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Online Writing Jobs for Beginners: The Ultimate Guide

Of all the things readers ask me to help them with, online writing jobs for beginners is at the top of the list.

Over the years, we’ve built up a huge library of articles about freelance writing. The one you’re reading now is intended to be the very best guide you can find, with lots of honesty, practical advice, and insider tips.

We also cover THE most important thing: where to FIND online writing jobs for beginners .

Why Should You Listen To Me?

Why do you want to be a freelance writer, good reasons to become a writer, bad reasons to become a writer, what do you need to be a freelance writer, skills and traits, software and equipment, do you need a blog to be a writer, how do you get writing jobs with no experience, 1. get reading, 2. brush up on the technical side of writing, 3. consider signing up to a content mill, 4. establish your portfolio, 5. get set up on upwork (or another freelance job board), 6. pitch for (and win) your first few gigs, 7. move towards a speciality, 8. branch out, 9. refine, rinse and repeat, blog article writing, reviews and roundups, press releases, speech writing, business writing, fiction writing, ebook writing, freelancer.com, peopleperhour, other freelance job boards, problogger jobs, freelancewritingjobs, bloggingpro, mediabistro, where to learn more.

In case this is your first visit to HomeWorkingClub and you don’t know me, I’m going to start with the most important question of all:

I’ve been making money from freelance writing for over ten years. I run this site and several others, and I’ve been quoted on many sites including HuffPost, Business Insider and USA Today. I’ve written for well-known sites and publications including A Place in the Sun, The Freelancers Union and Rightmove.

But I’ve also been exactly where you are right now : sitting at a computer feeling overwhelmed, and wondering how on earth to get started with freelance writing.

It’s been a long and challenging journey. I’ve turned out soul-destroying bulk content for content mills, and paid my dues with plenty of low-paid gigs. But I’ve also had those true “living the dream” moments, being paid for things like reviewing restaurants, and earning great rates for writing about subjects I’m genuinely passionate about.

I want to help you do the same, and have no agenda in doing so. All the information here is free – and, in fact, I’m even offering a FREE email course for those of you who want to delve in a little further. More on that shortly.

This is a BIG article.

That’s why there’s a clickable index above – as I realise some readers may wish to zoom forward to specific information.

Here are some of the things you will know about once you’ve read all 7000 words of this guide:

• The questions you should ask yourself before you start out as a freelance writer.
• What skills and attributes you need to make it as a freelance writer.
• What equipment and software you need for freelance writing.
• What steps you should take, and in what order.
• What types of writing jobs are out there.
• How to pitch for your first freelance writing writing gigs.
• Where to actually find writing gigs.
• How to get writing jobs with no experience.
• Whether or not you should start a blog .
• Where to look for better paying gigs once you have some experience.
• How to make a full-time living as a freelance writer.

There’s a lot to cover, but you have so much to gain by working through it all. So grab a drink, make yourself comfortable, and settle in! If you have any questions at all about freelance writing jobs for beginners, feel free to contact me personally.

A REALLY Important Question Before We Start

As I said at the start, despite running a site that talks about hundreds of different online jobs , more people ask me about online writing jobs than anything else.

The popularity of freelance writing has led me to ponder why everybody seems to want to be a writer. I even dedicated a podcast to the subject. I’d suggest having a listen if you’re wondering about writing as a career.

I’d encourage you to do a bit of soul-searching and ask why YOU want to be a writer. And to help you explore the subject, here are some good and bad reasons:

• Freelance writing is something you’ve always wanted to do.
• It’s something lots of people have told you you’d be great at.
• You have knowledge about a particular subject that you’re keen to share with the world.
• You have particular skills that you know are in demand in the writing world (i.e. PR, technical documentation, writing for Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)).
• You’re retired or seeking a second source of income.
• You love words and language and would genuinely enjoy the work.
• You want to work from home and think that writing is the only way to do it. (It’s REALLY not).
• You think it’s easy work.
• You’ve heard or read that blogging is a way to get rich.
• An advert or article online has convinced you that you can get high-paid writing job with no experience.
• You can’t be bothered to hunt for a more suitable remote or freelance job.

Some of these do – I know – come across as a bit harsh. But I can’t emphasise enough that you MUST consider your motivations.

Embarking on a freelance writer career requires grit, persistence, and a willingness to work hard. If you’re doing it for the wrong reasons you won’t stick it out and you won’t succeed.

On the other hand, if you’re coming at this from the right place I have good news for you: There IS a ton of freelance writing work out there. With time, you can make a living writing – perhaps even about the subjects you really care about. I’m living proof of that.

This next section splits into two parts:

First we cover writing skills, attributes and knowledge. Then we look at the more practical things you need to get into freelance writing as a beginner.

Writing isn’t for everyone. In many ways it’s a lot more technical (and sometimes more boring!) than people expect.

Here are the qualities you need to make it in freelance writing:

Great Spelling, Grammar and Vocabulary Knowledge

Do you read a lot, and always notice the grammar errors? Do you know how to lay things out clearly, and make your writing both accurate and engaging?

I receive many emails from people asking me for writing work. Depressingly often, they are poorly formatted and littered with spelling and grammar errors.

There’s a lot of online writing work out there, but not so much that clients have to use poor writers.

Writing is a craft as well as a job. You learn more of that craft with every single thing you write, whether it’s a paid article for a client or a post on your personal blog.

If you often read content and think “I could do better than that,” then that’s a good sign (so long as you’re not delusional!) And if you don’t read a LOT of content, I’d once again urge you to look within yourself to ask why you want to be a writer if you’re not an avid reader.

Specialist Knowledge

This isn’t an absolute must, but it gives you a HUGE edge.

What do you know about? What do you know more about that the average person?

If you have a quick answer to that question, that’s a good thing.

It can be literally anything. Between 2009 and 2014 I lived as an expat in Portugal, and wrote a huge amount of content about both expat life and Portugal itself. I’m also a Microsoft and Apple certified techie, so have had many writing gigs around computers and cybersecurity.

Maybe you know about pets, haircare, low-carb cooking, fitness, science fiction, book-keeping.

You get the idea.

While specialist knowledge isn’t essential, it really does help. I hire writers myself, and always look for people with specific knowledge of a particular subject area. Most clients do that too. Sometimes it can be subject-matter experience that wins you a gig, rather than your writing experience.

Strong Research Skills

A lot of online freelance writing involves heavy research. If you’re a seasoned browser tab juggler, that’s a good thing.

Obviously much depends on what you’re writing about, but lots of research is part and parcel of freelance writing. It’s not about sitting in front of a burning fire letting the words flow. Far more often you’ll be trying to find a statistic to support what you’re saying!

A Willingness to “Put Yourself Out There”

We will be talking about places you can find generic (and usually low paid) content writing work later in this article. But generally speaking, if you want good writing gigs, you will need to send out pitches, chat with clients, and market your services .

The “sales part” of freelance writing is something many aspiring writers don’t think about. Furthermore, fear of doing it is what causes many to fall at the first hurdle.

The actual writing is only half the job. You also need to be finding those initial trial gigs, impressing the clients, and working to turn them into regular jobs. Many people sell writing courses that brush over this reality – but a reality it is.

Attention to Detail

We’ve already talked about spelling and grammar, but attention to detail goes way beyond that. It’s about sending in your work on time, in the requested format, and with all the images and supplementary bits and bobs most clients need.

It’s about being your own editor and delighting clients with work that they can just use – without having to send it back lots of time for amendments.

It’s about taking in every little detail of a client’s instructions, internalising guidelines and style instructions so that the people paying you get exactly what they want.

I’m not saying that writers without attention to detail don’t get clients. They often do. But it’s the ones with the attention to detail that keep clients.

Determination and Tenacity

Becoming a freelance writer is NOT an easy career path.

The idea of a struggling writer is a little overblown and romanticised. Plenty of people doing online freelance writing make a VERY good and consistent living. However, it is a life where work tends to come in fits and starts, with lots of periods of uncertainty and anxiety – especially in the early days.

When you first start out, you will bid for loads of gigs that you never hear back from; You’ll end up with clients who want the earth for very little money, and you’ll endure lots of imposter syndrome until you gradually build up your confidence.

Are you prepared to go through all of that?

The next section is rather less intimidating, but no less important.

To get work as a freelance writer, you will need the following:

A GOOD Computer

As a writer, your computer (usually a laptop, these days) is the main tool of your trade. (We have an article on the best laptops for freelancers here ).

I say a “good” computer, because you shouldn’t be trying to undertake a career using something that’s not up to the job.

You don’t need something that costs a fortune, but you do need something that works consistently, and gives you the power and ergonomics to be comfortable and efficient. A good simple way to ascertain if your machine fits the bill is to answer the following questions:

• Does your computer start up quickly and reliably?
• Does it do what you ask it to, or does it glitch and slow you down?
• Is it a pain or a pleasure to use?

The Right Software

You don’t need much software to be a writer. However, you should have – at the very least – a full, legal copy of Microsoft Office. Nowadays people usually get this as part of an Office 365 subscription .

There are other things you might want to think about. A subscription to Grammarly ( review here ) is a good idea. It’s an app that checks your text for errors, plagiarism and bad writing habits. Many companies use this, and some clients even insist that you run your writing through it before submitting articles.

You can get some other ideas of software what could make you more effective and efficient in our guide to the best apps for freelancers .

Other Practicalities

You also need:

• A rock solid and reliable internet connection (and ideally a backup if it goes down, which could be as simple as a smartphone you can use as a hotspot).
• A comfortable place to work, ideally with a good desk and chair.

I’m asked this question a lot, so thought it worth answering here.

The simple answer is “no.” You don’t need a blog if you’re looking for freelance writing jobs for beginners. However, there is a whole host of reasons why it’s a good idea:

• An outlet for your work: A blog gives you a place to write about anything you want and practice your craft.
• A place to showcase your work: Clients will always want to see examples of your work. A blog gives you somewhere to create some of them.
• Freedom to write about anything: Often the things we want to write about don’t tally with the things client want to pay us for! But your blog is a place where you can write about anything.
• Potential to earn money: Many blogs (including this one!) are money-making businesses in and of themselves. A common strategy for freelance writers is to have paid gigs to pay the bills, with slow-burn blogging projects going on in parallel.

If you’re interested in further exploring the blogging side of writing:

• Check out my guide to how to start a profitable blog .

Let’s be real here: getting writing jobs with no experience isn’t easy. Clients almost always want to see examples of your writing. And that makes sense. If you were hiring a writer, you’d want to see what they could do before offering them money, right?

So there’s a simple answer: You need to GET some experience.

The good news is that that part is easier than you might think. But it means you’re going to need to spend some time building up a portfolio, and that often means writing online without getting paid.

In a moment, I present you with a step by step plan for getting your first writing jobs, based on exactly what I did. First, though, let’s look at some ways you can get some of your writing “out there,” so that you have examples that prove your worth to potential clients:

1. Start a Blog

We’ve already touched on this. My first writing was on a blog of my own. (For those who are interested it was a blog about moving to Portugal, documenting my life in a new country. It morphed into a book that sold over 4000 copies, but that’s definitely for another article!)

Your blog can be about anything at all. However, if you hope to make money from the blog itself, I’d recommend choosing a clear niche.

It’s important to note that clients are unlikely to hire you with no other evidence of your writing ability than your personal blog . However, you CAN include a couple of your very best posts as writing samples in your portfolio.

2. Contribute Guest Articles

Many websites and blogs accept guest articles, and these include plenty of big and well-known media outlets.

You can start off with a simple Google search for “write for us.” You’ll find thousands of sites looking for contributions. Concentrate on sites that fit your knowledge and interests, and make sure you follow their submission guidelines to the letter. Sites typically receive a huge number of submissions, and they don’t accept them all.

You may come across sites that pay for posts. Obviously getting some money for a contribution is a good thing, but I’d advise against making it a priority at this stage. The aim here is to get writing samples out there with your name on – articles that will impress potential clients when you start pitching for “real” work.

3. Volunteer Your Services

Is there a local charity in your area with a poorly written website? Perhaps you could volunteer to help them improve it, and do some good at the same time as boosting your writing portfolio.

4. Write for Content Mills

Content mills (explained in detail in this article ) are – in truth – at the very bottom rung of the paid writing work ladder. Many articles discussing online writing jobs for beginners advise you to avoid them altogether. I have a rather more pragmatic opinion.

Sites like Copify and TextBroker tend to pay low rates for monotonous and soul-destroying work. As if that weren’t bad enough, you often have to comply with very strict guidelines when writing your articles, and it’s rare to get your byline on the content you write.

So why do I suggest you consider them?

The reason is experience. I’d certainly advise writing for content mills for the minimum possible time, but while your other options are limited, they can give you experience of following style guides, interacting with editors and sticking to deadlines. At best, you’re likely to be looking at flipping-burgers-level pay, but you ARE still being paid to write.

I wrote for content mills when I first started writing as a beginner. Do I look back on that time fondly? Absolutely not! But do I value the experience it gave me? Yes.

Content mill work probably won’t give you article examples for your portfolio, but it WILL give you experience.

5. Reach Out to Your Personal Network

Think about everyone you know, both in the business world and in your personal life.

It may seem a little daunting to “go begging” for writing work. But as we’ve already discussed, pitching and putting yourself out there is a fundamental part of being a writer.

So consider who has a blog, who owns a business, and think about what you could offer to do to help them. Remember, the objective here is to put together a portfolio of work , ready for when you start to pitch clients.

6. Write on Medium or LinkedIn

Plenty of sites give you the ability to post your own articles. As with a personal blog, I wouldn’t recommend filling a portfolio only with articles you’ve been able to freely post yourself. However, there’s no harm in including one or two.

These platforms have the added benefit of giving you an opportunity to write about absolutely any subject. In the past, I’ve been known to post an article to Medium when it’s on a subject that doesn’t fit neatly onto any of my own sites.

7. Network!

Join some writing and home working groups (such as our own private advice group on Facebook ). Start reading Reddit threads about freelance writing.

It makes sense to live and breathe the world of freelance writing, even if you’re just getting started. You can read and chat about other writers’ triumphs and challenges and – you never know – you could get some leads too.

A Step By Step Plan for Getting Your First Writing Job

You now know a range of places where you can freely pick up some initial writing experience.

Next, we have a step by step plan for starting to find work.

It’s based on exactly what I did myself. And it took me from being a writer with no experience to somebody making full-time income solely from writing.

Just remember: this isn’t an overnight thing, nor is it entirely linear. If you’re not willing to pay your dues, writing is not a good choice of career!

If you want to be a writer, you should be an avid reader. As Stephen King says in his “On Writing” book , “read a lot…write a lot – is the great commandment.”

Here’s a more specific way to follow that advice: Make sure you read a lot of the kind of content you think you’d like to produce yourself (we discuss various different types of writing work shortly).

Let’s take a random example: Say you’re a car enthusiast and would like to write for motoring blogs. The chances are you already read several of them. The more you read, the more you’ll get an idea of the way these articles are written and constructed.

The same goes for every type of writing. The more you live and breathe it, the more prepared you are to create the kind of output people (and clients) want.

It’s good to learn about the science of the craft too. A lot of adverts for writing jobs will ask for “knowledge of AP style.” This means knowledge of the Associated Press Style Book , where you learn things like whether to spell out or type numbers, which words to capitalise, and other intricacies.

MANY online writing jobs are for website content, and some knowledge of SEO can come in handy. So consider brushing up on that with a book or a course.

Finally, it’s wise to learn about the kind of content that works nowadays, and there are some great books on that.

I remember soaking up all of this information in the early days. It helps to put you in the writer’s mindset. If doing this stuff doesn’t seem interesting to you or worth your time, that’s another sign that you may be considering a writing career for the wrong reasons.

Here are a few suggested resources:

• Coursera’s SEO Specialisation with the University of California
• Everybody Writes: Your Go-To Guide to Creating Ridiculously Good Content, by Ann Handley
• The Associated Press Style Book
• Strunk and White’s Elements of Style

I don’t want to turn this into an article about content mills, because I already have a huge one on the subject here .

But, I’m explaining how to get started in freelance writing based on what I did . And I DID do some content mill work. It was dull and soul destroying, and not particularly lucrative (although, at times, I found pockets of work that were easy to complete and paid reasonably well).

Content mill writing work is a bit of a rite of passage for many of us. I think it CAN be a valuable learning experience, but plenty of people disagree with me.

Why not read our reviews of TextBroker , Copify and WriterAccess , and see how you feel? It doesn’t HAVE to be your first writing job, but it may work out that way.

You need to think about what you’re going to send those first clients who want to see examples of your work.

We’ve already covered your options: blog posts, guest articles, work you’ve done voluntarily etc. For more on this, check out this article on how to build a writing portfolio .

Upwork is a huge freelancing platform (and there are some other alternatives here ).

Establishing a presence on Upwork allow you to browse through thousands of available freelance gigs and submit proposals. It’s the place where many aspiring freelance writers find their first gigs and start writing.

Upwork is a huge and complex platform, but we have lots of resources to help you understand it. Here are some of them:

• A detailed review of Upwork .
• Our guide to getting accepted for Upwork .
• A list of Upwork tips .

If you want a true head-start in this, my Freelance Kickstarter course , which covers all kinds of freelancing including writing, has an entire module on Upwork, including lessons on things like how to uncover the best clients and jobs, and how to set your rates. You can find it here .

At some point you have to bite the bullet and actually apply for writing work.

Whether you’re doing this on Upwork or via one of the many other sites I recommend below, this generally means sending a fairly short message to the client expressing your interest and showcasing your ability to produce what they want.

We have a dedicated article on how to pitch here .

As mentioned earlier, clients aren’t generally looking for “generic” freelance writers. When they are, it’s usually towards the lower end of the earning scale.

You may well find your first few gigs involve writing about some pretty random stuff. You’ll likely be grabbing whatever work you can, which can take you in some interesting directions!

But as your experience builds, it makes good sense to try to carve yourself a niche. In an ideal world, this will be a niche you love writing about, but it doesn’t always work out that way. As a techie, I’ve had a lot of technical writing gigs. For me, this is perhaps a little more about where knowledge and earning potential collide than genuine passion for the subject.

Regardless, the key thing here is to try to build up a portfolio that’s particularly strong on one or two subjects. Clients look for experts, so it’s wise to make yourself an expert in something.

Later in this guide, we look at a range of different places to find online writing jobs.

Once you gain some momentum, it’s time to broaden your horizons and start looking in more places. You never know where that perfect, quick paying and regular client may come from. It could be somebody you meet on Upwork, a friend of a friend, somebody from a board like ProBlogger Jobs, or a random client from LinkedIn.

Crucially, remember that you need more than one regular client to have a writing career . Things change, personnel move on, and trends and world events can cause work from a specific client to dry up over night. The more baskets you find to spread your eggs into, the better.

There’s no secret formula to growing your writing career once it’s underway. It’s a simple case of repeating the steps in the chart below.

What tends to happen is that a client asks you to write one article. If they’re happy with your work, they may come straight back and ask for five more, or an ongoing commitment to x articles per week or month. That’s how freelance writing gigs tend to work.

Then you just repeat the process: More pieces of work for more clients, with your freelance rates gradually going up as you gain more experience and confidence.

Over the years, I’ve had countless jobs evolve from a quick $50-100 article into a regular, well-paid gig. Essentially you do the same thing over and over again, getting better at it as you go.

How Long Does it Take to Make a Living from Writing?

There are simply too many factors in play to give a simple answer to the question of how long it takes new freelance writers to make a living from writing. For starters, people’s definition of “living” varies wildly. Similarly, so does each writer’s level of skill and experience, and their willingness and determination to hustle for more work.

I think it is reasonable to say that getting to the point where you have solid, “job replacement” income from writing is something that takes months (or years) rather than weeks . Even once you’re established, work can come in fits and starts (which is true of all freelancing).

With this in mind, it does make sense to have a solid plan if you want to become a full-time writer. Perhaps you could begin with having a part-time job in parallel, writing alongside some side gigs, or waiting until you have some savings to carry you through the lean times.

There’s no point in sugar-coating this – it takes time. If anybody tells you otherwise, there’s a good chance they’re trying to sell you something.

Types of Writing Jobs

There are lots of different types of online writing work out there. Some writing opportunities require specific skills and knowledge, and some will likely seem a better fit for you than others.

Lots of people make a living writing doing very different types of work, so let’s look at some of the options. Before we start, I should emphasise that this is, by no means, an exhaustive list.

A lot of today’s online writing work falls into the category of blog article writing.

Blogs can be about all kinds of subjects: dog training, fitness, dieting, home working(!), cookery, travel, antiques and collectables – the list goes on. Then there are the blogs on business websites, talking about subjects related to the products and services companies sell.

While “blog writing” can mean many different things, blog articles do tend to have several things in common, regardless of the niche you’re writing about:

• They’re written in a fairly short and snappy way, with short sentences and paragraphs.
• They’re generally designed to be helpful and actionable.
• They don’t tend to use lots of “flowery” descriptive words.

Despite the above, don’t assume blog articles are always short. On the contrary, Google tends to favour content that’s quite detailed and lengthy. You’re reading a “blog article” right now, and it runs to thousands of words.

The reason I’m being quite specific here is that there’s one demographic of people who can, at least initially, really struggle with blog writing: academics.

The snappy, attention-grabbing style of most modern blog posts goes directly against how many people are taught to write at college. Long, flowing paragraphs that introduce, explore and conclude a subject in one hit are great for academic papers, but they’re the exact opposite of what clients typically want for their blogs .

There are a lot of freelance writing gigs that involve product reviews and roundup articles – such as “the best budget coffee makers,” or “the best email marketing software for small businesses.”

In case you’re wondering why there’s so much of this work, it’s because articles like this are the cornerstone of affiliate marketing, where website owners are paid commission for recommending products and services that customers then go on to buy.

The way to win this work is to have expert knowledge of a particular product niche and (sometimes or!) the ability to research products and services in great depth.

I’ve done a huge amount of writing work along these lines, and there’s always demand for it. It’s also a type of writing work that tends to lead to repeat business. These sites usually publish hundreds of reviews and roundups, not just one. If you impress, there’s probably plenty more work for you.

Press releases are my wife’s specialist area. If you have a background in marketing or PR, they could be a good fit for you. The work itself can be quite lucrative and – in truth – not all that difficult once you have the skill to do it.

PR writing is all about producing stats, hooks and soundbites that are alluring to journalists. In turn these generate coverage and exposure for your clients.

Press release writing is definitely a specialised skill, one that you tend to either have the aptitude for or not. The output you produce is actually quite “small,” with releases often only being a few hundred words. However, they usually conform to a very specific format.

Press release work can morph into pitching stories and working more closely with journalists, but that takes us more into general PR, and is not a subject for this article.

Sales copywriting can be incredibly lucrative – but it’s another type of writing that only some people are naturally good at.

With sales writing, you’re writing copy specifically aimed at persuading people to part with their money. This could mean a sequence of emails to launch a product, or a sales page for a product or service.

The type of writing incorporates a lot of buyer psychology. Depending on what you’re promoting it could seem a tad sleazy too. It pays so well because the results of your work are immediately tangible. If your work on a client’s sales page sees them increase sales by 30%, the client immediately sees a pay-off for it.

If this work appeals to you, don’t assume you need prior experience, you could always take a course like this one to learn the basics.

Another specialised area – speech writing seems set to boom as life returns more to normal. Just think of all the weddings and corporate events that didn’t happen in 2020!

We have a dedicated article on speech writing here .

Business writing encompasses many different things. We’ve already covered blog posts, and many businesses need those. But there are other things like website copy, case studies and white papers.

Sometimes even large companies don’t have a suitable resource for this kind of writing, so they reach out to freelancers to do it. Over the years I’ve written entire websites for everything from pizza restaurants to estate agents and IT firms. There’s lots of demand for case study work too.

New writers emerging from a corporate background could find this work a good fit.

You’ll notice I’ve left this one for quite low down my list.

The truth is, there’s not that much work out there for fiction writers. You do see quite a lot of ads for ghost writers (interestingly, many of them in the erotica category), but generally fiction writers work in other ways.

Self publishing is one option (check out my self publishing guide ). Another is to go the “traditional” route to try to find a publisher. There are also lots of writing contests that allow you to submit fiction.

When people talk about online writing jobs for beginners, they’re not usually talking about fiction. The truth is that most of the paid work is in the business world. This is a disappointing truth for quite a few of the people I speak to.

Another type of writing work you see a lot of demand for is eBook writing. Many websites sell or give away eBooks, and some entrepreneurs create eBooks in bulk to market as Kindle books on Amazon.

If you like the idea of taking on big, lengthy projects, eBook writing might be worth some investigation. However, this is an area where many clients want the earth for an insultingly small amount of money. If this is a type of writing that grabs your attention, prepare to wade through a LOT of ads before you find some worth applying to.

10 Places to Find Freelance Writing Jobs for Beginners

We’re nearing the end of this huge freelance writing guide now. Next we have a really important list of 10 places to actually find the writing gigs.

If you want to become a freelance writer, you will need to spend some serious time on these sites, and regularly apply to jobs that you find.

Already mentioned several times in this article. Upwork has its pros and cons, but it’s undeniably a source of plenty of work, and the biggest freelancing platform out there by most metrics. Many people find their first writing jobs on Upwork – and that includes me and many of the people I’ve worked with and coached.

More of the same – Freelancer.com is another big online freelancing platform where you’ll find plenty of job listings. There are some subtle differences to how the platforms work (and the fees they charge ) but really there’s little difference between them.

Another freelance job board. PeoplePerHour is UK-based but with global clients and a global workforce of freelancers signed up. We have an in-depth review of PeoplePerHour on the site, written by a writer who’s won plenty of work on the platform.

We’ve mentioned the big three freelance job boards above, but there are plenty of others, with new ones springing up all the time. For some more options, check out this job board list .

I’m a big fan of ProBlogger Jobs. I’ve both found work on the platform AND used it to find writers for my own projects. ProBlogger Jobs charges clients to place adverts, which tends to weed out the worst of the cheapskates and “bottom feeders.” It’s not a place with thousands of jobs, but always worth a browse. We have a ProBlogger Jobs review here .

Freelance Writing Jobs provides a daily posting of new writing gigs. They’re sourced from various places across the web, including big jobs sites such as Indeed. As well as one-off freelance jobs, occasional full-time positions pop up here, if you prefer a model where you get paid the same amount every month.

WriteJobs posts a steady stream of writing gigs, and also provides details of writing contests and requests for submissions. There’s also a (chargeable) Write Jobs Plus service, with some job details kept behind a paywall. I’ve not tried the premium service so can’t vouch for it at the time of writing.

FlexJobs is THE big name in remote and flexible jobs, and freelance writing jobs appear on the platform sometimes. It probably wouldn’t be my first port of call for online writing jobs for beginners, but the subscriptions are very affordable. You’d only need one decent paying gig via the platform for the subscription fee to seem like a very good deal.

Read our full FlexJobs review to find out more.

I’ve not personally picked up a huge number of online writing jobs via LinkedIn, but it has led me to some over the years. A lot depends on how established you are on the platform and how many people you are “connected” to. Don’t ignore LinkedIn as a platform – it could be a place to find writing work.

Another site that lists writing gigs, primarily for freelancers writing blog posts. It doesn’t feel as well-curated as ProBlogger, and doesn’t appear to charge clients for ads – but it could still be where you find your first gig.

Where To Find Freelance Writing Jobs with More Experience

This is a guide to freelance writing jobs for beginners, but perhaps you’re curious about where to head once you have a glowing portfolio and lots of experience under your belt.

The first thing I’ll say here is that, in many cases, the sites listed above are still good places for experienced writers to look for work. On Upwork, for example, there are entry-level freelancers charging $5 per hour and experienced freelancers charging $150 per hour – and there are potential clients for all of them.

That said, there are some sites that are pretty much “off limits” until you have more experience. Here are a few to check out once your writing career gathers momentum. On these platforms, high paying clients are the norm, and it’s common to find yourself seeing brand-names you recognise.

ClearVoice is a content platform you have to apply to join, and you need a decent portfolio to be accepted. Instead of browsing lists of jobs, you are invited to pitch for specific assignments that seem like a good fit for your profile. I’ve been on ClearVoice for several years and found it a good source of well-paying writing clients.

SkyWord is a similarly prestigious platform where you can be selected to write for well-known brands. Pay rates vary, and levels of work aren’t always consistent, but this is one to investigate once you have some good samples and you’re ready to take your writing to the next level.

Contently is an interesting one, because most people know the site as a place to create a writing portfolio. However, Contently also functions as a talent network.

It’s all very much an “invite only” thing. Contently’s site says “if you’re a good match for our clients, you’ll hear from us.” I’ve never personally heard from them(!) but you may as well set up a portfolio there – nothing ventured, nothing gained!

I’m a big fan of nDash because it takes an innovative approach. Lots of brands are set up on the platform, and you’re free to pitch ideas to them at any time, based on some quite detailed information they provide. I’ve been able to find jobs with some good clients on nDash, and most expect to pay good rates. Here’s my nDash review .

MediaBistro lists job opportunities across all areas of media, including writing jobs.

Two important things to note: First off, there are some jobs with big-name companies here, and some that are full-time (employed) positions as well as freelance. There’s also a heavy US-bias to the listings. It’s worth looking an MediaBistro if you get to the point that you want to try your luck with one of the media giants. I saw Hearst and NBC recruiting writers there when I last looked.

As you now know, freelance writing jobs for beginners is a HUGE topic.

However, if you’re willing to work through this methodically and put the work in, you ALREADY know what you need to do after reading this guide.

I’d recommend signing up for my free email course (see the form below). It covers some of the same ground, but also lays things out on a week-by-week basis so you can ease yourself in, and start freelance writing in a structured way.

Returning to what I said at the beginning, freelance writing work is the thing I’m asked about more than anything. In truth, I KNOW that many people ask about it and do nothing to get started on it – and you do NEED to start to get anywhere!

If you manage to migrate from the “thinking” to “doing” stage, there’s no reason why you can’t make a success of it, and get your freelance writing career underway.

• Get a head start with my Freelance Kickstarter course .
• Learn more about some of the realities of being a freelance writer .
• Listen to our podcast on finding your first freelance writing job .

Founder of HomeWorkingClub.com – Ben has worked freelance for nearly 20 years. As well as being a freelance writer and blogger, he is also a technical consultant with Microsoft and Apple certifications. He loves supporting new home workers but is prone to outbursts of bluntness and realism.

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• Writing Tips

Are Essay Writing Services Legit?

5-minute read

• 3rd June 2022

Believe it or not, there are many companies, operating within the law, that write essays for students. This means you can pay someone to write your essay and then submit it to your tutor as your own work.

If that sounds like cheating to you, we wouldn’t disagree! So, how do companies offering essay writing services get away with it? And is it ever okay to use them? Read on to find out.

What is an Essay Mill?

An essay mill is a company that makes money by writing essays and other academic work for students. After providing little more than the title and required word count, clients can sit back and wait for their essay, assignment, or even 40,000-word dissertation, complete with a reference list, to drop into their inbox.

Essay mills use freelance writers, and the copy they produce becomes the property of the customer. They claim to write each assignment from scratch and usually run plagiarism checks as part of their service.

The Downsides of Essay Writing Services

The obvious advantage of using an essay writing service is that it saves you time and effort. So, if you can afford to pay someone else to do your homework, what’s not to like? Here are a few things worth considering before handing over your cash to an essay mill:

●  The writer is unlikely to be an expert in your subject: Essay mills and other companies offering writing services use freelancers. It’s therefore highly unlikely that they will have an expert in every academic field at their disposal. Even if they claim that your essay will be written by an expert, you won’t get to see the writer’s credentials, so you only have their word for it.

●  There’s no guarantee you’ll get a good grade: So, your essay is being produced by a writer who most likely isn’t an expert on the relevant topic. Because they’re a freelancer, they’ll only be getting a percentage of the fee you’ve paid, and they’ve not only got to write your essay, but research it, too. Unless they’re willing to work for a very low hourly rate, they won’t spend enough time on your essay to produce work that’s good enough to score high marks.

●  You could easily get caught: If your tutor is familiar with your usual style of writing, they might be suspicious when you hand in work written by someone else. What if they want you to clarify something or they query one of your references? If you’re caught cheating, it could spell the end of your academic ambitions.

●  It’s dishonest: You’ve probably worked out by now that we don’t approve of essay writing services! Whether or not they are legal (and we’ll cover that in the next section), they certainly aren’t ethical. And it’s a form of cheating, which is taken very seriously by academic institutions.

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●  You’ll miss out on learning opportunities: The whole point of an essay writing assignment is to learn valuable information about a topic. By handing that experience off to someone else, you’re essentially giving up part of the education that you’ve worked hard to qualify for (and are likely paying good money for)!

What Does the Law Say About Essay Writing Services?

The law regarding essay writing services varies from country to country (and from state to state in the US), so whether you’d be breaking the law by using them depends on where you’re studying.

At the moment, essay mills are still legal in most of the US and Canada. However, in some states, it’s illegal for students to use them. In the UK, legislation was passed in April 2022 that makes it a criminal offense to provide essay writing services. And similar laws exist in Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand.

Summary: Are Essay Writing Services Legit?

Essay writing services are still legal in some areas, so the question of whether or not you should use them is largely an ethical one. However, even if you’re not committing a crime by paying someone to write your essay, you could get into trouble with your college if anyone finds out.

Unfortunately, essay mills often target international students who may lack confidence in their English writing skills. But, instead of getting someone else to write your essay for you, which is a form of cheating, why not consider just getting help with proofreading? While any tutor would disapprove of handing in someone else’s work, it is perfectly legitimate to have your own words professionally proofread before you submit them.

Our proofreading service includes correcting any errors in spelling, grammar, and punctuation. In addition, we adapt any unsuitable vocabulary and highlight anything that’s unclear. However, we never make changes that would alter the meaning of what you’ve written. It’s your writing—we just help you make it shine!

You can try our student proofreading service for free by submitting a trial document today. You’ll get it back, error-free, tomorrow!

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Essay Writing Services: Benefits and Risks

Struggling with writer's block? An essay writing service may be the answer to getting your next paper completed, but it doesn't come without risks.

Why Students Use Essay Writing Services

Are you allowed to use an essay writing service, how to choose an essay writing service, signs of a scam essay writing service, 5 essay writing services, final thoughts on using essay writing services, frequently asked questions.

Essay writing is one of the most important skills students need to develop during their academic years. Essay writing is a critical part of the learning process, and it helps students express their ideas and thoughts on a given topic. Essay writing is also an essential part of the assessment process, and it is often used to determine a student's grade. However, essay writing can be a challenging task for many students, and it can often be challenging to get started. One way students overcome this challenge is to use an essay writing service.

An essay writer essentially helps and guides you throughout the essay writing process, and they can also help you improve your essay writing skills. If you are struggling with essay writing, then hiring an essay writer could be one of the best decisions that you make. However, there are a few things you need to know first.

There are various reasons why students may seek out an essay writing service. For example, some students may be struggling with the English language, making it difficult to craft a well-written essay. Others may be working part-time jobs or have other commitments that leave them with little time to complete their schoolwork.

The primary reason students turn to online writing services is because they need assistance crafting high-quality papers. While some online services may provide essays that are poorly written and full of errors, reputable companies like BidForWriting will pair each student with a professional writer who can help them produce a well-crafted and error-free essay. As a result, online writing services can be an invaluable resource for busy or struggling students who need help completing their schoolwork.

Generally, no. Schools and colleges frown on using an essay writing service for your assignments since you're not the one writing the essay yourself. It's essentially cheating since someone else is doing the work for you.

However, if you're paying an essay writer to simply guide you through the process (almost like a tutor), your teacher shouldn't have as much of an issue with this.

Although technically, you should be writing your own essay, many students get away with using essay writers because their teachers are non-the-wiser. Just know the risks—you could receive a fail for the assignment .

Will You Get Caught?

Think again if you think your teacher won't find out you're using an essay writing service. Most teachers know their students well enough to spot a fraudulent essay from one of your regular papers.

The best way to use an essay writing service is for guidance only. Otherwise, you can get penalized for cheating. After ordering an essay, you should build off it and rewrite it to make it your own.

If you do choose to use an essay writing service for school, don't just pick any old one. You want to choose a reputable company to ensure you pay for a high-quality essay. When looking for an essay writing service, you want to look for the following:

• Positive customer reviews (and lots of them)—try not to be fooled by fake reviews.
• Ability to pick and choose your essay writers based on experience, portfolio, etc.
• A service that guarantees essays are 100% plagiarism-free.
• Free revisions.
• Services that follow your brief, guidelines, and essay requirements exactly.
• Money-back guarantees if the essay is not up to your standards and satisfaction.
• Guarantee that your personal information remains confidential.
• Safe payment options—ensure the website is secure and payment is via a standard method.
• Ability to communicate directly with the essay writer.

Some essay writing services you'll want to stay away from. Of course, you don't really know the quality until you use the service, but there are a few warning signs of a bad company (or a scam ) to look out for:

• Fake reviews : If several reviews look similar or are very short with little information, be wary. Sketchy companies can post fake reviews to appear trustworthy and reliable.
• Low prices : A cheap essay writing service may be tempting—after all, you want the best deal possible. However, if one essay writing company is offering its services at a much lower rate than everyone else, you should question why this is. Lower prices may mean lower quality.
• No customer support team : If you're having trouble contacting a real person at the company, don't do business with them. You want to make sure you can easily communicate with them and the writer before handing over your money.

Check Customer Reviews on Third-Party Sites

Check several websites for reviews of essay writing services, including forums like Reddit, before choosing one. You're not going to find negative reviews on an essay writing service's own website, so you need to look on other sites for more honest feedback.

As any student knows, the essay writing process can be both time-consuming and frustrating. From coming up with a topic and doing research to sitting down and writing the paper, there are a lot of steps involved. And if you're not careful, it's all too easy to get bogged down in the process and end up with a less-than-stellar essay. That's where an essay writing service comes in.

By outsourcing the work to a professional writer, you can free up your time to focus on other assignments or even just take a break from the demands of school. But with so many essay writing services available, it can be challenging to know which one to choose. Here are some of the top essay writing services to choose from:

• BidForWriting.com
• Essayassistant.org
• Editgiant.com
• Grabmeessay.com
• Check-my-grammar.com

1. BidForWriting.com

BidForWriting.com is an essay writing service that has delivered original essays without plagiarism for over a decade. The company has reached such a quality standard because of a dedicated team that reviews all essays for plagiarism before sending them to the client.

This department uses the latest software to check for plagiarism, and it can detect even the slightest trace of copied text. As a result, BidForWriting can guarantee that each essay it delivers is 100% original. In addition, the company offers a money-back guarantee if you're not satisfied with the paper.

2. EssayAssistant.org

EssayAssistant.org delivers a wide spectrum of academic writing as well as revising and editing services. The pricing starts as low as $9, which is quite low.

The site has experts in every field of study and so you will surely find a professional writer who can help you with your essay.

3. EditGiant.com

EditGiant.com can take care of the essay writing process for you from start to finish. They have a team of professional writers who are knowledgeable in a wide range of subjects, so no matter what your essay topic is, they can help. In addition, they offer services at very competitive rates, so you can get the help you need without breaking the bank.

4. GrabMyEssay.com

GrabMyEssay.com can handle various types of papers, including admissions essays, lab reports, dissertation writing, coursework, and research papers. Their pricing starts at $14.99/page and you can pay for extra services, such as proofreading and an originality report (i.e., an advanced plagiarism checker).

5. Check-My-Grammar.com

Essay writing is one of the most popular services offered by Check-My-Grammar.com . The website focuses on student writing, whether you're getting a college degree, a bachelor's degree, or a master's degree.

According to the website, the company has a team of over 500 professional writers across 40 disciplines. The company offers all sorts of services, applicable terms, and conditions, including college writing and essay writing on any topic you wish. You can also request a specific writer if you have worked with them before and are satisfied with their style.

There is no denying that academic writing services can be helpful to students. For international students or part-time students, in particular, these services can provide much-needed assistance in getting their work done. In addition, Ph.D. students can often benefit from the help of a professional writer in crafting a well-written and inventive thesis.

While it is certainly possible to overuse or abuse such services, there is no reason to discount their value entirely. When used judiciously, they can be an important tool in helping students succeed in their studies.

Are essay writing services legal?

Yes, essay writing services are legal. The companies operate legally, and it is legal to use them also. However, just because they're legal, it doesn't mean you're allowed to use them to write your essays for you.

Using these services comes with the risk that your teacher could fail you, as having someone write an essay for you is considered cheating.

However, you can use an essay writing service to help you write an essay which may be considered acceptable by your college or teacher.

Will these services write my essay completely?

Yes. Essay writers can write your entire essay for you. However, this is not recommended as you could be penalized for cheating and fail your subject or assignment.

What are the risks of using an essay writing service?

Some of the risks associated with using an essay writing service include:

• Your teacher finding out and giving you a failing grade for cheating.
• The essay not being up to scratch—maybe you would have been better off writing it yourself.
• An essay with plagiarized content.
• An essay that doesn't meet the assignment requirements (perhaps the essay writer didn't pay enough attention to the brief).

About This Article

• I Hate Writing Essays: How Safe, Legal and Legitimate Essay Writing Services Are?
• Peachy Essay: ARE ESSAY WRITING COMPANIES LEGAL?
• Easy Reader & Peninsula: Is it Safe to Use Essay Writing Services?

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The 10 Best Websites to Find Academic Writing Jobs

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If you're a student looking for some extra dough, academic writing is one of the best ways to encash your skills. At the same time, it enhances your knowledge and helps you grow as a learner. In fact, it's not just for students; you can do it full-time if you are a professional writer.

Having the freedom to work from home, at your own pace, and having opportunities to grow are just a few perks of this job. So, if you are ready to delve deeper, let's look at ten great websites for finding academic writing jobs.

1. WritingCreek

WritingCreek is one of the best academic writing sites to work with if you are a beginner. It has a simple and free-of-cost hiring process, which usually takes 24 to 48 hours to complete. Once the team approves your account, you can start bidding and earning straight away. It offers a rate of $4.00 per page to beginners and up to $12.00 to experts.

The site lets you choose the subjects you are proficient in and has a regular stream of academic tasks with short and long deadlines. WritingCreek gives you the liberty to choose your tasks and work at your own pace, and its support team is always available for a live chat whenever you need them.

It also helps you enhance your skills as its in-house editors give feedback on the papers accepted by the client, offering useful tips for improvement. WritingCreek usually pays twice a month through different payment methods like Payoneer and PayPal without deducting any extra charges. You can also check out these technical writing jobs if you have the expertise.

2. EssayShark

You can get started on EssayShark within a week after taking and passing its test. If you are a college student and have solid writing skills, this platform can help you earn a decent amount to aid you in your studies. The site lets you bid on papers that fall under your subject area.

You can choose your preferred subjects in advance to get relevant tasks and can chat with the customers directly to discuss the details of the paper. EssayShark pays you twice a month, and along with the pay, it also offers bonuses and rewards if the customers give you good ratings because of your timely submissions and high-quality work.

3. Writers.ph

Being among the top academic writing websites, this platform targets professional-level writers and researchers to work for them. It usually takes 24 to 48 hours to review your application, and once approved, you can start working immediately. The site gets projects from all around the world and has a constant flow of work. It also offers 24/7 support to help you with any issues that you might face.

In addition, Writers.ph offers job promotions based on your performance, leading to status improvement and increased pay rates. It also has proofreading, editing, and presentation-related tasks, along with academic paper writing. Also, check out these great smartphone apps for freelance writers .

4. LancerHop

LancerHop provides you with multiple fields to work in. It hires academic writers, web developers, editing experts, web content writers, copywriters, editing experts, and bloggers. The hiring process is similar to that of other academic writing websites, where you need to create a profile, and after passing the test, you can start working.

It creates a dashboard where the system assigns you tasks. All of your information regarding payment, task completion, and editing is available on the dashboard. The platform allows you to set flexible timings for your work by choosing from different time zones and also flexible working days like weekdays only.

5. Academia Research

Academia Research offers you decent pay rates and career growth opportunities in the academic writing field. The registration process requires a test to get selected. Once the team approves your account, you start at a General level, where the pay is $3.00 per page for high school and college level papers.

You can move on to Advanced, Premium, and First Class levels to get paid $2.00 per page for master's and Ph.D. level papers. The site has a variety of tasks with flexible deadlines related to different subjects and education levels. It pays you twice a month through the payment method of your choice.

6. Essay Service

This platform provides you with an easy-to-use website with a mobile-friendly interface to let you access your account from anywhere. Moreover, it has an efficient system for competitive bidding that also offers a price negotiation facility.

Essay Service helps you build a career and a network, and you can share your professional portfolio with your clients and other contacts, helping you expand your customer base in the process. You also get a 24/7 online support system to guide you at each step.

You can withdraw money every 48 hours through Skrill or wire transfer. In addition, it lets you stay connected through SMS, email, and push notifications without needing to go online.

7. Writers Labs

Writers Labs provides you with a variety of opportunities, including academic writing, article writing, and essay writing. Its pay rates are pretty decent, varying from $5.00 to $26.00 for one page, and it also offers a 2% to 4% bonus on high efficiency.

You get a list of tasks on the site and can choose from those tasks based on your preference and availability. In addition, its support team is there to guide you through the process to help you get started. Check out these ways to source clients as a freelance writer .

8. Write My Essay Online

Write My Essay Online is a platform suitable for both academic writing beginners and experts. The website has a regular influx of tasks and helps you get assignments in the areas of your interest.

Registration on this website is free, much like on most sites on this list, and it has flexible work timing, allowing you to choose your projects as per your desire. Through bidding, you can decide your own rates and get paid twice a month.

9. Academic Minds

Academic Minds provides numerous services to help you unleash your academic writing potential. You have the option of taking up multiple roles, like tutoring, marking work, writing essays and dissertations, and editing. The website is UK based and helps international students in excelling in their academic tasks.

You can start bidding once your account is completely set up, and there is a potential to earn as much as $4000.00 per month through dissertations and tutoring. You can also showcase your online writing portfolio on these free platforms .

10. WriterBay

WriterBay provides you with projects and assignments in numerous fields. It has a free lifetime membership that offers a platform where you can get long-term work.

After registering with WriterBay, you can manage the workload at your own pace. In addition, it offers competitive pay and opportunities for personal growth. Most of its services are similar to those offered by other sites on this list.

Find Your Next Academic Job Through These Sites

Academic writing jobs provide a valuable opportunity for learning and growth. It is a huge field of work that allows you to earn and grow in your career.

Most of the websites shared above help you earn well and offer flexible timings for easier management. You can choose one or more of these sites to move forward while enjoying the rewards from the comfort of your home.

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8 Online Writing Sites That Pay You [Ranked For 2024]

Are you looking for online writing sites to jumpstart your freelance writing career? Check these 8 websites that offer writing gigs across all skill l

Table of contents

Are you looking for ways to earn money with your writing skills but don’t have the experience? You’re not alone!

The onset of COVID-19 brought freelance writing gigs to the forefront of remote employment opportunities. Research reveals over 70 million Americans did freelance work in 2022.

Of that number, 82% are freelance writers. That’s around 54 million people in the U.S. alone! Now you’d think that’s too much competition for beginners to handle, but the truth is the opposite.

Finding online writing sites that pay money doesn’t have to be taxing, and most are open to beginners!

This article introduces you to 9 freelance writing sites with extensive job postings fit for your skill level.

Best Online Writing Sites [At A Glance]

The internet has many opportunities for freelance writers, but only a few stand out for bringing in real profit and helping you become a successful freelance writer.

Here are our top picks for 2023:

• Upwork : Our Pick
• Blogging Pro : Runner-Up
• Fiverr : Also Great
• Contently : Best for Experienced Writers
• Writers Work : Best Pooled Writing Jobs
• iWriter : Best for Tiered Writing Gigs
• WriterAccess : Best for Long-term Writing Jobs
• ProBlogger : Best for Blog Writing

An Overview of Online Freelance Writing

There is no official date when freelance writing started because freelance writers have been around even before digital platforms were created.

But it’s safe to consider the early 2000s as the dawn of the online freelance writing job trend. Notable sites like ProBlogger shares their small-scale origins , which have become a huge success over time.

What are Online Freelance Writing Sites?

Freelance writing sites are the one-stop shop for businesses and startups seeking writing services. They’re central hubs for hiring writers and finding job boards with quality writing gigs.

Some more intuitive websites have features that allow clients to match their writing jobs with the ideal candidate. This results in a mutually beneficial arrangement that guarantees satisfaction for both the business and the content writers.

Why Are Freelance Writing Sites Important?

A freelance writing website reduces the need for companies to shoulder all the legwork involved in hiring talents. They don’t need complex contracts to engage experienced freelance writers.

On the writer’s side, accessing these freelance platforms streamlines the job search process and helps boost their writing portfolio.

You can have multiple freelance writing jobs in a few months, which allows you to gather referrals and recommendations from happy clients.

Do I Need an Online Writing Site to Build a Freelance Writing Career?

Freelance writing sites aren’t required to build a writing career, but they help speed up the process.

Taking on multiple writing jobs within this active community builds up your reputation, skill, and network — factors that help you stand out from the competition.

The Best Online Writing Sites at a Glance

We’ve rounded up our best picks for freelance writing websites and come up with two all-rounders.

What is the Best Online Freelance Writing Site?

With approximately 5 million clients using the platform, Upwork is our best pick for starters looking to understand how freelance writing works.

Its ‘Writing & Translation’ job board category boasts 146k+ active contracts, with clients giving an average 4.8 -star rating to writing professionals.

This includes a range of talents like proofreaders, content writers, translators, ghostwriters, and more.

What is the Best Free Online Writing Site?

Blogging Pro is our top choice for niche-focused freelance writing gigs.

It’s a job board that prospective freelancers can use for free, minus the need to create an account.

One of the things we like about this portal is its straightforward application process that details everything you need to know about a job with just a click.

Clients of this site must pay their writers a minimum of $15 per project, eliminating the risk of getting scammed.

Features to Look for In an Online Writing Website

Freelance writing opportunities have attracted many full-time professionals, so the competition is high.

This can result in some people, especially those with no experience, agreeing to jobs that don’t honor their contracts.

To avoid falling into freelance scams , you must be critical in assessing whether or not the portal you’re signing up for is legit.

Here are features to look for before taking on online writing jobs:

1. Trust Rating

Be wary of freelance websites with a Google review star rating of less than 3. While online ratings are ultimately subjective, they reflect the user experience that professionals and clients have for the platform.

You also want to check review sites like TechRadar or online forums like Reddit and Quora to see what other users think of freelance writing websites.

2. Pay Range

Online freelance writing jobs vary in pay range, and it’s primarily driven by the fact that clients have their specific project budgets. Some portals require businesses to offer a specific job price range, while others leave it to the client.

3. Job Listings

The best freelance writing sites have extensive job boards. This allows them to attract clients from all sectors and freelancers of different skill sets.

4. Application Process

Check the requirements for signing up with a portal and see if you fit their eligibility. You’re better off starting small and building your portfolio rather than trying to break the big game without a solid portfolio to back it up.

5. Online Courses or Blogs

The freelance writing industry is saturated with talent. And while there is a global demand to match that up, beefing up your skill set is necessary to ace the competition.

Check for platforms with built-in writing tools or knowledge bases. Do they have a blog you can subscribe to stay current with the freelance writing landscape?

Best Online Writing Sites: Our Top 3 Options [Ranked & Reviewed]

Here are our top 3 freelance writing sites, handpicked for their combined reach, user reviews, and job opportunities.

1. Upwork : Our Pick

Upwork is a global freelancing platform that connects businesses or startups with individual professionals. It hosts a variety of industries that include writing.

It’s a marketplace where the main currency is your skill. Housing over 12 million freelancers as of 2023, Upwork’s an attractive platform to boost your professional network too!

Key Features of Upwork

Below are features that make Upwork a powerhouse in freelancing:

• Global Network: Upwork is available in over 180 countries, making connecting with global clients easier.
• All-In Mediation: Upwork handles all the contracts, billing, and invoicing processes. This helps you focus on your craft instead of tracking all admin-related requirements before getting paid.
• Robust Writing Job Board: Upwork has 80 writing-related categories under its filter, giving you more options to check if your first few don’t work.
• Upwork Connects: A “Connect” serves as your internal currency and allows you to send client proposals or applications. Upwork’s free plan grants you 10 connects per month, while its Freelance Plus gives you up to 80 connects.
• Top Rated Badge: This one’s given to Upwork’s top freelancers who have built a strong reputation on the platform and consistently get positive feedback from clients. Acquiring this badge gives you access to Upwork’s exclusive features like premium support and in-house talent scout assistance.

Pros of Upwork

• Hassle-free Onboarding: All you need is an email address to start creating an account for free. No need for samples and exams to start searching for writing jobs.
• Seamless Portal Interface: Upwork has intuitive navigation that helps you sift through job listings without getting lost.
• Location Flexibility: Compared to some platforms that require you to be within the state or city near your client, Upwork supports fully remote jobs.

Cons of Upwork

• High Competition: Landing the first gig remains challenging for any new freelance writer. Clients looking for content writing services often look for a solid portfolio before hiring their freelancer.
• Commission Fee: Upwork takes 20% of the first $500 you bill to your clients. This can be too hefty, especially for starters with minimal projects.
• Dispute Resolution: Users report difficulty connecting with Upwork’s resolution team to settle payment disputes.

Upwork Income

Content writing jobs on Upwork have an average pay of $15 to $40 an hour. Some companies who want a long-term arrangement with writers pay a flat fee of $800 a month.

Final Verdict

Upwork is a great job search engine that offers freelance writing jobs globally. It can take a while to build a solid reputation and attract regular clients, but it is nonetheless the most robust platform for writing gigs that pay.

2. Blogging Pro : Runner-Up

Blogging Pro is an easy-to-navigate job site for professional writers looking for trusted clients. Unlike most platforms that require you to create user profiles, Blogging Pro gives you total control over when and to who you want to apply.

Key Features of Blogging Pro

Here are the top features why we recommend Blogging Pro:

• Multiple Job Setup: Most job listings in this platform are remote, though a few require onsite arrangements. They also offer freelance, contract, or part-time setups.
• Writing Tips & Tutorials: Blogging Pro has quick links to articles that help you enhance your freelance work quality. Access is free with no sign-up requirement.
• In-demand Writing Categories: The platform only advertises writing jobs such as content writing, journalism, and copywriting. This saves you time from having to sort through vast, non-writing jobs.
• Direct Apply: Once you select a writing gig, you’ll get a comprehensive list of responsibilities and requirements and a snippet of the client’s background. Hitting ‘Apply for job’ leads you to the client’s website to complete the application.
• Fast Response Time: Blogging Pro requires clients to respond to applications within 24 to 48 hours. This guarantees you’ll get a response whether you make it or not.

Pros of Blogging Pro

• Free to Use: You don’t pay anything with Blogging Pro. No add-on costs, hidden fees, or cutbacks for commissions.
• Transparent Pricing: Most jobs in this portal provide their exact pay range. If not, their websites will, which you can access when you apply.
• Reliable Clients: Blogging Pro’s client list is a combination of established companies and startups with either brick-and-mortar stores or a legitimate online presence.

Cons of Blogging Pro

• Minimal Job Updates: Unlike bigger portals with daily job streams, Blogging Pro only updates when clients choose to advertise on their platform. They do an average of weekly updates with fewer than 20 new jobs.
• Requires Experience: While all positions are open to beginners, many clients indicate specific writing experience in their eligibility requirements. This can be tough to break for anyone with no portfolio to show.
• Inconsistent Income: Blogging Pro doesn’t set any price range guideline for clients apart from the minimum $15 requirement. It’s up to you to determine if the company’s offering a competitive price for the writing service required.

Blogging Pro Income

Blogging Pro guarantees a minimum of $15 hourly pay for writers as part of its initial agreement with clients. Some jobs, like social media writers, can pay up to $300 per project.

Blogging Pro is an excellent choice for finding freelance writing jobs covering different niches.

Its direct link to clients gives you full control of the application process and an overview of the job budget, so you won’t have to do the guesswork in finding out how much you’ll earn.

Still, it doesn’t offer many jobs, and you’ll often need to showcase proof of writing experience to land a gig.

3. Fiverr : Also Great

Fiverr is the perfect platform for individuals who prefer working with other individuals instead of a large-scale company.

This website is an ideal entry-level choice since you won’t have to bid or negotiate for jobs.

You’ll also have access to a potential client or buyer’s requests, including instructions and files to assist you in delivering their expected result.

Key Features of Fiverr

Let’s look into the features we like best about Fiverr and see if it fits your ideal freelance writing website:

• Worldwide Reach: Fiverr is available in 190 countries, with 42% of its users based in the U.S. It also houses clients from Canada, India, and the U.K.
• Seller Levels: You can climb up the levels if you constantly deliver quality tasks on time.
• Pro-verified Feature: If you have the background and experience of a trusted writer, then Fiverr might approve you as part of their ‘Pro Services’ feature. You can charge higher and increase the potential of attracting high-paying clients.
• Extensive Filter Customization: Fiverr wants an ideal match for their clients, so their filters are extensive. You can consider this feature when setting up your profile, delivery timelines, price range, and writing style.
• E-learning Products: If you’re looking to enhance your skills, try enrolling in Fiverr’s business and technical courses led by niche experts.

Pros of Fiverr

• Admin-free Experience: The platform handles the admin side of things like producing invoices, promotions, transaction recording, etc.
• Option for Early Payout: While only available to select sellers, the feature is an advantage. It’s an advantage if you need cash immediately instead of waiting for the typical 14-day clearing period.
• Opportunities to Broaden Skills: Fiverr’s writing jobs range from simple content writing to more challenging gigs like technical writeups. You’ll encounter task requests you haven’t tried before that can be a great learning opportunity.

Cons of Fiverr

• Low-paying Gigs: While you can charge your services for up to $995 per project, only top-rated and long-time freelancers enjoy that profit. Most starters will have to settle for the low price of $5.
• Issues with Scams: There are reports of freelancers not getting paid by clients claiming they have yet to receive their orders. It can be difficult to dispute this unless you have complete and detailed communications with the client.
• Commission Fee: Fiverr takes 20% off your earning regardless of your seller level or service cost. If you earn $5, you’ll only receive $4 as your take-home pay.

Fiverr Income

Your Fiverr income depends on the number of services you deliver. You can price it from $5 per project up to $995.

Fiverr’s a great place for freelancers who want to start small, minus all the hassle of promoting their services. By setting up an account, your profile’s automatically pooled under your chosen gig category.

It’s entry-level at best, which might not be the best option for advanced writers with considerable writing experience.

Notable Mentions: Other Writing Sites To Check Out

If you’re looking for alternative options other than our top 3 picks, you can try out these freelance writing sites:

4. Contently – Best for Experienced Writers

Contently is for expert freelance writers looking at landing a gig with big companies. Some of their clients include Coca-Cola, Dell, Walmart, and Google.

Unlike the other platforms on our list, you don’t apply for a writing job to be a part of their team. Their in-house talent scouts choose writers from all around the web and invite them for an interview.

That being said, having a solid creative platform that showcases your diverse writing portfolio is an essential factor to be considered for any of their gigs.

Why is Contently a Great Option?

Landing a gig at Contently is a surefire way to skyrocket your freelance career. You can add your experience with them to your portfolio along with the brands or companies you worked with.

Best of all, you can negotiate your rate. If you think they’re offering lower than your regular rate, you can demand higher pay.

Drawbacks to Contently

Its obvious drawback comes from the fact that it isn’t for beginners. Contently only contacts specialists with years of experience whose consistent portfolio speaks for their work quality.

Contently Income

Contently has a proprietary rate sheet that dictates the price range options for their projects. While we can’t divulge the specifics, online writers share earnings between $300 and $1,200 per piece.

5. Writers Work – Best Pooled Writing Jobs

Writers Work is a paid freelance writing platform that offers real-time data on writing gigs worldwide. They offer a lifetime subscription of $47 or a monthly option of $15.

It’s an excellent platform allowing you to do all your writing tasks in it. It has a built-in text editor and work tracker feature to help you organize your workload and set writing goals.

Writers Work also has one of the most diverse types of writing requests, such as writing stories for magazines or even fishing equipment reviews.

Why is Writers Work a Great Option?

One thing that Writers Work does well is its writing-only job board. You won’t find other popular gigs like graphic design or video production in its pool.

It’s a great platform for getting a constant stream of gigs you can easily filter by categories like finance, tech, and entertainment.

Drawbacks to Writers Work

There’s high competition in this platform, which may deter freelancers who are looking at quick payments. While there are varied writing options, landing those high-paying gigs requires skill and experience.

Writers Work Income

Writers get paid between $20 to $65 an hour. Other projects offer a fixed rate of $100 per project.

6. iWriter – Best for Tiered Writing Gigs

iWriter is an excellent platform that offers opportunities for writers to upgrade their skills and earning potential while writing more.

The platform offers four writing levels – Standard, Premium, Elite, and Elite Plus. Accessing higher levels mean higher-paying gigs.

We found iWriter to have a diverse niche in terms of topics and ideas, with clients providing specific writing instructions, including required keywords and formatting.

Why is iWriter a Great Option?

It’s easy to join iWriter as a freelancer. You’ll only need to pass two 200-word writing tests to complete the registration. Once done, you can start using the platform to find gigs.

Happy clients also have the option to give you tips for a job well done, helping you increase your income. You also have the opportunity to get paid weekly or biweekly, with a minimum of $20 in earnings.

Drawbacks to iWriter

A significant drawback of iWriter is its steep commission. The platform takes 35% of your total earnings, which is higher than other platforms in our list charge.

Rising through the ranks may also be challenging for new writers as you must deliver 30 articles with a minimum of a 4-star rating before leveling up a step.

iWriter income

Depending on your writing tier, you can earn between $1.25 to $260 in iWriter. There’s a fixed price assigned to word counts across the board, which varies in level.

7. WriterAccess – Best for Long-term Writing Job

WriterAccess is home to over 40,000 brands, all looking for quality writers. Many freelancers who start working with the platform often receive repeat orders from companies, agencies, and small businesses they’ve worked with.

This platform’s an excellent starting point for skilled writers looking for a freelance job with the potential for long-term employment.

Why is WriterAccess a Great Option?

WriterAccess is excellent for building a freelance writing career with reliable clients. You can get hired for all sorts of jobs, from writing blogs to writing short stories.

The platform screens all interested writers. If you pass, you’re automatically given a star rating, unlocking jobs within that level. The higher the rating, the bigger the pay.

Drawbacks to WriterAccess

While joining WriterAccess is free, getting approved can be a challenge. You must provide at least two public web pages as sample works on top of your general and industry experience.

WriterAccess income

All writers are paid 70% of what the client pays for each project.

8. ProBlogger – Best for Blog Writing

ProBlogger is a must-try platform if you’re into SEO writing and blogging. Most of its job postings are from website owners who want to outsource the writing part of their content marketing strategy.

This platform is ideal if you enjoy writing across different topics and are fine communicating directly with the client or managing your workload.

Why is ProBlogger a Great Option?

ProBlogger is great because of its real-time job listings and quality clients who pay well for your services. Joining the platform is easy, and you don’t have to pay anything.

All you need is to register to create your online resume. From here, you can bookmark jobs and create job alerts to get up to speed with the most recent job ads.

Drawbacks to ProBlogger

ProBlogger’s quality clientele attracts the most talents, so expect tough competition. The fact that these clients pay $80 to post their job ads on the platform means they’re willing to pay, but they can also be picky in hiring freelance writers.

ProBlogger income

Writers earn from $25 to $200 per piece, depending on the complexity and research work required. In-house or full-time bloggers earn between $45,000 to $90,000 annually.

Other Online Gigs to Check Out

Is online writing too tough for starters? Here are alternative options to earn money online.

• High-paying Surveys: Do you like answering surveys or giving quality feedback for products and services? This article introduces you to online surveys that pay well.
• How to Get Paid Playing Video Games: Bring your gaming experience to a new level and get paid! Know websites and apps that pay money, gift cards, and other rewards.
• Get Paid to Text: This is perfect for anyone who wants easy side hustles you can do any time, anywhere, even while on the go.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do online writing jobs pay well.

ZipRecruiter reports an average $38 hourly rate for online writers, a decent figure for remote work. The total compensation, however, will depend on other factors like the number of hours you write, the employer, and fees taken out of your earnings.

What is the Best Writing Niche?

The popularity of writing niche fluctuates, but top picks this 2023 include digital marketing, cryptocurrency, e-commerce, healthcare, and personal finance.

Wrapping Up

The freelance writing business is booming, and bagging a gig that pays well is possible if you know where to look.

Upwork is our top pick for the sheer volume of writing opportunities. Its thousands of jobs and multiple subcategories remain unbeatable, even with competitors like Fiverr.

Blogging Pro is also a favorite if you’re looking for niche-focused writing with clients that pay well.

Overall, checking out the online writing platforms we’ve listed opens you to opportunities to earn money by writing, even with little experience.

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How to Pick a College Essay Topic, According to an Admission Expert

The personal essay is one of the most crucial parts of a college application. While your transcripts and test scores highlight your achievement, they’re ultimately just stats and figures.

That’s where the college essay comes in: It helps colleges determine who you are. You can let your personality shine through and also show off your biggest wins — and explain away any potential shortcomings.

Of course, not everyone loves to write. And even if you do, it’s not always easy to figure out what to say. After all, most college essay prompts are quite vague. Where do you even start?

We spoke with Dan Phan, the academic program manager for USC Bovard Scholars , to learn how to pick the perfect college essay topic.

What Should a College Essay Focus On?

First things first: You need to determine what your dream school is asking for. Some will ask for just one essay, which is in response to several possible prompts. Usually, these prompts have to do with your background, your ambitions, challenging or formative times in your life or your personal beliefs. Other schools, however, will require you to write a personal statement, in addition to answering several shorter supplementary essay questions.

So, different universities have different application requirements. However, the essay’s goal remains the same, regardless of the prompt or format.

“The main personal statement should be introspective and shed light on the student’s core values, experiences that shaped them and aspirations for the future. Who is this student? Where have they been

Where do they hope to go?” Phan said.

What are Some Examples of College Essay Themes?

Many people use the college essay to reflect on hurdles in their lives. These difficulties could be related to academics or personal struggles. The idea is to show how you handle adversity. Essays can also focus on a personal turning point, to illustrate your personal growth or how you adapt to change.

Other applicants focus on topics related to identity and diversity, diving into their cultural background or family history to explore how their heritage and upbringing have shaped them into who they are today.

Some students write about their passions, hobbies or community involvement, showing what they have to offer besides good grades. It’s also a way to paint a picture of how they could participate in campus culture. After all, the goal is for the university to want you to be there and bring your personal touch to campus!

Phan’s favorite college essay themes?

“I love reading stories about the movers and shakers of the world, young adults that I can envision in the college setting, wherever that may be, and making a big difference once there,” she said.

And while Phan sees plenty of stories about family, culture, personal obstacles and achievements, she’s also read some “beautifully written essays” that she “remembers vividly to this day.”

The topics of these essays were wide-ranging and, often, highly personal.

“Playing music with symbrachydactyly (a hand anomaly characterized by missing fingers),” Phan recalled. “Visiting the neighborhood wig shop after school to chat with cancer patients. Defying gender stereotypes. Living close to the state prison and getting involved in prison-to-school pipeline programs. Car rides listening to NPR. Peach dumplings. Natural hair. Treasure maps.”

So, don’t be afraid to get creative. While your college essay should express who you are, there are many different ways to do so.

How Do You Choose a College Essay Topic?

When faced with vague prompts and open-ended suggestions, it can be hard to think of one story that summarizes who you are. Unfortunately, you can’t write about everything that makes you unique. Instead, narrow it down to a specific thesis.

Phan recommends that students think about the top four things a stranger would need to know to get acquainted with them.

“I encourage students to be vulnerable, to build connections and to think about some of their most formative or meaningful experiences, whether that involves family, identity, culture, extracurricular activities or interests,” Phan said.

Ask yourself what your strengths are. What are the skills and qualities that separate you from others? Then, consider the stories in your life that illustrate these traits.

Maybe you’re proud of your resilience. What’s a time in your life that it was tested? Or perhaps you have a passion for improving your community. What led you to that? What are some times you’ve demonstrated that dedication?

Once you consider what you want the essay to reveal about you, it’s easier to determine what examples in your life illustrate that.

“The most compelling essays are not only well written but have rich details that humanize the student’s experiences,” Phan said.

What Not to Write in Your College Essay

While you have plenty of options for your college essay, there are also some topics you don’t want to write about. For example, Phan advises applicants to avoid writing about grades or academic performance. Your transcript already covers that.

Another common pitfall? Not writing about yourself.

“Sometimes, students make the mistake of bringing in another person like a family member, friend or leader they admire, and the essay ceases to be about the student but rather about how incredible the other person is — which completely misses the point,” Phan explained.

Similarly, keep in mind that you’re writing about yourself now. That means you should be discussing who you are as a prospective college student, not who you were in kindergarten. While stories from your youth may help explain who you’ve become, the focus should always be on personal growth and development.

Some essay topics are so overused that they’ve become clichéd, such as teenage heartbreak, mission trip experiences or winning a sports game, Phan said: “Considering how admissions committees may be reading tens of thousands of applications each application cycle, admissions readers want to read unique college essays with fresh perspectives and angularity.”

Should Someone Proofread Your College Essay?

Applying for college is a process with many steps, and most students ask for help confirming they’ve done each part correctly. The same goes for your college essay!

Once you’ve selected the topic, it’s normal to ask for feedback to ensure you’re on the right track. Your college counselor or a teacher would be the right people to ask.

Similarly, it’s a good idea to ask them for help refining the essay once it’s done. They can help you deliver your thesis in the most compelling way possible. Remember, even the most talented writers need a copy editor to check that their work is free of misspellings and grammatical errors.

However, don’t have too many people read your essay.

“I’ve seen essays become so disjointed because there were too many voices in the essays,” Phan said. “Additionally, working with multiple people can pull students in different directions, resulting in a bit of Frankenstein of an essay and the student’s original voice being completely lost.”

So, trust your gut! With enough preparation, hard work and proofreading, you can write a solid college essay that makes you stand out to potential schools.

Learn more about USC Summer and Online Pre-College Programs today.

Author: Becca van Sambeck

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Posted on Nov 19, 2018

15 of the Best Online Writing Communities for Aspiring Authors

About the author.

Reedsy's editorial team is a diverse group of industry experts devoted to helping authors write and publish beautiful books.

About Dario Villirilli

Editor-in-Chief of the Reedsy blog, Dario is a graduate of Mälardalen University. As a freelance writer, he has written for many esteemed outlets aimed at writers. A traveler at heart, he can be found roaming the world and working from his laptop.

As enjoyable and fulfilling as writing can be, the truth is that it’s often a solitary endeavor. While we might romanticize the focused artist typing away while imaginary worlds and narratives swirl inside their minds — authors know the truth: writing can get lonely. And moreover, when you’re working on a one-person project, it can be hard to remain motivated and accountable. That’s where writing communities come in.

Writing communities are the perfect place to find answers to your writing questions and to discuss the ins and outs of the writing life with people who actually understand what you’re talking about.

So, if you are tired of listening only to the voices in your head, take a look at our list of top online writing communities. (And if you're hungry for more, check out our more exhaustive list of the very best writing websites!)

Top online writing communities

1. absolute write water cooler.

With over 68,000 members, this is a large and highly active community. Here you can find threads on every genre imaginable, as well as discussions about freelance writing, the publishing industry, pop culture, writing prompts and exercises, and much more.

Perfect for: writers who are looking for a large and active community.

2. AgentQuery Connect

While this forum will come in handy for any writer, it’s especially helpful for authors who have already completed their manuscript and are wondering what to do next. The site boasts a wealth of information on publishing topics such as querying agents, self-publishing tips, and book promotion advice.

Perfect for: writers who are looking to connect with agents and learn more about the publishing industry.

3. Camp NaNoWriMo

If you’ve ever wanted to go to a writer’s retreat but can’t afford it just yet, then this site might help scratch your itch. Holding online “camp sessions” in April and July, Camp NaNoWriMo offers a digital space to encourage and empower writers at any point of their career. Here you can work on drafts, revisions, short stories, or any other writing project that involves word-count goals.

Perfect for: writers who can’t wait until November to get some writing done .

4. Critique Circle

Feedback should be a vital part of any writer’s process, and this is exactly what Critique Circle offers. This members-only site allows authors to post stories in exchange for feedback on other people’s writing. You can also find storyboarding tools , writing prompts, workshops, name generators, games like hangman, and much more.

Perfect for: writers who want honest feedback on their writing.

5. Chronicles

As the world’s largest Science Fiction and Fantasy online community, Chronicles offers writers the opportunity to get together and discuss the latest books, news, and pop culture in the Sci-Fi and Fantasy world. This is an active community with thousands of threads that include genre-specific challenges, workshops, critiques, and even publishing and industry information.

Perfect for: writers interested in Science Fiction and Fantasy writing.

6. Facebook Groups

If social media is more your style, don't miss the chance to interact with your fellow writers by joining Facebook groups in your own niche. Look for groups with a strict "no self-promotion" rules so that it remains supportive and useful to your writing goals.

There are a lot of groups out there in a variety of topics that range from genre-specific writing tips to traditional and self-publishing industry news. Here are just a few of them:

10 Minute Novelists — a group for the time-crunched writer. Calls for Submissions  — for writers looking for publication opportunities. Fiction Writers Global — a great resource for information about traditional and self-publishing. Writers Unite! — an active group with plenty of support and motivation for novice and experienced writers alike.

Perfect for: writers who prefer using social media.

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7. Insecure Writer’s Support Group

Whether you are a debut or seasoned author, there’s no doubt that writing a book can be intimidating and rife with bouts of self-doubt. The Insecure Writer’s Support Group aims to help you overcome those insecurities by hosting a community of like-minded authors.

Perfect for: writers who have doubts about their writing and are in need of encouragement.

8. The Next Big Writer

This is an international forum where writers can receive feedback on their writing and support on every other part of the creative process from drafting to publishing and marketing. The critiques are often thorough and many come from published authors. Keep in mind that there is a monthly cost associated with the membership, but it might be worth it to be able to bend the ear of published authors.

Perfect for: writers seeking in-depth critiques from an international audience.

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More than just a single writing community, Reddit has countless ‘subreddits’ where writers of all genres, interests, and levels of experience flock. While it may not offer workshops or tools, members can find niche threads that relate to their interests, critique other people’s work, and discover helpful sources of information.

There are so many different subreddits that you can get lost browsing them, but here are a few of the most popular ones:

r/writing — for general writing purposes. r/writingprompts — for user-submitted writing prompts. r/destructivereaders — beware, if you don’t like harsh criticism this may not be the best fit. But if you are willing to endure it, you will come out a better writer at the end. r/worldbuilding — user submitted fiction worlds. r/fantasywriters — for anybody interested in the fantasy genre. r/characterforge — the place to be for character building. r/writerchat — for those interested in talking with fellow writers. r/selfpublish — for anybody interested in self-publishing. r/logophilia — “the love of words and word games,” and that’s exactly what you’ll find here. r/freelanceWriters — for anybody interested in a career in freelance writing . r/books — because reading is just as important as writing if you want to be a successful author.

Perfect for: writers who want niche threads based on a particular interest or need.

10. Scribophile

One of the largest communities in the world, Scribophile offers workshops, tutorials, and critiques for authors in just about any genre imaginable. While it is free to join, only users who pay for a membership get access to all their features.

Perfect for: authors who want to take part in writing workshops alongside writers of all experience levels.

11. She Writes

With over 30,000 members, this is the largest writing community exclusively for women. Here you can find articles on writing, editing, and marketing for every genre. There are forums tailored to specific needs, like travel writers, writing about trauma, NaNoWriMo, and many other topics.

Perfect for: women writers who want a place to connect and learn from fellow writers.

12. Talentville

If your passion lies in screenwriting, then you’ll want to book a one-way ticket to Talentville. Here, you can get feedback on your writing and learn the skills necessary to perfect your screencraft. Plus, you can work on and build your network of contacts: the site is also a frequent stop for industry professionals (like agents, managers, and producers) on the lookout for new talent.

Perfect for: writers who are interested in screenwriting and networking.

13. Underlined

A writing community by Penguin Random House. While any author can find helpful information on this website, it’s geared more towards younger writers. It has a well-designed platform, quizzes, genre-specific information, the latest news on book releases, Q&As with authors, and even some giveaways and excerpts as perks.

Perfect for: younger writers looking for genre-specific information and bookish perks.

14. Writers Helping Writers

This is a free-to-register community where you can find resources for writers, teachers, and editors alike. They offer a vast array of tools to perfect your craft, no matter your level. Their extensive creative library includes webinars, free writing and marketing tools, a thesaurus collection, story maps, idea generators, and more.

Perfect for: writers, editors, and teachers who are looking to build up their writing toolbox.

15. #WritingCommunity

Sometimes, all you need is a hashtag. And indeed, Twitter's own #WritingCommunity is one of the most robust writing collectives on the web. Ask a question, and it'll almost certainly get answered (without a lot of Twitter's trademark snark). The key here is to keep your questions concise, reply often to others, and don't go crazy with other hashtags. The community can tell if you're just thirsty for RTs. Perfect for: writers who are finally ready to use Twitter for good — and not just for procrastinating.

13 responses

27/11/2018 – 22:42

Very useful post. Thanks for this. I will be linking to it on my blog.

Dr Jack Edward Effron says:

18/02/2019 – 16:40

You left out taylz.com. It’s truly free. They are not going to give you a rubbish service to make you join their pay site because they have no pay site. Your story can be 8,000 words. They are not going to force you into flash fiction of 3,000 words. One critique out, one critique in: no mucking about with “karma” or critiquing 5+ stories to get one critique. The great new idea whose time has come! And it’s British, not American.

marieseltenrych says:

08/05/2019 – 12:28

Reedsy, thank God you are here! I want to ask a question to other authors or self publishers here: I have been approached by OmniScriptum to publish my books (research) with them. I cannot find much about this company online, so wondered if anyone has published with them recently? Thanks Reedsy in anticipation. Marie

↪️ Reedsy replied:

08/05/2019 – 12:29

Hi Marie! Sounds potentially very shady to me. If you haven't already, check out our post on predatory companies in publishing. One of the rules of thumb is that if a publisher contacts you first, be very wary. I just did 20 seconds worth of Googling and found some people who had a bad experience.

Eunice Brownlee says:

I am a member of illuminate, which is a group designed around supporting women who want to share their stories but don't know how. The majority of us write non-fiction essays and memoirs, but we have a few poets and fiction writers in the mix as well. The overall goal is to support each other, especially through those harder moments of not wanting to write, or not knowing where to start. There are monthly themes and prompts, a weekly exercise inside the Facebook group, and cross-sharing of what we're working on. My favorite feature is the expert review, where you can submit any piece you're working on each month and you'll get quality feedback from one of the editors that manage the group. This group is perfect for anyone who is just getting started writing.

↪️ Brittani B replied:

11/02/2020 – 19:27

I tried the link multiple times both from this page and separately searched and was unable to access the site.

Harry says:

05/06/2019 – 07:51

Personally I think you missed out the best writing community: https://community.jerichowriters.com/ Jericho Writers is a free writing community that writers can safely share thought, make friends, swap work and get advice

Christian says:

08/08/2019 – 12:21

I only recommend Scribophile if you enjoy being coerced into groupthink. If you hope to get meaningful critique that will help you, look elsewhere. The critiques here are mostly SPAG, and it's forbidden to discuss your work on the main forums, except in the broadest, vaguest way.

Randy says:

18/08/2019 – 06:11

I have all my dads writing research and copyrights to 18 different books....all this was before the digital world .... many negatives photos ....every major story from all over the world with his .copyright . These are huge stores and his books are really well written ....what should I do with them .....incredible spy work as well

Ratih says:

27/08/2019 – 03:50

As a new writer this article is really useful for me. Thank you reedsy

Jennifer says:

02/09/2019 – 14:15

Hi guys! Great blog! Just wanted to let you know that we linked to you in a blog on the Peaceful Living Wellness Online Magazine :) It will be published on Friday, September 6th, 2019

↪️ Martin Cavannagh replied:

17/09/2019 – 09:04

Thanks! We appreciate that!

Kaylee Downey says:

14/02/2020 – 19:09

Um...what about Wattpad?

Comments are currently closed.

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