As a freelance writer, it can get boring very quickly if you're not looking for clever ways to make money.
You might have started out as a freelance writer for your side hustle, but is this your long term plan? Do you want to be a freelance writer forever, or is now the time to transition into something else? Something more…?
I remember it like it was yesterday.
It was a Monday morning. I was sitting down in front of my computer, reviewing the posts for the week ahead, wondering how on earth I'd gotten back to this place, this feeling…
I hated my side hustle!
Just a few months prior, I'd quit my job to go full-time as a freelance writer, basking in the freedom of having time back to myself and not dreading Monday mornings.
Yet here I was again. Feeling like crap and dreading Monday mornings.
Where had I gone wrong?
If you can relate to this at all, you're going to love this blog post.
I talk a lot about getting started with a side hustle, but what about afterward?
What happens when you start your side hustle and discover that you:
- Don't really like it, or
- Have no idea how to transition into something else?
That's why I want to give you some options. If you enjoy writing, but not the freelance writing gigs you've currently got going on, stick with me. I can help.
Clever Ideas For Making Money As a Freelance Writer
#1: Author
I might be a little (a lot) biased here, but becoming an author has been one of the most rewarding (both personally and financially) transitions I've made as a freelance writer.
What I learned about 8 months into my freelance writing career, was how much I loved to write… but how much I hated writing about things I didn't care about.
So while I loved quitting my job and going full time as a freelance writer, once I did go full time, I discovered that writing about mortgages and windows just wasn't lighting a fire in my belly.
It was around this time that I started to look into other ways I could make money as a freelance writer. And I was pleasantly surprised to find so many options!
Being an author is just one of them. If you want to learn more about what that looks like, you should check out my 3-part series about my journey into becoming an author.
READ: How to publish a kindle book
#2: Workbook creator
If you love to create printables and templates, then you should consider a side hustle as a workbook creator.
Workbooks are on the increase in popularity (heck, I'm in the middle of creating my own right now!) and there are a lot of bloggers and online business owners who are looking for help creating these assets.
Workbooks are used as lead magnets but they are also used as physical products that include upsells into a bigger paid product.
Amber McCue's Fresh Start Guide
I'm using Canva.com to create my workbook and I am loving the process. It's about taking teachable ideas and turn them into exercises for your readers.
You could do this as a business for your own audience or you could sell it as a service!
#3: Book description writer
I'm so sorry that I seem to be sticking with the author theme here, but I can't help it! There is so much opportunity for freelance writers when it comes to the author support services niche that I had to include this here.
If you love telling stories and creating a picture with words, then creating a service where you write book descriptions for authors will make your heart sing.
Book descriptions are the first thing a potential reader encounters when they are shopping on sites like Amazon, so it needs to capture their attention.
It's also the area that most authors struggle with. It's more than a back cover summary and less than a synopsis. It takes practice to get the magic formula that converts browsers into buyers.
Nail that formula and you'll have yourself an awesome creative business.
#4: YouTube scriptwriter
Fancy yourself a bit of a scriptwriter? Ever thought about writing scripts for YouTube channels?
This works especially well for channels that focus on creating content that teaches or how-to content. It's almost like taking a blog post and turning it into a conversation piece.
If you've been freelancing writing for a while, you've likely already got experience in writing blog posts. Why not transition your freelance writing business into something that has a little more legs, is a lot more fun, and allows you to connect the YouTuber with their audience?!
#5: Online course writer
Are you a teacher who loves developing lesson plans? Have you ever thought about curriculum development for online course creators?
This is in high demand. Just because someone has an idea for a course, doesn't mean they know how to create it.
Curriculum development is a great skill to have, so if you can help other online course creators develop theirs, wouldn't that be a great way to turn your freelance writer skills into something that you enjoy doing?
Being a freelance writer isn't just about writing blog posts or content for websites anymore. It's about finding the right freelance writing business that fits in with your skills.
It's about figuring out that sweet spot between the skills you have, the demand for those skills, and doing what you love.
If you can find where those all meet in the middle, you'll have a business you'll love forever.
Action Step
Your immediate action step is to review the options above and decide if any of them make sense for you to transition into.
How will you change your freelance writing business so it is something you love instead of something you dread?
