I don’t know about you, but people have funny ideas about authors and how much they make. From time to time, I’m confronted by the myth that money isn’t something I think about, or that as an author, money just flows into my pocket like rain.
Nonsense. Authors have to pay the rent just like everyone else. Just read ‘On Writing’ by Stephen King. Be entertained by his tales, living in a trailer in Maine having to choose between paying for his children’s medicine and fixing the car. Or read Scalzi’s essay “Being Poor.” Yeah, we know about being broke. We know all about that.
The question remains: *how* do you keep the lights on while you pursue The Great American Novel? Writing is a tough go after a ten-hour shift at the Amazon fulfillment center. What kind of job lets you support yourself, while leaving you enough energy to create?
Inspired by this Reddit post, I want to talk about some ways you can make money while you write. Please feel free to suggest your own and I’ll be happy to add them to an edited version of this blog post:
Freelance
There are a ton of ways to work as a freelance professional. Coming from the Reddit post, you can look into: Copywriting and tutoring. According to Forbes, you can also be a: social media marketer, a blogger, an advertising copywriter, a virtual assistant or a photo editor. That’s five jobs out of the fifty-five they suggest. Check that link out! One of them is bound to work for you. The best way to find a freelancing gig is to:
Network
Yes, network. Regardless of your situation, you can connect with other people. My social anxiety disorder doesn’t prevent me from networking, I just do it in a way that I’m comfortable with. You can do the same. Learn how to connect with other people, and then do it. You’ll be surprised how quickly and easily your network can work for you as an author. But that’s not all. You can also earn:
Passive Income
Passive income is defined as ‘money being earned regularly with little or no effort on the part of the person who’s receiving it’ and it comes in a variety of forms:
- Sell an eBook Online
- Create a Course on UdemyLicensing Music
- Create an App
- Affiliate Marketing
- Network Marketing
- Design T-Shirts
I’m not saying that it’s easy – if everyone could generate passive income, everybody would be generating passive income. You’re already trying to generate passive income because you’re trying to be an author, so be open to other ways of bringing the green in.
Market Yourself
Everyone is a marketer, even you. Don’t believe me? Go on a job interview. A job interview is a sales meeting where YOU are the product. Going back to the post that started it all, once you start seeing the opportunities, you realize that they are EVERYWHERE.
One of the reasons I liked this Reddit post is because the writer himself suffers from PTSD / Depression. Made me realize that everyone has a limitation they’re overcoming. My circumstances aren’t an excuse to give up, or not better myself. Just like he said: get started. Reach out, experiment, try new things.
Be laser-focused on finding a way to pay your bills while pursuing your passion, and watch what happens. There are some ideas to get you started – I hope they give you some food for thought.