So you want to become a crypto writer? Makes sense.
Maybe you’ve heard it’s a lucrative occupation. It is.
Perhaps writing and crypto are simply your biggest passions. Good for you.
Maybe you just want to use writing as a stepping stone to get yourself exposed to more opportunities in the cryptocurrency space. Then you’re on the right track.
All of these reasons are valid. If any of these is you then you’ve come to the right place. I will teach you how to become a cryptocurrency writer in the most informative and easy-to-follow way.
And one thing that I’m certain of is that you want to make money while doing this, right? And as soon as possible?
Of course! That’s good because not only am I here to teach you how to become a crypto writer, but a highly-paid one at that. I laid out these steps carefully and removed all the guesswork out of the equation. But, you must take the initiative to follow each of them religiously. This won’t work if you don’t take action.
I want you to position yourself in a way that companies can’t simply downplay your work or lowball you. They do tend to do that if you’re not aware of your own worth.
I’ve met so many crypto writers in this space working for crypto startups and being compensated with worthless tokens that are illiquid. I’ve been there. Not fun.
Trust me, there are way better options right in front of you and you should not settle for less.
I created this guide in hopes that crypto enthusiasts all over the globe can become empowered to achieve higher standards of living while doing what that they love, at the same time help spread the gospel of crypto.
Let this be the start of your journey in becoming the ultimate crypto writer. I recommend you bookmark this page for easy reference throughout your journey.
Green headings are the most important and should NOT be skipped as much as possible.
Bright red headings are useful but CAN be skipped unless you’re having challenges that require you to make the most out of this guide.
To be clear, the road to becoming a highly-paid crypto writer is not an exact science. There are many nuances along the way that may affect how fast you achieve whatever you want to achieve, whether it’s high income or better opportunities.
But I do know you’re gonna get far if you stay committed. I did, and so did many others before me. I had no college degree and was basically a nobody when I started so please don’t make any excuses. You can do it.
Take a writing course
Obviously this is optional. If you are already confident in your abilities you may skip this part.
And no, you are not gonna spend a single penny for this. I don’t want you spending money when you haven’t even earned some yet.
The reason I included this step is that I understand some people have probably never written about crypto before, or any other topic for that matter.
Don’t worry. I got your back. You don’t need to be Shakespeare to create high-quality crypto articles. In fact, I don’t want you to write like Shakespeare and neither do the readers or clients.
Why?
Because in cryptocurrency writing, what truly matters is that your work is:
- Fun
You might think “fun? Really? Am I joke to you?”
No. Because being fun is extremely undervalued in writing. Most people read the news and other writeups for entertainment and educational purposes.
Yet, most crypto writers (including me) focus too much on the educational side of things that they forget that they need to be interesting to actually gain interest from readers.
This doesn’t mean you have to be humorous all the time. Just add a bit of spice and humor to your work whenever you can. Jokes are not necessary. You just need to know how to spark a reader’s interest. You’ll learn this in a free course I’ll show you. - Easy to understand
Back to not writing like Shakespeare. Crypto writing is not about being wordy or fancy. You’re not writing a novel or a play. You’re here to educate.
So you don’t need to learn ultra sophisticated words to impress other people. The simpler you can explain a topic or process, the more comprehensible it is. So aim for simplicity. Don’t use big words to sound cool. - Informative
It is a given that your topic will likely be useful. After all, no client would assign you an article that doesn’t give value to their readers, unless he/she is nuts.
There are several free writing courses online, but I handpicked the best free one for you.
Ninja Writing
This is by far, my favorite writing course. It is simple, quick, and includes all the essentials. Not like your typical 20-hour MOOC, which is a relief. I hate those things.
I’ve finished over a dozen MOOC courses in Coursera and Khan Academy, which says a lot about my patience. After going through all that I can say is that Ninja Writing is a breath of fresh air.
It teaches you how to properly structure your narrative, sharpen and smoothen out sentences, create different paragraph styles, master word precision, and above all, write with flair.
You can take the course by signing up for a LinkedIn Premium free trial. You don’t have to spend anything as long as you cancel before 30 days. Don’t worry, the course is about 4 hours long and you can be done in a day if you want to.
It’s really easy and fast. I highly recommend this course even for those with writing experience. Unless you are already a truly exceptional writer, this course can immensely improve your writing skills.
Write your first 3 crypto articles
Now you’re wondering why three? It’s for good luck.
Not really. Three just happens to be the bare-minimum you need to be able to impress a client enough to hire you. You can write 5 by all means, but three is good enough.
Now for these first three articles, you’re gonna need to write without getting paid. This could be for your blog or for a reputable crypto media site.
I know some other crypto writers suggest otherwise, but trust me on this. Take it from somebody who was paid for his first-time gig, IT’S NOT BLOODY WORTH IT.
Yes, you can be paid on your first gig, but the cost of time and effort is too much to move forward this way. Usually when people say “I will never write for free”, it’s their pride talking, not their common sense.
It took me about 2-3 weeks to land my first crypto writing gig following this advice. Had I had the sense to swallow my pride and write for free JUST THREE times, I would’ve been able to start charging clients in a day.
You see the moral lesson here?
Write for a reputable crypto media company for free
I recommend that you do this first because chances are, it is all you need at this point.
Having your work published by a media channel will give you credibility as a crypto writer. However, you should not do this deal with just anybody.
You have to make sure that your writing for a website that is already established. A new media outlet is not worth your time and will not bring you value, so choose wisely.
In addition, you also need to make sure that their articles are related to crypto. Having your work published in GirlsLife won’t add to your credibility as a crypto writer.
So here’s what you need to do:
- Create a resume and cover letter
At this point, it’s normal for your resume to look near-empty. Just fill out whatever experience you may have even if it doesn’t relate to writing.
If you’ve never worked before, just leave it with what school you came from, what activities or achievement you’ve done, and other personal information. Just a standard resume.
Tell them how passionate you are about crypto, how you see it as the future, etc.
Be honest about your skill level and experience. Don’t worry about being a newbie. Remember, you are gonna work for free, so they won’t be picky.
Besides, many clients are actually more than willing to take in people with zero experience. That’s because it’s easier for them to mold your writing style that fits their brand and format.
Most experienced writers develop a personal style that might be hard to bend. Not saying experienced writers are at a disadvantage because that is definitely not the case. They get paid higher that’s for sure.
All I’m saying is that a lot of companies are also searching for virgin writers. And your free services will definitely turn some heads. - Make your cover letter stand out
I’ll leave the subject line to your creativity. Make sure it is eye-catching. If possible, insert “write for free” or something similar.
Be sure to customize each letter to match whatever site you are sending to and make it personal. Here’s what the body should look like:
I want to donate my time to write for you…
Your site is phenomenal. I love the way…
My name is… and I’ve been a crypto enthusiast for…
Thank you and…
Notice how I don’t talk about myself first. You see, people naturally look after their own self-interest. It’s a survival mechanism.
What you want to do is capitalize on that and tell them what you can offer straight away, otherwise you risk losing their interest and get ignored.
As you can see, I gave them a compliment in the second line. Not only that, I also talked about what I love about them to add a dab of personal connection between me and their brand. You can customize this line however you want.
What’s important is you make them feel special and unique. Nobody wants to think that they are one a gazillion websites you’ve sent the email to. Make sure to structure your message the way they want it.
The third line is when you introduce who you are, why you’d be a great fit to be a writer, how much your knowledge is. Just don’t overdo it. - Send your resume to 10 crypto media blogs
There are literally hundreds of crypto sites that publish articles daily. And they need writers.
You can’t go after the big ones at this point yet since you’re too small. You shouldn’t settle with a new website either. That won’t help you much.
What you should aim for is the mid-level companies. I’ll give you five examples and you take care of the rest:
Kryptomoney
Coin Central
Bitcoin Garden
Micky
Coingape
Send a customized email to each website.
What I like about this move is that if the company does like your work, they will start paying just to keep you. And voilà! You have a job now.
Write crypto content on Hackernoon or Medium
Another option is to create a Medium or Hackernoon account and start a blog there. It’s free and allows you to earn income through claps. Just don’t expect to be earning much in the early days.
Several crypto writers prefer either of these blog sites to build their portfolio. Maybe you do too.
Start your own crypto blog
This one, I do not recommend you do at this point, since it takes a lot of time and money. Unless you’ve already created websites before, it’s gonna be a pain in the rear.
Hosting, domain, themes, customization, templates, fixing errors — all of these come with creating your first website. You already have enough on your plate. Trust me, it’s really a pain you don’t need right now while starting out.
We’ll cover blogging later. But if you really want to start now, then go ahead but don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Build your crypto writing portfolio
Now’s the time to make yourself a professional writer.
Chances are, if you did well in your first three articles, the company you worked for free will start paying you. If they didn’t offer, then you should take the initiative to ask them for payment starting with the fourth article.
And if they decline, that’s okay. Thank them for giving you a chance, and tell them that you’re moving on to greener pastures. Try to ask for testimonials of your work. It will come in handy in your next application.
You have a portfolio of three articles now. Therefore, what you need to do next is pick up the missing pieces necessary to make you look favorable as a freelance crypto writer or perhaps a full-time one.
Use LinkedIn to build your network
LinkedIn is a superb platform for professionals. I should say, it is hands down the best place to find friends and potential clients or employers. As you might have figured out, it is very important to get to know people when you’re a freelance writer.
“Your network is your net worth” couldn’t be more true in this sense since clients are your lifeblood.
I can’t tell you how many times LinkedIn has helped me land a gig.
If you are serious about being cryptocurrency writer, you should make LinkedIn your go-to social media platform. Instead of using Facebook or Instagram as an outlet, why not LinkedIn?
All you have to do is chat with random people within crypto and post your thoughts regularly. You’d be surprised how many clients will hit your inbox. People on LinkedIn are also more civilized and less toxic, which I can’t say for Twitter and Facebook.
Make sure you’re LinkedIn profile looks good and professional. That way, you won’t have any trouble making new connections because they can see that there is a real person using the account. Don’t use memes or other characters as your profile picture.
If possible, your profile photo should be similar to your ID, preferably a close-up of your face on white background.
The opportunities you’ll find are not limited to writing either. I got a lot of offers for marketing, sales, ambassadors, etc. Most of them are blockchain-related companies but also VR/AR, gaming, ride-sharing, and many more. Some of them I took while others I declined.
The important thing is I have options. And so should you. You don’t want to become a freelancer with no gigs.
Be sure to fully utilize all of LinkedIn’s features. They have a tool that asks if you are open to job opportunities, always leave that checked.
Cold email 20 crypto media sites
Now that you have a beautiful LinkedIn profile and three articles, you can start selling yourself. If you received a testimonial be sure to take advantage of it.
I recommend you work with as many sites as possible. That way, you could build your portfolio fast. Use the same cover letter style as earlier, except this time you won’t be writing for free and you have a CV instead of a resume.
Put your three articles in your CV, among other necessary information.
Your subject line should be something like “I’m a rockstar crypto writer offering remote services for a very favorable rate”.
For now, avoid the big ones like Cointelegraph and Coindesk. These companies are too big for a writer of level. But we’ll get back to them later on so don’t worry.
You should focus on mid-level and new sites. Moreover, you should also offer your services to new sites now since you are asking for payment.
At this stage, expect your payment to be somewhere around $0.02-$0.04/word which is $10-$20/article.
Use freelance sites
I’ll be honest with you. I’m not very big on freelance sites. I’ve served some clients in Upwork and Fiverr, and they were all good clients. However, I do have a lot of issues with these platforms.
The number one thing I hate about them is that the clients here are looking for “cheap labor”, not exceptional high value work. They keep low-balling you.
Moreover, these platforms take a 20% cut from your earnings which is a lot!
However, if you are struggling to land a gig, this may be your last option. So I recommend you consider this only as a last resort in building your portfolio.
Upwork
Upwork was probably wonderful back in the day, before they started charging freelancers for every job application they submit to.
In order for you to apply today, you’ll need to purchase Connects, which are points that allow you to answer a job post. If you run out of them, you’re gonna need to buy more otherwise you can’t apply anymore.
And what’s worse is that if you stop applying and just wait for someone to contact you, the platform will set your account to private. By then, no one will be able to reach you unless you buy Connects and use it to land a new gig.
From my perspective, it seems that only the people who had amassed a large portfolio on Upwork in the past and have regulars can continue to benefit from the platform. New ones seem to be weeded out, which sucks.
But I guess it is worth a try. When you create an account, you might receive some free Connects. Make it count.
Fiverr
Fiverr may be a better alternative to Upwork in landing a gig since the clients are the ones searching for you. Although, most of them are the same cheapskates you’d find in Upwork.
I accept some gigs from Fiverr from time to time but mostly outside the platform, which means I am breaking the rules.
You may use Fiverr to build your portfolio if you want. You might get away with $10 for a 500-word article. But a lot of people will try to offer $5 for the same thing.
Again, this is only a last resort. If you’ve contacted the 20 media sites I’ve talked about earlier, one or two of them should hire you.
Be active in other socials
LinkedIn should be your primary social but that doesn’t mean you should neglect other platforms. It’s always a good idea to brand yourself to all major distribution channels as much as you can.
Being in the crypto space for years, I have found that the best platforms you should engage in are:
- Twitter — for hardcore crypto enthusiasts; this is the best one other than LinkedIn since it is a pro-Bitcoin platform
- Telegram — here you will find countless crypto communities to make friends, build a personal brand, and talk about crypto
- Discord — same as Telegram
- Facebook Groups — the people are quite different here. Not as hardcore in crypto as twitter and a lot of scammers too. But still, there are lots of engagements and interesting conversations in this platform
- Reddit — good for getting organic reach for your works; the people here are even more hardcore than Twitter. Try to be as positive and friendly as possible as most of the community members here are self-proclaimed experts and tend to destroy you when you say something they don’t agree with
Optional:
- Quora
- Snapchat
- TikTok
Become an authority (charge higher)
I’m gonna assume that you haven’t started yet, so it would be a good idea to wait for a while before trying to establish yourself as an authority figure. Wait for atleast 4-8 months when you’ve written at least 50 articles.
This isn’t something you can or should fake. Trust me, integrity goes a long way on the internet and you’d be wasting time pretending to be something you’re not.
Being an authority figure is good for your business because it projects you as a high-value crypto writer. This enables you to land more clients and charge higher.
Do you want to charge $50 for a 500-word article? What about $100, yes? Good. Then becoming an authority figure is a must.
In case you haven’t noticed, yours truly is at this stage as well. So far so good.
Write for the top guns
Now that you have amassed a large portfolio, it’s time to play with the big guns. They are quite hard to get so make sure to optimize and personalized your cover letter and CV as much as possible.
You will be offering your services for free. Now, you might be thinking “Hell no!” But wait, being able to publish to any of these media channels will automatically make you an authority in crypto.
We aren’t talking about your average crypto blogs. We’re talking about:
A profile bio such as “John Smith is crypto writer whose works have been published in Forbes, Cointelegraph…” will instantly attract boatloads of high-paying clients!
I’m not exaggerating anything. This is the reality. I have a friend who went from charging around $20 to $50 the moment he got 1 article published in Cointelegraph. It’s insane!
Be up to date with important news and trends
You might already be doing this. If not, make it a habit to read at least two crypto articles daily. Only the most important ones. This has tremendous benefits that a lot of people overlook.
For one, you will have more topics to talk about in your socials. Second, you have more material to write about or suggest to your editor. Third, you will increase your overall knowledge of the space, which is vital if you want to stay in this industry long-term.
Ask for testimonials from clients
A testimonial is the best way to win new clients. Even better than a large portfolio or a great cover letter.
Testimonials are written by people who might aren’t really incentivized to praise you or help you. Therefore, clients will take it more seriously more than whatever you pitch to them.
If you continuously do a great job in every work you do, some clients will reward you with a good testimonial for your services. But for the most part, they wouldn’t take the initiative even if they love you. That’s why you should help them.
The easiest way to do this is to message your client or editor or whoever you are directly in contact with on LinkedIn. You could also do it through email.
Just to set expectations straight, not all clients would bother doing this even if you ask them to. Don’t take it personally (you’re getting paid anyway). That’s just how it is. You will always find more clients that’s more appreciative of your work.
Start/Continue a blog
Almost every highly-paid crypto writer I know have their own blog. If you already started one, good! If not, do it now.
It doesn’t matter if you write in Hackernoon, Medium, or on your own domain as long as it is crypto-related.
Writing a blog gives the impression that writing is your passion, which clients love, and also adds more credibility to you as a crypto authority.
Be sure to post regularly. It doesn’t need to be every day. Once or twice a week is fine. If you want to grow fast, you may post more often. All in all, it’s up to you.
Interview cryptocurrency and blockchain experts
Honestly, I haven’t found the time to do this yet, but I do plan to once my schedule is less bulky. Interviewing can be done via audio, video, or written; whatever is your preference.
Interviewing experts provides tremendous benefits that you should cash in.
First, it connects you to influential people in the industry. By engaging them in good conversation, they will see you as one of their peers and may even recommend you to some of their friends with deep pockets. You never know.
Moreover, just being seen talking or chatting with key players of the industry increases your reputation and builds your status.
Besides, interviews can become content for your website or blog. You could even upload them on YouTube and start a crypto channel.
And lastly, these people know a lot of relevant insights pertaining to blockchain and crypto. And you get to ask whatever you want! For me, that’s enough motivation to interview them.
Teach people about crypto writing
Obviously, this is what I’m doing right now, because I’m at this stage. Honestly, it feels good to empower other people. But that feeling is not all there is.
I believe that if your work enhances other people’s lives, a few of those people will become your best word-of-mouth promoters. Eventually, word will get out and people will reference you.
I’ve seen this happen with many professionals not just in writing. A good example would be Raf Marabut, founder of Copywriting Dojo. The company I worked with came across him while headhunting copywriters. We found a lot of applicants that referenced him as their awesome mentor in their resume! How cool is that?
So it’s always a good idea to help other people. I’ll end this with a beautifully relevant quote from one of my favorite comedians.
The effect you have on others is the most valuable currency there is.
Jim Carrey
Good Luck!
And that’s how you become a crypto writer. If you follow each step religiously, especially the headings marked in green, then everything should work.
I hope this guide has been helpful and I wish you all the best.
Being a crypto writer is one of the most rewarding job/business I’ve ever done. As the crypto and blockchain space grows bigger, we can only expect more opportunities to come in the future.
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