How Much To Pay For Guest Blog Articles

Poppy is the author of A Bard's Lament and the Black Diamond series. She lives in Enoshima with her husband and young son.

Do you know a lot about Japanese pop idols, actors, or TV personalities? Are you knowledgable about Japanese food, culture, and must-see sightseeing spots? Can you contribute to the ever-expanding world of anime and manga? Have you been to Japan? Do you live there? Are you interested in freelance writing?

If your answer to any or more of these questions is yes, then these four websites may be for you. Each offer payment per article you send and this article tells you all about each website, how much they typically pay, and how to sign up to be a writer for them.

1. TaikenJapan

TaikenJapan is an online website that posts articles about Japan, Japanese culture, guides and more.

How do I write for them?

Once you've signed up, you can email the staff your pitches. Send a possible title and a short outline, highlighting what you want to talk about. For example, if you want to mention "5 best restaurants in Sapporo", highlight which restaurants you'll talk about and why.

Their typical response rate is a couple of days, though it can be longer during busy periods.

What will they expect from me?

TaikenJapan wants well-written articles that are interesting and informative. If there is a particular place, culture or festival you know about, send them pitches. Try to be creative and original!

Taiken also asks that you provide your own images, though they accept pictures from Flickr and other copyright-free sources.

What's their pay rate?

TaikenJapan typically pays between 2000 and 3000 yen per article, although that depends on your experience. They always send personal emails detailing what they expect from you.

How do they pay?

Unfortunately, TaikenJapan will only pay by bank transfer, so you can only work for them if you live in Japan and have a Japanese bank account. They pay you on the last day of each month.

To apply, go to their website and fill out an application form. To see an example of a popular Taiken article, click here.

Do you want to write about Japan?

Japan Info Facebook

2. Japan Info

Though a relatively new site, JapanInfo is one of the leading websites on Japan-related articles. Their writers' community is ever-expanding, so it might not be a bad idea to hop on board.

How do I write for them?

JapanInfo is looking for articles that spark interest and emotion among their readers, whether it is breaking news, unknown facts or must-try sightseeing hotspots. Once you've signed up, you can start writing straight away and publish your posts on Evernote.

What will they expect from me?

As well as an interesting article, it is essential that your article meets the promised word count, and you include at least three images. Your article must also be well-structured and have an introduction and a conclusion to be accepted. JapanInfo articles go through a rigorous checking system, so you must ensure your work's quality is high.

One great thing about writing for JapanInfo is that each week, the top ten hottest articles are selected and the top three win cash prizes. JapanInfo also awards best writer of the month with a larger cash prize. Good work is rewarded at JapanInfo!

What's their pay rate?

JapanInfo recently updated their pay rate to 1000 yen for a 500-word or more article. 500 words is less than a page, so it's easy to write several articles in a short amount of time and rake in some spare pocket change!

How do they pay?

Unlike TaikenJapan, JapanInfo will accept your articles if you are living outside Japan, as they pay with PayPal. Once your earning threshold is higher than 5000 yen, you may request payment.

Go to their website and read their instructions. To see an example of a well-written article at JapanInfo, click here.

3. Metropolis Magazine

Metropolis is a paper and internet free magazine based in Roppongi, Tokyo. They bring out a new paper issue every month.

4. HubPages

HubPages is a great site for freelance writers. You can express yourself, have your own writing style and no strict minimum letter count. HubPages is a site for any kind of topic, but Japan-related articles tend to do very well as it's a popular topic.

How do I write for them?

To sign up, just visit their website and make an account.

What will they expect from me?

Although there is a little more freedom with HubPages than the other sites, you are still expected to produce high-quality, informative and interesting articles. A great thing about HubPages is that they are quite liberal with the images you use (they don't necessarily have to be royalty-free pictures) as long as you reference them properly. There is also a restriction on the number of links you can send to the same website within one article.

What's their pay rate?

HubPages shares revenue with its writers, meaning your articles can continue earning for months and even years to come. The more traffic you get to your work, the more money you can potentially earn.

How do they pay?

HubPages pays through PayPal mid-way through the month when you hit $50.00.

Check out their homepage and make an account.

There you have it - four great websites that pay real money for your articles. Think carefully about certain places, festivals, restaurants or hotels that have given you a great experience, and go ahead and share that experience with the world, and even make some money doing it!

This article is accurate and true to the best of the author's knowledge. Content is for informational or entertainment purposes only and does not substitute for personal counsel or professional advice in business, financial, legal, or technical matters.

Elise KHOURY on December 11, 2019:

Thank you it was helpful!

Poppy (author) from Enoshima, Japan on March 25, 2019:

You're welcome! Thank you for commenting.

Trish on March 25, 2019:

Thanks a lot for the useful information Poppy.

Thanks a ton!

Poppy (author) from Enoshima, Japan on November 30, 2018:

Thanks, Cecil! I have switched purely to HubPages too, but it's good to build rapport with these sites if they offer a decent lump sum for an article.

Cecil Kenmill from Osaka, Japan on November 30, 2018:

Very cool! I'm shocked I didn't notice this article sooner. I think I'll stick to HubPages for now but I'll put the word out.

Poppy (author) from Enoshima, Japan on September 24, 2018:

Oh, that's cool, I didn't know that.

Julia Rose from Japan on September 23, 2018:

City cost also pays in Amazon.jp gift cards. They occasionally have sweepstakes you can write for for a chance to win prizes too. It's only for if you live in Japan though.

Poppy (author) from Enoshima, Japan on July 17, 2017:

Be sure to click the links to get in touch with the websites. May I suggest Japan Info? :)

JR Krishna from India on February 10, 2017:

Interesting information

I have been to japan and like the place very much

Thank you for the article.