Before I started as a content writer, the idea of it was a little bit overwhelming. I didn’t have any published work, I had no idea how to start making money writing, and I didn’t know which freelance writer side hustles were legitimate…and which would just be a total waste of time.

Luckily for you, I’ve made the mistakes so you don’t have to. I’ve built my own freelance writing career, making money as a writer for multiple years now. I have direct experience with each of these side hustles, and am personally recommending them to anyone wanting to start as a freelance writer in 2026.

• Is it Possible to be a Freelance Writer as a Side Hustle?
  • Being Realistic
• 4 Realistic Freelance Writer Side Hustle Ideas
  • Pitching to Online Publications
  • Blogging
  • Freelancing Platforms
  • Substack
• Three Steps to Get Started in Freelance Writing

Is it Possible to be a Freelance Writer as a Side Hustle?

Yes, absolutely. Now, that doesn’t mean it’s easy, or that you’ll be making six-figures on the side in your first month, but if you’re ready to put in the grind, you can certainly build up a nice side income from writing. Case in point: I started freelance writing as a super small side hustle in 2021, and since then, have grown my business to be my full-time income.

What I’ve learnt along the way is that there are many, many avenues to making money as a freelance writer. Some are faster than others, some are longer-term routes, and some are just plain black holes of time and effort with very little pay-off.

A few things to remember:

• You get back what you put in: Freelance writing isn’t a get-rich-quick scheme. The more you put into it, the more you’ll get out.
• If it seems too good to be true, it probably is: Like every side hustle these days, there are a lot of false promises being made. Be savvy and don’t let wishful thinking steer you away from hard work.
• You can start from scratch: It’s completely possible to build a portfolio and find paying clients with zero degrees or professional work. Don’t let imposter syndrome stop you from starting!

Being Realistic

I want to add a quick note on what being realistic as a freelance writer really means. I hinted at it above, but the truth is, most people aren’t going to make thousands of dollars in their first few weeks. There’s no “secret trick” or “life hack” to this side hustle, despite what influencers might tell you.

Oh, and any website, platform, or person that requires you to pay them in order to make money is a huge red flag. That means Medium, writing job boards behind a paywall, or career coaches with no real experience in writing themselves (and I say this as someone who offers writing coaching).

Building a business, any business, takes time. You need to be ready to invest your energy, skills, and literal hours into it before you’ll see any true returns. Ignore flashy promises, and be prepared for it to take a month or more to make your first hundred bucks.

4 Realistic Freelance Writer Side Hustle Ideas

Now that realistic expectations have been set, let’s get to the reason you’re actually here: the four freelance writing side hustles that can actually get you paid. Each of these options is something that I (or in one case, my close colleagues) have made real money doing. They are legitimate avenues to making money through a freelance writing side hustle that don’t need any experience or qualifications to start.

Pitching to Online Publications

This. THIS! I don’t know why more freelance writers don’t talk honestly about this option. It is hands-down the most legitimate way to build out a career as a freelance writer, even just as a side hustle. Almost every online publication, established blog, and web magazine will have a page on their website sharing how you can pitch them a story, and whilst some of these are voluntary, the majority of them are paid opportunities.

This is how I really got my start as a content writer. I sent SO MANY pitches to all sorts of publications, and before too long…I heard back. I started with smaller blogs, and after building up my portfolio (and confidence), I started reaching out to larger websites with my pitches. In some cases, you’ll need to write full spec pieces to send over, but for most, you just need an airtight and relevant post outline. If they like what you pitch, you’ll get commissioned to write it and (hopefully) paid for your work.

Typical pay rates for online publications

• Small blogs and niche sites: $20–$75 per article.
• Mid-tier websites: $75–$250 per article
• Large, high-profile publications: $250–$1,000+ per article

The Reality Check:

The key with freelance writing as a side hustle is that you should expect to scale your income gradually. Get ready to pitch consistently to multiple publications at a time in order to get any response at all. Then be prepared for it to be for “exposure” for the next short while. But if you’re a good writer and ready to send out a lot of pitches, you will hear back, and you could be earning hundreds of dollars within a couple of months. What’s more, these one-off freelancing gigs can sometimes lead to longer contracts with publications and more regular commissions, aka money.

Blogging

This is always my favourite recommendation. Blogging offers a lot more than just a side hustle. Yes, you can absolutely scale your blog to monetisation, but did you know you can also use it to build an audience, showcase your writing, network in the industry, and enter other writing side hustles?

I’ve broken down the step-by-step guide to starting a blog in 2026, but for now, all you need to know is that it’s easier than you think, and it doesn’t have to cost a thing. To turn blogging into a true side hustle, you will need to write and share A LOT of posts, as well as spend some time learning the basics of SEO.

Once you’ve grown your blog traffic, there are lots of ways to start monetising:

Affiliate links

• New blogs: $0–$50/month (often nothing until you have at least 5k visits/month).
• Growing blogs (5k–20k monthly visitors): ~$50–$500/month.
• Established blogs: ~$500–$3,000/month

Sponsored posts:

• New blogs: ~$50–$150 per post.
• Mid-tier blogs: ~$150–$800 per post.
• Large blogs: $800–$3,000+ per post

Ad placements:

• Early stage: $0–$50/month.
• Consistent traffic (10k–50k sessions): ~$100–$1,500/month.
• High-traffic blogs: $1,500–$5,000+ per month, depending heavily on your niche and ad network

The Reality Check:

Most blogs earn very little in the first year, but once traffic builds, it’s common to see a few hundred to a few thousand dollars per month from a mix of ads, affiliates, and occasional sponsorships.

Freelancing Platforms

I have mixed feelings about freelancer platforms. I actually got my first-ever paid writing gig on Fiverr. That means that, as much as I have my qualms about the abhorrent 20% platform cut (including tips), I have to admit that it is a good place to start out.

For complete beginners, I think Fiverr is the easiest platform to find success, with Upwork being slightly harder but with much better long-term potential and pay-off. In the battle of Upwork vs Fiverr, I would probably recommend making profiles on both, then putting more work into making your Upwork profile as professional as possible.

The Reality Check:

I’ve heard (and believe) that less than 1/3 of Fiverr sellers make over $100/month, and only 1% make more than $2,000/month. In other words, it’s a competitive site where more people aren’t really making much. Does that mean you can’t build a freelance writing side hustle there? Of course not. Beyond the money, Fiverr is also a great place to build your portfolio and your writing confidence enough to start taking clients off the site to work with directly.

For Upwork, the stats are a little better. The average rate is $39/hour, and once you’re able to become established on the platform, you can make more than on Fiverr very quickly. That being said, getting your first few clients can take several months and requires you to be actively applying for contracts. When you do get work, make sure to underpromise and overdeliver in those first few months.

Substack

I feel very confident saying that Substack is no longer a small “underground” medium. It’s exploded over the past few years, with lots of influencers and celebrities using its monetisation tool to make money from their writing. The best part? You don’t need to be famous to build a following there.

If you don’t know already, Substack is a newsletter platform where you can write and share posts with your followers. These can be free, or you can put them behind a paywall for subscribers only. What’s cool is that you have complete control over this, from the cost of the subscription to the frequency of posts, and which are free vs paid.

Of course, the tricky part is building that following. The key really is to offer something different to the other writers. I recommend starting with a free online publication and trying to offer something genuinely useful/interesting to readers. Share the posts on your other social media, and start by asking friends or family to follow you.

Potential revenue on Substack

• Small newsletters with 50 to 200 paid subscribers can earn around $250 to $1,250 per month
• Medium publications with 500 to 1,000 paid subscribers can generate roughly $3,000 to $13,000 per month.
• Large newsletters with several thousand paying readers can earn five figures per month…or more

In practice, most independent writers sit firmly at the lower end of this scale, especially in the first one to two years.

The Reality Check:

The vast majority of Substack writers earn little to nothing in their first year, and converting free readers into paying subscribers can be difficult. A typical conversion rate is often between 2 and 10 per cent. Yes, Substack can absolutely become a strong income stream for writers (I’ve seen it happen first-hand on multiple occasions), but it’s definitely a slow-build, not a fast-track kind of side hustle.

Three Steps to Get Started in Freelance Writing

Now you know what the freelance side hustles could be, it’s time to start thinking about how to start them. Luckily, the process doesn’t need to be as scary or difficult as you might think. My advice is this:

• Step 1: Decide on a niche
• Step 2: Build your portfolio
• Step 3: Start creating gigs/pitches

Need more help? Don’t worry, I have you covered! I’ve shared lots of freelance writing resources on this blog, with more still to come. Check out a selection of the latest below…