There is a lot of money to be made from writing. Yes, I said it. Don’t believe the myth of hungry writers dying in their bug-infested beds. All that happened before the invention of the World Wide Web. I can tell you from experience that anyone can make money writing today.
Before I became a freelance writer, I was stuck in a dead-end tech career. The job was monotonous and we were always under a lot of pressure. The worst was that I hadn’t received a pay raise or any other sort of promotion in five years. It didn’t make sense to stay on. But the only other skill I had was writing. I had won a few essay writing contests and a few short story writing competitions. But did that mean I could make it a fulltime career? How could I make money from writing?
So I started researching the vast world of freelance writing and the opportunities available for writers. It didn’t take me long to realize that freelance writing could be a very lucrative career. I eventually handed in my resignation and explored all the options available to talented bibliophiles and creative writers like me.
At this juncture, I’d like to mention that the writing industry requires a lot of hard work and dedication. If you want to make enough money to pay your bills, then you’ll need to treat your freelancewriting as a profession. Don’t make the mistake of treating it as a hobby; if you do, your writing will pay you like a hobby.
In this article, I will discuss the top 5 simplest ways to earn your first $1000 from writing.
1. You Can Make Money From Blogging
To be honest, blogging was the first option at the top of my list. When I had my 8 – 5 job, I was blogging on the side. It was an enterprise I had established to help people who were trying to find their way around the business of writing. The blog gave me an opportunity to explore my creative side every day. And by a stroke of luck, I won a few blogging awards.
When I chose to monetize the blog, I had to learn to create SEO-friendly content for my audience. With time, traffic to my site increased and the advert requests came pouring in.It hadn’t occurred to me that I could make a lot of money writing sponsored posts and advertising products and services my audience was interested in.
If you’re scared of testing the waters with both feet, perhaps you should consider starting a blog as a side hustle. The experience might teach you a thing or two about freelance writing.
2. You Can Earn Money From Copy writing and Copy-editing
Many writers don’t know this, but there is a lot of money to be made from content writing and copy editing. Very many businesses are setting up online platforms and need professional copywriters to keep their clients informed.
While some organizations need press releases and product descriptions, others need SEO-friendly content for their websites. I Sometimes, a company would require a team of writers to produce high-quality articles and sponsored posts to help get the word out about their products and services.
At this point, you’re probably wondering, how can I find well-paying copywriting work? If you are, don’t worry.
From my experience, freelance writers are more likely to get well-paying jobs on freelance job platforms like Upwork, Freelancers.com and so on. Lucky for me, I joined Upwork and started getting a lot of copywriting jobs. I was glad to earn a living from something I was passionate about. I wrote Amazon product reviews, sponsored posts and so on. In less than three months, I became a top-rated freelance writer.
Copywriting is a great way to make money from writing.
3. You Can Make Money From Short Story and Essay Writing Contests
Creative writing is a thing now. In fact, a lot of money is constantly pumped into writing contests by foundations, philanthropists and so on. If you’ve got a great writing style and voice and unique ideas, perhaps you too can partake in the feast.
Before I quit my job, I took the time to enter for short story writing and essay writing contests. Occasionally, I would win a scholarship, a grant or some cash award for submitting a fantastic story. It was exciting and encouraging. I got all-expense paid trips to meet other accomplished writers and learn more. With time, I built a larger network and became someone people sort out to provide coaching services, which brings me to my next point.
4. You Can Make Money By Providing Coaching and Mentoring Services
Every budding writer needs a coach. The writing industry is so fiercely competitive and the try-fails cycles can be quite exhausting. The simplest way to rise to the top quickly is to get the mentorship of an accomplished writer.
So when I won a spot in ChimamandaAdichie’s creative writing workshop, I leapt for joy. I promptly announced my success story on my blog. Shortly afterwards, I started receiving requests to speak at writing festivals and to host writing workshops.
If you have a rich portfolio, you can create a short writing course and mentorship program for budding writers. You’ll be amazed at how much money this will earn you.
5. You Can Publish A Book Or Two
Contrary to popular opinion, publishing a book isn’t difficult, especially if you’re doing it yourself. This is called self-publishing.
However, this means that you’ll take all the profits and that you’ll have to handle all the work as well. If you have a large social media following and great marketing skills, selling your book will be a piece of cake.
Many famous authors started out by self-publishing their books. The rich J.K Rawlings got so many rejections for her debut YA novel that she decided to publish it herself. Perhaps you should publish that book you’ve been working on for years. You’ll never know.
Like every other kind of entrepreneurship, writing requires a lot of work, faith and courage. Try to be strong in the face of challenges and before long, you’ll accomplish your goals. It is very easy to make money from writing.
