One of the most common questions I get from curious family members and passersby on the street is how I make money as a writer. While I’ve been freelancing since 2014, that income hasn’t always been stable. This is especially so with the growth of AI blog writers and so on. When looking for a way to enjoy stability as a full-time career writer, you’ll need to get creative with how you earn your rates. Here’s what I can share about my own journey!

Real ways to make money as a writer

As hard as it is to admit, enjoying financial stability as a writer has been a difficult challenge. While there are some freelancers who have been stable with retainer clients since the very beginning, many others work in start-and-stop situations with contracts and clients. I count myself in the latter group, obviously. This has forced me to diversify my writing jobs and styles to keep myself from starving. My favourite ways to make money as a writer are below:

• Freelancing: Without a doubt, freelancing is my favourite way to make a living as a writer. While it hasn’t been as stable as I would like in the most recent years, there is still a market need for freelance writers. One of the most valuable things I did was write a book about freelancing, in which I was honest about the struggle of freelancing in the modern world. It helped me stay proud of my chosen career path even if the external metrics were telling me that it wasn’t a true success.

• Ghostwriting: I’ve done ghostwriting in the past, mostly in writing short stories and novellas. While it is a totally different approach to professional writing than freelancing, I really find that to be a good way to bring in some money. I really love the idea of doing a “deep dive” on the topic of the book and engrossing myself in it for weeks at a time.

• Beta reading and developmental editing: If you’ve been following my freelancing blog for a while, you already know my views on critiquing groups and their dangers. However, I will say that one positive thing that came out of spending far too many hours in critiquing groups is my ability to step back from someone’s writing and critique it honestly and fairly. I’ve enjoyed the refreshing chance to offer my writing services purely by beta reading and developmental short or long projects for clients. It’s a unique way to stretch my writing muscles and get my brain working.

Writing is a good career path

While there have been times when things have been rough, I’ve never regretted becoming a career writer. Staying focused on “making it” as a writer means being ready to pivot from one type of writing to another and standing firm when enforcing pay schedules, pay rates, and more. While other career options would be easier, being a professional writer is certainly the most fulfilling career for me.

What about you? How do other writers make their living while working as writers? Share below!