Being an author is not as easy as it may sound. Most authors have multiple sources of income instead of only relying on their own writing. This is because earning well as an author can be quite challenging, much like in any other creative profession.
Luckily, there are quite a few ways you can start earning enough as an author. Here are some ideas on how you can diversify your income being an author and lead a happy life without worrying about finances.
1. Ghostwrite for Others
First, it’s best to try professions that are available to you as an author. In other words, these are things you can excel at thanks to your writing skills. For example, ghostwriting books, content, speeches, and so on.
Ghostwriting is sometimes looked down on because you are not getting acknowledgment as a writer. However, there are quite a few famous authors who were ghostwriters (such as H.P. Lovecraft and Richard Flanagan) as well as those who used ghostwriters themselves. After all, it is still a craft, and you are getting paid for your work.
2. Start Your Own Blog
Another way you can use your writing skills as well as your status as an author to make more money is by starting your own blog. Quite a few authors have their blogs or frequently post on social media. Their audiences usually consist of their own readers and people who find their content interesting.
You can then monetize your blog by hosting ads on it, including affiliate links in your content (more on this later), and so on. It is also a great way to grow your audience and find even more readers who will buy your books after discovering you through your blog or social media profiles.
3. Sell Your Merch
Because you are an author, you are likely a public figure. So why not sell your own merch? This can be merch specifically related to you as a person and merch related to your work, especially if you write fiction books. However, you can also come up with ideas for merch if you write non-fiction books.
For example, if you write cooking books, you can sell items for the kitchen with your own branding. If you write fantasy books, then you can sell merch like clothes and stationery that is related to your fantasy books (e.g. a T-shirt with an artwork featuring one of the characters from your books).
4. Consider Outsourcing
Outsourcing is a great way to reduce your workload as an author, but it can also be a way for you to get more written in a shorter period of time. In this regard, outsourcing would be similar to ghostwriting for you.
You can hire professional writers from the writing services reviews site Best Writers Online. Working with them will definitely be a positive experience for you, so even if you decide to focus on your own writing more, you will still know what it’s like outsourcing some of your work and having more time for other tasks.
5. Open a YouTube Channel
Much like starting your blog can become a way of diversifying your income, so can opening your own YouTube channel. It’s no secret that videos are a content format that is in high demand right now, and because you are an author, you will definitely be able to find your very own audience.
Just think about examples like John and Hank Green and Brandon Sanderson. They are all popular on YouTube, but they are also known for their work as authors. You can earn money through your channel in multiple ways, but it will also be a way for you to find more readers who will buy your books.
6. Host Your Own Podcast
If you want something different, you have the option of hosting your own podcast. Podcasts are also quite popular nowadays, so you can start one yourself either on YouTube or on one of the popular platforms for this (e.g. Spotify, Libsyn).
You can either be alone on your podcast, have co-hosts, or invite guests. Keep in mind that podcasts that are conversational benefit from having several participants. You can still have a one-person podcast, but you will need to choose a format that will be entertaining even if you are doing it alone.
7. Teach Others How to Write
You probably remember how you first decided to become an author and started dreaming of writing. There are so many people just like you who want to learn to write, and as an experienced author, you can teach them.
Start your own webinar or offer writing courses on a platform like SkillShare. Think about the way you would want to learn about writing when you first started studying it, and then teach it to your students who are aspiring authors like yourself.
8. Become an Academic Writer
If you are looking for a challenge, then you might enjoy being an academic writer. To put it simply, academic writers help students get better at their studies by giving professional advice, helping with assignments, and so on.
You can find professional academic writers on the custom writing reviews site Writing Judge and ask them to help you figure out how you can join their ranks. You could be helping younger students who are still in middle school or high school or older ones who are completing their PhDs.
9. Be an Affiliate or Brand Ambassador
Becoming an affiliate or a brand ambassador (whichever one you prefer) is yet another option for earning money as an author. As mentioned earlier, you can include affiliate links on your blog, but you can also do that in your social media posts or YouTube videos.
Likewise, you can consider becoming a brand ambassador. This is an option if you are already some kind of influencer or are building your audience to become one. Reach out to brands you would want to represent and offer yourself as an ambassador.
10. Try Other Online Earning Methods
Last but not least, you can try other online earning methods if nothing above works for you. There are quite a few options to choose from, including:
– Drop shipping – Sell products through drop shipping in your own online store.
– Virtual Assistance – Become a virtual assistant without having to assist the person personally offline.
– Freelance Services – Offer various freelance services such as graphic design, video editing, proofreading, and so on.
Final Words
At the end of the day, it is entirely up to you what kind of additional source of income you choose. As an author, you already possess the writing skills needed to earn money in other ways, but you can also try other ways of earning money to support yourself.
