Becoming a writer is a dream for many people, whether it’s hard-hitting journalism, publishing a novel, or seeing your work in a top-tier publication. Getting paid to write can lead to financial independence, location independence, and time independence — but how do you actually get paid to write?
We’ve put together a list of companies and platforms that pay freelance writers for one-off jobs and long-term contract work for both new and seasoned writers. Our team has reviewed each of the options below to make sure they’re all currently looking for new writers so you don’t waste your time.
How Can I Make Money Writing Online?
People have been getting paid for freelance writing for decades, and the internet has made it easier than ever to launch your writing career. You can gain instant access to freelance writing skills, pitch clients, get paid for your work, and scale your business.
Writing online also means a ton of flexibility. Obviously you have to meet deadlines, but you can essentially pick your own schedule and get paid to write from anywhere that has a solid internet connection.
Jumpstart your writing career
Go from "I don't know what I'm doing" to "I just got paid to write!"
Get Paid To Write: 13 Sites That Pay Writers
We’re kicking off this list with websites that will pay you to write unique content to publish on their sites. Most have you submit a pitch before moving forward, and you can read more about each below.
1. Income Diary
IncomeDiary was launched in March 2009 as a place where writers and content creators can develop their skills and make more money. You can also see how much top freelance writers and bloggers make from their sites and about their income sources. IncomeDiary currently pays between $150 to $300 for articles about SEO, content creation, online entrepreneurship, making money online, and driving traffic.
2. LiiisBeth
If you can write with a feminist perspective, LiisBeth pays writers who believe in the site's mission and have read articles from their magazine before pitching an article. Pay varies, and LiisBeth generally does not publish anything that’s been previously published.
3. Chicken Soup for the Soul
With 275+ titles and counting, Chicken Soup for the Soul always has new books in development. You'll be paid only if your submission is chosen to be published in one of their books, which takes six months to two years after submitting your work. You can find a list of current book topics and submission deadlines here.
4. Writer’s Digest
You can get paid to write for the number one magazine for writers, which publishes content about the writing life and what it means to be a writer in today’s publishing environment. Writer’s Digest will consider completed manuscripts and original pitches. For manuscripts, pay ranges from $0.30 to $0.50 cents per word.
5. Listverse
You can get paid $100 per article to write for Listverse, which is a site that publishes listicle-style articles on any number of topics, from once-dead languages to unsolved mysteries, and more. Listverse says you don’t need to be an expert or native English speaker to have your content published.
6. Freelance Mom
Freelance Mom will pay you $75 to $100 for articles selected for publication, and as you can imagine, articles should relate to parenting. They say articles that do the best include highly personal articles, highly researched articles, and education-based articles. Freelance Mom pays via PayPal.
7. SitePoint
SitePoint is a website dedicated to technology, and they are always looking for writers to contribute articles about JavaScript, Python, Rust, WebAssembly, Reach, Figma, and Tailwind CSS. They welcome pitches, and pay varies based on the content. You can learn more about what kinds of content SitePoint is looking for here.
8. Reader’s Digest
Can you write a story about yourself in 100 words or less? If so, you can get paid to write for Reader’s Digest. The pay is $100 for stories chosen for publication.
9. The American Scholar
The American Scholar is a quarterly publication that pays up to $500 for articles published in print and up to $250 for pieces published online only. They prefer content that’s 6,000 words or less on topics like public affairs, literature, science, history, and culture. The American Scholar says they accept fewer than two percent of unsolicited articles.
10. Early American Life
Early American Life is a publication that focuses on early American style, decorating, and traditions. Stories should run 750 to 2,500 words and center around a topic like history, architecture and decorating, antiques, studio crafts, or travel. They estimate pay of $500 for the first feature from a new writer.
11. Copyhackers
Copyhackers pays in the range of $300 to $1,000 for every completed post that they accept, and they expect that their writers know a ton about the topic they’re writing about. You will need to pitch the team, and they respond to submissions within five days of receiving it. Copyhackers focuses on advertising, branding, UX, marketing, freelancing, and entrepreneurship.
12. Narratively
Narratively says that its mission “is to publish untold human stories that surprise, delight and captivate readers.” They recommend reading several pieces on their site before submitting anything so you get an idea of what Narratively is looking for. You can expect to get paid to write in the range of $300 to $400 per published article.
13. RankPay
If you know about SEO, content marketing, or social media, then you can get paid to write for RankPay through their blogger program. You will have to follow RankPay’s submission guidelines, including 1,000+ words; strong use of data, imagery, and quotes; and can write actionable, unique, and actionable content.
Get Paid to Write With Freelance Websites
The next part of this list outlines freelance websites where writers can find paying gigs, ranging from web copy, emails, articles, sales pages, and much more. Most of the jobs on these platforms are open to any writer on the site, so you’ll have to submit a stellar pitch to stand out.
14. FlexJobs
FlexJobs hand screens every job before it’s posted, and all of the writing jobs posted on FlexJobs are flexible, remote work positions, and they range from part to full-time work. You can find a wide variety of writing work on FlexJobs, from SEO content writers to copywriting.
Read more in our FlexJobs Review.
15. ProBlogger
With ProBlogger, you can find one-off and long-term jobs where you get paid to write blog posts, social media copy, scripts, emails, and more. To start applying for writing jobs on ProBlogger, you will need to create an account and register as a candidate. To have the best experience, we recommend creating a detailed profile, ideally including a photo, share your personal writing website, niche, experience, and education.
16. Upwork
Upwork is a large site, and you’ll be competing with a number of freelancers, but it’s still a great place for new writers to break into the market and gain valuable experience and testimonials. Having a detailed profile is important, and Upwork keeps a percentage of all earnings generated through the platform.
Read more in our full Upwork Review.
17. Fiverr
This platform is very similar to Upwork, and there’s a large volume of writers and one-off writing jobs. It’s free to join Fiverr, and once you’ve joined, you will need to create packaged writing services that outline what type of work you can do.
18. Freelancer
Freelancer is used by top companies — like Facebook, Amazon, NASA, and Deloitte — to find skilled freelancers in a number of industries. You can find gigs that pay you to write blog posts, articles, web copy, landing pages, emails, and more. You can expect to pay a 10% fee on any hours or projects you bill for on Freelancer.
19. Mediabistro
If you’re an experienced writer, Mediabistro is one of the best sites to look for work. Well-known media companies — like Bloomberg, NBC Universal, CNN, and HBO — use Mediabistro to find freelance writers, proofreaders, graphic designers, social media managers, and more.
Get Paid to Write (The Final Word)
Getting paid to write doesn’t have to be a pipe dream. It’s a realistic freelance job if you’re willing to put in the work and put yourself out there. Freelance writing is a great side hustle, but it can also turn into a full-time job, bringing $5,000 to $10,000/month.
FAQs
Yes, even beginners can get paid to write. You can start with freelance platforms like Upwork and Fiverr, or you can start a blog, which is a great way to develop your writing skills, grow a following, and then once you grow your site, you can monetize your writing with affiliate income and sponsored content.
It’s not uncommon for full-time freelance writers to make in the range of $5,000 to $10,000/month. ZipRecruiter says writers make in the range of $23,500 to $156,000 annually with $60,985 as the national average.
About Ariel Gardner
Ariel Gardner is the editor-in-chief of M$M, an elder millennial, and really wants to keep her lattes. She’s seen both ends of the financial spectrum, from trust funds to a paycheck to paycheck lifestyle, and uses that experience to empathize and connect with a wide range of readers. She has been editing and writing professionally for personal finance websites since 2015.
