How to Monetize Your Writing

Writing is more than just a hobby for you.

It's a profession.

You are a professional writer because you are getting paid for it.

Captain Holt - Brooklyn 99 - Misquote

I am adapting the words of one of my favorite TV show characters of all time because the message is something I believe people on this platform need to hear more.

Every so often I come across someone who won't dare call themselves a writer. They'll say, "I'm an aspiring writer", "I dream about becoming a writer," and similar expressions. All the while, they're pouring their soul out for hours every day, working on the craft.

It breaks my heart.

The "writer" label has been both romanticized and ridiculed so much that thousands of talented people don't think they are worthy of it.

I don't know of any other profession where impostor syndrome is so widespread and overall insecurity so prevalent.

Do you?

My first thought here is: if you ever got a payment out of this or any other platform, you are a professional writer. You have the right to be proud.

Now, of course, most of us don't make rent money. Heck, most of us don't make coffee money from our writing! There is a big gap between being a professional and being a full-time professional.

Most of us sink in that gap.

Now, I am a dreamer.

One day, I will earn enough from my writing that it will be relevant. One day, the bank will look at my earnings and say, "Yes, with her contribution, we can give you guys a higher mortgage," and we'll buy a house.

And I believe that I can make it, so I will find a way to make it.

Yes, that's exactly how it works.

I am still very much figuring things out, but I wanted to share what I discovered so far. Maybe you already know all of this; maybe you're already doing it.

But on the off chance that you weren't aware, let's talk about a way to re-monetize your content.

This is especially meant for our non-V+ friends and those who have a huge library of stories/poems just sitting there, collecting dust instead of views.

So, what can we do with our existing content?

1. Sell it as a "reprint". Stories you are especially proud of deserve to be given a second chance to shine. While most publications want fresh and never published before content, several accept "reprints" and pay a pretty penny for them. There is a cool website where you can find all such publications for free! It's called "The Submission Grinder". It's also a great place to find inspiration for new stories to write and organize your submissions, but that's beyond the scope of this post.

2. "Double Dip". Apparently, that's the technical term. Other platforms allow you to monetize your writing without demanding exclusivity, so why not profit from it? Copy and paste your Vocal stories into Medium.com(1) and similar services (HubPages used to be one, but it seems that it's closed to writers now. I'll look into more alternatives and update this spot), and you might create extra streams of income with the lowest effort. If you feel like experimenting with newsletters and self-promotion, you can also reuse the same content on Substack and Patreon.

3. Bundle it up in a book. But don't bundle randomly. Bundle by genre, by topic, by type. Then head to a free graphic space like Canva to make a cover, and you're ready to go. Formatting can be a bit of a pain, but it's a pain that is usually worth it. Pro-tip: add at least one exclusive story/poem that will only ever be available in the book so your Vocal followers and friends can feel excited about getting a copy!

Ok, I made a book. Now what?

According to my searches, you are now faced with a choice: go the "Amazon exclusive" route, which allows you to leverage Amazon deals and the Kindle Unlimited program, or "Go wide".

While the advantages of "Amazon Exclusive" seem overwhelming, especially considering the brand recognition, opting into the program means binding yourself to the exclusivity clause. And without a professional cover and a lot of self-promotion, it is still unlikely to make you a lot of money.

How about "Going Wide"?

There are a ton of services that will allow you to publish a book with them. Most are digital stores (like Apple Books or Google Books); some also have a print-on-demand component, just like Amazon (i.e., Barnes and Noble, Smashwords).

The laziest thing you can do is sign up with Draft2Digital, pay the one-time $20 account activation fee, and let them handle everything. You upload the book once; they distribute it to a plethora of services. But if you don't earn $100 a year, there will also be a $12 yearly distribution fee.

It's still all about self-promoting. And, I don't know about you, but I hate self-promoting.

A few days ago, while lurking on r/writing, I stumbled on a platform called Rensoul. It is currently in its launch phase, and the premise is amazing. A crossover between a blogging community and a bookstore, Rensoul is meant to allow writers to monetize their content while taking care of promotion.

Sounded like a dream to me, so I reached out to the developer, who was super friendly and available to answer tons of questions. I might make a post about it too.

It has a pay-by-chapter model, and the first chapters are given away for free, so readers are less afraid of losing their money because they get a sensible sample before making a decision.

There is virtually no content there at the moment, which means virtually no competition; go take a look!

So, there you have it, what I learned so far.

• Keep writing what you want, when and where you want.

• Find it a home, be it a publication or Vocal.

• Cross-post it to Medium and similar services.

• Once you have enough, bundle it all up and make it into a book.

• [Skip this point if you hate self-promotion too much.] Publish with Amazon KDP. Opt into the exclusive program (3 months). Leverage the free-days promotion to collect reviews by self-promoting on every blog, social media, and community that you are part of. Then opt out of the exclusive Amazon distribution (Unless you gained momentum and started actually earning from Kindle Unlimited, in which case: Go you!!)

• Go wide. Upload the same book to Draft2Digital and smaller services like Rensoul.

Let your people know you are a professional writer.

(1)Author's note: as dutifully reminded by our resident Samurai and Specialist of Love Mantras, I need to caution you against Medium.com having a very low tolerance for community-building behaviors on their platform.

If you decide to double dip (which is still a very valid strategy), do not repeatedly engage with the same Medium users, don't "read back" those who read you, don't talk about your writing in other people's posts, don't write posts about other writers, don't try to run a writing competition.

They are very quick to ban accounts for interacting with each other too often, and most appeals are handled by AI.

Never make Medium.com the main home for your writing.