SO, WHERE CAN A WRITER MAKE MONEY?
Many Boomers have retired from everyday work and careers. They have skills and expertise that can translate into articles for magazines, trade journals, how-to books, newsletters, etc. Not all of these pay much, but if you have unique skills or experience, you might find an outlet that has a high demand for your writing. And pays quite well. Remember—no one else has your unique background and outlook.
Writing fiction and non-fiction is another area that is always open to opportunity. A well-written novel might propel you to the same heights as James Patterson, Stephen King, or even J. K. Rowling (reputed to be a billionaire). It’s not easy but someone has to do it. There are many places for your short story, article, or memoir. Also, your previous experience in your career could fill a crying need for non-fiction books or manuals. There is a whole world out there just waiting to hear from you.
And, don’t forget copywriting, which is wide open with a shortage of good writers. Businesses consume vast quantities of written material such as blog posts, emails, newsletters, web pages, sales letters, ads, and everything that they present to the world. Businesses write to other businesses and to end consumers. Someone (some unique person) writes every bit of it and gets paid for their efforts.
There are literally thousands of places where you can get paid to write—full-time, part-time, spare time, stolen time, and any time the bug hits you. One thing to consider is that some people will want you to write for them on the cheap. Beware! These people don’t value your time or the effort that you put in to produce quality writing. Because there are so many places that really need writers, you don’t have to sell yourself short.
GETTING YOUR WORK OUT THERE
If you are like most writers, your main goal is to get people to read what you have written. This usually means you have to get it published (self or otherwise). So, you have to convince someone else to accept your work—in other words, you have to “sell” him or her on the idea of you and your writing. Of course, many writers want to sell their work for actual money. Glory might not be enough. To get out in the publishing world, there are two main areas, which the writer must address.
WEBSITE—at a bare minimum, a writer must have a personal website. An author website is even better. On it, you will probably want to include a good photo and some personal information. You might also include links to a blog, newsletter, any clips, some writing samples, and promotion of your writings.
SOCIAL MEDIA—this is the number one tool the writer has in his arsenal. Facebook, Twitter, etc. can get you noticed and drive followers to your website and blog. Here are some things that you should consider for your social media effort:
- People want to associate a face to writings on the internet—so provide them with a good photo. It is more intimate and you want them to look to you as someone they can trust.
- Follow other successful authors, agents and publishers. Comment on their websites and blogs. Tell them you read and liked their latest work. Perhaps offer a guest blog post for them on your blog. They will appreciate these things, will remember you and might include you in the posts.
- Use only media you like—readers will sense that you are not into a hated medium.
- Create some noise—don’t avoid controversy. Remember—any publicity is good publicity—not everyone will agree with you, but some might relate or discuss. Get noticed, just don’t be abrasive.
- Don’t try to do too much—quality over quantity.
- Treat social media as a job—one that you enjoy (see #3 above).
- Connections are better than sheer numbers. Good influencing connections and relationships will trump numbers of “followers.”
- Stop selling—constant selling will turn off many people. Offer good writing, like other’s comments, ask questions, offer quotes, quips, gripes. Engage your followers.
- Be social—let people know who you are, how you write. You don’t have to tell every little detail, but offer insights into who you are.
KEEP THEM READING
Adapted from Know Your Reader by Steven James (Writer’s Digest)
Selling your book/story is the most important goal of the professional author. But you must also keep them reading to the end so that they’ll want to buy your next one. There are five basic reasons that will keep your readers hooked until they finish.
- CURIOSITY—your reader wants to know how your story turns out. You have to present characters and situations that require the reader to ask questions about what will be the outcome of the conflicts in your story. Of course, you, as the writer, must answer these questions by the story’s end. If you don’t, the reader will feel cheated.
- CONCERN—if you can get your readers to feel concern for your characters and their plight, they will want to see it to the end to see what happens to them. The more they care, the more likely your reader will finish your story.
- ANTICIPATION—particularly in romance writing, the reader will anticipate what is to come and will participate in the unwrapping of the action. You are making implied promises to the reader and you must fulfil these promises in a satisfying climax.
- ENTERTAINMENT—your reader will be enthralled with the wittiness of your writing and will hang in there to get as much enjoyment as possible. This is essential when you are writing comedy and light-hearted fare.
- OBLIGATION—often a book is assigned to be read in a class or a friend pressures you to read a book, because she says it is the greatest book ever written. This often is the reason why a reader has to finish your book. As a writer, you do not want your readers to feel obligated to finish your story—you must write so that your reader wants to finish. Don’t waste the first hundred pages and two hours of your reader’s time getting into your story. Grab them right off the bat and keep them involved clear to the end.
Great writing will employ one or more of the first four reasons. Avoid number five at all costs. Combinations of the four can depend on the genre, pace, setting, etc. in your story. Sometimes, curiosity and anticipation will evolve into concern as your story progresses toward the climax. Of course, you should always try to write in an entertaining manner. Boring your reader is a death knell.