So you’ve been writing for a while. You’ve paid your dues. You’ve had your fair share of posts that just haven’t exploded like you thought they would. So how the heck do you start getting paid for your writing?

I get it. Seriously, I know your pain. I was there, just a few years ago. It still feels like yesterday. It’s frustrating, annoying, and irritating all at the same time. Especially when you see so many other people making money with their writing.

It’s time. You’re ready to start getting paid for your writing.

So what can you do to start making money as a writer? Honestly, you’re asking the wrong question. It’s not about getting paid for your writing.

Rather, it’s about asking “how can I help other people?”

This question is the foundation for everything you do. Even if you’re not writing. You must provide value. You must relieve pain.

A word of warning: most stuff you read online about making money online is not true. Or it only works every now and then. For example, some people have made money with Fiverr or Upwork. Most people don’t. They just spin their wheels and end up wasting tons of time. I know because I’ve tried those too. They don’t work about 99% of the time. So I’m going to tell you what I know works.

My First Paid Writing Gig

Here is how I found my first freelancing job: It required writing in silence for about three years or so. I kid you not. It sucked. But I just kept writing. And writing. In what felt like total silence. But it wasn’t.

People were actually watching when I was:

• Blogging with a focus on helping other people.
• Answering emails galore.
• Responding promptly to Facebook messages.
• Helping other writers make connections.
• Doing everything I could possibly do to build community.
• Tweeting out encouragement and support to others.

Basically just helping people in every way possible. Yes, I know I just said the word helpful several times in a very short amount of time. It’s that important.

Before I go any further though, I have to explain something for a moment. Everything I did was sincere. I had no expectations, and I was not going into things hoping that other people would repay favors. People can sense fake five million miles away. And people run from it. Think of those LinkedIn connections that try to pitch you before saying anything else to you or those terrible Twitter automatic Direct Messages. Those kinds of approaches do not work.

Here’s how it all went for me. Several years ago, I heard a friend was looking for a job. He was working a gig at a fast food place and wanted to do something more creative.

I passed on the word to people I knew that were connected to a lot of people. And he got a job working as an editor. Guess where my first freelance job came from?

That’s right, the friend I helped get the job as an editor.

Here’s the important thing you already know but likely need to be reminded about: success comes when you show up consistently over time and help people.

If you’re showing up on a regular basis and learning and growing, you can’t help but find some level of success. Now let’s dig a little deeper and get specific. Here are 14 specific ways you can earn money as a writer.

1. Write Blog Posts for Other Websites

This is by far one of the most common ways that many writers make income from writing. Every blog needs great content on a regular basis to have an impact and to stay relevant. If you have a blog, your blog serves as a portfolio and can be a way to potentially find some of these gigs. Content marketing is absolutely essential for any modern business. And despite what you’ve heard, blogging is far from dead.

Small businesses that blog get 126% more lead growth than small businesses that do not blog. — ThinkCreative

2. Rewrite Resumes and Cover Letters

If you have a lot of experience with resumes or cover letters, this is a great area to consider. When starting out, go for the direct connection first. Let others in your network know you offer this service. Facebook is a fantastic way to advertise this service. Rates typically range from $200–$500. (Please note that all dollar figures I list out are just a guide.)

Pro tip: Check out some of the top resume sites and talk to any friends that you have in HR or who own a small business to see what they specifically look for in a resume.

3. Rewriting Web Pages

You could earn an income rewriting specific web pages for bloggers such as an About Me page or an FAQ page. If you need experience, write — or rewrite — a few for some other bloggers you know to improve, and you’ll likely have some solid recommendations as well. Find a web page that needs some updating or has some obvious errors and point them out in a nice way.

Say something that compliments the content, points out the error/mistake/inaccuracy, and then compliment them again. Why do I recommend this approach? Because it is upbeat. You don’t come across as annoying, you are being helpful. And being helpful is so key.

5. Repurposing Content

Let’s say you’ve got a friend who has a podcast. Many podcasts offer transcriptions of their shows as a feature to boost SEO and engage deeper with listeners. But then podcasters do nothing else with it. That’s a serious opportunity. You can take the transcription and turn it into a blog post, ebook, course, opt-in, video script, or automated email sequence.

This is probably the most valuable service out there today because it offers the most bang for the buck. Repurposing content gives a business so many different opportunities to engage with customers on different platforms.

Pro tip: I have to be honest, this is what I do the most. The order really doesn’t matter either. I’ve taken bestselling books and turned them into courses. I’ve created blog posts from podcasts and vice versa. I’ve lifted the audio from a video to create a podcast. The opportunities are absolutely endless. This is an extremely valuable service in great demand. Pricing estimates vary, so assume around $80–$200 an hour.

6. Write a Book Yourself

The best part of this option is that you have total control of this. You are the boss. You won’t know how much money you will make from it, but with proper research and if you know your audience well, you can make money from a book.

Yes, this will likely take a least a month or two. But you can surprise yourself with how much you can write in a very short amount of time. If you need help writing a book, I’d love to help.

7. Write a Book for Someone Else

Many who want to write a book don’t have the time or ability to write a book. In most cases, the ghostwriter does interviews or gets an outline from the author and then writes the book. This is actually really straightforward, and the author is the one who gets credit for the book. The ghostwriter is paid a flat amount for the work. Typically, a ghostwriter is paid 50% upfront and 50% upon completion of the book. Ghostwriting costs range from as low as $5K to around $25K to write a book.

9. Write Sales Copy for Books

Make no mistake, authors know that sales copy on a webpage sells books. You can customize the copy not just on Amazon, but for any location that has a book is up for sale such as Kobo, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, etc. You could also write the sales copy for the book’s landing page as well. Between .20 cents to .75 cents a word is a pretty good estimate there.

10. Writing for Magazines

My friend Kelsey Humphreys has been a contributor to Entrepreneur.com. While this may not be a paying gig, it often leads to other opportunities, such as speaking engagements. Don’t hesitate to reach out to others and ask if they know of anything. You can also pay it forward too!

11. Editing Books

There are many books out there and I have worked with five editors on different books myself. And the best thing about editing is that it actually makes you a better writer. (Yes, I just told my secret about why I love being an editor.) Payment is often 50% upfront and 50% on completion. Pricing ranges from .03 cents per word to .15 cents per word.

12. Editing Blog Posts

In many cases, editing (and rewriting) is the difference between a great blog post and a mediocre one. Often this is paid per post or for a number of posts each month.

Pro tip: Combining this service with repurposing is going to be the most attractive option for many business owners. This allows a business owner to truly get the most out of their content. And I have to be honest, so few people do this. Most people just push “publish” before an article should be published. And even fewer people repurpose their content. This approach can really help a business stand out from the rest.

13. Help With Product Launches

This is one of the biggest needs for entrepreneurs, right up there with coffee. If you are good with organization, social media, and project management, there is always a need for this. For example, having a successful book launch is more difficult than the actual writing of the book itself. There is a lot of work involved: coordinating interviews, writing guest posts, asking for book reviews, and engaging your book launch team.

Pro tip: As you know, hope marketing does not work. Intentionally connecting with as many people at intentional times does. Volunteer to help another writer with a book launch to get some hands-on experience and the next time around you can charge for your services.

How to Find New Opportunities

First, you need to have a network in place. You likely have one in place even if you think you don’t; if you are online, you have a network. Reconnect with people you know on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn or any other social network you use.

You want to let them know that you are pursuing freelance work, but don’t just send a message and say, “Hey, I’m doing some freelancing. Got any leads?” This is kind of a jerk move. If you spoke with your friend yesterday, then this approach might be fine, but in most situations, you need to reconnect first.

Common courtesy is always a good thing. Ask about their situation and see if you can help before asking for anything. Then, mention what you are up to with freelancing. Yes, this may sound counter-intuitive. I know you’re itching to find some work; be patient. Don’t show a hint of desperation or you will not look like a professional.

Good things come to those who work hard and are nice to others

This is by far the number one way I have found the most freelance work. Applying for jobs can work for some people, but a direct connection always beats being one of many emails sitting in an inbox. In my six years of being a full-time writer, about 95% of my work comes from a direct, personal connection with other people.

Know that rejection is part of this process. You have to intentionally look for work. Writing for income is not easy, nor should it be.But remember… you can do this. Seriously, you can.