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Tag: how to make money writing

  • Want to Make Money Writing? Give These 5 Books a Read

    Want to Make Money Writing? Give These 5 Books a Read

    While many writers make a living from their words (and others aspire to), discussions of money aren’t all that common in the writing world.

    While websites like Who Pays Writers offer valuable insight into the dollars and cents of the writing business, most conversations about writing avoid veering into the topic of money and how writers can make it work financially.

    Now, on the heels of our interview with Scratch author Manjula Martin, we’re sharing some of our favorite books about writing and money (in no particular order).

    1. Writers Market 2017 edited by Robert Lee Brewer

    This classic annual compilation features a variety of articles on the topic of writing and money as well as its annual listing of freelance markets and publishers. This book is a go-to resource covering everything from how to earn a full-time blogging income to how to land a six-figure book deal.

    In the section listing freelance markets, entries are organized by topic, and each entry features a description of the publication as well as information about how that publication interacts with freelancers (such as how many manuscripts a year it typically purchases, if it accepts unsolicited submissions, etc.). It also provides an idea about pay rates and often includes contact information.

    2. How to Make a Living With Your Writing by Joanna Penn

    Joanna Penn’s How to Make a Living With Your Writing and her companion workbook can help any writer examine their current writing situation and make a plan for the future. Penn discusses her multiple income streams and shares the breakdown of her six-figure writing income, which includes book sales, affiliate marketing commissions, a series of courses she offers and speaking fees.

    Penn discusses the importance of scalable income (such as the books she sells) versus non-scalable income (such as public speaking). She can only give so many speeches a year, but she can sell an unlimited number of books. Penn says 80 percent of her “multiple six-figure” income is derived from scalable materials.

    In the companion workbook, she asks a lot of questions for writers to ponder, including value-related questions to help guide your planning, such as whether you value literary success or commercial success more. She provides many questions and plenty of space to write down your answers within the workbook format.

    3. Writer for Hire: 101 Secrets to Freelance Success by Kelly James-Enger

    A dog-eared and over-highlighted copy of this book sits on my bookshelf. When I started out as a full-time freelancer writer, I found the advice in this book to be invaluable. Though it’s now five years old, James-Enger’s book is still packed with useful information.

    This book is divided into five sections focusing on marketing, efficiency, building relationships, work-life balance, and the all-important “Management: Running Your Business Like a Business.”

    This is where the money talk comes in. James-Enger discusses everything from when it makes sense to ignore per-word rates, how to ask for more money, how to set goals, and even how to fire troublesome clients. This book is a valuable read when working towards a sustainable career as a full-time freelance writer.

    4. Get Better Clients and Earn More Money by Nicole Dieker

    The Write Life’s own contributor and income-tracking columnist Nicole Dieker has her own book out about writing and money. In 2016, Dieker earned $87,000 from freelance writing, so it makes sense to take her advice.

    She shares her income here on The Write Life and she also shares secrets for earning more money in Get Better Clients and Earn More Money: A Guide for Freelance Writers. The book focuses on setting goals for each phase of a writer’s career, including getting rid of lower paying jobs to make way for better work and higher-paying clients.

    The 49-page downloadable PDF also includes tips from other The Write Life contributors.

    5. Scratch: Writers, Money, and the Art of Making a Living edited by Manjula Martin

    In her new anthology, Scratch: Writers, Money, and the Art of Making a Living, Martin includes a series of essays from well-known literary icons such as Cheryl Strayed, Jennifer Weiner, and Nick Hornby where they discuss the intersection of writing and money in essays and interviews.

    The book is divided into three sections—“Early Days,” “The Daily Grind,” and “Someday”—which capture a writer’s life from the scraping-by early days to the reality of purchasing a home “someday.”

    Whatever book you turn to, it’s important to spend some time learning about how writing and money come together and how it is possible to make a sustainable living as a writer.

    Your turn: What are your favorite books about writing and money?

    This post contains affiliate links. That means if you purchase through our links, you’re supporting The Write Life — and we thank you for that!

  • 5 Ways to Set Yourself Up for Full-Time Freelance Writing Success

    5 Ways to Set Yourself Up for Full-Time Freelance Writing Success

    A year ago, I received a check for my first paid writing assignment.

    In college, I wrote for free for the student newspaper, a few travel blogs, and Thought Catalog. I had a ton of experience, but it took me a while to figure out how to get paid for my work.

    I didn’t understand what my writing was worth until this past January. Since I wasn’t thrilled with my day job, I decided to commit to freelance writing as a side hustle in 2016.

    Luckily, I was already in supportive writing communities. I also found invaluable online resources to help me pitch my ideas.

    Last month, I left my marketing position to pursue freelancing full time.

    The following five steps helped me manage the jump from part-time to full-time freelance writing.

    1. Find a system to track your income

    Tracking your income from the beginning is incredibly important.

    It helps you keep a record of your work. It helps you track down any delinquent clients that haven’t paid you. It also shows your progress as you accept more assignments at higher rates.

    To this day, I still use a Google sheet. As an extremely organized person, it works for me. I break columns down by headline, publication, rate, date published, date paid, date hired, date invoiced, and published link.

    Before I found this method, I was writing everything down in a notebook. Tracking dates helps me understand how quickly (or slowly) a publication completes edits, adds my story to their editorial calendar, and pays me.

    As your business grows, consider using more professional services, such as Freshbooks or Quickbooks. You might even want to outsource your accounting altogether, or maybe hire a virtual assistant to manage your finances.

    2. Create income goals

    I started with a freelance writing goal of earning $1,000 a month. Although I didn’t meet that goal in January, I exceeded it in February.

    But I found myself working too much in certain weeks, while other weeks, I’d hear crickets from my clients.

    Then, I set a weekly goal of $400. That first week, I remember only making $12 until Thursday, where I was hired for a $1,250 assignment over the next two months.

    By this point, I was focusing on developing steady relationships with editors (more on that below). Rather than cold pitching editors constantly, I pitched ones I previously worked with. Additionally, I wasn’t afraid to pitch higher-paying publications.

    My day job was a safety net if I didn’t meet my weekly goal. I also live in an area with a low cost of living, so my expenses are fairly minimal. However, I usually met my goal.

    3. Build an online presence

    During the last week of December, I created a free website with Wix. I published it on New Year’s Day.

    I also focused on improving my social media following, focusing on growing my Facebook writer page. Even today, I’m constantly inviting new friends to like my page.

    On Twitter, I started participating in Twitter chats. Once you’ve participated in one for a bit, consider finding out how to host or moderate it. Or even create your own! There are also hashtags worth following like #writing #amwriting, #writingcommunity, #instawriting, and #writinglife.

    Social media is crucial for writers because creating a platform for an audience to follow you helps clients find you.

    The larger your following is, the more potential you have to connect with future clients online — because you never know when someone who follows you on Twitter or Facebook might need a writer.

    4. Schedule your time strategically

    If you work a traditional 9-to-5 job, determine possible times of day to work on freelance projects. Are you a morning or a night person? Can you dedicate your lunch hour to freelancing? Consider working over the weekend if you don’t have plans.

    Within those time blocks, prioritize timely tasks over others, and don’t cram in too much. Your quality of work might suffer.

    I use a Passion Planner to schedule my days. I’m also a fan of basic yellow pads for to-do lists. I’m constantly writing down things to do and remember. Likewise, I prioritize the most important and timely tasks.

    Fortunately, my day job had flexible hours. If I had a larger assignment that required more time, I could leave work early to go home to work on it.

    I may not have been able to do this if my job weren’t so relaxed. However, before transitioning to full-time freelancing, it was sometimes difficult to balance time. I typically worked over the weekend.

    5. Foster relationships with previous clients

    If you’re pitching publications, focus on editors you’ve previously worked with rather than cold-pitching new ones. If you were successful with the first assignment, previous editors will know your work and trust you for future assignments.

    Not only are you more likely to receive a response, but you’re also more likely to be hired.

    The more you write for a publication and build a rapport, the more likely they’ll start turning to you for a more permanent role. Maybe they’ll come to you with a timely assignment. Maybe they’ll consider you for a regular contributor role.

    Once you’re more in tune with your earnings, scheduling, and clients, you have a better understanding of improvements need to be made.

    Have you made the leap to full-time freelancing? How did you set your financial goals?