Jobs

25 Best Online Writing Jobs for Students Without Investment

Brian Aird

October 11, 2022

There are certainly online writing jobs for students without investment to make money.

This article shines the light on 25 best such jobs and some tips to help.

Importance

To be a successful student at school there are some basic and fundamental skill sets that will serve you well.

Some of those basic requirements to be successful at school include:

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Reading
Social skills
Discipline
Time management
Focus
Being goal-oriented
Etc.

Another important part or component of being successful at school and advancing your chosen career path is the ability to communicate and one of those communication skill sets is writing.

Through writing, there can be an exchange of ideas, communication with one another at a variety of levels, etc.

Understanding the value and importance of writing, why not take this skill set one step further and use your writing skills or work on your writing skills by taking online writing jobs to supplement your income while attending school.

25 Best Online Writing Jobs for Students Without Investment to Make Money

1. Grant Writing

There are many existing not-for-profits and startups that are looking for funding for a certain program or project in their service to others.

The opportunity to be a grant writer is not only a good way to earn money but can be meaningful when submitting a grant application to a company, corporation, or foundation.

As a grant writer, you need to have a good combination of writing skills that capture the professionalism of the not-for-profit but also the emotion and passion as it relates to requesting funding to meet a specific need in the community.

2. Blogging

The writing niche of blogging is a good way to de-stress as a student and yet still be involved in an opportunity to earn needed revenue.

Your blog site could be anything that you are passionate about which could include:

Your insight into being a student
A particular subject
Or something outside of the world of academia

The monetization of your blogging can be possibly achieved through the support of your followers, affiliate advertising, and always the potential of having a company sponsor your site.

3. E-book Writing

Another potential writing opportunity to indulge in and get paid is to create an e-book.

Your e-book can capture a number of subjects which could include student life, any insights that you have into life at this point in time, a subject that you are well versed in, etc.

A website that you can learn more from in regards to publishing an e-book can be found at https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/.

4. YouTuber

Another way that you can earn money as it relates to writing is to start your own YouTube channel.

The YouTube channel could bring your perspective on going to school, the rigors of academia, looking for online work by writing, etc.

The YouTube channel could discuss all of these aspects or, if you are a quality writer, your YouTube channel can be devoted to the artistry of writing and how to successfully be a good writer.

5. Tech Writing

Another writing opportunity is to be a tech writer.

A tech writer is an individual who puts together those instructional manuals that are available when a consumer purchases a product.

A tech writer has the ability to specifically put into words what is needed for the safe operation of the newly purchased product, how to install or utilize the product, troubleshooting tips, etc.

Many tech writing jobs can be found through a variety of freelance websites that offer this opportunity.

6. Ghost Writing

A ghostwriter is an individual who writes on behalf of another person but the name of the author of the narrative is not revealed.

A ghostwriting opportunity can be found through a variety of freelance websites where the potential employer wants to present their autobiography or provide teaching that has been successful in their life.

They do not have the professional writing acumen to create their book and so they look to a ghostwriter.

Typically, an e-book is roughly 30,000 words and you could get paid anywhere from $700 to upwards of over $1000.

To be a ghostwriter, you would not only have to have the creative writing skills and talents but would also need to capture the writing in the employer’s voice.

7. Essays

If writing your own personal essays is not enough, there are opportunities online in which you can research and write essays for other individuals.

One of those sites where you can write an essay for others can be found at www.bestessays.com.

8. Tutoring

If you enjoy writing and feel that you can teach others the finer points of writing in various niches and categories, you can always take on the role of being a tutor.

As a student, perhaps majoring in journalism or writing, you can tutor your peers or younger students as it relates to writing.

You can focus on grammar, sentence structure, etc.

A tutor can earn anywhere from $25 an hour or more.

Also, if you have the credentialing, if required, you can look online for certain websites that provide tutoring services to others.

One such website is www.wyzant.com.

Also See: How to Earn Money Online in Japan & How to Make Money Online in Zimbabwe.

9. SEO Writing

Another style of writing that can earn an individual money through the online process is SEO.

SEO is an acronym that stands for search engine optimization.

This style of writing incorporates specific keywords throughout the document and saturates the document with those keywords to a certain percentage.

The document then becomes part of a business’s website so that when a potential customer uses the search engine to find a particular product or service, they will enter these keywords which will then correspond with the keywords on the website and bring that website to the user’s attention when their screen is populated after their search.

The employment position of being an SEO writer can be found on a variety of freelance websites.

10. Writing Reviews

When potential buyers of a product want to know how the product performs and whether customers are satisfied, they will often try to find reviews that have been written about those products.

Subsequently, a good writing opportunity to get paid is by writing reviews.

There are companies that once you sign up will pay you for reviews that you write.

One of those sites is Blue Host Reviews.

11. Copywriter

A copywriter or a marketing writer is an individual who is charged with writing words that convey thoughts that are clear and engaging to the consumer.

Their purpose is to utilize verbiage on various advertising channels, websites, print ads, and catalogs that will attract the attention of the potential buyer of the product and move them towards the purchase.

This is a significant job and requires quality wordsmithing so as to promote your employer’s product.

12. Email Writer

Email is still a viable way of communicating with customers and potential customers as it relates to the promotion of products with the intent of selling those products to customers.

There are employment opportunities in which the writer is called upon to write engaging and energizing copy in the form of an e-mail.

You can search for these opportunities through various freelance websites or by logging onto a job posting website such as www.indeed.com.

13. Transcription

Job opportunities for a student who wishes to write and has fairly decent words per minute as it relates to typing are through transcription.

One of those sites is www.scribie.com.

Through this site, you can earn anywhere from $5 to $20 per hour as you transcribe audio or video recordings into words into the software required.

14. Journalism

A journalist is a writer who reports on the various current events of the day or may be assigned a special project to write about.

There are opportunities on a number of freelance websites for magazines and newspapers that are looking for independent journalists to write for them and report on a variety of stories.

15. Social Media

The social media writer is an individual who posts rights and posts various narratives on social media platforms on behalf of their employer.

Many companies understand the value and power and engagement of social media but often do not have the staff, necessary resources, or understanding to provide that social media emphasis.

Therefore, companies will hire social media writers to post on the various social media platforms.

Opportunities can be found on freelancing websites or through job posting sites such as www.simplyhired.com.

Also See: How to Start and Succeed in a Business Without Social Media.

16. Proofreader

If you have a good command of your written language a great opportunity to get paid as part of the writing process is to review other people’s writing.

The opportunity to be a proofreader would require that you are fully aware of the use of grammar, punctuation, attention to spelling, sentence structure, etc.

There are many freelancing jobs available on various websites that are looking for individuals with proofreading skills.

Websites That Pay or Help You Get Paid

17. UpWork

Upwork is one of the premier freelance websites.

To access the available freelancing opportunities through this site you need to register as a user. There is no fee to register.

You create your profile and as part of your profile, if interested in writing, you make that part of your talents and skills that you list.

Once the registration has been completed, you then can search for job postings and use their search engine by typing in certain keywords.

Those keywords could be writing, creative writing Christian writing, grant writing, etc. When you return to that search, your computer screen will be populated with a number of job opportunities.

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You then select those opportunities that you are interested in, submit a proposal, indicate your rate of pay, and then wait to hear whether your bid is accepted.

The one caveat to this site is that in order to submit a proposal you need a certain number of connections.

Sometimes these connections are provided to you at no cost and other times, you need to pay for these connections.

If as a registered user, a job opening invites you to apply no connections are required.

For each job completed, Upwork takes a commission of 20% of your payment.

Click here to check out Upwork

18. Listverse

At www.listverse.com you will be introduced to an online writing site that will pay you, for each article accepted, $100.

Payment is made through PayPal and the articles need to be submitted under strict guidelines.

Specifically, this is site encourages content that is:

Mysterious
Unexpected facts
Revelations about past events
Unique articles
And other guidelines or content requests

Click here to check out listverse

19. Freelancer

Freelancer is an Australian-based freelance website.

On this website, companies or individuals post jobs that need to be accomplished.

The jobs range the gamut of skills and talents needed.

On this site, the student writer can make an application for these jobs by using different types of filters which can include:

Fixed price projects
Hourly projects
Contests
Skills
Languages

On the site, the job listing shows the average bid along with how many freelancers are bidding for that project.

There is no charge to register as a freelancer but a percentage of your earnings for each project are held back by this site to cover their cost.

Click here to check out Freelancer

Also See: Money Making Jobs for 11 Year Olds & Money Making Jobs for 13 Year Olds.

20. iWriter

iWriter is an online site that buys articles from writers.

The process involves registering your account.

The initial application involves the providing of your name, and email address, linking your Facebook account, indicating how you were made aware of the site, and your country of residence.

The initial “test” is to write 200 words in English to let the site know about yourself and why you would like to write for this website.

The second writing needed to be submitted is to indicate your ability to provide research.

Once the site has received your application, they will review it and make a decision on whether to hire you as a writer.

The general pay rate is based on the number of words you write ranging from 150 words and a payment of $1.40 up to 2000 words and a payment of $15.50.

Click here to check out iWriter

21. Guru

At www.guru.com you are introduced to this writing site where you can earn as much or as little money as you wish based on how much time and effort you put into the process.

With this site, you open an account and complete your profile.

This site offers free basic membership and with this basic membership or no investment on your part, you can still earn a good salary or payment for your writing.

Once you have completed your profile you have the opportunity to look at various jobs available by using their search option

This site is not strictly a writer’s website but offers other freelance opportunities.

With this site, each of the clients, individuals, or companies that post a job opportunity indicate how much they are willing to pay to have the job completed.

Click here to check out guru

22. Golance

Golance is a freelancer website that offers a variety of job opportunities that include tech specialists, virtual assistants, writers, marketers, and much more.

The fee or the cost to have you perform a job is established by you and the commission and fees required by the site of almost 8% are paid by you as the user or freelancer.

To be involved with the site you must be 18 years of age or over and be able to enter into a legal contract.

The jobs can vary and be paid either hourly or at a flat rate.

If the job is paid by the hour, the freelancer must keep track of their time through the Koblenz timing application.

Click here to check out Golance

23. Textbroker

Textbroker allows writers to participate in this website at no charge and is based on a writing sample that you submit which will be reviewed for quality of content.

The actual jobs available are based upon your author rating.

At this point, you complete your profile, and then you are able to start writing for cash.

Payment is made via PayPal and the rate of pay is in direct proportion to the quality of your content.

Click here to check out Textbroker

24. Fiverr

Fiverr is an online freelance website in which a variety of employment opportunities are offered to freelancers.

Available as a freelance opportunity is the opportunity to provide writing.

The process involves the payment for “gigs” which are available to the freelancer who can set their own price and offer package deals to the potential employer.

Fiverr retains 20% of the payment to the freelancer and 5% on any gigs that are over $20.

As a freelancer, you have the opportunity to purchase a gig and then the order is then submitted to the seller

Once the order is completed you have the opportunity to make any requested changes prior to the full payment being received by Fiverr.

Once the buyer accepts the offer, the job begins and is submitted by you within the timeframe.

Indicators suggest that anywhere from $1000-$2000 a month is a possibility.

Click here to check out Fiverr

25. OneSpace

One Space is one additional freelance website that posts positions that are available for a freelancer to make an application for.

If, as a writer, you do not see a freelancing opportunity, you can still submit your application and if a writing opportunity becomes available, this site will contact you to see if you are interested and would like to make an application.

Click here to check out One Space

Personal Story

I had always thought that I was a good writer.

Perhaps, I was able to utilize words that would resonate with readers as I was endeavoring to share my story, but I quickly learned that there is much more to writing than just writing down flowering or impactful words.

I had made an application for this writing “gig” that required me to conduct research on sports figures and capture their biography.

I submitted my first writing and was very proud of the research that I had done, the way the story came together, using certain phrases in which I almost broke my arm while patting myself on the back, etc.

A few days later, the employer thanked me for the writing and suggested that on the next biography submitted that I run it through a grammar-checking website.

I heeded his advice and when I completed the second biography, I utilized Grammarly.

I figured there were a few grammatical mistakes and perhaps some sentence structuring issues, but I was not ready for what the software revealed to me.

To my shame, there were over 160 issues that included sentence structuring, punctuation issues, spelling errors, etc.

I was devastated and from that moment on I quickly learned that writing is more than just writing words it is utilizing proper grammar.

I was humbled.

Below are some other interesting ways of earning extra money writing include:

Online Writing Jobs for Students With No Investment FAQs

Are There Any Challenges as It Relates to Writing Jobs for Others Online?

One specific challenge that should be addressed as it relates to writing is the submission of any creative writing that you may do for others and establishing the rights of that writing.

Some individuals that you write for will indicate that once the writing has been submitted and you get paid that they have ownership of that narrative.

Therefore, it is important that everyone is clear from the beginning as to ownership and rights of that written document or creative piece.

What is One Big Absolute No-no or Taboo as It Relates to Writing?

The one absolute as to what not to do when writing is that the writing should be your own work.

When you copy someone else’s work and try to pass it off as your own, this is known as plagiarism.

Ways that you can determine if the document or narrative has been plagiarized is to check the work through various websites that will utilize their process to detect any plagiarism.

One such website can be found at www.copyscape.com.

You Can Do It

Your main job and profession right now are to earn your education.

The reality is that in addition to earning your degree, you also need to earn money for the necessities and non-necessities of life.

Why not combine the two and work on your writing skills required to earn your degree as well as utilizing those skills to earn money by taking jobs that require writing.

Conclusion

The art and skill of writing are critical when it comes to communicating.

This communication through writing is demonstrated in our daily lives, our ability to share ideas with others, and in the workplace.

Your writing skill will serve you well in school, your chosen career path, and in earning extra income to help you with this entire process of gaining an education and in your professional life.

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