Writers don’t make a lot of money. That’s a fact that we all know. Not everyone can be a J. K. Rowling or a George R. R. Martin. We don’t suddenly create worlds and write about them on a piece of tissue paper in a café in London. That spark of genius? It doesn’t happen to everyone. Most writers are good at what they do, but they fail at converting their skills into money. Luckily, there are many ways you can make money as a freelance writer:
Get Published
You can reach out to popular coffee table book publishers. Some of them don’t particularly look for published and popular authors. They can work with freelance and amateur writers. They can turn your work — if they’re good enough — into coffee table books that they, in turn, sell to cafes and bookstores. Who knows where your talent might take you? You just have to keep trying.
Write for Blogs
Whether it’s your own or a business blog, you can earn by writing blog content. For years, there has been the talk of “content fatigue,” but major publications and businesses — both online and offline — need to continue producing content. Otherwise, their businesses will die. As long as Google depends on content for its SEO ranking, businesses will need content writers. That’s where you come in.
Edit Academic Papers
Enter any university forums, and you’ll find a lot of students looking for editors that they can pay to check their papers. This is especially popular for graduating students who need one final paper to pass. You can get paid hundreds of dollars for editing a 50-page academic paper. If you’re good at researching and writing, you can offer to cowrite the paper for the students. That will pay you thousands of dollars.
Get in Touch with Your Alma Mater
Your former school’s publication needs writers. They accept guest posts from their alumni. They may even want you to write a regular post about life after university or college. You might not get paid for this stint. The best you can get is a stipend, but it’s not enough to cover your expenses. But students will start to recognize your name. Think of it as self-promotion. By writing for the school paper, other publications may even use your works as a resource.
Work with Organizations
Non-profit organizations need writers to promote their advocacy. Although the work is for a short period, the pay is good, and you get to influence people to do good stuff, too. You can take a look at the social media profiles and websites of some charitable organizations to see if they are looking for writers. The work will focus on posting on their social media accounts, writing a speech for a convention, and blogging about their campaigns.
You’ll be surprised at how much you can earn as a freelance writer. You can leave your regular job and do freelance work. This way, you can work anywhere and not be tied to an employer. You can even choose the kind of writing gigs that you feel comfortable doing.
