How to Make Money in Writing -- Forget the Art
In the writing industry, who will be guaranteed to make money from a book?
The answer is the publishing companies, agents, editors, graphic designers, printers, book stores -- basically, everyone involved in the project except the writer.
Do you know why every person involved in the process of publishing a book makes money except the person who wrote it?
Because the people who make the money are involved in the business of publishing. The writer is not.
If you want to make money as a writer, you need to stop being an artist and start being a business owner.
Abandon the Fantasy
Most new writers are in love with the romance of writing.
They see themselves in a rustic converted farmhouse, sitting beside a sunny window that perfectly frames the countryside while they spend their days writing a bestseller.
This fantasy is no different from our idea that famous actors don’t really work or models stand around and look pretty all day. It seems writers cling to the notion that having a lifestyle like this can be easily achieved when literally no one does this — not Stephen King, not JK Rowling, no one.
If this is what you are after, that’s okay, but you need to treat writing as a hobby you do in your spare time.
How to Hire a Ghostwriter and Why CEOs Need One
Even if you haven’t published a book (yet), you probably need a ghostwriter.
medium.com
Beginners believe if their writing is good enough, they will be successful and all their hard work churning out their first book entitles them to success. Some believe if their story is engaging, they don’t need to worry about grammar or proofreading, marketing, and social media. No one has any idea the process that goes into getting a book published, nor the years it takes to do so until they set out to find an agent.
Most resent having to do any marketing or non-writing work because the business end of things somehow taints the creative process.
The public perception fosters this fantasy of a writing career.
When I tell people I was a travel writer, they immediately think I sipped fruity cocktails and visited exotic places while writing my articles at the beach. I often wrote “advertorial" profile or puff pieces on business in exchange for buying an ad in a publication. I wrote dozens of articles about a popular destination and never visited the location. It was never as glamorous as people envisioned.
I now ghostwrite articles for busy executives positioning themselves as leaders of their industry. This is the most rewarding writing I have done so far.
Mistakes Were Made
When faced with the realization that they aren’t going to make a living doing the type of writing they enjoy, new writers often lower their expectations. They take on low-paying work believing getting paid doing any writing is worthwhile.
It never works.
Here is what you need to have a business in writing:
- Decent writing skills — not great, not award-winning, but above average abilities coupled with an unparalleled drive to succeed.
- A following of at least 10,000 people. This can be spread across multiple platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. Most of my ghostwriting work comes to me via LinkedIn. Email me at [email protected] if you want to know how to get followers.
- A newsletter and regular interaction with your followers.
- Multiple streams of income from freelancing, self-publishing, traditional publishing, Medium, syndication, etc. This can take years to achieve.
- Published works you can promote.
Despite what people tell you, there is no guarantee you will make money with this approach. But you are guaranteed to not make money unless you treat your writing like a business.
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