Business freelance writing… Are you excited as hell or trying to sneak out of the room because it gives you hives?
Envisioning dull and dry data for big business publications that read like the phone book? Or wondering how you’re going to get hired to write for these publishing institutions that have been around for, like, 200 years?
Ok, let’s talk business. If you’re a freelance blogger then you’re already in business. Maybe not the Fortune 500, but you’ve got business experience. And writing for business blogs and publications can be good for your business in more ways than one.
For starters, you get paid. Plus, it helps you find more and better clients.
Because guess who reads these types of blogs, websites and magazines? Yep. Other businesses. Even the kinds that need freelance writers who normally don’t write about business.
Okay, okay, if business writing isn’t your usual niche then I understand you might not be sure what you could write.
But look, you’re a freelance writer. You know how to research and interview, don’t you? (If not, it’s time to learn!)
AND you have experience as a small business owner now. Writing about your own hard-won expertise as a freelancer is one way to get an “in” for business blogging. Use all of it and get paid to share what you’ve learnt.
Same goes for career and employment freelance writing: Have you got experience as an employee, or experience building a career? Yep. And I bet you know other people who have jobs that you could interview. You already know how to pitch and research a publication, right? (If not, again, now’s the time to learn and practice.)
What Exactly Is Business Freelance Writing?
You may think business writing is what you read in The Wall Street Journal, The Financial Times, and the jargon-filled stuff in any newspaper’s Business section. And… you’re not wrong.
Some business writing is reporting on big companies, politics, the economy, and finance. And snail racing might be more fun than this type of writing to you. BUT…
Business is so much more than that. Stories about the ups and downs of a handful of business owners, how to market a dog biscuit business, and how moms find time to run their freelancing biz are all business article ideas.
Op-ed first person essays can be about business. Uplifting stories about a business dedicated to helping a group of people improve their lives (while they make money selling stuff) count too.
And if you love interviewing business people and reporting about how the gas industry in Nova Scotia is doing, for example, you’ll find work in specialist business news blogs too.
It’s a big niche. Find your sweet spot.
Can I Really Write for a Big Name Business Magazine?
There are some really big names on this list. Like “they’ve been around for over 100 years and they’re household names” level of bigness. And YOU can write for them. For money. Good money.
I see you looking at your screen like that’s crazy talk.
I didn’t say you could send them a half baked idea and get a yes. I didn’t even say you could send them the best idea in the world and get a yes on the first try.
All I said was “You can write for them. For money. Good money.”
You and I both know that a byline in a big-name blog is a door opener, right? What if I told you that your 20th pitch to (insert dream magazine name here) was guaranteed to get a yes? But to get anyone to pay attention, the first 19 pitches had to be solid winners that you spent quality time researching.
Chances are your pitching will be outstanding if you put that much time into sending 20 great pitches. And you’ll probably get some yesses.
Of course, I can’t guarantee what an editor will decide on the day. But you know what I can 100% guarantee? You WON’T get a yes if you DON’T send out plenty of outstanding well-researched pitches.
So get off your butt (or sit down on it) and start researching your next pitch!
Business and Career Sites That Pay Writers Good Money
Abilities
Abilities is a magazine and lifestyle blog based in Canada for people with disabilities. Their readers already have disabilities, so they’re looking for ideas about how to keep on living their best life. In their Work-Money section, you’ll find published articles on career advice and business tips geared towards their readers. So read what they’ve already said yes to (that relates to your ideas) and you’ll have a better chance of getting published.
Alaska Business Magazine
Alaska Business Magazine publishes articles about business in Alaska (surprise). Their readers are small business owners, huge corporations, and everything in between…who do business in Alaska. Certain months, their print magazine focuses on specific subjects (such as construction and natural resources). You can pitch them, but they usually assign articles to freelancers. Send them your resume and 3 writing samples from other articles you’ve written for other publications. They don’t want samples from your blog or a portfolio site.
Atlantic Business Magazine
Atlantic Business Magazine focuses on business in the 4 provinces along the Atlantic Ocean in Canada. They don’t accept written articles, so send them a detailed pitch for your article idea or column and some samples of your published work. They’re looking for stories that interest managers in their region (business leadership, technology, and natural resources, to give you an idea). Read articles similar to your ideas on the site and in their magazine to make sure it fits (as we always recommend).
BC Business
BC Business Magazine writes about business in British Columbia Canada. They hire freelance writers for most of their feature stories. Read a few articles and you’ll notice they don’t do typical news stories. They’re looking for individual stories about businesses or individuals doing something interesting or solving problems. Their writer guidelines give you a very good idea of what they want. And don’t send them any completed articles, pitches only please.
- Homepage: https://www.bcbusiness.ca/
- Contributor info: https://www.bcbusiness.ca/contact-us
- Pay: We hear 56 cents a word and up (2000 to 3500 words usually).
- Contributor byline: Yes.
- Contributor bio: Maybe. On a separate page, you have a writer’s page with a photo (and some space where you could have a few sentences). Ask.
Business Insider
Business Insider (yes, THE Business Insider) hires freelance writers for personal essays, reported features, how-tos, profiles, and more. Their advice to you: read the site. Their writer guidelines are clear and they even recommend some articles to read for a better idea (in the different article categories). If business freelance writing is your thing, Business Insider could be one of your fav websites to read (and pitch). They put out a ton of content AND a wide variety of different types of articles.
Christian Science Monitor
The Christian Science Monitor newspaper and website hire freelance writers for business writing (and much more). Your business topic could fit into different sections of their site or newspaper. So you need to read through it. Is it international news, national news, a first-person story or essay, or about making a difference? They also pay for book reviews (and why not a business book review). But as always, read the other articles before you contact them.
Contently
Contently is a site for freelance writers to find clients (and clients to find them). So their blog is all about freelance writing and running a freelance business. They do not post writer guidelines, so you’ll have to do your own research. And really pro freelance writers know how to do this. So get to it. If you know a thing or two about running a freelance business (and I bet you do), make sure it hasn’t already been written on the site before you pitch them.
Copy Hackers
Copyhackers is interested in articles about what makes people push the hallowed buy button or sign up for your email list. Or as some of us like to call it, copywriting. If you’ve got some business advice for freelancers and copywriters, your pitch might get a yes from them. They want first-hand personal stories over anything else. So get ready to talk about what you did (and not some boring tips for how to do X). And read what they’ve published to make sure you don’t pitch them something already on the site.
Craft Your Content
Craft Your Content is a website about writing content. Their readers are content writers and marketers. Career and business advice are very doable if you can relate it back to writing. Whatever your pitch ideas are, read through all the articles in the same category to get an idea of what they will accept. They even mention a few examples in their writer guidelines (isn’t that nice of them).
DivvyHQ
DivvyHQ is a content creation and marketing solution site with a blog. And they want to attract businesses that need their products and services. From small businesses to big companies like McDonalds, Unilever, and even the National Geographic Channel are already using their products. Their readers are content creators and managers looking for a solution to their chaotic workflow. Read their blog and get an idea of what they’ve already got. And then pitch them something new and fresh that their audience wants to read.
Douglas Business Magazine
Douglas Business Magazine is a Canadian print magazine and website. They want stories about Victoria British Columbia business. For example, business news, leadership, advice, and technology are subjects they want (big surprise, Victoria is just across the bay from Seattle). Their recommendations for you, read a few back issues (or the site) before you pitch them. Your story needs to include local info and experts too.
Elite Personal Finance
Elite Personal Finance is a website all about personal finance and money matters. They are very interested in hiring freelance writers. Most of their site is about personal finance, but they do have a section on how to make money. Read through it and see if your ideas fit their site. They’re looking for one-off writing gigs and ongoing work (if it fits their site’s needs).
Entrepreneur
Entrepreneur magazine and site do sometimes hire freelance writers. Don’t expect to find any writer guidelines though (like most big business publications). We’ve included the guidelines for their Entrepreneur Leadership Network (a free or paid membership where you can submit articles as an expert). But this membership doesn’t pay you for writing. It doesn’t mean Entrepreneur doesn’t pay freelancers. But it does mean you’ve got some work (read that as research and networking) to do if you want a byline in Entrepreneur.
- Homepage: https://www.entrepreneur.com/us
- Contributor info: Some useful guidelines but not freelance writer guidelines.
- Pay: We hear $1.50 a word.
- Contributor byline: Yes.
- Contributor bio: Yes, on a separate page. A few sentences with a photo and maybe some links too.
Fast Company
Fast Company magazine and website sometimes accept submitted complete articles (mostly as unpaid guest bloggers). But we hear they do still occasionally pay freelance writers too. Can you go after them as your first attempt at becoming a professional (paid) writer? Yes. Just be prepared to work at it (that means read, research, and network). Their Work Life section accepts guest post pitches from experienced pros in business too. Let’s bottom line it. If you want to get published in Fast Company and you work at it (read, research, repeat), you’ll eventually get a yes (and it might take 10 or more well-researched pitches by the way). They’re not sitting around waiting for your pitch. But if the right one lands in their inbox, they’ll respond.
Forbes
You can still get paid writing gigs with Forbes magazine and website. I’m not saying it’ll be your first one. You’ve got to build up your pitching and writing skills and your writing portfolio first. But it’s still possible. They also have Councils you can apply to join (think of them as contributor groups). You’ll need to have a solid reputation to get in one, but it’s possible (if you’re also a successful business owner). Otherwise, get to work writing for other publications and networking. Writing for this publication means building your network and reputation. So get going.
Fortune Magazine
If you want to get paid for writing for Fortune magazine and website, make sure you’ve got a solid resume and writing portfolio. This publication is more interested in big companies you already know. So a story about that scrappy new startup might not whet their palate. Unless it’s cutting into the profits of other major companies. Or its leader is a household name. Have you got access to one of those? Your best bet is to read through the magazine, network, and be persistent (as you’ll want to do with ANY of the big publishers).
- Homepage: https://fortune.com/
- Contributor info: Read these tips for getting a paying gig with Fortune. Then check out their list of editors and writers.
- Pay: We hear 35 cents and up for online articles.
- Contributor byline: Yes.
- Contributor bio: No, but you get a writer’s page.
Freelance Mom
Freelance Mom is a blog about how to run your freelance business while having a busy personal life. Blogging, social media, email marketing, freelance writing, and everything else you can do as a freelancer are all possible topics. Some examples of article types that do well are first person or interview stories like “How these 5 moms did X,” well-researched pieces on what the experts say about X, or guides on how to use a specific system or tool.
FreshBooks Blog
FreshBooks has a blog. That’s right, one of the best-known small business accounting software companies occasionally hires freelance writers. Their readers are mostly freelancers, small business owners, and other entrepreneurs. BUT…they only want to hear pitches for articles that are not currently on their blog (and you’ll have to convince them about why they should publish yours). They don’t want any previously published work or advertorials (no big surprise there). They’ve got a section on the blog called Small Business Resources. Check it out and if your ideas fit (and haven’t already been done), they might say yes.
Get Abstract
Do you like reading business books? Get Abstract provides summaries of nonfiction books for their subscribers. They’ve got over 20,000 written and audio summaries. And they’re always adding more (at least 1000 additions per year). They hire freelance writers to write their abstracts. But you’ll have to apply to become one of their writers in advance. When they’re looking for new freelancers, they’ll get in touch if your application piques their interest.
Great Escape Publishing
Great Escape Publishing specializes in home-study programs and workshops that help their members get paid to travel. It’s not business writing in the traditional sense, but it is travel business writing. So we’re including it here. Travel writing and blogging, photography, and tour-guiding are their main areas of focus. So if you know something about how to make money writing about travel or other travel-related business, send them a pitch.
Groove Wallet
Groovewallet is a personal finance and money blog that publishes content about money management, how to save money, and how to make money. They consider themselves a financial version of Buzzfeed, so you’ll also find fun articles like “The Richest Billionaires Who Never Went to College.” Do a search for the business or career topics you’d like to do and see if it fits. They’ll accept pitches and completed articles (but we always recommend pitching first).
HerMoney
HerMoney publishes articles on finance and business from a woman’s perspective, with a sideline in women’s lifestyle topics. They’ve published plenty of business and career-related articles. Read them to get an idea of what they want. Email the editor to pitch your article idea. (Note that you’re competing with staff writers when you pitch, so be sure to explain why you should write the piece!)
Inc Magazine
If you want to write for ANY of the well-known business magazines, you need to network and build up your reputation. That means getting a few really great writing samples for your freelance writer portfolio and interacting on social media with (and stalking) the editors you dream about working for. And Inc magazine and website is no exception. Inc publishes articles for small businesses and start-ups. Their readers are still scrappy, hungry, and looking to build their small (or international) empire. Read through the article topics to help craft a winning pitch.
Income Diary
Are you really good at making money online or some aspect of marketing online? Income Diary is a blog looking for great writers with expertise in many different topics like SEO, how to write great content, growing website traffic, website design, creating digital products and more. Their writer guidelines are pretty detailed. They give you plenty of extremely popular article examples. Right now they’re especially interested in SEO articles if that’s your specialty.
Income Voice
Income Voice is a blog about making money online. And you can write for them (especially if you’ve got a case study). They are a little more specialized in passive income methods like affiliate marketing and using ads. And they specifically ask for niche subjects like making money with Amazon, Adsense, Youtube, and others. The writer guidelines give you a detailed description of what they want.
International Business Times
International Business Times writes for an international audience of around 55 million people in the US, UK, Singapore, India, Australia, and English speakers around the world. They’ve got a number of positions available as a freelancer or full-time employee (so go have a look). Read the online version to get a feel for their style. You’ll need to have some previous experience either in business or journalism if you want an ongoing gig.
I Work Well
I Work Well is a website about HR practices. They help Human Resources departments and managers hire well, keep great employees and stay up to date on best practices. All of their content is behind a paywall and strictly members only. Their readers work at companies with just a few employees to well-known big names. They are looking for writers with experience in managing people or people management-related fields (for example employment or labor law). They’re looking for new articles (that they will outline for you) and revisions of articles for improvement or updating.
Lendio
Lendio is a business financing platform (that’s a fancy way to say they help small businesses get loans). And they pay freelance writers for business, finance, and money articles. Have a look at their blog to get a better idea of what they want (and have already published). They don’t have any guidelines. We recommend you follow their editor on social media (and that’s our advice for any site or publication you want to work for).
Liisbeth
LiisBeth is looking for “writers, journalists, provocateurs, and activists”in their own words, to write for them. They call themselves an “indie, feminist ‘zine about post-capitalist entrepreneurship.” So business writing is very doable here. But after you’ve read an article at Liisbeth, you’ll know this isn’t your mother’s (or father’s) business website. So make sure to READ the site before you pitch (if you want a byline, that is). They’d LOVE for you to sign up for their newsletter (hint, hint). They say it may take up to 14 days for them to get back to you (if your idea made the cut).
Lisa Tanner Writing
Lisa Tanner Writing is about being a mom, a blogger, and a freelancer. Have you got experience working from home as a mom, blogging, balancing your family and work life, or as a freelance business owner? Read through her site and writer guidelines, then pitch her a few ideas. If you don’t hear anything in 2 weeks, your idea wasn’t a good fit. But you’re welcome to pitch her other ideas. Her writer guidelines are really clear and well written, so follow them.
ListVerse
ListVerse publishes list posts. And they’ll pay you $100 to do it (if it’s accepted). Look at all the lists they’ve published already. If you’re a freelance business or career writer, read everything they’ve got related to business or jobs. They say that unusual or unexpected lists tend to make the cut. You’ll need at least 10 items on your list. And if you can’t receive money by Paypal, you can’t write for them.
B. Michelle Pippin
Michelle Pippin is a business and marketing coach who runs a business blog for women entrepreneurs. She also has a newsletter and membership content. She’s looking for writers with first-hand experience of business and making money topics that her readers need. And you don’t need to pitch her. Just get in touch using the form. Read over the blog to get an idea of what the site needs. At the moment, they are especially looking for expertise in YouTube marketing, getting attention from national media, booking speaking gigs, taxes, productivity, and using automation.
New York Times Op-Ed
Can you get a job writing for the Business section of the New York Times newspaper (or online site)? Yes. But you might want to try their Op-Ed section first. And by the way, op-ed sections are great places to write about business (and pretty much any other subject). Remember how we said getting a byline from a major publication makes getting your next job way easier? The easiest way to get published (after you’ve read their guidelines and studied what usually gets published) is to write about something that’s current. For example, the next time some breaking news makes you want to go ARRRRGH (especially if it’s in your area of expertise). Or when your perspective of current events is different than what’s being reported.
RankPay
RankPay is an online marketing service that offers SEO, social media marketing, content marketing, and website management. Their blog publishes useful articles (by freelance writers or subject matter experts) on digital marketing topics including SEO, content marketing, and social media marketing. But don’t send them a pitch. They want you to use their form only (and they’d prefer you submit a completed article).
Refinery29
Is there anything Refinery29 doesn’t publish? Well, check out their Work & Money section and find out (if you’re a business or career freelance writer). Their writer guidelines ask for a few specific needs, but you can still pitch them your career ideas. Just make sure it’s in line with their style and hasn’t already been done (or has an amazingly fresh new perspective). They’re more interested in career advice than business topics (but read, read, read to see what passes).
Slate
Slate hires freelance writers! It’s an enormous general interest site known for writing opinions and analysis. Read the Business section of the site for business and career topic guidance. They recommend that you do an internet search about your pitch idea before contacting them. They DO NOT want anything that’s been done. Read their articles AND do some research on what other sites have already written too.
Smart Business Trends
Smart Business Trends is a blog about making money online. They pay for detailed tutorials, digital product reviews, and case studies on how to make money online with different strategies. Read the blog and you’ll know exactly what they want. It helps if you’re already familiar with certain online marketing strategies like Facebook marketing, email marketing, or affiliate marketing for example. And if you’re just looking for some traffic, they also accept pitches for guest posting (with different requirements).
The Atlantic
Can you write for THE Atlantic printed or online publication? Absolutely. Are you likely to get a yes on your first try? Probably not. Do enough research (this means reading ALOT) and learn how to pitch well first. You might get a yes on your 10th or 15th try. Or sooner. Or later. Not surprisingly, The Atlantic doesn’t have writer guidelines (like most of the big publications). So read the sections you want to write for (religiously) and research heavily any ideas you have before you pitch them.
The Guardian
The Guardian printed and online newspaper will consider unsolicited articles or pitches on speculation (that means they can say no anytime they want). They don’t usually assign work to unknown writers (basically writers they haven’t worked with in the past). The good news is once they know you better, you might be able to get a commissioned assignment. Our advice is always to read heavily in the sections and topic ideas you want to write for. The Guardian doesn’t provide much guidance for submissions, so it’s up to you to research what the editors expect.
The Ken
The Ken website’s main focus is business news related to India and Southeast Asia. Technology, Startups, Science, Healthcare, Retail, and Education are all doable subjects. They will accept stories on other subjects, but not often. What are they looking for? According to them, articles that are “fact-based, reported, analytical, and with a sharp point of view.” When you’re ready to pitch, just fill out the form (and notice how the “So what?” part of the form requires WAY more details-hint, hint).
The Penny Hoarder
The Penny Hoarder features articles about unusual ways to make and save money. Posts usually run to 800 words or longer, and payments need to be pre-negotiated. They are interested in unique job ideas, success stories about saving or making money, and doing anything on a budget, to give you a few examples. Do a site search before you pitch your idea. It’s a big blog and they are not interested in ideas they’ve already posted on the site.
Time Magazine
Want to write for THE Time magazine and website? You definitely can. But as with all the big-name publications, you’ve got your work cut out for you. Lots of research and reading to find out what your favorite editors and sections want. You won’t find any writer’s guidelines for pitching Time (no surprise there). For business writers looking for a byline in Time magazine, start reading everything they publish on your subject and researching your own pitch ideas.
Tuts+ Business
This Envato-owned blog has thousands of tutorial posts on business skills, finance, management, useful tools, and career development. Do you know a lot about small business branding, social media marketing for small business, productivity, or how to start a business? If it’s a detailed how-to for small businesses, you could get a paid gig from Tuts+. They welcome pitches for detailed tutorials with plenty of videos or images. Pay depends on post length and complexity.
Unemploymentville
Unemploymentville is a blog about dealing with the challenges of being unemployed, how to find a job, or finding a way to make money (without a job). The blog owner Anne is looking for articles on how to start a business or side hustle, your personal story about how you make a living as a freelancer, unusual ways to get a job, the mental game of finding a job, and how to maintain a positive outlook while unemployed. If you don’t hear an answer in 3 weeks, consider it a no. The writer guidelines are very clear, so you know what she wants. She only accepts pitches in odd months.
Upworthy
You’ve probably already watched a viral Upworthy video or read one of their short articles on social media. They’re known for publishing stories that are uplifting and meaningful. There aren’t many subjects they won’t tackle. So business and career ideas can work. BUT you need to do some heavy research to see what might get a yes. Even though they tend to be short, they want you to write an article that impacts people and gets their attention. They’re even open to you repurposing stories that you’ve already written elsewhere (if it’s legally allowed of course).
Vox First Person
Vox is a gigantic website (that you’ve likely run into on social media) mostly focused on news. They want to give context to news stories. You can take a look at their Business section of course. But we recommend their First Person section where they pay for first-person stories or essays. It doesn’t have to be a big event happening near you to get the green light. You can also pitch personal stories about jobs, money, and other important everyday issues. They’re interested to hear your story even if you’re not a pro writer yet. Send them a pitch.
Wired
Wired Magazine and website want you to write stories about how technology, science and innovation are changing the way we live, think and do pretty much anything. They tend to accept pitches for their Ideas section the most (essays or feature stories usually). They do occasionally say yes to pitches for their Business, Science or Service sections too (but in smaller numbers). Their pay rates are based on the length and difficulty of the article (not on whether it’s published in the magazine or the site).
- Homepage: Wired US or Wired UK
- Contributor info: Check out the Wired UK submission guidelines or Wired US pitching guidelines
- Pay: $1+ a word (so $250 for shorter pieces and $2500+ for features).
- Contributor byline: Yes.
- Contributor bio: Yes, a few sentences with links.
Working Mother
Are you a mom who works? Doesn’t matter if you’re an employee or an entrepreneur. The Working Mother blog wants stories about moms with jobs and businesses. They’re looking for pitches about work life, family life, and private life for moms. Their recommendation: read the most recent articles on the site and their Facebook page before you send in a pitch. Normally, you’ll hear back from them within 30 days (otherwise consider it a no).
This List Needs YOUR Help!
Have you written for one of these blogs? Will you tell us about your experience?
Or do you know of another blog that pays at least $50 per post on business and career-related topics?
If you’ve got a tip about a blog that pays writers $50+, please send it to [email protected] in exchange for our undying gratitude — thank you for your service.
