We’ve been working our way through a series on Making Money as a Writer. Today, we’re talking about two of my favorite methods: memberships and masterminds.

I understand that memberships and masterminds are two different things, but they are similar in many ways, which is why I’ve lumped them together in this episode. The main idea of both of these is that people have access to you on some type of ongoing basis. They are paid products that have a barrier to entry in the form of a payment. By definition, it means that people are generally more serious about growth and learning because they have to pay more than they would for a book.

Now don’t get me wrong, we should offer free help. This podcast, as well as my blog posts and free Daily Writer Starter Kit guides, are my main ways of offering free, helpful content. But if people want to grow, they need to have some skin in the game. The way they show they are serious is if they pay for access.

Memberships and masterminds can have all kinds of different structures. But in general, a membership is a group that has a recurring monthly charge and offers resources, courses, calls, and community interaction. A mastermind is a higher-level group where you have more access to the leader, and you are actively adding value to the other group members to help each other succeed in specific areas.

I currently offer a membership, the Daily Writer Club, which you’ve heard me promote before. I’m also getting ready to launch a higher-level Daily Writer Elite Mastermind in March. I love offering these paid experiences because I know that when people invest in themselves, they will accelerate their success.

A membership or mastermind might be something you should consider, as well. Think about the different types of value you could add to others and if people would be willing to pay for ongoing resources or access to you in these types of formats. You might be surprised how much you enjoy running them and helping your fans and readers in a more direct way.

Question: What specific ways could you help people be more successful by offering a membership or mastermind?