Categories: Money Matters

How to Get Paid to Write

Getting paid to write… it sounds like a dream. But, it’s such a broad term. How do you get paid to write? Whether you enjoy writing about techy subjects, or just want to offer some parenting advice and make a little cash for it, writing is something you can get paid to do.

You don’t have to have a degree, and really you don’t even need much experience. You do, however, need to be a great writer. Some places are more lenient on what they let through, but for the most part you do need to make sure you’re up to speed on proper grammar and spelling.

Deciding what to charge is the most difficult part for some people, but really I find it to be simple. If I want to make $100 an hour, and it takes me 30 minutes to write an article, I charge $50 per article and I’ve met my $100 an hour goal. You can also charge per word. You don’t want to undercharge, but because so many write for next to nothing, sometimes it’s difficult to get paid what you’re worth. Building up your portfolio is the best way to make more money for less work.

You might get paid pennies at first, but there’s no shortage of folks that are making bank by writing! The more you write, the more you make. It’s a numbers game.

By the way, you should get paid for writing gigs, but sometimes exposure to millions of readers is more valuable than a $100 bill. For example, the Huffington Post doesn’t pay you to write, but saying you’re a HuffPost writer is so valuable!

Practice makes perfect.

If you have friends that have blogs, work for newspapers, or otherwise have connections to get your work out there – utilize them! The more you write, the better you get at it.

Join the right groups.

If you are looking for writing gigs on Facebook, it’s important to realize that not all groups are created equal. Join groups like Elite VA Buy/Sell Content to be in front of the perfect audience – bloggers! They only want the best, though, so make sure you’re delivering or your client base will never grow.

Be professional.

Set up a LinkedIn profile, create a professional social media bio, and make sure your personal page is locked down unless you’re professional 100% of the time. I’m not saying you can’t show a little personality, but if you’re dropping the “f” bomb in your statuses, you’re not likely to get hired to write for a parenting blog.