Did you know that you can receive cash or a prize for just sending a letter to a magazine? Most magazines reward the writers of the letters that they print – often with gifts and sometimes with quite a lot of money. Very few readers actually write in so it’s not hard to make money from it.

• Why should you send a letter to a magazines?
• How to make money by writing a letter to a magazine.
• How much money could you make?
• Our list of magazines.

Why should you consider sending a letter to a magazine?

Magazines really need letters from readers and you would be surprised at how few people actually write in. Some magazines get so few letters that they have to ask their journalists to make some up. Why not have a go yourself?

Once you have read some of the letters you will see that you really don’t have to come up with anything amazing. Many of the letters are surprisingly bland. In fact, if you write in with something really extraordinary or salacious you might get a call from one of the journalists who will write your story for you and give you even more money for it.

It is not time consuming and it could mean regular money if you write often and for different magazines.

How to make money by writing a letter to a magazine

Step 1: Choose the reward you want

Flick through some magazines in your local newsagent and take a look at the different sections that pay for contributions.

Pick out those that offer money or prizes that you would like. Check if the magazine only rewards one letter per month; you have a better chance if you write to a magazine which rewards all letters printed.

Step 2: Think about what you want to write

Once you have decided which magazines you are going to write to, get a copy of them. Read through the letters sections and try to work out what sort of letters get printed

Funny stories are popular. Has your child done anything that made you laugh? Did your pet get into a bit of a scrape recently?

Serious stories are also in demand. Think of a distressing experience that you have had. Some magazines like to print tips, too. Maybe you have some clever cooking advice or an easy way to save time with household chores.

If you read the magazine regularly, why not comment on an article? You could talk about an experience you have had which was similar to the author’s, or about how the article inspired you. Letters that compliment articles appear regularly.

Step 3: Write your letters and email or post them in

For extra measure, and even for extra money in most cases, your letter will be even better if it’s accompanied by a photo of the event/tip/story. It not only shows the magazines you’re telling the truth, but readers are drawn to stories by the pictures as well.

Make sure you only send copies of photos in the post, not the originals, because they won’t be sent back.

You only get paid if your letter gets printed so there is no guarantee that the letters you send in will earn you money. On the other hand, it’s great to show off to your friends when you get something printed.

Get your pen and paper at the ready and contact the following magazines with your stories.

How much money could you make?

Sums generally range from £10-50 per letter. Most magazines have a star letter each month which receives a greater reward than the other letters. Some examples of the money on offer: Bella pays £50 for star letters. All these rewards are for letters about 50 -100 words in length.

The rewards can be, and more often are, prizes. These include things such as jewellery, flowers, cosmetics and spirits. Recent prizes include: a crate of Tuborg lager, £176 worth of Perricone MD products, a £50 bouquet and a £400 car warranty.

If you fancy writing something a bit shorter, magazines such as Take a Break offer up to £60 for tips to other readers. These are usually only about 20 – 50 words long.

If you’ve got an exceptional story, magazines like Pick Me Up and That’s Life will pay up to £1000 per story. There are usually forms within the magazines to fill in the basic details and then the magazine will contact you if they’re interested.

Magazines:

Following is a selection of magazines carrying some of the better awards but there are many more out there. Please reply with your suggestions.

• Letters for cash

Bella – £50 for star letter, £10 for others. About 40-100 words.

That’s Life! – £100 for very short stories and photos.

• Letters for gifts

Good Housekeeping - £50 bouquet for the star letter. About 50-80 words.

Marie Claire – letter of the month writer recieves gifts worth over £200 for 100-150 words.

Grazia – Perricone MD products worth £176 to the writer of the star letter. (July 2011)

Front - letter of the month wins a crate of beer.

Car Magazine – letter of the month wins a £400 warranty from Warranty Direct.

Bizarre – bottle of Opal Rosso Cherry Sambuca for the most bizarre very short story.

• Tips for cash

Take a Break – £60 for a 20-40 word tip with a photo, £30 for just a tip.

Real People Magazine – £25 for a tip with a photo. £15 for just a tip.

• Photos for cash

Take a Break – A hilarious photo with a caption could earn you £100.

That’s Life! – Up to £100 for photos and very short stories.

Chat – £25 paid for cute or funny pictures.

• Jokes for cash

Loaded – £50 for the joke of the month. Add superfluous profanity to increase your chances.

• Stories for cash

Pick Me Up – Up to £500 if they pick your story.

That’s Life – Up to £500 if they select your story.

Real People – Up to £1000 if they choose your story.

• Letters for Mums

If you’re a new mum or have queries during your pregnancy, writing letters to baby magazine is a great way to get a few extra pounds towards all that expensive baby gear.

Pregnancy and Birth, Prima Baby and Pregnancy and Practical Parenting all shower star letter prize winners with loads of baby goodies.