Sites that pay for articles usually fall into one of two main models. The first is revenue-sharing, where the website pays you a certain amount for every view or ad click from your post. This method can earn you some pocket money, but it’s not quite as lucrative as the second option.
You’re more likely to make decent money writing for sites that pay up front. These sites are often more reputable and established in their niches, and pay you a fixed fee per article instead of the pennies that roll in from rev-share sites. The upside is that they often have a decent following, so you’re reaching a broader audience in addition to getting paid. However, the challenge is that they’re often harder to break into; you’ll need to bring your A-game to get published on many of these sites.
Ready to make money writing online? Here are 15 sites to try pitching:
Revenue-Sharing Sites
1. Hubpages This site is simple to use: simply join here and upload your first article! You’ll need to have your article approved, but as long as it is 700+ words and free of grammatical and spelling errors, there shouldn’t be a problem.
The only drawbacks is you need to apply for your own Google AdSense account, which can be hard to get approved. Hubpages pays writers by check with a minimum of $100.
2. Teckler
On Teckler, writers get paid 70% of the revenue their articles, or “Tecks”. One cool feature? You can share not only articles but also videos, audio clips and photos.
The best part of Teckler is its low minimum payout of $0.50. You can also add affiliate links to your Tecks to boost your earnings. Sign up here.
3. BubbleWS
Bubblews is a mix between a revenue-sharing site and a social network. You get paid $0.01 for every view your post gets, and $0.01 for every comment, like or social media share, and you’ll be paid through PayPal once you’ve earned $50.
You can earn a lot and it’s nice seeing the pennies stack up, but there are many rumors of the site not paying its users. I’ve had a similar experience: I requested a payment once, didn’t get it, and haven’t written for BubbleWS since. However some people have been paid by Bubblews. Keen? Sign up here.
4. Dailytwocents
Dailytwocents operates on a similar model to BubbleWS, though with two differences. First of all, payments are issued every month at a minimum of $5, not $50. However, you’re also paid less — only $0.005 per view, which must be more than 30 seconds to count. Also, they allow you to use affiliate links to legitimate products. Sign up here.
5. ShoutMeLoud
ShoutMeLoud is a blog about blogging, SEO, WordPress, making money online and other web-related topics. You’ll place your Google AdSense code on the articles and get paid by AdSense every month.
You don’t usually earn much, maybe $1 to $3 per month, but hey, it adds up, especially as you publish more articles. Head to the registration page to sign up and submit your finished article in the WordPress CMS. Go here for more details.
Fixed-Rate Sites
6. iWriter
You don’t have to apply to this site, and you earn a fixed rate for every article. The rate is around $1.25 for a 150-word article, and the minimum payout is $20.
Note that clients on iWriter do not have to approve your article — if they reject it, you don’t get paid. Here’s my experience: I’ve been paid for around 80% of my submitted articles, had to rewrite 5% of them, and had 15% rejected.
Doing great work will help you earn more money on this site. When you receive 4-star reviews for 30 articles, you’ll become a premium writer (doubling your pay), and when you hit 30 articles with 4.5 star reviews, you’ll triple your pay as an elite writer. Sign up here.
7. Textbroker
Textbroker has a few more hurdles than some other sites on this list. It’s only for US citizens, and you’ll need to submit a sample article when you register. The site’s staff will review your article and give you a rating from 2 to 5 stars. You can earn from $0.007 to $0.05 a word, depending on your rating. The minimum payment is $10, once a week, by PayPal.
8. Pukitz
Pukitz is looking for “niche bloggers”, which means you will focus on one specific niche — at least until you’ve written 30 posts. The site owner, Chris, will edit and publish each article, and you’ll earn $0.50 per article, per month. The minimum word count is 500.
All articles are “rented,” so you still own the content. If you want to repost it elsewhere — say, on your own blog or on another site — you must inform Pukitz staff so they can take the article down. Apply to be a writer here.
9. Tuts+
Are you an expert at coding, web design, web development, and creating apps, games or logos? Tuts+ helps people learn and earn online, and they pay well: from $50 for quick tips to $250 for full-length tutorials.
You can either apply through their official “Write for Us” page, or find their contact email and Skype here. Tuts+ is a relatively high-profile site, and you’ll need to have some experience in your niche to get in!
10. Worldstart
Good with computers and technology? Know the best Microsoft Office tips and Windows 8 tricks? If you can share practical tips for technology, apply to write for Worldstart here and you can earn from $25 to $50 per article. They publish articles on the blog and in daily and monthly newsletters.
11. About.com
Chances are, you’ve visited this site before! About.com is the 94th most-visited website in the world, and it pays good monthly rates to its writers.
The site offers hundreds of different positions in many micro-niches, such as “Playing Tennis”. You can apply here. It’s probably the toughest site on this list to break into, but it’s also the most rewarding and gives you the most exposure.
12. Listverse
Listverse focuses on all types of top-10 lists, such as “10 Mind-Altering Facts About Memory”. Submit an interesting list that’s at least 1500 words, and you could earn $100 via PayPal. Fill out this article submission form to apply.
13. Your Own Website or Blog
Grab a domain, get web hosting, install WordPress and start your own site! It’ll likely cost you less than $5 per month. The possibilities are endless, and top bloggers earn more than $5,000 per month — though many experts caution that you should set more realistic expectations.
Consider some of the many ways to earn money through your website, such as ads (Google AdSense, Chitika, Infolinks, BuySellAds), paid reviews (ReviewMe, PayPerPost, Neoreach), ebooks, forums, and more.
