Can content writing make you rich?
From dependencies on ability to scale production to your niche, here are answers to the question, “Can content writing make you rich?”
- Content Writing Can Make You Rich, but There’s a Catch
- Charge a Lot Or Scale Your Production
- It Depends On Your Niche
- $52,000 Is An Average Content Writer Salary
- Building a Team Makes More Sense
- Not All Content Writers Can Become Wealthy.
- Content Website Sell for 35 to 40x Monthly Revenue
- Only if You Know How to Monetize It Well
- It Depends On What You Call Rich.
- Here’s How Content Creation Can Make You Rich
Content Writing Can Make You Rich, but There’s a Catch
Content writing can make you rich, and freelance writing is actually how I earn most of my income. In my experience, experienced content writers can easily earn $200 to $500 per article depending on the niche. This means with enough clients and steady work, earning well over six figures is possible.
However, it took me about three years of content writing before I was earning high rates. When I first began, most of my content was ghostwritten and paid roughly $10 to $20 per article. But as I expanded my network and became more of an authority in my niche, I slowly increased my rates.
That $20 per article amount eventually became $50, and then $100 or more. Niche specialization and networking were the two factors that helped me make more money with content writing. But for most writers, I still think it takes time to increase your rates and find enough clients to become “rich” or to make a full-time income.
Tom Blake, Founder, This Online World
Charge a Lot Or Scale Your Production
There are two ways to become rich as a content writer: charge handsomely for each high-quality piece or scale up your production volume.
If you want to charge handsomely for each piece, you’ll need to have so many connections that you can secure high-paying writing gigs.
One way to earn more as a content writer is to specialize with a particular niche. For example, you can write about technology if you’re a good writer and have the knowledge to back up your articles. However, this will require you to build connections in the industry.
The other way is to scale up the volume. To do this, you must diversify your skills and write for multiple platforms, and, where appropriate, leverage technologies such as AI to handle all of your drafting, so that you operate more as an editor than as a writer.
Matthew Ramirez, CEO, Rephrasely
It Depends On Your Niche
Technical writers are still the best-paid content writers. It’s possible to be paid up to $1,000 per article.
Other niches can garner $300-$400 per article, but that isn’t enough to make you rich even if you pump out 4-5 articles per day.
Mind you, what is your measurement of “rich?” Most content writers are making $20-$100 per 1,000 words, and it’s simply not a scalable business. Creating a content-writing agency, on the other hand, is where it could be possible to become rich off of content writing.
Simon Bacher, CEO, Co-founder, Ling App
$52,000 Is An Average Content Writer Salary
Content writing can be a profitable career or business, but it is not a guaranteed path to wealth. Many content writers are able to earn a good income by providing high-quality content to clients or companies.
According to Indeed, the average salary for a content writer in the United States is $52,000 annually as of January 20th, 2023. However, this can range from around $30,000 to $80,000 or more.
However, for many, this is not the money that will empower people to call themselves “rich.”
But of course, it’s a subjective term, and everything depends on what amount makes you rich in your perception. Still, it takes skill, persistence, and luck to build a successful business or career as a content writer. It’s essential to have realistic expectations and not to be deterred by the challenges that come with building a successful business in this field.
Nina Paczka, Community Manager, Resume Now
Building a Team Makes More Sense
It is possible for content writing to lead to financial success, but it is not a guarantee. A lot depends on factors such as the quality of the content, the target audience, and your marketing and networking efforts. Many successful content writers have a combination of talent, hard work, and a bit of luck.
However, content writing can be a great career for those who enjoy writing and have the skills to create high-quality content that resonates with readers. The idea would be to get a foothold with regular customers and then upscale your output using other freelancers once you have a network of happy clients.
It’s difficult to become completely rich if you are doing it on your own; building a team makes more sense.
Shane McEvoy, MD, Flycast Media
Not All Content Writers Can Become Wealthy
Writing for a living is not an easy way to become wealthy. It’s challenging to consistently generate original concepts that people will want to read.
When done to a certain level of competence, content writing can make you wealthy. The average yearly income for a freelance writer is over $100,000, compared to $50,000 for content writers.
Although it will require effort and skill, there is technically no cap on the amount of money you may make from writing. You don’t need exceptional writing abilities to earn money writing material online.
Writing content can at least cover your bills by paying you to write. Not everyone will be a writer, and not all writers will be sufficiently paid to write. Furthermore, creating quality content is not a surefire strategy to generate income online. You must be skilled in self-promotion and education.
Be reliable in completing the work. I’m referring to learning, experimenting, working, and marketing your products. Your skills are your “property.
Himanshu Sharma, CEO and Founder, Academy of Digital Marketing
Content Websites Sell for 35 to 40x Monthly Revenue
There are loads of ways to get rich writing without publishing a best-seller! Some tech writers command upwards of $1,000 per article. Some writers focus on publishing SEO-optimized content on their own blog and monetize it using Google AdSense, Ezoic, or Amazon Associates.
As the revenue of these types of sites grows, so does the value. It’s pretty common to see websites come up for sale at 35 to 40 times monthly revenue. So, a content website doing $30K per month is worth more than $1M.
AJ Saunders, Founder, AJS Digital Group
Only if You Know How to Monetize It Well
Content writing can be a well-paying profession, but it is not a guarantee to become rich. Like any profession, the earning potential for content writers varies depending on factors such as experience, skill, and the specific industry or field in which they work.
There are certainly successful and well-paid content writers, but as with any career, it takes hard work and dedication to build a successful and financially rewarding career as a content writer.
Additionally, it’s also important to consider that becoming rich is a relative term, and it depends on the individual’s perspective, lifestyle, and needs.
Hanan Perez, CEO, Red Sea Media Ltd
It Depends On What You Call Rich
If you’re talking rich in followers and clicks, the answer is a resounding yes! If you’re talking monetary riches, it really depends on your success rate and who you work with/for producing content.
Writing can definitely open the doors to becoming an influential writer through sharing your content in many avenues online or if you’re lucky enough to land a deal with one of the remaining publications that print actual paper copies.
Another huge plus? Content writing gives you the freedom to work from anywhere, anytime. If you have a family or side hustle you want to give more time to, writing is a rewarding way to become rich in flexibility.
Colleen Sproull, Content Marketing Manager, Evinex
Here’s How Content Creation Can Make You Rich
Content creation can make you rich, with a couple of caveats:
- You have to know what your end game is
- You have to be prepared to learn while you teach
My initial content was in the form of FAQs that I received as a financial planner. Many people would ask me to explain certain acronyms, technical terms, or what impact rates would have on stock or bond prices. I drafted up single-page solutions for the 20-30 most common questions to save time.
A visiting professional saw the stack of papers, asked to borrow them, and after using them successfully, suggested I create a book. I had no idea how to do that! I published a few of my FAQs online, and others suggested they would make great book chapters, so I eventually collated them into a manuscript and published it.
After a while, book sales took off, I was invited to speak on stages at expos and conferences, and even teach courses.
My best advice is: Start small, continue consistently, and learn as you go.
Jeremy Britton, CFO, Boston Trading.co
Submit Your Answer
Would you like to submit an alternate answer to the question, “Can content writing make you rich?”