Necessary announcement: You don’t have to enter journalism or spend hours searching for freelance work to search out inventive writing jobs. In the event you get pleasure from spinning tales greater than advertising campaigns, it IS potential so that you can make some cash out of your inventive endeavors. We’re not going to sugar coat it, it’s troublesome, however not inconceivable. 

Listed here are three inventive writing jobs that may allow you to flex your inventive writing muscle mass

We hope you’ll use the assets beneath to search out some methods to earn cash writing tales, inventive prose and even poetry. 

Literary Journals and Magazines

Literary journals and magazines are an awesome place to submit your inventive writing, particularly if you happen to’re making an attempt to construct a portfolio of printed work. It might be tougher to be accepted in some publications than others, however consider rejection letters as a strategy to work towards enchancment.

If you wish to begin publishing your work, listed here are some journals and magazines the place you’ll be able to submit your tales or essays. 

OneStory

“ONE STORY publishes one nice quick story at a time. We deliver individuals collectively by way of studying, writing, and studying about quick fiction.” 

Whereas ONE STORY accepts fiction, they do state that they settle for literary fiction. As you begin to write and submit, ensure you know the distinction between literary and style fiction and also you perceive what particular person publications are searching for.

Submissions for ONE STORY must be between 3,000 and eight,000 phrases they usually pay $500 and 25 contributors copies for First Serial North American rights. All rights will revert to the writer following publication.

Take a look at their publication tips for extra data. 

Unusual Horizons

Unusual Horizons accepts speculative fiction and likewise publishes fiction, poetry, essays, and interviews. Even higher? They’re open for submissions quickly! For fiction, they settle for tales as much as 10,000 phrases and pay $0.10 per phrase. 

Take a look at their tips and prepare to submit. When you have speculative fiction polished and able to go, this is perhaps an awesome place for it! 

The Solar Journal

We’re searching for narrative writing and evocative images from everywhere in the world. Ship us work that maps the human panorama, the place the sunshine catches on the faintest pleasure, the place darkness typically threatens to overwhelm, and the place ✗ by no means marks the spot as a result of the reality is rarely so easy.

The Solar Journal pays $200 and up, relying on size for fiction and essays. Overview their tips for his or her writing and take into consideration submitting! 

Podcasts 

In the event you haven’t seen, even the literary world is making the transfer to digital and lots of people desire to take heed to their tales than learn them. It’s time to get your piece of that pie and have a look at podcasting for viable inventive writing jobs. Listed here are a number of podcasts that may pay you on your tales and have them on their podcast. 

PseudoPod 

“PseudoPod is at all times searching for high quality fiction to feed our listeners. In the event you’re a author with a brief horror story that you simply’d like to listen to narrated by one among our gifted performers, we’d wish to see it. In all probability.”

PseudoPod seeks darkish or bizarre fiction and pays $0.08 per phrase for unique fiction, $100 flat charge for brief story reprints, and $20 flat charge for flash fiction reprints (tales beneath 1,500 phrases). 

You possibly can study extra about when they’re open to submissions and their tips on their web site. 

PodCastle is a fantasy fiction podcast from PseudoPod. In the event you write speculative fiction, that is the portal for you. Study extra right here.

Solid of Wonders

Write younger grownup speculative fiction? Solid of Wonders is a younger grownup quick fiction market, open to tales as much as 6,000 phrases in size. Dig deep into the submission tips right here, as they make it clear they’re searching for a particular kind of story. 

Clarkesworld Podcast

“Clarkesworld Journal is a Hugo, World Fantasy, and British Fantasy Award-winning science fiction and fantasy journal that publishes quick tales, interviews, articles and audio fiction.” 

Clarkesworld pays $0.12 per phrase however claims first world digital rights (textual content and audio), first print rights, and non-exclusive anthology rights for his or her annual Clarkesworld anthology. 

In the event you’re new to submitting your work, you’ll need to study extra about first rights and what meaning on your work. They supply a useful resource right here. Take a look at their submission tips to see if they’re a match on your writing. 

13 Podcast 

“13 is a month-to-month audio fiction anthology podcast that includes atmospheric, gradual burn, spooky tales.

13 Podcast is searching for, “tales that may make you smile, break your coronary heart, and have you ever wishing for an evening mild.”

They’ve new episodes on the thirteenth of every month and have one longer story every episode relatively than a number of shorter ones. They’re searching for tales of 5,000 phrases or extra and a first-person narrator works greatest for his or her format. 

Authors of tales over 5,000 phrases in size shall be paid $75 if accepted. Authors of tales below 5,000 phrases in size shall be paid $50 if accepted. 

Overview their tips and attain out, particularly if you happen to like your quick, creepy tales on the longer facet. 

Ellery Queen Thriller Journal Podcast

 “Ellery Queen’s Thriller Journal welcomes submissions from each new and established writers. We publish each form of thriller quick story: the psychological suspense story, the deductive puzzle, the non-public eye case—the gamut of crime and detection from the sensible (together with the policeman’s lot and tales of police process) to the extra imaginative (together with “locked rooms” and “inconceivable crimes”). We want hard-boiled tales in addition to “cozies,” however we’re not serious about express intercourse or violence. We don’t want true detective or crime tales. We’re particularly pleased to assessment first tales by authors who’ve by no means earlier than printed fiction professionally.” 

Ellery Queen Thriller Journal Podcast presents accepted writers $0.05–$0.08 per phrase for works starting from 250 to twenty,000 phrases. Overview their tips for extra data. 

Greeting Card Firms 

Do you might have a aptitude for one-liners? Do you at all times get requested to jot down notes for associates or family members after they have an important day or loss? Are you able to make somebody sniffle in only a few phrases? Then writing greeting playing cards is perhaps the most effective inventive writing jobs for you. Some firms pay $100 for an accepted verse, so it’s an effective way so as to add to your writing earnings. 

Take a look at these firms to get began. 

Blue Mountain Arts

Blue Mountain Arts is searching for rhymed poetry, spiritual verse, or one-liners. That mentioned, they need, “modern prose or poetry written from private expertise that displays the ideas and emotions individuals at this time need to talk to 1 one other, however don’t at all times know how one can put into phrases.” 

In the event you suppose you’ll be able to seize a typical sentiment in a brand new and distinctive manner, give their submission tips a glance. 

Oatmeal Studios

Oatmeal studios favors humorous over emotions. They need “humorous greeting card concepts that enchantment to a spread of ages and pursuits. Overview their tips web page and see if their fashion meets yours! 

Whereas there are alternatives with regards to submitting your work for inventive writing jobs, we should always make it clear that creating wealth from in these non-traditional methods isn’t simple. It takes fixed enchancment, analysis, and endurance. The panorama is at all times altering so proceed to study and, most significantly, proceed to jot down!