Editor’s Note: What do you do if you LOVE your day job, but just can’t shake the dream of becoming a writer? Simple — you continue to excel in your day job while generating a tidy little side income from freelance writing gigs. In fact, you earn enough side income in just 7 months to completely pay off your student loans (about $5000)! That’s what STRONGside, the blogger behind Live the Write Life did. How do you get these freelance writing gigs, you ask? STRONGside started out writing simple articles for a site called textbroker and worked his way up to publishing in magazines such as Greenville Business Magazine. In this article he shares his experience of working with textbroker and how you too can use it to launch your freelance writing career.
(Note: If you have an inspiring story to share, feel free to contact us, so we can feature you in one of our future stories).
Handing it over to STRONGside now…
One year ago I had a dream of being a writer. I had no plans to quit my full time job, I just knew that I needed to start writing.
When I graduated from college in 2007 I took the first job that came my way. I graduated with a Political Science degree and since I had no plans to go to law school, my degree was rendered effectively worthless. My first job was in mortgage sales, and I was miserable.
Thankfully, a manager at my office knew that I was unhappy. He ended up taking a new job six months after I started, and he recommended that I apply at the same company. I did, and within one month I had a brand new job in a college financial aid office.
I spent the next two years at this job trying to figure out how I could merge my passion for writing and a day job that I thoroughly enjoyed. That is when I stumbled across a website that would change my life forever.
Textbroker
I discovered Textbroker in January 2011. Textbroker is a text brokerage service that acts as the medium between writers and publishers. As a new writer, you will create an account then submit an initial writing sample. This writing sample will be ranked from 2-5. The higher your initial rating, the more levels of writing that are available to you. The higher the level, the more you get paid.
I was skeptical of this system at first, but I decided to give it a shot. My very first article was 400 words on how to maintain a good credit score. They requested 3 keywords within the text, and it took me roughly 15 minutes to write. I earned $4. Not bad.
With one article under my belt I let it rest to make sure that the article would be accepted without any edits. Sure enough, within 24 hours the article was accepted with no edits.
I dove in head first.
I wrote 20, $4 articles that first week and earned $80. My next step was to make sure that the Textbroker payment process worked. I requested my payment through PayPal and sure enough, 3 business days after I requested my payment, it arrived in my PayPal account.
So far so good!
This was the middle of January, 2011. I spent the next 6 months steadily writing articles through the Textbroker system. All told, I wrote around 1050 articles, which netted me right over $4000.
I had become a writer!
For those of you who are quick at math, you will see that I only got paid one penny per word that I wrote. Any established freelance writers out there will likely scoff at that rate. I completely agree that it is laughable on the surface. However, the main benefit of Textbroker is the easy work. There are generally 1000+ articles to be written on the site. The writing generally takes little to no research, they come with few restrictions on tone or voice, and the publishers main concern is SEO keyword usage.
Because the articles are very easy to write, I was eventually able to write a 400 word article in about 7 minutes. That translates to 8 articles an hour, or $32 using the one penny per word calculation.
When I finally got my writing to this level, I realized that I was making more money writing for Textbroker than I was for my full time job!
Paying off my Student Loans
When I first started writing for Textbroker, I had a goal in mind of paying off my student loans. I was fortunate enough to escape college without being heavily burdened with loans, but I did have about $5000 remaining after graduation.
Just last week I mailed in my final payment on my student loans!
My writing through Textbroker has helped me earn enough extra money to cut out a big expense in my monthly budget. I can now use all of the extra money I earn from Textbroker to attacking my other debts (mortgage, car) and investing it wisely.
Writing for Textbroker has given me financial breathing room, and it has shown me what I can accomplish if I work hard.
The Downside of Textbroker
Textbroker does however, have its faults. Because you are writing SEO focused, keyword rich articles you will likely have to unlearn many of proper writing mechanics. It can sometimes be difficult to switch between a proper style of writing, and the Textbroker style that allowed me to make upwards of $32 per hour.
I would not recommend this service to an experienced writer who has been professionally published and can command $1 per word. However, I would gladly recommend this service to anyone who is considering becoming a freelance writer, or who simply wants to make some extra money!
Fast forward one year, and I do not write consistently for Textbroker any more. I have been blessed with other writing opportunities that allow me to make much more money per word, and allow me to pursue topics that I am passionate about.
I have started my own blog where I write about how to be a better freelance writer, and I have been published in a large run print magazine. I might have moved on from Textbroker but I still go back to my humble beginnings just to write a few quick articles, and make some “instant” money.
If you are a college student, a recent graduate, or a professional and you are looking to make some excellent extra money or possibly embark on a brand new career path, I highly recommend Textbroker!
Editor’s Note:
For me the biggest take away from this article is how humble STRONGside’s beginnings were! $4 per article to me sounds ridiculously low, but he stuck with it. And he went on to write 1000+ articles. That’s just unbelievable.
If he had stopped at that, he would still be making money, but I would not be motivated to share his story here. What makes these humble beginning so incredibly inspiring is that, he used the experience to achieve his dream of getting published in print magazine, and then used it as a launch pad to bring in $4000 in additional freelance writing gigs!
Just goes to show that if you are really passionate about something, you will find a way to make it work, and pay! Let’s keep at it, guys!
What about you? What did you take away from this story? Share in the comments section below. And feel free to contact me with your own story.
This looks absolutely perfect. All these tinny details are made with lot of background knowledge. I like it a lot. This was a useful post and I think it is rather easy to see from the other comments as well that this post is well written and useful.
this is a great blog with some really useful information. I am also approaching an age where my student loans are going to have to be paid off soon.Could you recommend any other sites similar to textbroker? I have just registered with textbroker and would like to sign up for a couple more to ensure a constant flow of texts. I have just signed up for one called independent Publishing, which has been working great for me so far, but i also would like to get involved in two or three more. Any thoughts?
@Abbey: Have you tried fiverr.com? It pays very little but if you can write articles quick, you can easily make $4 for each 300-500 word article. If fiverr.com works for you, you could try the different fiverr.com clone sites too (such as gigbucks.com).
Thanks Sam – I have never even heard of them but I will certainly check them out. 300-500 is the perfect amount of words. Doesn’t take too much effort and I can add my earnings to what I am making with Independent Publishing – great advice, cheers!
This reminds me that publishing offline is the perfect complement to writing online articles. After awhile, the money you pull in from content marketing articles for online websites doesnt seem to be enough; I have to remember to work on my own blog as well as the book I’m writing.
PAID to Write Articles $
Do you have a passion for writing articles? Use your talent, use your skills and Earn Money With Freelance Writing!
There are many ways you can get paid for writing articles online. People looking for ways to make money online are often bombarded with a slew of different things. Get paid to write websites are becoming increasingly popular as they provide an easy way for almost anyone to make money writing online.
One of the fastest ways to start making money online is freelance writing. Thousands of companies are outsourcing their writing jobs, and there are tens of thousands of freelance writer jobs on the web at any given time, waiting to be done. So if you have good writing skills, you can get paid to write articles and other stuff, and start earning money very soon..
http://information024.webs.com/paidtowritearticles.htm
Text broker is really sounding awesoem. I was searching such option.Thanks for such post.
I never have heard of this place before. Im paying $19 per article and it’s not good quality. I definitely am intrested in this place and id love to find a source for quality articles. Im taking a pc drive there right now.
I have used textbroker for some quick cash in the past, but the real money is writing for your own websites. I know it is difficult writing about the same topic day after day, but if you could put those same 1,000 articles that you wrote toward content on your own website and guest posting on other peoples websites it is entirely possible to make $1,000 a month with your own website.
So in five months you could of had everything paid off and then still had a $1,000 each month coming in after that. Granted not everyone is going to do that a lot depends on the topic, and a few other factors but it is entirely possible.
Either way it was a great article, and I wish I had your work ethic to turn out that many articles an hour.
As a journalist with more than 15 years of writing and editing experience, I find this a bit disturbing. Four to $5 for a 500-word article? How poor is the writing and reporting/research of said article? At least I know how people are flooding the market with crappy content and attempting to put my profession (read: real profession) out of business.
I guess at the end of the day, you get what you pay for.
What an inspiring story! I make a decent side income picking up freelance gigs on odesk and writing articles on HubPages and for my own websites, but I’ve never been anywhere near as prolific as STRONGside. 400 words in 7 minutes – wow!
99% Economy recently posted..How To Make Money Blogging
I would like to give textbroker. Although, I doubt it may work for me as one of my writing challenges is speed. I would rather take my time in writing. Thankfully I found a client that pays me to write by the hour, not per article. But this is great! Thanks for posting this. This is actually my first time hearing about this.
Reese recently posted..Credit Card Deals for the New Year
Hey Sam
Thats really inspirational. I am not much of a writer and find it hard to write original content so probably would do no good going down this track. I think some people are gifted writers.
It sounds interesting and promises enriching. But isn’t it hard to find clients that would pay so much for an article? I know SEO is important, but it really gets so expensive (for the writer’s benefit, of course)?
Interesting how you started off by writing articles, I have never thought for $4 an article it would be worth it in the developed world, but hey.. a, you paid off the loan and b, have a fantastic site with great articles to boot.
Daniel recently posted..Boiler Cover: What To Look For When Sizing Up That Contract
Hey, Sam! This is a good way to make some extra bucks, especially when you plan to buy something a little bit expensive
Marian recently posted..Basement Lighting Tips And Ideas
This is really a very inspiring story in which it really give lesson to people who will read this. This only shows that your talents can give you the things that you want and needed as long as you have the patience and dream that you want to achieve.
This was an interesting article, thank you for writing it. I would love to read a few of those articles that you were cranking out in 7 minutes…wow. I can’t imagine cranking out content that fast. I agree with DuBois, keeping all of that content on your own site could have been a long term gold mine for you that would keep giving. You did mention that you started your own blog so I’m sure those days are on their way. Thanks for the info.
Gene Tilby recently posted..Gecko and The Schoolyard
This is a very inspiring story. The advent of internet has opened doors for many people, infamous writers were given the opportunity to earn from writing and be known for their skill.
Aren’t you a little bit harsh? “Infamous writers” work in print media as well. Have no fear, real writers will always gain more money and their skills will be appreciated.
Debbie recently posted..Why You Need Accredited CPR Certification
I have tried to make money on textbroker but it takes a while for the money to add up. Keep writing and ask for a increase in your rating. This will help you to make more money faster. I see many people who start out working for them, advanced to higher paying jobs.
Gracie recently posted..Get Instant Cash with Payday Advance Loans
Looks like because of your hardwork, you’ve come up with the best solution to free yourself from any kind of debt. I know it is really hard to work while studying, but the courage you’ve shown can serve as an inspiration to everybody who find themselves hopeless because all of their debts.
Beth recently posted..Technology College Grants
Great story Sam! I could never believe that someone could agree to write quality articles for $4 apiece, but having read your post, I may give it a try. I’ve never been successful finding good writers cheaply, so that’s what makes me hesitant.
That is amazing, perfect for someone who loves writing and wants to get some extra cash.
But to produce enough articles you’d truly love writing, otherwise the results won’t be up to a standard any online paper or other would accept.
Especially doing writing along with a full time job…wow! Suppose you could use your commute to work etc. in writing instead of staring at the floor half asleep.
Thanks for this post!
I have never try to write an article but many times, I have listen about article writing for SEO which include some rules as article must be unique, more than 450 words and use perfect keywords. I want to earn money by article writing but I have not any experience about it.
Brain recently posted..Business Cards6
Hats off to you, Sam. You have helped many people through your articles. …and that is why you are earning a decent living from your writing.
You also tell your story well. People love stories. So, I will reread and learn, and maybe I will tell my next story just a bit better.
David Sneen recently posted..Lights, Camera, Inaction; No Way to Earn Money Online
Yes this is possible if you can you save some hours and do work as a freelancer then it is easy for you to pay off your loan.
I am totally excited about this article! I have never heard of text broker but it sounds amazing. It may be small time but that is what I am and I love to write so why not make a little money while doing it. As soon as I finish praising you in this comment I am going to go check it out and potentially make big bucks. Thanks!
Steven Papas recently posted..Webhosting Plans
That’s pretty impressive that you can write eight articles in an hour. I can typically write a proper 500 – 1000 word article in about 30 to 45 minutes, but I tend to do a bit of research and I’m somewhat of a perfectionist. This is of course writing for myself, I’m sure I would be a bit lazier if I was being paid 1 cent per word to write for somebody else.
Mike recently posted..Identifying Fake Silver Coins
Eight articles in an hour? That was really impressive.Can you teach me how to do that too?
Alline from Divorce Lawyers in Maryland recently posted..Maryland Changes Time For Divorce Based on Separation
Search engine optimization services the most effective way of getting 1st location from the internet site site involving search engine rankings involving search engines. It really is great in addition to very affordable products and services for the home page’s progress and pertaining to small enterprises on-line.
I just took a look at textbroker and will be signing up tomorrow morning. If you are interested in more content development, I suggest Interactmedia.
terry recently posted..Making Money with Credit Cards
Hi Sam,
Thankyou for sharing your story. Your journey from floundering to publish was very interesting to read. Passion, Hardwork and strong believe will defintely pay you and I think you are here now because you were sincere with your work.Textbroker is a good suggestion to students for making extra money .
Pete Goumas recently posted..Mythology
We all have to start somewhere. I really admire you for your achievement….paying your student loans in just 7 months of work. You didn’t only pay your loans, you also gained experience and made progress in your writing skills. The time and effort spent was worth it.
Marissa recently posted..5 Mantras For The Developing Forex Trader
This is a great article! For people out there who want different options for freelance writing, it sounds like Text Broker is a great website to look into! Congrats, on paying off your college loans! That alone is a HUGE accomplishment =)
Hi Sam. This is my first time I heard about textbroker. I think to write for $4 is good because we don’t need to think on other things like hosting, design, seo and other stuff.
Very cool story
ecogreen4us recently posted..iPhone and Android Apps: the Latest Earthquakes Anywhere
Hi Sam,
I just checked textbroker on internet and I am really curious to know about its further details. I am amazed, how you write eight articles in one hour. Well, your article really inspired me for textbroker. Thanks for sharing your information with us.
Syeda Mehwish recently posted..BobyBuilding.Com Review and Coupon Codes
I would have to write 20,000 articles to pay off my student loans! I guess I better get started. I think this is a good opportunity for people who like to write to just write. I may actually consider it. I am not a great writer but I suppose you get better with practice and by the time I pay off my student loan I should be pretty good at it.
the advent of internet have open door for people it really inspiring story i like it very much thanks for sharing.
Being a writer actually pays off and I don’t mean it just financially. Writing is so fulfilling because you can incur the thoughts that you had deeply embedded on your mind on your articles. It is also great if you have a stable writing place where you can write about anything that you want and sill generate income. Thanks for posting!
I am shocked that this person would work that hard for that small amount of pay… great that the loans were paid off, yes, but there would have to be other jobs (even writing jobs) that would offer some sort of insurance that they could lead to a faster payoff. Definitely a story of someone with stick-to-it-ive-ness, though, that is for sure!
Jerry
I am a new writer and this is encouraging. Hard work can pay off!
Liz recently posted..Best Waterproof Digital Camera?
Hey this is great to know that you just followed your dream. At times to be a writer is very much difficult, but you had passion and that just helped you. It is great man. Keep it up.
Kudos on paying off your student loans! It’s great to see young people like you make the most out of their potential.
Textbroker does however, have its faults. Because you are writing SEO focused, keyword rich articles you will likely have to unlearn many of proper writing mechanics. It can sometimes be difficult to switch between a proper style of writing, and the Textbroker style that allowed me to make upwards of $32 per hour.
Text broker is really sounding awesoem. I was searching such option.Thanks for such post.
Well, there are the other services like the textbroker — morning articles and iwriter to name a few.
Must me making BANK! Student loans are usually tens of thousands. Most of the articles I get people can’t really type. Hit me up if you need business!
This is wonderful post! it sounds like Text Broker is a great website to look into! Thanks for your sharing!
Online opportunities such as SEO article writing gives skilled writer the chance to make money online. This story is a great story on how the emergence of this industry has benefited a lot of people across the globe.
This is a really interesting article and I’m surprised by how much money can be earned from textbroker, I’m so impressed with the efforts of Sam Baker and he should be congratulated on his achievements.
This only proves that there are a lot of money making opportunities that we can find online. Thank you so much for sharing your experience in Textbroker and I am glad that you have shared us the upsides and downsides of this site.
Mei Mayore recently posted..COMPARE LIFE INSURANCE QUOTES
We can find money making opportunities through online. But SEO article writing is the best and highly professional way to do business.
Yes I have seen many bloggers earn a huge income just by blogging and writing articles. The most important reason for their success is they concentrate on only thing at a time.
Hi
Seo is so competitive now and a lot of the methods that worked then are now ineffective and can even harm your site and there are so many articles on the subject now so getting people to pay for this service now could be quite hard.
Great read thanks lee
Lee recently posted..Finding cheap car insurance for young drivers under £2000
this is a good way to earn money but concentrating on one blog results as we expect but dedication is very important thing
this is a perfect idea and i am loving it thanks for the share
the article is impressive thanks for the share keep going