6 Badass Online Income Streams for Writers — Simplified

With a guide on how you can get there.

When I started telling my relatives about becoming a full-time writer, they’d look at me with a dash of pity. Out of love, of course, because they wouldn’t want me to be broke.

Because that’s the image we have.

And because they’re out of touch with the power of the internet.

The irony? I’ve never earned as much from working in a unicorn startup as well as a fancy multinational.

You see, that can happen.

Let me lead you through online income streams you can create with a sprinkle of motivation.

I won’t just cover ‘what’ you can do, but also how you can do it and why you should.

Stream 1: Consulting

This is when you get paid to solve problems with your skills, advice, and knowledge.

Why

Yes, it may feel weird to shoot with a link when people reach out to ‘pick your brains’ or ‘get on a quick call to learn’.

But those who value your advice will value your time and invest in you to solve their problems.

How?

Create a page on PayHip and link it on your website.

Or, use Gumroad (that’s what I do).

Stream 2: Editing

Most people go all into ‘writing’ gigs, but editing gigs can be more fun.

Help people edit their drafts. Articles or mid-form or emails? You get to choose.

When it comes to books, there are different levels to editing.

I only do articles and website copy editing as that’s less time-consuming. A book may need more experience and time commitment.

Why

It’s fun.

It’ll strengthen your editing game which will improve your writing. And you’ll help your client create kick-ass work.

How?

Have a set of rates either by time or by words. I follow words, but instead of ‘per word’, I use this framework:

• up to 800 words
• under 1000 words
• under 1500 words

And set a rate accordingly.

You can have this on a rate card on your website or talk about this when you interact with your client.

Stream 3: Freebies

If you’re a writer online, you might want to build an audience so you can get eyes on your content.

If you’re looking to build an email list, this could help.

Here are the stats from my free checklist that was released about 5 months ago:

It took about 30 minutes to make and earned money because approximately 3% of people donated.

Why

It’s a great way to:

• add value
• build an audience
• earn passive income

How?

Create a free product like an ebook, checklist, video course, etc.

Go to Gumroad.

Enter the price as zero and don’t disable the price box.

Now, people can get it for free or pay if they wish to.

Stream 4: Ghost Writing

This is when you’re paid to write for the client and your client takes the credit.

My second freelance gig was for ghostwriting, where I helped a millionaire silicon valley dude with his ebook.

We didn’t complete the ebook, but the money was great while it lasted.

Why

People have expertise. People have money.

But they don’t have the time and/or skills to write — that’s where you come into the picture.

A market for this will mainly be CXO level folks who want to create content (digital or physical) but don’t have the bandwidth to do it on their own.

It’s also more lucrative than simple content writing.

How?

I got both my clients via Upwork. It was during my third month of side hustling, and I haven’t stepped on the platform since then.

But Upwork is also notorious for low paid folks, so use a lot of filters to narrow down on a good client.

Using LinkedIn can be beneficial and can help you get rid of those ‘$5 for 1000’ words kind of clients.

Do this:

• Create content and attract clients, or
• Reach out to potential leads if you think you can add value

Don’t randomly reach out.

Do this instead: If you see an executive trying hard to create content but it isn’t getting traction — mention the problem and then propose your solution.

Stream 5: Freelance Writing

This is conventional freelance writing.

Why

To solve their content needs. These could be blog posts, social media posts, emails, website copy, etc.

I advise you to niche down in this. Reason? More money.

“I write content”

isn’t as impactful as

“I create high-converting sales emails for B2C Fintech startups.”

Of course, in the beginning, feel free to try your hand at everything so you discover what you enjoy more.

That’s what I did. Articles, LinkedIn, website, resume, statement of purpose — I did it all.

Until I realised website copy is where I have more fun.

How?

Same as above. Upwork or LinkedIn work well.

I’ve seen success via platforms like Medium and Twitter too, as creating good quality content helps clients notice you.

Stream 6: Products

You can create and sell products more easily than it’s ever been possible.

You don’t need to struggle to write books and go through publishers anymore.

You can do everything on your laptop and upload it free of cost. It’s as easy as it sounds.

Why

Why not?

First, you get paid for your expertise.

Second, 100% passive income.

How?

My products are only ebooks, guides, and checklists for now.

The checklist is free, of course. I made it in Notion and then converted it to PDF.

Here’s how I created my writing guides (paid products):

1. Write in Google Docs
2. Format in Apple Pages
3. Free Cover from Canva
4. Convert to PDF and publish

All products are on Gumroad.

Summarising

It’s never been a better time to be a writer.

There are platforms to support you and help you grow.

All the tools are out there. Most knowledge is freely available on YouTube and some of the best writers and creators have courses you can learn from.

Here are the six income streams we discussed:

1. Consulting
2. Editing
3. Freebies
4. Ghostwriting
5. Freelance writing
6. Products

Now, there’s a reason I haven’t mentioned courses even though I run a cohort-based course that sells out.

It’s because a course isn’t something you just create and people will come in.

First, create a value proposition that the above six can help you attain. Then you can think of it if you have an audience that wants to learn from you.

But to aim for a course just because you hear it’s a cash cow (it isn’t) won’t work.

So, which income stream will you build next?

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