An In-depth Guide to Monetize your Creative Writing Skills:

Are you passionate about your writing skills and wish to monetize it? Come join the bandwagon!

But what about those who tell you that content writing is a better lucrative option? Well, earning money is your choice to meet your expenses and fulfill your goals. And let me assure, both are well in demand as they are meant to be.

Try your hand at checking out the ‘recent writing jobs’ posted on job portals like Linkedin.

A familiar trend seen in the writing domain is that brands and clients are looking forward to “a well- experienced writer with penchant for creative expertise”.

And the fun fact is most job descriptions today have clear briefs that use “ creative skills” interchangeably both for a content and creative writer.

Although, as a writer, you know that creative writing is communication of thoughts in a more personalized manner whereas content writing focuses on direct Seo stylized writing.

Things to consider before you decide to leverage your writing skills:

Writing is evolving skillset. Invest in learning the ropes of writing. Practice regularly to let the lark of your language flow seamlessly into your words.

A decent amount of writing experience is a must. As scope of writing as a field is vast, you may be expected to don different creative hats as a writer! So, brag less, flaunt in your capacity.

Power of storytelling, Isn’t this a buzzword and yet we can’t get enough of it. Your writing is a dual effort of how you tell and present your story to the world. Explore opportunities to present your story in front of a larger group. A confident writer commands respect and reward!

So, while you have set the tone by upskilling your writing prowess, here’s your potential list to help you grab opportunities to explore your creative skills .

1.Prompts/ Contests:

If you gotta earn recognition, rewards without breaking your bank, then writing prompts and contests are your best options. Writing communities are tight knitted groups known to hold various creative prompts and contests to encourage writers. It’s one of the safest bet to showcase your skills. Participate in contests like the classic “Nanowrimo” held every November , Prose and poetry writing, Story writing, novella etc.

Give your personal brand a boost by featuring in an anthology or an online magazine. And then market yourself as a freelance writer!

2.Reviews:

Reviews are the best space to judge a writer’s caliber. Yup, you heard it right. Your work gets noticed giving you a dedicated number of followers i.e readers. It’s a sneak peak into what you think of followed by a detailed analysis. It stirs instant conversations . Tada! You attract your target audience organically. Reviews gives you an opportunity to show your client what you are capable of. You can choose to grow your niche in different genres like movie reviews, book reviews, product reviews, show reviews, courses review.

You can monetize by offering your services as reviewers by approaching authors for paid book reviews and similarly for brands and professionals to offer their products.

Since your precious review could manifold into record sales and word of mouth publicity, opt for a higher margin!

3.Copywriting:

Copywriting is one of the best forms of creative writing. As a writer who wants to explore to monetize your skills, writing copy is your zen zone. The reason is that as creative writers, we are naturally inclined to think, imagine and write a certain way.

A copy is basically hitting the right emotion. With decent research skills and good acumen for judging how people will perceive a product or service, copywriting is meant for you. There is huge demand for copywriters across domains and industries as each business needs marketing. While sales and marketing team look after the brand aspect of it, a good copywriter gets onus for using his/her witty minds to play with words.

Use your copy skills to get paid gigs as a copywriter doing web copy, email copy, sales copy, seo copywriting, tech copy etc. Though Newsletters are part of content writing, if you have flair for writing creative snippets , then approach clients that have quirky fun brand positioning.

4.Magazines, Websites:

How many of you have heard about guest writers being paid?

Writers and Magazines are constantly looking for good writers. Even publishing houses today given the digital world growing have opened their doors to aspiring writers. Here’s your perfect chance to write for them and get paid too.

Look out for their annual or monthly, bi-monthly issues where writers like you are invited to pitch in your short story, poem or flash fiction! Both at a national and international level, authors themselves look forward to conduct paid gigs on their forums.

You are never short of stories if you have kid’s magazine or website.Offer them to write a short story daily or weekly with dose of entertainment.

5.Poems used for events:

My most favourite form of writing is poems. Simple and sweet recipe of love. Poems are symbolic of emotions and admiration you share with the universe. If writing poetry gives you a dopamine, then my friend, don’t keep it to yourself.

Share, celebrate and even monetize your poems . Who wouldn’t love a personalized poem? I do . ( Check out this article to monetize your poetry skills) . ‘Personalized everything’ is what your customer is looking for today in this millennia. Write poems and get paid for occasions like birthdays, anniversaries; topical days like valentines, parents, men and women days.

6.Lyrics Writing:

Do you hum a tune or two? Choose to be a lyricist to create lyrics for ad commercials, videos, youtubers, musicians etc. Here’s a tip: Visit a café or two and check out if they have band play for them. Do a paid gig for them. As a lyricist, you could even charm a music composer or a writer’s fraternity for a musical show.

7.Ebooks:

Digital nomads love ebooks on almost every topic. So dear writer, you have your bait ready. Just kidding! Ebooks are not only fun to create, they are easy to consume, light on minds and grabs instant attention. Folks spending hours at work would prefer reading a fiction story in an ebook format than carrying a paperback.

Don’t judge me, I’m an author! I love them both. Ebooks have given a fair amount of popularity to writers to become authors. What stops you?

Choose your favourite topic and publish it as an ebook. As a freelance creative writer, offer to write a mini version for let’s say a coffee table book on architecture, fashion, food . Sky is the limit.

8.Speeches:

Speech writing today has seen tremendous growth in the recent past. With lots of webinars, workshops, corporate chat sessions being conducted , you can scale and grow your income just by doing writing speeches.

While money is definitely lucrative, pay attention to the vibe of the speaker, the tone of the event and topic that the speaker is supposed to address upon.

And yeah , don’t forget to add a bit of humour too!

9.Storytelling:

Storytelling is one tradition that connects humans on the most intimate level. If you thought spoken words and poetry only works, then you need to increase your horizon.

Storytelling encapsulates what image you want to create in minds of people. While you may wonder that this option is more targeted, it is one form of writing that gifts you audience for a lifetime.

So, grow your income by writing short fiction, flash fiction, personal essays on your blog and social media. You can even be hired into ad world as storytelling is key component in ad making.

10.Freebie:

Freebies are what I would call them as ‘guaranteed gateways into audiences inbox’!

If you are an aspiring writer struggling to find your crowd, then schedule your calendar and launch a freebie. Firstly, it gives you an extra edge over other writers, your topic is the chosen area of interest which puts you on pedestal in the eyes of potential clients and likewise you kindle the interests of the reader.

Ah! But isn’t freebie- a free resource Elvira? Yes friends, you are right.

Let’s say I offer you a value packed paid product ,will you buy it? No ,coz you haven’t known me well.

Now you do, go check out my ebook:P

Freebies are like the cover letter to your resume. It works wonders. It bridges the gap of anonymity of the author and pushes forth the value that you are offering through the freebie. In exchange you get a valued testimonial.

Add income to your kitty by offering to write freebies on behalf of clients and brands. Freebies could be a mini ebook, a template, worksheets ,a recipe guide, an event summary, course notes, self help guide, user manual etc.

11.Blogging:

Write a dedicated blog or series of articles to reflect your personality. With time and experience, you can monetize your blog by collaborating with brands, featuring ads. Blog is considered to be passive income generator.

In current scenario, where you can see a major transition to adapt digitization of products and services, write a blog article, poems or stories is still in vogue.

Infact, as creative writers, you can explore writing blog posts for your clients, entrepreneurs to keep up with the needs of their customers. A well written blog with a good traffic gives you a change to negotiate for higher price for a content piece.

12.Self Authored Creative Writing Courses:

Isn’t having your own creative course on your dreamlist? Then, tick that off soon. A creative writer offering his/her services to aspiring writers is the best co-opt. People are eager to learn from a creative writer like you. Spend time to design your own course that transforms the journey of the audience. Having your own course gives you choice to be your own boss, earn income and fructify your personal brand

13.Script writing:

Do you love telling stories then hone your craft in script writing. As script writing is a detailed preview to a visual medium, your creative acumen can be explored to the maximum.

Use your writing to tap into creative opportunities by scripts for movies, plays, dramas etc. With the global domain and rise of OTT platform, you can encash on writing scripts for youtube, podcasts, standup comedies, etc .

Look out for social media campaigns posted by influencers, brands and entrepreneurs looking for creating brand and ad campaigns for their upcoming product launches.

14.Caption Writing:

Less is more . Caption Writing is a short form of content that needs a creative inkling. So while it is blend of content and creative writing , writing for social media will give you a great personal exposure to write captions.

Although the market is crowded with lot of imagery, visuals in the present times; you have a separate fan base for the text based posts doing well. Short form content specially caption and taglines do really well in the form of engaging your audience.

Make the best impact dear creative writer with your captions. Hook your audience with your humour and witty play of words and sit and enjoy the monies that come in.

If you are doubtful, then check out twitter! Caption writers are stealing the show !

Don a creative writer’s hat and earn through writing captions for social media posts, ecommerce products , crafts and artworks, exhibitions, taglines on stationeries, captions on graphic tees and shirts, gift items, vintage items, preloved clothing. Best wishes from me.

15.Collaborations with Creative Entrepreneurs:

Hop onto Instagram and see for yourself, collaborations attract a larger crowd. Creative Entrepreneurs like artists, designers, social media influencers, gamers, dancers , musicians spent a huge amount of time honing their craft. Your job is to give them a crisp backing with your writing skills. You could offer to be part of their ad campaigns, art events etc. You can pitch them to write a well crafted personal brand story. No denying fact that it’s worth it!

Conclusion:

Writing is no more passion, but a revenue generating asset for a lifetime. If you know how!

Embrace to have conversations within the writer’s community. Don’t snap out of it. This is your best learning ground which can keep fueling your thoughts. A mix bag of experienced writers, aspiring writers lead to interactive immersive conversations and viewpoints. At any point of time, you feel the need to upskill, grow or even seek mentorship on getting clients, monetizing your skills, you have an anchor close to you.

At EWP with the power of CCM Ebook resource, our aim is help you to be a

Not just another creative writer in the market, but a creative professional who is:

“Industry ready, Niche ready, Audience ready”.

Copyright©2021- 2nd December by Elvira Lobo Pinto (All rights reserved; unauthorized use prohibited) Disclaimer: The image(s) in the post are taken from Pexels or as source mentioned. I don’t claim any of its rights.