What are your options as a writer for making money these days?

Made with MidJourney.

I recently came across a YouTube video that stopped me in my tracks.

It revealed how writers who want to make online money need to think differently.

He was a young freelance writer who’d spent years writing blog posts for big tech companies. He shared how his clients had gradually switched to AI content creation. His monthly income had dropped by 70% in just six months.

That’s not to say there are no more opportunities in online writing. We just need to be conscious about how to best adapt and not fall behind.

If you want to make money using your writing skills, here are some options:

1. Become a ‘thought leader,’ not just a generic content creator.

Become known for your own unique takes on a handful of content pillars.

For me, this is writing mastery, brand growth from writing and freedom from writing.

Be the first thing someone thinks of when they see a topic. Share your stories and personal case studies often.

AI creates content. So do the hundreds queuing up on UpWork to write on a bazillion topics.

You must create an audience around your personality and your handful of topics. You create a brand.

Better still, you create a movement that connects people around an emotional transformation you are facilitating.

2. Tap into the creator economy.

Now that you’re developing a brand, you can take advantage of the various platforms that allow you to monetise your brand.

The rise of platforms like Substack, Patreon, and Circle has created new monetisation paths for writers:

• Launch a paid newsletter focused on your specific expertise

• Build a community around your writing niche

• Create tiered content offerings for different audience segments

• Develop and sell frameworks and courses.

3. Coach people how to write.

You love writing. You’ve done plenty of it. You know what works and doesn’t.

Pass on what you know so others can also enjoy the benefits of writing. One of my coaching clients is working with me on writing his legacy book.

This might mean teaching the skill of writing, but it might also mean showing people how to develop the writing habit, explore their creativity and how to grow their audiences with writing.

4. Create scalable information products.

If you’re two steps ahead of someone in any area, you can help them through scaleable information products like ebooks, templates, books and courses.

And these courses don’t need to take forever to create. You can sell a 5-page written course for $200 if it helps people get results in something specific.

I make a good living selling my courses on mindset, productivity and writing via my newsletter.

Start by sharing an article. If it does well, that’s a nod in the direction of expansion into a book, guide or course.

One writer I know turned a series of blog posts about productivity into a $1,000 course that now generates consistent monthly income with minimal ongoing effort.

5. Become a strategic partner.

Today’s executives need more than ‘ghostwriters.’

They need partners who can help them get specific results. You need to view yourself in this way, rather than just being another cheap service provider.

Position yourself as something like ‘a strategic communication consultant’ or a ‘brand-growth strategist’ who can craft everything from articles to keynote speeches.

This work can now get you $200–500 per hour because it combines writing skills with business strategy.

6. Build a paid community.

Create a space where your writing sparks discussion and facilitates cross-communication.

Some writers earn more from facilitating conversations around their content than from the writing itself.

These communities also provide endless inspiration for new content and products you can use to expand further.

7. Run workshops that build on your writing.

If you teach or coach through your writing, you can teach at a more personal level in the form of live workshops or retreats.

This gives those willing to pay a bit extra the privilege of going more in-depth into the implementation of your ideas and processes, hearing from you directly, having their questions answered, and getting to know other students in the classes.

8. Leverage AI.

If you can’t beat it, work with it.

Become hot shit at using it. Learn prompt engineering, use AI for research and editing, and develop hybrid workflows that combine human creativity with AI efficiency.

You can even use AI to repurpose your ideas to create more content that will grab the attention of more relevant people who can join your growing newsletter online.

Use AI to effectively clone yourself as a unique brand to which people gravitate.

9. Develop multiple revenue streams.

The most successful modern writers don’t rely on a single income source.

They combine:

• Strategic writing services for premium clients

• Digital product sales

• Community membership fees

• Consulting services

• Speaking engagements

• Affiliate partnerships.

10. Create specialised writing packages.

Move beyond charging per word or per article.

Package your writing expertise into high-value bundles targeted at non-broke entities.

For example, create a ‘Brand Voice Bible’ service that includes tone guidelines, sample content, and training for internal teams.

Writers who specialise in these comprehensive packages often charge $5,000–10,000 per project rather than competing on content volume.

11. Launch writing-adjacent services.

Expand into services that complement your writing skills:

• Content strategy consulting

• Editorial calendar development

• Writer training and mentorship

• Content audit services

• Brand messaging workshops.

The decline of traditional content writing isn’t the end. It’s a signal of how you can evolve.

The key is to stop competing with AI on tasks it does well and instead focus on the uniquely human elements of writing and communication.

We now need to think more intelligently in terms of how to work with AI instead of allowing it to replace us.

The opportunities are there; they just look different than they did five years ago.

This becomes much easier when you know how to write words that make people tick.

Online Writing Alchemy helps you side-step years of pain so you build an enthusiastic writing habit, your words jump out of the page to grab your ideal readers and buyers of your products.

Learn more about the course here.

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