The network for creativity
Join 1.25M professional creatives like you
Connect with clients, get discovered, and run your business 100% commission-free
Creatives on Contra have earned over $150M and we are just getting started
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11 surprising ways I've earned money as a freelance writer:
- Pitch decks
- Paid skill test
- Video scripts
- Proofreading
- Market research
- Cover image design
- Client onboarding research
- Paid interview for product feedback
- World building for a cyberpunk game
- Knowledge base content for an AI assistant
- Level design and dialog for a Sandbox game
It’s not all keywords and em dashes you know.
The network for creativity
Join 1.25M professional creatives like you
Connect with clients, get discovered, and run your business 100% commission-free
Creatives on Contra have earned over $150M and we are just getting started
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🚨 I'm making the full switch from Upwork to Contra — and honestly? I already get why everyone says it hits different.
Fellow copywriters and freelancers, be real with me for a second.
How many of you are just... tired? Tired of platforms skimming big cuts off the top, burying your proposals under a hundred others, and sending you clients who treat great writing like it's worth five bucks and a thank-you?
I lived in that loop longer than I should have. Endless revision rounds. Rates that kept sliding lower. Watching generic AI output land jobs that genuinely deserved real human persuasion behind them.
So I stopped waiting and went all-in on Contra.
No platform fees eating into my income. Creative clients who actually give a damn. A community that talks about craft — not just output volume.
I'm still early in this. No massive wins to shout about yet. But the difference in the quality of conversations alone? Night and day. The founders showing up here are a completely different breed.
Here's what I'm focusing on right now to build real momentum — take whatever's useful:
1. Value posts over spray-and-pray proposals. One genuinely helpful post sparks better conversations than 50 applications nobody opens.
2. My profile is my sales page — and I'm treating it like one. Clear services, strong samples, and a bio that actually sounds like a person wrote it. Contra's discovery feed rewards authenticity. Generic doesn't cut it here.
3. Leaning hard into warm, trust-building, conversational copy. Because that's still the one thing that consistently beats pure AI in 2026 — and clients are starting to feel that gap more than ever. They don't just need words on a page. They need copy that makes someone feel something and then do something.
Whether you're based in Dubai like me or freelancing from a coffee shop on the other side of the world — Contra feels like it actually levels the playing field, as long as you show up with intention and keep showing up.
Here's the honest 2026 take: the copywriters winning right now aren't fighting AI. They're using it as a tool while bringing the warm, persuasive, results-driven voice that no model has fully figured out yet — and probably won't for a while.
What's one thing you're changing or doubling down on in your freelance work this year? Drop it in the comments 👇 — and tag a copywriter or freelancer who needs to be in this conversation.
Let's make #freelancerlife actually useful for people. #freelancerlife #copywriting #copywriter #Contra #freelancecopywriter #copywritingtips
Excellent insights and Welcome to Contra! From my experience, I got on Contra 10 months ago and there is no going back. All the best!
Destiny is a dystopian novel I wrote and independently brought to life from start to finish—and it’s a project that means so much to me. The story follows Maylie Banner as she begins a new life training for her country’s military… a place she was never supposed to be. All while hiding a secret that wouldn’t just get her removed—but could cost her everything.
I’ve always loved stories that mix high-stakes tension with personal identity, and with Destiny, I really wanted to create something that felt immersive, emotional, and impossible to put down. It’s written for readers in their 20s–30s (and young adults who love dystopian worlds), blending intense training, hidden truths, and the constant pull between fate and choice.
This was a fully independent project for me—I handled everything from writing and editing to self-publishing and cover design. Being able to shape every detail, both in the story and visually, allowed me to create a final product that feels cohesive, intentional, and true to the world I imagined.
More than anything, Destiny reflects my passion for storytelling and my ability to take an idea from concept to a fully realized, polished novel.
Poetry has always been a huge part of my writing, so winning First Place in the Spring Contest hosted by the Hoosier Poetry Society was incredibly meaningful to me. It felt like such a rewarding moment to have my work recognized in a space dedicated to celebrating creativity and voice.
I write poetry regularly, often focusing on emotion, imagery, and capturing moments in a way that feels both personal and relatable. This award-winning piece reflects my style as a poet—thoughtful, expressive, and intentional with language.
This experience not only strengthened my confidence as a writer, but also reinforced my passion for poetry and storytelling in all forms. It’s something I continue to grow and experiment with, and a creative outlet that deeply influences my work across other projects.
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