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Entry Level Writing Jobs: Here Are 17+ to Consider

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Who says you need to be an expert writer to make money online?

This couldn’t be further from the truth!

A few years ago, in my quest to make money online, one of the first ways I started making money was via freelance writing.  My spelling and grammar was okay, but I didn’t think I had what it would take to start making some cash.  I had no experience, but I made it work.  If I can do it, so can you.

In general, as long as you know basic grammar and can use a spell checker, you shouldn’t have a hard time finding work.  Now, granted, you won’t make a ton of cash as an entry-level freelance writer, but as you work on your writing skills, you could soon find yourself making some pretty decent cash.  I can’t stress it enough that rookie writers will not make a ton of money.   Just picture it no different than an entry-level job at a corporation.

In today’s post, I wanted to talk about all of the platforms/options you should consider if you’re new to the market.  All of these options are 100% free to join and can make for a great choice for any rookie writer.  Yes, you will need to apply like you would any other job, but generally, as long as you can submit a very small writing sample with minimal errors, you shouldn’t have a problem being considered.

So, if you want to get paid writing online and have very little experience, then strap in and consider one of the many options I note below.  There are quite a few, and I can promise you that you can find something that suits your needs.

Let’s begin!

Entry Level Freelance Writing Jobs to Consider

Textbroker

When I first started writing online, I started out with Textbroker.  It didn’t pay much, but I was able to pick and choose the articles I wanted to write and work whenever I wanted to.  I figured it was a great starting point, and I found it was very easy to earn $100+ a week.  You can make a lot more if you write full-time, however.

To get started with Textbroker, they do ask that you fill out a profile as well as a small writing sample so that they can grade your writing skills.  Based on your skills, you are then rated on a five-star system, with the higher levels paying the most.

I’m not the best writer, but I was personally able to snag a four-star position, which paid 1.4 cents per word.  As most articles were 500 to 1,000 words each, that’s about $7 to $14 each.  Get good enough and it’s not too hard to dish out two an hour.   Plan on making anywhere from 0.7 to 1.4 cents+ per word, but this could be much more if a client wants to privately send you some work.  In that case, you get to set your own rates.

Once active, you can log in at any time and choose any article that you want to write.  Just read the directions, create the article and submit for approval.  If approved, the money is added to your account, in which you can request a cash out once you hit $10.

Out of all the options, Textbroker is a great starting point to get started in the writing world.  It always has work available, and you can easily earn $100+ a week working very part-time.



Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk)

I have talked about MTurk so many times, such as in my get paid to make phone calls and how to make quick money in one day posts.

If you’re not familiar with it, it’s basically a platform where you can complete short tasks at your own pace, such as finding an address or maybe judging a picture.  There’s always a lot of work, and it’s not too hard to make more than $10+ an hour once you get to know what “HITS” are worth turking for.

Anyways, one of the many ways to make money on MTurk is by writing short snippets for people.  The great thing about these gigs is that you need very little experience and the jobs are extremely easy to complete.

For instance, when I was writing this, I logged in my account to see how many writing tasks were up and found thousands.

I picked out a few and included it in the screenshots above.  The HITS you find on MTurk don’t pay much, but they only take a minute or so to complete.  In that one example, the requester wanted you to write 8-36 words and would pay $0.20.  Not much, but I could write eight words in 10 seconds.

Take a look at the platform to see what kind of writing jobs there are.  You may be pleasantly surprised.  Even if you don’t find a job of interest, there are thousands of others you may be interested in.

Content Authority

The Content Authority isn’t always hiring entry-level writers due to demand, but when they do, it’s a nice option to choose as they seem to have steady work.

According to their applicant page, they do have a few requirements, but most of it just asks that you’re able to read/comprehend English as well as write formal articles at a high school level.

The amount you get paid will depend on the number of words, the type of article and your quality.  Like Textbroker, you will be rated on a “Tier” ranking, with the higher Tiered articles paying out more.

To learn more and see if they are hiring, you can follow the link below for more information.

Crowd Content

On Crowd Content, you can create your own account right now and start working this week as long as your application is accepted.  It only takes a few minutes to complete, but be prepared to submit a 50 to 200-word writing sample to showcase your writing skills.

If accepted, you can start to apply to any open projects you’re approved for at your writing level, which can range anywhere from one to four stars.  Your rating will depend on your application quality, but your rating, like a lot of these options, can approve as you submit high-quality work.

Crowd Content pays out twice a week with work available all of the time.

iWriter

iWriter isn’t my favorite option on the list, but it’s one to consider if you’re just entering the freelance writing world.  They tend to always have a ton of work.

The thing I don’t like about iWriter is that the pay is quite low and clients can reject your work for any reason, leaving you with an article that’s pretty much worthless.

Like the many entry-level writing companies I already mentioned, iWriter will ask that you fill out a small application as well as submit a 200-word writing sample.  It’s not that strict, but they just want to make sure you have a grasp for the English language.

As a writer, you can log in at any time and select any jobs of interest.  Just follow the job description, and you should get paid as long as the client likes your work.

I haven’t really messed with this site as I heard a lot of bad things about it, but if you want to try it, I would highly recommend you at least check out the client’s statistics before submitting to ensure you’re not dealing with someone who’s picky.

As an iWriter standard writer, you will start at about $0.50 per 100 words, but as you rise in the ranks, you can make as much as $8+ for a 500-word article.

HireWriters.com

No matter your writing experience, HireWriters.com is willing to give you a shot, paying up to $20 per article.

The company isn’t always hiring new applicants, but when they do, be sure to at least join so that you have access to their job pool.

Like Textbroker and iWriter mentioned above, you get to choose the work you want as well as when you want to work.  Payments are sent out every Friday.

Scripted.com

In order to become a Scripted.com writer, you will be asked to create a profile and pass a test in order to be qualified.

While it doesn’t say anything about experience, you will have to pass a timed writing test as well as an English proficiency test to at least be considered, so keep that in mind.

Scripted.com is one of the highest paying options on this list, with some articles paying upwards of $60.  Like a few mentioned, you get to pick and choose the articles you want to write on your dashboard.



WriterBay

You do need a bachelor’s degree, at a minimum, to get hired at WriterBay, but if you have one, at least consider signing up.

To get started, you just need to fill out an application form, pass a grammar test and then write a short essay sample so that they can judge the quality of your work.  You will also need to upload your degree and CV as well.

While the application process is a bit more in depth in comparison to most listed here, they do pay quite the sum, with many top writers earning thousands of dollars a month.

Test out Fiverr

Out of all the options I list, Fiverr will take some time to start seeing work come in, but once it does and your work speaks for itself, you could soon find yourself with more work than you can handle.

The great thing about Fiverr is that you list about any service, as long as it’s legal, of course!  If you can do it online, it can be listed here.

Just create a catchy description and aggressive price and you could soon find yourself with a few orders.  Like any freelancing platforms, your reviews will speak volumes, so in the beginning, you may have to charge a very low cost just to get a few reviews.  I would recommend at least checking out other highly rated writers to see what they do to get the ratings they have.

Whenever I mention Fiverr, I always say the same thing that it should deserve its own post.  So, for now, I would highly recommend you check out the very highly rated book, The Fiverr Master Class: The Fiverr Secrets Of Six Power Sellers That Enable You To Work From Home, to learn what it takes to make $100,000 on the platform.

Many people on Fiverr make a full-time living, including writers, so I recommend you give this a shot, even though it may take a few months before you see good money.

Try Medium.com

I have heard a lot of great stories about people making money on the platform, Medium.com.  In fact, some have made as much as $xx,000+ a month, according to the site!

Here, you will have to write something “good” on something “that matters to you,” at least according to the platform.  It can short, fun, long or even serious.  Just use your personality and treat it almost like it’s your personal blog.  I would recommend at least browsing the website to see what other people are writing.

Once your story goes live on the site, it has the opportunity to earn money as people subscribe to your work as well as give you what’s known as “claps.”  Picture it almost like a “like” on Facebook.  How much you make will depend on how long people read your stories as well as other factors.

This is a great option if you don’t want to work with a personal blog as you will have almost immediate access to millions of readers.  The only downfall, however, is that you may be waiting for quite some time before you see a check arrive.

Test the Waters with Upwork

In short, Upwork is one the internet’s largest freelancing marketplace.

Here, you can create your own profile and then bid on jobs that suit your skillset.  People can also search for you and offer jobs based on their demand.

Consider creating a profile on this website or at least browse the jobs to see if any are of interest to you.  Generally, as long as you can create a good pitch, have a writing sample in hand and offer an aggressive rate, you could land a few jobs here and there.  Once you gain a rating, then you will find customers asking you for work.

Out of most of the options I list here, this could take the longest to land a gig, but once you build your ratings and client list, you could soon have much more work than imagined.

HireaWriter Subreddit

It’s not that active of a subreddit compared to most, but if you’re a fan of Reddit, consider posting a “resume” here or even applying to jobs.

Every week, you will find a few people who will post a job.  You will just need to be fast in applying to it if you meet the qualifications.

Like Fiverr, you will have to sell yourself, but it could lead to some jobs, most of which could pay more than your average content mill mentioned above.

ProBlogger Job Board

The ProBlogger Job Board has a ton of writing jobs, most of which require experience.  Don’t let that deter you, however, as you may be able to find one posting that’s suited for your skills.

Most of the time, when you apply to these jobs, the provider will usually ask for some writing samples as well as your writing history.  Generally, as long as you have a few good writing samples, this can at least get you considered.  If you don’t have one, consider taking a few from the content mills mentioned above.

Take a look at the board via the link below and see if any are of interest to you.  Keep checking daily, too, as jobs are added almost every day.

Check out Indeed

Unfortunately, I can’t list every company that hires writers.  I don’t even know if that’s possible.

Thankfully, this is where Indeed.com, the world’s largest job search engine, can come into the picture.

Use this tool to potentially find companies/websites that are looking for entry-level writers.  Use a keyword, such as “entry level writing” and see what’s available in your area.  For instance, when I did it, I found more than 90+ jobs in my area that I could skim through.

Keep in mind that some options will require you to commute to an office, so be sure to read the job description when applying.  If you solely want remote opportunities, then you will want to include “remote” or “at home” in your job search query.

In using this strategy, you should be able to find a few leads that may be of interest to you.

Craigslist

And, lastly, I’m going to mention Craigslist here as you you may be able to find a rookie writing job in either the gigs or jobs section.

If choosing Craigslist as an option, just be careful who you’re working with as Craigslist is known for a ton of scammers who often ask for the work upfront and never end up paying you for what you produced.

You will have to skim through a lot of garbage most of the time, but I can promise you that there are writing jobs that pop up on occasions.

Final Thoughts

If you want to write for a living, these entry-level freelance writing jobs won’t cut it as they don’t pay a ton.  It just isn’t worth it long term, but it could work temporarily in some situations.

In the end, I only consider it as a stepping stone in your writing career and/or as a way to earn cash right now if you so desperately need it.  Consider it as practicing until you can land something that’s much more lucrative.  You shouldn’t be making $1 per 100 words for the rest of your life.  You’re worth more than that!

For now, I would focus on networking with clients on these platforms and/or creating your own writing brand that could easily earn you five times more.  It’s going to take some work, like any online venture, but it could pay off huge dividends once you prove yourself and find the right customers.

If you’re a rookie, consider these platforms, but only use it as a temporary measure to help you get by while you create your own brand and gather new clients.  In doing so, I can only hope you can turn your love of writing into a part- or full-time job that pays more than just your bills.

Best of luck to you!

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Tom Nathaniel

Hi! My name is Tom Nathaniel, and I created LushDollar to help share my honest thoughts on everything money. You won't find gimmicks here. It's the Internet's most honest money site after all. I graduated from Arizona State University, and I have worked in the finance industry since 2006, consulting with multiple Fortune 5000 companies.

2 comments

  • Hi! Just a short story to tell. I woke up this morning and tried to find a side hustle for me cause Im a single mother of one. and while Im doing my research on line, I found your article in google for reviews and started to brows your different reviews about legit and scams apps. I just want to commend you for helping people like me who struggle to find work for their livings or needs. for doing this, you inspiring people to stand still and try their best to work and continue to grow and will able to learn everyday and not to fall in fake or scams jobs online.

    • Thanks for the kind words. There’s a lot of garbage out there and it’s tough to keep up, but I try to be as honest as possible. I hope you find the side hustle that works best for you!