How to Make a Living with Your Writing: Books, Blogging and More

by Joanna Penn

If you're reliant on one publisher, one self-publishing distributor, one client, one product or one book, at some point, you’re likely to find yourself in trouble.

I recommend you read Anne Lamott's book, Bird by Bird where she explains that you have to, “write shitty first drafts." Then clean them up! Remember, you can't edit a blank page. So just get black on white and work through edits later.

so many writers get obsessed over their first book, spending years writing, editing and polishing it without moving on to the next one. We all have self-doubt, we all suffer from fear of failure, fear of judgment. That never stops, even for the most experienced writers from what I've heard. The best thing to do is to write that book, then another, then another, then another. Work with a professional editor on every book and learn from the experience. You will improve every time.

Don't be afraid to experiment and take risks. Yes, you will get knocked down. You will fail. But you just have to get up again and give it another go. In this way, you'll develop resilience which is something every writer needs. Because you will experience criticism and negativity. It's inevitable.

Surround yourself with those who love writing and get out of toxic discussions quickly.

Stop asking permission. You don’t need it. Stop waiting to be chosen. Choose yourself.

An author can’t build a business on luck – but they can learn about marketing, and authors have to do that these days, regardless of how they publish.

(1) Write more books This might be obvious, but it's amazing how many authors assume that they can make a good living from just a couple, or even just one book. But look at every other business out there. Does any retailer base their business on a small number of products? Does any publisher base their income on just a couple of books?

The more books you have, the LESS you have to market them because you'll have an audience ready and waiting, critical mass on the digital shelves and multiple streams of income.

(2) Write books that people want to buy: by genre or category It doesn't matter how much marketing you do. If you write in a genre/category that doesn't sell, then you won't be able to make a living with your writing.

Many authors talk about five in a series being a real tipping point for consistent sales. The aim is to be addictive.

Generosity and social karma fuel the online world, at least in my experience! It's all about linking to each other within blog posts and social media. This enables stronger connections between peers who may also cite you in return. It also gives you credibility as a good source of curated information.

We get what we focus on. The difference is that I want this. I'm driven to become a better writer every day, to put out books that will entertain, educate and inspire. I put words on the page every day and commit to this as my career, my hobby, my passion and my life. If you feel the same way, and you're willing to put in the time, you CAN make a living with your writing.