Although writing gigs and contracts can be lucrative once you secure them, the reality of being a freelancer is that you will have down days, when the cash flow is not streaming in as you would wish. Whenever this irregularity happens, it can upset your budget and make it harder for you to pay your bills on time or manage your other financial responsibilities, especially if you are working full-time as a freelance writer and don’t have a main job for back-up.
But thankfully, there are many ways to make money as a freelance writer, including passive income, beyond merely finding writing gigs.
How To Make Money As A Freelance Writer
Check out the ideas below for ways you can boost your earnings and diversify revenue streams for a more stable income and career, beyond writing gigs:
1. Provide Editing And Proofreading Services
One way to make money from your writing skills is to offer your services as an editor or proof-reader. You can sign up to gig platforms such as Upwork and offer this to clients, and you can also include it on your personal website if you have one, or your LinkedIn profile. If you have specific niche experience, such as within the medical industry, for example, you might want to focus purely on that niche, which makes it easier for you to find clients and make money within that field, and you can even pitch to editing agencies.
2. Content Strategy Services
Another approach to making money as a freelance writer, from your skills, is to offer consulting services to businesses looking to improve their digital marketing for sales and engagement. You could use your existing knowledge of SEO and digital marketing copy (if that is your specialism) to help small businesses to plan and structure their content and consult on strategy, providing guidelines and bespoke templates as part of your package.
3. Repurpose Content
One of the best ways to make more money as a freelance writer is to repurpose your existing materials. A piece of long-form content, such as a blog, can be leveraged again and again to create more content, using different angles, for various platforms and social media, over a period of time. This brings more eyes to your work, engages with your audience, and drives traffic to your other services or products that you might be promoting in your blog.
Additionally, you can offer content repurposing as part of your digital marketing package for businesses looking to grow their digital presence.
4. Sell Templates
Writing templates, checklists, tools, and prompts can easily be created and edited to be user-friendly on sites such as Canva, and published as a digital product on Etsy. This builds passive income over time, since most of the work goes into creating the product at the beginning; no inventory needs to be stored and you can keep making sales even in your sleep.
5. Host Workshops And Training
As a freelance writer, you are passionate about your niche and are expected to possess a high degree of knowledge and expertise in the subject matter you write on. You can repurpose all your research and knowledge and host training sessions, webinars, and workshops.
For example, if you write for clients and provide marketing copy, perhaps you can deliver training on marketing best practices, how to ensure one’s brand resonates with its audience, or even train other aspiring writers.
If you want to make more money as a freelance writer, all you have to do is look at what you’re already skilled in, and think creatively of ways you can leverage your existing expertise without needing to step outside of your field.
Source: 5 Ways To Make Money As A Freelance Writer In 2025