Nine Passive Income Sources for Writers Who Want to Work Less (Within 12 Months)

1. Newsletter ads

Yes, writing a newsletter is active work.

Once it gets going through you can put ads in your newsletter and charge money for them. Two to three ads in a newsletter isn’t uncommon.

All you do is write the same newsletter you always do each week, except the income is automated.

2. Naughty reading subscriptions

You can charge a monthly subscription for your newsletter too.?I know, I know?… the newsletter writing isn’t passive.

But once you’re in the rhythm, writing a newsletter becomes passive work because it’s something you’d do regardless, even if you didn’t need the money. Why?

You’re a writer. You love writing.

3. The most slept on passive income source for writers in history

Let me speak solely to non-fiction writers for this one.

You write words on the internet. They’re probably non-fiction words. You educate people on different topics you love. You’ve been doing it formally or informally for some time.

What you are is a form of digital teacher whether you realize it or not.

Writing articles or tweet threads is one way to use those non-fiction writing skills — but it comes with the lowest pay.

A course is a piece of writing.?Read that again.

4. Unconventional community memberships

The people who read your writing are either readers or members.

I turn my readers into members. They join my email list. Some even join my private community. And others join my paid community.

The point is readers want more than a one-night stand with your writing. Use CTAs to get readers to become members inside your community.

5. $20 eBooks

I wrote a few eBooks several years ago. They still earn me money and I’ve done zero active work on them since then.

There’s no reason a writer can’t write an eBook and make each chapter an article/story from their existing library of content and sell it online.

6. Youtube revenue share

Every article or story you write is also a Youtube script by default. Until I did parts of Ali Abdaal’s Youtube course, I didn’t realize 90% of Youtubers use scripts for their videos.

All they do is write a script, read it in front of a webcam, and record it.

7. Writing royalties

This is similar to the previous point.

The difference is you can take writing from elsewhere and publish it again on writing platforms that pay royalties.

One option is Newsbreak. Another is Quora. Another is Vocal. And obviously, there’s another option which I can’t name but you know what it is. More options are coming, too.

8. Affiliate links on a blog

When you write online it’s natural to link to books, products, services and resources. There’s no reason you can’t use affiliate links and get paid a commission for doing so.

Over time those articles with affiliate links can continue to rack up leads, and sales, and earn you some sweet, sweet passive income. It starts as active work and becomes passive work.

You could SEO a blog too and stuff it full of affiliate links. Plenty of writers do it but I’m not smart enough to.

9. The cheeky passive income source no writer talks about (but I will)

Let’s end on the final passive income source for writers that’s going to get me in trouble.?Ohhhh wellll.

I don’t say this to brag, but I’ve made?7-figures ?from writing. I have secret I haven’t shared. As writers we earn money. If we don’t invest some or all of it, we must keep writing to earn more.

From day one I have funneled a large portion of the money I earn from writing into investments that generate passive income — stocks, crypto, real estate (you know the ones).

When I don’t write I still make money from these investments.

Lesson: writers who want to earn passive income also should become investors in financial assets.