No one should have to be a "starving artist," but it's hard not to be. As an artist of any kind (Writer, Artist, Film Maker, etc.) it is hard to break into the business. There will always be a thousand others who are doing the exact same thing you are doing and sadly, some will be better than you. The start is always the hardest and slowest process.
Thankfully, I still live at home and my parents are supporting me in my writing career, but I won't be living at home forever and my parents and boyfriend cannot be the only ones to see my work.
After hours of researching and helpful advice from Tumblr friends, I've found ways to make money as an up and coming writer. Although it isn't big money, it's enough to keep myself happy with my career and hopeful knowing that it is going somewhere. So, without further ado, here are a few ways you can make money as a young writer.
Create a Tumblr/Site and Monetize It
Sell Your Work
Contests
Freelancing and Ghost Writing
Internships
Fan Fiction
The best way to make easy money with your writing is to not only show other people your work, but to monetize the site that is showcasing your writing. Personally, I use my Tumblr as a way for people to view my writing. Companies like Google and Amazon will help you monetize your blog or site by allowing you to post advertisements on your blog in exchange for money. The best way for this to work effectively is to have at least 100 followers and have reliable and frequent traffic on your blog or site.
Many of the Tumblr writers that I follow have released their original poems, short stories and even novels on Etsy, Amazon, and other sites that allow you to sell original work. If you have a collection of poems, short stories or a novel that you’ve edited and would like for people to see, publish it. Self-Publishing is the best route for new and young writers, and it gives you more leeway with how you want it to be published. However, you have to learn to market and sell your work, which is the hardest part.
Every year, a new set of contests for different genres rise for young and accomplished writers to enter to win a great amount of money. Search online to find Writing Contests where you fit the criteria and enter your work. Beware of scams! Some contests will make you pay a fee in order to enter. Research the company that organized the contest and make sure your work will not be stolen.
Indeed, Freelancer.com and even Craigslist will have Writing Jobs available for you to complete a certain piece of writing. The pay for these are amazing and it helps you build experience and tighten your skills. Like the contests, beware of scams and make sure you’ll get paid for the work you did.
If you’re interested in working in writing or publishing, try to find internships at Magazines, Newspapers and Publishing companies. Start low and work your way up. Many of the big name publishing companies require you to be a certain year in college or have some sort of skills. If you don’t have those set of skills, work on them and apply the next year. Take rejection as a way to improve yourself.
Yes, Fan Fiction. Many people give fan fiction a bad name but in fact, our next generation of writers are starting out as Fan Fiction writers. Some people will pay for you to write a fan fiction story out of a prompt that they give you. Even if you’re not getting paid for it, fan fiction is a great way to not only gain skill, but make friends!
Now that you have these tips to take off your writing career, go out and make your name known. It will be hard and it may take a while, but in the end, it’ll all be worth it. Success doesn’t happen overnight and it doesn’t happen to people who wait.
