Category: Business

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How Writers Can Find a Profitable and Flexible Side Gig

by Erica Francis

Writing Side Gigs

Image Via Pexels

As a writer, having time to create is essential. However, if it’s going to take some time to earn enough money from your writing to make ends meet, you may need something extra to keep your bills paid. In many cases, finding a profitable and flexible side gig is your perfect option.

Why Having a Side Gig Is Smart

Making ends meet as an independent writer or author isn’t always easy. That’s why having a side gig may be essential. It allows you to bring in extra income while maintaining flexibility.

With a side gig, you can choose projects that align with your skills and schedule. You can focus on assignments that pique your interest and leave you with enough time to create. Additionally, you can choose tasks that boost your writing skills, making you more effective when tackling your personal projects. Plus, some may help you grow your reputation as a writer, making it easier for you to make money off of your creations down the road. For example, you may be able to get a byline, allowing you to expand your online presence or boost your resume.

Types of Side Gigs for Writers

As a writer, you’ll usually have an easy time finding side gig opportunities that align with your skills. Both companies and individuals may look for writers to assist them with a range of projects if they feel they aren’t well equipped to express themselves effectively in writing. If you’re looking for side gigs, here are some types that are right up a writer’s alley:

● Copywriter
● Digital Branding Consultant
● eBook Ghostwriter
● Editor
● Guest Post Writer
● Ghost Blogger
● Proofreader
● SEO Specialist
● Writing Tutor

Preparing for Side Gig Opportunities

Before you start looking for side gig opportunities, you want to take some time to prepare. Usually, potential clients will want to see samples of your past work, especially for higher-value projects.

Three approaches can be surprisingly effective.

First, you can start your blog to showcase your skills. As a bonus, this option might help you bring in some cash, too. Ads and affiliating marketing can generate some income, though it can take some time to earn enough for it to be meaningful.

Second, you can create an online portfolio. With this, you may display writing samples and links to any published work. When a potential client wants to see what you can do, you can direct them to the portfolio.

Third, you can simply collect links to articles you’ve written. Then, if a client asks for samples, you can send them the direct links.

Finding Profitable and Flexible Side Gigs

Once you know what kind of side gig you want, it’s time to find profitable and flexible opportunities. In many cases, the easiest place to start is online freelancing platforms like Upwork, Fiverr, or Guru. You may also want to check out FlexJobs and WeWorkRemotely. Along with some freelance-style gigs, you may find flexible part-time positions, giving you something more consistent or long-term.

Turning Your Side Gig Into a Business

If your side gig takes off, you may want to turn it into a full-fledged business. Usually, launching a business is easier than you would expect, especially if you approach it properly.

One key to startup success is starting a company you believe in, as that makes it more satisfying. Additionally, never promise more than you can deliver and treat people with respect. That way, you’ll cement your reputation. Also, invest enough time and energy into the business.

Companies need to be nurtured if they are going to thrive, so make sure you can make it a priority. Finally, make sure you have the right tools. Since you’re mainly working online, invest in a high-speed internet connection and have a backup option (like a mobile hotspot) in case your service goes down. Get enough storage for your work, including cloud services and portable hard drives, and perform backups regularly. Invest in spelling, grammar, and plagiarism checkers to ensure your work is always high-quality.

Erica Francis writes for Ready Job and thrives on helping young people prepare for the working world. She helps develop lesson plans and other educational resources, all geared toward helping the site’s visitors build the skills needed to excel in any workplace. Her website is readyjob.org. 
For more information about David Kubicek’s books click here.
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The eBook Revolution: The Future of Reading Will Be Digital

by David Kubicek

Will We Still Have Paper Books in the Year 2119?

I believe that an eBook revolution is coming, that the future of reading will be digital. Citizens of that world 100 years from now will know what a paper book is. Convenience and cost for publishers and readers will eventually make digital books rule and physical books obsolete, relics to be found only in antique shops.

But all modern books by then will be digital–that is, if books haven’t morphed into some totally alien form of communication that we can’t possibly envision today [science fiction writers in the 1950s and ’60s completely missed the digital revolution].

This isn’t a popular idea. When I suggested it in a blog post several years ago, I got some comments from readers who proclaimed that physical books would never disappear. Just this week the issue was the subject of a  Twitter thread where the initiating writer didn’t believe that digital would ever replace paper.

There is a saying that only two things in life are certain: death and taxes. I would add a third thing: change. As technology evolves, so does society.

Cost and Convenience Drive Change

Here are two examples.

Cost: In the early Twentieth Century no one thought motorcars would ever amount to more than playthings for the wealthy because of their cost. Then Henry Ford adapted the assembly line to auto production, which reduced the cost to a point where the working class could afford automobiles. Convenience: You can go farther and faster in a car than in a stage coach, and you don’t have to change to a fresh car every 20 miles.

Convenience: The general store where the clerk would collect the items on your list evolved into the self-service grocery store which evolved into the big box one-stop store where you can buy groceries, shoes, clothing, linens, household appliances, get your hair styled, do the banking, get an eye exam and even have your car serviced while you shop.

Why I Believe Digital Books Will Replace Paper

Convenience: You can carry around an entire library of digital books in a thin device the size of a trade paperback book.

Convenience: Digital books will not wear out–their bindings won’t crack, and their pages won’t get yellow and brittle with age.

Cost: Publishers won’t  have to spend money on paper, printing, warehousing and shipping.

Cost and Convenience: Publishers will be able to keep titles with modest sales in circulation longer because no longer will they take up valuable warehouse space–this will be a boon to both authors and publishers–and they won’t have to compete for shelf space in bookstores (which likely will have gone exclusively to a digital book model).

The eBook Revolution

The Kindle reader was released in 2007, and within 10 years e-books made up 17% of the market, while paperbacks accounted for 34.3% and hardcovers for 35.7%. When you look at the chart showing book sales over the past decade it may seem as if the e-book market is shrinking, but Brady Dale explains why it may only appear that way. 

The bottom line is, I believe convenience and cost for publishers and readers will eventually make digital books king and physical books obsolete, and the reading experience 100 years from now will be quite different than it is today.

What do you think?

For more information about David Kubicek’s books click here.