Creative Ways For Writers to Earn Extra Cash

For months now we've been hearing how the economy is in the toilet. We've watched friends and neighbors lose their jobs. We've seen magazines and newspapers cutting back or completely disappearing. We've debated the pros and cons of various bailout plans.

I, for one, am a little sick of all this talk about a recession.

That's why I compiled a list of ways that writers can supplement their income and go beyond writing for glossy magazines or corporate clients. Some of these are from a MediaBistro article I wrote this summer (Boost Your Writing Business By Diversifying). Some of these were ideas I discovered more recently. Hopefully you'll find one or two that you can incorporate into your own business plan.

• Teach a class. Not everyone who is a good writer is also a good teacher. But if you're comfortable speaking in front of people and you have a desire to help others achieve their goals, then it's worth a shot. I'm teaching a writing course at Boston Center for Adult Education in the spring. It's not going to make me rich or famous, but it's another way to build my platform and connect with my local writing community.
• Moonlight as a copyeditor, proofreader, or fact-checker. Even if you don't earn money in these areas, they are important skills to know. With newsrooms slashing their staffs, some of them will have a need for freelance proofreaders or fact-checkers. Even though I haven't tapped into these skills and applied for separate gigs in these areas, I took a proofreading course over the summer, and I read an ebook on fact-checking to get an overview of the fact-checking process. Again, a good skill to have and one that can only boost your research and writing ability
• Sell photos or multimedia. Offering extras like photos, podcasts, and videos can boost your bottom line and make you more desirable as a writer, especially for online markets. Since I have a digital camera, I was able to include photos with one of the reported pieces I wrote earlier this year (not every editor will use writer's photos, but this one didn't want to send a photographer to Boston). Michelle Rafter has a great post on including interactive material with queries.
• Tap into seasonal opportunities. With the holidays coming up, there are several ways that writers can create extra income streams to pay for holiday travel, gifts, and other expenses. For instance (and feel to free to steal this idea, as I yet to put it into action), I've always thought there could be a market for writing other people's holiday letters. Some people are too busy, some doubt their writing abilities, some get easily overwhelmed with all the other holiday obligations. I also read about a writer who earns money by creating personalized letters from Santa.

Have you tried any of these strategies for supplementing your writing income? Are there any ideas I've missed?

Flickr photo by Steve Wampler