How to make money as a writer ($300/day) in 5 steps

I am going to go over how you can make a crap ton of money online, from anywhere in the world, working as a freelancer writer. I have been doing this for close to 8-years and when I first started back in 2015, I never in a million years imagined freelance writing could make me what it has. I was very, very wrong and now I want to let everyone else in the world who loves writing to know how much they could get paid for their copy.

And, in case the demand for quality copy online wasn’t big enough by 2020, the pandemic actually fueled an even bigger demand. Why? More people than ever before are taking their own dreams, businesses, and hobbies online. Guess what they need? They need copy. The words on their websites, in their social media posts, and on their blog, which boosts their SEO ranking in Google, sells their products. They can’t function without copy, which means the demand for quality copywriters has truly never been higher. On all of the sites I use every day, I see a supply problem, not a demand problem.

And just to break down what I’ve made from writing online over the last 8-years, my Fiverr profile alone has made over $1.4 million dollars after Fiverr took their 20%. That’s not counting my private clients, Upwork, Legiit, Contra, and LinkedIn. Last year, I made over $350,000 freelance writing for everyone from small to medium sized businesses, corporations, Fortune 500 companies, start ups, and influencers. No matter how big the business is, they need words to represent their brand online. These words can make or break the success of their business, which means these people will gladly pay for quality copy. Trust me. My average order on Fiverr is around $200 for a piece of copy that takes anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes to complete. Clients are happy to pay for what they are getting, because what they are getting is going to make them more money. It’s a beautiful cycle.

So if you’re someone who considers yourself a writer, or you don’t mind writing and you want to explore this, then let me tell you, freelance writing in 2022 is for you. I’m going to break down how to make this a reality for yourself starting today in 5 steps.

Step 1: Identify what kind of copy you want to write.

In general, there are 550 different services you could be offering on Fiverr.  My big sellers are blogs, press releases, website content, and ebooks. And to make you feel better, I did not have any special training in this form of copywriting before freelance writing. I am completely self taught through nothing but good ‘ole practice and experience. Today, you guys have more access to courses, guides, and groups than I did back in 2015, but practicing copywriting every single day can be enough, I promise you, to get good at this. I used to Google “how to write a high quality blog,” and listen to what the article told me. I did it over and over again, and that basically brings me to today. Spend some time testing out different copy forms. Pretend companies like Google or Amazon hired you for a project. Do the free work, see if you like it, and bonus points, you now have portfolio samples as well.

Step 2: Decide where you are going to sell it.

There are so many places to sell freelance writing today. My favorite has always been Fiverr, but Upwork, LInkedIn, Legiit, Contra, and even Facebook and Discord groups are viable options as well. My recommendation is to choose two different places to source clients from at first. Don’t worry about setting up a business name or website or any of those details. That can come later. Don’t get bogged down in perfectionism. Make it easy for yourself and set up profiles on Fiverr and Upwork. Since they are anonymous, your social media doesn’t even matter. All that matters is your profile. Linking below to my other YouTubes that go over what your profile should contain. Once you pick your spots, download their apps to your phone so you can be attentive to client needs and notifications throughout the day.

Step 3: Brand yourself as a real, bad ass copywriter in real life.

Start writing about your writing - writing inception? Open a blog on medium.com and post articles to LinkedIn. Let people know you are available for business. Write about tips for copywriting or whatever it is you want. Start to show the public that you’re a writer by trade, and you’re proud of it. Putting these feelers out there will make it easier for private clients to find you, as well as for other opportunities in the world. Maybe a journalist eventually wants to cover your story - maybe a potential business partner shows up. You gotta give God/the universe the chance to bring what’s meant to you… to you by being locatable. This will also help you develop confidence as a writer and get over the fear of proclaiming your intention to make bank as a freelance writer.

Step 4: Apply for the premier programs inside of these freelancing sites.

On Fiverr, I am part of Fiverr PRO, the top 1% of the platform. As part of Fiverr PRO, I am able to charge 40 to 50% more for my services than non Fiverr PRO sellers. Fiverr vets the PRO members, so buyers are willing to pay. My base rate is $100 for a 500-word blog, which I can complete in 30 minutes. If you want to apply to one of these programs, check out my YouTube on how to apply and get Fiverr PRO. If you aren’t accepted, you can apply again in 60-days. Don’t be scared of being rejected - rejection has been the most important part of my copywriting journey. 

Step 5: Build your own copywriting agency so you don’t have to do the writing all day every day.

I believe it’s important to put some years in, first, doing the work. But by year 2 or 3 (it took me 5), it’s time to bring on the extra help. Seek out other freelance writers looking to take on more work. Set up a Slack channel and onboard them into it. Offer them projects throughout the week they can do for you, so you can take some time off. I generally estimate paying my writers $30/hour or more based on their efficiency. You can make your own decision with how you want to run your business. At this point, it’s time to consider that official website, logo, LLC designation, and business bank account. I have videos and products that go over the legal side of freelancing and how to ensure you’re compliant and doing everything you can to tax strategize. I was destroyed by taxes for 2021 and will not make that mistake again.

And there you have it! The world is desperate for dedicated copywriters and it’s not going anywhere. Even the AI copywriting software I’ve tried can barely hold a candle to writing made by an actual human being. If they improve a decade from now, copywriters will still be needed to add in the final human touches and editing to the pieces of copy. But one decade is a long ways away when you can be making 6 figures at this by next year. Don’t sleep on it.

Want to watch the full YouTube video of this blog, where I screen-share and show examples on my laptop? Check it out here.