You’ll always hear of writers being scammed. There are all these myths and fears about making money writing online. When you deciding that writing is the way you want to make money, you need to know the truth from the myths. Here are the five biggest myths about writing and blogging to make money online.

1. You can’t make a living making money writing

It simply isn’t possible to make a living writing. The content mills are the only way to go as people simply aren’t interested in paying writers their worth.

It all depends on the type of content that you want to write!

There are still plenty of clients and companies looking to pay a decent amount for high-quality content. There are businesses that need white papers, case studies and interviews while others want blog posts on a weekly or bi-weekly basis to boost their reach.

If it wasn’t possible to make a living writing online, I wouldn’t still be doing it after 10 years. Whether you opt for rev share, content mills, or private clients, there are options out there for your preferences and needs.

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2. Making money writing in print is impossible now

Print writing has always traditionally paid more than online markets—although there are many lucrative online markets. The problem is the print market is dead, right?

Wrong!

Yes, there are some magazines and newspapers going under but there are still many others available—and going strong! Don’t listen to what people say; check for yourself!

If you can’t find major magazines or don’t trust your abilities yet, there are many trade magazines willing to pay a good amount.

I will admit that the world of print writing is starting to get smaller. That’s simply because the overheads are becoming too expensive as more people turn online for their content. Personally, I don’t write in print but that’s because it’s not for me.

3. You need a degree to make a living writing

Only those with journalist degrees make money writing and you need a degree in your chosen niche to be successful. Needing a degree is one of the biggest myths and reasons why people simply don’t try to do something they love.

I don’t have a degree in writing or journalism and make a decent amount of money writing online. I know writers without degrees making six-figure incomes every year.

Why? Because having a degree doesn’t mean you’re any good. Editors and clients want to see samples. They want to know that you can create a magnificent piece, command your niche and write for the audience. You can do the research online!

Yes, there are going to be some companies that want you to have a journalism degree. However, most companies are going to want experience.

4. All writers get scammed

This annoys me. There are stories online of people being scammed making money writing—I’ve been scammed out of money in the past—but not all clients or every job will be a scam.

A scam is where you don’t receive the payment for the job that you did. It is really important to stay in touch with your clients and create a contract between the two of you. You will need to clearly state the amount due and the date it is payable on.

It is best to ask for 50% of the income upfront and then the other 50% upon completion. This will help to protect you from those who are scam artists and build trust with a client.

However, there are scams out there. It’s important to know the signs of the scams so you can avoid them.

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5. You must stick to one niche when making money writing

Okay, so I’ll admit that this myth does have some truth in it. You’ll find it easier to make money writing online if you have a niche. But that doesn’t mean you only have to stick to one niche right away.

If you’re not sure what you enjoy writing about, try out a few niches. This is why I like content mills and rev share sites. They give me a chance to experiment for a little bit of money. I don’t feel like I’ve completely wasted my time.

Eventually, you find the niches that you enjoy. I’ve not narrowed down to just one specific niche. I have a few niches that I cover but they all connect in some way. I enjoy the lifestyle niche, which certainly covers a wide range of topics.

It is possible to make money writing. No, you don’t need a degree and there aren’t just scams out there!

What myths have you heard about making money writing? Tell me about your experiences in the comments below.