All the best-paying freelance blogging gigs are on topics like business and medicine, right?
Nope…
When you’ve got a creative skill that others want to learn, you can get paid to write about it. And if you’re anything like most eager freelance writers, your next question is probably “What can I earn?”
How much do creative blogging jobs pay?
Welp, the sites on this list pay from $50 to $400+ for each one-off post they accept, so the exact answer to how much you get paid is up to you. Offer a great post idea, discuss the length and complexity with the editor, and negotiate a rate you’re happy with!
Pro tip: Stay on topic to get the best chance of a good rate. These sites want how-to guides and tutorials for their readers. So your idea for a post on the philosophical history of art might not be as on-target as a blog post that promises to explain, with plenty of helpful screenshots or videos, exactly how to do a thing that the creative people who visit these sites want to do.
Bonus tip: If the editor likes you and your post does well, pitch them another one (and see if you can negotiate a higher rate for the second or third post than the first).
Where do I find creative blogging jobs?
You can search job boards across the internet for work that suits a creative-slash-writer… or you can just send a pitch direct to one of the sites in this list.
Rather than a job ad, each of these listings tells you about a blog that publishes posts by freelance bloggers on a specific topic within the creative arts. So all you need to do is scroll through the list, choose a site, and come up with a blog post idea that you think they’ll want.
Smashing Magazine
Smashing Magazine is looking for articles on coding, design, mobile design, UX design, graphics, and WordPress. (One of their editors told us: “Usually, the first article would be paid around $200. If all goes well, we increase the payment for subsequent articles.”)
- Homepage: http://www.smashingmagazine.com
- Contributor info: http://www.smashingmagazine.com/how-to-become-a-smashing-magazine-author
- Pay: $200+
- Contributor byline: Yes
- Contributor bio: Yes
3D & Motion Graphics Tuts+
This site publishes written and video tutorials about CGI, 3D graphics, visual effects, and related software. (Or you could pitch a whole course, for a higher fee.)
- Homepage: https://cgi.tutsplus.com/
- Contributor info: https://tutsplus.com/teach
- Pay: From $50 to “make them an offer” for longer tutorials and courses
- Contributor byline: Yes
- Contributor bio: Yes
Tuts+ Game Design & Development
This site publishes tutorial posts on game design, development, theory, software, and more, with videos or step-by-step images. Pay rates depend on post length and complexity.
- Homepage: https://gamedevelopment.tutsplus.com
- Contributor info: https://tutsplus.com/teach
- Pay: From $50 up to “make us an offer”
- Contributor byline: Yes
- Contributor bio: Yes
Tuts+ Graphic Design & Illustration
- Homepage: https://design.tutsplus.com
- Contributor info: https://tutsplus.com/teach
- Pay: $50+
- Contributor byline: Yes
- Contributor bio: Yes
Tuts+ Photo & Video
- Homepage: https://photography.tutsplus.com/
- Contributor info: https://tutsplus.com/teach
- Pay: From $50 up to “make us an offer”
- Contributor byline: Yes
- Contributor bio: Yes
UX Booth
This blog focuses on user experience design and the UX community. The target audience is beginner or intermediate user experience and interaction designers, but “anyone interested in making the web a better place” is welcome. Follow the guidelines to make sure your pitch and article match their templates!
- Homepage: https://www.uxbooth.com/
- Contributor info: https://www.uxbooth.com/contribute/
- Pay: We’ve heard $100+ for 1200-1800 words.
- Contributor byline: Yes
- Contributor bio: Yes
Web Design Tuts+
This site publishes written and video tutorial posts on pretty much every aspect of web design, including graphics, interface, and user experience.
- Homepage: https://webdesign.tutsplus.com
- Contributor info: https://tutsplus.com/teach
- Pay: From $100 for simpler posts up to $400 for comprehensive tutorials
- Contributor byline: Yes
- Contributor bio: Yes
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 creative 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.
Hi Sophie,
Greetings to You and Your colleague Carol Tice the Den Mother from Bengaluru, India! You’re all Awesome! Ever so willing to help people, it’s amazing indeed!
I’m Dr M Ramakrishna Reddy a medical professional migrating into the digital marketing arena.
I am a newbie and got your contact through Jon Morrow while pursuing one of his writing course and landed on your page.
I have been looking for content writing as the starting point in my foray into the digital marketing.
I am planning to launch my website during this week and to carry on forward. It all appears to be encouraging and I must not hesitate any further with the kind of encouragement I find in your group.
I need a bit of handholding and request you to help me. I’ll be in contact with you.
With Regards
Dr M Ramakrishna Reddy
You’re welcome! Yep, Jon and Carol are awesome 🙂 Help yourself to all the stuff here on the blog and in my Money Making Toolkit to get you on your way.