Good question. There are probably hundreds of ways writers make money either as a full-time job or a side gig. Think of all the places you see words in a day — from the writing on the back of your shampoo bottle to the news summaries you read online to the book you read after dinner. Someone is getting paid for all that. Why not you?
Begin by asking yourself if you would truly rather write for love or write for money. There is no shortage of opportunities to earn money from writing, but the most lucrative and dependable ways often require you to write what other people ask for, not what you want to write.
What are the Best Ways to Earn Money Writing?
Sitting down and writing a fantasy novel is a very risky way to try to make money writing. You’re writing what interests you, not necessarily what is going to interest an audience, or at any rate, an audience that is willing to pay to for it.
Should You Write a Book?
Maybe, but it’s a big commitment — one that can take months or even years of work — all of which may go unrewarded. One thing you should not do is write a book that chases the latest trend. Why not? For one thing, if it’s not your jam, it will be a chore. Writing is tough enough anyway. If you’re going to write something that’s not your dream, then there better be a guaranteed check at the end of it.
Secondly, trends are just that — and they move fast. If YA novels about shapeshifters are flying off the shelves today and you pick up on that trend and try to write to it, chances are that by the time your book hits the shelves (If it ever does) readers are likely to have moved onto something else.
Even more likely is that book editors — who know trends better than you possibly can — will be looking for the next big thing by the time you query, not yesterday’s news. Your book may never see the light of day, which sucks even more if you were writing something you didn’t care about to try and guess what the market would bear.
So, if you have a novel burning in your soul or that you think people will enjoy as much as you do, go right ahead and write it. In the meantime, here are some ways to make money writing. If it’s a skill that you possess, why not make a little income from it?
Side Gigs
Blogging
There are a variety of ways writers make money blogging. Individual blogs can typically be written pretty quickly, often in just an hour if it’s a topic that you are already familiar with.
Here are a few options to earn money from blogging:
Run your own blog. You can build a blog on a platform such as WordPress. You can potentially earn money by monetizing with ads or affiliate links. Common monetization options include Google Adsense and Amazon Associates.
Blog as a freelancer. You can write to the specifications of a third party such as a business. Where do you get these gigs? Check out sites such as UpWork or Freelancer.com to see what may be available to you. Alternatively, network by reaching out to businesses you would be interested in writing for, either in-person if local, or through LinkedIn or other social media platforms.
Write on Medium. There is an option to earn money for views if you build an audience and join the Partners Program, where you can post content to the members-only portion of the site, behind the paywall. Medium Partner Program writers are paid based on how members engage with stories the algorithm weighs factors such as reading time and applause.
Greeting Card Writing
If you can write short, witty prose or heartfelt poetry, greeting card companies do solicit freelancers to write copy for them. Be sure to always follow each greeting card company’s writer’s guidelines carefully to avoid wasting your time or theirs. Pay varies and you may have to take a lot of shots to hit the target with card copy that companies will buy, but writers make money on greeting cards, too.
Writer’s Guidelines for Five Greeting Card Companies That Pay Freelancers:
Writing Careers
If you’re looking for more than just a side gig to earn a few extra dollars, consider these full time writing careers. Some may be familiar, but you may not have thought of them all as options.
Copywriting
What is copywriting? A better question would be what isn’t it? It’s everything from the instructions on your frozen pizza to the words you read on a website. It’s catalog descriptions, brochures, billboards, scripts for commercials, you name it. It’s deadline driven. There is no writer’s block or waiting for the muse to strike.
Typically, copywriting opportunities fall into three categories:
In-House
This is working in a company, typically a pretty big one if they are large enough to have their own copywriter(s). You’ll usually work in the marketing department. The advantage of this option is that you’ll become a true expert on your brand. The disadvantage is that it can get a little boring basically working on just one account.
Marketing/advertising Firm
Not exactly like Mad Men anymore, but if you are in a large agency you can expect to work the kind of hours you saw Peggy working when you work on an important campaign or tight deadline. The best thing about this environment is that you get to work with a lot of different accounts. The disadvantage is that you have to work with a lot of different accounts. You’ll never get bored, but it can be challenging to adapt to the needs and preferences of different clients.
Freelance
You can make pretty good money as a freelance copywriter but don’t kid yourself, you’re running a business. Don’t take this route if you want to just write. Writers make money when they treat freelance copywriting like a business. To succeed, you’ll have to know how to sell, market yourself, and manage finances, including taxes, as well as deal with clients and rejections. It’s not for the faint of heart.
Grant Writing
Grant writers typically work for non-profits or independently. Grant writing requires immense patience and attention to detail. All the writing skill in the world won’t help if you don’t follow the grant request to the letter. You’ll need research skills to find the right grants to apply for and you must write persuasively. Grant writing isn’t always a full time job; it may be just one responsibility of someone in a related position.
Technical Writing
Technical writing, as you may suspect, is an awesome opportunity for someone with both technical and writing skills, but it takes a bit more than that. Perhaps the most important quality of a successful technical writer is the ability to take complex concepts and make them understandable to a non-technical person. Technical writers create user manuals, training materials, technical specialties, product descriptions, white papers and more.
