How Do I Write for Money?

Writing for money can be quite lucrative, because many businesses constantly need new content. If you have a natural gift for writing and enjoy doing it, you may be able to make money from it, whether as a full-time job or as a part-time way to make extra income. You first need to make some decisions, such as the type of content you want to create, the number of hours you wish to work and the location from which you intend to write for money. You then need to decide your rate, taking your expenses into consideration. The final step is to look for legitimate writing jobs that interest you.

The first step is to make some decisions, such as the type of material you develop. For example, writing articles and blogs is popular, because there is a major need for fresh material every day and you are unlikely to run out of work. If you enjoy more technical writing that requires lots of facts and a specific format, you may opt to write resumes, press releases or homepage site content for companies. Once you have determined the type of work you prefer, consider the number of hours you can work each week, because you can make this a full-time job or just write for money when you want. Your answer may depend on whether you want to work as freelance writer from home, making your own schedule, or at a newspaper, magazine or other company with traditional in-house writers.

Once you have narrowed down the type of writer you wish to be, you need to create some policies. This should not take long if you wish to write for money full-time at a business, because you only need to consider your salary; the company's policies should be stated in your work contract. If you decide to become a freelance writer, you need to determine your rate, whether it be hourly, per document or per word. To determine an hourly rate, consider how much money you need to make to pay your bills and taxes and have a bit left for savings, and then divide this number by the amount of hours you wish to work per month. You can also sign up for industry newsletters or magazines to find out what other writers charge for their work, because charging too little or too much can put you at a disadvantage when you write for money.

After you determine the rate you need and the type of work you want to do, it is time to look for writing jobs. If you wish to write for money in an in-house position, you can check job boards online that advertise full-time jobs in your area. If you prefer to freelance, it is often best to check job boards and online communities across the country, because you can do most writing jobs from home and distance does not matter. You can also market yourself by placing advertisements on online communities or by directly contacting businesses to find out if they need content.