Money-Making Ideas for Aspiring Writers
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Every writer knows how difficult it can be, trying to earn a living doing what you love. In an ideal world, you would be paid well to write every day, but unfortunately, it can take a long time for a writer to reach that point in their profession. The trick to balancing the need to survive with the love of writing is to find sufficiently profitable work that leaves you with enough time to write, polish, submit, and build your portfolio.
Courtesy of A Writers Business, here are some ideas for side gigs and money-making ventures to pursue that won’t derail or distract from your writing career.
Find freelance work
You may not realize just how much freelance work for writers there is out there. Depending on your niche and expertise, you may be able to get work creating digital marketing copy, writing educational material, or ghostwriting memoirs and non-fiction. You can look for work based on your own unique niche, or focus on developing a niche in one of the more lucrative areas of freelance work, such as digital marketing, finance, or education. Find freelance contract work on some of the popular freelancing job sites such as Upwork or Freelancer.
Pitch pieces to paying publications
If you are interested in writing articles under your byline, to build up your portfolio, cold pitching to paying publications may be the way to go. It can make a huge difference when pitching if you have an editorial or professional contact on the publication or at least an email that will put you directly in touch with an editor. But submitting via online portals and calls for submissions can also get your work out there – and get you paid.
Teach an online course
Especially if you have a degree in English or writing, or a respectable portfolio already, teaching classes in writing or literature can be a great way to make money while not losing your focus on what you love. Look for organizations hiring for remote teachers or try an online teaching platform to design and market your own courses.
Write an eBook
Writing an eBook can take a little time. And it can take time to market it, too. But the great thing is, once it is out there, as long as you continue to promote it and keep growing your platform, your published work can be a source of a pretty tidy passive income. The kind of eBook you opt to write will depend on your interests and your professional focus. Literature and fiction, especially romance or genre fiction, tend to be the most profitable eBook niche. Self-help and finance advice also tend to do well.
Monetize your blog
If you have a blog or website, there are different ways you can monetize it. With sites that offer creative content, consider adding a Patreon option, so supporters and subscribers can have access to customized content in return for a small fee. Also look into marketing opportunities, such as adding affiliate links or displaying advertisements.
Start your own business
Whether it’s teaching, freelancing, or blogging, you may reach a point where it makes sense to launch a small business. Starting a business can give you added liability protection and access to tax deductions that save you money, especially if you register as an LLC.
Forming a small business is not difficult or expensive, especially if you have been doing the work already. And the good news is that you can advertise for free on social media, or even launch a promotional campaign via email! For the latter, create promotional materials (like images taken with your phone) and then use a free tool to convert JPG to PDF so that you can send them as newsletters or coupons.
Even though the hustle of finding paying work as a writer can be a little stressful and even frustrating at times, it’s pretty exciting when your efforts start to pay off.
Making money as a writer, even if it’s through temporary side gigs, is something to be proud of. And best of all, this provides the means by which you can continue to pursue what you’re passionate about!
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