How to Break Into the Software Article Writing Market

All freelance writers need to utilize some software packages (or apps), most commonly word processors, web browsers, and the Windows desktop PC platform. So, have you ever considered writing about software? 

(What Are Software Articles, and Who Writes Them?)

I’ve been a tech writer for many years and can confirm that software can be a reasonably lucrative online writing niche. Nor do you need to be a qualified IT professional to break into the software article writing market. It’s a reasonably accessible market you can break into by finding suitable tech websites (or blogs) to contribute to, as discussed below.

What’s the Software Article Market All About?

The software article market primarily covers consumer software packages for the biggest operating systems (platforms). Articles for this market are typically instructional pieces that provide guidelines and tips for utilizing the Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, and Linux platforms and downloadable software packages available for them. They can also be software-related news, opinion feature, or explainer pieces.

Many tech websites actively recruit freelance contractors to regularly write software guides, news, and feature pieces on their respective sites. Digital media publishing companies such as Valnet, Reflector Media, Digital Trends Media, and Dotdash manage some of the biggest tech websites with extensive software coverage. The remuneration such sites offer for articles can vary considerably, but many offer between $10 to $50 per piece.

Can I Submit Software Articles to Print Magazines?

There was once a time (primarily the 1990s) when the magazine shelves in supermarkets and newsagents were full of printed computer software publications. Many such printed magazines came with cover CDs/DVDs that included freeware software and demos for users to install and utilize on their PCs. Those computing magazines were what many users read for software news and guides before the end of the 20th century.

However, the expansion of the internet and digital publishing throughout the 21st century has hit the printed computing magazine segment harder than most other niches. More and more software magazines disappeared from the shelves as their publishers abandoned print in favor of websites. Many industry analysts declared the computing magazine industry in the USA to be dead after Maximum PC and MacLife, the last notable U.S. software magazines, abandoned print publication in 2023.

So, freelance opportunities for submitting articles to software magazines are limited, because there aren’t many in circulation these days. A few notable software magazines are still in publication in English countries beyond the USA. Computeractive, Linux Format, and PC Pro are three UK software magazines still in circulation. I cannot confirm how open those three magazines are to freelance article submissions, but you can try querying their editorials via email.

Finding Software Websites to Write For

Tech websites now dominate the software article market. So, your best bet for breaking into the software writing market is to look online for somewhere to submit articles. This means finding tech websites seeking new contributors to cover software niches of interest to you and applying to join them.

Software websites advertise their remote writing vacancies on freelance job listing sites. You can find software websites to submit articles to by looking through the freelance writing gig listings on such sites. These are some of the sites you can look through and find all kinds of tech websites or digital publishing companies seeking freelance authors for software articles:

Indeed.comSimplyHiredBlogging JobsPro BloggerLinkedInUpWorkBest WritingFreelance Writing JobsAll Freelance Writing

Freelance writing vacancies can get mixed up with all kinds of other freelancing gigs on more general websites like UpWork, SimplyHired, and LinkedIn. Utilize the search tools on those sites to find website vacancies of more interest to you. Try entering keywords like “freelance writer,” “content writer,” or “tech writer” in their search boxes to find software websites seeking new contributors.

Some software websites also advertise freelance writer positions on their sites. So, you may be able to find some software sites seeking new contributors by looking for vacancy ads or invitations to join on them. First, find some software sites you’re interested in contributing to with Google or Bing. Click on the Careers, Write for us, or Contact us links near the bottom of the websites of interest to see if they include any invitations to apply for joining their author teams.

When you’ve found a suitable software website writer vacancy, the next step is to apply to join the site. Follow the application guidelines provided for the advertised position to do so. You’ll probably need to send a cover email or fill out an application form that asks numerous questions. Most software websites usually request to see author sample articles with webpage links or document attachments. Some also ask authors to send resumes (CVs) to them.

With a growing catalog of instructional writing videos available instantly, we have writing instruction on everything from improving your craft to getting published and finding an audience. New videos are added every month!

Building a Software Article Portfolio From Scratch

Of course, you won’t have much in the way of samples to show tech sites if you’ve never produced any software articles before. This will likely undermine your applications to join software websites that prefer to recruit more experienced tech writers. Previous software article writing experience might not be essential for all sites, but having samples to show will certainly increase your chances of breaking into the market.

One way you can build a software article portfolio from scratch is to start a WordPress or Blogger blog. These are very straightforward to set up, and you can write formatted software articles on your blog with the WordPress or Blogger text editors. Try setting up a Windows, Android, macOS, or iOS blog that includes software guides, news, and feature posts. You can then show sample articles on your blog to software sites you’re interested in joining.

Alternatively, try writing some software articles on the Medium online publishing platform. Medium is an open platform for submitting articles for many topic categories, including software and technology. You can freely register on Medium with a Google account to submit some formatted software articles there. So, that could be a good starting place to create a portfolio of software article samples to show.

Medium can also be a market for submitted software articles if you sign up for its Partner Program. The Partner Program enables you to submit only-for-members articles to Medium with remuneration offered for member article reads and followers. A $5-dollar monthly subscription fee for registered members funds this program. Some Medium authors with many followers say they make more than $1,000 a month, but the market probably isn’t that big for most members. Check out this Medium page for further details about its Partner Program.

HubPages is an open-to-all general content site you can also register on to submit formatted software articles there. It’s a site that shares ad revenue for author’s submitted articles. Registered HubPages users can sign up for that site’s Ad Program or Amazon Program for different article monetization options. HubPages doesn’t promise substantial remuneration for the content included, but it’s a good enough place to start building a software article portfolio.

So, there are various options for getting started in the software article market without applying to join tech websites. The software article market is undoubtedly an exciting, dynamic tech niche for authors. Although the computing magazine industry has declined significantly over the last 20 years, online software writing is constantly expanding and evolving, with more and more growing technology websites seeking new contributors.