Month: June 2018

If your dream is to get paid to write, you’re in luck.

This dream is easier to turn into reality these days because every type of online writing job you can do from home is available with a quick Google search.

This wasn’t the case several years ago. In the early ’00s, it was common for online jobs to turn out into scams and freelancers had to learn to protect themselves the hard way.

Today, job boards, marketplaces, and other platforms operate with a fee or use feedback systems to keep scammers at bay and encourage people that online jobs can really become a legitimate way to earn a stable income from the comforts of your own home.

So why doesn’t everyone with decent writing skills just quit their day jobs and focus on providing writing services online?

The Perfect Online Writing Job from Home

The problem isn’t the lack of writing opportunities available, but finding the perfect ones for your skills, circumstances, and expected pay.

In some cases, the job is only available if you’re based in the U.S., Canada, or other countries that have English as a first language. In other cases, the fees paid are so low that only those from developing countries can survive from their earnings.

If you want to make it as a freelance writer, here are several things you should think about before checking out what writing jobs are in store for you:

• Tone of writing — Whether you’ve got experience writing legal letters and corporate memos, or prefer the conversational tone of blogs, social media, and other much modern platforms, deciding the tone early on will allow you to filter the writing jobs you’re interested in.
• Fiction vs. Non-fiction — You don’t have to worry about choosing which has better opportunities, since there are plenty of fiction and non-fiction writing jobs available. But since news writing, academic writing, web copy, resume writing, and others that require technical writing are totally different from blogging, writing short stories or poetry, and so on, knowing where your writing skills fit perfectly would increase your productivity and income in the long run.
• Side cash vs. Full-time job — Will you be able to commit to working on a full-time basis? Or are you planning to write for cash on the side? This is an important consideration, especially since it correlates with the amount of income you’ll be taking home each month.
• The Boss — Freelancers still work for other people, whether this means you’re taking in a client directly, or working for a content mill, marketing firm, or any other company. Freelance writers who work for companies are usually teamed with other writers and editors, as well as content managers to help with work calendars.

Other factors, such as payment currency and software requirements, may also affect your decision on a case-to-case basis. But these four factors could help trim down your results when searching for freelance writing jobs.

150+ Ways You Can Get Paid to Write

I did my best to categorize this list as organized as possible with payment information and other important info. Have fun hunting your preferred freelance writing jobs from home!

Share Poetry, Greeting Cards, Short Stories, and Fiction Writing

Those who have a knack for words and enjoy creating greeting cards, poetry, short stories, and other literature can make a killing with these resources.

Note that many of these sites only accept unpublished work.

1) Grain Magazine – Earn $50 from every poem accepted

2) The Sun Magazine – Known for paying $100 to $250 per poem. This publication loves personal, cultural, or political writing.

3) Poetry Foundation – $10 per line or $150 per page of prose

4) Blue Mountain Arts – Accepts prose and poetry perfect for greeting cards. Pay varies.

5) American Greetings – Submit poems, quotes, and other content for greeting cards. Pay varies.

6) Iron Horse Review – Accepts essays, stories, poems, and flash pieces. Pays $100 per essay or story and $50 per poem or flash piece.

7) Chicken Soup for the Soul – Pays $200 for inspirational, true-to-life personal stories or poems.

8) Colorado Review – Charges $3 payment for online submissions. Pays $10 per page for poetry.

9) Boulevard Magazine – Requires $3 payment for online submissions. If accepted, you can earn  $100 to $300 for prose, or $25 to $250 for poetry.

10) Clubhouse Jr – This kid-friendly site is continuously looking for age-appropriate stories and poetry with a Christian angle. They pay around 15 and 25 cents (USD) per word.

11) Crazy Horse – Accepts fiction and non-fiction stories, poetry and other types of publications with a pay of $20 to $200 per submission.

12) VQR Online – This site doesn’t just accept poetry, they also allow nonfiction, opinion pieces, personal essays and so on. They pay $200 per poem or around 25 cents per word for short fiction, prose, literary criticism, and other types of content.

13) The Three Penny Review – Pays $400 per story or $200 per poem. Doesn’t read submissions sent from July through December.

14) Ploughshares – Ploughshares have several kinds of content submissions available with prizes ranging from $25 to $1,000. Some contests here have entry fees, so make sure to double-check guidelines.

15) Rattle – While online submissions get $100 (print submissions are paid $200), all free submissions are automatically considered for the annual Neil Postman Award for Metaphor, which has a $2,000 prize.

16) Arc Poetry Magazine – Contemporary poetry is accepted at $50 per page.

17) New Myths: NewMyths.com currently pays 1.5 cents/word with a minimum payment of $30 for all submissions, fiction, flash fiction, nonfiction and poetry. The content must have a hint of fantasy or science fiction element to the story.

18) Agni – Pays $20 per page for accepted prose and $40 per page for poetry, with a $300 maximum.

19) The Pedestal Magazine – Pays $50 per accepted poem.

20) Willow Springs – Pays $20 per published poem, and charges a $3 reading fee.

21) ComstockMarKetPlace – This adult humor greeting card company accepts submissions for $50 per accepted idea.

22) 50 Haikus – They pay $1.50 per haiku as token payments for everyone and $10 for “Editor’s Choice” submissions.

23) Apparition Lit – Quarterly speculative fiction magazine featuring short stories, poetry, and artwork. Pays a minimum of $30 per short story, and $30 flat fee for poems.

24) LampLight – Dark fiction magazine. Pays 3¢ per word for unpublished fiction, up to $150 maximum.

25) SLICE – Only accepts submissions through their online portal and only during reading periods. They pay $400 for stories and essays, $150 for flash fiction pieces, and $100 for poems.

26) Fantasy & Science Fiction – As evidenced by the name, they accept fantasy and science fiction stories up to 25,000 words in length. Pays 8¢ to 10¢ per word upon acceptance.

Get Paid to Write for Other People’s Blogs

Some blog owners are willing to pay for your time, expertise, and shared knowledge if you’re interested in getting paid for a guest post that would bring value to your host blogger’s readers.

Some websites have in-house writers working for the publication day in and day out, but these websites also accept submissions occasionally if the ideas you pitch them are interesting to them and potentially valuable to their readers. Aside from the list below, you can always check for the “write for us” section on any website if it is accepting submissions from its readers.

Most of the time, you have to submit a pitch before you’re given a chance to write for the blog. Always read the guidelines they’ve posted before any submission.

27) Bankforeclosuressale.com – Pays $100 (can negotiate more for stellar content) for real estate, foreclosure, flipping houses, investing, or properties-related articles.

28) A Fine Parent – Parenting niche. Pays $75 via PayPal for an article around 1,500 to 3,000 words.

29) A List Apart – Web design industry, pays between $50 and $200 for articles up to 2500 words.

30) American College of Healthcare Sciences – This site encourages industry experts to write blog posts of 600-1000 words about homeopathy, herbal medicine, holistic nutrition, aromatherapy, and general wellness. If your post is accepted, you earn $50 and keep your byline.

31) Back to College – Focused on older people going “back to college.” Pays $55 for approved posts.

32) BlogPaws – If you are equally passionate about pets and social media, you can write advice and tips for fellow pet lovers and earn $75 if your work is accepted.

33) ChangeAgent – This education-focused site changes themes per issue, but if your submission gets accepted, you get $50 for a 200- to 1000-word post.

34) Cracked – Those who have a great sense of humor and are up-to-date with pop culture, entertainment and politics should check out Cracked. Every accepted feature article can get you $100 to $250 based on the length and number of pieces you’ve written.

35) DesertUSA – Content about North American desert regions gets paid $50 for every approved article.

36) DollarStretcher – Love finance? Or simply good with money? This site accepts article submissions in the personal finance category and pays $0.10 per word for an article that is 800 words at most.

37) Doctor of Credit – Personal finance blog; Pays $50 per blog post via PayPal as soon as the post goes live.

38) Down East Magazine – This magazine features Maine and its food, culture, and history. If you’re from Maine and have new ideas and perspectives about Maine to share, send your pitch for a chance to get paid from 60¢ to 75¢ per word upon publication.

39) Eating Well – Great exposure for food bloggers focused on healthy eating. Pays $1 per word upon publication.

40) Edible Seattle – Awesome exposure and writing gig for Seattle-based writers. Pays 20¢ to 30¢ per word (made upon publication) for articles about cooking and eating in Washington, especially around the Seattle area.

41) Elite Personal Finance – Personal finance category; Pays $300 per 1,000- to 3,000-word article.

42) FreelanceMom – Accepting articles from moms who work freelance. Receive between $75 to $100 via PayPal for every accepted post, plus a bonus of $150 if your article is at the top of their most shared list.

43) International Living– Want to share your knowledge on living and retiring overseas? International Living pays $225 for a 900-word article and $350 for a 1600-word article.

44) Funds for Writers – Write guides on how to earn a living as a writer and be paid $60 for every accepted, unpublished original article.

45) Great Escape Publishing – Ideal for writers who know of ways to get paid to travel. Pay is $150 per published 300- to 600-word article.

46) Go Nomad – Pays $25 for personal travel posts (1,200 to 2,000 words)

47) Horse Network – Passionate about equestrian sports, horse health, and other horse-related topics? Not only will you get paid $50 for the article itself, but Horse Network also adds $100 for every 1,000 shares on social media.

48) How Stuff Works – Pay is $100+ per article, but it’s hard to pitch ideas to them since they are extremely selective.

49) Income Diary – Content marketing, website creation, making money online, and other similar articles are paid $200 a pop. Subscribe to their mailing list to be notified when they need articles. You can also submit a post idea, and if they like it, they’ll email back with complete instructions for you to begin writing the full article.

50) iWorkWell – Human Resources topics; pays up to $195 for an article, plus bonuses for complex articles and submitting before the deadline.

51) JustParents – UK-based website. Accepts articles related to parenting and pregnancy, especially first-time parents. Submit your pitch with a title, first paragraph, and an outline of the rest of the article.

52) Knitty – Knitting and crochet patterns. Pay is $150 to $200 per published submission.

53) LadyQ’s – Focused on women-related topics like dating, relationships, fashion, beauty, etc. Pays at least $50 per article.

54) Listverse – Love reading and writing listicles? This site pays $100 via PayPal for every list-based 1000-word article that gets accepted.

55) Loaded Landscapes – Writers passionate about nature, landscapes, wildlife, travel photography, image processing, and related topics can earn $20 to $150 per accepted piece.

56) Make a Living Writing – Get paid $75-$150 for accepted blog posts about earning with your writing skills.

57) Matador – Travel blog. They post all currently paid gigs with the specific topic and how much they pay per assignment.

58) Narratively – Narrative non-fiction. Pay varies.

59) Pixlr Blog – Graphic design and mobile photography. Pays $200 per post. Submit your pitch here.

60) WeAreTeachers – Teacher life and education. Pays $100 honorarium per post.

61) Credium – Crypto trading tools. Pays $250.

62) SmartBusinessTrends – Online digital marketing. Pays $200 to $500 depending on length or complexity of articles.

63) Nurse Guidance – Resources for nurses. Only accepts articles from state-licensed nurses based in the US. Pays $50 to $100 depending on background and subject matter.

64) Rooted in Rights – Disability rights. Only works with people who identify as disabled.

65) wikiEspressoMachine – Reviews and other informative articles on kitchen, home, and garden gadgets. Pays $100.

66) Truity – Personality psychology. Pays $100 to $150 per post depending on length.

67-95) Here are more blogs that pay you to write: Online Writing Jobs (paid writing jobs), Writer’s Weekly (jobs for writers), Rank Pay (digital marketing), Technopedia (tech), The Partially Examined Life (philosophy and culture), Reason (politics, economy, culture), Yoga International (health).

Travel writing is in demand and many blogs and sites pay for content. Check out Theme Park Tourist, The Expeditioner, ROVA, Outpost Magazine, or Ireland Before You Die.

Parenting is also a  common niche, so if you’re a parent with superb writing skills, check out details for Her View From Home, Red Tricycle, Yummy Mummy Club, Chicago Parent, Metro Parent, among others.

You’d be surprised at all the niches you can write for. You have very specific categories like New Scientist (science and technology) or Modern Farmer (modern agriculture) to pop culture and entertainment sites like Screen Rant.

Of course, local publications like Radish Magazine (that serve Western Illinois and Eastern Iowa), KANSAS! Magazine, or Oregon Coast Magazine may also be an interesting route.

Web design and programming sites also have a continuous need for content. If you’re on the techy side, check out SitePoint, Web Design Ledger, CircleCI, and more. Technical writing like these gives higher rates. So does mental health-focused content such as HealthyPlace, ADDitude, or PsychCentral.

Long-term Writing Jobs

This category includes both part-time and full-time writing jobs, which goes beyond the per-article gigs.  You’d have to send your CV and writing portfolio to land any of these online writing jobs from home, but they’re worth it.

96) BookBrowse – Become a book reviewer and get paid to write a review or two of books from their library every month.

97) Distance Web – Hires copywriters with experience crafting copy for ads, websites, and email marketing.

98) IndieMade – Accepts writers from anywhere around the world. Focuses on topics about marketing creative businesses. Pay is sent monthly, depending on how much content you submit and get approved.

99) Kirkus Media – Book lovers are paid to review books from self-published authors.

100) Life Tips – This company regularly needs SEO specialists, copywriters, and editors; accepts freelancers from all over the world.

101) IAC – IAC isn’t one of those brands with instant recall, but it owns over 150 digital products and brands used globally, including Angi, Dotdash, Investopedia, Daily Beast, Care.com, and many others. There are often openings for copywriters and SEO writers for one of their many websites, so check back on this page regularly.

102) Match Group – Match Group owns over 45 global dating companies, including Match.com, Tinder, OKCupid, Hinge, PlentyOfFish, and many more. They open positions for freelance writers, staff writers, and content writers, so bookmark their careers page and apply when one opens.

103) Condé Nast – They’re continually hiring staff writers, product writers, and commerce writers for their numerous magazines and publications, including The New Yorker, Vogue, WIRED, Glamour, Vanity Fair, and lots more.

104) How-To Geek – They’re currently looking for experienced writers to create content with life advice, especially about finance, home organization, personal care, time management, and other related copies.

105) WalletHub – WalletHub is a personal finance website currently looking for freelance online writers to work 50+ hours a week to produce content on finance-related topics like credit cards, credit scores, personal loans, and so on.

106) Finder – Finder prides itself on helping millions of Americans to make difficult financial decisions. They’re currently looking for freelance writers and staff writers to join their team.

107) WordCandy – Create WordPress-related blog posts for WordCandy’s clients that include some of the biggest WordPress blogs on the internet.

108) Abarila Foundation – The Abarila Foundation supports aid projects in several countries. They’re currently looking for a copywriter to write about their projects and campaigns.

Tutorials

Teaching people how to do something requires extensive knowledge of that particular niche, exceptional writing skills, and the ability to explain anything in layman’s terms. As such, tutorials often have higher fees than regular blog posts.

109) CrazyLeaf Design – Accepts design tutorials (web design, photography, graphic design)

110) Digital Ocean – Tutorials are focused on creating a real-world project in Python or JavaScript, or advanced systems topics such as Docker, Kubernetes, Ansible, Terraform, and CI/CD. They pay contributors $300, then match the amount with a charitable donation.

111) eCommerceInsiders – For experienced ecommerce business owners who wish to share their insider secrets; Pays from $75 to $150 for articles (400 to 600 words)

112) Envato Tuts+ – This high-traffic website focuses on coding, web design, IT, and other techy topics.

113) Tutorial Board – Focused on computer graphics software, such as Adobe Photoshop, Adobe After Effect, Autodesk CAD, and many others. Accepted tutorials are paid $150 each.

114) Vectordiary – Adobe Illustrator and other vector graphics software. Tutorials pay $150 each.

115) Real Python – If you’re an advanced-level Python developer, you can help Python developers become even more awesome. Apply to be part of their tutorial team to get paid per project. Even your trial writing assignment will be paid.

116) Photoshop Tutorials – As evidenced by the name, this website contains everything you want to learn about Photoshop. Get paid $50 for quick tips and $150 to $300 for full tutorials.

117) Snel – Snel.com is a cloud-hosting service based in the Netherlands. Pays €35 for each technical article with at least 300 words.

118) Clubhouse – Clubhouse is a project management software geared toward software developers. They’re looking for software engineers to write in-depth tutorials and how-to guides for $400 per tutorial ($600 if there’s a working code example included).

Academic Writing and Adult Writing

Academic writing can be a gray area for content writers, since some people may find it unethical. However, some websites like A Pass Education and Academic Experts are legit and pays college-level writers higher rates than your average blogger.

Another niche to consider if you’re looking for higher-paid writing jobs is to check out adult writing jobs. The topics will depend on your expertise, but it can be as monotonous as writing product descriptions of sexy costumes or writing novel-length R-rated stories. Either way, expect up to three times the going rate for the average copywriter.

Revenue Sharing

You won’t be paid upon submission or publication, but if your published article gets a ton of traffic, you’ll earn continuously as long as the website is up and your written article remains on the site.

121) Hubpages – Earn passive income. Uses Adsense, Kontera, and Amazon for ads.

122) News for Shoppers – Product-based content. You earn 70% Adsense revenue share.

123) Unanchor – Get 50% of revenue share from your published travel itineraries.

Get Paid to Write Full-time: Article Writing Services

If your goal is to work as a writer full-time, your best bet would be to apply for freelance writing jobs from home. You have to be okay with basically working as a ghostwriter, selling your rights to the content once you’ve submitted your work.

Note that some of these companies may be considered as a content mill (with lower pay but a ton of work available), so proceed with caution. However, all of the sites below are legit and have paid freelancers for years.

124) Constant Content – Open to US writers only

125) Verblio – Write blog posts for Verblio’s clients.

126) BKA Content – US only. Pays 1.5¢ to 5¢ per word. Receive income every two weeks via PayPal.

127) ClearVoice – Higher pay writing (pays 5¢ to 15¢ per word).

128) Content Divas – US writers only. Work availability not consistent but worth bookmarking and checking back.

129) Content Remarketing – Always open for expert-level content writers.

130) Content Runner – US writers only (pays through bank account).

131) iWriter – Plenty of writing projects available. Accepts writers from around the world. Pay starts lower than other companies but once promoted you can earn up to $80 per 500-word article.

132) Textbroker – US writers only. No bidding required. Projects are assigned and paid based on your rating. Pays weekly via PayPal.

133) Textbroker UK – The UK version of the Textbroker website. Only available for writers from the UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, and the Republic of Ireland.

134)  WriterAccess – Accepts US-based writers only. Writers are assessed during application and given a rating (the higher this rating, the more money per word a writer can earn).

135) WritersLabs – Accepts both native and non-native English speakers (but with a bachelor’s degree) to write articles about a wide variety of subjects.

136) The Content Authority – Hires writers from Canada and the US. Pays weekly through PayPal. Not currently hiring but worth checking back.

137) Compose.ly – Higher pay (pays 10¢ to 14¢ per word) but they only accept 1% of writers who apply.

138) eZdia – Hires professional eCommerce writers. Pays $1 to $150 per piece

139) Word Gigs – US-based writers earn from $4.50 up to $18 for standard articles, depending on length.

140) Crowd Content – Payment depends on your rating; accepts writers from the US, Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa.

141) WL Marketing – This SEO company has an ongoing need for article writers.

142) Writer’s Domain – Accepts writers that speak English, French, Spanish, German, and Dutch. Pay varies depending on the rating. Pays through PayPal.

143) Get a Copywriter – Accepts copywriters from around the world. Pays $5 to $9 for every 100 words of content

144) Randstad RiseSmart – US and Canada. Got skills for resume writing? You can get paid to write resumes on an hourly basis.

145) The Content Panel – Matches clients with writers through AI. Pays up to $18 for a 300-word post.

146) Express Writers – Hires writers to write for blog articles, whitepapers, emails, and other marketing materials. Pay varies per project.

147) Zerys – Content planning and production platform. Not currently hiring but sign up to their site to be informed when there are openings for freelance writers.

148) Media Shower – Assignments are articles about business, finance, and technology. Pays $25 for every accepted 400-word article.

149) Scripted – Clients across 37 different industries. Pay varies depending on your Writer Tier.

150) CopyPress – CopyPress is a content marketing agency focused on ROI. Create a contractor profile on the website to start getting assignments.

151) Search Sciences – Search Sciences is a content creation and publishing company with hundreds of clients. You get to decide your pay rate and tell them what your specialties are so you can get matched to the right clients.

152) Words of Worth – They have regular contracts with clients. Pay varies depending on the assignments. Aside from the US, they have clients based in Canada, Australia, and the UK.

153) Purecontent – Accepts writers from all over the world. Pay varies depending on the project.

154) Search Influence – New Orleans-based SEO and digital marketing company. Writing assignments are usually related to the legal, medical, real estate, and retail industries. Payment varies with the project and is sent through PayPal.

BONUS: Freelance Writing Job Boards

If the resources above you aren’t enough, you can always check out online job marketplaces. There are even job boards that are geared specifically for paid writing jobs from home.

Check out the following sites:

• Freelance Writers Den
• Who Pays Writers?
• Behance
• Journalism Jobs
• Copify
• Upwork
• Freelancer
• Guru
• Hubstaff Talent
• PeoplePerHour
• BloggingPro
• FlexJobs
• Indeed
• LinkedIn Jobs
• MediaBistro
• LinkedIn ProFinder
• ProBlogger
• FreelanceWritingGigs
• Writers Weekly
• FreelanceWriting

Note that some of these marketplaces charge a monthly fee for freelancers to be listed on their sites.

Others require you to bid on projects posted by the client, which can be discouraging once you see the amount of competition you have.

Tips to Succeed as a Freelance Writer

You can get paid to write from anywhere you are in the world.

Imagine spending a few months in Bali, working as a freelance writer in the daytime, and enjoying the beach once the sun goes down.

However, to succeed in this field, you need to know what you want to write, how much writing you can do, and if you consider writing as a career or just a side gig.

Here are some more tips to succeed as a freelance writer.

Beware of scams.

Scams still exist online, so be careful whenever you start a project, apply for any job, or even just providing your resume to the wrong person or company.

Do your due diligence and look up potential employers and see whether they have negative reviews or if they exist in the first place. Sometimes, a simple Google search can tell you all the information you need.

Learn basic SEO skills.

Companies nowadays need more content that will drive customers to their sites. As a freelance writer, you need to have at least a basic knowledge of SEO to be able to write articles that will likely be indexed by search engines and served up on search engine result pages.

Know how to handle feedback and rejection.

Your clients and your bosses will inevitably give you feedback on your work. Good or bad, you need to be able to deal with feedback graciously.

Other times, your articles will be rejected outright. You’ll either be told that your article wasn’t up to par or just not hear back at all.

It’s hard not to take all that negativity personally, but successful freelance writers are able to take this in stride and use that feedback to improve their writing skills.

Ready to Get Paid to Write?

Landing paid writing job is no walk in the park, but not impossible.

Now that you’re armed with these websites, resources, and tips, you have the advantage of being prepared with this knowledge.

All that’s left to do is for you to take action!

Planning to apply for freelance writing jobs soon? Which companies and job boards have you looked at? Tell us your story in the comments!