How to Make Money Writing Online: The good thing is that when it comes to earning money by writing online, you can choose from a TON of various opportunities. There are possibilities waiting for you to bring in some additional cash, regardless of your interests or areas of competence, as long as you are willing to take advantage of them.
We will 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. Whether you want to write an occasional article for extra spending money or dedicate your free time to running a blog so that you can one day quit your day job, we will show you how you can make money writing online in either scenario.
How to Make Money Writing Online: 29 Easy Ways in 2022
1. Become a blogger.
For writers interested in making money online, one tried-and-true technique is to start a blog. With all of the well-established blogs that are already available online, you might be asking if it is still possible for new bloggers to generate money, and the answer is yes.
Blogging is an activity that demands commitment and perseverance, and it will take some time for your blog to gather momentum before you start seeing significant financial rewards, but it is not impossible to do so.
Choosing a specific topic for your blog is the first step in creating one. You’ll be writing on this subject, so get started! It is important to be specialised in this area; there are a lot of blogs on the internet, so if you can provide a unique perspective, people will be more likely to continue reading your blog.
After that, you’ll need to choose a domain name, create the design for your blog, and set everything up. There is a wealth of useful information available online that can assist you with this endeavour; however, it is important to keep in mind that you get what you pay for: although there are free blog hosting sites and free templates, the most successful bloggers all agree that you will need to invest some money at the outset if you want to make money writing in the long run.
Remember to post on a consistent basis, promote your content on social media, and interact with the people who read your blog after you’ve gotten your site established. Although there has never been a blog that became popular overnight, it is possible to make a solid living from blogging if you are willing to put in some effort and remain consistent.
2. Write entries for a blog (for others)
You can always try your hand at blogging by contributing to another website, even if you aren’t quite ready to launch your own personal blog. Many bloggers may engage the services of other bloggers to provide content for their websites, and many businesses will pay freelance writers to contribute to the blog portion of their own websites.
If you choose to proceed in this direction, be sure that you have done all of the necessary research before you start. Make sure you are familiar with the site you are going to be writing for so that you can match the tone and blend in with the information that is already there.
3. Create a website focused on a specific market
You can build a website that is focused on a specific topic if you have experience in that subject or if that niche is of particular interest to you. This grants you complete creative control over the operation of your own blog, but frees you from the obligation to write on a consistent basis. (However, you will need to make regular updates to your website in order to maintain its relevance and guarantee that it realises its full potential.)
4. Publish a book on your own.
Every kind of book, from short instructional manuals to romance novels to nonfiction tomes, can be published by the author themselves using one of the many self-publishing alternatives available. Self-publishing is an option worth considering if you’ve written a book but aren’t sure what to do next. Why not give it a shot?
Because you are in charge of every aspect of the publishing process, self-publishing your book can be an extremely satisfying and fulfilling experience. However, this might be a double-edged sword in some situations. Many authors, once they have begun the journey toward self-publication, come to the realisation that while they enjoy writing, they do not enjoy fussing about various font and margin possibilities or arguing with cover artists.
And even if you utilise a free service like Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing, you’ll still need to spend money on things like editing, cover design, marketing, and advertising for your book.
It is hoped that you will make that money back through the sales of your book, but there are no promises that this will happen. It is feasible to make a profit on a book that you have written and self-published, but only if you play your cards well.
5. Create affiliate content
Have you ever noticed that practically all food bloggers add Amazon links to their preferred cooking tools and supplies in their posts? Or perhaps you came across an article on Pinterest that outlined the essential camping equipment for an outdoor enthusiast.
Both of these are instances of affiliate content, in which you (the affiliate) work in partnership with a company to increase the amount of visitors to that company’s website in exchange for a commission on any sales that are generated as a direct result of your efforts. A blog or website that contains affiliate marketing content is a fantastic approach to create an income passively for its owner.
You will need to put in a little bit of planning, but after you have a game plan and have put your affiliate material into action, you will be able to generate money while you sleep.
6. Write scripts for those who make videos.
If you are proficient in the technical aspects of scriptwriting, you may be able to generate income by collaborating with a video producer. Because it is very usual for those who create videos to have a strong screen presence but not particularly strong writing skills, there are a large number of available jobs in this industry.
The consumption of video content is seeing meteoric growth, which means that now is an excellent moment to get your foot in the door and add some expertise writing scripts to your resume. These kinds of jobs are typically advertised on job sites; however, you may also take the initiative to contact some content creators whose work you admire and inquire about the possibility of assisting them with scriptwriting.
7. Compose show notes for audio and video podcasts.
Show notes are a written online resource that accompany each episode of a podcast and are intended for use by the program’s audience. Show notes are often brief, easy-to-scan episode summaries that frequently include extra relevant resources. The format of show notes can vary slightly from one podcast to the next, but in general, they follow this format. You can find work writing show notes on job boards, or you can send cold pitches to podcasters who you would like to work with as a freelance writer. Both of these options are available to you.
8. Produce written content for use across social media platforms.
The proper operation of a large company’s social media accounts is often the responsibility of a marketer (or a group of marketers working together). However, it’s not always possible for smaller companies to engage someone to work full-time to manage their social media presence. The use of freelancers is the optimal method because it benefits everyone involved.
Do some research on the ice cream shop, gift shop, or espresso stand that you frequent most frequently in your neighbourhood and see what kind of presence they have on social media. If you see that they haven’t posted anything in months or that they struggle with developing high-quality, interesting material, then you have just discovered an amazing opportunity to market your writing services to them.
It is not necessary to criticise them or place an excessive amount of emphasis on the errors they have made on social media; nonetheless, you can begin a civil and cordial conversation by mentioning that you believe there is potential for growth. Make an effort to drive home what they have to gain by cooperating with you and how much potential you see in their social media presence.
Before offering your writing services for social media, make sure you have done some research on what constitutes fair pricing and that you are aware of which services you wish to offer and at what prices. The last thing you want to do if the owner of a company expresses interest in collaborating with you is to keep them waiting while you figure out things that you may have previously had in place.
9. Create material for the benefit of local companies
When you are talking to owners of small local businesses about the material they post on social media, you shouldn’t forget to mention the additional services that you can give as well.
It’s possible that a local company could benefit from your assistance by having you write the occasional article for their blog, some copy for their website, or some informational materials like pamphlets and brochures. Consider joining the chamber of commerce in your community if you want access to a directory of local companies. Participating in their events is a great opportunity to network with proprietors of other local businesses.
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 causes every person you share it with to respond with the “mind-blown” emoji? If so, share it with them! To generate income from it, write it down and submit it to a publication as an article.
Although the magazine industry is not as dominant as it once was, it is nevertheless thriving, and a large number of freelance writers are being compensated to produce pieces for magazines. There are publications that pay up to $500 for each article.
Do some research to identify the publications that would be the most suitable homes for your essay, and check to see that they have not recently published something that is too similar to what you have to offer.
It is also a good moment to locate the magazine’s submission requirements at this point; ensure that you follow their directions very thoroughly so that you have a better chance of having your work published.
11. Develop a product that provides information
You can turn your expertise into a source of revenue by producing and selling informational items if you are an expert in a particular field. This can take the shape of an ebook, a video, a brief PDF, or any other electronic format that shares your observations. Don’t be hesitant to use your imagination in this situation!
Because there are very few or even zero overhead costs involved, selling information products online is an excellent method for generating cash. Once you have handled the initial logistics of making your product available to customers, you will no longer be responsible for the packing and shipping of a physical goods, nor will you be required to be engaged in the transactions itself.
The single most crucial thing you can do for your customers is to ensure that the product you offer is of a high quality and contains helpful information that they won’t be able to locate anywhere else. If your clients enjoy what they learn from you, they are far more inclined to pay for further things that you offer and to suggest your company to their friends and family.
12. Write stuff for the internet under a pen name.
Are you curious to find out a secret?
When you come across a byline on an online article or blog post, it’s important to keep in mind that the author listed there may not be the one who actually penned the information in question. A great number of websites and blogs, in addition to celebrity memoirs, use ghostwriters. Ghostwriting is not limited to the writing of celebrity biographies.
You should look for ghostwriting assignments if you don’t mind having your name removed from the byline but still getting paid for your work. Due to the fact that you cannot add these pieces to your portfolio or take credit for them, the rates for these jobs are often 30–50% higher than the rates for bylined work.
13. Write video game guidebooks
The sole way for gamers to generate money online is through streaming their gaming, but there are other options as well. If you are familiar with the ins and outs of a particular video game, you might want to consider authoring a manual for it and offering it for sale as a PDF.
You always have the option of writing articles and guides on a freelance basis for video game websites and magazines if you don’t want to deal with the practicalities of selling your own product.
14. Create destination guides
You may leverage your passion for travel or the fact that you are the go-to person for the greatest places to visit in your hometown into a lucrative travel guide by turning your knowledge into a destination guide. This might be a comprehensive information product that you sell on your website or blog, or you could submit it as a pitch to a travel magazine or blog that is willing to publish publications of this kind.
15. Write poetry
Although writing poetry might not be the first thing that springs to mind when you think about making money writing online, it is feasible to make money off of your poems if you publish them online. You can submit your poetry to be published on the internet at a number of different websites, and if your work is chosen, you will be compensated monetarily in addition to receiving bragging rights. The following are some of the online poetry publishers that pay the most:
- 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
Once you have established a portfolio with a few high-quality items to your name, transcription can become a very lucrative line of work. Jobs in transcribing that pay well typically require a certain amount of experience, in addition to specific training in either the legal or medical fields.
Do not, however, allow this deter you if you believe you would take pleasure in the effort. Taking on a few straightforward, lower-paying jobs is a quick way to get your foot in the door of a potential employer. Check out these reliable sites for further information regarding transcription:
17. Write personal essays
If you’ve lived an exciting life, other people are interested in hearing about it. There are several websites that will pay you to publish your own writings in exchange for the permission to do so. You’ll discover some publications to pitch further down in this section.
You might also make your writings into a website or blog; however, you should be very strategic if you decide to take this path. Blogs that are dedicated to specific topics typically perform exceptionally well, whereas blogs that are written from the blogger’s own perspective do not.
18. Come up with sayings for greeting cards.
Someone is responsible for hand-writing the sayings and poems that are included on greeting cards. The majority of the time, that person is a freelance writer. If you think you have what it takes to design a greeting card that will sell the most copies, consider submitting your poetry to one of the following firms that pays for verse submissions:
19. Write product descriptions
Some businesses are willing to invest a lot of money to ensure that the product descriptions on their websites are comprehensive and easy to understand. Look for these kinds of jobs on online job listings or make your own presentation to the company. There are even services, like Crowd Content, that will pay you to write product descriptions for their customers if you sign up with them and become a member. On platforms such as Upwork, you can also identify potential customers for this service.
20. Get started writing copy.
The term “copywriting” can be used to refer to any type of writing that is created specifically for the purpose of marketing and promotion. This can include the material on websites, video scripts, blog posts, emails, and pretty much anything else you can think of.
Copywriting is used by businesses to sell a product or service and encourage the reader to take some sort of action. Some businesses engage copywriters who operate independently as freelancers, others use copywriters from marketing agencies that collaborate with many businesses, while still others have copywriters on staff. Copywriting opportunities are available on a variety of job boards, such as Indeed and Zip Recruiter, amongst others.
21. Create email sequences
An email sequence is a set of automated emails that are sent from a company to its customers at various points throughout the sales cycle. Email sequences can also be sent out by businesses in response to a specific action (or lack of action) taken by a customer, such as clicking a link contained in an email or exiting an online retailer’s website while things are still in their shopping cart.
If you have a solid understanding of the strategies involved in email marketing, you can collaborate with any firm to either design new email sequences for them or improve the ones they already have. There are a lot of opportunities to make money writing in this space as a result of the growing number of businesses that are engaging in email marketing.
22. Write technical manuals
Because it involves in-depth familiarity with the topic in which the writer intends to work, the career of technical writing is a lucrative one. Technical writers need to be able to take complicated information and distil it down into clear and concise statements that everyone can comprehend.
23. Post on a revenue sharing site
Websites that participate in revenue sharing will host your material and, in exchange, will give you a share of the advertising revenue earned by the page. Although you won’t have to worry about setting up your own website or driving traffic, you should still do everything in your power to market your work and encourage people to read it on revenue sharing sites. This can be an excellent way to gain experience in online writing, especially since you won’t have to worry about either of those things.
The following is a list of revenue sharing websites that are examples of places where you can get paid to publish articles:
24. Participate in a writing competition.
Always be on the lookout for writing competitions and don’t be afraid to enter one when you get the chance. This one is a little bit of a risk because the only people who get paid are the winners, but it could very well be worth it.
Winning a writing competition may be an excellent way to have your work seen by more people and, in certain cases, can even result in a shockingly generous payout. Therefore, if you are able to spare the time, why not give it a go?
To get you started, here are some credible contests you can enter:
- Reedsy lists over 100 writing contests
- Biopage’s Storytelling Contest pays $100 to $300 for winning short stories.
25. Write resumes
You might obtain employment as a freelance writer for people who need help generating resumes if you have a talent for producing resumes that are effective. You should look on job boards for opportunities to write resumes, and you should let people know through social media that you are taking customers for resume makeovers.
You can also specialise in writing LinkedIn profiles, which is another method to make money off of your writing. Many working professionals are eager to invest money in order to have an optimal profile that will increase their chances of finding work.
26. Compose music and market it
Do you enjoy composing music all the time? With the help of the following websites, you’ll be able to market and sell your songwriting skills online:
27. Review books
To all of the readers out there! Have you heard that writing book reviews can earn you money? This could be a great opportunity to earn some extra money, particularly if you are a fast reader and can write evaluations that are both interesting and objective.
The following are some examples of businesses that are now accepting applications for book reviewers:
28. Participate in SEO authoring
Because they offer the most value to their customers, search engine optimization (SEO) writers are among the most well compensated of all freelance writers. These expert writers are familiar with a wide variety of SEO strategies, including as conducting keyword research and incorporating the findings of that research into websites in order to improve their positions in search engine results.
If you are interested in learning more about SEO, Semrush provides a list of seven SEO Certification courses that you can attend. Some of these courses are offered at no cost.
29. Write sponsored content
If you already maintain a blog, writing sponsored material is a task that comes naturally to you. To put it another way, sponsored content can be anything that a company pays you to write and publish on your site in exchange for financial compensation.
It is possible to collaborate with a wide variety of businesses, and there are also a number of inventive approaches of writing sponsored material so that it does not come across as advertising. Take a look at the following reputable networks of sponsored posts that you can join in order to find paid blogging opportunities:
