How Writing Gets Me Paychecks (And You Can Get Them, Too)

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Have you ever wondered why so many people are interested in turning writing into a career?

They want to make money. They don’t want a boss hanging over their head. They don’t like office hours. When they have to do something for a living, they want it to be something they love.

That was me.

Let me clarify one thing: it’s an INFJ talking here. A socially anxious one, on top of everything. The thought of an office job with a boss, regular paychecks, a desk, and the constant fear of being called into the manager’s office gives me the chills. Been there, done that.

Writing, on the other hand, works for me. I’m alone with my thoughts. I can work on any kind of project I like. And I’m getting paid.

Most people are interested in the money part. Can you really make money writing? Will it grant a comfortable lifestyle? Will it make you bored? Yes, yes, and no… if you play your cards well.

Turning Writing into a Profitable Business

The traditional ways of relying on your writing skills to make money are straightforward:

  • Join a freelancing site such as Upwork, Freelancer, or Listiller, and start applying to projects. It’s important to define your niche. If you’re not that good at writing marketing content, then don’t apply for such projects.

  • Work for some assignment writing services. This is a specific kind of writing, but if you become good at it, payments could be pretty impressive. Besides, there is always demand in this field.

  • Start your own blog. Do you know how many mediocre blogs you’ll find in Google’s results when searching for any topic? Too many. You won’t trust them. You’ll run straight towards the impressive ones. That’s the level you want to achieve. A successful blog will bring you money through ads and affiliate links. You can also use it to sell eBooks and different types of products, depending on your niche.

  • You can start forming nonprofit partnerships. Where’s the profit in that? Well, you won’t get paid when you engage in a nonprofit project. However, you’ll get to write for a cause you care about. These projects show your passion as a writer. When added to your portfolio, you’ll gain momentum as a writer. Clients will want to hire you and more people will start reading your blog. That will certainly lead to profit.

Need Proof?

Are you a skeptic? I know I was. I decided to try writing only when I got confident it would make me some money.

I have some proof for you.

Contently gives us data from an annual survey that shows how well freelance writers, editors, and content marketers are doing.

  • 55% of them feel like their lives as freelancers improved through the past year.

  • Around 8% of full-time freelancers make over $100K. Only 6.6% of the U.S. labor force got there.

  • 46% of freelancers made less than $10K in a year. However, we have to keep in mind that 41% of all survey respondents were engaged only part-time.

Whatever You Do, Don’t Be Boring!

I like ghostwriting, copywriting, academic writing, blogging, and eBook writing. The choice of topics I can work on is immense.

The money is there. If you want to enjoy this career, however, you have to spice it up a bit.

Explore different niches. Learn more. Write better! That’s the only way to start getting both paychecks and satisfaction from writing.

Barbara Mitchell