How to Make $204 This Month Selling Your Writing

Did you know that you don't need to have an English degree or a long list of impressive bylines to make money from your writing? There are tons of places you can submit personal essays, humor stories, lists, how-to's and more that will pay for your content.

Here are 26 places to consider.

As you read through them, select 8 that you might like to submit something to. I'll give you an easy strategy and do the earnings math for you at the end of this post.

Remember, that most paying publications want submissions that have NOT been published on your own blog or anywhere else (unless their submission guidelines state otherwise). In most cases, digital publications don't like simultaneous submissions either. This means don't send the same piece out to a bunch of places at once. Instead: Read the submission guidelines. Submit. Wait until you hear a yay or nay, and continue from there.

1. Pseudopod – Short horror stories to be read by a narrator that pays $100 for reprints and $.06/word for original fiction up to 6,000 words. SUBMIT.

2. The Drabblecast – Weird fiction that pays $.03 per word for stories 500-4,000 words. SUBMIT.

3. Escape Pod – Science fiction by theme. $100 for reprints and $.06/word for original fiction 2,000 - 6,000 words. SUBMIT.

4. Writers Weekly Newsletter – Weekly newsletter for freelancers with focus on making more money writing, related self-employment, and freelance success stories that pays $40-$60. SUBMIT.

5. Funds For Writers – Weekly newsletter focused on making money writing. Pays $45-$50 for originals. SUBMIT.

6. Children's Writer: Newsletter of Writing and Publishing Trends – Monthly newsletter on the marketplace for children's writing including current news, trends, tips, how to write to publish. Pays $200-$300. SUBMIT.

7. BuzzFeed Ideas – Thought-provoking stories on topics including but not limited to sex and dating/relationships, debt/money, disability, disease, mental illness, parenting and parents, drugs and addiction, race, and work. Pays $100 (approx.). SUBMIT.

8. BuzzFeed Life – The Lifestyle arm of Buzzfeed interested in "helping you live a better, more fun/beautiful/healthy/productive/interesting life." including style, food, DIY, parenting, travel and health. Pays $100 (approx.). SUBMIT.

9. Thriving Family – Focus on marriage and family from a biblical perspective. You can earn $50 - $375. SUBMIT.

10. You&Me – America's Medical Magazine – First Person nonfiction about the human aspects of dealing with all medical issues, from the life threatening to the chronic to the so-called "trivial." Happy and sad endings welcome. Pays $.04-$.05 per word for 1000 to 2500 words. SUBMIT.

11. Bitch Media – Feminist critique/analysis of pop culture both print and online. Pays $40 - $200. SUBMIT.

12. The Wicked Noodle - Sinfully delicious recipes for $50. SUBMIT.

13. FrostedTip – Short humor comparable in tone to such places as The New Yorker's Shouts & Murmurs section and McSweeney's Internet Tendency. Pays $20 - $25. SUBMIT.

14. Reader's Digest (Humor) – Jokes, humorous quotes, or a funny true stories for $100. SUBMIT.

15. Lies About Parenting – Debunking popular parenting advice that just doesn't work for $50. SUBMIT.

16. Scary Mommy – Parenting community for imperfect parents pays $100. SUBMIT.

17. Listverse – Lists that intrigue and educate, specializing in the bizarre or lesser-known trivia for $100. SUBMIT.

18. Narratively – Untoldhuman stories by theme - avoiding breaking news and big headlines, and focus instead on slow storytelling. They pay $100-$200. SUBMIT.

19. Reader's Digest 100 Word Stories – A true story about you in 100 words or less for $100. SUBMIT.

20. Solo-ish Blog (from The Washington Post) – Essays about unmarried life should be emailed to the editor: Lisa.Bonos@washpost.com. You could be paid $100 - $200.

21. The Penny Hoarder – Weird & Wacky Ways to Make Extra Money. Pays $75 (with pageview bonus up to $800). SUBMIT .

22. Viator Travel Blog – Insider's view on travel pays $40 - $150. SUBMIT .

23. Matador Network – Original stories and videos on people, place, music, sports, and culture worldwide for $40. SUBMIT .

24. WOW! Women On Writing – Global magazine, designed to support women through all stages of the writing process pays $50 - $150. SUBMIT .

25. Write Naked – Make $50 by writing "...Vignettes from the freelance writing life, behind-the-pen scoop on articles, tips from writing conferences, interviews with editors, guest bloggers in the publishing industry, and a few miscellaneous blogs on travel and motorcycles with a writerly twist." SUBMIT.

26. BlogHer - Yes, this site also takes posts (like this one!) on blogging, social media, health, parenting, style, DIY, entertainment, race, feminism, food and more and pays $50. SUBMIT.

The average payment across the 25 publications I've listed comes to $102.

Submit to eight of these publications (or 2 per week for a month).

If you assume a 25% success rate (you might find it to be higher), that's 2 pieces accepted at an average of $102 each, for an approximate total of $204!

Source: How to Make $204 This Month Selling Your Writing