Income from writing

1. 59

   cherylvanhoornposted 11 years ago

   I am a communications student who has been madly trying to find ways to obtain an income from doing my chosen profession while I am studying. I have another friend who is a freelance writer and she is in the same position and has likened the process to looking for Jesus; you know he is out there but finding him is the bugger.
   What I have found is that proactivity is a definate. I have taken this to the extent of founding my own on line magazine. It is no where near the point of paying, we are just about to launch our third volume on the 04/07 and are about to register as a business. There is a whole lot of different systems we are about to launch to expand the magazine and readership as well as expand writer content and value.
   I have also come to the conclusion that one of the best ways to make money from this venture is to diversify as much as humanly possible. Find as many sites and contribute to as many as you can. Blogging I feel has become quiet over done and people have one on every virtual corner. It has become more and more difficult to gain readership as there is so much out there. That is what I like about hubs; there is the readerships there but it is all self contained within one spot. You don't have to chase after everything.
   I love writing and I want to be as successful as possible from it and that includes making money. One of the things to bear in mind also your targeted audience and that will change from piece to piece. The money is out there it is just a matter of getting things to a point where you hit a critical mass of work.

   replyreport
   1. 60

      IronicHubrisposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Thank you for posting this.
      
      As a recent graduate from college, wherein my major was English, I have yet to find anything that is even remotely close to the degree I spent so much time (and money) in pursuit of. Your friend was right: it is a little like looking for Jesus.
      
      The current economy is not really interested in people who write well--never mind that a lot of currently employed writers seem to have forgotten what it means to be grammatically correct (a soapbox for another time)--and that leaves people like us, who love to write, without a job and a viable source of income.
      
      It is good to see that there are others who struggle, and it is good to see that you have evidently found a way to fix your problem.
      
      Good luck with your magazine!
      
      PS - This website is, indeed, heaven sent.

      replyreport
      1. 59

         cherylvanhoornposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         We always welcome new contributors. Can't pay at  the moment but hope too at some point. The magazine is orientated to students and writers and is designed to be a platform for writers. If your interested you can contact me at cheezel1984@live.com.au. The magazine is called Tweaking Madd (because let's face it most writers are a little touched) and we welcome submissions. You can find us published at ISSUU under Tweaking Madd Vol 1&2 and there is a facebook page for it as well. Hope to hear from you.

         replyreport
2. 81

   mskillsposted 11 years ago

   Have you considered participating in what I consider the Dirty Jobs equivalent of the writing market: Ghostwriting? 
   
   Companies such as TextBroker, Demand Studios, and Constant Content pay a steady, better-than-minimum wage if you're willing to shelve your creative impulses.  A rather large bonus is that you generally can work from home to the tune of your own schedule.  Most of these services allow you to choose your clients as well.
   
   Sure, I'm quite positive it would cost me the sanity of my wife, kids, goldfish, and loyal fans (not to mention copious consumption of foul liquids and other unsavory foodstuffs).  But then again, my finances aren't dangling off the edge of Mt. Everest on the account of my lackadaisical writing efforts (my specialization in college favored the financial sector).

   replyreport
   1. 59

      cherylvanhoornposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Thank you for that, I will check it out.

      replyreport
3. 93

   Daughter Of Maatposted 11 years ago

   I think there is still money that can be made in blogging, but bloggin is quickly becoming a saturated market. Maybe I'm just being hopeful since I have three blogs going. Hubpages is a great way to make money, but it takes a long time.
   
   Best of luck on your magazine. I'm sure if you need content writers, you could find quite a few here or on Linkedin that are willing to help you out.

   replyreport
   1. 59

      cherylvanhoornposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I agree. I looked at Blogging and I have some friends who are having some success with it but I do believe that it is becoming saturated. I like the hubpages as it is like an enclosed community and you don't have to chase around after everything; it is all there for you.

      replyreport
4. 82

   psycheskinnerposted 11 years ago

   Are you asking about how to make money from writing, or how to promote a magazine? If the latter, you could start by tell us what magazine this is?

   replyreport
   1. 59

      cherylvanhoornposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      The magazine is aimed at students and writers as a platform for publishing and for my fellow communication students to utilize the skills they are learning.
      I am shamelessly after money. The great golden god. It will get there, it will just take time.

      replyreport
5. 75

   montecristoposted 11 years ago

   Thanks for your words of wisdom. I needed that for encouragement.

   replyreport
6. 82

   psycheskinnerposted 11 years ago

   A magazine is not an efficient way to make money out of writing, and making money from a magazine that does not pay the writers is a questionable set up IMHO.

   replyreport
7. 86

   Marisa Wrightposted 11 years ago

   One of the most important thing about making money in the online space is understanding self-promotion. 
   
   If you don't know how to market yourself or your business, you'll never get anywhere.  That's true out in the real world, but even more so online.  You would do well to research that area thoroughly.
   
   You are allowed to place as many links as you like on your profile.  I suggest you add a link to your new magazine and any other sites where you write.

   replyreport
8. 66

   Tusitala Tomposted 11 years ago

   It is probably true that about one person in a thousand fancies themselves as a Public Speaker and about five percent of these become professionally paid - and generally as trainers of public speaking.   And of this five percent around five percent of these again (in Austalia with its 22 million people, around a dozen probably earn a good liveliyhood as professional speakers) make it.
   
   What has this to do with writers?
   
   Well, probably one in twenty people (maybe even 1 in 10) feel they are or can become professional writers.   About 5 percent, i.e. one in twenty. That means there is an awful lot of competition (about 150,000 would be writers in the US alone)   Once again, in Australia with it 22 million, there are probably no more than half-a-dozen who actually earn a full time living at Creative Writing, i.e. writing novels et cetera. 
   
   I hate to sound pessimistic.  But with Amazon, billions of people writing, you would have to be exceptionally fortunate to 'take the world by storm' and actually make any real money. 
   
   By all means find a niche market.  And good luck to you in your endeavours.

   replyreport