If you are reading this article, then you are clearly interested in writing for money, or least given some thought to the idea. You have also no doubt researched the idea of writing for cash on the Internet and downloaded a handful of e-books or reports telling you how to turn your writing into a source of income.
Many of the e-books or reports you have read probably waxed lyrical about the hundreds of thousands of dollars that newbie and established writers are making from publishing their work on the Internet. Moreover, amongst all the hyperbole you will have come across testimonies testifying to the magic of a particular writing system. Some of these testimonies may contain an element of truth. However, what these testimonies fail to tell you is the fact that a majority of wannabe writers will not make a penny from their writing, no matter how great the writing system might be. This is understandable since the promoter of the writing system wants you to buy the product. So let us dispel the myth right now: not everyone can or will earn money from their writing.
There are several reasons why many wannabe writers never cut the mustard when it comes to turning their writing into cash. The most obvious reason is the lack of effort on the part of the wannabe writer to write effectively.
I recently came across several e-products where the author was trying to promote him or herself as a marketing or writing guru. Each of the texts that I read had potential but sadly most of them were littered with grammar and spelling mistakes. And whilst no one is perfect when it comes to the written word, I expected something a little better from those who were promoting themselves as leaders in their field.
Although not everyone can be a Hemmingway or a Stephen King, the least an author can do when they are trying to sell their writing for cash is to run a grammar and spell check over their work. Better still, they should learn a little about the art of writing before going to press.
If you are serious about making money from your writing, then be prepared to invest time, effort and energy to improve your skills as an author. It takes practise and a willingness to learn in order to become a proficient writer. The writing process merits respect from all those who are planning to make money from publishing their work.
The key to becoming a profitable writer rests in your ability to entertain and to captivate the reader through eloquent prose. If the reader is distracted because of too many spelling or grammatical errors in your work, then the reader will almost certainly go elsewhere for their reading material.
Once you have lost your reader because of bad spelling or grammar, then it is unlikely that he or she will come back to read the other material you have on offer. In short, to become a profitable writer you must approach the task of writing as you would any other profession – with due care and attention to detail.
Writing, like other professions, requires an understanding of your tools. Furthermore, you need to be proficient at using these tools if you want to become a successful author. You need to know how the written word works in terms of communicating ideas, excitement, tension and passion. Without this knowledge and the skill to use it you will fail to gain an audience for your written material.
At an elementary level, if you want to earn money from your writing, then you need to know how a sentence is constructed. You will also need to know how to use verb tenses to convey the appropriate sense of time and place. Once you have mastered the art of sentence structure, then you will need to learn how to stitch paragraphs together so that your writing comes across as a clear and coherent message.
There are plenty of resources on the Internet and in local libraries to help the budding writer master the art of writing. The local writing club or circle is a good place for writers to begin their career, not to mention a great place to exchange ideas with more experienced writers.
Writing clubs or circles present the wannabe writer with an opportunity to test their work and to gain feedback on what they have written. Constructive criticism from those in the know is always useful to anyone who is serious about improving their writing skills.
Learning to write is a lifelong process and one that should be encouraged. While there is money to be made from writing, not everyone can hope to make the grade as a profitable writer. However, this should not prevent you from trying, so long as you are willing to put in the effort.
Writing is an enjoyable pass time even if you do not make money from what you have written. You do not need to be a bestselling author to benefit from your prose. Writing is a skill that can enhance the quality of your life both at work and at play. So whilst you might be considering a career as a profitable writer, try to think of the other benefits that come with improving and developing your writing skills.
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