How To Get Paid To Write Articles (BGM162)

How To Get Paid To Write Articles

Creative professionals often look for new ways to earn money doing work they love. With so many media outlets, freelance marketplaces and online publishing platforms accepting articles, there are plenty of opportunities to find work in this field. Whether you're a new writer looking to gain experience or a professional writer seeking freelance opportunities, you may be wondering how to get paid to write articles online.

In this article, we explore 17 platforms you can use to get paid to write articles, explain what types of jobs may be available on each one and share tips to help you get started.

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12 ways to get paid to write articles

If you're looking to get paid to write articles, there are plenty of online platforms you can work with to get started. Some of these platforms specialize in different types of written content, offer opportunities to write in different languages or work with writers who have different levels of experience. Researching each of these platforms can help you determine which option is the best for you. Here are 12 platforms you can use to get paid to write articles:

1. Upwork

Upwork is one of the most popular platforms freelancers use to find work online. Originally founded as Elance-oDesk, this digital marketplace connects professional freelancers with clients. It offers a wide variety of jobs for writers, graphic designers, videographers, marketers and other creative professionals. To get started on this platform, register to create an account and fill out your profile. Then, upload samples of your work and set your rate. Once your profile is complete you can search for jobs and bid on the projects you're interested in.

While there isn't a fee to sign up for this platform, Upwork does charge a fee based on your lifetime earnings on their platform. This ranges between 5% and 20% of each project you complete. Upwork also limits the number of projects you can bid on each month. If you want to continue applying for projects after you've reached your monthly limit, you can purchase connects, which freelancers use to bid on jobs.

Related: How To Become a Freelance Writer: A Guide To Getting Started

2. Copyhackers

Copyhackers has several opportunities for writers who enjoy writing about marketing, branding and user experience (UX) design. They also accept submissions about entrepreneurship and freelance advice. If you're interested in writing for Copyhackers, visit their website to review the submission guidelines and choose a topic you're well-versed in to get started. Most articles on this website are at least 2,000 words long. The pay per article may range between $300 and $1,000. Copyhackers also offers educational materials to help aspiring freelance writers hone their skills and find work.

3. Fiverr

Fiverr is a popular online freelance marketplace that provides opportunities to a wide variety of creative professionals, including graphic designers, marketers and writers. If you offer several services or are looking to gain experience as an entry-level writer, this platform may be for you. To get started, create a profile, upload samples of your work and set your rates. Then search for jobs that meet your criteria. While Fiverr is free to use, this platform charges a 20% commission fee per finished project, so keep this in mind when bidding on jobs.

Related: Guide To Submitting a Writing Sample

4. Listverse

If you enjoy writing articles using a list format, Listverse could be an excellent option for you. This platform works with writers to crafty click-worthy posts that include well-researched information on a wide variety of subjects. Most of the list articles this website publishes feature at least 10 items on the same topic. While the subjects Listverse covers are broad, they typically fall into categories like lifestyle, general knowledge, entertainment and science. You can earn $100 per published article. To get started, visit Listverse's website and review the contributor guidelines.

5. Vibrant Life

Vibrant Life publishes articles that focus on physical health, mental well-being and spirituality. Some of the specific categories they encourage writers to submit content for include exercise, self-help, nutrition, family and environmentalism. If Vibrant Life typically pays between $100 and $300 per published article. However, it can take six months for this company to publish a piece after they accept it since most of their content appears in a bi-monthly magazine. If you're interested in writing for Vibrant Life, you can contact the publisher directly through the Vibrant Life website to pitch your first article.

Related: 10 Resume Writing Tips To Help You Land a Job

6. Narratively

Narratively accepts submissions for a wide variety of articles that focus on authentic storytelling and the human experience. Some of the categories they organize their articles under include culture, environment, animals, family, food and drink, news, travel and technology. Narratively tends to publish long-form articles and looks for content that includes vivid narrative details. If you enjoy writing personal essays or human-interest pieces, this platform may be for you. The amount you can earn per article typically ranges from $300 to $400. To get started, read through Narratively's submission guidelines and select which type of article you plan to write.

7. FreelanceMom

If you're a parent who is looking for work as a writer, FreelanceMom might be worth exploring. This website features articles about motherhood, parenting tips and finding work-life balance. Whether you have a personal story you would like to share or enjoy giving practical advice. FreelanceMom might have an opportunity for you. Articles are typically between 900 and 1,500 words long, and pay ranges from $75 to $100 per piece.

If one of your articles appears on FreelanceMom's most shared list for the month, you could also earn a $150 bonus. While FreelanceMom's primary target audience of readers includes working moms, they encourage men to submit articles for publication as well.

Related: How To Find Online Freelance Jobs (With Steps and Tips)

8. nDash

Established in 2014, nDash provides freelance work to over 10,000 writers by connecting them with well-known clients and popular brands. You can choose from several types of projects, including blog posts, email blasts, online articles and white papers. nDash also allows you to establish your own rates for each type of project.

Instead of charging writers commission fees, this platform charges the clients, which means you get to keep 100% of your earnings. If you're interested in writing for nDash, you can create a free profile on their website that features your previous work experience. Then create a Stripe account, which nDash uses to pay all of its writers.

9. Greatist

Greatist is an online blog that publishes content about relationships, mental well-being and physical health. This platform also publishes career and technology-related articles that promote work-life balance. Articles are typically between 1,000 and 1,500 words long, and Greatist pays a minimum of $125 per accepted submission. If you're interested in working with Greatist, you can apply to write for them on their website.

Related: How To Become a Successful Freelancer in 10 Steps

10. Longreads

Longreads publishes a wide variety of content, including interviews, blog posts, reading lists, memoirs, personal essays, book reviews and critical essays. This platform also supports ongoing investigative projects and long-form journalism pieces. The type of content they look for highlights relatable human experiences. If you're interested in writing content for Longreads, you can visit their website to read about the different requirements for each category.

Most articles are between 800 and 6,000 words, which means the pay can range from $250 to $1,500 per article. Once you identify what type of article you want to write, review the submission guidelines carefully. Then fill out the necessary paperwork and submit your piece.

11. Great Escape Publishing

If you're passionate about traveling, then writing for Great Escape Publishing might interest you. This publisher provides content to several travel blogs and newsletters, including The Right Way To Travel and The Travel Writer's Life. The articles Great Escape Publishing selects typically share tips to help other creative professionals learn how to get paid to travel as freelance photographers, writers and entrepreneurs.

Articles tend to be between 300 and 600 words long and may include interviews or personal stories. Great Escape Publishing offers $150 per article. If you're interested in writing for this platform, you can review the submission guidelines on Great Escape Publishing's website.

12. Informed Comment

If you're interested in foreign policy, then you might enjoy writing for Informed Comment. This publication curates articles that focus on U.S. foreign policy and international politics. Some of the other topics Informed Comment publishes articles about include human rights, religion, climate change, workers' rights and women's rights. The articles they accept are typically between 800 and 1,000 words long. Informed Comment pays $100 per article on average. If you're interested in writing for Informed Comment, you can review the submission guidelines on their website to get started.

5 additional platforms for freelance writers

Here are five additional platforms you can research that provide job opportunities for creative professionals, including freelance writers:

Reader's Digest: This popular media outlet gives writers the chance to submit jokes and 100-word true stories for the chance to be featured online and in their print magazine. You can earn $100 for each submission Reader's Digest chooses to publish, which makes this one of the highest paying opportunities per word count.

Writer's Digest: For over 100 years, Writer's Digest has been publishing content to inspire writers and help them improve their skills. They also accept submissions for several sections of their magazine, including personal essays and memoirs, for which they pay between 30 and 50 cents per word if selected for their print magazine.

iWriter: This platform pairs you with clients based on how you perform on a trial test and the star rating you receive. If iWriter approves your work, you can earn 65% of the total price their clients pay per article.

Smashing Magazine: If you're a writer who also enjoys web design, graphic design or UX design, submitting your work to Smashing Magazine could be a great option. This website pays between $50 and $200 per article and focuses on design and coding content.

A List Apart: This website curates articles about the internet, coding, design and marketing. A List Apart pays $200 per article and typically accepts submissions between 1,500 and 2,000 words.