Writers can make money online today with new business models that are continually developing in publishing.
The opportunity to build your own small publishing business based on online publishing is available to every writer or author.
The thought of digital and online publishing immediately brings ebooks to mind.
It is quick and easy to use Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) or aggregators to publish a digital book. But the competition now for book sales is fierce.
Sidestep the competition
Ebook and book publishing on Kindle by independent authors is exploding.
On average, a new title is published every minute or two.
For traditional publishers and the publishing industry in general, this disruption to the market has caused a lot of headaches.
But for self-publishers with experience, the publishing process is not only about ebooks, Kindle, Apple iBooks, and Google Play.
Yes, you can make money selling ebooks and printed books on highly competitive retailers like Amazon.
But savvy authors and writers are diversifying their online business and income sources.
There are many ways to take advantage of new ways to exploit your writing and digital content.
Writing in any form now is all about online publishing and digital marketing.
This means writers can make money online if they are prepared to work.
All you need to do is look for opportunities.
Successful writers today are busy opportunists
If you are an author, you probably burn the midnight oil pumping out a new chapter for your next book.
But when morning breaks, it’s time to hit social media with a few promotional posts or start on a new YouTube video book trailer.
It might be time to do some research about finding a narrator for an audiobook version of a title.
Perhaps it could be pitching a guest article to a popular blog.
Then there is always a new blog post draft that needs finishing.
After that, maybe hunt for a new affiliate marketing opportunity to bring in a bit more passive income from your blog.
Then check the overnight Kindle sales, but look for new publishing avenues that are popping up almost every day.
After that, read a few blog posts to get fresh ideas, and if one is worthwhile, decide if you can use it.
Later, go for a walk and maybe stop for a coffee.
But you might take some photos to use in a new blog post.
When you return home, quickly read articles in a few digital magazines or watch videos for new blog ideas.
Sales are poor on both book formats for one title, so it is time to research some new Amazon keyword and category ideas.
All types of writers can make money online, but it’s a busy life for successful authors and writers today.
The flexibility of digital content
Every word you write is data, which you can adapt for many uses.
You can convert it very quickly into any number of electronic versions that you can use in various applications.
You can convert a Word document to an epub or mobi file for reading devices or copy it into WordPress or Blogger.
Any text can be uploaded to a grammar checker for editing and checking and then downloaded without losing any formatting.
With digital content, inserting advertising or videos is quick and easy, as is updating content.
All of these possibilities allow a writer to maximize the potential of any text, new or old, from a short blog post to a book.
In today’s world of publishing, the opportunities are endless when you are serious about earning money online.
For new writers, online publishing as a side hustle or regular income is a great way to start making money from your writing.
7 Ways writers can make money today
It’s tough to get to the top when relying on Kindle sales, especially if you publish exclusively with KDP Select.
Relying solely on Kindle Unlimited page reads and Kindle ebook sales is not always a guaranteed way to earn a regular monthly income.
But you can offset this by expanding the ways you earn money from your writing.
Here are some ideas you might want to consider to boost your part-time or even full-time writing income.
1. Blog more
Making money from a blog is not that difficult. If you want to start a blog, you can earn income from affiliate marketing, advertising, or selling a service.
Product, service, or book reviews are very popular.
You could also think about writing how-to or buyer guides, which are perfect for adding links to affiliate programs.
If you can build a popular blog, many businesses will pay for sponsored content placement on high-ranking sites instead of spending money on social media or pay-per-click advertising.
If you are a freelance writer, you can make a lot of money from your blog.
2. Open publish your ebooks
When exclusive with Amazon, you relinquish all other opportunities to maximize your ebook’s potential.
But if you publish with the standard KDP, you can publish on Apple, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, and many others.
More importantly, you can offer your ebook on your website or blog.
You can even offer a free download in Kindle format and epub for Kindles, phones, tablet computers, and reading apps.
You can convert your ebook to any open standard you like or even make it public domain.
For the version you offer on your site, you can add any content you like. You can even include your affiliate links.
You can include bonus content (which is very restricted on KDP Select) or add teasers to your other titles.
This approach is ideal for series starters.
Selling ebooks on Amazon is now highly competitive.
Diversifying your distribution might be a good way to make extra cash from your ebooks.
3. Write for other blogs
Getting an article published on a popular blog can do wonders for your online presence.
You can usually add links to your books and blog in your bio. Some may even allow affiliate links.
It is also a highly effective means of getting a solid SEO backlink to your blog.
If you are freelance writing, it is a great way to improve your blog’s search engine ranking.
4. Get paid to write
There are many opportunities where writers can make money online.
One of them is to write long-form articles for paying clients.
You don’t need to do much research to find possibilities.
A Google search gave me this link to a site that offers a listing of sites that pay writers.
Another option is to register with Upwork to find paying writing jobs.
5. Advertising pays well
When you are approved to have Adsense on your blog, it is an easy way to make some extra money.
But the biggest advantage is that you can set it and forget it.
Once you have added the code to your blog, you don’t need to do anything else other than monitor your traffic.
One valid click on an Adsense ad can earn you from $0.50 to $3.50.
However, a sale of a $2.99 ebook will earn you around $1.95.
Food for thought?
You can also earn Adsense income on YouTube.
You can find many alternatives to Adsense. It’s up to you to choose the best advertising program for your blog.
6. Affiliate marketing works long-term
One well-crafted article on your blog, written around an affiliate link, will work for you for years to come.
You can start by using Amazon Associates, which is very easy to set up.
But if you can find products or services directly related to your blog, dealing directly with these companies and using their affiliate platforms is much more profitable.
Depending on the product or service, you can expect to earn somewhere between $20.00 and $100.00 per sale.
7. Sell your skills
This is one of the easiest ways writers can make money online.
New authors always need editors, proofreaders, or beta readers.
If you have excellent writing and grammar skills, perhaps you can help.
But you need to find a balance between the price people can afford and what you are willing to accept, so it’s a win-win.
Then you can convert some of your leisure reading time into paid reading time.
Summary
For writers, there are countless ways to use technology to make money online from your writing skills.
Sometimes it is only a matter of looking around you to see what opportunities are available.
There is a very big world out there, full of people who are screen reading and buying online.
All you need to do is find your place in the world.
But it’s always true that the harder you work the luckier you get.
Related reading: The Differences Between An Article And A Blog Post
