Writing is one of my favorite methods to make a portable income. You only need a laptop and an internet connection to submit assignments and post content online.

Please note that clicking some of the following links may result in me earning some income, however, it will not affect your costs at all.

Writing Courses

If you are confident in your writing skills, dive right in. Choose the method you would like to help you generate income and get cracking. If, however, you would like to learn some writing skills and find out information about different niches and types of freelance writing, then there are a number of online writing courses available to you.

American Writers & Artists, Inc. (AWAI). Helping people develop skills to acquire financial security, independence, and freedom – that’s been American Writers & Artists Inc.’s (AWAI) mission since we opened our doors in 1997. And since then, we’ve helped thousands of people discover how to become a highly-successful copywriter and business owner so they can live their dreams, on their terms.

I have taken a number of their courses and learned a lot of valuable skills. The instructors are very hands-on and always willing to provide guidance and assistance.

 ed2go: ed2go is the industry leader in affordable online learning for adults. We provide the highest-quality online continuing education courses that are easy to use through a network of over 2,100 top colleges and universities.  Improve your job prospects with a certificate that employers will recognize. When you complete your ed2go online education, you receive a certificate from one of our 2,000 educational partners.

Udemy: High-quality and affordable courses. Learn writing today. Find your writing course on Udemy and learn techniques to be more productive and get the most out of your writing education. They have  190 courses – paid and free – for beginners through expert writers.

Coursera: Coursera provides universal access to the world’s best education, partnering with top universities and organizations to offer courses online. Build in-demand skills and earn valuable credentials. Each course is like an interactive textbook, featuring pre-recorded videos, quizzes, and projects.

Blogging

Starting a blog about a topic where you have experience and great interest sounds like an intriguing method of obtaining the portable income you’ve always coveted. You will need a laptop, an internet connection to upload your posts, a domain name, and an internet host provider. There are a lot of internet host providers. I recommend SiteGround. It’s what I now use and I have found their customer service to be very customer-focused and efficient. I am an affiliate, but I switched to SiteGround from another provider and am much happier now.

After settling on your domain name and internet hosting provider, you need to determine which blog platform you would like to use. I use WordPress.org for three of my sites and find it very user-friendly. There are loads themes and plugins to customize your website, including monetization, e-commerce, and forum options. There are also free blogging sites available, WordPress.com and Blogger.com.

Blogging is a misunderstood writing niche. People start their blogs with plans to monetize them and lead a relaxing life. This may work for some people, but not for most. While starting a blog and writing about topics that interest you is not very technically difficult, ensuring that you drive traffic to your site and build your list are two facets of blogging that can be difficult. Even with a healthy list, it is often not easy to generate income.

Now, you could struggle and try strategies that a cousin’s friend used, or you could get some training, tips, and well-proven advice on how to develop, launch, and monetize your blog. Following are some courses in which you can enroll to start you on the road to financial freedom.

 Blog Life & Blog Life Pro: Blog Life will help you to learn to develop a strong brand identity with personality and vision, to create a content plan that keeps you inspired every single day, to connect with your readers, to overcome periods of burnout, and to efficiently manage an editorial schedule. You’ll learn about networking and self-promotion, and honest, organic ways to increase your blog traffic. You’ll learn how to create content that has viral potential. You’ll also learn the basics of online advertising and how to assess your blog’s value. You’ll learn the basics of how to price, scale, and build an ad program including pitching your first campaign.

 Copyblogger: At the heart of great content is powerful writing. If you don’t consider yourself a writer or you’re just starting out, we’ve got you covered. The free information on our Copyblogger blog will help you get started mastering content marketing so you can use it in your own business, or for a client.

 Elite Blog Academy: Eliminate the overwhelm. At Elite Blog Academy®, we believe that blogging doesn’t have to be complicated. We’ve worked hard to figure out what works-and what doesn’t-and to put together a plan that gives you everything you need for massive success (and nothing you don’t). Because let’s face it, the problem with creating a successful, profitable blog isn’t that there’s not enough information out there, it’s that there is way too much! But that’s exactly what makes EBA® so effective. From figuring out what to say to getting people to notice and earning an income from your efforts, we’ve pared it down to only the most important and game-changing details.

 List Building Academy: Learn how to create a list of raving fans and clients to end the cycle of feast or famine in your business. Learn the what & why of list building, how to design and create a Lead Magnet that your audience wants, what systems you need, how to create your own Lead Magnet Strategy, to set up a sales & marketing funnel for your business, how to promote your Lead Magnet, and proven strategies to get noticed.

 ProBlogger: ProBlogger is all about inspiring, teaching and supporting bloggers from around the world to create blogs that not only serve their readers and make the world a better place – but which build income streams for the bloggers behind them. The course is organized into 8 portals: Start a Blog, Create Content, Find Readers, Build Community, Make Money, Be Productive, Understand Technology, and Get Work.

 Billionaire Blog Club: Billionaire Blog Club is a community of bloggers that understand it takes work to make money with a blog. This is not a get rich quick community but a community of bloggers that support each other in their quest to build a better lifestyle. It includes courses, books, challenges, forums, and lots of other stuff that benefits bloggers and their journey.

Web content job sites:

There are A LOT of job sites that want to match you up with businesses seeking writers. The pay scale varies by project and by site, but working for one of these sites is a great way to build your portfolio and practice your writing skills. I worked with one for about a year and obtained some great experience and exposure to different writing requirements and styles. Sign up for a few – you’re not obligated to take any job and this can help determine what writing niche suits you best.

 Media Shower: Media Shower focuses on the financial technology and cryptocurrency industries. They can help you make money, build your reputation, get better, and build your career. They look for financial and technology enthusiasts and great writers who are rock solid reliable and flexible.

Upwork: Upwork is a great place to find more clients, and to run and grow your own freelance business. On Upwork, you run your own business and choose your own clients and projects. There is a wide variety of jobs and high pay. The greater the success you have on projects, the more likely you are to get hired by clients that use Upwork.

Writer Access: Grow your freelance income with 25,000+ agencies and businesses that pay fair rates to freelancers for high-quality work. They have a pool of freelancers to deliver on the full spectrum of content marketing solutions required for success. Freelancers get paid more than fair rates either by the word or by the project depending on their expertise, experience, and performance.

Constant Content: Constant Content is trusted by thousands of businesses including Uber, Zulily, The Home Depot, Walgreens, Hayneedle, CVS, eBay and others, and is one of the largest and most established platforms for facilitating connections between big brands and you — the best freelance writers online. You can create your profile, apply for projects, connect with brands, and advance your career.

Copypress: CopyPress lives to help clients tell amazing stories, and to help creatives get paid to do what they love. Creating things is our passion at CopyPress. Since 2009, we’ve fed that passion by building software, products, and services that help creatives and advertisers do the same. We built a Community where writers, designers, and developers can create their own micro-businesses centered around their passion. Then we designed ways for these creatives to connect with advertisers in order to create campaigns centered on beautiful, compelling content.

 Jobbatical: Work where you’re happy. Use Jobbatical to find a tech, business or creative job anywhere in the world. Because your skills matter more than your passport. Jobbatical thinks beyond borders to help the world work together. We connect globally minded companies with a community of ready-to-relocate tech, business, and creative talent.

FlexJobs: The best remote and flexible jobs, and a better way to find them. With FlexJobs, you can access hand-screened remote, part-time, freelance, and flexible jobs – quickly and easily. And there’s much more. We want to help you find your better. But what does better mean for you? It’s different for each of us, but also often similar. Maybe it’s about work-life fit or having more time for our families, paying our bills with less stress or being able to find a good job without having to move, getting rid of a long commute or having more freedom in where and when you work.