In the past, you had to rely on luck and the goodness of strangers to get paid to write a novel. Now, with the help of web sites like Patreon, people can and do get paid to write art and story. Still, not many know how to go about it. So here’s what you need to know.
Create a Patreon Page
Before you can start earning money from your writing, you first need to have a Patreon page created. Go to Patreon and sign up for free. Once you’ve done that, you can start browsing the rewards tiers. When you get there, you’ll see a screen like this:
In order to set up your Patreon page, you’ll need to choose a username and a password. You can also add a header, some text, and change the color of the text via the colors available on the site. Once you’ve done that, you can save the page and come back later.
Set Up Regular Writing Schedules
Even if you’ve got a day job and you’re able to write whenever you want, you’ll still need to set up a schedule. Otherwise, you won’t be able to keep up with your earnings. So, set aside three to four hours per day, at least, to write. That way, you’ll be sure to meet your deadlines and give your work the best shot at being read.
Also, since you’re going to be regularly writing for money, it’s important that you do it with professionalism. That means no typos or egregious spelling errors. Take your time and use a thesaurus or an acronym tool. If you’ve got a day job and you’re not sure how much time you’ll be able to give to this, then you might want to consider looking for part-time work. There are plenty of jobs out there for freelancers. Just be sure to get someone to edit and proofread your work before you hand it in. Otherwise, you’ll embarrass yourself and end up being paid less than you deserve.
Learn How to Market Your Works
Once you’ve got your page set up, it’s time to start marketing. The first thing you’re going to need to do is build a small audience. This is called “liking” or “following” your work on social media. You can use platforms like Twitter or Facebook to do this. Or, you can use specialized tools like Moz and Google Alerts to get real-time notification when people Tweet or post about your work.
Depending on the size of your Patreon page’s audience, you can determine how much you want to charge per story. If you’ve got fewer than 500 followers, you can expect to pay approximately $12-$16 per entry. As your following grows, so does your earning potential. For example, if you have 3000 followers, you can expect to pay about $18-$24 per story.
Decide Whether or Not to Publish Your Works
Now that you’ve got an audience and you’ve started selling your work, it’s time to determine whether or not to publish your work. If you do decide to publish, take your time about it. Don’t just pull the trigger and hope for the best. Publish things that you’ve worked hard on and that you feel proud of. Don’t just post something because it’s gained a lot of views or comments. Take your time and plan out when you’re going to release the work and how you’re going to market it.
If you don’t want to publish your work, then there are always other ways to make money. You can create and sell your own products related to your writing. Or, you can start a blog and try to build an audience there. Just remember that the road to riches isn’t always paved with smiles. Some writers find that the only way they can support themselves is by doing some kind of online work for money. So, don’t be discouraged if the first few months aren’t exactly sweet money.
Overall, the world of writing for money is very welcoming. Many people who’ve tried it report that it’s not exactly what they expected. Still, with the help of tools like Patreon, it’s possible to make a living from your words. So, if you’ve got a creative mind and you’re looking for an outlet, then this might be the right option for you. Just be sure to keep all your earnings and appreciate the effort it took to get here.