5 Unique ways to make Money Writing this Year.

Writing is something many of us would do for free but lets be honest, there's nothing wrong with trying to get a little money from your passion every now and then. If you're interested in getting paid for writing at all or have done any kind of research you've probably been told more than a few times to start a blog or hop on Fiver. And these are great choices no doubt but can often prove to be more hassle than they're worth. Blogs take a lot of time and effort and freelancing on any popular site these days is so painfully saturated, you'll be lucky to make back the money you put in.

Here's five lucrative and unique ways to make money from your writing today.

1. Through Websites like Vocal

Vocal is just one of the websites out there today that pays you to write (around $3.85 per 1,000 views) on their platform. What's great about these sites is that you can write whatever you want, whenever you want, for an already present and engaged audience. The start can be slow and the pay low but with consistent writing and a little luck from the algorithm you'll start rolling in a neat amount of cash every month.

The problem with these sites is that a lot of people are writing articles of every shape and size so you really have to try your best to make your work stand out from the rest. On the plus side though, you wont find this kind of freedom anywhere else, outside of creating your own blog/website.

Websites other than Vocal include;

Medium.

Substacks.

Hubpages and more.

2. Send pitches to blogs, newsletters and websites.

Countless websites want you to write for them so don't be afraid to send pitches to websites and newsletters looking for articles. There's usually a contact page on these websites so you can directly email your pitches to the editors. A simple google search will show you multiple sites looking for your pitches now but I'd recommend Write Jobs Plus for regular writing jobs updates, pay rates and links.

The great thing about this method is that there's big money in writing for a lot of these websites and it's not uncommon for them to take a chance on unexperienced writers, provided you do a decent pitch. Don't be discouraged if your first few pitches get nowhere, keep trying and someone will take a chance on you.

Check out this article on how to write an excellent pitch here.

3. Publish an ebook

It's easier than ever to self-publish nowadays and ebooks can be a great way to get anything from a little to a whole lot of money. Whether your talents lie in fiction or non-fiction, putting your book out there on Amazon can be the handiest way to make a little passive income, ever. Put the work in to making a decent book and then sit back and let the money role in without ever having to think about it again.

The cons really lie in whether or not your niche is profitable and if enough people will want to read your book. It's important to note that fiction is currently far more profitable than non-fiction and that only the top few percents make any serious money, but you can easily make a couple hundred over the space of a few months by writing a decent book that capitalises on current trends.

4. Enter Writing Contests and Competitions

From short stories and poetry to informative journalism, winning a writing contest or competition can result in great earnings for writers. The plus side is that there is never a shortage of contests to enter and you can sometimes enter previously published work or multiple entries. It may not sound ideal as you are not guaranteed money but if you trust your writing chops this can be a really fun way of getting more cash.

Just make sure you check the terms and conditions carefully so you know what will happen to your entries and if the competitions are legit. Besides that, this is probably the most rewarding and easy-going way of getting a little extra money from writing.

5. Ghostwriting

This isn't talked about nearly enough but ghostwriting is, quite possibly, the single most lucrative method of freelance writing out there today. Forget celebrities - ordinary people are willing to pay massive amounts of money for you to ghostwrite their story. It does require a certain dissonance from pride, as you will more than likely have to sign a non-disclosure agreement so no-one will know it's your writing but if you're ok with that then this is ideal for getting big bucks quick.

It can be as tricky to navigate as other freelancing opportunities but usually you can get a greater feel for what you're getting into with your employer and receive a far bigger pay check than standard freelancing work. Doing a good job can also result in further partnerships and bigger opportunities.

And there you have it, 5 ways to make money from your writing skills this year. Don't be discouraged if you struggle to begin with, after all everyone has to start somewhere. Just keep plugging away and sooner or later you'll catch your break. Good luck!

Like this? Wanna see more? Check out my page for more content just like this. Feel free to leave a like or even a tip. Merry Christmas! - Ciarán