99+ Paid Writing Gigs and Opportunities

By Holly Reisem Hanna

Freelance writing is one of the best ways to make money from home. You don’t need any special training, the opportunities are plentiful, and you don’t even need a website to get started. As long as you can provide well written, thoughtful content — you can make a good amount of money.

Not convinced?

New York Times Best Selling Author, Nora Roberts, only has a high school education. She started writing her first novel back in 1979 after being trapped at home due to blizzard conditions. To date, Nora has written 209 romance novels – incredible!

Still don't believe me?

A few years ago Danny Margulies decided to quit his full-time job to pursue a copywriting career using the freelance platform, Elance. Without any special education or training, he was quickly able to hone his skills and pull in six-figures during his second year working as a copywriter.

If you’d like to work-at-home as a freelance writer, here are some of the various types of writing gigs, where to find them, and how much they pay.

Blog Writing

Writing blog posts is a quick and easy way to earn money and gain exposure, as numerous sites will allow a short bio with a link back to your website. Many of these sites have established guidelines in place, so make sure you carefully read through the details and follow all of the rules. Crafting a thoughtful pitch will improve your chances of getting accepted.

• 99 Designs – Contact for rates
• A Fine Parent – $50
• AutoStraddle – $40 – $100
• B2B Writing Success – $100 – $300
• Chicago Parent – $25 – $100
• Christian Courier – $45 – $70
• College Humor – $35 – $50
• Cooking Detective – $75 – $160
• Dollar Stretcher – $0.10 per published word (print), online rates vary
• Dorkly – $35 – $75
• Flywheel – Up to $150
• Freelance Mom – $75 – $100
• Horkey Handbook – $75
• Horse Network – $50 – $100
• Income Diary – Up to $200 per post
• IWA Wine Blog – $50
• Listverse – $100
• Loaded Landscapes – $20 – $150
• Make a Living Writing – $75 – $150
• MetroParent $35 – $350
• Mold Busters $200 – $400
• Money Crashers – Competitive base rates with monthly performance incentives
• Nutri Inspector – $30 – $120
• Parent.co – $50 – $300
• RankPay – $50
• Scotch.io – $150
• Screen Rant – Contact for rates
• Slick WP – $100
• Small Biz Trends – Negotiable
• StorkGuide – $50
• The Barefoot Writer – $100 – $300
• The Krazy Coupon Lady – $50
• The Work Online Blog – $50
• The Write Life – $75
• Theme Park Disney – $40
• Today I Found Out – Contact for rates
• Wealthy Web Writer – $100 – $300
• Wise Bread – Contact for rates
• Write Naked – $50 – $200
• Writers Weekly – $40 – $60

Looking for more blog writing gigs? This article from Freelance Writing Jobs has 101 paid writing opportunities!

Freelance Writing Platforms

No matter what type of writing gig you're looking for (article writing, copywriting, ghostwriting, grant writing, e-books, or technical) you'll be able to find it on these freelance writing platforms. Simply search the job postings and submit a bid. If your bid is accepted, you complete the work and get paid through the platform.

• BlogMutt
• Freelancer
• Guru
• iFreelance
• Online Writing Jobs
• Outsourcely
• People Per Hour
• Upwork
• Textbroker
• Toptal

Greeting Cards

Have a knack for writing short and sweet sentiments? Turn your ideas into cash by submitting your words to greeting card companies. According to Carol Eannarino, payment for a greeting card idea ranges from $10 to $50 depending on the studio.

• Avanti Press
• Blue Mountain
• Comstock – $50 per idea
• Oatmeal Studios
• P.S. Greetings, Inc.

Helpful Tips and Short Stories

Print and online magazines are constantly looking for new content that’s why many publications are willing to pay for short stories, helpful tips, poems and even jokes. Here are just a few publications that pay for submissions. Payment is made only if your tip or story is published.

• Chicken Soup for the Soul – $100 – $200
• Country Magazine – $25 – $250
• Cuisine at Home – $100
• Eating Well – Up to $1 per word
• Family Handyman – $100
• KnowledgeNut – $10
• Take a Break – Up to £2,000
• The Story People – Up to £2,000

Do you want to write for magazines? Check out this post, where Linda Formichelli tells you how to break into this lucrative writing niche!

Job Boards for Writers

Smaller, niche-focused job board websites are a great place to search for freelance, part-time, and full-time writing jobs. Simply search the sites using these key phrases that meet your criteria.

• BloggingPro
• Craigslist
• Direct Response Jobs
• FlexJobs
• Freelance Writing
• Freelance Writing Jobs
• Problogger

Poetry

Do your words sing a song or evoke an emotion? Then perhaps selling your poetry can earn you some extra cash. Here are a few places you can sell your poems.

• Grain Magazine – $50
• Poetry Foundation – $10 per line, and $150 per page of prose
• Sojourners – $25
• The Sun Magazine – $100 – $200

You'll want to check out WritingCareer.com, they have a call for poetry submissions listed by their due dates, and MoneyPantry.com has a list of 35 different websites that accept poetry submissions.

Recipes

Are you a whiz in the kitchen? Then monetize your cooking skills by writing and submitting recipes. While they don't pay a lot, it's a fun way to support your Starbucks habit.

• Cooking for Engineers – $10 – $20
• Crafty Morning – $10 – $20
• Recipe Yum – Revenue sharing

For more ways to make money writing recipes, check out this post.

Resume Writing

Are you good at proofreading, interviewing, and persuasive writing? Then becoming a professional resume writer may be the perfect freelance writing job for you.

• ResumeEdge – Pay is per assignment
• RiseSmart – Paid per hour

Revenue Sharing

With revenue sharing sites, you contribute content to the site, and in return, you make a percentage of the advertising revenue generated from your content. Each site does it a little differently; some offer base pay, while others are strictly based on how much traffic or how many clicks your content receives. Personally, I've never tried to make money this way, but here are some success tips from Carol Tice.

• Demand Studios
• Helium
• HubPages
• InfoBarrel
• Sammiches & Psych Meds
• The Penny Hoarder
• The Richest
• The Work at Home Woman
• What Culture
• Wizzley

Romance Novels

Do you want to write the next Fifty Shades of Grey? Then submit your manuscript to one of the many romance publishers. New York Times and USA Today Best Selling Author, Brenda Hiatt has a great list of approximately what each publisher pays for first and subsequent novels.

• Avon Romance
• Crimson Romance
• Hallmark
• Harlequin
• Harper Impulse
• Swoon Reads

Travel Writing

Who doesn't dream of traveling the world and getting paid to write about their adventures? While most travel gigs pay in free travel, food, lodging, and activities, there are a few outlets that will pay a small amount for your writing.

• BootsnAll $30 – $50
• Go Nomad – $25
• International Living – $75
• Ireland Before You Die – Contact for rates
• Outpost Magazine – Pay negotiable
• Travelicious – $40
• Wanderful – $50

Want to make more money as a freelance writer? See how this freelancer was able to go from $5 to $150 per hour!

What type of paid writing gigs are you searching for?

You’ll Also Love These Posts:

Studies have shown if you like this blog post — you will also love the following articles.

• How to Earn Big by Writing for Women’s and Parenting Magazines
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• 5 Ways to Avoid Scam Writing Jobs on Craigslist
• Best Work-at-Home Jobs for Writers

Originally published on February 25, 2015. Content updated on September 26, 2017.

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