Listverse
Toptal
Steemit
Hashnode
Ko-fi
Gumroad
Lionbridge
FlexJobs
Net-Empregos
Pangian
Surge AI
RWS TrainAI
Mercor
ClickBank
CJ Affiliate
Amazon AssociatesCompiled with AI-assisted research from the official pages and studies listed at the end. Earnings vary widely — the figures show what is typical, not what is guaranteed. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.
Tip: not every platform here accepts people in every country. Check which ones you can join with your country and age before you sign up anywhere.
Beginners usually start on content marketplaces like Textbroker or freelance sites like Upwork, then raise their rates by pitching clients directly. Expect cents per word at first: Textbroker pays 1.1 to 5.5 cents a word on open orders, while editorial freelancers surveyed by the EFA charge 25 to 40 cents a word for blog posts. A newsletter or blog of your own can pay too, but building readers takes months.
How to choose
- Skills: clear, error-free English (or another language), research, and the ability to write for a brief. A specialism such as finance, health, software or law lets you charge much more than a generalist.
- Startup cost: close to zero. You need a laptop, a few writing samples and a payment account such as
Payoneer or PayPal. Avoid anything that charges you to see jobs. - Time to first payment: content marketplaces are fastest. Textbroker processes payouts twice a week once you have $10. Freelance marketplaces hold earnings for a clearance period, which is 14 days at
PeoplePerHour. Newsletters and blogs can take months before readers pay. - Where you live: Textbroker's US site only accepts permanent US residents with a valid US ID.
Upwork and 
Fiverr accept writers from most countries and pay out through Payoneer or bank transfer.
Content marketplaces
Clients post orders and writers claim them. You skip the pitching, but the platform sets the pay floor.
Textbroker grades you by star level. Open orders pay 1.1 cents a word at 3 stars, 1.6 cents at 4 stars and 5.5 cents at 5 stars. DirectOrders from clients who pick you start at 2.2 cents a word, and you set the rate. A 1,000-word article pays $11 at 3 stars and $55 at 5 stars.
WriterAccess, 
Verblio and 
Constant Content work the same way, with rating levels or writer-set prices.
Textbroker also runs TeamOrders, where a client sets a rate of at least 2.15 cents a word for a group of approved writers on a project. Getting invited to DirectOrders and TeamOrders is how writers move above the open-order rates, so treat every early order as an audition for a repeat client.
Use them to build speed, samples and reviews, not as a long-term income ceiling. Compare them on the best writing marketplaces list.
Freelance marketplaces
On Upwork, Fiverr and PeoplePerHour you set your own price for blog posts, website copy, product descriptions, ghostwriting or editing.
- Upwork charges a 0% to 15% service fee per contract, and Connects, which you spend to submit proposals, cost $0.15 each. See how to get started on Upwork.
- Fiverr keeps 20% of each order. See how to get started on Fiverr and Fiverr fees explained.
Competition on entry-level gigs is intense, so a narrow niche offer, such as "SaaS blog posts with keyword research", wins more often than general writing.
Your own newsletter or blog
Substack is free to start, and writers keep 90% of paid subscription revenue minus card fees. 
beehiiv and 
Ghost are alternatives with different pricing models.- Paid blogging sites like
Medium and 
Vocal pay from reader activity. The Medium Partner Program pays from member reading time and requires a Medium membership. - A blog can also earn from affiliate links and display ads.
This route is slow but compounding. Most writers pair it with client work while their list grows. See the best paid blogging sites.
Translation, transcription and AI writing work
- If you are fluent in two languages,
Gengo, 
Smartcat and 
ProZ connect translators with paid work. Gengo shows the reward on each job, and passing its Pro test unlocks higher-paying projects. See the best translation platforms. - Strong writers also get paid to write and grade AI training data on AI training platforms. This is hourly work with entry tests.
Job boards
Remote job boards like 
We Work Remotely list salaried and contract content roles. The pay is steadier, but applications are competitive and many roles require experience.
What writers really earn
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics: the median annual wage for writers and authors was $76,910 in May 2025, and 65% of the 140,300 jobs were held by self-employed workers. Technical writers had a median of $90,390. These figures describe established professionals, not beginners.
- Editorial Freelancers Association 2026 Rate Chart (survey of more than 1,100 EFA members about rates charged in 2025): median ranges of 25 to 40 cents a word for blog posts, 15 to 30 cents a word for ghostwritten articles and essays, and $75 to $100 an hour for ghostwriting articles.
- Authors Guild 2023 Author Income Survey (5,699 published authors, 2022 income): the median total writing income was $20,000 for full-time authors and $5,000 across all authors.
The gap between Textbroker's 1.1 cents and the EFA's 25 cents a word is the career path: specialise, publish samples under your name, then move from marketplaces to direct clients.
Comparison table
| Option | Skills needed | Startup cost | Typical pay | First payout |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Content marketplaces (Textbroker, WriterAccess) | Clean writing, speed | $0 | 1.1 to 5.5 cents a word on Textbroker open orders | Twice weekly on Textbroker, $10 minimum |
| Freelance marketplaces (Upwork, Fiverr) | Niche offer, proposals, client handling | $0.15 per Upwork Connect | Your own rates, minus 0-15% (Upwork) or 20% (Fiverr) | After each platform's clearance period |
| Direct clients | Portfolio, pitching | $0 | 25 to 40 cents a word median for blog posts (EFA survey) | Invoice terms you agree |
| Newsletter or blog | Consistency, audience building | $0 to hosting | 90% of paid subscriptions on Substack, minus card fees | Months, once readers pay |
| Translation (Gengo, ProZ) | Fluent second language, tests | $0 | Per-job rewards | After jobs are approved |
First steps this week
- Choose two topics you can write about with authority, such as your job, degree or long-running hobby.
- Write three samples of 600 to 1,000 words in the formats clients buy: a how-to post, a product comparison and a short sales page. Publish them on Medium or a free portfolio page.
- Apply to Textbroker if you are a US resident, or another marketplace from the writing marketplaces section, and take its writing test.
- Build one focused Upwork or Fiverr profile around a single niche offer, with your samples attached.
- Set up a payout method (Payoneer or PayPal) and complete tax details so earnings are not held.
- Send five tailored proposals or pitches, then track which ones get replies.
What to avoid
- Paying to access jobs. Legitimate writing marketplaces are free for writers. Sites that sell job lists or "certifications" before you can apply are selling to writers, not hiring them.
- Unpaid test articles. A short paid trial is normal, but full-length "tests" with no pay are often free content collection.
- Overpayment and fake check scams. A "client" who sends too much money and asks for a refund of the difference is running a known scam. Keep work and payment on the platform.
- Taking clients off-platform. Upwork charges a conversion fee of 13.5% of a year of estimated earnings to move a client off the platform, and skipping it can get you permanently suspended.
- Undisclosed AI text. Many clients and platforms restrict AI-generated writing. Check each site's rules and never submit text you cannot stand behind.
- Promises of "$500 an article for beginners". The survey figures above show high rates come with experience and a specialism.
Sources
- Textbroker: Author payments and conditions
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics: Writers and Authors
- Editorial Freelancers Association: Editorial Rates
- Authors Guild: Key Takeaways from the 2023 Author Income Survey
- Substack: Going paid
- Upwork: Understanding and using Connects
- PeoplePerHour: Withdrawing money
- Gengo: Translators