What are legitimate writing jobs?

I think the word “legitimate” is important to emphasize, as there many writing jobs out there that are scams or that only pay writers a small amount for a great deal of work. The Internet provides outstanding opportunities, but it also provides webs of deceit. There are many people on the internet that just want to phish money from gullible people. To avoid getting entangled in these troubles, below is information on legitimate writing jobs that will ensure that you don’t get into trouble while advancing your writing career.

What are legitimate writing jobs?

Blog Writer

There are many respected blogs you could write for. You need to have plenty of samples of blog posts that you have written to show to employers. But blog writing is not so difficult: it only takes a voice and a joy for the content. If you do not enjoy the topic you are writing about, it will be hard to find people who will enjoy your writing.

Here is a list of blogs that are respectable and where you can get decent pay from:

  1. Christian Courier
  2. College Humor
  3. Dorkly
  4. Listverse
  5. Money Crashers
  6. The Krazy Coupon Lady
  7. The Write Life
  8. Writers Weekly

…. and many more.

To be a blog writer, you should have a degree in either your topic of choice, or should have a degree related to writing. It is also good to have previous experience under your belt, even if it is an internship. And like it was mentioned before, have a sizable portfolio of work to show to employers. Keep in mind that blog writing is difficult to make a full-time job. It is good to apply to many different jobs simultaneously to earn a consistent income.

Freelance Writer

In terms of legitimate writing jobs, this can be a somewhat fishy area. Many clients may seem reliable and professional, but in the end, they are scams or do not pay well or at all. The following freelancing sites can be trusted:

  1. BlogMutt
  2. Freelancer
  3. Guru
  4. iFreelance
  5. Online Writing Jobs
  6. Outsourcely
  7. People Per Hour
  8. Upwork
  9. Textbroker
  10. Toptal

…. and many more.

As a freelancer, you should be flexible in your writing skills, and willing to take orders that you don’t necessarily deem interesting. Also, you should be able to write according to a strict deadline, as you will get timeframes for your assignments and the assignments often need to be of high quality. If you can write on demand and well, this is the right career for you. There are many benefits to being a freelance writer, and one of them is that you can work practically anywhere. However, the main curse of freelancing is that you most likely will not have medical and insurance benefits. This means you will have to pay for these services out-of-pocket, which can be quite expensive if you live in the US.

Greeting Card Writer

Are you a person that loves to read greeting cards in supermarkets for kicks? If yes, then being a greeting card writer could be a good idea. It takes a certain voice and certain penchant for emotions too. Here are some of the sites that offer legitimate writing jobs as a greeting card writer:

  1. Avanti Press
  2. Blue Mountain
  3. Comstock
  4. Oatmeal Studios
  5. P.S. Greetings, Inc.

You can’t really make a solid living as a greeting card writer, though. Unless you are hired as a full-time writer, then yes, but this is rare. This position is more of a supplement than something main.

Tips and Stories

When looking for legitimate writing jobs, it might be intriguing for you to learn that people pay for tips and stories. If you consider yourself a life coach or a person with substantial experience, your tips and stories can sell well. The following are where you can publish your tips and stories for cash:

  1. Chicken Soup for the Soul
  2. Country Magazine
  3. Cuisine at Home
  4. Eating Well
  5. Family Handyman
  6. KnowledgeNuts
  7. Take a Break
  8. The Story People

This can be a good supplement to your income, but it will rarely result in full-time work. However, you could strike big with certain stories, and become a bestselling author in the course of doing these freelance writing posts of tips and stories.

Job Boards

There are plenty of job boards floating around the internet, and some of them are focused on writing jobs more than others. You have to be wary of scams on these sites, however. Any site that makes you put in your credit card information or asks for your social security number right off the bat is not to be trusted. Here are some of the more respected job boards:

  1. BloggingPro
  2. Craigslist
  3. Direct Response Jobs
  4. FlexJobs
  5. Freelance Writing
  6. Freelance Writing Jobs
  7. Problogger

On some of these job boards, you will have to find the “writing section.” It won’t take too much effort though.

Poet

Are you serious? You might be saying inside your head. Yup, there are places that will pay for your poetry. This may be a poet’s dream, and it can happen. However, competition is stiff, and don’t think you can write any poem and it will get picked up for payment. Here are sites that pay for poetry:

  1. Grain Magazine
  2. Poetry Foundation
  3. Sojourners
  4. The Sun Magazine

Sites that are not focused on poetry, but offer occasionally paid-publications of poetry:

  1. WritingCareer.com
  2. MoneyPantry.com

It might seem obvious, but you cannot make a steady stream of income from poetry. Even the most famous poets have to work day jobs, usually.

Recipes

You can make a decent amount of money submitting recipes to cooking websites. Sometimes, websites will pay handsomely for recipes with original photos. Here are some sites you can submit your recipes to:

  1. Cooking for Engineers
  2. Crafty Morning
  3. My Recipe Magic
  4. ReciPay
  5. Recipe Yum

You should be able to cook well, obviously, and be able to format a recipe write-up. Also, being a photographer is an added bonus.

Resume Writer

If you are good at interviewing, proofreading, and persuasive writing, being a resume writer can be a solid choice for you in terms of legitimate writing jobs. Many people seem clueless when it comes to writing a resume. Often, people do not how to organize their resumes effectively. This is where you can come in. Here are some websites where you can find resume writing jobs at:

  1. ResumeEdge
  2. RiseSmart

Revenue Sharing Writer

On revenue sharing sites, you can submit content and get a percentage of the revenue that is made for each post you make. It is like a symbiotic relationship where a site supplies the audience and platform, and you provide the content. Here are websites that focus on this:

  1. Demand Studios
  2. Helium
  3. HubPages
  4. InfoBarrel
  5. Sammiches & Psych Meds
  6. The Penny Hoarder
  7. The Richest
  8. The Work at Home Woman
  9. What Culture
  10. Wizzley

The revenue is not too much, usually. It is based on advertisements, per click, and traffic. Some sites also offer a base pay in addition to royalties. It won’t make for stable work until you have produced tons of content this way, or had a hit article.

Travel Writing

For legitimate writing jobs, there are a variety of ways to be a travel writer. You can host your own travel blog and monetize it, though that won’t make too much money, unless you become a sensation. You can write for periodicals, such as newspapers, magazines, or journals, where you can become a regular staff writer. Also, you can contribute to these following sites:

  1. BootsnAll
  2. Go Nomad
  3. International Living
  4. Ireland Before You Die
  5. Outpost Magazine
  6. Travelicious
  7. Wanderful

For this position, however, you should be able to afford travelling often in regard to expenses and time. Also, you should have a degree in journalism, writing, editing, media, or another related degree. Having a portfolio with your writing samples is a fine idea as well.

IT Writers

There are many writers that are hired by big name IT companies. The types of positions offered in these companies are: technical writer, copywriter, content manager, marketing writer, and many more. Technical writers and copywriters are the two main in-demand jobs for IT companies. Below is a list of the top IT companies that are hiring writers:

  1. Google
  2. Microsoft
  3. Amazon
  4. Boeing
  5. Expedia
  6. ATAT

A direct knowledge of IT is not necessary, but helpful. You at least need a curiosity for IT in order to effectively work within this field. You also need to be an exacting writer that is good at editing. These companies will not hold your hand during the working process: they expect solid copy from a professional writer, and not copy with a load of errors.

I hope this overview was insightful and that you now have a fine idea of where to acquire legitimate writing jobs.