Writing For Money Is More Than Only Self-Publishing Fiction

When you think about writing for money, many writers would say writing and self-publishing fiction is the way to go. It’s natural because publishing books on Amazon KDP or Draft2Digital is relatively easy.

Of course, non-fiction self-publishing, such as self-help books, memoirs, and biographies, is also popular.

While self-publishing has its pros and cons, it is still a viable way to try to make a living from writing.

However, if you have excellent writing skills and want to earn money by writing, you have many other options.

Multiple ways to make money from your writing

Self-publishing doesn’t always involve writing books. It is easy to ignore other forms of online writing as a genuine part of self-publishing.

However, if you define self-publishing as writing and publishing without a contract with a publisher, you can definitely apply this to articles and blogging.

Starting a blog is a logical, independent step for any writer.

I write fiction, and I have a couple of blogs. Both of these activities involve a lot of writing. From them, I make money. So, for me, self-publishing is more than just one route to making money online.

Trying to get on Amazon’s bestseller lists is the way to make money from fiction,

But it is a very tough assignment, even for authors with a huge social media following. The truth is that very few authors succeed.

Like any writer who is self-publishing fiction, I know that making a livable income from fiction is probably fiction in itself.

Some writers, though, have spread their wings and ventured into blogging to earn extra income.

My income was about 60-40 from book sales and blog income a few years ago.

But over time, that split has changed dramatically. I now earn well over 85% of my income from blogging.

How can you make money from a blog?

There are so many ways you can monetize a blog.

If you follow the recipe correctly, your blog can earn much more than the pay rates for content writers who find work on job boards.

You are in control when you have your blog and write your blog posts.

If you want to write short stories and place Adsense ads to gain click income, you can do it.

You can make money from affiliate links and advertising. You can accept paying guest posts from advertisers and sites that pay $50 or more for advertorial posts.

The biggest plus for using a blog as an income source is that you are in total control. You don’t have a contract with anyone. You can make your own decisions about every facet of your online business.

On top of that, the setup and ongoing costs are minimal for a self-hosted WordPress blog.

Blogging is a natural step for writers to make more money

I didn’t write this article to convince self-publishing fiction writers to drop what they are doing or give up on their dreams.

However, blogging is a logical extension of writing,  so it is worth considering creating an extra passive income stream.

While some blogs focus on finance or money-making, there are literally thousands of blog ideas that can provide a steady income.

Food, cooking, motherhood, fishing, photography, and wine are very popular, just to name a few.

In fact, photography blogs are among the most profitable.

It is only a matter of choosing a great blog idea that you are absolutely passionate about and that you will enjoy building from scratch. Then, you need to start working hard to create a blog that could generate a reliable and livable income for you.

Is self-publishing more than fiction and ebooks? Yes, there is definitely more to it than that.

Related reading: 20 Practical Ways You Can Make Money From Home By Blogging