Boost My Budget uses affiliate links.
Are you craving freedom or wanting to quit your 9 to 5? Perhaps you’re looking for a side hustle you can do from home, with no start up costs?
If you’re a good writer hoping to begin working from home or remotely, you can find plenty of freelance writing jobs for beginners online.
Freelance writing can either replace your full time job, or allow you to earn extra money as a side hustle. When taking on freelance writing jobs, practice makes perfect. If you enjoy writing, you can find the right freelance writing gig for you.
Good work will often result in further work from the same client, and can even turn into a regular gig. The more you write, the easier it will become to turn it into an income.
There are plenty of places to find freelance writing jobs online, but the following list should get you started with your new freelance career.
This blog uses affiliate links. I may earn a commission if you make a purchase or sign up for certain opportunities through one of my links. Thanks for supporting my site!
Freelance writing tips for beginners
Ready to start applying for freelance writing jobs from home? Before you begin, here are a few tips for beginners that will hopefully speed up the process of landing that first gig:
- Learn the basic SEO rules to write online content. This will open up lots more opportunities in online content creation.
- Have a portfolio or some writing examples that you can share. Some people even like to make their own website which showcases their writing talent so they can point new clients to their previous work.
- Decide how much your time is worth and what you are willing to accept as payment per word. It may be that you need to charge less at the start of your freelance writing career to build up a customer base.
- Build a basic work history/CV with relevance to writing that you can use to build your profile within each platform. Even if you don’t have professional writing experience, try to highlight any relevant skills.
Here are the best websites to find freelance writing jobs for beginners:
Freelance writer job boards
ProBlogger
ProBlogger is a great writing resource website that is worth checking out.
However, it also offers a job board with opportunities to blog about various topics for paying customers. It works like a job searching website, with jobs listed and extra details provided when you click into them, including the payment amount.
The writing topics range from anything like writing blogs for parenting websites, to company blog posts, to television writers.
This site is dedicated to helping other bloggers learn the skills of blogging, share their own experiences and promote the blogging medium, but the jobs are open to all writers and there is something for everyone.
BloggingPro
The BloggingPro Job Board is updated daily with new, paid blogging jobs, blog writing opportunities, freelance writing jobs and more. Businesses, companies and individuals can post jobs so, as above, the topics vary widely.
The resources available on the website are also worth a read, and include book recommendations for writers, plus often give links to other freelance websites.
Contena
Contena is a job board that works like a membership. In addition to the jobs found on the writing job board, members receive access to a massive database of companies that hire remote writers in their writing submissions section.
As a Contena Academy member, you can take an optional training course which is especially great for those new to freelance writing.
It is a great place to start to look for freelance writing jobs for beginners as there is professionalism and support, alongside a range of writing jobs, including opportunities related to technology, education, finance, well being, beauty and other growing industries.
Content writing websites
The Writer Finder
The Writer Finder works with freelance writers to produce blog content for clients in a wide range of niches. The opportunities are endless as any niche is welcome, with examples given such as cryptocurrency, artificial intelligence, travel, sales, wellness, diet, client projects and more.
The Writer Finder promises good pay and a steady stream of writing projects. You will also be able to connect with the other writers and check out other projects.
A knowledge of SEO is particularly important to write for this site. All articles will be checked in order to rank well within Google, which is beneficial to your portfolio.
Copify
A great way to begin writing content for large organisations, Copify offers quality content to businesses. Their clients apparently include companies such as eBay, Amazon, Autotrader , Deloitte and more.
Copify needs writers for website content, ecommerce stores, blog posts, articles, press releases, and email writing services.
Content and copywriting could include long-form articles, product descriptions, SEO ready website content and more, so a variety of jobs are available.
Copify approves the writers before allowing them to take on jobs and also offers proofreading and peer editing before submitting the work to clients.
It’s a good way to get into professional writing with the knowledge that your writing will be approved and checked by others.
Also, this is a UK based site. Although all of the sites of this list can be used to find freelance writing jobs in the UK, many of them are based overseas and pay in USD or other currencies. Copify is a good option to get paid in GBP.
Content mills for entry level freelance writing jobs
So-called ‘Content mills’ churn out large volumes of cheap online content, often for professional blogs or SEO agencies.
They are notorious in the freelance writing community for very low pay. However, they generally have plenty of work available, and they pay quickly.
These sites can be a great leg up into the world of freelance writing jobs for beginners with no experience.
You can also save time on pitching clients for work. Typically, you accept an available job and get started right away. This can be a welcome change from freelance sites where you have to bid against many other writers.
Just be prepared for the low rates and sometimes strict editorial process. I recommend you only accept jobs where you are already familiar with the subject area, so you don’t have to spend too much time on research.
Here are a few sites to try:
Best freelance websites for beginners
Freelance websites are dedicated to matching freelance workers with gigs/jobs. There are a number of well-known sites that work as an all-in-one freelancer platform, but also some dedicated specifically to writing.
One thing to remember when using these platforms is that freelancers are given ratings and reviews after completing jobs. This can make it difficult to land your first job, as some clients are hesitant to hire an unrated writer. But offering jobs to build your portfolio will garner you more feedback, and in turn, more work.
For this reason, many freelancers initially offer lower rates, and raise their fees once they have some good reviews under their belt.
It’s worth being patient when using freelancing platforms.
Freelancer
Freelancer is an online platform well used by small businesses, especially that need to outsource work such as copywriting, content writing, web development, and design.
Companies or individuals post the job that they need doing, and freelancers can browse the jobs to find any that might fit their expertise. You can then bid for the work with a suggested price and proposal.
You get paid via the platform so it’s a sure way of making sure payment is received for your work. In order to get more interest, you can post previous work examples to a portfolio.
There is also the option to keep the hirer updated with progress via messages or a live chat feature.
People Per Hour
Similar to above, People Per Hour offers a huge range of services. This website has a project writing tool that allows hirers to fully explain what they need from a freelancer. It then uses AI to match the best freelancers to the project, making it easier for both sides to find the perfect partnership.
With People Per Hour, freelancers can show off their work in their profile, allowing them to be found more easily by potential clients. However, as with most freelancing websites, actively searching for jobs yourself is the best move to ensure regular work.
Again, freelancers and hirers can check in regularly via the messaging platform, which allows uploads of the work to show progress too.
Fiverr
Fiverr is slightly different to other freelance writing platforms as rather than browse jobs, you create gigs and allow potential hirers to find you. For example, you could offer to ‘write 500 words for £XX’ or ‘write an SEO friendly article for your website’.
Once you create a gig, you decide a price. It’s important to be careful how you word your offer not to get caught out, but there is a lot of guidance when creating them from the templates on the site.
Fiverr is a great place to get started when writing online. It’s also a good website to gather more ideas from other freelancers, as you are able to view their profiles and gigs too and study how they market themselves.
Upwork
On Upwork, you can create a profile and set your hourly rate so that people can find you when looking to hire. Writers can bid on projects with their hourly rate or with a fixed price.
Reputation is especially important on this freelance website as ratings are clearly shown on your profile. But as with all similar platforms, hard work and patience will pay off.
There is a huge range of writing tasks available, such as online content writing, ghost writing, news articles and more, so you can apply for varied work or keep writing within your speciality area or niche.
Guru
Guru is another freelancer platform where you can build your profile and apply or bid for open jobs.
Hirers can see your feedback, performance, portfolio and earnings statistics. Creating a strong profile is important in order to get hired via this platform.
Hirers can hire multiple freelancers to work together on projects, making this slightly different to the other freelancer platforms. You can collaborate with team members and communicate with employers using the Workrooms feature, plus manage files and payments in one place.
There are various payment options, offering flexibility, but all are safely processed via the Guru platform.
How to find writing jobs on social media
Twitter is a great place to find freelance writing gigs with independent companies, small businesses and content writing platforms. You can even find work with online magazines and news platforms, such as Metro.
Connecting with the right people will help you find more jobs. You can also search the hashtag #writerswanted and others to look for opportunities.
The more you build your profile, the more likely you are to be noticed by employers. Make sure your LinkedIn profile shows some of your writing or links to writing samples for a more professional approach.
You can search and apply for jobs directly on the platform and your profile will be seen as a CV unless you supply a separate one.
Again, connecting with people in the industry is a great way to find new gigs.
To find writing jobs on Facebook, you can either search posts via phrases or hashtags. You can also search for relevant groups to join.
Searching ‘content writing’ or ‘freelance writing’ will give you some options. Some blogging groups are also a good place to find blog writing work. Just make sure you read the group rules before advertising your own services.
Reddit is likely an unexpected source of freelance writing jobs, but it actually has a dedicated freelance writing hire page under the subreddit page r/HireaWriter.
On this thread, you can advertise your services or browse job listings.
There is also a subreddit called r/freelanceWriters where a community of fellow freelancers offer advice and links to writing jobs.
Job websites to find freelance writing jobs
Indeed and other job websites
Indeed is mostly used for finding more permanent work, but there are plenty of paid online writing jobs now listed on the job search website.
Just search phrases like ‘freelance writing’ or ‘copywriting’ and you will find plenty of opportunities for content creation, copywriting and academic writing. You can search for the niche you’re most comfortable with to begin with and build your portfolio.
It’s easy to apply via Indeed as there is a one click apply option. Just be sure to have your freelancer CV uploaded on your profile, including any examples you may have to help potential employers with their selection.
Other job search websites advertising freelance opportunities with similar features include Total Jobs, Reed, and Glassdoor.
Make money writing with your own blog
There are a few reasons why budding writers should consider starting their own blog:
Firstly, you can use it as a place to showcase your own writing. You can direct potential clients to your blog to see examples of your style.
This is particularly useful early in your career, when you don’t have published writing samples to show.
Secondly, you can use it as a platform to advertise your services. You can include pages such as ‘about’, ‘work with me’ and even an online CV highlighting your experience.
Thirdly, your blog can become a source of income in its own right!
In addition to offering freelance writing and other services, blogs can make money in many other ways. For example:
- Adverts
- Sponsored posts
- Affiliate links (when you make money when a reader buys a product on your recommendation)
- Selling your own products (such as ebooks, online courses, printables or physical products)
I have a full tutorial on how to set up a blog here. Give it a go – it’s easier than you think!
Conclusion: freelance writing jobs for beginners UK
This list should get you started on finding your first freelance writing jobs in the UK and globally, and help you to build your online profiles and portfolios.
Freelance writing work can be difficult to gain at first, but once you start getting some paid work, you will have the experience and ratings to get more and more.
And once you’ve built up a great reputation, you can start to raise your rates!
Whether it’s a side hustle you’re after, or a full time work from home gig, freelance writing is a great way to make some extra income.
Looking for more online job ideas? Check out these related posts:
- 13 Tried-and-Tested Ways to Make Money Online in the UK
- Best Transcription Companies Hiring In The UK Now!
- 13+ Sites To Find Online Proofreading Jobs UK
- 29 Legit Online Jobs For Students To Earn Money At Home
- 10 Online Jobs For Teens That Really Pay!
- How To Make Money Online Internationally: 10 Legit Global Money Making Sites
Pin this for later
