Freelance work, beta reading, tutoring, virtual assistants, and more!
When it comes to supplemental income, it’s important to consider if the writing you’re doing will also tick off the other elements on the Writerly Income Diagram. For example, does it also create exposure for you to build an audience? If not, has it helped you develop your writing craft? If you can’t say yes to either of those, then it’s probably not the best use of your time.
What we’re focused on here at Writerly Income is helping you advance your career and build the writerly life you want. To do that, we as writers need to learn to say no to certain things.
If you’re looking for supplemental income to make extra cash, then this list is going to provide you with some great ideas.
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Freelance Writing
This one’s obvious but it’s worth discussing. When it comes to writing, the king of craft (outside of writing and publishing your own books – which technically falls under passive income, but we’ll explain why in a later post) is freelance writing.
Why? Because you can throw your hat in the ring for all kinds of writing: blog posts, social media posts, etc. If you’re interested in websites to launch your freelance career, check these out.
2. Beta Reader
Do you read? Of course you do! So why not get paid to do it?
Beta readers may not make a ton of money. That should be said up front. However, if you can get good at it, and nail down some consistent clients (self-published authors often utilize beta readers for every book they write and many are prolific— trying to release one book per year), you might find yourself reading to supplement your other income(s). Now wouldn’t that be cool?
To get started beta reading, I do suggest Fiverr. I’ve had a love (but mostly) hate relationship with Fiverr because their space is so crowded. However, if you’re looking for a large horde of writers looking for beta readers, Fiverr is probably your best bet. There are certainly other options that you can check out here.
3. Reading/Writing Tutor
I know what you’re thinking: you don’t have a teaching degree. It’s fine, I get it. However, depending on where you live, you might find that the market for tutors is too hot to ignore. For example, if you live in or near a high performing district with expensive homes, your rates just went up.
Quick tips for tutors:
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Flex your reading and writing ability to the parents (put any and all credentials on a resume)
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Develop a positive relationship with the students so they feel successful and see their growth
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Build a relationship with the kid’s teachers (coming from a teacher, I can vouch for how important this is!)
If you’re interested in tutoring (which can mean a boatload of money in certain markets) then comment below and I’ll give you some specific suggestions to help you get started and be successful!
4. Virtual Assistant
Okay this one is new to me, which is why it’s on the first part of the list here. I’ve heard of more and more budding authors and writers exploring the virtual assistant world. It makes sense. I just didn’t know there was a whole market for assistants. The pay is great and you can work from anywhere with wifi.
This is not my expertise. However, the goal for this site is to bring value. So I’ve compiled some resources for you!
Udemy course on becoming a Virtual Assistant – I haven’t taken the course so investigate to see if it’s right for you
Starting out as a Virtual Assistant with no experience
How to Become a Virtual Assistant
