The Only Paths That Actually Make Money Writing Online

Stop wasting time on content mills and personal blogs

Writing online changed my life, but not in the ways most articles claim.

After 5 years of trial and error, losing money, and finally finding what works, I’ll share the real paths that actually make money writing today.

No fluff, no theory — just what’s working right now.

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The Truth About Writing Income

Most writers make very little money online.

Only a few writers consistently earn $5,000+ monthly.

The difference? They pick the right path and stick to it.

Path 1: Technical Documentation ($70–150/hour)

Companies desperately need writers who can explain complex products simply.

Technical writers who know programming basics often make six figures.

To start:

1. Learn markdown and basic HTML/CSS

2. Pick one technical area (APIs, software user guides, developer docs)

3. Create sample documentation on GitHub

4. Apply for technical writing jobs on Ladders (which specializes in high-paying job listings), LinkedIn, and WeWork Remotely.

Real example: Sophia started by writing free documentation for open-source projects. Six months later, she landed a $90/hour contract with a software company.

Path 2: SaaS Content ($200–500 per article)

Software companies pay premium rates for writers who understand their products.

This isn’t regular blogging — it’s detailed product education.

Key steps:

1. Study 3–5 software tools deeply

2. Write comparison articles between competing tools

3. Pitch content managers on LinkedIn

4. Start at $200 per article, raise rates every 3 clients

I started here writing about email marketing tools. My first paid article was $75. Two years later, I charged $350 per article with a waiting list of clients.

Path 3: Expert Ghostwriting ($1+ per word)

Many experts want to publish online but hate writing.

They’ll pay well for writers who can capture their voice.

How to break in:

1. Pick an industry you know

2. Follow 20+ experts on LinkedIn and Twitter

3. Study their writing style

4. Offer to ghostwrite their social media posts

5. Graduate to articles and ebooks

One writer I know makes $15,000 monthly ghostwriting for tech CEOs. She started by writing free LinkedIn posts for local business owners.

She was doing it with her full-time job, so she used tools like Taplio to streamline her workflow. She used to schedule content in advance on weekends and used Taplio to get inspiration from viral posts in her client's industry.

For those focusing on Twitter/X ghostwriting, engagement is crucial for building a client's presence.

Many successful ghostwriters use tools like Hypefury to make their workflow more efficient. It can automatically retweet your client's best-performing tweets and many writers particularly value its ability to set up automated welcome messages for new followers.

Path 4: Email Newsletters ($2000–5000 monthly)

Companies need help writing emails that sell.

Focus on conversion-focused writing for steady income.

Getting started:

1. Study successful marketing emails

2. Write sample email sequences

3. Look for “email marketing specialist” jobs

4. Start with small e-commerce companies

5. Build a portfolio of results

My friend Tom writes emails for 3 companies. Each pays him $2000 monthly for 4 emails per week. The work takes about 15 hours in total.

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The Truth About Other Writing Paths

Content Mills (Upwork, Fiverr, etc.)

• Good for practice only

• Race to bottom on prices

• Better than nothing when starting

Blogging

• Takes 12–24 months to make money

• Need 100+ posts to see real traffic

• Ad revenue is tiny until you hit big numbers

Medium and News Sites

• Takes 6–12 months to make decent money

• Need to post 3–4 times weekly

• Partner program pays $100–700/month if you work hard

I have also noticed huge success on Medium lately — my views grew surprisingly fast using a specific posting strategy.

I’ve compiled everything I’ve learned into a Medium Growth Checklist.

It’s the exact blueprint I wish I had when I started — no fluff, just pure, actionable strategies that have helped me gain over 17000 followers in the last 120 days.

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Essential Tools

You only need a few tools:

• Grammarly (free version works fine)

• Google Docs

• LinkedIn profile

• Simple portfolio website

• ConvertKit (free version works fine for beginners)

Don’t waste money on courses or fancy tools. Focus on writing samples instead.

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Finding Real Clients Who Pay Well

The best clients never post jobs publicly.

• Email 10 small business owners in your city each morning. Say: “I noticed your website could use fresh content. I’m a local writer who can help. Want to chat?”

• Join Facebook groups where your target clients hang out. Help people for free. They’ll start asking to hire you.

• Check job boards like ProBlogger, Ladders, and LinkedIn Jobs daily. Apply to posts under 24 hours old.

I found my best client by commenting helpfully on their LinkedIn posts for 2 months. They hired me without even asking for samples.

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Common Mistakes

These mistakes kill writing careers:

• Writing about too many topics

• Not picking a specific industry

• Copying other writers’ styles

• Working for exposure

• Not raising rates regularly

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What’ll Actually Work in 2025

The highest-paying opportunities will be:

• AI/ML documentation

• Crypto education content

• Health tech articles

• Financial newsletters

• SaaS onboarding content

These areas pay well because few writers understand them deeply.

Questions? Feel free to email me. I answer every message from new writers.

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Your First Steps

1. Pick one path from this guide

2. Create 3 writing samples

3. Find 20 companies that need that type of writing

4. Contact 2 companies per day

5. Take any paid work at first

6. Deliver amazing results

7. Raise rates every 3 months

You can start earning within 30 days if you follow these steps exactly.

Money comes from helping businesses make more money. Focus on that and you’ll never struggle to find writing work.