Where to Get Started as a Freelance Writer

10 Companies That Offer At-Home Freelance Writing Jobs

Writing is a versatile profession, and freelancing can be a lucrative way for a professional writer to earn money from home. However, beginners must take the time to gain experience and build their brand. If you are just starting out as a freelance writer, identify your areas of expertise and be prepared with writing samples before you start your search for clients and work. 

The following are some good places for the talented writer to get practice, build some credibility, and accumulate a body of work to show to more selective publishers. Also, these outlets can help writers build a social media presence, which is essential to building the type of following that will help you build, maintain, and grow your successful freelance writing career in the long run.

Clickworker

Freelance writer
Getty/Echo

Worldwide crowdsourcing company Clickworker hires independent contractors for writing jobs as well as data entry, translation, research and other micro jobs. The company pays on a per piece basis. Registration and qualifying assessments are necessary before workers, called click workers by the company, can accept tasks for payment. 

OneSpace.com

OneSpace offers micro jobs in general writing as well as detailed writing assignments to freelancers. Writers must pass a series of assessments and build a credibility score to access each type of work. The work is submitted, the writer receives feedback, and payment is made to PayPal the next day after work is approved.

You can visit OneSpace's freelance job opportunities to find out which assignments pique your interest.

HubPages

HubPages bills itself as the "leading online publishing ecosystem." Writers sign up and publish their work to their hub. Revenue from Adsense and affiliates is split with HubPages.

There is no earnings guarantee. Rather, your earnings are dependent on your site's ability to attract viewers. Successful writers add fresh content to their sites regularly, and even take a few months before they begin to see payouts.

While Hubpages might take more effort to make significant money, it's also one of the best places to write whatever content pleases you. You never know who else has your same interests, and you can learn much about generating ad revenue, working with keywords, and ways to write about products that can generate affiliate income.

Listverse

Listverse pays writers $100 for original 1,500-word quirky articles in list form. Writers choose their topics and supply links to reputable sources for fact verification.

Listverse looks for offbeat lists, such as "10 Unusual Wedding Traditions From Around the World." Payment is made through PayPal exclusively.

TextBroker

Writers choose article topics from a supplied pool of questions that cover a range of categories, including finance, technology, beauty, nutrition, fashion, and gardening.

Each writer will submit a writing sample to be placed into a writing group by skill level, with feedback from an editor to hone their skills.

Upon successful completion of 10 articles at a certain level, you can request to move up to the next, higher-paying level. After your articles are approved and accepted by the client, payment is made each week to PayPal. 

Scripted

Scripted freelancers pitch assignments directly to customers. They can write in any industry where they have expertise. Although each job has a minimum price, writers can set their rates.

Guaranteed payment is made five days after the work is accepted. If work is rejected, writers can qualify for partial payment. 

Verblio

With approximately 1,300 clients across 40 different industries, Verblio offers freelancers the opportunity to write and sell 300-3,000 words of content to subscribers based on their area of expertise. Writers get paid for work that is sold.

New freelancers work on small projects that may increase to longer projects. Selling quality content and earning five-star reviews will reward you with longer projects that you can write for your favorite clients every month.

Konsus

Writers with Konsus work directly with a project manager who handles all communications with the client. This leaves writers free to write, rather than spending time looking for work.

The site posts a constant stream of projects from which to choose. Payment is guaranteed on time, even if the client pays late or not at all. 

Zen Content

Zen Content offers writing jobs for product descriptions, FAQs, ad copy, listicles, slideshows, articles, blog posts, and buying guides. Writers work in industries with which they are familiar, and each piece of completed work is evaluated for quality.

The company welcomes new freelancers and promises to help them grow in their skills. Best practices are available to writers in regularly scheduled webinars. 

Skyword

Writers at Skyword open an account and supply content samples in their areas of expertise, as well as a list of social accounts. When their portfolio is complete, they are chosen to write blogs, media posts, and feature articles in their areas of expertise.

Access to good-paying articles is determined by the strength of the portfolio, so make sure your portfolio showcases your best work when you apply. The site pays twice a month through PayPal for approved work.