Become a ghostwriter. Many people want to be an author and be published, but they don't want to write. A ghostwriter writes articles or books for others for a flat fee or for royalties while giving up ownership of the content. Get started by signing up with freelance websites like Elance or Odesk and bidding on jobs.
Write articles for magazines as magazines exist on practically every subject.
Search for technical writing jobs in your area. Many companies hire writers to write training manuals, websites, reports and many other types of documents.
Write a book or ebook. Submit it to a publisher or self-publish with a self-publishing company. You will get published and get paid faster if you self-publish. Companies like Lulu and Amazon.com allow you to publish electronic books and print books.
Become a grant writer. Grant writing involves writing proposals for businesses and organizations that wish to apply for grants. Learn grant writing by taking one of the many courses available, then apply for a job at freelance writing websites or corporations. There are many guidelines to follow to apply for a grant, and most people prefer to have others handle the job.
Write resumes for others. Become proficient at writing both regular and CV resumes.
Compose greeting card sentiments and sell them to card companies. This is particularly useful for those who write poetry. Songwriting is an option as well.
Write for online-content companies such as Demand Studios, Bright Hub, or Constant Content by applying at the individual websites.
Start your own blog and make money from it using Google Pay Per Click. Google places ads on your website and you are paid each time someone clicks on an ad.
Become a journalist for a newspaper. You can do this on a freelance basis or apply to the newspaper as a full-time employee. Write a regular column if you have expertise in a particular subject.
Offer copywriting services. This involves writing advertising copy on websites and in print to help companies sell a product or a service.
Start your own newsletter or magazine. Make money by selling advertising space or charging a monthly subscription fee.