Last Updated on December 20, 2022 by Andrew Shih
Are you looking for online freelance writing jobs for beginners but not sure where to start? Becoming a freelance writer can be a lucrative side hustle, and there is always a demand for passionate and resourceful writers to create unique content.
While there are many online freelance writing platforms available, it can be overwhelming for a beginner looking to find online freelance writing jobs.
For starters, here are the 5 trusted platforms I recommend for finding online freelance writing jobs. These platforms allow freelancers to start as part-time work and have the flexibility to grow into a full-time career. They also enable you to make more money as you gain experience and move up the levels.
Fiverr
If you are looking for ultimate flexibility, Fiverr will be your best bet for stating your online freelance writing job. As soon as you open your seller account, create your profile, and define your gig with service and terms, you are ready to promote your gigs and start making money.
You get to set the price, the number of words to write, and the length of time to deliver the work. Moreover, you can define additional gigs related to writing to earn more, such as video transcription, proofreading, or editing. If you have other skillsets, you can create more gigs and give you the exposure to earn more money.
If you are a beginner and looking for online freelance writing gigs, Fiverr can be a fantastic way to get started quickly.
How much can I earn
If you are from the USA or Canada and you are a new freelance writer, $30 for a 1000-word article may be a good starting point.
As you gain experience, you can expect to charge $5 or more for every 100 to 150 words depending on your experience level. If you can move up to the Fiverr Pro level, many sellers charge $10 or more per 100 words. Keep in mind, however, that Fiverr takes 20% of your earnings.
Benefits
- No Interviews involved.
- Fiverr welcomes new sellers.
- Making a gig on Fiverr is absolutely free.
- Start earning after you create an account and set up your gigs.
- You get to work on a variety of short-term projects.
- You determine your own rate for your services and schedule to complete your work.
- You can create gig-extra as an optional service to earn more and provide value-added services.
- You can create more gigs as you move to a higher level and increase your earning potential.
- Fiverr encourages tipping so the seller (and Fiverr) can earn more.
- You can move up levels and increase your rate as well.
- Direct interaction with buyers allows you to build a loyal customer base.
Negatives
- As a seller, you must pay Fiverr 20% of your revenue as a service charge, including tips.
- 14 days hold time on your earned funds.
- Automatically accepts orders from buyers, with less control for sellers.
- Your earnings are not predictable.
- There are few options for withdrawal and mainly depend on PayPal, along with $3 per withdrawal fee.
- Fiverr does not allow clients and customers to work outside of Fiverr
Upwork
If you are keen on supplementing your income or trying to make a living entirely, this can be done on Upwork. Through Upwork, many freelancers take home full-time income through freelance writing jobs and run their families.
On Upwork, you may have to start low, and often accept less-paid jobs before you build your reputation. But once you do so, as long as you have the skills and expertise to offer what customers want, you can simply increase your price and determine how many hours you would like to work.
Having an outstanding professional profile on Upwork is vital to your success. Use every aspect of your profile to highlight your skills and build an engaging, professional profile. Try to demonstrate your best skills by showing them in pictures and making a video. A gig with an introductory video is always better than the one without it. This is your opportunity to show – not just say – the quality of your work and the importance of your expertise.
How much can I earn
Unlike Fiverr gigs where word counts determine the compensation, Upwork measures work by the hourly rate.
Many new USA freelance writers on Upwork charge $10 per hour. On the other end of the spectrum, some experienced writers who have earned over $100k on Upwork are charging $100/hr or more. Upwork takes a 5% to 20% service charge depending on how much you make from the same buyer.
Benefits
- No qualifications required
- To make a new Gig on Upwork is free.
- You determine your hourly rate and work at your schedule.
- Upwork is a perfect place to find more customers and establish your own business.
- More clients on Upwork are willing to pay more to get a top-quality result.
- Customers and freelancers can work outside Upwork after paying an Upwork Conversion Fee. The client and freelancer must mutually agree on who will pay the fee.
Negatives
- Upworks takes 20% service charge for the first $500, 10% for $500.01 to $10,000, and 5% for above $10,000 from the same buyer.
- Upwork has a large number of experienced sellers, so it is more competitive for beginners.
- Upwork may reject a new freelancer’s profile, although the freelancer can re-apply.
Indeed
You are probably familiar with Indeed already as it is the largest job search site in the world. There are full-time, part-time, and remote freelance writing jobs available on this trusted job search site. Indeed does the best at crawling the career sites and give you free access to all job postings from one place.
Unlike a freelance platform, Indeed is a job site where employers post jobs for hiring employees, contractors, or freelancers. You will need to pass the employer’s interviews and go through the hiring process. Essentially, it will be a freelance writing job that you can do remotely or on a part-time basis.
How much can I earn
The salary can be negotiable between the freelance writer and the employer. Some of the positions will have an hourly rate disclosed. According to Indeed, the average freelance writer in the United States earns $21.47 per hour.
Benefits
- Indeed is the world’s largest online job site.
- It contains all the job openings from major writing job boards, magazines, organizations, and career sites for businesses, and employers may also post jobs.
- You earn a more predictable income stream from the employer.
- If you started at entry-level, you could renegotiate compensation upon contract renewal.
- The freelance job can turn into a full-time employment position with full health and medical benefits.
- You may also opt to post your resume for free on Indeed.com to gain more exposure.
- In the US, 65 percent of all employers hired online are via Indeed.com, according to Huemanrpo
Negatives
- You will need to pass interviews and go through the hiring process.
- Less flexible. You will need to work with the employer to determine the rate and work schedule.
- It’s kind of a no-frills worksite. Navigation and layout are not as modern as other job sites.
- It is a work listing search engine, which makes it a little redundant if you already use other job search engines.
Flexjobs
FlebJobs is the most reputable and leading provider for remote and part-time jobs.
This is the only freelance job site recommended on this list that requires a subscription fee. You can search the job site for free; however, you will need to pay the subscription fee if you want to access all the detail and apply for the job.
Many online freelance writing jobs can be done remotely, part-time, or on short-term contracts.
How much can I earn
Similar to Indeed, the salary can be negotiable between the freelancer and the employer. You will need to subscribe to Flexjobs in order to see the compensation detail.
Benefits
- The leader and trusted site for flexible freelance jobs.
- A platform for safe, ad-free, scam-free work.
- The membership fee allows Flexjobs to review the job postings and filter out scams to protect you as a job seeker.
- Large flexible job database across all professional industries, including freelance writing jobs.
- Flexjobs also offers excellent job search tools to support your writing career now and in the future.
Negatives
- Jobs are posted by employers, and you have to go through the interview and hiring process.
- Less flexible. You will need to work with the employer to determine the rate and work schedule.
- Flexjobs charge a membership fee. Although $14.95 a month isn’t much money and you can terminate any time, it’s still a cost when other free generic job sites are available.
iWriter
iWriter is a popular platform providing articles and writing services. You can register with iWriter for free. iWriter can be a good training ground to get started if you are new to freelance writing and just want to try it out. Unlike the other platforms where you either need to bid for jobs or go through the hiring process, you can simply grab an available writing job in the pool and start earning.
There are 4 levels at iWriter. All the writers start at the Standard level with the lowest pay. To become a Premium-level writer, you need to have a minimum of 4.1-star ratings with at least 25 ratings.
To become an Elite writer, you will need to have a minimum of 4.6-star rating with at least 30 ratings. To get to the highest Elite Plus level, you must have a minimum of 4.85-star rating with at least 40 ratings.
iWriter standardizes the price based on your level and the number of words for the article. So you just have to focus on writing quality articles so you can get paid while iWriter takes care of the rest.
How much can I earn
The freelance writer makes 65% of the price paid by the buyer based on the iWriter pricing sheet. Your compensation will depend on the number of words and your level.
At the Standard level, your net payout is roughly $0.5 to $0.6 per 100 words after paying the 35% commissions.
At the Premium level, you can earn about 2x of the standard rate.
You can make about 3x of the standard rate at the Elite level.
At the Elite Plus level, you can make about 10x of the standard rate.
You do not earn much until you get to the Elite Plus level. It may not seem a lot but still better than many of the freelance writing platforms available on the web.
Benefits
- Free to register, and no qualifications are required.
- Start writing and earning immediately; no bidding for a job or going through an interview.
- You determine the schedule and workload.
Negatives
- Low pay to get started with a 35% service charge.
- You do not get paid for the rejected articles by buyers.
- The only way to earn more is to pick articles with more words or move up the level. You can’t set your rate.
- There can be times when no jobs are available.
So, where should I start?
There are dozens of online freelance writing platforms available on the web, but many of them are not trustworthy or not suitable for beginners. If you are looking to find an online freelance job for beginners, you will have much better luck with these platforms mentioned above. These are trusted and reputable platforms where you can find and start a freelance writing job, as well as earn more money once you become an expert.
Which platform to start with will depend on your situation and preference.
If you value complete flexibility over a steady income, freelance platforms such as Fiverr, Upwork, and iWriter are probably more suitable. If you need a steady income and are willing to give up flexibility, working as a freelancer for an employer via FlexJobs and Indeed may be a better option.
To give yourself the most exposure, you can also explore all the platforms and find out which options work the best for you.
Comment below and share your experience finding online freelance writing jobs.
