. Establish a niche website
If you have an interest or expertise in a particular niche, you can start a website dedicated to it. This gives you all the creative control of running your own blog without the pressure of regular posting. (Although you will need to update your website regularly to keep it fresh and make sure it reaches full potential.)
4. Self-Publish a book
There are self-publishing options for every type of book, from short instructional guides to romance novels to nonfiction tomes. If you’ve written a book and you’re unsure what your next step should be, why not consider self-publishing?
Publishing your own book is an incredibly rewarding experience, as you have control over every step of the process. This can be a double-edged sword, however. After starting down the path to self-publication, many authors realize that while they love writing, they don’t love obsessing over font and margin options or negotiating with cover artists.
And even if you use a free service, such as Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing, you’ll need to spend money on editing, cover design, marketing, and advertising.
The hope is that you would make that money back from your book sales, but there are no guarantees. But if you play your cards right, it’s possible to turn a profit from your self-published book.
5. Create affiliate content
Ever notice how almost every food blogger includes Amazon links to their favorite ingredients and cookware? Or maybe you found an article on Pinterest listing an outdoor enthusiast’s essential camping gear.
These are both examples of affiliate content, where you (the affiliate) partner with a company to drive traffic to their website and earn commissions on any resulting sales. Affiliate marketing content is an excellent way to generate passive income on your blog or website.
It takes a little strategizing, but once you develop a plan and implement your affiliate content, you can make money while you sleep.
6. Write scripts for video creators
If you understand scriptwriting’s technicalities, you can bring in money by partnering with a video creator. It’s pretty common for video creators to have great screen presence—but not-so-great writing skills, so there are plenty of gigs to be had in this field.
Video content is exploding in popularity, so now is a great time to get your foot in the door and add some script-writing experience to your resume. These gigs are often posted on job boards, and you can also take the initiative and reach out to some content creators whose work you enjoy to see if they could use a hand with scriptwriting.
7. Write show notes for podcasts
Show notes are a written online resource for podcast listeners that accompany each episode of a podcast. Every podcast approaches show notes a little differently, but typically, they are brief, easy-to-scan episode summaries that often include additional relevant resources. You can find work writing show notes on job boards, or send cold pitches out to podcasters you would like to work with as a freelance writer.
8. Create written content for social media
Large companies typically have a marketer (or a team of them) dedicated to keeping their social media running smoothly. But smaller businesses often can’t hire a full-time employee to manage their social media presence. Freelancers are the ideal solution, and are a win-win for everyone.
Think about your favorite local ice cream parlor, gift shop, or espresso stand, and do a little digging into their social media presence. If you notice that they haven’t posted anything in months or that they struggle with creating high-quality, engaging content, then you just found an excellent opportunity to pitch your writing services.
There’s no need to bash them or focus too much on their social media mistakes, but you can start a polite and friendly conversation where you mention that you noticed room for improvement. Try to emphasize what they stand to gain from working with you and how much potential you see in their social media presence.
Before you pitch your social media writing services, make sure you do your research on fair pricing and know which services you want to offer at what rates. If a business owner shows interest in working with you, the last thing you want to do is keep them waiting while you iron out details you could already have had in place.
9. Produce content for local businesses
While you’re talking to small, local business owners about their social media content, don’t forget the other services you can provide as well.
Maybe a local business could use your help with the occasional blog post, copy for their website, or informational materials like brochures and pamphlets. If you need a list of local businesses, consider joining your local chamber of commerce. Their events can be an effective way to network with other local business owners.
10. Submit magazine articles
Do you have a juicy story from your personal life that your friends love hearing over and over again, or a political perspective that incites the “mind-blown” emoji from every person you share it with? Write it down and turn it into a magazine article to make money.
The magazine industry may not be as prominent as it once was, but it is still going strong, and plenty of freelance writers are getting paid to write magazine articles. Some magazines pay upwards of $500 per article.
Do a little research to find the magazines that would be the best fit for your article, and make sure they haven’t published anything too similar in the recent past.
This is also a good time to find the magazine’s submission guidelines—make sure you follow their instructions carefully, so you have a better chance of getting accepted.
11. Create an information product
If you’re an expert at something, you can monetize that knowledge by creating and selling informational products. This can be an ebook, a video, a short PDF, or any electronic format sharing your insights. Don’t be afraid to get creative here!
Online information products are an excellent way to generate revenue because there are little to no overhead costs involved. You don’t need to worry about packing and shipping a physical product, nor do you need to be involved in the transactions once you handle the initial logistics of making your product available.
The most important thing is to make sure you’re providing a high-quality product with valuable tips and tricks that your customers won’t be able to find elsewhere. If your customers love what they learn from you, they’re much more likely to pay for other products you offer and recommend your business to their friends.
12. Ghostwrite online content
Want to know a secret?
When you see a byline on an online article or blog post, there’s a pretty good chance that the named author didn’t actually write that content. Ghostwriting is not just for celebrity autobiographies; a lot of blogs and websites hire ghostwriters, too.
If you’re okay with taking home the paycheck but not seeing your name on the byline, seek out ghostwriting gigs. These jobs often command rates of 30% to 50% more than bylined work because they aren’t pieces you can add to your portfolio or claim responsibility for.
13. Write video game guidebooks
Streaming your gameplay isn’t the only way for gamers to make money online. If you know a video game inside and out, consider writing a guidebook for it and selling it as a PDF.
If you don’t want to handle the logistics of selling your own product, you can always write freelance articles and guides for video game websites and magazines.
14. Create destination guides
Whether you love to travel or are the go-to person for the best spots to visit in your hometown, you can turn your knowledge into a profitable destination guide. This can be an extensive information product that you sell on your blog or website, or you can pitch it to a travel magazine or blog accepting these types of publications.
15. Write poetry
Poetry may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think about making money writing online, but it’s possible to turn a profit off of your poems. There are several places you can submit your poetry online for publication, and if your piece is selected, you’ll get a paycheck on top of bragging rights. Here are some of the top-paying online poetry publishers:
- The Sun Magazine: Pays $100-$250
- Poetry Foundation: Pays $300+
- Boulevard Magazine: Pays $50-$250
- Crazyhorse: Pays $20-$200
- EPOCH: Pays a minimum of $50 per poem
16. Transcribe documents
Transcribing is flexible work that can pay very well once you have some quality pieces in your portfolio. High-paying transcription jobs often require experience, special equipment, and specialized medical or legal knowledge.
But don’t let that discourage you if you think you’d enjoy the work. You can quickly get your foot in the door by taking on a few simple, lower-paying gigs. Check out these reputable transcribing sites to learn more:
17. Write personal essays
If you have interesting life stories, the world wants to hear them. Lots of websites pay you for the right to publish your personal essays. Further below, you’ll find some publications to pitch.
You could also turn your essays into a blog or website, although you should be very strategic if you decide to go this route; blogs dedicated to niches tend to perform exceptionally well, while personal perspective blogs do not.
18. Create greeting card sayings
Someone has to write the sayings and poems on greeting cards. Frequently, that someone is a freelance writer. If you think you have what it takes to create a best-selling greeting card, these companies that pay for greeting card verse submissions:
19. Write product descriptions
Some companies pay quite well to ensure that the product descriptions on their websites are clear and informative. Look for these gigs on job boards or pitch the company yourself. There are even websites you can join, such as Crowd Content, that pay you to write product descriptions for their clients. You can also find possible clients for this on sites like Upwork.
20. Start copywriting
Copywriting can refer to any writing that is specifically used for promotion and marketing. This can include content on websites, video scripts, blog posts, emails—you name it.
Businesses use copy to promote a product or service and drive the reader to action. Some companies hire freelance copywriters, some hire copywriters from marketing agencies that work with multiple companies, and some have staff copywriters. You can find copywriting work on job boards of all kinds, includingIndeedandZip Recruiter.
21. Create email sequences
An email sequence is a series of automated emails sent from a business to its clients at different sales cycle stages. Companies also send out email sequences when someone takes a specific action (or lack of action), such as clicking a link in an email or leaving an e-commerce site with items still in the shopping cart.
If you have a strong understanding of email marketing tactics, you can work with any company to create or improve their email sequences. Since more companies are getting intoemail marketing, there is plenty of opportunities to make money writing here.
22. Write technical manuals
Technical writing is alucrative fieldbecause it requires extensive knowledge of the industry you’re writing for. Technical writers need to know how to take complex information and break it down into simple, easy-to-understand messages.
23. Post on a revenue sharing site
Revenue sharing sites host your content and give you a percentage of the ad revenue generated from the page in exchange. This can be a great way togain experience writing online, since you don’t have to worry about setting up your own website or driving traffic—although you should do everything you can to market your work and encourage people to read your work on revenue sharing sites.
Here are some examples of revenue sharing sites where you can get paid to write articles:
24. Enter a writing contest
Keep an eye out for writing contests, and throw your hat in the ring when you can. This one is a bit of a gamble because only the winners get paid, but it could well be worthwhile.
Some contests pay their winners surprisingly well, and winning can also be a great way to gain exposure as a writer. So if you have the time, why not give it a shot?
Here are a few reputable contests to get you started:
- Reedsylists over 100 writing contests
- Biopage’s Storytelling Contestpays $100 to $300 for winning short stories.
25. Write resumes
If you have a knack for creating effective resumes, you can find freelance work writing resumes for job hunters. Check job boards for resume writing gigs, and spread the word through social media that you are accepting clients for resume makeovers.
As a similar way to get paid to write, you can also specialize in LinkedIn profiles. Many professionals are willing to pay for an optimized profile that can help them land work.
26. Write and sell songs
Do you love writing music? You can sell your songwriting services online with the help of these websites:
27. Review books
Calling all readers! Did you know you can get paid to review books? If you can read quickly and write engaging, objective reviews, this could be an excellent way to earn some extra money.
Here are some companies that accept applications for book reviewers:
28. Do SEO writing
SEO writers are some of the best-paid freelance writers because they provide the most value to their clients. These specialized writers know plenty ofSEO tips, including researching keywords and integrating them into websites to make them rank higher in search results.
Semrush lists seven SEO Certification courses that you can take if you want to learn more about SEO, some of which are free.
29. Write sponsored content
If you have a blog, writing sponsored content is a no-brainer. Simply put, sponsored content is anything that a company pays you to write and publish on your blog.
There are tons of options for companies you can work with, and some creative ways to write sponsored content that doesn’t feel like advertising. Check out these trusted sponsored post networks you can join to find paid blogging opportunities:
Thank god there are a lot of ways for writers to keep on their feet. Online or offline. Thanks a lot, Terry!