[Freelance Writers] How to Make More Money From Your Writing: 6 Strategies to Try

By Patrick Foster

​Looking to become a professional writer and earn more money from your skills? No problem.

However, doing so is not always easy – it requires time and dedication – but it is certainly achievable if you have a natural knack with words.

Thanks to the internet, there are a several different ways to get paid for your writing, if you will only take the time to explore them.

​Whether you want to make writing a full-time venture or you’re looking for a lucrative side hustle, here are six strategies to get you started. 
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​Strategy 1: Reach Out to Your Network

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​Let people know you’re looking for paid freelance work. Sometimes when you want something, you need to ask for it. Try reaching out to your network of contacts via email or social media to share your interest and let them know about the kind of clients you’re looking for.

Facebook groups are an excellent place to network and build up your list of contacts. Try Writers Helping Writers – a group with nearly 20,000 members – this community is a great place to support and learn from other writers, editors, publishers and agents.
 
There are lots of websites dedicated to bringing clients and freelance writers together. Upwork and Freelance Direct are two good examples. Make sure you’re not missing out on great opportunities just because nobody knew you were looking for them. 
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Strategy 2: Write for Magazines and Online Publications

​Online magazines, of which there are thousands, publish articles every day. These pubs are crying out for quality content that divert their distracted skimming audiences into attention driven readers. Some also run an offline publication alongside their online presence, publishing similar material, which means more ways to get paid for you. 

​So if you’re a freelance writer, now is the time to pitch. A standard article can earn you anything between $100–$200. And for a featured article, you can ask for considerably more.
 
Be sure to personalize your pitches and get to know the magazine and its audience before you make article suggestions. Depending on your specialty, or main area of expertise, magazines such as Cosmopolitan.com (beauty), BigGreyHorse.com (travel) and AFineParent.com (parenting) all pay writers for guest posts – among many more.

Here’s an example of some guest posting guidelines put forward by Big Grey Horse Media:

Strategy 3: Become a Freelance Copywriter

​Copywriting – the production of promotional copy that sells a product or service (a.k.a salesmanship in print) – can be one of the most lucrative ways of making money from your writing skills, if approached in the right way.

This can include writing anything from a short advert to an entire website. If you possess the gift of persuasion and can easily adapt your tone of voice to suit the needs of any given brand, then copywriting could be the right path for you. Either way, it’s good to learn the basics. A good grounding in sales copy may help you sell yourself at some point.
 
There are lots of great books available on copywriting. Some of the most popular include ‘Words That Sell’ by Richard Bayan, ‘Made to Stick’ by Chip Heath & Dan Heath, and ‘Brilliant Copywriting’ by Robert Horberry. Plus, we also offer some great tips and resources right here on our freelance writing and business blog.

​Start with a diverse range of writing samples you can show to potential clients, and be sure to collect testimonials along the way.
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Strategy 4: Start Your Own Blog

​If you’re a writer, then you should have your own blog. This is one of the best ways to develop your writing style and also to showcase your skills.

The number one tip that any writing coach or mentor could give you is to write about what you know, but don't be afraid to step outside your comfort zone from time to time.

​You'll find it easier to write when you start with what you already know, and you'll even have more to write about, for that matter. But be sure to always offer actionable advice and keep your content scannable with lots of headings, bullet points and concise paragraphs.
 
There are various ways to monetize a personal blog, such as affiliate marketing, sidebar advertising, and including a ‘donate’ or ‘hire me’ button to let potential clients know you’re available. You can even put guides or related products up for sale (more on ecommerce later).
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Strategy 5: Self-Publish Your Work

The internet has made it considerably easier to self-publish your work and get it in front of a bigger audience. Whether you write an e-book, use a print-on-demand service, or even record an audiobook, there are all sorts of options available for self-publishing. Do it however you want. Share it via social groups and through your email list. Voila.
 
Of course, the other route is to use Amazon or Kindle Direct Publishing and self-publish your book digitally. You won’t have a physical copy, but you will save a lot of hassle. Read this guide to self-publishing for more insight. 
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Strategy 6: Create an Online Store

​What about using your skills in writing and the art of persuasion to sell your own products?

​Ecommerce is an exciting industry to be involved in, and it’s surprisingly easy to set up shop. The first and most important step is identifying what you want to sell and whether there is a market for it. It’s best to choose something you’re interested in or knowledgeable about.

​The next thing to carefully consider is working with a reliable dropshipper in order to handle order fulfillment, this way you can invest more of your time in creating killer content.
 
As well as writing landing pages and unique product descriptions, you can also create a blog to spread the word about your store through content marketing. In doing so, you will gain valuable skills in optimizing content for conversion and SEO.

​Get started with a store builder free trial – and have some fun with it. (Ecommerce writing can also be a lucrative specialty or niche...and you might even be able to sell some of your own books or content this way!).
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Now Over to You...

​If you’re truly serious about supporting yourself through your writing, it’s time to decide which avenues you want to pursue. You may want to give each of them a try to discover firsthand what your strengths are and where you can gain the most work.

Expect a few bumps in the road along the way – writing is a subjective niche and there is really no one-size-fits-all approach to making a successful living from it.

We’d love to hear about your experiences as a freelance writer, so please feel free to share your thoughts and comments below. 
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ATT: Aspiring Freelance Writer...
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GIVE ME A FEW MINUTES A WEEK AND I WILL SHOW YOU HOW TO START REALLY BUILDING A SERIOUS FREELANCE WRITING BUSINESS

​New to this whole freelance writing thing and don't know where to start? Let me help you! ​ ​

By subscribing to this newsletter, I will show you how I broke into this exciting, liberating life-style, and well-paid career, without any contacts, experience or confidence and earned my first $1,000 (and how I continue to do it month-after-month). 
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​Inside, you'll discover: 

• The same techniques I've used to lock in $1,000 writing assignments, without any formal writing training or experience
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​Patrick Foster: Freelance Writer & Consultant
 
As a business owner and digital marketer, I understand the power and importance of good content. I write for a range of online publications worldwide and also for my website, EcommerceTips.org.

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