Five Ways to Make More from Your Writing

Freelance writers are lucky. Really, we are. That’s because writing is the ultimate transferable skill and we can use that skill to cross niches and sectors and make our writing careers even more lucrative. When it comes to freelance projects, there’s no rule that says that you have to stick to writing web content, white papers or press releases for clients. You can also write for yourself and make some welcome additional income. Here are some suggestions.

1. Write and publish an ebook

If you’re already a writer, writing an ebook is a no-brainer. All you need to do is carve out a couple of hours a week from your existing commitments and by the end of the month you could have a completed ebook that’s ready to publish. There’s virtually no limit to what you could write on. From the work you do for your clients you already know what topics are interesting in particular niches — and you have done the research too. Or you might want to reach out to other writers to help them solve the problems you have experienced. Either way, there’s an ebook in you — several, in fact. Once it’s ready for publication, use those same writing skills to market it successfully so you can have a lucrative secondary income stream.

2. Coach writers and clients

If you’re helping others achieve success through your writing, then you can ramp it up by teaching people how to replicate that success themselves. This might mean providing a short training course for clients on how to set up and run their blog or helping writers learn new ways to market and promote themselves. Don’t let the fact that others are doing it discourage you — you have a unique voice and unique experiences, so you have something valuable to add. Not sure whether this is for you? Then put out a call to your networks and trial the service with a couple of willing guinea pigs and get feedback before going for a full-scale launch.

3. Broadcast yourself

Putting yourself on the airwaves, whether physical or virtual, is a great way to increase your authority. Online, there are lots of places where you can start to build up a following (like BlogTalkRadio and YouTube). Your advantage here is that you can already write — and a decent script or outline will help you produce a good show that people want to tune into. With more people consuming media on the move, there’s never been a better time to launch a video or podcast channel. Not only can you help people, but you can make money both directly, with ads, and indirectly, by plugging the resources you have to offer.

4. Book speaking engagements

It’s a short step from having your own online show to speaking to people offline. It’s not difficult to find groups (chambers of commerce, networking groups, schools, career fairs) that are happy to have guest speakers. And since you are a professional writer, penning a compelling speech should be easy. Get some practice, then add this to your list of service offerings — people will then pay you to come and talk to them about your niche or how you built a successful writing career.

5. Provide additional services

Finally, getting back to the nuts and bolts of your existing writing career, why not expand the services that you offer. Instead of pitching a single article to a potential client, pitch a series. If you are ghostwriting anook, offer to write the launch press release as well. When you ghostwrite posts for their blogs, offer to help them build authority with additional posts they can offer to other blogs. While you need to balance this strategy so you continue to do what you love, always remember to upsell when it’s appropriate – it’s a way to offer value and make more money, too!

 

Image credits: GoXunuReviews; BriYYZ/Flickr

No related posts.