You might have stumbled across Barefoot Writer online, the club that’s all about making money from freelance writing.

Barefoot Writer is basically a digital hangout for writers, boasting more than 250,000+ members. They’re all about teaching you how to earn the big bucks from freelance writing and copywriting.

Sounds pretty tempting, right?

Now, you might wonder, is Barefoot Writer the real deal or just another online scam? Can it truly help you get those writing jobs and boost your side gig in writing?

I’ve been in the freelance writing game for a few years now, and Barefoot Writer caught my eye with their ads. So, I decided to dig a bit deeper into what they offer, see what other members think, and figure out if there are better options out there.

In today’s review, I wanted to tell you what this platform is all about as well as if it’s worth your time.  As always, I’m 100% honest, only recommending what I feel is worth your time.

Let’s begin!

What is Barefoot Writer?

Simply put, Barefoot Writer is a mix of a magazine and a website where they teach you to earn money as a freelance writer online. Their big mission is to help you land the best writing jobs out there. Their ads talk a lot about turning you into a professional writer who gets paid well and enjoys the freedom to work from anywhere.

Right now, as I write this, joining Barefoot Writers Club will cost you $249 a year. They’ve been around for over 15+  years and are part of the American Writers Association (AWAI). They promise to teach you stuff like:

• Making your writing more efficient
• Choosing your ideal writing path
• Writing for profitable niches
• Finding projects and charging what you’re worth

At first glance, it looks like your typical online writing course.

However, here’s the deal.  I’m going to give you my take on Barefoot Writer, based on my own freelance writing experience. Plus, I’ll throw in what other members – both current and former – have to say. This way, you can figure out for yourself if it’s a worthwhile investment or just hype.

Is Barefoot Writer Legit?

Yes, Barefoot Writer is definitely a legitimate platform.

As a member, you will get access to job posts, training modules, newsletters, courses, and resources aimed at kickstarting your freelance writing career. But, here’s the thing; their ads paint freelance writing as an easy way to make money, which, from my experience, isn’t exactly accurate.

This doesn’t mean Barefoot Writer is a scam, but their advertising can be a bit over the top. I’ve noticed that many people reviewing Barefoot Writer online share their frustration about hidden costs and find the provided information not as helpful as they had hoped.  If you don’t believe, search online to see what other people are saying if you don’t believe me.

In essence, you’re paying a pretty hefty fee for information and resources you could probably find on your own online, often for free or at a much lower cost.  I’m always against buying programs and the same can be said here.

How Barefoot Writer Works

Barefoot Writer is a subscription-based service for those interested in freelance writing. They offer a free guide and a mailing list signup without any charge, but that’s about it for freebies.  If you do sign up, they will bombard you with a lot of e-mails, attempting to sell you on other programs.

For the actual service, you’re looking at $249 per year as noted.  This can change at any time, but again, this is what it was as I wrote this.

This membership includes seven bonus guides covering topics such as:

• Earning through copywriting
• Making over $500 with email marketing
• The concept of working just an hour a week to earn $50,000+ a year
• Earning through research
• Profiting from creative writing
• Getting paid for your vacation
• You also receive monthly issues of Barefoot Writer Magazine, daily newsletters, access to their private Facebook group, and other perks.

However, I’ve got some concerns here.

They promote some pretty unrealistic outcomes. Like making $50,000+ a year by writing only an hour a week seems far-fetched to me, unless you’re selling the idea of easy passive income without doing much real work.

Also, while email copywriting can be profitable, making $500 a day right off the bat is a stretch for most writers, especially beginners.  I’m not saying it can be done, but I have been in this industry for a long time and know it can take a LONG time to reach this threshold.

In short, Barefoot Writer makes some big promises about huge income potentials that don’t really match up with the reality for most established writers, let alone those new to the field.

How Much Does Barefoot Writer Cost?

Let’s talk about what it costs to join Barefoot Writer and if it’s really worth your money.

To be a member, you will have to pay $249 every year, and that’s a payment you make all at once. They do offer a full-year money-back guarantee where you can ask for a refund for any reason.

When you break it down, it’s about $21~ a month. For the eBooks, access to their Facebook group, and newsletters, it might seem like a decent deal, but this is what I think.  You can find most of this information for free or at a lower cost elsewhere. And I’m not a fan of how Barefoot Writer makes those big income claims.

I’ve seen other websites, like Writers Work, which have a similar approach, and frankly, they seem a bit sketchy to me.

In my view, you’re much better off honing your writing skills for free on platforms like your own blog. You can even look for writing jobs on free job boards like ProBlogger or Upwork, or go for more budget-friendly job sites like FlexJobs.

What People are Saying

1. One reviewer gave a low rating, warning that while Barefoot Writer offers basic writing tips, it fails to deliver on its promise of helping find paid writing jobs. The job board advertised was not useful according to their experience, and they found it more effective to search for writing work independently. They also noted that customer support did not assist in finding writing jobs.
2. Another reviewer expressed extreme dissatisfaction, wanting to give a rating lower than two stars. They described their experience as receiving a constant stream of spam emails from Barefoot Writer, even after attempting to unsubscribe. They advise others to avoid engaging with the service to prevent similar experiences.
3. A third reviewer mentioned paying for Barefoot Writer and found the initial offering satisfactory. However, they quickly faced numerous upsell attempts for additional courses and materials. They were disappointed with the aggressive marketing tactics and the lengthy, repetitive sales pitches that didn’t provide substantial information.
4. Someone on Reddit joined Barefoot Writers Club, hoping to access a job board for new copywriters. They found no access to the board, only general blogs and constant sales pitches for costly programs. Feeling misled, they regret joining and wanted a refund.

Final Thoughts

Is Barefoot Writer a scam?

Not exactly, but I don’t think it’s worth splurging on an annual membership. The site throws around some pretty dubious claims about earnings, and the annual fee is quite steep for information that’s readily available online, often for free or much cheaper.

I personally didn’t spend my money on Barefoot Writer. I just grabbed their free career guide. The $249 fee just didn’t seem justified to me for what they’re offering.  As noted, you can find all of this information for free online, particularly YouTube videos.

What I recommend is saving that $249 and creating your own website. That way, you can create a portfolio and then sell yourself as you apply for jobs.  That would be a much better investment.

That’s going to do it for now.

As always, if you want to comment on your experience, feel free to do so below.