7 Best Options to Test Your Writing Skills (Plus Earn Some Money)

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writing jobs, writing opportunities, writing skills, Zoe Carter

This is a guest post by Zoe Carter, lifestyle blogger, ESL teacher and editor at BestDissertation.com. She is always in search for innovative ideas for learning languages and developing writing skills. You can find her on Facebook and Twitter.

Even though most of us are into writing in order to publish our books, it pays (ha ha) to remember that Indie publishing is not the only way to make a living from our passion.

 

Image: Graphicstock

How do we define the writer? Is it just a person who writes? That’s a broad definition. A writer is someone who writes constantly and regularly. It’s not necessarily for money, but because they get some kind of pleasure from this process. It doesn’t matter whether you’re writing books, newspaper articles, essays, stories, biographies, poems, or blog posts… you’re a writer when you’re fully committed to that practice.

 

Fully committed? That can be a problem when you’re not earning money. If you intend to make writing your full-time profession, then you must find a way to make money from it. Just think about it: the world is full of information. We’re dependent on it. Today, you got tons of information from social media, blogs, and the latest news. Who’s providing that? Writers. Those are the writers who are earning money.

The good thing about this career is that it doesn’t hurt to try. Today, I’ll list 7 main ways for making a living as a writer. Pick one and try! Who knows, maybe you’ll be able to turn your writing skills into big money.

1. Start a Blog

Of course, your blog won’t be making money from the very first day you create it. You’ll go through a long process before you get there. However, this can be your side project that will start bringing income as time goes by.

So how can you make money blogging?

• Create useful, valuable content on a regular basis.
• Build a large following through social media marketing.
• Engage the readers. The more they visit your blog, the more money you’ll make through ads or affiliate marketing.

2. Try Freelance Writing

Just check out this list of successful freelance writers on Upwork. You’ll notice that some of them request minimal rates per hour, but that’s because those rates are acceptable for the countries they come from. There are some, however, who make over $70 per hour. If you work for 5 hours a day, that’s $350 a day. Work for 5 days a week, and that’s $1750. Let’s say the month has 23 working days, and that brings us to $8050. I would say that’s a decent income.

Now, the only problem is competition. Since Upwork is an international platform, the rates per hours are dropping. You’ll have to work your way up. However, serious clients are willing to pay more when you prove your quality.

3. Become an Essay Writer

Do you know how many students are struggling with essay writing? Too many. Not everyone was born with impressive writing skills similar to yours.

If you’re great at writing academic content, you can join an essay writing service. You’ll be getting assignments for essays, research papers, case studies, MA theses, and other types of projects for students. This is a well-paid job and the workflow is regular. A single page of a paper can be priced over $50 if the client sets a short deadline for the order.

4. Become a Journalist for an Internet Magazine

Journalism jobs are a pretty popular choice for writers. Thanks to the great number of Internet magazines, there are plenty of positions to choose from.

The salary can vary depending on the magazine. Some websites offer  $24-$45 per hour, and others pay for an article. If you make your way up to a chief editor’s position, you can definitely count on higher rates.

5. Become a Creative Writer for Ads

Not every writer has that salesy bone in their body. However, if you do, you might as well use it to make money. Creative copywriting for ads is a broad category worth exploring. The payment depends on the gig you land, but the good news is that you can work on multiple projects simultaneously.

6. Sell Books or eBooks

You don’t need a famous publisher to bring your books to life. Thanks to the so-called Indie publishing trend, you can be in charge of the entire process. The investment will be minimal. An eBook is even easier and cheaper to publish.

The journey to self-publishing is not as easy as it seems. However, it’s more approachable compared to the traditional way of doing things.

7. Become a Technical Writer

Technical writers write equipment manuals, appendices, maintenance instructions, and other technical materials. The job description is not limited to that. The Government, for example, needs technical writers to coordinate, maintain and update financial policies and procedures manuals, document financial business processes, and more.

The salaries for technical writers vary, but this precise position in the Government could bring you up to $95,160 annually. Not bad for a writer. These are not the only ways to earn money through writing. If you wish to start earning by doing something you love, I’m sure you’ll find even more opportunities.