The internet revolutionized the traditional writing industry. Even now, the fast-paced progress in technology is still affecting how writers write and how readers read.
For instance, the rise of online writing is just one of the advantages that technology has spawned over the past few years.
One thing you need to know from the onset is that you do not have to be the best or most experienced writer out there to start making money writing online. The most important part is figuring out the most rewarding ways to get paid while at it.
The best news is, there are many different paths you can take to earn money as a writer. This will depend on your specific writing talent and style. In this article, we will look at some avenues as well as paths you can choose to make money online.
Make Money Writing: Proven And Tested Techniques
In the current world of writing, not all niches pay well and not every writing service you offer will rake in the amount of money needed to lead a comfortable lifestyle.
Nonetheless, there are hordes of profitable niches out there that pay highly and may help with your quest to make money writing.
Choose a freelance writing niche that pays well
If you are a creative writer who is most at home when writing captivating stories, and you want to make money doing it, platforms such as Penpee.com, Wattpad, Sweek, and ApexMagazine can be of huge help.
These platforms are set up differently, but they generally allow you to submit stories and you get paid a specific rate if accepted.
Some, such as Penpee, publish stories in return for tokens. The more people read your stories, even if it is a chapter, the more points you receive. These points can then be converted into cash which can be accessed using bank transfer or via PayPal.
Some of these platforms even have a team of editors who help you polish your article before publishing.
Pitch a guest post
Is there a specific blog that you read regularly because you really like the subjects they tackle? Well, chances are that you know a lot about the topics already. Why don’t you be creative and pitch them a blog post idea?
Most beginner writers often get disheartened thinking that only the best and most experienced writers can get gigs in big blogs and online magazines. I am here to tell you that if you have the skills and the time, it is now possible to make money writing creative blogs for any publication you are interested in. You just need to push enough for it.
A lot of blogs accept and pay well for great guest posts. To make a successful pitch, make sure to familiarize yourself with the company’s culture and reach out to the correct person – normally the chief editor or content manager.
Did you know most writers working for huge publications such as Forbes magazine or Huffingpost are freelancers?
Publish a members-only article on medium
If pitching a guest post to random blogs does not sound entirely enticing to you, you can make money writing by publishing directly on paying platforms such as Medium. Medium allows paid membership of $5 per month.
This makes you eligible to publish members-only articles which can earn you anything between $50 and $500 every month, depending on how many “raves” you receive. Think of raves as Facebook likes.
Start your own blog to boost your writing business
You read that right. It is wise to differentiate yourself from the crowd if you want to make money in the saturated online writing industry.
A blog can serve many purposes besides acting as a portfolio to showcase your skills to potential clients. These include:
- It can help you perfect your writing skills and styles
- Reach your audience directly and using a medium you have full control over
- It can serve to build more credibility in your writing niche among peers and readers
- Help boost confidence and people skills as an online writer
- With the right strategies, you can monetize your blog and earn money from it
In this age, a blog is essential for anyone who wants to start an online business. The best part is that it is now very simple to start a blog, and even a teenager can do it.
Before starting your blog, make sure that it serves a very specific objective and that it represents your brand in the proper light.
Write a listicle
What are the top 10 best travel destinations in the world? Or what are the best dishes to eat in Africa? If you are already answering these questions in your head, then you are already creating valuable content that can earn you money online.
There are a lot of websites such as Cracked, ListVerse, AlistApart, and WonderList that pay well for great top 10 lists. If you are good at writing this kind of material, find a suitable site and pitch them your services.
Publish your book directly on Amazon
Do you have an e-book or novel that you have spent hours or even days writing but you do not know how you are going to get it published? Well, now, with services such as Kindle Direct Publishing help writers make money off their books and novels.
All you need to do is upload your work, get it compatible with Kindle and tell everyone that you have a published book on Amazon. If you have a personal blog, this would be a great avenue to give a summary and tell your readers to check it out.
If the book is not done yet, you can even serialize it by publishing a chapter at a time on your blog.
Become a paid copywriter
If pitching and prospecting for clients is not leading anywhere and you still need to find paid writing gigs online, you can always join a freelancing website and become a copywriter. Copywriting is one of the most sought-after skills by online businesses right now and it is not difficult to become one.
Copywriting involves writing clean and selling copies to various online businesses and can range widely, from press releases to product copy.
Services such as Upwork, Freelancer, Fiverr and WritingJobz connect clients with freelance writers who match their writing requirements. The only downside with such websites is the fact that most take a huge portion of your earnings as fees.
Join a well-paying academic writing site
If you are a beginner and really in need to make money freelance writing, content writing websites can be worth a shot.
These sites create all kinds of content from clients that you will not meet or talk directly to. As a result, you will be dealing with administrators for the company who will be checking whether you followed instructions as specified. Most of these sites ask for academic pieces which will need you to be good at research and referencing your work.
Writing Can Be Profitable
Everyone deserves to get paid for their work, and modern-day writing has come with a lot of opportunities of how to make money writing remotely.
The key to making money writing online is choosing the right niche and going for quality rather than quantity. There are writers who earn up to $500 for a 1000-word article while some earn as low as $5 for the same amount of work.
After picking the correct niche, you must treat your work – whether fiction or non-fiction, as a business. Think of it as selling a product, in this case, a book, articles, content or stories and you will start looking for ways to increase the price.