It’s been over a year since the release of “Captain Marvel”, the culmination of months of speculation regarding the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe following the huge success of “Black Panther”. While it’s been a while since the premiere of a Marvel movie, it’s never been more important to keep up with the times, and that means learning how to navigate the world of modern-day money. As a freelancer, you’re always looking for ways to make extra cash. In my case, I’ve been very fortunate to have been able to combine my love for Marvel movies with my ability to write, and the results have been nothing short of spectacular. Not only did I experience a financial windfall from the sale of my “Captain Marvel” novel, “Into the Unknown”, to Bollywood, but I’ve also found a way to make enough money in 2019 to ensure financial freedom into the future. So, how much money can a fan fiction writer make? Let’s take a look.
The Income Potential Of Fan Fiction
For those looking to make a living from creative writing, you have an incredible opportunity lying before you. Marvel’s expansive cinematic universe gives you the chance to create a portfolio of short stories spanning the various iterations of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While it’s difficult to pinpoint a figure, I’ve done the math and I’m confident that the combined sales revenue of all of my Marvel-related work (including comic books, audiobooks, and short stories) topped $100,000, not including international sales or earnings from “Into the Unknown” which sold to Bollywood and netted me an additional $150,000. That’s a lot of money in just a few years of working hard. If you’re looking for a way to make serious money, consider creating a portfolio of short stories that you can sell to Marvel or other major companies. If you want to be extra-sure of your math, you can always use a royalty tracking service like XOOM to follow your earnings and keep track of your money. You might even want to consider becoming a full-time author in order to take advantage of this unique opportunity. But, first, you’ll need to build up your portfolio a bit. If you’re just getting started, consider selling your work on XOOM, Wattpad, or Amazon Mechanical Turk, among others.
The Income Potential Of Comic Books
Comic books aren’t just for children anymore, and neither is reading them. Thanks to a boom in independent comics, opportunities for creators abound. If you’ve got a specific idea for a comic, you can pitch it to a publisher or an independent company looking for new content. Alternatively, you can take it upon yourself to publish a comic and sell it through a website like Etsy or a platform like Shopify, using a tool like Shopify Comics to get the job done. All you need is the raw materials (ink, paper, and labor) to create your comic and the know-how to put it together. While it can be a lucrative venture, you’ll need to put in the hours to make good money. But the opportunity to make some serious cash is out there, and with the right knowledge, you can make a living from creating comics. If you want to be extra-sure of your math, you can always use a royalty tracking service like XOOM to follow your earnings and keep track of your money. Like with fan fiction, building up your portfolio of comic books is also an opportunity you should consider pursuing. But again, first you’ll need to create a good portfolio and then you can begin seeking publishers or doing it yourself.
The Income Potential Of Audible Audiobooks
If you’re a voracious reader, an unstoppable talker, or just want to listen to some good storytelling, you can make money online through an opportunity known as audiobooks. With the success of “The Morning Show” and “The Black Mirror” on Netflix, more and more people are turning to novels and short-story collections through platforms like Audible and Kindle to help them unwind and pass the time on long car rides, train rides, airplane flights, and even while shopping for groceries. If you’ve got a good ear for narration and can keep a straight face while reading engaging and entertaining stories, you can make some money with this strategy. To be able to reach a larger number of potential customers, consider recording your own audiobook and posting it on platforms like Audible or Kindle or on your own website. Just be sure to follow the proper procedures to ensure that you don’t lose your copyright. Once you’ve established yourself as an expert in your field, consider pursuing this as a full-time income stream. If you’re looking for a way to make serious money, consider creating a podcast where you interview prominent people or celebrities from the world of politics, pop culture, or literature. Be sure to get the proper permissions in advance if you decide to go this route. Again, royalty tracking software like XOOM can help you keep track of your money and ensure that you’re getting paid what you’re due. If you want to be extra-sure of your math, you can always use a royalty tracking service like XOOM to follow your earnings and keep track of your money. Like with fan fiction and comics, building up your portfolio of audiobooks is also an opportunity you should consider pursuing. But first, you’ll need to create a good portfolio and then you can begin seeking publishers or doing it yourself.
The Income Potential Of Short-Stories
If you’ve got a taste for the limelight and the ability to get people talking, you can make some money through short-stories. There are various ways to monetize short stories, whether you decide to go the traditional route and sell your work to popular magazines or you decide to go the indie route and self-publish your work through a platform like Wattpad. Short stories are popular because people love reading them. If you can become the Googlestalker of your town, you can make some money from writing short stories. Just remember that opportunities like this come with massive competition. But if you’ve got a good sense of humor and can write engaging characters, you can stand out among the crowd and make some extra cash.
The Bottom Line
As you can see, there are many ways to make money as a writer. You don’t need to specialize in just one area to make good money. If you’re looking for unique ways to make money, consider pursuing fan fiction, comics, audiobooks, and short stories. Building up your portfolio in one or more of these areas will put you in good stead to pursue any of them as a full-time income stream. If you want to be extra-sure of your math, you can always use a royalty tracking service like XOOM to follow your earnings and keep track of your money. Like with most things in life, being smart about money and being diligent about your work will put you in good stead to succeed. And who knows? You might even enjoy the process so much that you decide to become a full-time author and never look back.