Other ways writers can make money
Plus some important links + the usual stuff!
Hi writers and friends!
So glad to be connecting with y’all again. First and foremost:
Helping Ukrainian Writers/People
Some from Marijana’s Freelance Bold newsletter:
Kyiv Independent, an English-language media outlet doing quality, independent journalism (donate here)
A list of SEOs and marketers from Ukraine looking for jobs and gigs
And Sonia Weiser’s:
Donate to the therapy relief fund for journalists affected by the war
Other Ways Writers Can Make Money
Writers, I’m sure you can relate to this: You love writing, but don’t always want to do it. Maybe it’s because it’s both a job and a hobby for you, or because you feel pressure to do it, or because you’re experiencing writer’s block.
And if you’re a freelance writer, this is especially tough because your income relies (partially) on how much writing you do.
Or does it?
As someone who’s experienced this, I’ve found other ways to make money as a writer and freelancer, which I wanted to share with you!
1. Paid newsletters
This one does include some writing, but it feels different. You can write what you want without any “rules.” You can let the links do most of the work. You can add GIFs.
I personally love using Substack for newsletters. You can check out my paid newsletter here!
2. Paid templates/resources
Are there certain templates, tips, spreadsheets, etc that help you? Maybe they help you with writing, staying organized, getting motivated, or tracking your ideas. If so, you can make a blank version to sell!
An example of this is my resource set, which I sell on Ko-Fi (though I’ve also heard good things about selling on Gumroad!).
3. Canva graphics
I recently learned about The Side Blogger’s incredible guide to selling Canva templates. As a writer, you probably know how to sell things, communicate messages, organize templates, et cetera — which lends itself well to this!
Even better, Canva gives you lots of example templates. You’ll have to create your own if you plan on selling, but at least you’ll have those designs to look at for inspiration.
Fellow Writer to Support
Fellow Writer Wanting to Support You
Eva Langston’s Virtual Course “Cultivating a Regular Writing Routine”
Starts on April 2, 2022 (tomorrow!) with 4 do-it-on-your-own lessons
Create a writing practice that works for you with multiple assignments
Helpful for writers at all levels
One of many courses available to paid subscribers of Eva’s writing-resources newsletter, which is $5/month (aka the course is only $5!)
Eva has been writing seriously for 15 years & has taught workshops at The Writers Center, The San Miguel Writers’ Conference, and the Hands On Literary Festival
Writing/Freelancing Tips
Harsh truths about freelance writing I hear almost no one talking about + what helps (a top 10 article of mine in Start It Up!)
Pitch Calls
PLEASE NOTE:
If the story is about a marginalized community, you probably need to be in that community to write the piece.
Mentioning my name in your pitch won’t help, unfortunately!
If the rate isn’t mentioned, one site that may help is Who Pays Writers.
Pitch calls:
Gawker — cutting criticism, thoughtful reviews, weird essays, strong reporting on a variety of topics — $0.33/word
Glamour UK — Ramadan pitches
Glossy — looking for fashion and beauty business reporters on an ongoing basis — $300+ an article
Metro Opinion — looking for strong, emotive pieces or real-life stories on an ongoing basis
Plus:
“4 Paying Publications That Want Articles From International Writers”
Websites where you can make money by reading books
From GiGiphy
Writer Jobs
Writing/Freelance Resources
Encouragement
Encouraging tweet when you’re worried about other people’s judgment
Being told to cut something in your article doesn’t mean it’s bad
My Articles + Successes
My first article for Men’s Health is live!
I reached over 10K followers on Medium!
I’ve been writing pretty regularly for Well+Good! More articles to come!
Announcements + Housekeeping
NEW: My weekly newsletter with tons of writing jobs and pitch calls now has a cheaper yearly rate! Here’s an example of what you’ll see in the paid version.
More of my content: (1) my writing Twitter // (2) my portfolio // (3) my resource set // (4) my newsletter with tons of writing jobs and pitch calls
Feedback from you: (1) For the newsletter // (2) For the resource set
This newsletter is free, but if you’d like to donate, my Venmo is @AshleyBroadwater, my PayPal is paypal.me/aebroad, and my CashApp is $ashleybroadwater3 :) A huge thanks to donors!
That’s all for now! Thanks for reading this month’s newsletter. As always, feel free to reach out if you have any questions :)