As a hybrid fiction author (I’ve got a few trad-pub novels—that’s short for traditionally published for any newbies out there—but I’m mostly indie, and mostly prefer it that way) who makes her actual living as a freelance writer, some variation of that question is what I get asked more than anything else.
How do I become a freelance writer?
How do I self-publish my book?
How can I get paid to write?
However you want to phrase it, it always comes down to the same question: how can I make a living writing, too?
Often, they want to know how I did it, so they can copy my success. But the truth is, there are about as many different ways to become a working writer as there are people who want to write. That might be an exaggeration, but only a slight one.
There is no one right path to converting writing into income, and there are many, many paths that could get you there.
There is, of course, the old-fashioned way -- building a platform, writing a book (or book proposal), landing an agent, and eventually landing a publishing deal. Hopefully one that pays out an advance.
But that’s hardly the only way. And between you and me (and pretty much everyone else who knows anything about how the publishing industry works these days), most of those who take that route aren’t quitting their day jobs.
I started this newsletter to help you explore those other paths.
I’ve been at this for a while now, and I’ve written countless individual emails advising friends and hopeful writers on how to get started as a freelance writer or how to level up their writing income, as well as answering tons of questions about self-publishing. I even wrote a book on how to self-publish when you don’t have money to hire help. While that book has all the info you need to publish and market a single book and jumpstart a self-publishing career, it doesn’t touch all of the questions that exist about how to grow a profitable writing and publishing business that will let you make a comfortable creative living, and it doesn’t touch what has become the backbone of my own creative business: freelance writing.
And while that book and all those emails taught me that I know a lot about these topics, I want to be clear: I’m no expert. I don’t have all the answers. I’m still in the middle of my journey. My writing career has leveled up a lot over the last couple of years, but it’s not yet where I want it to be. I’m still figuring a lot of this out as I go. And I know that figuring this stuff out is a lot easier with a guide.
So that’s what I want to be. I hope to guide you on your writing journey by sharing what I know, what I’ve figured out myself, what I’ve learned from others, and what I’m still learning.
If you’re reading this, my hope is that this newsletter will help you forge your own path to a full-blown writing career that provides you with both creative freedom and a comfortable living doing what you love.
After all, isn’t that what all we writers dream of, no matter how we end up there?
In the coming weeks, I’ll be getting into the nitty-gritty of becoming a working writer, starting with how I did it, why you probably shouldn’t do it that way, and what you should try instead. That’s for next time. For now, before I sign off, I want to leave you with this thought:
The biggest thing that both successful freelancers and successful indie authors have in common is this: they think beyond the book or the byline.
They aren’t just focused on getting published, getting a book into the hands of readers or getting an article or story into print or onto screens.
Instead, they keep the big picture in view, looking at writing as a business and a long game. They focus on things like building brands, forging relationships with readers, carving out niches, and creating entire ecosystems around their intellectual property.
The question we’ll be exploring here is not, “How do I get published or get my words into print?” It’s instead, “How can I make a sustainable income from my writing?”
If that sounds overwhelming, don’t get scared. I promise, we’ll start with the basics and build up from there. But I hope you’ll spend some time thinking about that.
I’ll be back tomorrow with some important lessons I’ve learned in my writing journey. In the meantime, if you have any specific questions you’d like me to address here in the future, reply to this e-mail to let me know.
Until next time,
Jean
PS - if you want to know a little more about your tour guide on this journey, here are some quick links:
And here are the companion feeds for this newsletter:
(Photo by Kat Stokes on Unsplash)