Hey, have you always dreamed of getting paid to write, but never actually earned a dime? Yeah, I’ve seen those ads promising it’s “easy” too.
But honestly, they’re not being truthful.
It’s not a walk in the park to make money writing, especially when you’re starting out.
But here’s the good news:
I’m going to share how I earn money writing articles.
I’ll cover my three income streams:
- Writing for clients – freelance gigs or agencies that hire me for ghostwriting or SEO articles.
- Writing for platforms like Scripted and Textbroker.
- Writing for my own blogs on Medium and ZulieWrites.
I’ll also give you tips on building your portfolio, pitching ideas, avoiding mistakes, and how to make a living from writing articles.
Step 1: Start posting articles online
The absolute best way to start earning money from writing is to put your work out there.
Write something and hit that publish button!
A lot of people get stuck in the beginning stages of freelance writing, obsessing over finding the perfect niche, building up a bunch of samples, or setting up social media profiles.
Don’t fall for that trap!
It’s just procrastination in disguise.
Write something. Anything.
And share it online.
This will do three things for you:
- Get you into the habit of writing regularly.
- Help you improve your writing skills.
- Start building your portfolio.
Try aiming for one blog post per week. It’s doable, and after a few months, you’ll have a decent amount of work to show potential clients.
Where should you post articles?
You’ve got two choices: start a personal blog or use a platform like Medium, Vocal, or Newsbreak.
If you’re just starting out, I suggest Medium.
It’s super easy to use, free, and has a built-in audience.
Plus, you get feedback from other writers and can even earn money if you join their Partner Program.
If you’re a more experienced writer, a personal blog might be better.
You can use platforms like WordPress or Squarespace, and you’ll have total control over everything. But, it also means more work for you to manage.
No matter what you choose, the most important thing is to start writing and posting!
Get feedback, improve, and keep writing.
Don’t stress if your topics are all over the place at first.
Nobody expects you to be perfect right away.
Just focus on getting your writing out there.
Step 2: Get a niche
Once you’ve got some writing online, it’s time to think about your niche.
Basically, a niche is your specialty area.
It does a few things:
- It makes you focus on what you’re really good at.
- It attracts clients who need your expertise.
- It helps you build a reputation in your field.
- It lets you charge more for your work.
So, how do you pick a niche?
Choose something you love writing about that people are actually willing to pay you for.
For example, my friend loves loves gaming on a steam deck and loves sharing it on twitter (X). Turns out, there are a lot of handheld gamers who would love to read about hacks and tips about steam deck, but not many people who write about them. So, starting a blog about gaming handhelds is a perfect niche for him!
Some topics are harder to stand out in because there are already so many writers covering them.
These include:
If you’re starting out, it might be better to avoid these super popular topics.
Remember, your niche doesn’t have to be just a topic.
Mine is writing about technical stuff in tech, finance, blogging and marketing in a way that’s easy for beginners to understand.
Step 3: Create a niched portfolio
Okay, you’ve got your niche, some writing samples on your blog, and you’re feeling good about your skills.
Now it’s time to create a portfolio that shows off your expertise in that niche.
Here’s a simple trick to do that:
- Head to LinkedIn and find a company that fits your niche.
- Check out their blog and see what topics they haven’t covered yet.
- Write a blog post about one of those missing topics.
That’s it!
This does a few things:
Aim for at least three of these articles for your portfolio.
You can showcase them on:
There are tons of free tools out there to help you create a professional-looking portfolio.
Step 4: Join content mills
Alright, so content mills don’t have the best reputation.
But I think they’re a decent way to start earning money from writing, especially for beginners.
Here’s why:
- They help you practice and improve your writing skills.
- They get you used to the idea that people will actually pay you for your words.
- They give you more content to add to your portfolio.
You’ll have better luck getting accepted at these places if you already have a niche.
Some good content mills to check out are Popsugar Voices, Scripted, and Textbroker.
This way, when a potential client asks about your experience, you’ll have something to say, and maybe even some references.
You won’t get rich, but you will get paid something, which is a start!
Step 5: Grow your audience
Alright, let’s see where we’re at.
You’ve got:
Next step?
Expand your reach to find more people who’ll pay you to write.
This could be traditional clients, but it could also be readers who support your work.
The bigger your audience, the more likely you are to earn money from both groups.
You can try cold pitching to clients, but that’s not my strong suit.
I’ve had better luck with growing my audience first.
This way:
So, here’s how to start growing your audience:
SEO
Here’s the thing, Google is your biggest potential audience.
If you learn how to use SEO and get your writing to show up in search results, you can make money through:
Plus, potential clients might find you through Google and hire you!
Thought leadership
Now, here’s another way to grow your audience: share “thought leadership” content on social media.
Imagine a CEO sees your post and is impressed by your knowledge – they might just hire you, even if they weren’t actively looking for writers.
This kind of content helps:
You can even try guest posting, where you write an article for someone else’s website in exchange for exposure and a link back to your own site (which is great for SEO!).
Step 6: Optimize for earning money
You’ve come a long way!
You’ve got writing experience, a niche, a portfolio, and even some paying gigs under your belt.
You’re not just an aspiring writer anymore – you’re a pro!
Now, let’s focus on making your articles work for you.
Here’s how:
Find the Right Clients:
Here’s a little secret: good article writers are actually hard to find!
The competition isn’t as fierce as you might think.
There are way more unreliable, low-quality writers out there than good ones.
And thanks to AI, even more people think they can just use ChatGPT to get paid.
But real freelance writers still shine through.
Here are three ways to find clients:
- Check out Upwork and Fiverr, but watch out for scams and bad clients.
- Try pitching directly to clients on LinkedIn.
- Use job boards like Qwoted or Superpath to find opportunities.
For any of these options, use the Ideal Client Hypothetical process to pitch ideas that fit their needs.
Optimize your personal blog content
One downside of writing for clients is that you only get paid once for each article, then you’re back to square one looking for more work.
But there’s another way to make money from your writing: building your own online audience. This way, you can earn money from each article over and over again.
Building an audience takes longer, but it can keep paying off long after you’ve written something.
Here’s how to monetize your own content:
- Focus on SEO. This brings more people to your blog, which means more ad revenue. Eventually, you might even qualify for better ad networks like MediaVine.
- Find a good affiliate network. Look for products your audience would be interested in and that you can naturally recommend in your articles without sounding like a spammer.
- Grow your email list. Build your own audience and create products or services that solve their problems.
- Look for sponsors. Once you have an audience, you can sell sponsored spots on your blog or newsletter. (I use Passionfroot to find newsletter sponsors.)
These are just a few ideas to get you started!
What next?
Congratulations!👏
You’re officially a freelance writer who can earn money from your words.
That’s awesome!
Here are a few ideas to keep growing your writing career:
- Make your website client-ready: Add client testimonials and examples of your published work to your portfolio.
- Get your name out there: Try ghostwriting on platforms like Reedsy – it pays the most, but it’s tough to get into. Or, pitch your writing to big publications like Forbes or Business Insider.
- Never stop learning: Keep improving your skills in content marketing, SEO, and email marketing. Take a course or use free resources like HubSpot’s tutorials.
- Connect with other writers: They can share opportunities, let you guest post on their blogs to grow your audience, or just become friends!
The best part about writing in 2024 and beyond is that by simply sharing your content online, more and more opportunities will come knocking.
It’s a win-win!
And if you truly love writing, you’re in a fantastic place to be.
FAQs about earning money with articles
Let’s talk about some specific questions you might have about getting paid to write articles:
Can I get paid for writing articles?
Absolutely!
The best ways are by finding clients and growing your audience through posting online content in your niche.
What website will pay me to write?
There are a few good ones: Scripted, Textbroker, and Medium are my favorites.
If you write short stories, try Simily.
If you’re into personal essays, check out Vocal.
How do I make money from content writing?
The best way is to focus on your niche and build your reputation by sharing your writing online.
How do I make money freelance writing for websites that pay $50+ per article?
Websites like Popsugar and Scripted pay $50 or more per article, but that’s not a long-term solution.
Once you have a few articles under your belt, use them as your portfolio and start looking for clients and building your own blog.
Final thoughts
My favorite writing advice is simple: to make money writing, write your best stuff as often as you can.
There are a million different ways to do it, but to really succeed online, it boils down to this:
- Find something you love to write about.
- Post it online.
- Do it often, but never sacrifice quality.
That’s the core of it. Everything else is just details.
By following these steps, clients will find you and hire you based on your work, and you’ll build a loyal audience that trusts and supports you.
It’s not easy to make a living as a writer, but if you love it, there’s never been a better time to try.
Good luck on your writing journey!
