If you’re looking for a way to make money online, you’ve probably considered trying your hand at some sort of content creation. After all, there are millions of blogs, websites, and social media accounts that gladly pay their writers – and sometimes even their readers! Wouldn’t it be great to be able to make a living solely off content that you’ve created?
If you’re looking to get paid to write amateur content, then this article is for you. We’re going to teach you both the technical and the legal sides of getting paid to write content – whether it’s for a company or an individual – so that you can successfully create a living off content you’ve written. By the end of this article, you’ll know how to get paid to write and what to do with your newfound freedom!
Part 1: The Basics Of Making Money Online
So you’ve decided to try your hand at making some money online. That’s great! But first, it’s important to understand what kind of work you’ll be doing. Essentially, you’ll be writing content for different websites and businesses, either in exchange for money or in hopes of gaining credibility as a writer. In some cases, you’ll even be doing both! Let’s get into the nitty-gritty of how to make money online. Specifically, let’s explore:
The Difference Between Freelancing and Contracting
One of the first things you’ll need to understand is the difference between freelancing and contracting. Both are legitimate ways to make money online, but they’re quite different. First, let’s discuss what freelancing is.
When you freelance, you’ll be working essentially on a freelance basis. That is, you’ll be asked by a company or individual to complete a specific task, and you’ll be compensated for your labor. Typically, you’ll be paid per piece – either on a per-project basis or on an hourly basis. The great thing about freelancing is that there are many different types of tasks you can take on. So, as long as you have the skill set necessary to complete the task, you can find plenty of work. You can even use freelancing to supplement your other income sources.
As for contracting, this is when you enter into a formal agreement with a company or individual to complete a specific task for them. Like freelancing, contracting is also very flexible. Since you’re essentially working under a formal agreement, you’ll need to research the specifics of the contract before committing. Depending on the specifics of the agreement, you might even need an attorney to review it for you.
Why Work For Free?
Now, you might be wondering why would someone even offer you a job or a contract to write for free? Well, for several reasons. First, sometimes you’ll need the content written as soon as possible. Sometimes, this is because the client wants to avoid paying for the content in the future. Or, it could be that they’re under a lot of pressure and need the content asap. Whatever the case may be, you’ll need to understand that you’re going to be writing content for free – unless you negotiate some sort of compensation – until your work is accepted by the client. And sometimes, this can take a while. So, it’s always a good idea to save up some money ahead of time.
Another reason why someone would offer you a writing job for free is to gain credibility as a writer. Believe it or not, the more you write, the more you’ll be considered an expert in your field. And while they might not necessarily pay you much, they might even give you credibility with their peers that decide to pay for content in the future. So, in some ways, even if you don’t make a single penny from the work, you’ll still end up making money online because of the other benefits you’ll gain from the gig.
Where To Start
So you’ve decided to give writing a try. That’s great! Before you start pounding out content for free, there are a few things you should do. First, make sure you’re covered by insurance. This is especially important if you’re going to be writing for clients who aren’t willing to pay you for your work. Even if you’re doing freelance work for a large company, they might still have specific requirements for insurance coverage. Ensure that you have the proper insurance coverage before you start on any project – whether paid or unpaid.
Next, look into the different writing platforms available. If you’re lucky, you’ll be able to find a blog or website that wants your help in publishing content. In this case, you’ll simply need to pick up the phone and ask them if they want help with content creation. Most likely, they’ll either say yes or no – but if they say yes, you can rest assured that they want your help and that this is a legitimate job offer. Even if they don’t say that they want help, you can still go ahead and publish your content as often as you like. Although you won’t be making any money from these platforms, it’s still considered content creation – and that’s all that matters.
Part 2: Getting Started As A Freelancer
Once you’ve established your blog or website – whether it’s earned money or not – you can start looking for freelance writing jobs. The great thing about having your own website is that you’ll be able to advertise yourself as a writer who can do different types of work. In order to establish yourself as an expert in your field, you can use your website to list all of your previous work experience. Including links back to your site is also a great way to establish your authority in your field. So, if you’ve written for reputable news organizations like the New York Times or the Wall Street Journal, you can rest assured that you’re not going to be cheated out of any money.”
As for how to find freelance writing jobs, you can use several different platforms to source work. Some of the more popular ones are:
1. Googling Your Specialty
As previously stated, one of the great things about having a blog is that you can use it to establish your expertise in your field. With that in mind, it’s a good idea to use your blog to source content for your freelance writing jobs. Simply googling your specialty will yield tons of different blog posts, news articles, and more that you can repurpose for your own writing projects.
For example, if you’re a food writer, you can use your blog to source recipes from different chefs around the world. Or, if you’re a travel writer, you can use your blog to discover places around the world that you can journey to. Whatever your niche is, you can use your blog to establish your expertise and gain credibility as a freelance writer.
2. Checking Online Forums
In addition to establishing your blog or website, you can also use online forums to source content for your freelance writing projects. These are basically websites where people with a specific interest can come together to talk about various topics – usually encompassing a certain niche (i.e. food, travel, or lifestyle). For example, if you’re passionate about veganism and know a little bit about SEO, you can start a vegan lifestyle blog. In doing so, you can establish yourself as an expert in the vegan blogosphere and eventually make money online from this source alone.
3. Looking At Online Portals For Jobs
Another great place to find freelance writing gigs is Online Portals for Jobs. These are websites similar to Craigslist or Indeed where employers can post different types of writing gigs – including content creation, blog posts, and press releases. Established writers with existing reputations and platforms can use these to gain more work. When working with a company through an online portal, make sure to negotiate a bit of payment – either through a commission check or a PayPal balance – to avoid any suspicious activity.
Part 3: Contracts And Legal Aspects
Now that you have experience writing for different platforms and have built up a small audience, it’s time to put what you learned into practice. Before you start any freelance writing project, it’s important to review the contract. Even if you’re writing for free, there are still certain legal matters that you must take care of. In this section, we’ll explore these matters including contracts and copyright.