Journalism and News Writing
You're at a party. Someone asks what you do. You say you're a writer. Most likely, your interlocutor will think you write novels. But the second choice is probably that you're a journalist. Journalism, whether print (in newspapers, magazines, trade journals), in broadcast media (television and radio), or online really comes down to getting the story and telling it well. And while most journalists are not rich, journalism is one of those writing jobs that do actually pay on a regular basis.

Sports Writing
For many people, a sports writer is someone like Oscar in The Odd Couple - loveable but messy. Doubtless there are sports writers like that, though the ones we know aren't. What people who write about sports have in common, of course, is a love for sports and a love for writing.

Travel Writing
If you love travel and love writing, what could be better than writing about travel and getting paid for it as a travel writer? Visit far-away places or write about your own place - people love to read about places they've been to and places they haven't, so there is a market out there for your travel writing.

Biography Writing
Perhaps the best stories are true stories of people's lives, namely biographies. Biographies used to be of famous people only, but it seems these days that more and more people of various backgrounds merit biographies, and someone has to write those books.

Translating
To write a book, you need to have an idea and be able to convey it. To translate, you need to understand someone else's ideas in one language and be able to convey them to other people in another language. Translation means (unobtrusively) getting inside the minds of the author and the reader. Translators are also interpreters, because they translate the ideas of the author, not just the words. If you are good at figuring out what other people mean, and if you have the requisite skills in both the source language and, even more important, in the target language, you could be a good translator. Of course, you also have to be a good writer before you can be a translator.

Magazine Writing
So you want to be a writer? A good way to start is with writing articles for magazines. This is true if your goal is to be a freelance writer and also if you are a writer of virtually any other kind: there's nothing like having "clips" - published articles - to bolster your writing portfolio (even if they're in the Journal of Left-Handed Bowling Techniques).

Of course, one of the good things about magazine writing is that there are multitudes of magazines out there that constitute paying markets for writers. Another is that most magazine writing is freelance, allowing you to write on your own time. There are staff writing jobs at larger magazines, and even small publications have part-time editors.

Newsletter Writing
Newsletters have been around for a long time, and writing newsletters (or writing for newsletters) can be a good way for writers with a message to make some money. Newsletters, whether paper or electronic, typically have a very tight subject focus, and each edition is relatively short.

Freelance Writing
Freelance writers don't get rich quick. However - and this is good enough - you can make a nice income if you identify market niches that work for you. You can also supplement your income with the occasional freelance article. And if you do have a day job, there's nothing like having published articles, or even books, on your resume to show that you are an expert in your field. Finally, freelance writing may land you a job as a journalist.

There's another kind of freelance writing besides the common notion of a creative wordsmith toiling at night in a cloud of cigarette smoke or whatever. Many writers make a very regular, very decent living as technical or marcom or advertising writers, moving from contract to contract. And yes, some of them also work on writing fiction in the night.

Self-Publishing
In the old days, self-publishing meant you couldn't find a real publisher to take your manuscript. While that may still be true in some cases, times have changed. For some, self-publishing is a way to make money. This is especially true when you know the precise market niche your book will fill, and it makes economic sense for you to be both author and self-publisher. Self-publishing is also an option when you have a pet project on a very specific subject that may not warrant the attention of a trade publisher, but will interest enough people for you to have a go at it as a self-publisher.

Wrapping Up
These 22 ideas can help you make money as a writer, whether you have dreams of one day publishing a novel or just like getting paid to write. Want more information? You can find books on each of the subjects mentioned in this article at the Writers Book Mall.
About the Author

Steve Schwarzman is a writer, editor, and translator. This article is adapted from Writers Book Mall, a site that offers books, software, and other resources for writers of all kinds.