11 ways to make money writing.

 

 

 

11 ways to make money writing.

 

 

If you're looking for ways to get paid to write, you're in luck: this guide will show you how to do it.

Whether you're hoping to make some pocket money in your spare time or thinking about your long-term career goals, writing to make money can take a lot of work and effort, but it's definitely worth it.

 

This is a particularly effective way to earn money in college, because you earn an income while gaining experience that will be very useful to you when you start applying for graduate copywriter jobs.

 

 

So, to help you turn your copywriting talents into well-deserved money, we have compiled a list of the 11 best ways to make money writing.

 

How to get paid to write.

 

Here are the best ways to make money as a copywriter :

 

1. Earn money by critiquing movies, products, music, etc.

2. Writing articles for money

3. Sell your review notes

4. Enter writing contests to win cash rewards

5. Earn money by writing translations

6. Monetize your blog

7. Make money writing content for social media

8. Become an advertising copywriter

9. Writing a book

10. Working as a technical writer

11. Making money as a fictional copywriter

 

 

1. Earn money by critiquing movies, products, music, etc.

 

It's very easy to get paid to write reviews, when you know how...

 

Initially, when it comes to writing reviews, you may be thinking about full-time jobs that require a lot of previous experience, such as professional television and film critics.

 

But you can actually start making money with reviews very quickly by signing up on a few rewards sites. On these sites you can review all the products, from gadgets to music to stationery, and everything in between.

 

 

For example, on Swagbucks you can earn money by writing short reviews about fashion items and songs. You just need to register and you can start immediately.

 

If you sign up to become a product tester or a panel member of a paid survey site, you could earn money by critiquing products that you would otherwise have paid to buy, such as technology, clothing, and cosmetics.

In addition, sometimes product testers can keep the items they are evaluating or even resell them to increase their income!

 

 

2. Writing articles for money.

 

 

Journalism is a great career choice for anyone who loves and has talent for writing, and we really recommend that you go down this path if that's what you want to do.

 

However, it is important to recognise that this is a competitive sector and has a reputation for involving a considerable amount of low-paid work and unpaid internships for young writers just starting out.

However, even if it is not always easy, it is possible to earn money as a student journalist.

If you don't necessarily need to study journalism to start getting paid to write articles, you need to be a seasoned copywriter, have a sense of history and a great eye for detail.

 

 

To start expanding your portfolio of articles, we suggest that you contribute to your university's student newspaper or magazine. It's also a good idea to start a blog (we'll get to that later) to showcase your interests and writing skills.

 

 

Once you have built up a solid dossier, you will be able to propose article ideas to editors (these are journalists who order articles for their publication). If they like your article ideas, they can hire you to write for them as a freelancer.

 

 

The amount you will earn per article will vary depending on the publication and the length/style of the article, but you could earn more than €100 for articles ordered from major newspapers.

 

Offer freelance article ideas to writers.

 

When you feel ready to offer article ideas to magazines and newspapers, it is interesting to follow the editors of your favorite publications on Twitter and find them on LinkedIn.

And, if you feel like writing something directly related to your degree, you can try to come up with ideas for articles to specialized magazines that cover the news of a particular sector. A quick Google search for "professional [industry] magazine" will help you find those that are related to your studies and interests.

 

 

Editors often tweet about the themes or topics that are of particular interest to them at that moment. If you see a call for an article that you would have the experience and skills to write, carefully prepare your presentation, adapting it directly to the publication, and send it by e-mail to the responsible journalist as soon as possible (ideally within an hour).

 

 

You don't always have to wait for writers to publish calls for articles to submit your proposal to them, but you increase your chances of getting an order if you have a clear idea of the type of article they are looking for.

When proposing an article, try to be brief but convincing, highlighting why it is suitable for publication and adding a link to your blog or online website so that the editors can see what you can do.

 

It is better not to send complete articles with your proposals, and this for several reasons.

The editors will not have much time to read the proposals, and they may ask you to go in another direction with the article. There is even a risk that they will publish an article with similar ideas themselves, so don't send them too many things too soon.

 

 

Keep in mind that not all proposals will be successful, but, in the end, you should not give up. Learn from refusals, improve your presentations and keep trying until you start receiving orders to write paid articles.

 

 

3. Sell your review notes.

 

 

If you don't mind sharing your notes with other students, this is a great way to generate some extra money. There are sites where you can upload your notes, as well as your price, and you get paid when another student uploads the

 

Most of these sites, such as Stuvia, allow you to put your notes online for free, but tend to take some of your profits to take care of marketing, so you don't have to promote your notes yourself.

You'll probably have to download PDFs, but it's worth it. You can submit handwritten notes, but you will probably make more money if they are typed.

 

 

4. Enter writing contests to win cash rewards.

 

 

Entering a writing contest may seem daunting, but remember, someone has to win. Why don't you?

You will look good on your resume if you can say that you have won a writing competition or an award, or that you have received a special mention. In addition, if you receive a cash prize, your student bank balance will be improved as a result.

 

Writing contests and prizes can be endowed with hundreds, or even thousands, of euros.

 

How to win writing contests.

 

These tips will help you increase your chances of winning writing contests and prizes :

 

Be creative - In order to impress the judges of the contests, you will need to stand out from the first line of your text. Try to start with something surprising and, if you can, think about playing with conventional writing techniques and presenting your ideas in an unusual and memorable way.

Read the winning texts of previous years - Try to find the winning texts of previous years in order to see the styles and arguments that have proven themselves. It is always important to write creatively, but keep in mind the main characteristics that judges might look for in an award-winning text.

Check the terms and conditions of the competition - This is very important. Even before you start writing a text for a competition, make sure that you can participate in it. Some contests may specify that you must belong to a certain age group, a particular region, or have a certain experience in writing (for example, being a published writer).

 

Proofread your text - Always proofread your work several times before submitting it. It may be useful to read it aloud to highlight typos or inconsistencies in your argument. It is also useful to ask your family and friends to read it as well in case they discover something that has eluded you.

 

5. Earn money by writing translations.

 

A great way to make money from your language skills is to write translations.

Many companies are ready to pay you to translate texts for them as a freelancer.

Some languages will pay you more than others. But it's worth taking a look at sites like Fiverr to see how much freelance translators tend to charge, depending on the languages they speak.

 

 

6. Monetize your blog.

 

As a blogger, turning your website, which is just a passion project, into a lucrative business takes time and effort, but the work can pay off (literally).

Once monetized, your website will act as an online portfolio of your work, which will help you stand out in job applications, while allowing you to earn money.

Through affiliate marketing, advertising, sponsored content and many more things, there are many small changes you can make to your blog to start making money from it.

One site that you can use to create your website is Bluehost.

For more tips on monetizing your blog and maximizing your profits, check out our complete guide to making money with blogging.

 

 

7. Make money writing content for social media.

 

 

Looking to use your social media skills wisely (and profitably)? Writing content for social media can be a great way to make money. It is ideal for anyone who has the gift of creating an online audience and viral social messages.

If you want to focus on making money from your own social feeds, it's worth trying affiliate marketing.

 

 

To give you a brief overview, it's about adding a particular type of link to your social media posts when you share a product or service.

When people use this link to buy the item you recommend, you earn a small commission (without affecting the buyer).

You can also get paid to create social media content for companies, for example by writing their tweets, writing engaging Instagram captions, or editing biographies on their social channels.

 

 

To do this, it is interesting to get in touch directly with small businesses, using your own social media successes as examples of why they should hire you as a freelance social media assistant.

You can also use sites such as Fiverr to find customers.

 

 

8. Become an advertising copywriter.

 

If you have ever searched for different types of jobs in the field of copywriting, then, no doubt, you have come across ads for positions of copywriters - this is more of a long-term career option than a quick way to earn money.

At the time of writing, Glassdoor reports that the average salary for copywriters is around €29,000 (which is about €10,000 less than technical writers).

But you won't be the only one wondering what copywriters actually do...

 

What is copywriting?

 

An essential part of copywriting is creating written content for a company, both for online and offline resources, that reflects the brand identity.

As a copywriter, you can write content that will be seen by customers, consumers, or even other company staff members - no matter who is reading the content, your brand voice will be omnipresent.

When you're writing content that will be seen by customers, it's called business-to-consumer (or B2C) writing. And when you're writing for a target audience made up of other companies, it's called business-to-business (B2B) writing.

Adapting your usual writing style to adopt the voice of a company is a rather complex skill, but it can be developed with practice.

To prepare for the duties of an editor, try to gain as much experience as possible, contributing to a number of publications aimed at different audiences. Adapt the tone and arguments of your writings to each publication and build a portfolio that is as diverse and versatile as possible.

 

9. Writing a book.

 

Writing a book, which is a major goal for most potential writers, is definitely not the fastest way to make money on this list, nor is it the easiest. But it is quite possible (and maybe not as difficult as you might think).

There are so many different things you can write a book about. You could write a fiction novel, or put together a series of poems or short stories into a book, or even write something non-fiction, like a student advice guide, based on your own college experiences.

You may want to find a literary agent and get a publishing contract, but this is not the only way to make money from a book.

 

Ebooks are very simple to self-publish and can allow you to earn an interesting passive income with relatively little effort (apart from writing and finishing the book, obviously). We recommend this method to publish a book and start making money from sales pretty quickly.

Not sure how to go about it? We have a guide on how to sell an eBook, as well as tips on how to make money with your eBooks.

 

 

You will be able to consider yourself an official and published author in no time.

 

 

10. Working as a technical writer.

 

 

Technical writing is another writing profession that is more in line with a long-term career perspective than an immediate way to earn money in your free time.

Wondering what a technical writer actually does? The exact nature of your work varies depending on the specialties of the company and the sector in which you work, but usually you will have to explain complex technical information in clear and concise texts.

A common task of technical writers is the writing of instruction manuals. To do this, you need to thoroughly research the processes you are writing about, and then explain them in a way that is easy for the target audience to follow.

You will probably need some professional experience as a copywriter to get to this career.

Once you work as a technical writer, you will be able to claim an average salary of just under 38,000 $. So it's a pretty well-paid career, as far as copywriting jobs go.

If you are good at research, have good communication skills and are comfortable working with difficult technical information, this career might be right for you.

 

11. Making money as a fictional copywriter.

 

Many people have excellent writing abilities, but don't really like the public attention that writing can bring. If this is your case, the role of ghost could be ideal.