11 Writing & Editing Business Success Stories [2024]
A writing and editing business is a business that provides writing, editing, and sometimes proofreading services. Such businesses market their services to businesses, corporations, and individuals who might require those types of services.
The earning potential of writing and editing is incredible. Freelancing is one of the best ways to earn some extra money. If you like writing and editing, then freelancing can provide you with an opportunity to prove yourself as an expert, increase your network and help steer your career in a new direction.
Writing is one of the easiest businesses you can start. You might dream of becoming a professional writer, selling your stories to famous magazines, or writing books that millions around the planet will read.
In this list, you'll find real-world writing & editing business success stories and very profitable examples of starting a writing & editing business that makes money.
1. Reedsy ($24M/year)
Ricardo Fayet, CMO of Reedsy, didn't come up with the idea for the book publishing services marketplace. His co-founder Emmanuel mentioned it to him in university, and it stood out as a promising idea that leveraged the growing self-publishing trend and freelance economy movement in traditional publishing. They validated the idea by talking to industry experts and built a core team to bring it to life.
How much money it makes: $24M/year
How much did it cost to start: $40K
How many people on the team: 38
Reedsy, a book publishing services marketplace that connects authors with freelancers, has driven over $1m in GMV, features over 1,500 vetted freelance professionals, and sees over 1,000 projects every month.
2. Ship 30 for 30 ($2.5M/year)
Dickie started writing online in 2020.
He was writing a newsletter, but after 9 months, he only had around 300 subscribers.
He decided that if people weren’t going to find him, he needed to go to where the people were and double down on it.
The people were on Twitter, so he committed to writing 30 threads in 30 days to grow his account.
That personal writing challenge turned into the foundation of Ship 30 for 30, which started as a Slack accountability group to help people publish consistently.
How much money it makes: $2.5M/year
How many people on the team: 0
Discover how Dickie Bush grew Ship 30 for 30 from a newsletter with 300 subscribers to a $2.5M/year business using Twitter as a main growth lever and a pricing strategy that went from $50 to $800 for the course.
3. 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 money it makes: $750K/year
How much did it cost to start: $35
How many people on the team: 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.
4. Thriving Best Sellers ($180K/year)
Steve, while he running an Internet digital marketing company back in 1987, had helped his then-wife and his daughter publish a book while they both blogged about their travel stories. It was at this point he realized how powerful becoming a best-seller can be. Encouaged by a coach, Steve had then put together his first program.
How much money it makes: $180K/year
How much did it cost to start: $500
How many people on the team: 0
Steve Kidd's Done For You program has helped thousands of authors write, publish and market their books, with 156 people becoming best selling authors and reaching over 180,000 people in 2016 alone, and since then Kidd has been working on expanding his offerings and services while aiming for an average annual sales of $10 million.
5. AudioPen ($180K/year)
In March 2023, Louis was experimenting with AI APIs and built four tiny products in a week. One of them, AudioPen, quickly resonated with users on Twitter, now generating $15,000 per month.
How much money it makes: $180K/year
How much did it cost to start: $32
How many people on the team: 0
A founder shares how he built AudioPen.ai, a tool that transcribes voice notes, generating $15,000 monthly with minimal costs and no paid marketing, highlighting the importance of focusing on the product, word of mouth, and personal communication with users for sustainable growth.
6. Ethos Copywriting ($144K/year)
Matt Flowers, the founder of Ethos Copywriting, came up with the idea for his business while working as an educational assistant and freelance writer. Realizing the abundance of content in various industries, Matt saw an opportunity to provide professional copywriting services. He landed his first client serendipitously and started his business from there, eventually growing it to generate $130,000 in annual revenue.
How much money it makes: $144K/year
How much did it cost to start: $1K
How many people on the team: 2
Content marketing agency Ethos Copywriting, founded by Matt Flowers, generates $130,000 annually through meticulous attention to quality and the creation of entertaining, high-value content, all without paying for ads, and advises startups to invest wisely and ensure their businesses enable them to pursue other opportunities.
7. 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 money it makes: $120K/year
How many people on the team: 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.
8. 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 money it makes: $72K/year
How much did it cost to start: $300
How many people on the team: 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.
9. 411Writers ($60K/year)
Constantin Coutun, the manager of 411Writers, came up with the idea for the business while working at 411 Locals as a blog writer. After realizing the potential of his writing team was being limited to the company's clients, Coutun decided to create 411Writers to help his department and provide a platform for writers and editors to express their creativity. Through strategic marketing efforts and the launch of new services, such as targeting app developers and offering a Guru content plan, they were able to attract and retain customers.
How much money it makes: $60K/year
How much did it cost to start: $10K
How many people on the team: 65
Content writing company 411Writers started with $13.99 and now generates over $50,000 revenue per month, providing clients with unique website content for both search engines and human readers.
10. 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 money it makes: $24K/year
How much did it cost to start: $100
How many people on the team: 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.
11. Prooftheword ($14.4K/year)
In this case study article, Sara Davies, founder of Prooftheword, shares how her excellent editing skills and frustration with the poor English she encountered everywhere inspired her to start her editing and proofreading business. With regular monthly earnings of around £1,200 and a client base that includes magazines and book writers, Sara's business has steadily grown over the years.
How much money it makes: $14.4K/year
How much did it cost to start: $1K
How many people on the team: 1
A sole trader launched Prooftheword, an editing and proofreading site, offering services to a wide range of clients, with consistent monthly earnings of around £1,200 through her skills and great work.
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Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
