This question isn't for me but for my cousin (BTW she doesn't know I'm asking an online forum LOL). She's too busy with sports and clubs to get an actual part-time job but she's looking for ways to make a little spare change for simply spending purposes. She's pretty good at writing and has been curious if there were any ways she could make a little money (no huge amounts, just pocket change like I said) by writing or doing something similar. Thanks in advance to all who answer!
Making a little pocket change by writing?
- Thread starter Liz_x3
- Start date
I actually do some freelance writing work for the industry I'm in. However, if I weren't working for a few very powerful people, I know that these assignments would be practically impossible to get.
It's a good way to pick up some spare cash, but definitely not a living. For example, I'm currently finishing off a piece that pocketed me $150 (this is quite little).
It's really hard to break into. Most publications will call for "professional, experienced writers." I honestly wouldn't know how to do it. Prior to getting my present job which has afforded me some freelance opportunities, I won a writing competition that allowed me to get an internship at a fashion magazine and do some copy-writing. But even then, when I would just submit to publications left and right, I had absolutely no luck.
I hope you'll have better fortune than I first had. There's definitely a way to break in, but I'm just not sure how.
It's a good way to pick up some spare cash, but definitely not a living. For example, I'm currently finishing off a piece that pocketed me $150 (this is quite little).
It's really hard to break into. Most publications will call for "professional, experienced writers." I honestly wouldn't know how to do it. Prior to getting my present job which has afforded me some freelance opportunities, I won a writing competition that allowed me to get an internship at a fashion magazine and do some copy-writing. But even then, when I would just submit to publications left and right, I had absolutely no luck.
I hope you'll have better fortune than I first had. There's definitely a way to break in, but I'm just not sure how.
i'm almost done with a journalism degree from a very prestigious journalism school, and from everything i've seen, freelance writing is exceptionally hard to get in to, even if you have the connections and networking ability that an education like mine provides. even if you can get a few assignments, they're usually on an unpaid basis until a job can figure out if you can even write.
since it sounds like your cousin is in high school still, i suggest she try something like babysitting for spare cash with a flexible schedule.
since it sounds like your cousin is in high school still, i suggest she try something like babysitting for spare cash with a flexible schedule.
If she's really serious, she needs to start writing for smaller, free publications first with no intention of getting paid. I've been writing professionally now for over ten years, and it has taken me all that time to be able to break into freelance of any value- and that's still pretty sporadic. Maybe 1-2 jobs a month, which nets me about $500 a job. Enough to support my bag habit, but not much else. I do write for my day job as well, but again, it took me ten years to get here. And I have print, broadcast, journalism, and web writing experience.
To get here, I've written free articles for papers and newsletters, created a ton of free web content, taken a ton of training classes on top of my degree, and I'm currently back in school learning to code to help me understand more about the IT sector.
If she's willing to start learning about specific topics and submit a lot of articles to smaller publications, she may have a chance at making some money with it in the future. But it's not easy, and takes a lot of time researching and doing the actual writing.
To get here, I've written free articles for papers and newsletters, created a ton of free web content, taken a ton of training classes on top of my degree, and I'm currently back in school learning to code to help me understand more about the IT sector.
If she's willing to start learning about specific topics and submit a lot of articles to smaller publications, she may have a chance at making some money with it in the future. But it's not easy, and takes a lot of time researching and doing the actual writing.