For some, writing is a hobby; for others, it’s a career. Though there are many paths to become a writer, most people start their journey in one of two places: either college or publishing. But what happens if you dropped out of school or didn’t quite make it in publishing? How can you get paid to write if you can’t get a job in traditional journalism?
The short answer is you can’t. But that doesn’t have to stop you from getting paid to write. With a little bit of hustle, you can find a way to make money online through various platforms that lend themselves to writers, producers, and journalists. And perhaps most importantly, you can ask for what you need, when you need it, and be reasonable about your expectations.
The Three Most Important Things to Ask For
Before you start pitching stories to magazines or applying for gigs online, you need to ask yourself three important questions:
- What am I passionate about?
- Where do I want to be in a year?
- What will make me different from other writers / journalists?
The first question is fairly self-explanatory. You need to be passionate about something in order to be able to write about it regularly. But why not make money from it? There are plenty of ways to do that too. Once you have that question answered, the other two questions will seem easier to answer. The second question is important because you shouldn’t rush into anything. You should take the time to figure out what you want and need, instead of going with the first person or company that you come across.
The Reason Why You’re Pitching Your Story In The First Place
The first person to ask for a story is usually a magazine or newspaper. These publications usually have a staff of journalists who pitch stories to the publication. Once your story makes it to the desk of the editor, you can bet that they will ask for more. But even if it doesn’t, that doesn’t mean that you should give up. There are plenty of other ways to make money online, as long as you’re looking for something that you can do on a full-time basis.
If you’ve followed my blog thus far, you know that I’m a big believer in finding a way to make money online. Even if you don’t end up getting the story published, you can use the experience to launch your writing career. What you need to do is figure out the different ways that you can monetize your writing. You can join a company’s affiliate program and earn a commission whenever someone clicks a monetized link or buys a product that’s promoted through the link you’ve shared. You can build a private blog or website and drive revenue through advertisements or affiliate offers. Or if you’re feeling particularly creative, you can start a blog or website focused on something relevant to your area of expertise and turn that into cash by doing product reviews or giveaways. There are countless options.
What Differentiates You From Other Writers?
The third question is a little bit more difficult to answer. You need to figure out what sets you apart from other writers, journalists, and bloggers. What makes you special? What makes you different?
Writing is a form of creative expression. Just like with any other art form, there is a wide variety of content out there. What sets you apart from other creative writers is your ability to see the world through a different lens. It’s a tool that you can use to understand something that others might not have considered before. And for whatever platform you choose, you can help others understand the same thing by writing about it.
There are plenty of other differences between you and other creative writers. The format that you prefer to use (e.g., novel, short story, or essay), the media that you prefer to work with (e.g., words or pixels), the pace that you work at, and the people that you choose to surround yourself with are all things that can set you apart. But the main thing is that you must find your own way to express yourself and your creativity. Doing this will, hopefully, lead you to the job that you really want and deserve.