Make Money Writing: Best Methods

Writing online is the best method to earn extra spending money. All things online begin with writing content. If you’re a great writer, why not use that skill to find ways to make that extra money per day? Learn the best methods, strategies, and ideas on how to make money writing online, earn with your content, and get paid.

Writing for a living offers a ton of advantages. You get to choose when and where you work and with whom. No wonder this promise of creative and personal freedom attracts so many people. But the truth is that most of them don’t want to think about the practicalities of becoming a full-time freelance writer.

They don’t want to think about the uncertainty, the rejection, the self-doubt. They don’t want to think about all the small, unglamorous tasks that make life as a writer possible.

Deep down they fear their perfect dream will tarnish if they drag it down to earth. So it just hangs there in a shiny bubble, waiting for the day it miraculously comes true. But let’s be honest. It just won’t happen. Or do you think someone will approach you one day and say:

“Hey there. I heard from someone that you were thinking of writing something, someday, and I’ve love to pay you to see where that someday could lead.” Of course not, but without a concrete strategy, that is what it would take to make your distant dream a reality.

Ebooks

If you have a topic to cover that’s too long for a blog post and too stylistic for a white paper, consider self-publishing an ebook. First, though, validate the market – are there readers who care about what you have to say?

If so, you’ll need to develop a great story that captivates readers with compelling dialogue. If you want to write clear, concise dialogue that will elevate your story and engage your readers, you must understand how to use dialogue tags. The spoken interaction between characters can make or break a story, so you’ll need to learn how to write enthralling dialogue.

It’ll probably take several books before you gain traction, so this isn’t a quick solution when it comes to making money writing. However, once you have an audience, there could be more interest in your past books.

Interviews

Consultants often have a lot of contacts in the field, whether that’s connections with other consultants or with clients. Many outlets need interviews with experts, and you already have relationships with good interview candidates.

By conducting interviews and writing articles around them, you’ll share insider knowledge with audiences and reinforce that you’re part of the industry. You’ll also maintain your relationships with your contacts. Learn the best methods, strategies, and ideas on how to make money writing online, earn extra profits with your content, and get paid.

Make Money Writing Online Courses

Consultants can create a free online course to promote their services or create a paid online course as an alternative to working directly with clients. Those courses can be live or created once and automated for people to purchase at any point.

When creating an online course, consultants should give away enough information to be valuable to the student but leave enough hidden to encourage one-on-one consulting. Or, offer only automated online courses if you’re after 100% passive income.

Affiliate Marketing

Think outside the box about how to make money writing online. If you have an email list, regularly send emails recommending products with affiliate links. This works best if your email list is targeted, of course, with recipients interested in a particular product type, like books on success or business tools that improve productivity.

If your topic is broader, create newsletter sections to promote different categories. For example, a lifestyle newsletter could include sections for babies, homes, pets, styles, etc.

Conversion Copywriting

As a marketing or sales specialist, you know what makes people take action. Use that knowledge to create ad copy or other conversion-focused collateral.

Product descriptions, sales letters, and video scripts must push the reader to take that next step. You can also check out our article about How to Use Storytelling to Market Your Products. Learn the best methods, strategies, and ideas on how to make money writing online, earn extra profits with your content, and get paid.

Search Engine Optimization Expert

The SEO tactics of the past are dead but modern, quality SEO is very much alive. SEO experts with writing chops are in demand because clients would instead get everything from one source rather than hire separate SEO strategists and content writers.

Since techniques constantly change, you must stay on top of the industry daily. It also helps to have real-life examples or case studies of how your SEO strategies have helped other clients (or even your blog or website).

Branded Content: Best Methods to Make Money Writing

Let’s say you run the marketing department for a company. Your primary focus is social media. However, you’ve noticed questions that need more in-depth coverage than what you can include in a Facebook post.

You may want to create spin-off collateral through a new medium to address those questions and interests. You can write blog posts, contribute to industry publications, publish an ebook, or even write podcast scripts. Learn the best methods, strategies, and ideas on how to make money writing online, earn extra profits with your content, and get paid.

News Reporter: Get Paid Writing Online

There’s a high demand for news reporters today in various fields, and the pay can be respectable (and sometimes on the high end). The key to being a news reporter is availability – you have to be available according to the outlet’s schedule, which often means early mornings, late nights or weekends. You also have to be able to turn stories around quickly.

News writing should be objective and based on facts. There’s not a lot of room for creativity or personality. If you have familiarity with a topic, whether that’s CBD, Hollywood or politics, and you’re willing to work within their requirements, there are a lot of potential jobs out there.

Make Money Writing As a Reviewer

Today’s consumers turn to online reviews before making a purchase decision, which means there’s a demand for niche reviewers. You have two options: promote products on your website and earn money through affiliate links or seek out a publication that needs reviewers in your niche and have them pay you.

If you don’t need cash flow immediately, consider affiliate marketing. If you’re trying to build your name in the niche, get published on an existing website with an audience.

Tutorials

Tutorials differ from reviews because they drill down into a component of a product or service and show audiences how to use it.

The beginning of a tutorial is often a brief overview, but then you’ll jump into a specific lesson, like how to edit a photo using a popular app. If you have advanced experience with a product or service, there’s a great need for tutorials. You’ll also want to provide lots of visual guidance via screenshots or video.

Miscellaneous Brand Collateral

As a subject matter expert, you can write for a brand in the same field and produce all types of content for them, like blog posts, brochures, website copy, white papers, etc. You’re only limited by your experience and what you like to do. For example, you may not have experience writing white papers or hate writing press releases.

Figuring out (a) what you can do and (b) what you want to do puts you in a better position to apply to the jobs you’re best suited for. In the meantime, work on the types of writing you’re interested in but haven’t done yet. For example, offer to write a white paper for free or write your own and add it to your portfolio.

Blogs and in Magazines Writing Too Make Money

If you don’t need cash flow ASAP, seek out blogs and magazines that need expert advice or personal stories. This process is lengthy. It’s not the same as writing for a client who knows what they need and will pay you within days.

Publications that are seeking high-level articles or stories have a lot of writers competing for a spot.

You’ll send in your query or piece (whatever the guidelines ask for). Wait to hear if they’ll publish it, wait for it to be published, wait to get the payment. So, there’s a lot of waiting. If you have the time, though, this is one of the best ways to earn a lot per word and build up your name.

In addition, submitting to writing contests is similar in process and waiting time. Also, you may have to pay an entry fee. If you win, you’ll have a fantastic sample for your portfolio and recognition from the writing community.

Make money With Ghostwriting

Ghostwriting means your work will be published under someone else’s name. If you’re trying to build a name for yourself as a writer, you’ll need a byline on everything you write if your main goal is to get payments, though being open to ghostwriting jobs will present several more opportunities.

It’s also the right choice to stay under the radar as a writer or write about a topic you don’t want to be known for.

Ghostwriting pays anywhere from low to the standard going rate, making it the right choice for beginners building their portfolios. You can’t promote the work as your own since it’s under another name. However, you can use those pieces as samples to show potential clients.