How To Make Money Writing In 2025 (Freelance Writing Guide)

Aspiring writers have many options to consider if you want to make money using your writing skills, from earning a passive income to writing full-time.

Whether working with businesses to help create digital marketing copy or becoming a self-published author, the scope for generating income streams as a writer is broad.

This guide breaks down the various ways you can make money writing. From setting up a website and sharing your writing samples to successfully pitching to clients, it covers it all.

Can You Earn Good Money Freelance Writing?

Freelance writing is one of the pillars of the gig economy online, and writers can access multiple potential revenue streams that match their particular writing skills.

It covers everything from writing and monetizing a popular personal blog to partnering with businesses to assist with their content writing requirements.

Freelance writing can be conducted as a part-time gig for extra money on the side or as a full-time role, delivering a reliable primary income source.

The role can also be integrated into other creative pursuits, complementing hobbies and professional expertise through informative blog posts that drive product awareness.

Becoming a full-time freelance writer requires patience and experience, but newcomers can start making money on Fiverr and other job platforms.

If you’re offering niche writing services or a more generalist approach, follow these essential steps to make money writing and launch a successful career.

How To Make Money Writing In 2025 (Freelance Writing Guide)

Freelance writing is a remarkably flexible way to earn money, from casual blogging and corporate copywriting to writing books for a major publisher.

Before you start writing and reaching out to potential clients, check out these crucial writing tips to ensure your strategy delivers the best possible results.

1. Set Up A Blog

As with any other creative pursuit, earning money requires a portfolio of previous work that clients can view to assess whether you fit their requirements.

For freelance writing, this begins with a website where you can write your own blog showcasing your writing samples and area of expertise.

Blogging is a great way to hone your writing skills and master the art of persuasion, creating content that readers find compelling and are keen to engage with.

If you have a hobby or previous experience in a specialist professional field, your blog effectively demonstrates this knowledge to a wider audience.

Setting up a blog is straightforward, with many easy-to-use website builders featuring powerful blogging tools and search engine optimization to deliver the best reach online.

You can build your audience by sharing content on your social media pages to gather feedback and including links to your best work when reaching out to clients.

Once it starts picking up traffic, there are various ways to monetize a blog that delivers passive income streams, from ad placements to online stores.

Learn more: Create a blog with Friday.

2. Pitch To Publications

Blogging is commonly viewed as a worthwhile investment for businesses because it can generate traffic to websites and drive customer engagement.

Once you have a successful blog up and running, you can use this content as a sample when contacting similar publications in your field of interest.

Before sending out any pitches, read through the content from publications you’re interested in working with to get a sense of their style and approach to content.

In addition to pitching to online publications, you can also consider seeking a traditional publishing contract for print publications, such as newspapers and magazines.

If you’re a newcomer to freelance writing, start by pitching to smaller outlets more likely to respond as you build your reputation as a writer.

As your portfolio expands, you can move from writing as a side hustle to pay off debt to working as a full-time writer for notable publications.

Tip: Discover the best Upwork jobs for beginners.

3. Use Affiliate Marketing

One of the most popular ways for more established bloggers and writers to make money is through affiliate marketing, earning a commission for sales of products or services.

It is essential to know the latest affiliate marketing trends, incorporate multiple media types, and use tracking and analytics tools to monitor performance.

The process involves writing about a business’s products or services in blog posts and other written content and encouraging readers to purchase.

Most companies engage in affiliate marketing, giving freelance writers plenty of options for partnering with companies that reflect their area of interest.

These range from small-scale affiliate programs for mom bloggers to partnerships with major outlets such as Amazon, eBay, and Shopify.

Many writers opt for affiliate marketing to deliver easy-to-maintain additional income streams, allowing them to focus their schedules on creating additional content.

Read more: Breaking down the pros and cons of blogging.

4. Become A Copywriter

Copywriting is another popular source of income for freelance writers, and it involves partnering with companies to improve their online presence and reach new customers.

This writing style revolves around creating content optimized for search engines for business websites and their marketing campaigns.

Copywriters are expected to create content such as persuasive text for website landing pages and other critical pages and help write a brand manifesto.

It can also cover written material to drive sales, such as press releases, marketing campaign ad copy, and social media posts to drive engagement.

5. Offer Proofreading & Editing Services

In addition to writing content for clients or blogging as a side hustle, many writers expand their revenue stream by offering proofreading and editing services.

This role is prevalent among experienced freelance writers who understand the style and tone that clients require for compelling copy and articles.

Hourly rates for editing and proofreading can vary considerably based on the level of experience, ranging from $20 per hour up to over $100 per hour.

These rates can be influenced by the degree of specialization required for the content, the length of content, and project turnaround time.

It can be especially lucrative if the proofreading and editing are for complex technical documents or manuals requiring in-depth industry knowledge.

That said, new freelancer writers can earn income by proofreading for smaller clients or working on content that doesn’t require technical expertise.

By creating a profile on Upwork or similar job listing websites, writers can pick up easy proofreading gigs while working on other written content.

6. Try Ghostwriting

Another highly flexible approach to making money as a writer is ghostwriting, which can involve small projects or in-depth content such as books.

Smaller ghostwriting projects can include writing articles and other online content for clients, creating compelling speeches, or writing press releases.

On the other end of the spectrum, ghostwriters can work with clients on complete books, including works of fiction, biographies, and memoirs.

The process requires close collaboration with the client to ensure the content matches their requirements and fits the right tone and style.

Successful ghostwriters can earn large sums of money partnering with high-profile celebrities, with the celebrity taking final credit as the author.

Additional ghostwriting gigs can be picked up by writing case studies, journal articles, or business reports that executives present to investors and stakeholders.

Learn more: Exploring the future of blogging.

7. Explore Self-Publishing

Becoming a self-published author is another common way most writers enhance their income stream, from fiction content to self-help books and guides.

Self-publishing is a great solopreneur business idea that allows writers to access a large base of potential readers with minimal startup costs.

Platforms such as Kindle offer competitive royalties for self-publishing, with the option to sell physical print copies alongside digital downloads for the Kindle app.

Alternatives to Kindle, such as IngramSpark and Kobo, also offer competitive rates for self-publishing novels, short stories, and other types of content.

Another option for writers to consider in hybrid publishing is paying an established publisher to release the book and access their distribution and marketing networks.

While some writers use “pay-to-play” vanity publishing to get their work out there, most authors avoid it because it can harm their professional credibility.

Once a self-published book is listed on various selling platforms, it can become another reliable source of extra income alongside other paid writing work.

Create a website with Friday.

8. Provide Writing Coaching

If you’re an experienced professional writer with a proven track record, other writers looking to hone their skill set can take advantage of your writing coaching services.

Setting up a writing coaching business is straightforward, and if you already have a personal website, you can share information on your services here.

You can begin by outlining your niche interests, using this information to research the competition and see what services and rates they offer clients.

Different types of writing coaches cover everything from academic or literary writing to general writing coaching for online content creation and copywriting.

These services can then be covered on your website, with an online booking form complementing your contact information to help potential clients decide whether to use your services.

One-to-one coaching sessions can be designed to help with basic skills such as grammar and structure, formulating a blog post checklist, and other career-based advice.

Writing coaching is a flexible source of income that can be worked around your schedule, complemented by free online courses to attract new clients.

Tip: Find out how to design a logo for your writing business.

9. Create Online Courses

Freelance writers with a background in education or experience in a particular field of interest can earn money by sharing their knowledge in online courses.

With the demand for online courses on the rise, it’s a potentially lucrative way to make money through direct monetization or by linking courses to other paid resources.

The process begins with selecting a topic you’re knowledgeable and passionate about, with an understanding of the pain points your target audience wants to address.

From here, you can perform a market analysis to determine your audience’s core demographics and how other writers approach writing online courses in this field.

Once you’ve done this, it’s time to structure your courses, breaking them into multiple courses when necessary and planning them with a design storyboard.

Factors such as course modules, level of experience required, and individual lessons should all be included in this planning stage before the writing begins.

If you have the resources, you should supplement the written content in each course with graphics and other visual elements that help readers understand the topic.

Once your online courses have been launched, pay attention to feedback and foster a community with your readers to refine and improve future courses.

Sell online: Create an e-commerce store with Friday.

10. Write For Content Marketing

Content marketing writing is one of the most common approaches freelance writers use to make money, with hundreds of thousands of clients across all industries.

Content creation is a core aspect of small business marketing, incorporating everything from writing blog posts to scripts for YouTube videos and business podcasts.

It requires the ability to work closely with briefs, align content to the client’s core marketing goals, and use search engine-optimized keywords.

Clients typically provide a clear brand guide for freelance writers to follow, and they are expected to research the topic at hand and the overall business landscape.

Writers with an established area of interest can begin by approaching businesses in their field to see if they require articles and sharing examples of their relevant work.

This process can be optimized by creating a detailed spreadsheet of related businesses and brands, including their contact information, and writing a letter of introduction.

Once you land a content marketing gig, you can add it to your professional portfolio and use it to attract additional clients and earn more money.

Summary

Becoming a successful writer requires patience, but you can become an experienced professional through dedication and hard work and earn money from writing gigs.

Following the steps in this guide will set you on the right path to success, showcasing your particular style and areas of expertise to attract high-quality, well-paid work.

As your portfolio expands, you can build relationships with clients that further drive your reputation and allow you to earn more money using your writing skills.