5 High Paying Freelance Jobs for English Major’s & Wordsmiths

One of the benefits of living in the digital age is that freelance work has become more accessible for many, including those passionate about writing and literature. Whether you’re a wordsmith seeking flexibility or an aspiring author exploring diverse opportunities, the online sphere offers a plethora of avenues to harness your literary prowess.

The opportunities may be even more lucrative if you have an English degree from a reputable university. Below, we will outline a few different types of freelance work, what they entail, and how to land your first gig. Here are 5 High Paying Freelance Jobs for English Major’s & Wordsmiths.

Freelance Writing

You don’t have to be a starving artist if you’re passionate about writing and good at it. There is a vast world of opportunities open to people with writing talent. You can get paid to write:

• Website Copy
• Sales Materials
• Product Descriptions
• Email Marketing Sequences
• Ebooks
• Case Studies
• Press Releases
• Blog Posts

Before anyone hires you, they’ll want to see samples of your work. A portfolio and a website to showcase your work are musts. Offer your services to local businesses for a super low rate or for free for a testimonial.

Your samples can be made up. Write a press release or home page copy for a fictitious company. You can find examples of the work you want to do and then use them as inspiration to build your portfolio.

How much money do freelance writers make?

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has the median hourly rate for writers and authors at just over $30 per hour.

Many freelancers who write articles and blog posts base their fees on the number of words needed to complete a project. Publications and blogs pay by the word, too. Rates for both fall somewhere between $.05 and $1 per word.

Flat rates are typical for more specialized writing, like sales materials or a press release. I’ve seen people charging anywhere from $500 to several thousand for a landing page copywriting assignment or email marketing series.

Freelance writing courses

If you love to write but have no experience creating ad copy or registering for the web, plenty of online resources are available to help you. Here are a few highly-rated courses covering different types of profitable writing:

• The Complete Freelance Writing Course
• The Complete Copywriting Course: Write to Sell Like a Pro
• Press Release Writing 101
• Freelance Blogging Blueprint: Attract Clients & Charge More
• Start A Profitable Freelance Writing Business In 5 Weeks

Where to find freelance writing work online

If you search for freelance writing jobs, you’ll find “SEO writing” firms looking for freelancers. You’ll recognize these content mills by the super low rates they pay and the awful assignments they have available.

The work is steady, but the pay is meager. You’ll write fake reviews for products you’ve never used cobbled together from real reviews on Amazon or shallow puff pieces about things like plumbing supplies and fad diets. Avoid such work if you can.

Here are some sites to find freelance writing jobs with decent pay:

• All Freelance Writing
• Content
• The Blogging Pro Job Board
• Who Pays Writers?
• Freelance Writing Gigs

Proofreading and Copy Editing

If you enjoy reading, have a solid command of writing, and pay close attention to details, you might be well suited to proofreading or editing. Bloggers, book authors, technical writers, and anyone who produces written content often need a proofreader or copy editor to review their work.

For starters, you’ll need to be an expert in spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Depending on the project, a client might also ask you to make more substantial changes to style, sentence structure, and formatting.

Editing and proofreading are different jobs, though many consider them the same. Editing typically happens when the overall quality of the work needs improvement. An editor might suggest substantial changes to clarify the writing or improve the flow.

A proofreader doesn’t help fix plot holes or eliminate wordiness. Proofreading usually happens when the material has been edited and is nearly finished. Proofreaders check for spelling, punctuation, and grammatical errors.How much do freelance proofreaders and copy editors make?

Freelance editors and proofreaders on Upwork typically charge between $30 and $60 per hour.
Glassdoor reports that the average salary for a freelance copy editor is $60,809 annually.
ZipRecruiter puts the average annual salary for a freelance proofreader at $51,391.

Learn proofreading and copyediting skills online.

Many colleges, universities, and professional organizations offer copyediting certificate programs online and in a classroom setting. Here are a few to look into:

• University of Chicago
• Poynter ACES Certificate in Editing
• Writer’s Digest Copyediting Certification Course

If you’re interested in a comprehensive course that will take you by the hand and show you how to create a proofreading business, check out this free webinar led by Caitlin, a successful proofreading business owner.

Where to find proofreading and copy editing jobs online

Demand for editors and proofreaders is steady. You can find opportunities on general job boards, freelancer websites, and a few job sites geared toward writers and creative professionals.

• Upwork
• Mediabistro
• Clickworker
• Reedsy
• Get Editing Jobs

If you love to read, find more ways to monetize your passion in this article: How to Get Paid to Read Books.

Translation

Language translation skills are always in demand despite advancements in translation software. People understand context, intention, and the nuances of language better than machines, hence the need for human translators.

If you can read and write in multiple languages, the door is open for freelance translation work. Translation offers opportunities in a variety of industries. Complex legal and medical documents often need to be translated for their recipients. Retailers, marketing firms, global companies, and web publishers always want to reach a wider audience.

Some of the most successful translators are not only fluent in multiple languages, but they also have a specialty. Translators who accurately translate medical, legal, and technical documents earn higher rates.

How much money do freelance translators make?

Pay varies because of several factors. The length and type of document, the language pair, and the amount of competition for the job all contribute to the pay rate. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics lists the median pay for interpreters and translators at $51,830 per year or $24.92 per hour in 2019. You can also see how much freelance translators make on the translation rates statistics page at TranslatorsCafe or ProZ’s rates page.

Finding freelance translation work

For more information on becoming a freelance translator and an extensive list of places to find translation work, check out this article: How to Become a Freelance Translator.

Transcription

Transcription requires converting speech to written text. Freelance transcriptionists might transcribe audio from videos, phone calls, podcasts, or webinars.

Transcribing audio sounds simple enough; you type out what someone said. There’s a lot more to it than that, though. Working with poor-quality audio files is a way of life for transcribers. Having multiple speakers to keep straight and people talking over each other makes transcription difficult.

You’re off to a good start if you type fast and have solid computer skills. To succeed, you’ll need strong grammar skills and the ability to produce professional-looking documents without mistakes.

To be a general transcriptionist, you don’t need to be familiar with the topics discussed. Some specialties within transcription, like medical and legal, usually pay more.

Transcription pros use specialized audio playback software like Express Scribe Pro and a foot pedal to pause, move forward, and rewind audio files.

How much do transcriptionists make?

A work-from-home transcriptionist earns an average of $28 per hour, or $58,441 annually, per ZipRecruiter.

Learn transcription skills

If you’re interested in transcription, check out these courses:

• Transcription Skills – Learn Beginning to Advanced Skills
• How to Become a Transcriptionist

Where to find transcription work

You can find freelance transcription jobs on general job boards like Indeed or ZipRecruiter. Make sure you search for remote transcription jobs.

Premium job boards that specialize in listing the best remote work opportunities also showcase transcription gigs. Two that might be worth paying for are FlexJobs and VirtualVocations. You won’t have to sift through as many low-paying or non-remote jobs.

Some companies specialize in transcribing audio. They hire freelancers to get the work done for their clients. Here are a few to check out:

• TranscribeMe
• Scribie
• Rev

Teaching English

There’s no shortage of people looking to learn or improve their English. Teaching English to kids worldwide via the Internet pays well and doesn’t require too much time commitment.

VIPKid matches English teachers with Chinese students. VIPKid provides all lesson plans for you, but it’s up to you to provide an excellent learning experience.

You can start teaching English online if you’re eligible to work in the U.S. or Canada, have a college degree in any field, and have some experience working with kids.

Your experience with children doesn’t have to be classroom teaching. It can be coaching, tutoring, homeschooling, or mentoring.

Due to changes in China’s laws, all online English teachers must have a teaching degree, a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) certificate, or a TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) certification.

You can still apply to VIPKid without a teaching degree or TEFL/TESOL certificate, but you must complete a free TESOL training module through VIPKid before you teach with them. VIPKid’s TESOL certification is not internationally recognized so that it won’t open doors for you with other companies.

Once hired, you’ll teach 25-minute classes online with VIPKid. You can pick time slots at your convenience, but the prime time for lessons is between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. Beijing time. That’s 5 a.m. to 8 a.m. Eastern time.

How much money can you make teaching english with vipkid?

Teachers earn a base rate of $7-$9 per class. With 25-minute classes, you can teach two an hour.

You also earn a service fee based on how many classes you’ve taught for the month and all time. The more classes you train, the more your service fee increases.

Teachers earn about $14 to $24 per hour. VIPKid pays through PayPal or via direct deposit to your bank account.

How to get started teaching with vipkid

The process for getting hired by VIPKid works like this:

• Complete an application online
• Do an interview and demo lesson
• Choose the levels you want to teach and review the materials
• Conduct additional mock classes
• Complete the VIPKid TESOL training if required
• Upload paperwork and start booking classes

To learn more about VIPKid and to apply, click here: Teach English Online with VIPKid

The digital age has not only made freelance prospects more accessible, but it has also created a thriving space for literary talent. Whether you’re driven by the allure of flexibility or fueled by aspirations of authorship, the online sphere provides a canvas where your literary prowess can paint a diverse array of professional possibilities. The prospects may prove even more rewarding for those with an English degree from a reputable university. If you’re tired, bored, or uninspired, working a 9-to-5, freelance work could be an advantageous option.