Updated for 2017

Writing and making money from it is probably everyone’s dream … and we ALL dream of the six figure deals for our novels and screenplays! But before we get to that fabled return, we have to earn money – so it feels like we may be stuck in the boring day job FOREVER.

Yet it IS possible to make money writing in OTHER ways while we write our specs and unpublished novels – welcome to the wonderful world of the freelance writer!

Freelance writers are available to hire for any number of writing jobs, small, medium or large. Here are the various ways you can write for money:

1) Corporate work

All the copy in university and college prospectuses, CD Roms, on websites, in computer games, company text message alerts, toy themes, greeting card slogans and even on cereal boxes needs to be written by somebody – and that somebody can be YOU.

It can be difficult work to source, with lots of freelancers wasting precious time fruitlessly scouring the internet! On this basis, I think joining various paid-for sites can be worth it (and it’s what I did, back when I was a freelancer).

One such site B2W is happy to recommend is Write This Moment: just £24-30 for the year. Another that is worth a look in B2W’s opinion is Contena. More details on this one at the bottom of this post.

2) Journalism

The big magazines and newspapers often have their own freelancers (often people who’ve already worked for them full time previously), but smaller magazines and newspapers, especially those for niche markets, will often welcome articles from “outsiders”.

So if you happen to have niche knowledge, you can really clean up here. The big earners are pets and parenting, but anything from cross-stitching to Kayaking can really help you earn £. Check out your Writers’ And Artists’ Yearbook for contact details.

3) Blogging

Blogs have EXPLODED in the internet age, which means more content is needed than ever. This means there’s always opportunities to earn $$$ writing blog posts. Don’t believe me? Here’s 92 sites that will pay you $50 per post. Plenty more where that came from, too: here’s another 45 websites that pay, plus you can download a PDF of 110 more.

4) Content Marketing

The third option is to use your site as a “front” for your related business, like I do, offering free information in the hope you may want to use B2W’s script reading service. This is called ‘content marketing’ – Google this phrase to find out more.

By the way – if you’re content marketing, make sure you do your research!! I love Smartblogger – there is NOTHING the brilliant Jon Morrow doesn’t know about boosting blog traffic. His article, Headlinehacks, is a game-changer. Get it!!

5) Skilled Writing

Do you have a particular SKILL like translation or medical knowledge? Maybe you have experience of working with non-native English speakers, writing academic essays or writing synopses? If you have a particular skill, you may be able to bid for very specific jobs, like those here.

Concluding

The above are not the ONLY ways of being a freelancer – there are many more journeys in. Just Google “freelance writing jobs” and see.

The things to bear in mind are:

1) It takes time to set yourself up

2) You will probably make a loss at first

3) It’s DAMN HARD work!

But there are big advantages to be had, especially in terms of making enough TIME to get the writing you want – like novels, screenplays, etc – done. As far as I’m concerned, it’s a great pay off and has worked for me big style. Your mileage may vary. Good luck!

Looking for writing jobs?

Contena enables freelancers to write from anywhere, aggregating the best freelance and remote jobs for writers, editors and content creators. I like the fact this service is so comprehensive, with full details and support for users. B2W only recommends products and services it trusts, so if you want more info, CLICK HERE.