This is a question I get once in a while. Some people don’t ask the question, they just assume that they can quit their job and make up the salary by writing the next bestselling novel. Many retirees view their book in progress as their next meal ticket. I have to tell you, it certainly is possible, but the odds are way against it. The competition is fierce and the statistics dismal. The percentage of books that never get the recognition the authors think they deserve is off the charts. A large majority of authors will lose money on their first book project.
What about their next book? Most won’t take that step. Those who do may have a better experience if they paid attention and learned from the first one.
I just had an email from a client/friend who was telling me about some of the things she is doing related to the book she is writing. She is blogging regularly. She is giving presentations. She is producing materials related to the pending book. She is creating her brand even as she is writing her book. Her book has a strong niche audience and she is already addressing them and demonstrating her expertise in this topic. This is an author who will succeed. She can no doubt expect to earn a pretty good living from her first book. Why? Because she is laying the groundwork as she goes.
Here are my recommendations for those of you who want to earn money from your writing and who aren’t, perhaps, as savvy as my client or you don’t have a nonfiction book with a solid niche audience.
1: Produce booklets and even ebooks (where appropriate) focusing on a skill or knowledge you have and that is of interest or value to a segment of people. Make sure this topic isn’t already widely covered. If it is a popular subject, come up with a fresh and creative approach.
You don’t have to be an expert in the topic if you can develop a unique, appealing, intriguing and useful guide, for example. What is your expertise or interest? Could you write a booklet or pamphlet on making your own designer coffee drinks at home, featuring new quilt patterns, focusing on local weekend getaways, including rainy day activities for kids, with tips for barbecue marinades or introducing a dozen interesting ways to flirt, for example? Write the booklet, isolate your audience and market, market, market. Become known as an authority on this topic and produce additional booklets. If all goes well, a complete book on this topic might be in your future. And just look at the audience you’ve already solicited for anything you come up with on this topic. But expect to spend a lot of time planning, producing and marketing your products. If you want to make good money, you must stay on your toes.
2: You could write articles for magazines and web content. In order to make this pay, you have to look at it as a full-time job. You should constantly study the market, seek out appropriate publications for your material and write what they want. It is important to keep up with what’s going on in the world and/or in your field and come up with creative ways to present it. There is nothing new under the sun, so you have to make it appear fresh. Be prepared to constantly put yourself out there, always be coming up with ideas and creatively and professionally presenting them. Develop a tough exterior because there is a lot of rejection involved. And become an excellent manager of your time and your submissions. Again, you can make money as a freelance writer, but you must give a whole lot of your time and energy in order to get the return.
3: Probably the best way to make money writing now is to get involved in corporate and business writing. Many companies rely on outside contractors to write or revise their manuals, write promo material, their newsletter, etc. Peter Bowerman is the expert in this field. If you are interested in starting a career like this, read his book, “The Well-Fed Writer.”
I used to get jobs by visiting the company and picking up a brochure or going to their website and snooping around. If you discover errors or you believe you could make a better presentation for them, write a sample and set up a meeting with the person in charge.
Hey, I just thought of a booklet idea—a list of jobs for writers.