19 Freelance Writing Business Success Stories [2024]
Freelance writing can be a good career choice if you are looking for a flexible online job.
Working as a freelancer gives you the flexibility to define your work schedule. You can work from home at any time. Freelance writers work across various niches, writing about various topics assigned by the client,
To earn good money as a freelance writer, you need the following personal qualities:
- Strong writing skills
- Ability to meet deadlines
- Stay on the cutting edge
- Be a self-starter
- Be up-to-date with the current writing tools & writing trends
- Proper communication skills
Here are some real life success stories of starting a freelance writing business:
1. Article-Writing Co ($1.5M/year)
David Tile, the founder of Article-Writing.co, originally tried to start a penny auction website after college but failed. He then turned to freelance writing to make some cash, which eventually led to him building a successful content writing service. With $40k - $50k in monthly revenue from clients like Answers.com, Tile's business has grown without any outside funding, emphasizing the importance of taking action and adapting to market forces.
How much they make: $1.5M/year
Current team size: 25
How David Tile turned a freelance writing gig into an $80k/month business, discussing lessons learned through managing growing demands and maintaining a remote team operation.
2. Writing Revolt ($300K/year)
Getting fired was what had finally propelled her into starting her own freelance writing business, and she thought that the urgency of having no backup plan was what had really pushed her to succeed.
How much they make: $300K/year
Current team size: 0
A freelance writer who started from scratch and built a multiple six-figure online business, helping freelance writers learn how to make money online, through online courses in freelance writing and blogging, and focusing on YouTube and email newsletter marketing efforts.
So... can you actually make money with a freelance writing business?
Of course. There are millions to be made in this industry.
But how?
- Research real, profitable businesses and see exactly how much money they make.
- Study exactly what works, and what doesn’t.
- Take action, because now you have the roadmap.
Join Starter Story and build your next big thing:
3. Writing Income Accelerator ($120K/year)
friends who turned out to be a nightmare to work with. They were demanding, changed their minds constantly, and didn't want to pay my fees. But I learned to be firm with my boundaries, set clear expectations, and communicate effectively to avoid any misunderstandings or difficult situations in the future. It's important to remember that not every client is going to be a perfect fit, and it's okay to say no to those who don't align with your values or work style.
How much they make: $120K/year
Current team size: 1
A freelance writing program that teaches intermediate-level writers how to command $1,000 - $3,000 per article, with creator Arlie Peyton generating $10k a month from writing custom long-form articles that get premium results in the eCommerce and SaaS industries and for personal brands.
4. Tyla's Writing Services ($8.4K/year)
Tyla, the founder of Tyla's Writing Services, combined her passion for writing and IT to create her business. After obtaining her Master's degree in Computer Science in 2018, she decided to fully embrace both aspects of her passion. Through marketing, word of mouth, and personalized customer engagement, Tyla is striving to build her brand and provide affordable and quality services to professionals and small businesses.
How much they make: $8.4K/year
How much did it cost to start: $500
Current team size: 1
Tyla's Writing Services, a professional writing agency that provides writing needs for businesses and professionals, shares its experience starting a side business with an income of $1k a month and how it grew through word of mouth.
So... can you actually make money with a freelance writing business?
Of course. There are millions to be made in this industry.
But how?
- Research real, profitable businesses and see exactly how much money they make.
- Study exactly what works, and what doesn’t.
- Take action, because now you have the roadmap.
Join Starter Story and build your next big thing:
5. Angelella Editorial ($54K/year)
Kate Angelella, the founder of Angelella Editorial, came up with the idea for her freelance editorial business after leaving her job at Simon & Schuster Children's Books. Not knowing what to do for work in a new city, she decided to dip her toe into freelance editing and found success through networking on Twitter and working with clients on projects. With the support of a co-founder and a team of editors, Angelella Editorial now offers various services to authors and has become a thriving business.
How much they make: $54K/year
Current team size: 1
How a freelance editorial business generating $4.5K per month was transformed from a sole proprietorship to a fully-staffed independent contractor business providing author coaching, manuscript critiques, and book doctoring.
So... can you actually make money with a freelance writing business?
Of course. There are millions to be made in this industry.
But how?
- Research real, profitable businesses and see exactly how much money they make.
- Study exactly what works, and what doesn’t.
- Take action, because now you have the roadmap.
Join Starter Story and build your next big thing:
6. Freshly Squeezed ($33.6K/year)
Adam Crookes, the founder of Freshly Squeezed, had always dreamed of running his own business and had been developing ideas since his high school days. After leaving a digital marketing agency, he took the opportunity to start a content writing business. In just six months, Freshly Squeezed has become incredibly successful, earning considerably more than Adam's previous job.
How much they make: $33.6K/year
Current team size: 0
Learn how Adam Crookes started a content writing business, Freshly Squeezed, from scratch, resulting in $3K MRR in just 6 months, and get tips on attracting and retaining customers and building a successful service-based business.
7. Platypus Publishing ($3.84M/year)
Matt Rudnitsky, founder of Platypus Publishing, came up with the idea for his business after self-publishing his own book and realizing the potential in helping others do the same. He began by offering editing and coaching services, and eventually expanded to offer a done-for-you book service and an online course. Through organic growth and personalized outreach, Matt has built his business without the need for a formal launch or large budgets.
How much they make: $3.84M/year
How much did it cost to start: $0
Current team size: 3
Platypus Publishing offers done-for-you and online course options for people looking to self-publish a book, with a focus on validation and quality, and has generated over $15k in profits over five years, with founder Matt Rudnitsky aiming for $100k in profits this year and beyond.
8. Daniel Waldman Writing ($42K/year)
Daniel Waldman, a freelance writer with over 15 years of experience in marketing and PR, started his own writing business after experiencing burnout from running his own agency. With a strong network and referrals from Fiverr's Pro program, Daniel brings in around $3500/month offering a variety of writing and editing services, including blogging, article writing, website copy, and video script writing. He is now exploring producing events in addition to his freelance writing work.
How much they make: $42K/year
Current team size: 1
Daniel Waldman started his freelance writing business over three years ago and has since earned an average of $3,500 per month, mostly through referrals and Fiverr - offering blogging, article writing, website copywriting and editing services.
9. wordartistry.com.au ($19.2K/year)
How much they make: $19.2K/year
Current team size:
A successful founder shares their journey of growing a startup from $0 to over $1 million in revenue, revealing their key strategies for scaling the business, securing funding, and building a strong team. Learn how they navigated challenges and achieved impressive growth in a competitive market.
10. Content-Whale Private Limited ($750K/year)
Vaibhav Kishnani, an engineer turned writer, came up with the idea for Content-Whale after noticing the unprofessional conduct in the Indian content market. With just Rs. 2,500 ($35) in capital, he started the content agency which now generates a revenue turnover of Rs. 4 crores ($514,000) and serves clients like Quikr and The Boston Consulting Group.
How much they make: $750K/year
How much did it cost to start: $35
Current team size: 30
Content-Whale, a content curation agency, has achieved a Rs. 4 crore ($514k/year) turnover 4-5 years after being started with just Rs. 2500 ($35), and has a pool of more than 500 writers, aiming to become a market leader in the global content market.
11. The Wee Writer ($72K/year)
Emma Sloan, founder of The Wee Writer, came up with the idea for her content writing business while she was still in university. She realized that many businesses struggled with crafting compelling marketing content and saw an opportunity to provide done-for-you writing services. With a focus on writing, editing, and social media calendar creation, The Wee Writer has grown its client base by over 40% since 2020 and aims to break $100k in revenue by 2024.
How much they make: $72K/year
How much did it cost to start: $300
Current team size: 0
The Wee Writer is a successful content writing business with over 100 happy customers, offering writing, editing, and social media calendar creation services, which grew its consistent client base by over 40% since 2020 and expects to break $100k by 2024.
12. Merrative ($24K/year)
Harshala Chavan, the founder of Merrative, came up with the idea for her business after noticing a lack of dedicated spaces for people to discuss literature. After attending a book club meetup, where she had a great discussion with others who had read the same book, she wondered if she could bring this experience online at scale. She validated her concept through participating in BPlans and growing her Instagram page, which eventually led to the launch of Merrative as a community-led marketplace for publishing talent.
How much they make: $24K/year
How much did it cost to start: $100
Current team size: 0
Merrative, a community-driven marketplace for publishing talent, generates an average of $1,500 per month in marketplace transactions from their 5,000+ strong community of readers, writers, journalists, and scholars.
13. Sauce Writing ($150K/year)
He realized the potential of writing when he landed his first job in Marketing. His mission was to learn everything he could about copywriting. In parallel, he created a personal blog and built a decent following. People loved his writing, so he decided to launch a writing school.
How much they make: $150K/year
How much did it cost to start: $2K
Current team size: 0
Sauce Writing's Valentin Decker started an online writing school just before the pandemic, helping over 100 students last year and aiming for up to €150,000 in revenue in 2023 with an emailing list of 5K people.
14. Publishing Services ($864K/year)
How much they make: $864K/year
How much did it cost to start: $0
Current team size: 41
Publishing Services, a company founded by Laura Mikkelsen, began as a service to create best-selling Amazon book descriptions, and has now grown into a full range of services for publishers with an average monthly revenue of $72,000 and 41 people on the team.
- 4,818 founder case studies
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- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
