Who doesn’t want to get paid to write? It’s possible with these paid writing opportunities from home as long as you remember one thing:
Content is King.
That is the philosophy that a lot of sites work under and because of this they need content. Most sites don’t work like old-fashioned newspapers where they have a giant staff of writers. Instead, a lot of sites are looking for a variety of writers to provide their content for them.
And they pay a decent amount for freelance writers.
Can you think of a better way to make a living than taking a laptop anywhere you want and writing for others? This is the beauty of having a writing job from home.
Tired of working on the couch? Head to the coffee shop.
Tired of the coffee shop? Go to the beach.
Tired of the beach? Wait till Elon Musk is done with his Mars shuttle and write on Mars.
The Universe is your oyster when you are a freelance writer.
The key to becoming a freelance writer is taking the time to find opportunities to write. At the beginning, it can be a little bit difficult because you don’t have anything to show. You need a little bit of time to build up a reputation.
A good way to do that is by starting a blog of your own. This serves two awesome purposes:
- It gives you a portfolio of work that you can show others
- If you play your cards right you can also make money from your blog
Over time once you have a nice portfolio and have written for a couple of different sites you will find that some sites continue to hit you up for more opportunities and you can start charging more. It’s not impossible to make six figures a year simply from freelance writing.
Did you ever imagine you could make six figures from home (or anywhere) without having to run a big business on your own? That’s the beauty of the Internet for you!
When people say they “make money writing” they probably aren’t joking. However, there are different levels.
Some people get good and get paid 100s or 1000s for an article while others work for a couple cents a word.
In this post, you will learn about a number of different sites that are looking for writers. They vary in content so don’t think you are a good fit for all of them. While some people have no problem bouncing around from topic to topic I try to stick with the topics that I find interesting.
Sure, if you pay me enough money I can write about anything, but if I have the choice between writing about soccer versus the sexual evolution of the Galápagos tortoise I’m going to have to go with soccer.
Do You Need to Be a Pro to Get Paid Writing Opportunities?
One of the main concerns of being a freelance writer is that you need a background in writing or you need to be a professional. While those things can help anybody can be a freelance writer.
If you’re a terrible writer then you should definitely get to work on a blog because writing on a blog is great practice. Spend some time honing your craft for a bit and gaining an understanding of effective writing.
Most writing simply comes down to research and knowing how to write awesome headlines.
All of these sites have editors to check your work so don’t get too hung up on messing up some things.
Blog Writing
Writing guest posts for blogs has been around since blogging began. Many of the sites listed below cater to specific niches so don’t think you are a good fit for every single one.
It’s important to read the guidelines for each one to ensure you don’t miss something.
- A Fine Parent
- A List Apart
- Babble
- B2B Writing Success
- Blogelina
- Dollar Stretcher
- Freelance Mom
- Horkey Handbook
- Income Diary
- Intense Blog
- IWA Wine Blog
- Listverse
- Make a Living Writing
- MetroParents
- Money Crashers
- Slick WP
- StorkGuide
- Survival Life
- The Barefoot Writer
- The Krazy Coupon Lady
- The Work Online Blog
- Theme Park Disney
- TopTenz
- Wealthy Web Writer
- Wise Bread
- Write Naked
- Writer’s Weekly
Freelance Writing Platforms
This is similar to writing for specific blogs, but instead, you go hunting for freelance offers. These sites specifically have offers for people that are looking to bounce around different jobs.
I will say though that it’s always best to try and establish a good relationship with any sites that accept you to see if you can continue writing for them on a long-term basis.
Greeting Cards
Every major holiday you need to buy a greeting card. Someone has to come up with the witty stuff that they say inside. That someone could be you!
You didn’t think that greeting card companies had a whole studio of writers sitting around the table burning the midnight oil trying to come up with these things did you?
- Avanti Press
- SPS
- Comstock – $50 per idea
- Oatmeal Studios
- Shoebox
- Calypso Cards
Helpful Tips and Short Stories
These are lesser known places you can submit writing to get paid.
A bit risky but can lead to some great exposure.
Job Boards for Writers
Even writers need job boards. These job boards aren’t always active, but make sure you check them periodically so you don’t miss your next awesome gig.
Resume Writing
Are you good at proofreading, interviewing, and persuasive writing? Then becoming a professional resume writer may be the perfect freelance writing job for you.
Revenue Sharing
Most writers aren’t a fan of this model because it is totally dependent on the publisher. If they can’t get people to their site then you don’t get much of the ad revenue. It’s more of a high risk, high reward scenario.
- About.com
- Demand Studios
- Examiner
- Helium
- HubPages
- InfoBarrel
- Seekyt
- Social Moms
- The Penny Hoarder
- The Work at Home Woman
- What Culture
- Wizzley
- Writer Town
Romance Novels
Yes, there are companies that will pay you to write romance novels for them, but you might be better off writing them yourself and publishing them on Amazon.
Travel Writing
This type of writing works out well if you get to travel. If you are sitting at home on your couch you should probably stay away from these sites.
- BootsnAll
- Galavanting
- Go Nomad
- International Living
- Outpost Magazine – Pay negotiable
How to Make Money Writing
The allure of online writing jobs is that they offer you a chance of freedom. Making money on your own isn’t all about making money. A lot of it has to do with the freedom that it provides.
Need to run to the grocery store? Close your laptop and do it. You can get back to writing when you’re done.
The main problem is that people read about opportunities (like the ones above) and think they can just dive in and live off of their writing income. It takes time, patience, and a lot of practice.
That is why I always suggest that you start a blog because not only does it open doors for you with regards to writing opportunities, but it can also become a business of its own and allow you to make money online.