THE WRITER’S WELL: DIFFERENT WAYS YOU CAN MAKE MONEY WRITING

Do you love to write? Have you thought about writing for money, but you don't know where to start? If so, you are in the right place. There is a well of opportunities for you to write in all different ways to make money. Although each kind of job pays differently, there isn't a shortage of opportunities. Today I'm going to talk about the different types of opportunities that are out there so you can make an informed decision as to which kind of writing job is right for you.

Books-I love being an author and writing books. If you self-publish, you have total control over everything you do, and you get to work with whom you want to work. There is always something to learn on this journey, and it is ever-changing. If you enjoy writing fiction or non-fiction, this might be the right path for you.

Articles/Blog Posts-This is the easiest way to get started as a writer. There are tons of websites and companies who need writers. You can find jobs on a job board, cold pitch, or write for a content mill.

A content mill hires lots of writers to churn out content at low prices. An example of one of these is Textbroker. These mills are okay if you're starting or want to get your toes wet, but other ways are better to get started.

However, if you have some experience, there are high paying content mills. Clearvoice is an example of one of these mills. With this mill, you put your portfolio up and join their talent network. When one of their clients is a good match for you, they will send you a notification. You either accept the job or send in a pitch, depending on the situation. I love Clearvoice because you get paid higher rates and once your article is approved you have money in your Paypal account within an hour. I have made between $97-$230 a piece on this platform.

When I first got started, I cold pitched. Cold pitching means I sent out emails to different web sites and asked if they would be interested in an article idea or something I had already written. In doing this, I landed two posts on different blogs for two people I knew in a writer's group that needed help. My third pitch landed me an article on Huffington Post in the Parenting section. I got a response from Ariana Huffington herself which was pretty exciting at the time.

Paid job boards are another option to find work. I know what you're thinking, why would I pay to find jobs? Paid job boards are useful because they keep out scams. These boards screen their job applicants very carefully. Flexjobs and Contena are good boards to try. Contena is a little pricey, and you need to be on a waiting list to join, but Flexjobs run promotions often for their subscriptions.

Ghostwriting-This kind of work does take skills; you have to know how to sound like someone else when you write and adapt their voice. When you're a ghostwriter, you don't get any credit for your work. Why would someone do this? Because it can be a very lucrative job. Sometimes you will have to sign an NDA (non-disclosure agreement) before you start the work.

I know several ghostwriters who make an excellent living. One person I know is a former celebrity ghostwriter who used to charge $20,000 per book. If this sounds interesting to you, check out the book Make Money As A Ghostwriter by Cruz Santana and Sally Miller.

Copywriting-This kind of writing involves persuasive writing. In this line of work you could be writing landing pages, website copy, sales letters, email, email sequences, and the list goes on. Copywriting can also be a very lucrative career once you have some experience under your belt.

Niche Books-Writing niche books like romance, business, medical, legal, etc. for clients is another way to earn money at writing. There are lots of people who need to hire writers that may or may not add your name to the cover.

Greeting Cards-This one is kind of outside the box. Several card companies hire freelance writers like Blue Mountain Arts and Oatmeal Studios. If you can write sentimental, heartfelt verse or humorous verse this may be an avenue to pursue. Granted it wouldn't be a steady gig necessarily it would be some extra money. For example, Blue Mountain Arts pays between $50-$300 depending on how they want to use your verse.

Poetry-This is another avenue if you're good at writing verse. There are many people out there who need a good poem but aren't sure how to write one. People need poems for birthdays, romantic events (weddings, engagements, Valentine's Day), anniversaries, etc. You can also enter contests and submit poetry to literary magazines as well.

Songwriting-Sure we all know that singers make massive amounts of money with their hits, but what about the people that write them? If you want to pursue songwriting but don't have the funds or resources to get into a big music college or live far away from one of the leading music city hubs, I have good news for you.

You need to check out the website SongU. This website offers courses for everything from lyric writing to music theory and composition to how to set up your studio. The best part? It won't cost you an arm and a leg. They have monthly and quarterly plans. A Light Membership is
$4.95/month or $14.99 a quarter. Platinum membership is $25/month or $75.00 a quarter. Depending on what you are looking for will determine the right plan for you, but at this price, you can't beat it compared to taking on heaps of student loan debt.

As you can see, there are many different ways you can earn money with your writing, and this is just the tip of the iceberg. Other ideas include writing business to business content, business to customer content, white papers and academic papers as well. I prefer the more creative writing myself. Do any of these options appeal to you? I would love to know in the comments. I wish you the best on your writing journey.