Today, we’re going to begin a series on Making Money as a Writer. This is actually a series we did at the beginning of the year, but I’ve had so many conversations with writers about money and business that I’ve decided to share this series again to help you see the possibilities for increasing your income through writing.

Making money is a topic we’re all interested in, of course. But how do you do it on a practical level, and what are your options as a writer? The answer might surprise you.

Let me begin with a quick story.

I worked as a college professor for 17 years. During all these years, the faculty at our school were all contracted on an annual basis. We never knew from year to year if we were going to get a contract for the next year.

I hated being in this position, not knowing if I would be employed over the long term. Some years, we wouldn’t get our contracts until mid-May, and the fiscal year started in June!

I hated the feeling of uncertainty that would start to creep around mid-April and wouldn’t be resolved until late May.

If you have a day job and are working on writing as a side hustle, you can relate to this. Even though you might like your day job and feel secure, the reality is that your job could be taken away at any moment. There is never any true security when that security lies in someone else’s decisions.

Or maybe you already are working as a part-time or even a full-time writer. If that’s the case, my guess is that you’d like to make more money as well!

No matter your situation, this series will give you some options for increasing your income—and your different income STREAMS—as a writer.

Writing is the hub of what you do, but it’s just that—a hub. Just like the hub on a bike wheel, writing is the center of what you do, and income streams are the spokes that support you financially. The more spokes, the more security and stability you have.

In this series, we will dive into ten different incomes streams you can develop as a writer. I won’t be able to go into much detail with each one, but I want you to get a feel for how many different options there are to use your writing skills to create income.

To give you a little sneak peak, here are the ten ways to make money we will talk about:

• Book Sales
• Editing & Publishing Services
• Coaching
• Membership & Masterminds
• Freelance Writing
• Speaking
• Courses
• Products
• Ghostwriting
• Affiliates & Referrals

These are only the tip of the iceberg, but they are many of the most common ways that writers make money with their skills. I hope you’re looking forward to this series and considering how you can begin putting some of these income streams in place in your own business.

Today’s Question: How motivated are you to explore new possibilities for creating income as a writer?