Can anyone become a freelance content writer? Yes.
You can work from home as a freelance writer by following the three steps.
- Research on the given topic
- Read a lot of posts/articles related to the topic
- Reproduce the article in your own words.
Thanks to the internet and digital marketing, there are tons of content writing jobs available for freelance writers to make a decent income every month.
What kind of skills are needed to become a freelance content writer?
For teaching or tutoring English language to someone, you need to be a native English speaker. However, it is not necessary that only a native English speaker can work as a freelance writer. If you wish to become a freelance content writer, then you should have at least the following skills listed below.
- Fluency in English (writing)
- Basic knowledge of English Grammar
- For non-native English speakers, understanding the difference between the US and UK English is highly recommended
- Ability to research and write on a wide range of topics. (Once you gain experience, you can stick to only niches which you like)
- Follow the instructions given by the client to meet his/her expectations
How to search and apply for freelance content writing jobs?
You can choose any of the three options listed below to become a freelance content writer.
- Content Mills / Content writing Websites
- Freelancer websites
- Job boards / Classified websites
1. Content Mills
A Content Mill is nothing but a content writing platform which acts as the middleman between the writers and clients. The writers need to communicate with the clients through them only. And, the Content Mills will be responsible for sending the payments to the writers. The payment varies based on your level and rating. If you produce too many low-quality contents, they may even terminate your services.
For beginners, the best option will be to join as many content mills as possible and choose the ones which suit them.
2. Freelance Writing Sites
You can browse a lot of content writing jobs on the freelanc writing sites every day. However, you cannot apply for unlimited jobs as a free member. For that, either you need to buy credits or become a premium member to apply for more jobs. Plus, these websites will take a flat percentage as a fee for every job you complete on their platform.
You can set your own rates in this type of websites. Initially, you can quote low to get some projects. Later on, you can increase your rates once you start getting positive feedback from your clients about your work.
3. Freelance Job boards / Classified websites
This is the best option to get content writing jobs because there is no intermediary. No fees. So, you can set your own price and communicate directly with the clients. Of course, it may take few days or 1-2 weeks to get the response from the clients. That’s the drawback. However, you can get regular assignments from the client if they are satisfied with your work.
Before applying for any content writing job, you need to think and decide which method you are going to follow:
Create content only on a specific niche
In this method, you may not get bulk orders. For example, let’s assume that you are only interested to write articles related to photography. Can you expect someone to offer you a writing job on photography every day? No.
In this case, the best option will be to create your own blog, start creating high-quality posts and monetize them by using Google Adsense or similar methods.
Alternatively, you can accept projects listed on the freelance content writing sites which are related to your niche.
You can also contact the website/blog owners related to your niche and request them for creating guest posts.
Create content on any topic given by the client
Most of the freelancers who want to make more money will go for this option so that they can easily work from home as a freelance writer to earn a constant income every month. The best option will be to try all the three methods mentioned above and see which one works for you.
Top Freelance Content Writing Sites in 2019
Here is the list of best freelance content writing sites which will help you to begin your career as a content writer. The list contains content mills as well as freelancing websites.
Best Content Mills For Beginners To Get Writing Jobs In 2018
1. Constant Content
Constant Content allows you to write and sell the articles on your desired topics. In this case, you need to wait for someone to buy your content so that you will get paid for your work. Alternatively, you can also browse the jobs posted by the clients and apply to the ones you like. To become a content writer with Constant Content, you need to pass a quiz and submit a sample article. The payment is made via PayPal once a month and the minimum payout is $5.
2. Contentgather
You need not be a native English speaker to become a freelance content writer for Contentgather. Either you can submit your own articles to the marketplace or create content on the topics provided by the client through the Custom Jobs section. You need to submit at least one article to the marketplace for working as a writer on Contentgather. The pay per word varies between $0.01 to $0.10 and it depends on your rating and level which depends on a number of factors like the average rating for your articles, number of articles you have submitted/sold on the marketplace. Once your balance reaches $5, you can request the payment via Paypal.
3. TextBroker
You can submit your already published article as a sample to become a freelance writer on TextBroker. Based on the quality of your sample, you will be assigned a star rating of 2 to 5. In TextBroker, you can work on three types of orders namely OpenOrder, DirectOrder, and TeamOrder. In DirectOrder, you have the option to set your own rate per word. Based on your rating, the pay per word varies $0.007 to $0.05 per word. You can request the payments once in a week via PayPal if your balance is more than or equal to $10.
4. iWriter
There have been mixed reviews about iWriter on the social media. However, there are no issues related to the payment as iWriter has been paying its members. In iWriter, there are three levels: Standard, Premium, and Elite. The pay per word varies based on your writer level. You will get 80% of the total price of the article. iWriter allows you to choose the payout frequency (Weekly/Bi-weekly/5th of every month/25th of every month). The payments are sent via PayPal once your balance reaches $20.
5. MeritCrowd
MeritCrowd is a Swedish based website that provides a lot of writing tasks for the authors. To become a writer, you need to submit a 300-word sample article. If it is accepted, then you can start accepting the writing tasks. The tasks are available on a first come first serve basis. Once you accept the job, it will be locked for 24 hours and you need to submit the article within the time duration. For some reason, if you are not able to write the article, you can return the job so that other authors will work on that. The pay per word is 1.20 Euro. And, you will be paid at the end of every month.
6. WriterAccess
WriterAccess accepts applications only from US-based writers. To become a writer, you need to submit your writing samples and pass the test. Based on your skills, you will be assigned an initial star rating from 2 to 6. The pay per word varies based on your rating. Level 2 writers can get up to 1.4 cents per word whereas Level 6 writers will get 7 cents per word. The payments will be sent via PayPal twice in a month once your balance reaches $10.
7. Scripted
Scripted is a great marketplace which connects the writers directly with the clients. As a writer, you can set your own rates and communicate directly with the clients to get projects. To become a freelance writer on Scripted, you need to pass the qualification test. After that, you need to create your profile. Then, you can start applying for jobs. The pay per article based on your rating.
8. BlogMutt (US only)
To become a content writer on BlogMutt, you need to be a US citizen with a valid SSN (Social Security Number). You can create content for blogs, businesses or large corporations. Once you gain experience, you will be eligible to apply for high paying writing gigs on BlogMutt.
The payments are made on every Monday via PayPal. BlogMutt offers writing opportunities not only for experienced writers but to beginners as well. However, you need to have excellent writing
Top Freelance Writing Sites To Get Writing Jobs From Home
9. Upwork
Except for the 20% fee, Upwork is a great platform to work from home as a freelance writer. Hundreds of writing gigs are posted on Upwork every day. You can either work on hourly jobs or fixed price/contract jobs. Upwork provides payment protection for both types of jobs. Just create your writer profile on Upwork and start applying for jobs. Free members will get 60 connects every month. Most of the jobs require only 2 connects. So, you can apply for 30 jobs every month. If you need more connects, you can buy from the Upwork platform. You can set your own payment schedule as weekly/monthly or based on a limit. Like, you can set automatic payment once the balance reaches $100. The payment is made through PayPal or a direct transfer to your bank account.
10. Peopleperhour
Peopleperhour is a freelancer marketplace which connects the freelancers and clients. You can find a lot of writing gigs on the website. As a free member, you can apply for 15 jobs per month. If you need to increase the limit, then you need to buy credits. Your work will be rated by the client which will help you to get more writing projects.
11. Freelancer
I guess most of you might be familiar with Freelancer as it is one of the biggest job portal for freelancers. Not only the jobs related to IT, you can find a lot of freelance content writing jobs on Freelancer. For applying to jobs, you need to create your profile with detailed information about your skills, work experience, academic credentials etc.
Freelancing Job Boards For Beginners To Find Content Writing Jobs
12. ProBlogger Job Board
ProBlogger is one of the popular and trusted job board among the freelance content writers. The job lists are updated daily and you can apply for full time, part time or contract type of jobs. Except for listing the jobs, ProBlogger does not involve in the communication between the client and the writer. And, the writers need to communicate with the clients directly for getting the work and payment.
13. Freelance Writing Gigs
Freelance Writing Gigs is a job board which lists the various writing opportunities that are available for the writers. The board is updated daily with writing jobs on various categories. And, you can apply to the ones based on your skills. The job board lists different types of jobs like part time, full time, internships and contract. Some of the jobs have location constraints while others welcome writers located anywhere in the world.
14. Freelance Writing
Freelance Writing is one of the oldest and trusted sources to get freelance content writing jobs online since 1997. It offers not only online but also offline writing jobs. You can find a variety of writing jobs like copyrighting, blogging, journalism and more. The job list is updated daily so that you can browse the latest jobs every day.
15. Craigslist
Do you think Craigslist can be used only to buy/sell products? No. You can find at least 5-10 writing jobs listed on the Jobs section of the Craigslist website. Navigate to the Craigslist website, choose your location and click the ‘writing/editing’ link under the ‘Jobs’ section. If you apply for 10 jobs, you will get the reply for at least a couple of them. Just make sure that you don’t fall for the scam ads.
Other Options For Beginners To Get Freelance Writing Jobs Online16. HubPages
HubPages is one of the oldest content writing platforms which was launched in the year 2006. You can write about any topic on the HubPages as long as it is original and high quality. You will get paid based on the number of views you get for your post. In addition to writing, you need to promote your posts to receive the payment from HubPages. Plus, you need to sign up in the affiliate programs of HubPages to make money from your writing.
17. Writers.ph
If you are someone who considers writing as your profession, then Writers.ph is most suitable for you. Because it helps you to earn up to $1000 per month as it provides a constant flow of work. For that, you need to pass their online grammar test, write a sample essay on the given topic and submit all your academic and other educational credentials. It supports multiple payment options like Skrill, PayPal, Wire Transfer and AlertPay. You can request the payment twice in a month.
18. InstantShift
Are you someone who is interested in designing? Then, InstantShift provides a great opportunity to showcase your talent. They don’t expect any kind of writing experience to join their team. As long as you can create good quality and creative content related to design, you can work as a part-time or full-time writer for InstantShift. The pay varies based on the length and quality of the content.
19. Listverse
Do you want to earn $100 per article? Then, Listverse is the right place for you. You need to create an interesting list (eg. 10 rare species in the world) and send to the Listverse team. If they find your list innovative and new on Listverse, then will accept your list. And, you need to elaborate your list with at least 1-2 paragraphs per item. The payment will be made through PayPal.
20. Fiverr
Fiverr was founded in the year 2010. Since then, it has gained a lot of popularity to become the trusted and #1 marketplace for freelancers. As per the name, you can sell any of your services @ $5. If you are a freelance content writer, then you can mention how many words you can create for $5. You can also specify the niche or topic you wish to write.
Conclusion
Freelance content writing is a great work from home opportunity to get an additional source of income. Of course, if you have a great passion towards writing, you can become a full-time writer and start creating high-quality content. In my opinion, content writing is the best option for a stay at home mom/dad to make money by working comfortably on a couch and having a cup of coffee. 🙂
Are you a freelance content writer? Which is your favorite platform to get the writing jobs? Share it on comments.
Martin Hoch says
For Writer Access you have to submit a resume and a portfolio before they will even let you submit a writing sample or take a grammar test. They want people with published writing credits and some impressive professional credentials on their resume or else forget it.
vrimee says
Thanks. Noted.