Tips for making money as a freelance writer.
The freelance writing industry has evolved, and continues to do so. However it remains one of the most flexible ways to earn money online, from entry-level content writing to specialized B2B, technical, and brand storytelling. Find a “roadmap” guide below that is focused on what actually pays, tips to find work as a freelancer, how to price it, and the admin details that keep your income steady. Always keep in mind that being successful as an online freelancer takes more than a will to succeed - similar to any job. There is tons of competition out there, challenges in standing out, and it can be very difficult to earn a consistent income writing. Therefore, this article aims to provide some tips to help you make money online.
- Develop a niche - AI and Freelance - how to overcome that challenge
Many businesses now use AI for quick drafts, cutting demand for basic blog posts or listicles that once paid reliably. That shift forces freelancers to prove value in ways AI cannot. Freelancers need to focus on original reporting, nuanced interviews, strategic messaging, and deep industry knowledge. Editors are quicker to dismiss “generic” writing, so clients expect stronger research, unique perspective, and brand alignment. Writers who lean into specialization and offer thinking beyond what an AI can generate are still in demand. It's tempting to think as a content writer that you can write about everything. However, prospective clients looking for content want it to be written by an expert , not a generalist. Don’t just be a vague label like “blogger”. As even blogs that allow you to make money and other “smaller” websites need expert writing - not generalists. In fact, SEO and google often penalize general type content – on the other hand expert content can rank. Therefore, it's a good idea to develop a niche to focus your content on. That’s why B2B case studies, product explainers, white papers, regulated-industry content (finance, health, cybersecurity), and email sequences are good specialties. They tend to make more money than (and have a higher chance to be successful) than general lifestyle posts. If you’re new to the industry, build three to five strong samples aimed at the buyer you want - e.g., a SaaS product page, an onboarding email series, a data-backed blog article with original quotes. Publish them on your site or in a clean Google Doc; then pitch with a short, value-first email and a subject line that matches the editor’s beat. Businesses pay a premium for writing that moves revenue or reduces risk. The reality is the more you write on a particular niche, the better you will get at writing that type of content, and that enables you to charge more for an article and sell more. When thinking about which niche or niches to write about, think about what you know and your fields of work. For example, a tip is that f you have experience as a marketing manager, then you could write articles on digital marketing or social media. It really is true to say, you should write about what you know.
- Write for long term, recurring income
As you scale, diversify income streams from writing that compounds . Make it a form of passive income . Case-study packages, authority blog series with SME interviews, and lifecycle email sequences commonly lead to multi-month retainers. This means that any writing you do on a freelance basis can lead to paychecks that continue to come - month in and month out. Even select a niche that can pay recurring income. Ghostwriting LinkedIn articles for executives, writing webinar scripts, and creating content briefs for in-house teams are adjacent services that bill at comparable or higher rates than blog posts. If you build a site that earns traffic.
- Price your articles fairly
Pricing deserves rigor. Don’t copy random per-word numbers; anchor your quotes to business value and time. A sensible starting point to set your rates is the Editorial Freelancers Association’s rate tools, based on member surveys across editing and writing tasks with the website here https://www.the-efa.org/rates For journalism freelance type writing jobs or high-touch brand content, cross-check with “Who Pays Writers?” and recent community data before you pitch. As you prove ROI—open rates, organic traffic lifts, conversions - move from per-word to project fees and retainers. Retainers for two to four deliverables per month stabilize income and reduce time spent selling. Contracts and payment terms are non-negotiable (especially as you get started) if you want reliable cash flow. Use a plain contract that specifies scope, usage rights, kill fees, milestones, and late-fee language. The Freelancers Union offers a free contract creator you can customize: https://freelancersunion.org/contract/ and they also have a practical “how to get paid” playbook on the site. Always invoice on acceptance or by milestone, not “on publication.”
- Stick to a formula and treat writing like a business
Another critical key to success is to have
- formula for writing content.
Day-to-day, treat writing like a business. Block time weekly for lead generation, not just delivery. Maintain a simple CRM spreadsheet of pitches, sent dates, responses, and follow-ups. After each accepted piece, ask for a testimonial and a referral. When a client loves your article, upsell an email version or a repurposed webinar outline. Track your effective hourly rate for every project; if it dips below your target, fix scope or raise prices. When you’re stuck, invest in craft and community ASJA’s ongoing webinars and conferences are practical and current: https://www.asja.org/resources/webinars/ . If the style of your content is haphazard, then the results are also likely to be. Prospective clients will also be looking for a specific form of content , so by writing in that style you increase your chances of making sales. The cost of your content also needs to be following a formula. Having a formula though isn't just about increasing your ability to make sales. It's also a matter of making it easier for you to write content. The point is if you have a formula to follow it becomes easier to plan each new piece of content and you don't have to spend so much time coming up with titles and word counts. In fact, you can even have several formulas based on different word counts or price points to sell to clients. Therefore, when you have sold an article on a specific topic, you want to write another piece of content on a similar topic; not the exact same thing, but something close or that can build on that issue. There is a good chance; the client will buy that one too. Or maybe that topic will be in demand at another related competitor of the client. Even if they don't though the topic may be of interest to others, think about creating content on the same subject, but also a related topic. For example, if you sold an article on digital marketing, you could write one on traditional marketing techniques, social media marketing or email marketing.
- Pay attention to trends
Of course, in an ideal world, you would cover the subjects you want to write about and that you are also good at (your niche as noted above). However, prospective clients may not share the same passion for the topic you choose. As the topic of this content is tips to make more money, you need to write content that you can sell. This tip in effect means your niche needs to be something that a company or people actually want to buy ! Therefore, you want to pay attention to the trends of popular topics. So, this could be trends on Google or even social media trends on Twitter or Facebook. So if you are in online marketing, and that is your niche, keep up on the latest trends on the topic. If you are a freelance writer in a medical field niche, read the latest developments in your field and write on it. Stay relevant! They could also be trends on the site you are writing for the point is you want to write articles that people are currently searching for. Of course, this should be within the niches you specialize in, rather than topics totally at random.
- Sign up for multiple platforms to find client(s) – and keep those clients
Finding freelance writing clients takes persistence, but the best results come from mixing direct outreach with strategic visibility. One of the strongest methods is pitching editors and content managers directly rather than waiting for job ads. Build a short, targeted list of companies in your niche - say local nonprofits, fintech startups, or online education platforms - and send concise, personalized emails that include two or three writing samples relevant to their needs. Alongside outreach, leverage curated job boards such as ProBlogger, Contena, and JournalismJobs, which often post opportunities with fair pay. Networking also plays a huge role. Joining communities like ASJA ( https://www.asja.org/our-members/ ) or participating in LinkedIn industry groups puts you in front of decision-makers who hire writers. \ Publishing thoughtful articles on your own site or LinkedIn profile helps prospects find you organically, and asking existing clients for referrals can quietly become your most reliable lead source. A steady client pipeline usually comes from combining all of these approaches - consistent pitching, smart use of job boards, and showing up where editors already look for talent. Or try content aggregators such as Constant Content or Upwork or a service such as Craigslist. Another option as a freelance writer is to directly reach out to bloggers or news sites. There are millions of websites – most of them need a recurring source of content. Keep looking at these freelance sites to find clients, market yourself and skills, and tell clients how you can help them. Once you get a client, an important tip is to keep them! It is easier to keep a current client than to continue to “pound the pavement” in finding a new one.