4 Hidden Gems Where I Got Paid Online Writing Jobs
There are two events going on right now that are creating a miasma of doubt and uncertainty in the freelance writing world.
First, of course, is AI. Is it going to steal our jobs? (Is it going to become Skynet and steal our world?) Unscrupulous bosses have certainly decided to fire writers and use ChatGPT to generate low-quality, SEO soup.
Second is the aura of general economic uncertainty in the air. After Big Tech instigated a round of layoffs, other people in my field report that it’s harder to get jobs, freelance clients are letting them go, and people are tightening belts and budgets.
That’s why I wanted to share four platforms where I got real paid online writing jobs. Everyone wants a freelance writing job, and they're harder and harder to find. But there are options out there!
For each platform, I’ll share:
The pros. What I like about it, and why I recommend it.
The cons. What to watch out for.
The job. The gig I scored, how much it paid, and what it was.
These are all freelance writing jobs, though one of the platforms I mentioned also posts regular 9-5 jobs.
Let’s dive in.
1. Qwoted.
This is the quietest of my quiet gems for the discerning freelance writer. I have never heard anyone talk about them. I can’t even remember how I found this platform. It’s primarily a place where journalists can get connected to sources, but they also have a robust job board with freelance writing jobs.
How to get started
Make a free account, hit “Job postings,” filter by “Remote” on the left-hand side, and look through the freelance writing jobs until you find a solid-looking gig that fits your skills and experience.
A screenshot of Qwoted's job board, one of the places I got a paid writing gig. You can see how to filter by location and a selection of freelance jobs.
Pros:
There are simply so many online freelance writing jobs on this writing job board. Most of them are pretty high-paid, too. I’ve seen gigs from $250-$800 per article. And because nobody’s talking about it, there’s relatively low competition.
Cons:
It’s not always reliable. I believe Qwoted scrapes paid freelance writing gig postings from LinkedIn and other places, so sometimes posts are out of date or have incorrect info. I’ve had to do a bit of digging in the past to get contact info. For example, I clicked on a job posting that said “email me at [email protected]” but the email bounced.
The online writing job I got
I applied for a job last week, got the interview, wrote the article, and just sent off my $500 invoice for a 1000-word article for a B2B SaaS company. Pretty nifty!
2. Scripted.
Scripted is a job board for writers. Companies upload jobs to Scripted. As a writer, you can either pitch companies for the jobs they upload, or you might get invited for a SmartMatch job. for that latter one, all you have to do is hit “accept” and you’ve got the job.
They differentiate themselves because of their relatively high pay. While it’s nowhere as good as getting a direct client, they pay between 5–10 cents per word for blog posts, ebooks, and web copy on any number of subjects.
Pros
It’s consistent work. They almost always have something you can apply to. I get SmartMatch invites about once per week. The work doesn’t typically require very much research or time. Basically, if I’ve got some free time and want to pick up a bit of extra cash, I go for Scripted.
The payments are also prompt. No need to chase invoices!
Cons
The biggest con for me is that I find it personally a little boring. The pay is also low. Even at 10 cents a word, that’s on the lowest end of my personal writing job payment.
There’s also steep competition. I don’t know how many writers are on the platform, but it must be busy. For example, when I get emailed a SmartMatch job invite, I know I have to hit accept within two minutes of receiving the email or else another writer will take it.
It’s also one of the hardest platforms to join. They only accept 5% of applicants. And even when you’re in, you still have to pitch yourself to clients sometimes unless you’re lucky enough to get a SmartMatch job.
The content writing job I got
Last week I wrote a 2,000-word post and received $207.
Not too bad! A screenshot of my payment from Scripted for a 2000-word online writing job.
3. Superpath.
Superpath is a Slack group and community for writers and freelancers. Aside from being a genuinely nice place to spend time, learn from others, and ask questions, it has a sweet job board. High-quality, vetted companies regularly post jobs on the job board. Jimmy and Cierra, the admins, enforce a 10c per word minimum. That means a minimum $100 for 1,000 words. Many are higher!
Pros
As I mentioned, Superpath is just a lovely community. I always have the Slakc open, and I can’t count the number of things I’ve learned, or the interesting conversations I’ve had. I’ll reiterate that 10c per word minimum. It’s actually better than Scripted because Scripted takes fees — Superpath just hosts job postings, they don’t take a cut of whatever you earn from the client.
Cons
There’s a lot of competition there. As of this writing, there are over 10k Superpath members, though I don’t know how many are active.
The online writing job I got
A few weeks ago, I spotted a posting for a content writing job with a B2B SaaS company.
I applied and got an interview. The CMO offered me $800 for a 1,200w article, which is on the high end for what I charge.
Now…in the interest of being honest and sharing my losses as well as my wins, I didn’t hear back for a week after he offered me the job. When I reached out, he told me he had changed his mind and wanted to hire a more experienced writer. A little crappy, but hey, you live and learn. Next time I followed up after two business days, not a week.
These are just some examples; I didn’t apply for these since the timing/requirements weren’t right, but this is the caliber of gigs you can expect here!
4. LinkedIn.
I know, I love to hate on LinkedIn. But… I recently had a pitch accepted by Business Insider after following Stephanie Lee’s “Pitch Like a PRO” framework (video here). After it went live, I got dozens of connection requests. This was super flattering. But more importantly, I also got messages requesting my services on LinkedIn.
He got my name wrong, but he still wants to hire me! I blame autocorrect.
Pros
If you’re visible on LinkedIn, you can contact or be contacted by pretty much your ideal DREAM client. That’s incredible.
Cons
It’s a social network. There are opportunities here, but it’s also not a fun place for me personally to hang out; it has too much “broetry.” I set up several meetings that I got no-shows to. I also set up meetings for people who just weren’t good fits.
The online writing job I got
I got 4 ghostwriting job offers. Three didn’t pan out, but I expanded my network and got one solid gig as a result. Pretty great, huh!
FAQs
Have more questions about these options? Let's get into the FAQs!
Can I apply for those?
Yes! Get on those boards and start looking for good fits. Do not wait until you “feel” experienced enough; you never will.
How should I price myself?
Let me tell you a secret. You know that $800/blog post opportunity I fumbled? I originally only asked for $400. The guy interviewing me was visibly taken aback – that, to him, proved I was not experienced enough for the job. He said I should be charging $600 minimum. And probably more.
I can't tell you a formula to price yourself, but here are a few things to take into consideration:
How long have you been freelancing?
What is your current highest-paid client paying you?
How much time and research will it take to do the job?
How in demand are the skills? E.g. SEO is in low demand - there are loads of SEO specialists. Writing about highly technical subjects, including expert interviews, is a more sought-after skill.
How much do you need to live?
Where can I find other opportunities like this?
On the internet! I highly recommend:
Kaitlyn Arford's newsletter, with 100 freelance opps every Friday
Is there anywhere I should stay away from?
Mostly, you should never pay money to get a job. There are exceptions – for example, the two newsletters I linked above take monthly subscriptions, but I understand that. Curating those opps takes a lot of work! But there are countless websites that ask you to pay hundreds or even thousands of dollars to unlock “exclusive” jobs, or promise coaching to get you to the next level.
You should never have to pay money to get a job. Ever. If you want to financially contribute and you can afford to, feel free. But most of those courses or platforms that charge in the $100s are not worth it.
Final thoughts on where to get paid to write
Hopefully, these four places to get paid online writing jobs help you find a gig that works for you. And more importantly, they give you a kick up the butt to get out there are start looking for places.
Qwoted posts sometimes unreliable content writing jobs, but they have low competition and typically high pay.
Superpath posts vetted freelance and full-time writing jobs with high competition and high pay.
Scripted posts writing jobs at 5-10c per word. Low pay, high competition, but regular work.
LinkedIn offers a platform for you to pitch and be pitched. I recommend pitching external publications like Business Insider to start getting more visibility. But definitely ensure your LinkedIn profile is set up and is visible.
Most often, jobs won’t come to you. Get out there, apply, and don’t be afraid to put yourself out there.
Any other places to get paid writing gigs? Let me know in the comments!
As always,
Happy writing.
P.S. Want more? Here's my article on 4 realistic sites for beginners to get paid to write articles!
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