How to Get Paid to Write Articles from Home: A Beginner's Guide to Freelance Writing
Table of Contents
How Do You Get Paid to Write Articles as a Freelancer?
Finding Your Niche
Building a Solid Portfolio: The #1 Step for Novice Freelance Writers
An overview of platforms that pay for writing articles
WhitePress®
Medium's Partner Program
Earning money writing on HubPages
Finding work on Upwork
Becoming a Vocal+ member
Pitching your articles: all you need to know
Exploring freelance marketplaces to make money writing
Pros of freelance marketplaces
Cons of freelance marketplaces
How to get paid for creative writing?
How to build a writing career and get paid?
Frequently Asked Questions
How much can I earn as a freelance writer?
What websites pay for writing articles?
Do I get paid just for submitting articles?
How Do You Get Paid to Write Articles as a Freelancer?
Starting your writing career is like starting a small business. You’re selling your skills by crafting texts to clients who need content in various formats – blog posts, guest posts, articles, SEO content, newsletters, whitepapers, social media content, and more.
The road to becoming a professional writer you’ll face many challenges, like establishing your credibility, marketing your services to a broader audience, or managing your workload and finances. However, if you’re hardworking, the benefits are definitely worth it. Flexible working hours and the freedom to work from anywhere are just some of the benefits freelance writers can enjoy.
Finding Your Niche
Now that you know you want to get paid to write, you’ll need to decide what you’ll actually be writing about. While it’s possible to be a successful generalist writer, finding a niche can give you a competitive edge and make your career easier to develop.
Specializing in a specific subject or industry means you can charge more for your projects, but you’ll have to show your in-depth knowledge first. If you pursued education in a specific field, it might be a good start, but make sure to choose a niche that you’re really passionate about – whether it’s tech, travel, finance, health, or any other. This choice can influence your journey on how to get paid to write articles.
You should also determine what type of content you’ll be writing. This can include blog writing, technical writing, copywriting, creating social media content, etc.
Building a Solid Portfolio: The #1 Step for Novice Freelance Writers
To show your potential clients what you’re capable of and get paid to write, you’ll need a portfolio. The portfolio is a tangible way to show your talent and skills, especially if you don't have previous writing experience.
As a novice, you don’t need already written texts to include in your portfolio – you can start out by writing sample texts that align with the kind of work you want to be hired for. For example, if you’re passionate about technology, you could include some sample blog post samples on relevant tech topics.
If you have published work, you can include it in your portfolio. This will give you more credibility, and allow you to include how well the article did SEO-wise. Bear in mind that while in most cases you should be allowed to include any published and publicly available texts in your portfolio, some NDAs and contracts may prohibit you from disclosing your involvement in a project even after publication. Take a careful look at any agreements signed before adding published work to your portfolio to avoid potential legal issues.
An overview of platforms that pay for writing articles
Many novice writers have no clue where to start looking for jobs. Thankfully, there are plenty of online platforms that offer to pay writers for their work that cater to a range of niches. Let’s go over some of the most noteworthy ones you can explore:
WhitePress®
WhitePress® is a content marketing platform that offers opportunities for aspiring writers to become successful copywriters. The platform connects brands with online article publishers and offers to write high-quality, SEO-optimized feature articles that boost online visibility in search engine results.
WhitePress® works with over 1100 experienced copywriters that create unique content at competitive prices. If you feel like you’re an expert writer in your field and are looking for career opportunities, contact us!
Medium’s Partner Program
Medium is a popular online publishing platform, first created as a convenient way to publish texts longer than Twitter’s 280-character limit. Anyone can create a free account and start publishing – if you feel like running your own blog, Medium is a great place to start. After gaining at least 100 followers, you can apply to join the Partner Program.
Once you’re part of the Partner Program, you can start earning money from writing. You can put feature stories behind a paywall that will require viewers to pay a fee before being able to view the content. Members of the program are also paid for writing each month, based on their viewers’ engagement and reading time. Additionally, if you manage to convert a viewer into a paying Medium member, you’ll get 50% of their membership fee.
Earning money writing on HubPages
HubPages allows freelance writers to earn money by creating high-quality content and including various ads or affiliate links. Members of HubPages’ earnings program can earn a share of the ad revenue generated by their articles, including money earned from display ads and cost-per-click (CPC) ads. Once your earnings reach a certain threshold, you can pay out your money through PayPal. Make sure to read the submission guidelines.
Finding work on Upwork
Upwork is a leading freelancing platform where writers and other professionals can offer their services to clients from all over the world. Tens of thousands of job offers for freelance writers are posted on Upwork every week – but the competition is high, so don’t hesitate to contact a potential client. Bear in mind that platforms like Upwork take a percentage of your earnings as their fee, and additional rules may apply.
Becoming a Vocal+ member
Vocal is a platform that allows writers to share their personal stories and perspectives with a wide audience, with simple-to-use monetization options for its Vocal+ program members. Writers can choose from a wide range of categories and topics to write under, including science, music, health, fiction, technology, and more.
To get paid on Vocal, you’ll need to become a Vocal+ member. Members get paid based on the number of views their compelling and distinctive stories receive, and readers can also send direct tips to authors if they appreciate their work. Vocal also regularly hosts challenges where creators can submit their work and the best writers win significant cash prizes.
Running a personal blog in general can open doors to many monetization opportunities, including sponsored content and affiliate marketing. Companies often pay a handsome amount for product or service reviews and features in blog posts – but you’ll need to build a substantial audience first. This could take some time, but with consistent high-quality content, it’s definitely achievable. Before publishing, consult the submission guidelines of Vocal.
Pitching your articles: all you need to know
Crafting a compelling pitch to sell your articles to publishers is a difficult skill to master, but one that can make the difference between rejection or a profitable gig. Pitching involves proposing your article idea to a publication and convincing them it’s worth publishing – here’s how to do it step-by-step:
1. Finding the right publisher
There are many ways you can find a publisher for your texts. Literary agents are the easiest way to the world of traditional publishing, but you can also look for publishers yourself on websites like Poets & Writers or the Writer’s Market that provide directories of literary magazines, small presses, and other publishers.
Online groups and forums are also great places to find early writing jobs as a freelance writer. You’ll also get a chance to meet other writers, share experiences, and make valuable connections.
2. Understand your target
Before writing your pitch, study your publication target carefully. Get a feel for their tone, style, and type of content they usually publish. Consider what topics they cover, who is their target audience, and which parts could be improved in their current content. A pitch that shows a clear understanding of your publisher’s field is much more likely to be accepted.
3. Grab the reader’s attention
Your pitch should start with an engaging headline that immediately grabs their attention. You can use an interesting and relevant fact, a compelling question, or a bold statement. The goal here is to pique their curiosity from the get go and make them want to read on – most pitches don’t get reviewed past reading the title and headline.
4. Present your content as a solution
First, clearly outline the problem that the publisher is experiencing – this allows you to show empathy and understanding, and also sets the stage for you to introduce your solution. Explain how your work can solve the problem you’ve just described. Be specific and focus on benefits, and try to illustrate how you can create value and make their life easier.
5. Provide proof
Back up your claims with evidence. Proof adds credibility to your pitch and helps build trust with potential clients. This could include relevant previous texts you’ve worked on and their SEO performance, testimonials, or case studies.
6. Keep it short and simple
Don’t overwhelm your potential client with too much information. Keep the language simple, clear, and persuasive. Every word should ideally serve a purpose in moving your audience towards the action you want them to take (in this case, to publish your texts).
Don't be disheartened if you don't receive a response immediately. Editors often receive hundreds of pitches a day. After a week or so, send a polite follow-up email. Persistence can often pay off.
Remember to continually refine and improve your pitch based on feedback and results. The best pitches are typically the result of lots of testing and iteration.
Exploring freelance marketplaces to make money writing
Freelance marketplaces like Upwork or Fiverr are online platforms where businesses and individuals post job listings for freelancers, covering a wide range of job categories, including writing and translation.
While these platforms can be competitive, they offer tons of opportunities for beginners to gain experience, build their portfolio, and start earning money from writing. They provide an excellent starting point, but don’t limit yourself to these platforms alone. Once you’ve built a solid portfolio, you can approach higher-paying clients directly and make money from writing.
Freelancers sign up and create a profile, outlining their skills, experience, and rates, while clients post freelance writing gigs they need help with. Depending on the platform, freelancers either bid on projects or create gigs that clients can directly order. Clients then review the proposals of freelancers and select one or more for their projects. Upon completion and acceptance of the work, the platform processes the payment from the client to the freelancers – typically taking a commission as its fee.
Pros of freelance marketplaces
- Access to a wide range of clients: these platforms provide freelancers access to a wide range of clients from all over the world. This can open up opportunities that may not have been available locally or through traditional job searching.
- Flexible work arrangement: freelancers have the freedom to choose when and where they work. They can select the projects they want to work on, allowing them to balance their workload and maintain a work-life balance.
- Payment security: Many freelance marketplaces feature secure payment systems that hold client funds in escrow until the job is complete.
- Potential for growth: High-quality work brings positive reviews and ratings, which can boost your reputation on the platform and lead to more job opportunities.
Cons of freelance marketplaces
- High competition: freelance marketplaces are highly competitive, with freelancers from all around the world vying for the same projects. This can be especially harsh for beginners who are trying to establish themselves, making it challenging to get selected by a client.
- Race to the bottom-pricing: this competition often leads to lowering rates as freelancers try to underbid each other to win projects. This can drive prices down and make it harder to earn a sustainable income from writing.
- Platform fees: most freelance platforms charge a commission on earnings. Depending on the platform and the pricing structure, this fee can take a significant chunk out of the freelancer’s income.
- Inconsistent work: the availability of work can fluctuate, leading to periods of feast-or-famine. This is further accelerated by ChatGPT and other AI-powered writing tools that are a much cheaper alternative to many clients than hiring a writer.
How to get paid for creative writing?
Getting paid for creative writing – such as writing poetry or fiction – can be challenging, but definitely not impossible. It requires patience, dedication, and persistence in searching for opportunities.
Many literary magazines and journals accept submissions of poetry, short stories, personal essays, and other types of creative writing. They usually pay a fee per poem or per word/page for short stories. Many organizations also host writing contests, which often come with cash prizes and are great opportunities to get your name out in the world.
Platforms like Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing allow writers to self-publish their work and earn a percentage of the sales. While the writer’s cut typically isn’t more than 60%, it’s a great way to start until you find a publisher that’ll offer you a better deal.
You can also try crowdfunding – platforms like Patreon allow writers to get paid directly by their fans, often in exchange for access to exclusive content, early access to their work, and other perks. If you’re an experienced writer, you can also try to host writing workshops or classes, teaching others about creative writing.
How to build a writing career and get paid?
Creating a full-time career as freelancer and making money by writing is a gradual process that requires long-term strategizing for success. Before anything else, make sure your writing skills are up to par – engage in courses or workshops, read online resources, and write regularly to practice your craft. This can lead you to make money from writing online.
Having a niche or two where you’re particularly knowledgeable can set you apart from other writers. This can be anything from tech and science to fashion and lifestyle – being a specialist often allows you to charge higher rates as well.
Start a blog or website to showcase your work and writing style. Regularly update the blog with posts related to your target audience. This is a great way to get paid to write articles online as you can also share your thoughts on industry trends to better establish yourself as a thought leader in the field.
Creating a portfolio that shows your best work is incredibly important. This can be on your own website or on platforms like Contently. Make sure your portfolio is easily accessible and showcases a variety of work, especially pieces that have been published by reputable outlets.
Once you have a solid portfolio, you can start pitching to publications you follow. Tailor each pitch to the publisher’s style and audience. Remember that rejection is part of the process, so don’t be discouraged if you don’t get a response right away. In the end, persistence is key to earning money by writing.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much can I earn as a freelance writer?
Your potential earnings as a freelance writer can vary greatly based on your experience and expertise, the specific niche you’re writing for, and your location. Some writers make a modest side income, while others earn six-figure incomes. It’s important to research and understand the market rates for your niche to price your services accordingly.
What websites pay for writing articles?
There are numerous websites that pay for writing articles – you can try these ones first:
Do I get paid just for submitting articles?
It depends. If you’re working with a freelancing platform, you will get paid the agreed upon amount after your work is received and approved. You might have to correct your text before it’s accepted by the client.
Some publications pay to write articles they only choose to publish or use, but some also feature “kill fees” – a smaller fee paid if your article is not published for some reason, despite being initially accepted.
Finally, blogging platforms that allow creators to earn money usually pay you based on views and reader engagement – simply publishing articles that nobody will read won’t earn you any money.