8 Ways to Make Money From Writing: The Best Time is Now

Many people start writing as a hobby and then want to turn it into a job to make money. They often wonder, “How can I make money from writing?”

In this article, we’ll look at eight ways you can earn money by writing. Follow these tips to turn your writing hobby into a full-time job and make money from writing.

Make money from writing in Literary Magazine

Literary magazines are a sign of high-quality publishing in countries around the world. It is not similar to but runs parallel to the traditional publishing industries that solely focus on books. India’s literary magazine landscape is rich and has a broad market for aspiring and budding writers. It goes on to show how serious is writing considered in the country.

Literary magazines not only stimulate intellectual conversations but also cater to a very niche market. Avid readers, literature students, bibliophiles, and those with writing as a hobby can potentially start their careers with literary magazines.

Literary magazines are a great boost for those looking to nurture their writing careers. Magazines have a strong team of readers who accept submissions to be incorporated into the magazine, editors, designers, and social media executives. By writing with a literary magazine, there is better exposure to the nuances of writing.

If given an opportunity, one could also write for them. From essays to book reviews, trending news, and topics of national importance, the scope for writing for magazines is wide. Eventually, one could write op-eds which is a brilliant platform to voice their own opinions on how they wish to change the world.

Money Earning: Rs.5000 – Rs.8000 per month

Where to Start:

To start writing for literary magazines, one needs first to identify their niche. Are book reviews, interviews, or news the preferred area of interest? Build a portfolio based on those preferences and start by working for smaller magazines. Eventually, one can work up to the more established magazines in the market. LinkedIn is one great platform to find job openings in literary magazines.

How to make money as a Creative Writer

Creative writing is another great option for earning by writing. Besides making money, one also earns credibility as a writer. When one approaches a client or a company to work with, one would already have their work available online authored by them, thus adding credibility to their application.

With the surge of online reading platforms, the way people consume content has changed massively. From more straightforward articles, people have now shifted to more quirky and interesting, crisp pieces of content. The material available to audiences online needs to be engaging and entertaining.

As a writer, one needs to identify one’s preferred niche and build a portfolio around it. Whether one wishes to write non-fiction or fiction based on a specific topic, their portfolio must consist of it. By doing so, they can increase their chances of finding a job at the best publishing house for them.

Money Earning: Rs. 34,715 per month[1]

Where to Start:

As always, start by building one’s portfolio depending on their preferred niche. One can also build their portfolio by creating their own simple website where one publishes their own work samples. They must ensure that their website does not highlight just one topic range. Instead, it should highlight a range of topics to make them known as a more versatile writer.

When looking for where to write to earn money, social media is an effective tool to find the right opportunities. LinkedIn and Facebook groups are extremely active and regularly post job openings for the role.

How to make money as Content Writer

If one is wondering how to earn money as a writer, content writing is one excellent option to consider. For beginners, especially, content writing is the easiest way to get their foot into the world of writing. The requirement is quite simple – write simple and grammatically correct English.

There are several forms of content writing that one can select from:

• Blog writing
• Article Writing
• Copywriting
• White Paper Writing
• Technical Writing
• Ghost writing, and more.

Normally, one gets paid for each word that one writes. Articles are usually about 800-1000 words long. All one needs to do is research the topic and write. So, if they write a 1000-word article for 40p per word, they would earn Rs.400 for that article.

Finding content writing jobs is not as tough as it seems. Here are some platforms one can find content writing jobs on:

• Companies post job openings on LinkedIn
• Job boards such as Fiverr, Updazz , Upwork etc., post details of open positions
• Staffing agencies help with placements

Working as a content writer is a great option for many reasons:

1. It is a great way to earn money
2. There is a wide scope for writers to write across industries and expand their portfolios
3. The content requirement of companies has shot up. They need content for all their marketing material, websites, brochures, etc.
4. One’s work will be visible to a broader audience

Money Earning: As content writers, earning by writing can differ based on their style of working. If they work full-time for a company, as a beginner, they could earn about Rs.15,000 to Rs.20,000. Experienced writers, can earn approximately Rs.30,000 to Rs.40,000 a month.

If one works as a freelancer and charges on a per-word basis, their earnings would depend on their rate and the number of articles they write within the time period.

Where to Start:

As a content writer, one can begin by freelancing. They can find freelancing stints on freelance websites such as Fiverr and Upwork.

Also, read: Guide to Freelance Content Writing Jobs in India

Publishing House

Opportunities for work at a publishing house are endless. They require people for several roles such as editors, designers, marketing, public relations, HR, and more. Every department contributes greatly to a book. Based on their area of interest, they could find a suitable role in a publishing house.

Working at a publishing house can provide one with an incredible experience. While getting into a publishing house is not easy, the effort will surely pay off. They will learn a lot of the tricks of the trade. Besides, if they ever dream of publishing their book, they will already have the experience that they can implement while writing their own book.

Money Earning: For beginners, one can expect a monthly pay of Rs.10,000 to Rs.15,000. If they have experience in the field, they could earn anywhere between Rs.25,000 to Rs.40,000.

Where to Start:

It is preferable if they have prior experience and knowledge in literature when applying to a publishing house. Relevant qualifications are a typical requirement here. However, there is still hope to apply here as a beginner so long as they have a keen interest in literature and possess excellent language skills.

Make money as a writer by Creating Your Blog

Want to write to earn? Consider becoming a domain expert, especially in a niche domain. Blogging is an excellent way to write articles and earn a few bucks. Although it seems similar to content writing, the two are quite different. Content writing is for others while blogging is writing for oneself.

By creating a blog, one gets a chance to think and write better, thus improving their confidence and the quality of their work. It also offers a chance to interact with its readers.

Since blogs are more personal, they are not bound by a company’s rules or voice while writing. One can talk about one’s own experiences and knowledge of various subjects. Besides, one also learns marketing strategies to promote their blog. Overall, blogging hones one’s skills in 2 departments:

• writing
• marketing

How to earn money as a writer who writes blogs

There are multiple ways to earn money by blogging:

• Ads – Sign up with ad networks of one’s choice and once they get approved, their blogs can display ads.
• Affiliate Links – One can promote a product or service and for every sale that the mention of the product generates, they earn a commission. One can find several affiliate programs online.
• Sponsored Posts – Sponsored posts are essentially paid posts by companies to write about their product or services. If they have a large reader base for their blog, sponsored posts are a great way to monetize it.

Money Earning: Nothing to several lakhs, depending on the reader base and what measures they implement to monetize it. However, the average pay is Rs.17,937.

Where to Start:

Start by blogging regularly and creating a brand for oneself that garners a huge audience.

Related Article: How to Make Money Blogging: Free Guide for 2024

Author Assistant

Writing is a one-person job that can often get lonely. When working by oneself, growth can get restricted and they feel like they’re stuck. One way out of this rut is to assist an author. A writer has several jobs to do besides just writing. Some include research, client communication, social media handling, administrative jobs, and more.

As an assistant to an author, one has free time to focus on writing. Meanwhile, they get to observe the writer’s process closely and learn a great deal about writing and publishing. They also end up making several contacts on the way. A perk that they can enjoy even after quitting the job. If one is wondering how to earn money by writing stories in India, assisting an author will give them an exclusive sneak peek into the world of writing a book.

Money Earning: Approximately Rs.16,600 initially.

Where to Start:

One can start by applying to authors whose work they appreciate and is similar to what they aim to do down the line. Reach out to them via social media or email and express one’s desire to work with them.

Writer in Making

Writer in Making is one avenue for one to write what they wish and not what others tell them to. They can follow their heart and write what they wish, to create the content that they want.

One way to earn by being a writer in the making is to move to a place so that their expenses are reduced. Thereafter, they can offer their services as a writer for some portion of the day to earn a fixed side income. Meanwhile, they can dedicate the rest of their time and energy to researching and writing their own book.

In the little time, they offer their services, they could consider the following options:

• conduct writing workshops
• tutor students
• tutor budding writers
• write for prominent websites
• write for established literary magazines
• mentor younger writers

The most crucial aspect here is to live a minimal lifestyle to reduce their expenses considerably.

Money Earning: Flexible, depending on their work and writing.

Where to Start:

Start by planning a side income and drawing up a plan to reduce their expenses.

Write a book

Everybody who wants to write to earn has a common goal – to write a book.

There are two ways to go about one’s goal of writing a book:

• traditionally published books
• e-books

Writing a book is a time-consuming process. If they opt for the first option, it could take up to a couple of years to get the book finally published. Besides, one does not make money overnight after writing and publishing a book.

The other option, e-books, is relatively easier. Additionally, it is cheap to publish it. The scope of writing e-books is endless as one can write short stories, non-fiction, novels, and even biographies and tutorials.

Money Earning: Depends on the number of copies sold and the side income.

Where to Start:

Start with an idea that they wish to write about. Write the book, and get it edited and published by an established publishing house.

Writing as a Career

Regardless of one’s skill level, there are several ways of earning by writing.

If one is a beginner, working their way up will take some time. One might have to start with low-paying stints to create a portfolio to apply for better opportunities.

Once they identify their preferred writing style, they can start working towards it and find better and high-paying clients in that domain. Eventually, as one gains more experience, one can aim for the big shots of writing by writing a book, or e-book, or even teaching online writing courses.

The career path in writing is endless and there will always be a way to monetize their writing if they are truly passionate about it. In fact, studies suggest that content writing is the most sought-after job in India.

Wrapping Up

After thorough research, it can be said that these 8 ways are the most effective to make money from writing. It is a culmination of all the efforts and struggles of writers who have been on this journey and identified ways to monetize writing.

Frequently Asked Questions