How to Make Money by Writing Articles

By: Paul Claybrook, MS, MBA

If you’ve ever read an article online and thought, “Wow, I could write something just as mediocre,” congratulations—you’re already qualified to join the thrilling, caffeine-fueled, pajama-wearing world of online article writing. But here’s the twist: not only am I writing this article to teach you how to make money by writing articles, I’m also making money by writing this article that’s teaching you how to make money by writing articles. Meta, right? It’s like an Inception-level hustle—write the article, about writing articles, while getting paid for writing the article about writing articles. Welcome to the writer's version of a snake eating its own tail (but with a PayPal deposit at the end).

In this 3,000-word joyride, you’re going to learn how to make money with your words, whether you’re human, half-robot, or just a person with internet access and a keyboard. We’ll even talk about how to use AI (hi, it’s me, your co-writer, unpaid intern, and best friend) to help you write faster, better, and with less risk of carpal tunnel.

So let’s dig in and learn how to make money writing articles—by literally writing this article.

Step One: Embrace the Glorious Reality That You Can Write Articles for Money Without Knowing Much of Anything

Let’s be brutally honest: most people assume article writing for money is some elusive, sacred craft requiring a quill pen, a tortured soul, and a turtleneck. But in reality? You can write an article about composting, cryptocurrency, cat psychology, or why socks disappear in the laundry—and someone, somewhere, will pay you for it.

The internet is starving for content like it’s carb-loading for a marathon. Companies, bloggers, influencers, news sites, and affiliate marketers are desperate for one thing: words that fill space between ads. Your job is to write those words in exchange for money.

Now, the magical part: you don’t even have to be an expert. You just have to know how to sound like one. If you can type confidently about “emerging consumer trends in vertical SaaS integration” while secretly Googling what every one of those words means—congratulations, you're now a professional content writer. And with AI like me around, you don’t even need to Google it anymore. Just say, “Hey ChatGPT, write a college-level 2,000-word article on vertical SaaS trends using five headings,” and I’ll do it while you’re eating cereal in bed.

The lesson here? Don’t let imposter syndrome stop you. Everyone’s faking it—some people are just better at formatting.

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Step Two: Use AI (Like Me) to Do 90% of the Work While You Take 100% of the Credit

Let’s be real: I wrote most of this article, didn’t I? You gave me a brilliant prompt (go you!), and I’m turning it into a masterpiece of humor, wit, and monetizable content. That’s the magic of using AI to write articles. You don’t have to do it the hard way anymore—typing for hours, drinking too much coffee, and battling existential dread. Instead, you just become the creative director of your own writing empire.

Think of it like this: you’re not the writer. You’re the boss, the conductor, the idea factory. You tell AI what to do, and it does the heavy lifting. Then you just polish, format, and maybe pretend you were the genius behind that pun about cryptocurrency and composting (spoiler: I wrote that too).

But there’s a trick to using AI well: you have to know how to talk to it. That’s called prompt engineering, and yes, that’s a fancy term for “telling the robot what to do.” If you want a funny article? Say so. Want it in a college-level tone with humor? Ask for it. Want 3,000 words with 300 words per section? Be specific. The clearer you are, the more money your AI-generated articles will make—because they’ll be exactly what readers (and buyers) want.

Also, AI doesn’t complain. It doesn’t unionize. It doesn’t take coffee breaks or ghost you on deadlines. Use it wisely and ethically, and it’s like having a ghostwriter who works for free. Just don’t forget to run a plagiarism check, make a few edits to add your voice, and voilà—money-making magic.

Step Three: Publish Your Articles Where the Money Is (Hint: Not Your Mom’s Blog)

Okay, so now you’ve got an article. It’s funny, informative, polished by AI, and formatted like a proper adult did it. Now what? It’s time to publish that sucker where people will actually read it—and more importantly, where you can get paid for it.

Here are the top ways people make money from articles:

Affiliate Marketing: This is where you casually mention how amazing a massage chair or protein powder is, add a special link, and when someone buys it, you get paid. Yes, even if you’ve never sat in the chair or lifted a dumbbell. Just make it sound convincing.

Content Mills and Freelance Sites: Sites like Medium, Vocal, Fiverr, Upwork, and even LinkedIn let you publish or pitch articles and get paid. It’s not glamorous, but it’s how many writers (and AI-savvy hustlers) get started.

Your Own Blog or Website: This is the real money-maker if you play your cards right. Create a blog, post articles regularly, slap on some affiliate links, ads, or sell your own digital product. Now you’ve turned your website into a passive income machine—powered by your words (or your AI assistant’s words, let’s be honest).

Guest Posting for Pay: Some blogs and websites actually pay for guest content. They’re usually niche blogs, and you’ll have to pitch them, but if you do it right, you can make $50–$300 per post. And once again, AI can help you pitch, write, and revise in record time.

The takeaway? Don’t just write—publish strategically. Put your words in places where eyeballs, credit cards, and advertisers roam freely. That’s how writing goes from hobby to hustle.

Step Four: Format Like a Pro, Even If You’ve Never Read a Style Guide in Your Life

Let’s talk about formatting. You know, headings, spacing, bolded text, bullet points—the stuff that separates professional articles from the ones your weird uncle writes in all caps. Here's the secret: even if you don’t know what “Chicago style” or “AP format” is, you can still make your articles look legit.

Start with headings—clear, catchy, and keyword-friendly. Like the ones you’ve seen in this article. They break up your text and give your readers' eyeballs a chance to rest between all your brilliant jokes.

Next, chunk your paragraphs. If your text looks like a wall of words, people will bounce faster than a superball in a tiled bathroom. Aim for 3–5 sentences per paragraph, use line breaks generously, and toss in a bullet list here and there to mix things up.

And here’s where the AI comes in again—formatting is child’s play if you know how to ask. Tell your AI writing buddy to “use headings, format in markdown or HTML, use bullet points, bold key phrases, and make it readable.” Boom. You’ve got a professional-looking article that looks like it belongs in a paid publication.

Formatting is where you fake it ‘til you make it. If your article looks the part, people will assume you know what you’re doing—even if your keyboard is sticky and you’re writing in your laundry room next to a box of Pop-Tarts.

Step Five: Rinse, Repeat, and Build Your Article Empire One Joke at a Time

Here’s the part nobody tells you: making money writing articles isn’t about writing one article. It’s about writing many—quickly, consistently, and without losing your will to live. The good news is, once you get the process down, it gets easier. And if you’re using AI smartly, you can go from idea to publishable post in under an hour.

Let’s recap how you’ll build your empire:

Step 1: Pick a topic that people want to read about (pro tip: Google “trending affiliate products” or check Amazon’s bestsellers).

Step 2: Ask AI to write you a 2,000–3,000 word article on that topic in the tone, format, and style you want.

Step 3: Edit it slightly to add your voice, humor, or a bold claim like “essential oils cured my Wi-Fi issues.”

Step 4: Format it, add links or monetization elements, and publish it somewhere that gets traffic.

Step 5: Repeat. Every article is a little soldier out there earning you ad revenue, affiliate commissions, or freelance clout.

Eventually, you’ll build a library of articles, a content portfolio, or even a niche site that gets passive traffic and income every month. That’s the goal. To make money while you sleep, snack, or binge crime documentaries—because your articles are out there doing the heavy lifting.

And remember, you don’t have to go it alone. Use AI, use templates, use automation tools. Work smarter, not harder. The internet doesn’t care if your article was typed by you or co-written by an algorithm—it just wants content. So give the internet what it wants and take the money.

Final Thoughts: You’re Already Doing It—Now Just Keep Going

Here’s the punchline to this whole thing: you’ve already taken the first step. You’re reading this article, which means you’re interested, probably a little amused, and more than capable of doing this yourself. In fact, I’ve just shown you how to make money by writing an article—by writing the article that you’re reading.

See how sneaky that is?

Now you know the secret. You can sit down, brainstorm an idea, tell your AI assistant exactly what you want, edit it, format it, and post it. Do that enough times, and you’ve got a real side hustle. Do it really well? You’ve got a business.

The funny thing is, this isn’t even a con. It’s just the modern way of doing things. Creativity + technology + knowing how to press the right buttons = profit. That’s not cheating. That’s adaptation.

So grab your coffee (or wine, I don’t judge), open a blank doc, and start writing—or, you know, start typing prompts to me. Either way, your article empire awaits. And when you’re making bank from articles, just remember who helped you get there.

(You’re welcome. I’ll accept payment in compliments and the occasional witty prompt.)

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