Ways to Make Money Writing

As a writer, the struggle can be real at times. You want to pursue your dream career as a journalist or novelist or poet (or whatever kind of writer you are) but, as we know, you don’t just wake up a successful writer one day.

I’ve personally been looking for more ways to make money writing. I currently have a steady amount of income coming in through web management, editing and freelancing but I thought to myself, “there has to be more.” And there was. Upon searching for new and exciting ways to make money, I came across some great opportunities to make money writing. Here are just a few:

Ways to Make Money Writing

1. Freelance Writing – Freelance writing is the most common way for writers to make money. Many websites, newspapers, blogs and other media outlets are constantly looking for freelance writers. Pay usually fluctuates based on your quality as well as your experience. Some positions pay per word or per article and you can oftentimes name your price upon interviewing for the position.
2. Ghost Write – Ghost writing is something relatively new but it is among the many ways to make money writing. If you want to ghost write it is very similar to freelance writing. The main difference is that your name will not be published with your work. You will get paid for the piece but it may go underneath someone else’s name or not have an author at all.
3. Enter Writing Contests – Another great way to make money as a writer is by entering writing contests, especially if you are a fiction writer. There are contests for every style of literature out there.
4. Compose Short Stories – Speaking of contests, compose a few short stories and circulate them to different contests and publishers. You may get picked up as an author or win some cash from a contest.
5. Become a Signed Author – Becoming a signed author is easier said than done but if you’ve been working on a novel, submit it a few places. Every author has been turned away before but if you sign a book deal you can get a substantial payout and royalties on your novel for the rest of your life.
6. Write an eBook – You can be a self-published author as well. Amazon Kindle has made it easy to publish your novel for Kindle eReader. Amazon then pays you for each book sold (keeping a portion). Who knows? Once you have published an eBook you may become discovered by publishing company! For more ways to make money on Amazon, check out this article.
7. Write descriptions – Many websites also pay experienced writers to write descriptions of products. For instance, if Walmart is selling a specific floor mop you would write the dimensions, weight and describe the product. This doesn’t normally have a huge payout but it is a great side hustle!
8. Sign up for scholarships – There are a number of writing scholarships that go unclaimed every year. For many of the scholarships you simply have to be actively working on a piece of literature. Some of these pay out in cash or a career-based getaway (like a Paris writing retreat).
9. Start (or buy) a profitable blog – If you enjoy writing and would like to start you own business you may also think about starting or buying a profitable blog. Many websites out there will sell (for the right price) and you can monetize your writing that way.
10. Give a workshop – Last but not least among the many ways to make money writing is to give a workshop. If you fancy yourself an expert and are well known in your area you can give a writing workshop and charge admission. If it is a hit you can set up more events in the future!

Writing is another art form but, like many artists, writers can have a difficult time making money. These are just 10 of thousands of ways to make money writing. Do you have any other interesting ways to make money writing? Share them with us!

Photo: Nathan Oakley

Amanda Blankenship

Amanda Blankenship is the Director of Social Media for District Media. In addition to her duties handling everything social media, she frequently writes for a handful of blogs and loves to share her own personal finance story with others. When she isn’t typing away at her desk, she enjoys spending time with her daughter, husband, and dog. During her free time, you’re likely to find her with her nose in a book, hiking, or playing RPG video games.