The 9 Best Free Platforms To Start Writing On As A New Writer
This site contains product affiliate links. If you make a purchase after clicking on one of these links, we may receive a commission.
Before I began writing on this blog, I was writing on free platforms and earning money to support my life living abroad. These platforms are free to start writing on, especially for new writers. I was being paid but using free resources to write on lifestyle topics and travel content. Writing on free platforms helped me to become a writer.
As a full-time traveler, writing about my travels was natural. However, I did not have money to invest in a blog, so instead of starting a blog and hearing crickets, I chose to write on platforms for a few reasons.
The main reason is that you can start writing for free and generate income almost immediately. It took me three months to make my first $500. Niche-free writing also helps you discover what you enjoy writing about and improve your writing skills. It will help you perfect your writing style and brand yourself instead of a WordPress-hosted blog.
These are the The 9 Best Free Platforms To Start Writing On As A New Writer.
Why Free Writing Platforms Are Good For Beginner Writers
It is easier to set up even though it does take time. It is possible to do it faster than starting a self-hosted blog, and it is a great way to make sure you really want to be a writer—my first three months of writing pay stubs. 👇👇
You do not have to be a travel writer to start writing; that is how I started. You can pick a niche (or not) and write whatever you want. Choose which avenue to take your writing skills when you find your groove.
Reasons You Should Start Writing on Free Platforms
You can start writing for free
- Easy setup
Start earning immediately
It helps you get your writing style
Test your writing skills before a significant investment
It can also help you start your own writing business, become a freelance writer, or guest post.
An excellent opportunity to make sure you like to write before paying
You can build an audience faster than with a self-hosted blog; instant dopamine hit
If you quit, you don’t lose anything, especially money
You will learn the process of writing
It helps organize your thoughts
To gain experience writing
An extra income stream that can lead to more opportunities
You enjoy creating and building an online community.
Can I (You) make money writing about travel on platforms without a big fancy blog?
Yes
Reasons You Should NOT Start Writing on Free Platforms
You do not enjoy the writing process
You expect to make tens of thousands of dollars immediately
You are worried about what other people think of you
You expect to quit your day job immediately.
You do not enjoy building a community of like-minded writers.
You expect to be highly paid immediately
The 10 Best Free Platforms To Start Writing On As A Beginning Writer
Writing online can be stressful if you are writing without feedback. It is one of the best reasons to start writing on online platforms. Immediate readers and feedback. However, some platforms are initially slower but not as slow as a WordPress-hosted blog like this one.
Plus, your analytics reads and earnings are built into the platform. All you need to do is sign up and start writing; there is no Google Analytics to set up. All you need is an email; sometimes, you must meet some minimum requirements, which I will explain below.
Let’s Jump in!
1. Newsbreak
When I started writing on Newsbreak, it quickly became my favorite and highest-paid platform. However, Newsbreak is not a place for travel advice or self-promotion. Here, you have to learn how to write about more trending topics. Once you adapt and learn a different way to create content, Newsbreak is perfect.
Newsbreak is also one of the few platforms on this list embracing AI, as long as you indicate that you have used it. Here, you can find travel trends and write other types of articles. I occasionally use this SEO tool to optimize my writing and make the writing process seamless.
Download the App here.
Become a Newsbreak writer here.
Newsbreak Contributor Requirments
Your posts must be at least 250 words
Include one image
Write ten articles
Gain 100 registered followers
Reside in the US or Canada
Make money on Newsbreak.
Unfortunately, Newsbreak’s pay scale is unclear, as they do not explain how they devised the revenue-sharing system. You are paid per 1000 views and paid based on the estimated RPM (reads per minute)
Newsbreak Pros
Newsbreak Cons
Side note: I have made the most freelancing on Newsbreak, which I discuss in this video below.
If you want to get started on Newsbreak, you can get a free trial of SurferSEO here, which I use, and SEOWriting.AI, which is also helpful for Newsbreak.
If you found this helpful, please use my link to sign up, become a contributor, and download the NB app.
2. Vocal Media
You can also sign up for free at Vocal Media, but you make less per read if you do not join Vocal Plus. The biggest perk of Vocal is the challenges, where you can earn more money per article if you win. However, you must be a vocal plus member to enter the contest.
Vocal Contributor Requirments
There are no thresholds or requirements to start getting paid
Make money on Vocal.
- Make money per views
- Per 1000 views as a regular vocal member, $3.80
- Per 1000 views as a Vocal + member, $6.00
- It costs 9.99 monthly to be a vocal + member
Vocal Pros
Vocal Cons
It’s not my favorite platform, but I have read about people making a lot of money on it. I have not, and I also do not spend much time writing vocals.
3. Fiverr
Fiverr is one of the best platforms for searching for freelance writing jobs. If you are new to freelancing and looking to get started, you can find anything on Fiverr. Fiverr not only has freelance writers but also a job board with many different types of jobs, not just writing jobs.
Fiverr Contributor Requirments
None. Apply to gigs, or people will contact you depending on your profile setup. However, the only catch is that Fiverr takes 20% of your pay and tips.
Make money on Fiverr.
You set your price
Fiverr Pros
Fiverr Cons
I prefer Upwork to Fivver, but they are both relatively similar.
4. Upwork
Upwork is very similar to Fiverr. I have found jobs here as a voiceover rather than a freelance writer. However, it is also one big job board with logs of paid writing jobs.
Make money on Upwork.
You set your price, and you can negotiate.
Upwork Pros
Upwork Cons
5. Medium
Medium was the first site on which I began my travel writing journey. It still remains my favorite way to tell my travel stories. It is also the easiest way to write online and build an audience and community. Medium has recently undergone some changes, such as eliminating its affiliate referral program and increasing rates for the paid program.
However, it is still free to sign up and become a writer, with a low barrier to entry. However, if you create a free account, you can only read up to three articles a month. Your account will grow slowly if you read three articles a month.
Medium is a form of social media, and the more people you read and comment on, the more your name is seen. People will be curious about you, check your page, and read your articles.
You will then create a community of writers and start building an audience. However, you can read articles if the writer shares the ¨friend link¨. That writer has to be a premium user, also called a ¨friend of Medium ¨.
Here is a free link to my latest article so you can see how it works:)
Follow my Medium account here.
Make money on Medium.
Medium pays per read; a read consists of someone being on your article for at least 30 seconds.
Medium writers get paid based on views, anywhere from $10-98 per 1,000 views. However, this number depends on the person who read your story and their level, as there are now three options.
Earnings depend on
Member reading time (30 seconds or more)
Member engagement, claps, comments, highlights
If your story gets boosted by a boost moderator
Medium Pros
Medium Cons
My go-to writing platform. Once you build a community there, people will follow and read your work on other publications, such as a self-hosted blog.
6. Gumroad
Gumroad is an e-commerce platform that allows creators to sell digital products. It is the perfect place if you are interested in creating content such as e-books. You do not need to set up a website to sell products, which is perfect if you want to create downloadable products.
It is also an excellent place to create content and build a storefront for your products.
Make money on Gumroad.
You can post your products and charge what you want, and a payment form is built into Gumroad. Yet Gumroad is free to sell your products. However, when you make a sale, Gumroad will take 10% of it for their commission.
There are no other hidden fees. Gumroad has a pay-what-you-want option also, where you can charge ¨0¨ and the lowest amount is ¨.99 cents¨.
There is also a threshold to remove the money from your Gumroad account, which is $10.
Gumroad Pros
Gumroad Cons
7. Substack
Substack is one of my new favorite writing platforms. It is also the most flexible and can have a dual focus depending on your writing style and objective. Substack is entirely free and unpaid. However, it allows you to create content and charge a membership fee for readers.
You can also create your blog and newsletter on this platform. From what I have noticed, it also develops a community of like-minded writers, which is less clicky than Medium and, overall, a more supportive writing community.
Like all other platforms, building up your platform takes time and consistency; this one functions more as an independent blog and can take longer to find.
Sign up here.
Make money on Substack.
Donations and turn on a paywall for your posts; it functions as a membership site. If you do not turn on the paywall, you can set up a donation button or create content with a free newsletter or content to promote products.
Substack Pros
Substack Cons
8. Blogger
Blogger is a free blogging platform provided by Google. This platform offers basic blogging features and is integrated with Google services such as AdSense so you can monetize your content. You can use the Blogger-hosted domain or a custom Blogger domain. With the low cost of zero dollars, it is an excellent site for beginner bloggers to start on.
Sign up here.
Make money on Blogger.
It is not a platform that pays its writers, so you would rely on affiliate marketing or other techniques, such as marketing your Gumroad products. You could also offer subscription-based content in combination with your Blogger account. Unlike Newsbreak, Vocal, or Medium, you only get paid if you place ads or create products to sell.
Blogger Pros
Blogger Cons
9. Hubpages
Hubpage is a place to write and share articles based on your interests or hobbies. The Hubpages website states it is not a place to get rich quickly or make easy money.
An article for Hubpages must be at least 800 words long, well-written, informative, and engaging. However, Hubpages is very particular about the writers it accepts and only accepts submissions that it finds interesting. This is one of the most difficult places to start writing, but I included it if you are already a seasoned writer looking for another option to submit your work.
Sign up here.
Make money on Hubpages.
The average rate you receive is $3 per 1000 impressions.
You can join their affiliate program after you are a well-established writer at HubPages and have twenty articles.
Hubpage Pros
Hubpage Cons
Key Considerations For Successfully Becoming an Online Writer for Free
The platforms I have listed are the best ways to begin your online writing journey. A low barrier to entry to start creating content online. It will also help you determine if you want to be a full-time writer, which type of writing jobs you would like to apply for, or if a self-hosted blog is right for you.
Use your free platform to leverage guest posting and get a freelance writing job.
Many of my co-writers have been featured on platforms to tell their stories and gotten jobs because they were discovered on a free writing platform. I have personally been interviewed multiple times, and it helps get your name out there and get you started on an online career, or at least to be seen.
Taking it to the Next Level: How to streamline your writing
When you start working with editors who will approve your posts on platforms, you will begin to streamline your writing process. Learn how to write headlines, and eventually learn SEO and, most importantly, what your audience wants to read.
Alternatives to free blogging platforms
If you do not want to start writing on free blogging platforms, you can begin on a WordPress-hosted site like this. I use HostGator, which is one of the least expensive hosting platforms. Blogging: you can also do guest posting, online courses, and freelance travel writing. While working on your writing styles and skills, you can use the free platforms to diversify your income streams.
Wrapping Up and My Experience With writing online for free
Before starting your blog, I recommend building an audience on a free platform. It will help you to build confidence in your writing skills and could help you get a full-time writing job. In addition, it helps you get your goals clear and make money with your words.
Freelance writing and blogging can be the first step to becoming your boss, and if you are interested, you can travel the world and write to make money. If you are like me, you dream of becoming a travel writer, and writing on free platforms has helped me reach this goal, such as living abroad.
Take advantage of all the tools.
Blogging becomes easier every year. Today, you can create a blog from scratch with only one click. Below are a few resources I have used to help earn money over the past three years.
