It probably wouldn’t surprise you to hear that most authors don’t make a living off their writing.
According to a 2014 survey, 54 percent of traditionally published authors and almost 80 percent of self-published authors make less than $1,000 per year, says The Guardian. Because of this, most authors stay at their day jobs to support their families.
But if you love the writing and publishing world, your skills don’t have to get stuck in hobby mode. If you’re not making enough money to support yourself through fiction writing, there are other careers you can pursue using your writing and marketing expertise.
Consider one of these other jobs in the writing and publishing industries.
Careers Outside of Fiction Writing
If your passion lies in the writing side of being an author, consider becoming a freelance writer. If you don’t want to run your own business, there are also opportunities to work with content agencies or on marketing teams.
As a fiction author, you have the unique skills to work in the following areas because they require storytelling skills and creativity. Writers must be able to appeal to an audience in a way that doesn’t come across as dry, and you already have experience in that! Some non-fiction writing opportunities include:
1. Copywriting
Copywriters write a variety of promotional content, such as website copy, email newsletters, advertisements, and brochure copy. The writer’s goal is to get people to take action. As a copywriter, you’ll need to become familiar with marketing, user experience, and headline creation.
Numerous free guides can help you learn the basics of copywriting, such as Quicksprout’s The Definitive Guide to Copywriting.
2. Blogging
When I suggest blogging as a career, I don’t mean starting your own blog and making money through ads (although that is a viable way to make money, and it can even help boost your book sales if you appeal to the same audience).
Instead, I’m talking about writing blog posts for clients.
Though I’m a fiction author, freelance blogging is my primary source of income. The types of blog posts I write look just like the one you’re reading! I personally make anywhere from $60 to $200 per post depending on the length and topic.
Not all blogs pay, but once you find clients to work for, it’s a good source of ongoing income since blogs continuously need new content.
3. Ghostwriting
Ghostwriting can be any form of writing, from blog posts to screenplays to full-length fiction novels. However, the content all has one thing in common: you’re not credited as the author.
Although someone else takes the credit, ghostwriting is a great way to turn your creativity into profit, and it can help you hone your writing skills.
Careers in the Publishing Industry
If you’d rather save your creative writing juices for your own projects, that’s OK.
As an author, you have more than just writing skills, and these skills can come in handy by helping out other authors. You might work through traditional publishers big or small or privately with indie authors.
These jobs will keep you immersed in the publishing industry:
4. Private Assisting
Becoming a private assistant (PA) to other authors means you’ll be marketing other writers’ books. With the connections you forge for other authors, you can also leverage in marketing your own books. PA duties typically include:
- Setting up Facebook release parties
- Organizing book-release blitzes and blog tours
- Marketing book sales
- Submitting books to advertising sites
- Setting up Thunderclap campaigns
- Writing authors’ email newsletters
- Sending books to bloggers for review
The list goes on. I personally see author PAs charge around $100-$250 per month per client.
You may agree to spend a specific number of hours on that author’s work per month, but keep in mind that you can perform some tasks for all your clients at once.
5. Editing
If you’re good at spotting grammatical errors, issues with sentence structure, plot holes, and other story elements, you might consider becoming an editor.
Just remember that your own books serve as a sample of your writing and editing capabilities, so make sure they’re thoroughly edited. Keep in touch with other authors since these connections will be your most likely clients.
6. Cover and graphic design
If you’re talented with visual art and know how to use Photoshop, another option is to offer book cover design and graphic design. I typically see designers charging anywhere from $60 to $150 for premade cover work and around $125 to $250 for custom covers.
Some well-known and in-demand cover designers charge upwards of $400-$800 for custom work, and sometimes even more for custom photography.
Aside from book design, you can also design author logos, website images, teaser graphics, Facebook header images, release-party graphics, and more.
7. Book formatting
Indie authors and traditional publishers alike need someone to format their books for print, Kindle, and ePub. If you have experience with this or are willing to learn, it’s a great service to offer.
Some formatters charge by word count, and others charge by the hour. Industry rates typically fall between $45 and $85 per hour. You can charge on the upper end if you design graphics for the interior.
8. Author web design
Another service that’s needed in the industry is web design. If you have a coding background or experience with web design, why not offer this service specifically for authors?
Although you can branch out, focusing specifically on one niche — author websites! — can help you position yourself as a go-to designer for writers. Plus, it helps you build connections that could benefit your own books.
If you like the idea of staying in touch with the writing or publishing industries, consider one of these career paths to supplement your fiction writing income.
Which one of these roles would best suit your skills?
