Writing –A Hobby for Fun and Profit

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Writing As A Hobby

Writing is a hobby that many have started in the hope of being published. Usually there is no fruitful result, because traditional publishing is outrageously slow and expensive.

Plus, publication has always been very rare. The fact is, having a knowledgeable agent is almost required to even have your manuscript glanced at. Most knowledgeable agents are overwhelmed with unwanted manuscripts. It’s very difficult to even get a meeting with them.

Writing for Self-Publication

Today, however, self-publication in the form of ebooks is available, and it is fast, easy and gratifying. It’s still not likely that you’ll get rich. If you publish well-written volumes, though, and enough of them, it is possible to build a reasonable stream of income from ebooks to supplement your usual paycheck.

Getting Started Writing

How do you get started? One of the most useful techniques I have found is to sit down and write a predetermined number of words every day. Jeff Goins, a well-known writer, suggests five hundred words a day. You can see his information at his blog. You see, writers write. Talking about writing, thinking about writing, daydreaming about writing — all produce nothing. You need to produce words in well-arranged sentences every day until it becomes so natural that you don’t think about it. Sit down daily and write. You are a writer.

Daily Writing

When you have reached the point that daily writing is an ingrained habit, you may wish to consider what your writings should accomplish. Do you want to produce something to tell the world what you think? Perhaps you want to share your wisdom or your sense of humor? You could do any of these things by starting a blog. If you learn the ins and outs well and monetize and market it well, you might even make some income from it.

Writing a Blog

There are numerous resources available, both paid and free, about how to start a blog. Two of the best resources are Youtube.com and, oddly enough, blogs. There are many blogs relating to starting a blog and building it into a business. A search on your browser’s search engine should turn up plenty of helpful information to get you started.

Freelance Writing

If you also search for freelance writing, you might find another way to make money. Freelancers make money by writing for other people. They write articles which they might then sell to a blogger, to a magazine, to a website, or to any other business that needs well-written articles to publish. The freelancer also has to market his goods and collect his proceeds, so it’s a one-person business. It can, however, be very lucrative. A good place to start your research is www.makealivingwriting.com, at the blog belonging to Carol Tice, who started it in 2008.

Writing Copy

Another branch of writing that is lucrative, is that of writing marketing copy for marketing companies or, as a one-person business, for other businesses who want professionally done marketing material. This is a type of writing that really requires study. Searching for books and courses put out by very successful copywriter can show you how to get started.

Training to Be a Writer

These are just some of the paths to writing for money. You will need training, perhaps from researching on the internet or at the library, or at a local college, or possibly online at a place such as www.lynda.com or www.udemy.com.

Reminder

Although I have used both of these sources for self-education,  I must add the following reminder: there is no business relationship between myself and these sources except as a customer of these websites. I have been pleased with most of the courses I have paid for, but most certainly the buyer must beware, as always. I am not responsible for your experience with any of these businesses or websites. Please do your own research. Thank you.