We’ve been working our way through a series on Making Money as a Writer. Today, we’re talking about one of the most fascinating, and probably a bit complicated, ways to increase your income: developing products.

Many writers create hats, t-shirts, mugs, journals, and an endless array of other merchandise and products based on their brand. One of my favorite examples of a writer who creates unique and interesting products based on his writing is Ryan Holiday. His products include special editions of his books, coins featuring figures and mottos of Stoicism, a calendar, rings and jewelry, prints, and much more. See https://dailystoic.com for some great examples.

Products can be a great way to set yourself apart from others who are writing about the same topics. But let’s be honest: most writers don’t have the business mindset or the persistence to go through the stages of developing a successful product. However, if you are committed to building your audience and thinking like a business owner, and not just a writer, products can be a great source of income.

This is an area I absolutely want to dive into more over the next couple of years. At our recent Daily Writer retreat, I had special journals, pens, and tumblers made with the Daily Writer logo. Everyone loved them! This was an experiment to see the response to some potential products, and it convinced me to dive into this area more.

My personal view on products is that you need to be willing to test some products and have a real entrepreneurial spirit to make these successful. You also need a customer base who can buy the products consistently in order for them to be profitable and justify the time and effort to create them.

That said, products can be a great way to stand out as a writer because most writers won’t go to the trouble of messing with them. So I definitely encourage you to give it a shot!

Question: If you were going to design a product with your logo or brand, what would it be?