The internet is fraught with content mills taking advantage of writers who simply want to put in the effort and get paid to write. When so many of these mills pay $5for guest posts or $10 per article, it’s no wonder freelance writers get discouraged when trying to make money online.
But dig deeper, and you’ll find out that all is not so bleak.
We’ve put together a list of websites that pay writers a decent amount of money. This list has been updated for 2024 since some sites have changed their pay and/or referral requirements.
This list is just a starting point. There are so many other websites that will pay for freelance writing. Brands and businesses need content like guest posts and are actively searching for freelancers who can write articles for them.
And because we didn’t just want to give you just a plain ol’ list, we’ve curated the best pitching advice from the pitching guidelines on every website.
Get started with these 12 websites to make money writing right away. It’s time you earn money online —at a good rate that you deserve.
1. FreelanceMom
Pay: FreelanceMom pays $75-$100 for articles between 900-1500 words, with a bonus of $150 each month for articles that are at the top of their most shared list.
Topics: Motherhood and following your career dreams. Freelance Mom is a community for moms who believe that women can still be who they are after becoming a mom. This site favors personal stories, case studies, practical and actionable advice and “Highlypersonal articles where there are lessons learned that you share or aggregated case studies from other moms running businesses based on a particular theme.”
Pitching lessons: Share your topic, what will make your piece unique, exactly what the reader will walk away with after reading and submit a first paragraph and outline.
Good to know: Men are also welcome to apply.
2. Transitions Abroad
Pay: Transitions Abroad pays from $75 to $150 for an article in the 1250-3000+ word range. The average payment is $100.
Topic: A wide range of topics related to cultural immersion travel, work, study, living, volunteering abroad and more. Their writer’s guide offers a plethora of topics.
Pitching lessons: While this website offers an extensive list of writer’s guidelines and topics, due to the pandemic they are currently favoring articles that highlight “your experience with virtual internship programs, virtual volunteering, virtual learning (including language study), online teaching and other international jobs, and online learning to teach English as a Foreign Language (TEFL).”
Good to know: Don’t submit previously published travel writing and material, and include a short bio at the end of each submission.
3. Christian Science Monitor
Pay: Christian Science Monitor does not currently list rates on their contributor’s page, however, it’s reported that pay is $.036 cents/word for 1,100-word profiles or interviews. This site has previously listed rates at $200 to $225 per article, with longer stories paying significantly more.
Topic: International and national news, features about people making a difference, a Christian perspective on science, books, the new economy and energy voices.
Pitching lessons: Every section has different requirements. Get in touch with the right editor and never write articles before you have a contract.
Good to know: Work from new writers is accepted on spec only. This means that the editors want to see the full story before they accept it for publication. You’ll have to write and submit before you get paid.
4. A List Apart
Pay: A List Apart pays $200 for articles between 1,500-2,000 words, although this is not listed on their website.
Topic: They welcome thoughtful submissions from all kinds of web professionals – designers, developers, architects, strategists, writers and project managers.
Pitching lessons: Make sure your submission:
- Has a thesis and offers a clear argument – not just a list of tips and tricks.
- Has a voice. Be bold, interesting and human.
- Is supported with convincing arguments, not just opinions. Fact-check and cite sources where appropriate.
5. Barefoot Writer
Pay: Barefoot Writer pays $100 to $300 per article that gets published, depending on the assignment.
Topic: Building a writing career.
Pitching lessons: Get to know our style. Know and understand our audience. A good rule of thumb is to ask yourself the following questions about any freelance writing articles you’d like us to consider:
- Does it offer new or unique tips on writing?
- Will it help other writers build their businesses?
- Can it provide assistance as somebody builds a freelance lifestyle?
6. Income Diary
Pay: Income Diary pays $200 for articles that are a minimum of 1,500 words, although their website states that their budget for well-written articles can be as high as $300. Their website will also sometimes list topic-specific articles they’re currently looking for (such as SEO, for example) at a higher rate of pay.
Topic:
- Creating great content
- Interviews with experts
- Buying/Selling websites
- Driving traffic to websites
- Search engine optimization, SEO
- Creating awesome websites
- Blog design features and functionality
- Creating information & digital products
- Making money from websites, blogs & forums
- Affiliate marketing and selling things through websites as an affiliate
- Entrepreneurship and Success Mindset
Pitching lessons: Your post must be original (no spun content) and you should be prepared to say “why you’re good enough” to write for this publication when you submit your pitch through their website.
7. Earth Island Journal
Pay: Earth Island Journal pays $0.25 cents/word for print features up to 4,000 words, although the average is 2,800 words. They pay $200 for stories published online.
Topic: Environmental issues, including wildlife and lands conservation, innovations in science and technology, public policy, climate and energy, animal rights, public health, environmental justice and cultural survival, related film, music and books.
Pitching lessons: We prefer that writers query us before submitting a story. Please describe why you believe the story is newsworthy, specific angles you will investigate, and whom you will interview. The more details you can provide, the better.
8. Great Escape Publishing
Pay: Great Escape Publishinghas historically paid“$150 for interviews, personal stories, and any articles we request for the website with specific income advice readers can print and follow to earn more income.” As of 2024, their Write For Us page on the International Living website states that published pieces will receive a one-time rate based on word count.
Topic: The craft and business of getting paid to travel.
Pitching lessons: Familiarize yourself with their style before you pitch by signing up for their free newsletter.
9. Cosmopolitan
Pay: Cosmopolitanhas historically paid$250 per 1,000-word blog post, although this is not currently outlined on the website’s Write For US page.
Topic: You can pitch to write for Cosmopolitan’s website or print magazine on the following:
For print – “We love to feature first-person pieces from Cosmopolitan readers with a unique story to tell or reports that delve deep into the subjects our readers really care about.”
For their website – For features, “…any pitches related to health (mental or physical) and anything hooked on the news, or related to a social/political/women’s issue our audience cares about (or should care about).”
Other online topics:
- Careers and student life
- Love, Sex and LGBTQ+ (online and print)
- Beauty (online and print)
- Fashion
Pitching lessons: Our dream contributors are active members of the Cosmo community and follow Cosmo on multiple social media channels… When pitching, explain why your story is particularly relevant to Cosmopolitan readers.
Good to know: Cosmopolitan is open to new and inexperienced writers (although you still need to put your best writing foot forward!).
10. Listverse
Pay: Listverse pays $100 for list-based posts with a minimum of ten items on the list.
Topics: Almost anything you can think to make a list out of!
Pitching lessons: Listverseis looking for lists that are “offbeat and novel”and that approach everyday topics from a unique and quirky perspective. They are NOT looking for lists related to sports, self-help, personal stories or gaming. They also don’t publish “opinion lists.“
Good to know: You must have a PayPal account to receive payment. Listverse is also open to new and inexperienced writers and is looking for people with a sense of humor, good command of the English language and“a love for things unusual or interesting.”
11. Her View From Home
Pay: Her View From Home pays up to $100 per article in the 600-800 word range based on the number of views it receives.
Topics: Family, parenting, kids, relationships, faith and grief.
Pitching lessons:Through the website’s writer’s page, submit the following:
- Name and e-mail address
- Have you been previously published on Her View From Home?
- Your blog/website and related social media accounts (please link; if you don’t have one or any of these, that’s OK)
- Let us know if this is content original to Her View (not published anywhere before, including your own blog or social media sites) OR a previously published piece. If it is timely, note that in the title.
- A brief biography (2-4 sentences is fine).
- Gravatar.com e-mail address or attached photo for author bio.
- Type article text in box below. (Found on the website’s writer’s submission page.)
Good to know: Her View From Home welcomes new writers.
12. Cracked
Pay: Cracked pays between $100 and $250 depending on the length and number of pieces you’ve written.
Topic: Humor, reviews and odd facts.
Pitching lessons:If you have no experience as a writer (but are still good at writing!), you can submit your ideas via email for feature articles.
If you have some experience, you can send links to your previous work and apply to be a columnist.
And if you’re confused about the difference between the two, submit your ideas anyway and they’ll steer you in the right direction!
Good to know: Cracked is a humor-focused website that’s been around since 2007 and has a good reputation for paying writers — even brand new ones.
These 12 websites that will pay are just starting points to earn money. If there’s a site you read regularly and would love to get published on, be sure to check out their submission guidelines to see what type of guest posts they’re looking for so you can make money writing.
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