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Writing is a skill a lot of people can turn into freelance income, and it’s already how most people in the field work. About 65% of writers and authors are self-employed, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The catch is that the work is spread out. Some of it sits on freelance marketplaces and some on job boards and LinkedIn, but a lot of it never gets posted at all. Below, we walk through where to look, what each option costs you, what writers charge and how to avoid the scams that target new freelancers.
You can find freelance writing jobs on freelance marketplaces like Upwork, Fiverr and Contra, on writing-focused job boards and on LinkedIn. You can also work through content agencies and AI training platforms or pitch businesses and publications directly. Marketplaces handle payment in exchange for a fee, while direct pitching and referrals let you keep 100% of what clients pay.
| Where to look | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Freelance marketplaces | Landing your first paid jobs and reviews | Platform fees and heavy competition |
| Writing job boards | Blog, content and copywriting gigs | Listings no one has vetted for you |
| LinkedIn and job sites | Contract roles with established companies | Fake recruiters and phony job ads |
| Pitching businesses | Ongoing clients with no platform fee | Slow start and unanswered emails |
| Pitching publications | Bylined articles that build credibility | Long response times |
| Your network | Your first one or two clients | Undercharging people you know |
| Content agencies | Steady assignments without client hunting | The agency keeps part of the client’s fee |
| AI training platforms | Flexible, task-based writing work | Qualification tests and uneven task supply |
There’s no single best place to find work. It’s smart to try a few at once, then lean on whichever brings in the best clients.
Freelance marketplaces connect you with clients who are actively looking to hire, and they handle payment in exchange for a cut of what you earn. That makes them a common starting point for new writers.
Each marketplace works a little differently. On Upwork, you send proposals to jobs clients post. On Fiverr, you list fixed-price services called Gigs that buyers order. On Contra, you build a portfolio profile, send proposals and invoice clients through the platform.
Here’s what three popular platforms take, according to each platform’s own pages:
| Platform | What it takes from your earnings | Other costs to know |
|---|---|---|
| Upwork | 0%–15% per contract, shown before you send a proposal or accept an offer | Connects cost $0.15 each and are used to submit proposals |
| Fiverr | You keep 80% of each order, including extras and tips | Optional 1% fee to skip the clearing period, if eligible |
| Contra | No commission | Optional Contra Pro plan at $29 a month |
Your Upwork service fee locks in once you send or receive a proposal, offer or contract, and it won’t change during that contract, according to Upwork. You don’t need Connects when a client invites you to bid or sends you an offer directly.
Writing job boards list only writing and content roles, so you spend less time sorting through unrelated listings. The ProBlogger job board, for example, lists roles for blog writers, copywriters, ghostwriters and editors. Employers pay to post there, starting at $80 for a 15-day listing.
ProBlogger doesn’t endorse the ads on its board and tells applicants to research each advertiser. That’s good advice for any job board: check who’s posting, how old the listing is and whether the pay is stated up front.
Plenty of companies post contract and part-time writing roles on LinkedIn and big job sites. Search terms like “freelance writer,” “contract content writer” and “copywriter contract,” then set alerts so new listings come to you.
On LinkedIn, update your headline to say you’re a freelance writer and what you write about, so anyone who lands on your profile knows what you offer. The Federal Trade Commission also points job seekers to CareerOneStop, a job search site sponsored by the US Department of Labor, as a safe place to start.
Cold pitching means emailing businesses that could use a writer, even if they haven’t posted a job. It’s slower to get going, but there’s no platform fee and no crowd of other applicants on the same listing.
Look for companies in your niche with a blog that hasn’t been updated in months, thin product pages or a newsletter that goes out irregularly. Then send a short email that covers who you are, one specific idea for their content, two or three relevant samples and a simple next step, like a quick call.
If you want bylined articles, pitch magazines, websites and newsletters directly. Most outlets that accept freelance work have a “write for us” or contributor guidelines page explaining what they cover, how to pitch and who to contact.
Follow those guidelines exactly and pitch one specific story, not a general offer to write for them. Pay varies widely by outlet, so confirm the rate and rights before you start writing.
Your first client is often someone who already knows you. Tell former coworkers, past employers, local business owners and friends that you’re taking on writing work, and be specific about what you write.
Once you finish a project, ask happy clients for a short testimonial and whether they know anyone else who needs a writer. A referral comes with built-in trust before you’ve even sent a pitch.
Content and marketing agencies hire freelance writers to produce work for their clients. You won’t need to find clients yourself, and assignments can be steady once an agency trusts you. The trade-off is that the agency keeps part of what the client pays, so your rate can be lower than if you’d landed the client directly.
AI companies pay people with strong writing skills to write, rate and correct chatbot responses. It isn’t traditional freelance writing, but it uses the same skills and is fully remote. If that sounds interesting, see how you can get paid to train AI, including what platforms pay and what they require.
You can get freelance writing jobs with no experience by building a few strong samples and pitching small, specific jobs first. Clients care more about whether you can write what they need than about your resume.
Specialized writing pays the most. Medical, scientific and technical writing carry the highest per-word work-for-hire rates in the Editorial Freelancers Association’s 2026 Rate Chart, which is based on a survey of more than 1,100 respondents about the rates they charged in 2025.
Here are the EFA’s median rate ranges for work-for-hire writing:
| Type of writing | Median per-word range | Median hourly range |
|---|---|---|
| Medical | $1.50 | $113 |
| Scientific | $1.20 | $113 |
| Technical | $1.00 | $98.56 |
| Business and marketing | 32¢–87.5¢ | $75 |
| Journalism | 40¢–50¢ | $85 |
| Articles and essays | 25¢–45¢ | $100 |
| Blog posts | 25¢–45¢ | $87.50 |
These are medians from working editorial professionals, not starting rates. The EFA doesn’t set rates, and individual rates vary with the type of work, turnaround time, expertise, training and years of experience, according to the association.
There’s no official average income for freelance writers specifically, because it depends on how many hours you work, what you charge and how steady your clients are.
The closest benchmark is the median annual wage for writers and authors, which was $76,910 as of May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $44,310, and the top 10% earned more than $139,870. Technical writers had a higher median of $90,390. Keep in mind that BLS wage data covers employees only and doesn’t include self-employed workers.
To estimate your own income, multiply your rate by your output. At 25¢ a word, for example, a 1,500-word blog post pays $375. Subtract any platform fees, then set money aside for taxes.
Freelance writers usually charge in one of four ways, depending on the project:
Whatever you charge, build in platform fees and taxes. Upwork’s own example shows that to take home $20 an hour on a contract with a 10% fee, you’d need to charge the client $22.22 an hour.
Scammers post fake writing and work-from-home jobs in the same places honest clients do. These are the biggest warning signs, according to the Federal Trade Commission:
Before you accept a new client, search the company or person’s name with words like “scam,” “review” or “complaint,” and talk the offer over with someone you trust. If you spot a scam or lose money to one, report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Freelance writing income is taxable, and as a freelancer you pay your own taxes instead of having an employer withhold them from a paycheck.
Without an employer plan, saving for retirement is on you too. A SEP IRA is one option built for self-employed people. A tax professional can help you figure out what you owe and what you can deduct.
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