Are you looking to earn some extra money online? Perhaps you may even want to take it a step further and make some serious cash, enough to replace your day job? Today I am going to introduce you to 5 Best ways on how to make money by writing online.
Please keep in mind, that none of them are get-rich-quick options. They all are going to require effort on your part, and depending on your level of expertise or experience, the pay will vary.
The good news though is that if you are a newbie you can make a career from writing online.
More...
I started off knowing nothing at all about the online world, and today 4 and half years later, I earn a passive income online.
You can certainly do it if your heart so desires. In fact, before we get started with the featured blog, you may want to check out the method that I have been using to make money online.
THE INTERNET IS HERE TO STAY, AND YOU CAN RIDE THE WAVE
Did you know that on February 27th,1995 the famous American magazine Newsweek predicted that the internet will not last, and that its lifespan will be shortlived?
"The truth is no online database will replace your daily newspaper, no CD-ROM can take the place of a competent teacher and no computer network will change the way government works," by Clifford Stoll, Newsweek.
Today in 2020, 29 years later, the internet is readily available on our smartphones. In fact, even Newsweek is available as a popular online subscription service.
Brick and mortar shops are shifting to an online presence and as a result, people are losing their physical jobs. The internet allows people to find their soul-mate, or shop for their clothes, toys, furniture, electronics and, even cars.
Businesses can now have conference calls using easy to use applications that save big time of having to commute folks from various parts of the world. The list of the many uses and the not-so-nice uses of the internet goes on and on.
You get a general idea.
The exciting part is that the internet is home to over 1 billion websites, and the number is growing.
We are now moving from the information age to the knowledge age, and this means that the self-knowledge industry is booming! According to Forbes, it will triple by the year 2025!
So, what does this mean for you?
It means that it's a great opportunity for you to get involved. You can learn how to tap into this self-knowledge industry right here.
But for today, I want to chat to you about something different. If you are a writer, or you would like to try out your online writing skills, you can certainly build a viable online future from your talents.
So, without further adieu, let's check out the five best ways on how you can go about making money from writing online.
WAYS TO MAKE MONEY FROM WRITING ONLINE
1. START YOUR OWN BLOG
What is a blog?
A blog is a website that is regularly updated with content to engage a specific audience.
If you have an interesting subject that you would love talking about then why not take your topic to the online space?
Having your own blog allows you the freedom to build an online presence base on a particular subject or topic.
The benefit of blogging are that you can reach out to people who share the same likes or interests as yourself. You can uplift people's lives or even give them inspiration, or educate them.
A blog can be as simple as sharing your daily routine, as an online journal. It really all does depend on you.
Competition can be fierce, depending on the niche that you choose for your blog. However, with over 3.4 billion people visiting Google on a daily basis, you can still get a slice of the action.
One of the key things to remember as a blogger is that you should try to be yourself, be authentic, and offer value. That will separate you from the rest of the pack.
Some of the popular and common blogs are based within the following niche.
- Health Blog.
- Travel Blog.
- Gaming and Tech Blog, and
- Parenting Blog
According to Wikipedia, in Feb 2014, 75.8 million WordPress blogs were in existence. Can you imagine with that figure is like 6 years later, in present-day?
The best part is that unlike those days, you do not have to struggle with fancy coding, or need any technical skills to get started.
You can get a website framework started in under a minute. My video below shows you how you can go about doing this.
2.BECOME A FREELANCE WRITER
These days Freelance companies are springing up like mushrooms. The freelance industry is growing.
Freelance websites like Upwork, Fiverr, Toptal and so forth serve one main focus- to bridge the gap between the buyer and you, the freelancer.
What is freelance writing all about?
According to Wikipedia, a freelance writer is someone who is self-employed and is "not necessarily connected to a full-time job."
The obvious benefit of working as a freelance writer is that you have freedom and flexibility and can choose your assignments.
It gives folks who are laid off from work, or who are unemployed an opportunity to earn money. If you are a student, you can take on certain freelancing writing jobs to earn some extra spending money.
The majority of freelance writing jobs are available online, so you just need to have an internet connection and you are good to go!
Is it really worth it to become a Freelance writer?
I think that one of the biggest drawbacks, especially if you are entering the Freelancing game, is that many of the freelance job sites want people who have a certain amount of experience.
I read that on one site, you needed to have 10 years of experience in order to qualify, can you imagine?
Some of them, do a screening test beforehand. Only once you have meet certain criteria, then only can you take on the assignments.
The next big issue is that the jobs are not always guaranteed. You have to wait when a client wants something to be done.
That's why its a good idea to sign up for as many sites as you possibly can.
Most of these Freelancing platforms, do not offer added benefits such as a pension, sick leave, paid holidays, or health insurance.
Then there is the issue of pay rates. They vary depending on your level of skills, the industry you are in, your location and experience.
You can get 'gigs' from as low as $1 per hour. Some sites do not offer folks enough time, and also demand more revisions before paying the freelancer. This can be a bit stressful.
For me, one of the most overlooked disadvantages of freelance writing is that your work does not receive the true recognition it deserves.
The way I see it, is if you are going to put all your time, effort, and resources into writing a piece of content, then why not do it where it can pay you over and over again?
In other words, write content for your own website. You can choose a topic that you are passionate about, and write content that will be the foundation of a website where you can get visitors, and earn money as a result.
That is my opinion.
Nevertheless, I just thought that I offer you a different perspective.
Let's check out the third way you can make money by writing online.
3. SELL YOUR OWN E-BOOK
What is an e-book?
An e-book or an electronic book,is a book publication that is made in the digital form.
If you are an avid reader yourself, then you can find some of your favorite publications available in an e-book format. This allows you to read the book on most electronic devices such as computers, laptops, tablets, and smartphones.
As a writer, you can publish your own e-book. The advantage is that there are so many platforms out there that you can join to get started with publishing your first e-book.
You can go directly to Amazon and use their Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing services. Or you can choose from a host of other services such as Payhip.com, Blurb, Lulu, Book Baby, and E-Junkie to name a few.
Some of these platforms take a percentage of your sales whilst others have monthly fixed charges.
I think that publishing your own e-book is a great way to get started with making money online.
You get to choose a topic that you are passionate about, or a skill or a hobby. The other plus is that the content(or e-book) is your asset, and unlike freelance writing, it's your property that can generate profits for you over time.
The downside is that you do not know which book will be a good seller and which will not.
It's a question of trial and error.
But look at it this way, if you love writing, just keep going unlike you 'hit' a winner.
Never give up, you can and definitely will get there!
I can't wait to hear your success story!
4. CREATE YOUR ONLINE COURSE
Share what you know, teach it to folks, make a difference, all through your very own online course.
Yes, I know that this one is a bit different from my other suggestions. The main reason is that it does not involve just writing.
Depending on the course subject, you may have to even show your face or shoot a video. If you are one who does not like to be in front of a camera, it can be a challenge.
People gravitate now more than before to video than any other medium. Think of Facebook, Instagram, and other popular social media. People love to engage in watching videos.
Ever wonder why YouTube is the second biggest search engine?
Here is my message to you....
Initially, it might seem intimidating, it might feel out of your comfort zone, but once you get used to it, you can find yourself having fun shooting videos for your course.
Think of the powerful combination of your writing, and a video equals a winning course.
The drawback is that it may take time to get your project off the ground. You may need to acquaint yourself with screen recording software. I use Filmora9. You may have to invest in a good camera and a microphone, and some lighting equipment.
However, once your course is created, you do not have to go through the process again. Maybe update it once in a while as new content is made available.
An online course allows you the opportunity to earn a passive income. It is open 24 hours a day for registrations.
There are various platforms likes Udemy, Teachable, and Thinkific that can assist you to get your first course off the ground.
And if you are looking for topics around which to build an online course, it does not have to be sophisticated material.
Take a look at some ideas people are already leveraging from :
- Copywriting,
- Dog training,
- How to fly a drone,
- Dating,
- Leadership Skills,
- Personal Finance, and
- the list goes on and on.
That brings us to the final way to make money by writing online.
5. AFFILIATE MARKETING
What is affiliate marketing?
Do not be afraid when you hear the term 'marketing' and think that you got to be a salesperson to be good at this. That is far from the truth.
The truth is, affiliate marketing is no more complex than recommending a movie you watched, or a great book that you just read, to someone else.
Have you ever told a dear friend about a pleasurable experience you had at a restaurant, or a good movie you watched, or an interesting book that you just read?
If this particular friend went ahead and read that book, or watched that movie, or ate at that restaurant upon your recommendation, that means you are a great affiliate marketer.
You just don't know it, but that is the process of affiliate marketing.
You see affiliate marketing is recommending a product or service to others.
The fun part is that with this business model, you get paid when someone buys that product or registers for a particular service that you recommended.
Now with online affiliate marketing, you simply have a website.
You can build a website based on a topic that you are passionate about, or hobby that you enjoy, and use your writing skills and build content on your own website around your chosen niche.
Take a look at the four-step process of affiliate marketing depicted below.
Click on this Image to Get Started With Affiliate Marketing
STEP ONE : You chose a niche, topic or interest,
STEP TWO : You learn how to build a website around that topic.
STEP THREE : Learn strategies on how to get people to visit your site.
STEP FOUR : When people buy what you recommend, you earn a commission.
This one is my favorite out of all the five choices to making money online.
You do not have to have any technical expertise to get started with an affiliate marketing business. You can work on it in your own time, and at the end of the day you are building an asset with passive income potential.
HOW TO GET STARTED WITH AFFILIATE MARKETING
I signed up with Wealthy Affiliate. They offer two comprehensive courses that take you from a complete newbie to becoming a successful affiliate marketer.
You do not have to finish both courses. The one is to help you build a business on a niche that you are passionate about, The other course is to help you get to get started on a pre-chosen topic.
The choice is yours.
The added benefit of joining Wealthy Affiliate is that you are part of an interactive global community that helps, motivates and inspires you to go till the end.
No-one wants to be left feeling alone especially if you are in foreign territory. With WA, it's not like that.
The main benefit is that you are utilizing your writing skills, to help build a business that you can be proud of one day.
WHAT ARE YOUR BEST WAYS TO MAKING MONEY BY WRITING ONLINE?
Have you tried any of the methods above?
If so, which way of making money by writing online has helped you out.
If you are brand new, which way appeals to you?
Would love to hear your say.
Are you ready to take your writing talent to a new level? I hope that this article has helped you in doing so.
Please feel free to share any thoughts or comments you have.
Looking forward to hearing from you.
Regards and Take Care
Roopesh
I want to thank you very much for this article and to tell you that I support all your recommendations to make money writing.
I am a member of the Wealthy Affiliate platform and here I can say that I have really found success. For this you need determination and ambition and everyone will be able to reach your goals.
This platform offers many training’s and this helps to train us in the life of the entrepreneur and to have our own business.
In conclusion, anyone who wants to write blogs and promote different products, I recommend joining Wealthy Affiliate and start earning money from commissions.
It’s great to hear from a fellow WA member. You are absolutely right, determination and ambition are keys to success.
I am so happy to hear thatWealthy Affiliate is bringing you success.
Have a fantastic day!
Regards
Roopesh
I want to first of all commend you on your article. It was a very nice one especially in these days where there is needed for more than one source of income. I noticed also that your site is not very navigable. There’s a pop up advert that does not close even when the close icon is clicked on and I’d really like it if you’ll work on that. Thanks and kudos on the article
Hey Juliet
Thanks so much for your kind words. And thanks for picking up that error on my site. I have rectified it.
Do take care.
Roopesh