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Updated: November 27, 2023

Reviews

Earn More Writing Review

Earn More Writing Review – Yeah, It’s Good. But Is It Worth $199?

Earn More Writing
3.5/5 3.51
Tom BlakeZoe Torteman2 Reviews | Rate This Course
  • Earn More Writing was closed to new students on February 1, 2023. This review is kept online for posterity.

This is the ultimate Earn More Writing review.

Earn More Writing is a course by Holly Johnson. You may know her from her travel blogs Club Thrifty and Travel Blue Book. My team and I have combed through the training and researched it thoroughly. You’ll find all our insights below.

(Have you taken this course? Add your rating!)

If you’re eager to learn…

  • How it compares to other freelance writing courses
  • The pros and cons of Earn More Writing
  • If Holly Johnson is legit
  • The different pricing options

Then definitely keep reading.

Earn More Writing – Key Points
  About

Holly Johnson’s course to help freelance writers earn more from their work.

💰  Price

Tiered from $199 to $599 (more info)

😍  Pros

Practical and step-by-step training, most students seem to rate the course highly, 30-day money-back guarantee.

😩  Cons

Recurring annual expense, could really do with an update, community not as active as it used to be.

  Verdict

Past its heyday but still solid training from a freelance writing pro.

Overall Rating
3.5/5 3.52

Jump to…

About the Author

Niall Doherty

Hey, I’m Niall Doherty.

I quit my last 9-to-5 job back in 2010.

Since then, I’ve earned my living online in various ways. Over the last 4 years (through 2023) I’ve earned $842,000 from my laptop.

I’m on a mission to accurately rate and review all the best online business courses. My team and I are spending many hours investigating these courses and getting feedback from real students.

All that to say: we know a thing or two about such courses and making money online.

The Best Freelance Writing Course?

We’re on a mission to review all the popular freelance writing courses, based on our own extensive research plus feedback from real students.

Earn More Writing is a solid course but it doesn’t quite make the top of our list…

🏆 Best Freelance Writing Courses 🏆

How does Earn More Writing help you make money?

Earn More Writing aims to help you boost your freelance writing career.

The official word…

Everything you read on the internet must be written by someone. Companies and corporate blogs pay big money to those who create concise, effective content. The jobs are out there, but they aren’t always easy to get.

During this course, I’ll teach you how to find those jobs and earn the kind of money you deserve.

Btw, in case you’re unfamiliar, a freelance writer usually gets paid to write articles or blog posts for the web. Freelance writing can also entail writing for print magazines, books, email newsletters, etc.

As a freelancer you would be running your own business. Clients would hire you to work on various writing projects.

Who is Earn More Writing for?

Earn More Writing sells itself as a platform for writers of all levels of experience.

As stated on the sales page’s FAQ section:

Anybody who wants to make money writing can benefit from this course. Whether you are an experienced freelance writer or a newbie, “Earn More Writing” has plenty to offer!

However, I’d argue that EMW is mainly a course for freelance writers with some experience who want to learn how to find more (and higher-paying) writing jobs.

It doesn’t teach much about the craft of writing as it assumes you already know how to write. Instead, it focuses on helping you to find clients and raise your rates.

70+ ways how to make money online (including easy options)

Does Holly Johnson have a good reputation?

Yeah, she’s about as good as it gets.

Holly has been an active and successful freelance writer for a long time, she seems to have made a ton of money doing it, and her list of clients is both lengthy and impressive.

She has achieved her success working from home and raising a family – Holly and her husband have two young daughters – and apparently take up to ten vacations a year (!!).

Some of the well established publications she has written for: Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, The Simple Dollar, and U.S. News and World Report Travel.

Together with her husband Greg, Holly also runs a popular blog at ClubThrifty.com. The blog has amassed a large following on social media (135,000+ combined on Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter).

Within the Earn More Writing course, Holly shows several screenshots of invoices she sent to one client…

earn more writing review screenshots of invoices

My one knock on Holly – at least as it relates to Earn More Writing – is that it looks like the course hasn’t been updated since I first reviewed it a few years back. 

I get the impression that it’s not much of a priority for her these days 🙁

Are Earn More Writing students getting results?

It’s easy enough to find students of Earn More Writing reporting solid results.

For example…

earn more writing review student results
earn more writing review student testimonials
earn more writing review student reviews

Earn More Writing has a few more testimonials on the sales page, but I wouldn’t say they’re as impressive as those shown above. And sadly, there aren’t many of them.

Also, I’m pretty sure those same testimonials have been displayed for years. This makes me wonder if newer students were still getting good results from the training 😕

Having seen inside the training however, I would say it is still solid, though dated in places. But if you put in the work and follow what Holly teaches, you can expect to see positive results.

How much does Earn More Writing cost?

For access to Earn More Writing, there are four different payment plans.

You get 1 year of access to the training with each option…

  • Standard Membership – $199
  • Blogger’s Membership Bundle – $399
  • Pro Membership Bundle – $475
  • Platinum Membership Bundle – $599

Here’s what’s included in each tier, courtesy of the official Earn More Writing website

earn more writing review payment plans

Keep in mind that you may want to spend some extra cash on a domain and hosting for your website. Holly recommends many other free and paid tools as well, but I wouldn’t say that any of them are necessary to fully implement the training.

Earn More Writing Discount?

I’ve searched multiple places for a discount or coupon code for Earn More Writing, but haven’t found one that’s “evergreen.” 

However, there is a place to enter a discount code on the Earn More Writing checkout. And I’ve seen Holly offer a discount on EMW from time to time over the years. 

Refund Policy

The sales page for Earn More Writing specifies a 30-day money-back guarantee…

We think you’re going to love this course and get a ton of value from it. Of course, we can’t guarantee your results. No matter how much knowledge we give you, it’s still up to you to make it happen. However, if you are unsatisfied with your purchase, contact us in the first 30 days and we’ll give you a full refund. 

I haven’t seen anyone reporting issues getting a refund on their purchase, so you can breathe easy with this guarantee.

How is Earn More Writing structured?

Here’s what the training looks like once you log in and open one of the lessons…

earn more writing review training lessons page

The core training is broken up into 8 main modules, followed by a bonus module. All of the main lessons are in video format, but the introduction and most of the bonuses are text-only.

There are also downloadable checklists for every module, as well as four additional guides:

  • What Editors Really Want
  • The Anatomy of a Perfect Blog Post
  • The Actual Pitch Letter I Sent to “The Simple Dollar”
  • List of Businesses with Blogs

I didn’t find the module checklists particularly useful, but they may come across as handy for beginner writers who want to improve their own time management.

Throughout the course, Holly draws from her extensive experience in the freelance writing business.

That means:

  • Lots of examples of challenges Holly faced and overcame while building her business.
  • Scripts and email templates you can use for pitching and communicating effectively with clients.
  • Screenshots of pitches and emails Holly has used effectively herself.

I also appreciated that every recommended action was backed by sound reasoning. Holly not only gives you advice in the course, but also explains her reasoning for that advice. So you’re never left wondering why you should do A, B or C.

With a runtime of less than 4 hours, Earn More Writing is quite concise. But I really wish it addressed some advanced topics like SEO and keyword research, which I reckon are crucial for freelance writers to be proficient in nowadays.

Also, some parts of the training have become obsolete, IMO.

For instance, it mentions discontinued social media platforms as considerations. Periscope was officially closed in 2021, while Google+ was entirely shut down way back in 2019. And links to 4 of the first 10 blogs in the List of Businesses with Blogs guide either redirected or came up as not found 🙁

You also get access to a private Facebook group when you sign up for Earn More Writing. The group isn’t as active as it used to be, but last time I checked Holly was still reliably responding to posts in there.

earn more writing review private facebook group activity
Activity for the Earn More Writing private Facebook group.

Green Lights 🟢 

A few things to like about Earn More Writing…

  • Most students seem to rate the course highly.
  • Minimal expense beyond the price of the training.
  • 30-day money-back guarantee.
  • The training is practical and step-by-step.
  • Holly Johnson walks her talk.
  • No misleading marketing tactics.

Red Flags 🚩 

A few things to be wary of regarding Earn More Writing…

  • Recurring annual expense to keep access to the training.
  • Lacking some advanced info (eg. keyword research).
  • Looks like the training is rarely updated nowadays.
  • No search functionality; hard to find specific lessons.

Other things you should know

  • Holly Johnson’s training goes into detail on how she’s built her successful writing business. When you sign up for the course, you’ll get access to all these materials.
  • You’ll find lots of handy downloads within the training, containing options like spreadsheets.
  • Just to highlight this again: You DO NOT get lifetime access to the course when you join. All three packages only give you 1 year of access to the course materials (though we’ve heard from another buyer that you can extend access for a “nominal fee”). Access to the Facebook group is indefinite.

Should you join Earn More Writing?

If you’re a freelance writer who’s struggling to find clients and increase your rate, you’ll likely find Earn More Writing to be a worthwhile investment.

Holly teaches from abundant experience and offers some great tips and mindset upgrades to take your career to the next level.

However, you will likely find the training lacking in places. It’s quite short, the community isn’t as active as it used to be, and the whole thing could really do with an update.

I’d be a lot higher on EMW if the admission fee gained you lifetime access, but you can still pull a lot of value out of it in the year you’re granted.

If you’re on the fence, Holly does offer a free workshop / webinar from the sales page. That should give you a feel for her teaching style and if her full course is right for you.

earn more writing review sales page
Earn More Writing – Key Points
  About

Holly Johnson’s course to help freelance writers earn more from their work.

💰  Price

Tiered from $199 to $599 (more info)

😍  Pros

Practical and step-by-step training, most students seem to rate the course highly, 30-day money-back guarantee.

😩  Cons

Recurring annual expense, could really do with an update, community not as active as it used to be.

  Verdict

Past its heyday but still solid training from a freelance writing pro.

Overall Rating
3.5/5 3.53

Earn More Writing Alternatives

Here are the top freelance writing programs we’ve reviewed…

1.Comprehensive Copywriting Academy (review)
4.4/5
2.Write Your Way to Your First $1k (review)
4.4/5
3.Copy Sharks (review)
4.2/5
4.Freelance Writers Den (review)
4.0/5
5.Location Rebel Academy (review)
3.9/5
6.Freelance Writing Essentials (review)
3.5/5
7.Peak Freelance Membership (review)
2.8/5
8.Writers Work (review)
1.0/5
See all reviews of freelance writing courses »

Your Thoughts on Earn More Writing

  • Have you taken this course yourself?
    Add your rating so others can see if it’s worthwhile.
  • Do you have a question about this course?
    Let us know below and we’ll try find the answer.

Student Reviews of Earn More Writing

Rate This Course
Tom Blake
  • Validated Reviewer 1
  • Verified Student 2
  • Review Info 3
4.0/5
May 3, 2023
Earnings 4
more than expected
Following Training 5
for more than 2 years

An Excellent Writing Community

I took this course about three years ago when I was fairly new to the freelance writing and blogging space. It was recommended to me by several other freelance writers and bloggers, so I decided to take a gamble and buy the course to test it out.

I didn’t complete every course module because that was not the main reason I bought the course. Instead, I immediately joined the Earn More Writing private Facebook group for course members.

The group provides a place for writers to ask Holly and their fellow freelancers questions. And, most importantly, Holly and others sometimes share job opportunities within the group.

I started participating in the group, and in the next two months or so, I managed to land a small writing gig for $0.10 per word. Months later, the group would land me another writing gig for about $0.15 per word.

These early gigs helped me launch my freelance writing career much faster. And I’ve since gone on to write for some of the largest personal finance blogs out there and even had a full-time writing job at one point. In my opinion, the course is worth it for the group since the price of such a network is pretty priceless.

Pros and Cons

  • It has a very active freelancing group that also posts job leads
  • Modules are easy to understand
  • Fair price
  • Intermediate freelance writers might find some modules quite simple
more ratings
Implementation 6
about what I expected
Presentation 7
3.0/5
Usefulness 8
3.0/5
Community 9
5.0/5
Support 10

haven't experienced it yet

Value For Money 11
4.0/5
Zoe Torteman
  • Validated Reviewer 12
  • Verified Student 13
  • Review Info 14
5.0/5
December 1, 2022
Earnings 15
more than expected
Following Training 16
for more than 2 years

Great course and even better community

I took this course like four or five years ago, so keep that caveat in mind. But I got a lot out of this course and continued to get even more out of the community that comes with the course.

You get access to a private FB group where Holly and many other high-earning freelance writers congregate. Just being able to get their advice on anything at any time has been highly valuable for me as I grew as a freelance writer.

Holly is very no-bullshit and will tell you exactly what you need to hear. Her approach how to handle clients and not letting them waste your time or take advantage of you is really valuable.

Pros and Cons

  • The FB community is super helpful and inspiring
  • Being able to ask Holly unlimited questions (and she really responds to everyone)
  • Affordable price
  • The course itself might be a bit lacking in info
more ratings
Implementation 17
about what I expected
Presentation 18
3.0/5
Usefulness 19
4.0/5
Community 20
5.0/5
Support 21

haven't experienced it yet

Value For Money 22
5.0/5
Rate This Course

5 Questions & Answers

  1. Hi,
    I have listened to the introduction to Holly’s course – and it sounds fabulous – but I’m in South Africa and I’m just wondering whether her course content is focussed on American writers wishing to break into the business, or whether her advice, tips, and leads would also apply to someone who is not in the States.
    Looking forward to your response.
    Kind regards,
    Renee

    Reply
    • Hi Renee,

      I don’t think you’ll be at a disadvantage being in South Africa. The vast majority of writing jobs are remote nowadays, so as long as you can write well the course will be helpful to you, as it will show you how to find more clients.

      Reply
  2. Do you know how much the annual fees are for this course?? ‘Cuz it doesn’t provide a lifetime access.

    Thanks in advance :))

    Reply
  3. Would you recommend the course for those who are already full-time freelance writers but want to earn more by finding higher paying clients?

    Is there ever any mention of how much people are making per day or per hour in the course?

    Thanks!

    Reply
  4. I explored several course options before choosing Earn More Writing. None of those other courses rang true for me. Then I discovered the Earn More Writing course. Holly is honest that you will have to work hard and put yourself out there to succeed. Not only do I apply the lessons from the course to my freelance writing, I also apply it to my other freelance areas, including editing and web design. I find the information and guidance shared in the course and in the Facebook group to be invaluable to developing my freelance career. The first job I received as a result of the advice in the course more than paid for the cost of the course and gave me another marketable skill for my portfolio. It works if you work it!

    Reply
  5. I found the course fantastic. Like you summarized, it teaches you to be a more profitable freelance writer. In my opinion, the most valuable aspect of the course is the Facebook group. I’ve gotten quite a few job leads from it, and am continually impressed with Holly’s level on engagement in the group.

    Reply
    • Thanks for the comment, Sandra.

      I didn’t get a look at the Facebook group myself but both Leanne and Zoë told me it is very active and that Holly is always posting and responding to comments in there, which is good to hear. That’s great as well that you’ve gotten a few job leads via the group.

      P.S. Your website looks good 🙂

      Reply

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