From Web writer to Web publisher: investing in yourself as a writer

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Tuesday, July 24th, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed

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There’s money to be made when Web writers become Web publishers. Some overachieving freelance writers are taking this to the max.

A freelance magazine-writer friend has around 500 sites, if you can believe that. For the past three years, in addition to her other writing work, she’s had a “five Web pages a day” mantra. She creates five Web pages a day, no matter how busy she is, or what’s happening in her life. She’s building an online publishing empire.

When I asked her how many of her sites she’s sold, she said: “None, to date. I know I could get a great return if I sold my PR 5 sites, but why would I? They’re online real estate, and like all real estate, it appreciates in value over time.”

She shared one of her techniques in this week’s Fab Freelance writing ezine, “Web publishing: money for nothing - from “waste” material in your archives”.

You can read the issue online at the ezine’s archives site - remember to subscribe to receive the issues as easy-to-read PDF files.

As a Web publisher, you’re investing in yourself

Web publishing has enormous potential for Web writers. You’re making money from your words, in on-going fashion, and as your sites grow, your passive income will grow.

If you love writing, and you love the Web, Web publishing may be for you. Many of my writing students are taking on Web publishing because of the income potential.

Here are some tips I’ve given them:

* Pick a topic for a site and get started. Sites take time to grow; don’t indulge in “analysis paralysis”;

* Use easy site creation tools. If you can use a word processor, you can use NVU. The time you spend learning is an investment. Learn to do it yourself, rather than hiring someone - the DIY ability gives you immense freedom to add material, make changes, and add money-making features to a site;

* Sites take time to gain trust in the search engines. Look on Web publishing as a long-term investment - your writing retirement fund, if you will. My 500-site friend intends to spend six months a year traveling from 2009, and the other six months “working” - she’s having so much fun with her sites that it doesn’t seem like working to her.