How to Make It as a Full Time Writer
Many part time writers would love to make a living from their work.
Making a living as a writer is something that many people would like to do, but it isn’t easy. Like any other business it takes a lot of time and hard work to build it up. There also seems to be a kind of plateau which many people reach and they just don’t seem to be able to push it any further.
What I mean by this is that some writers make reasonable part-time earnings from doing things like becoming content publishers on sites like Triond, Factoidz, Associated Content and others but they never look any further. Many also add blogs to this and hope that they will hit the high lights. The truth is that there are writing jobs out there if you look for them and if you are prepared to work hard for your money.
Where many writers fail is by putting too high a price on their work. For example, I recently heard a writer state that no decent, self-respecting writer would work for less than 2c per word. This particular writer had no work but continued writing in the hope that one day soon he would be discovered. This is highly unlikely to happen and I worry that perhaps he will starve while he waits for someone to ‘pay him enough’. I can see the point here, but principles don’t pay the bills and half a loaf is better than none.
The truth is that if you are trying to earn an income via internet writing, you are competing in a world market. Writers from the Philippines, for example, need less income to make a living because the cost of living is less for them. Those in India may also need less, but writers from US and UK will need more just to survive.
To make a living you have to compete in this world market, or someone else will jump in there and take the work while you are still trying to negotiate more money. Finding out the going rate for writing in your country and insisting on it as a minimum will not get you anywhere in this vast global market place.
No matter where in the world you are from, you will eventually rise to the top of the huge heap of would-be writers, if you keep writing and maintain your very high standards, no matter what you are being paid.
Don’t worry too much about getting what you consider to be a fair rate of pay, just concentrate on being the very best you can and slowly but surely, you will start being offered better jobs at higher rates of pay because the buyers know how good you are.
In short, build your reputation and your earnings will increase; sit back and demand better terms and conditions, and you will stay on your own personal plateau and never rise above it.
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Share Your Writing Tips
October 18th, 2009 at 8:46 am
thank-you.
October 18th, 2009 at 9:07 am
Good guidelines to live by. I earned $50 in 4 weeks, just by writing 5 items. I was told by a fellow writer that I am selling myself short, he was waiting for the ‘big’ one.
I reminded him, I was getting noticed and paid before him, so which one of us is letting themself down as a writer? Not me.
From little acorns, mighty Oak trees grow.
Good article and topic.
October 18th, 2009 at 9:22 am
The trouble is that writers are two a penny but if you want to make it as a writer you have to stand out from the crowd. If you don’t write and show off your skills, no one will notice.
I agree with you, Glynis, I take what I can get and make a good living from my writing. After all, I don’t just work as a writer, I am a writer!
October 18th, 2009 at 11:21 am
Determinant and patience are both two core factors to build up one’s reputation in this competitive market, particularly dealing with online writing. Rome is not built in one day. You need to invest time, energy and skill to make yourself stand out of the crowd. Just show the best of yours, and the readers will finally find you out.
October 18th, 2009 at 12:23 pm
great article. I agree if you want to make an income writing then you have to actually earn to do so.
October 18th, 2009 at 1:56 pm
Just incase anyone noticed the comments that were here: I have deleted a Trionders comments because of the blatant self promotion. I always delete spam!
October 18th, 2009 at 2:00 pm
Great tips Louie! Writing is like anything else, you have towork at it to get good. Or to make money. You’re tips are very useful!
October 18th, 2009 at 10:05 pm
This was very sound advice Louie. I personally don’t know where my own writing career is headed. It is articles like these that give me some perspective. Thanks for posting it!!
October 19th, 2009 at 7:20 am
Fantastic article, very informative, along with great advice.
thanx
October 19th, 2009 at 10:27 pm
thanks for the encouragement. informative and useful.
October 20th, 2009 at 3:05 am
Some great tips, thanks.
October 20th, 2009 at 7:59 pm
This was very good advice, Louie. I agree that you do have to keep working at writing if you want to be successful at it.
October 29th, 2009 at 12:24 am
Excellent tips, the more a writer writes the better they will get. Paying attention to the areas your lacking helps too. I’ve been know to analyze an author’s writing as I read, it helps see my own errors.
October 30th, 2009 at 1:02 am
I really enjoyed reading this. I agree completely. And I think this was a wonderful article. God bless.
William Ballard
November 2nd, 2009 at 4:43 pm
I agree, I see every writing opportunity as a way to open another door, and another door, and another …