Writing is a passion. Unfortunately, this passion does not guarantee that one can live a decent life without having to worry about money.
It takes years for a writer to write a book and then get it published. A few writers do manage to get published and a few writers are forced to either give up on their dreams or are compelled to go the self-publishing way and invest money in getting their book published instead of their book bringing in money for them.
The few writers that get published are not paid hefty advances that will secure their living expenses for even a few months. Most books do not even payout the advance money, so royalties are out of the question.
Of course, there are exceptions. There are writers who earn six figures and live a comfortable life writing their dream books. But such stories are rare. Today, we will discuss about the more common stories which involve writers having to keep up full-time jobs and part-time jobs to make a living.
So, how can you earn enough money to take up writing as a full-time job and finally live the way you wanted to?
Let's look at a few tips.
1) Start a Blog - You must have heard this or read this multiple times. But it's for a reason that this advice is so often given. The reason being that this is the best investment a writer can make in terms of effort, time and long-term plans.
Blogging is not a path that guarantees immediate success. It can take you years to build a successful blog and start earning by showing ads on it. However, if you are consistent and persistent, then good traffic will definitely grace your blog.
A great way to increase traffic to your blog is to do guest posts on other blogs that cater to your target audience.
2) Articles - Write and submit articles to any and all websites, magazines, e-zines, etc. A few of them pay for articles while a few don't. Even if they don't pay, it's a good way to get your name out there. You could also try approaching a newspaper. Writing columns for a newspaper is a good way to earn a little money.
3) Freelancing - Sign up on sites like Freelancer and Fiverr. You can offer to write articles, essays, blog posts, short stories, etc. for a fee.
4) Contests - Participate in writing contests. The prizes are usually decent.
5) Book - Write and publish your book. Invest in marketing it. Whether you go the traditional way or self-publish, good marketing will make sure that you keep earning from your book in the long term.
6) Write more - Don't take years to write a book. Be consistent with your writing schedule and rely on discipline instead of motivation to finish your next book. The income from one book is seldom enough to suffice you.
7) Coach other writers - Develop courses to teach new writers about the art. You can share your experience and knowledge which is priceless.
8) Merchandise - Sell your book's merchandise. Loyal fans are sure to buy them and it will help you establish your book's fan base.
9) Public speaking - Once your books are reasonably successful, you can expect to receive invitations from schools, colleges, and other institutions to speak at their events. Of course, you can charge a fee.
10) Writing related jobs - You could also explore job opportunities that are related to writing. There are options like content writers, copywriters, and even editors.
There are a hundred more ways to earn a living by writing. These were the easiest and most widely implemented ones. Remember, if you are persistent, you will be successful.
For publishing opportunities write to publishing@ukiyoto.com or visit www.ukiyoto.com for more details.
This article is written by Kulsum. Kulsum is the bestselling author of The Bleeding Wounds Series on Amazon Kindle. Her debut novel Love of a Stranger is published globally.