How to Make 6 Figures As A Writer? (11 Best Ways in 2024)
So you want to make six figures as a Writer? Good for you! Being a Writer is a highly respectable and well-paid profession, and there's no reason why you can't earn a high income if you put your mind to it.
In this blog post, we'll look at some of the best ways to make more money as a Writer - business ideas you can start to achieve such income. Keep reading to learn more!
1. Start a freelance writing business ($65.5K/month)
Starting a freelance writing business could be your gateway to making six figures as a writer in 2024. Freelance writing offers unparalleled flexibility, allowing you to set your own schedule and work from the comfort of your home. By leveraging your strong writing skills and ability to meet deadlines, you could take on multiple clients across various niches, multiplying your income streams and opening up endless possibilities for growth.
To maximize your earnings, it is crucial to stay up-to-date with the latest writing tools and trends. Being a self-starter and having proper communication skills will enable you to build a solid client base and secure high-paying gigs. With the right approach and commitment, freelance writing could transform into a thriving side business or even your primary source of income, propelling you to the six-figure mark.
How much you can make: $700 — $500,000/month
How much does it cost to start: $500 (?)
How long does it take to build: 56 days (?)
How David Tile turned a freelance writing gig into an $80k/month business, discussing lessons learned through managing growing demands and maintaining a remote team operation.
2. Start a career coaching business ($48.5K/month)
Starting a career coaching business could significantly boost your income as a writer by allowing you to leverage your existing skills in communication and human resources expertise. By offering personalized guidance in resume building, interview preparation, and professional development, you could help your clients achieve their career goals while building a profitable side business.
You could conduct both in-person and virtual sessions, providing flexibility to accommodate your writing schedule. As you help clients navigate career transitions and achieve breakthroughs, your coaching services could grow through word-of-mouth and online testimonials, potentially leading to a six-figure income.
How much you can make: $1,000 — $235,000/month
How much does it cost to start: $1,500 (?)
How long does it take to build: 60 days (?)
Wall Street Oasis, the largest online community focused on careers in finance, has over 100 million visitors during its 14-year history and is currently receiving over 2 million visits per month, offering interview courses and mentorship services, in addition to building and investing in a thriving online community.
3. Start a youtube channel ($146K/month)
Starting a YouTube channel could be a lucrative way to supplement your income and potentially even form the foundation of a six-figure business. As a writer, you could create content that resonates with your audience, such as writing tutorials, book reviews, or insights into the writing industry. With YouTube's established monetization system, once you reach 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours in the previous 12 months, you could start earning from ad revenue.
Additionally, you could use your channel to promote your books, courses, or freelance writing services, thereby creating multiple income streams. By consistently providing valuable content and growing your viewer base, you could capitalize on YouTube's incredible popularity and perhaps start your own YouTube channel success story.
How much you can make: $800 — $1,000,000/month
How much does it cost to start: $750 (?)
How long does it take to build: 90 days (?)
Time commitment per week: Min. 5 hours/week
Learn how this entrepreneurial couple made $5-7k a month by helping others find legitimate work from home jobs and creative ways to make money online through their blog and YouTube channel, as well as offering two flagship products designed to help beginner freelancers and new bloggers accelerate growth.
4. Start a social media marketing agency ($116K/month)
Starting a social media marketing agency could be a lucrative avenue for supplementing your income as a writer and potentially helping you reach six figures. With the ability to automate many processes using social media marketing tools, you won’t need to sacrifice a significant amount of time. Your writing skills will be invaluable in developing compelling social media content and crafting effective marketing strategies.
By building a solid portfolio and marketing your services, you could attract a range of clients, from small businesses to larger enterprises seeking expert guidance. Whether you aim to cover utility bills, fund educational expenses, or save for a vacation, this side business offers flexible opportunities to generate extra income. Entrepreneurial writers might find that leveraging their writing talent in the realm of social media management opens up numerous possibilities for financial growth.
How much you can make: $1,000 — $500,000/month
How much does it cost to start: $7,500 (?)
How long does it take to build: 60 days (?)
Time commitment per week: Min. 30 hours/week
How David Tile turned a freelance writing gig into an $80k/month business, discussing lessons learned through managing growing demands and maintaining a remote team operation.
5. Start a blog ($44.9K/month)
Starting a blog presents an excellent opportunity to supplement your income or even build a highly lucrative business as a writer. With over 409 million people viewing more than 20 billion pages each month, a well-crafted and strategic blog can attract a substantial audience. Given that 77% of internet users read blogs, your potential reach is vast, making it easier to monetize through methods like affiliate marketing, sponsored posts, or selling your own products and services.
To embark on this journey, you could choose a niche you are passionate about and develop a robust content strategy to consistently engage your audience. Establishing a mailing list and maintaining a regular posting schedule are key to building a loyal readership. Over time, your blog could transform into a reliable source of income, offering the flexibility to work from anywhere while earning six figures.
How much you can make: $100 — $650,000/month
How much does it cost to start: $500 (?)
How long does it take to build: 30 days (?)
Time commitment per week: Min. 5 hours/week
Learn how one couple created a successful personal finance blog, The Savvy Couple, that now makes over $20,000 per month and has sold thousands of digital workbooks and courses, by focusing on purposeful content and optimizing their ROI with efficient time management.
6. Digital products ($261K/month)
Starting a business with digital products could be your pathway to making six figures as a writer. Digital products are highly popular due to their ease of creation and sharing, which allows you to leverage your writing skills to generate substantial extra income. By creating information-based products like ebooks, courses, or even membership sites, you could offer valuable content to your audience without the overhead costs associated with physical products.
Think about the possibilities: you could write an in-depth guide on a niche topic you're passionate about or craft a series of online courses that showcase your expertise. Not only are digital products easy to produce, but they also provide a seamless sales process, letting you focus more on your craft. So if you’re entrepreneurial-minded, creating digital products could be an excellent way to supplement your income and move toward that coveted six-figure salary.
How much you can make: $10,417 — $1,766,666/month
How much does it cost to start: $5,000 (?)
How long does it take to build: 60 days (?)
FilterGrade is an eCommerce platform offering digital assets such as photo filters and video templates; attracting over 450,000 monthly users and generating approximately 30k a month, the founders worked hard to build a valuable marketplace for creators while focusing on digital marketing, partnerships, and content creation.
7. Start a podcast ($97.9K/month)
Starting a podcast could help you to make six figures as a writer by allowing you to create and produce audio content that showcases your expertise, storytelling skills, and unique voice. By choosing a niche or topic that you're passionate about and that appeals to a specific audience, you could attract a devoted listener base that values your insights and content.
With basic recording equipment and an affordable hosting platform, you could easily publish episodes and reach a wider audience through social media, online communities, and word of mouth. As your podcast grows in popularity, the potential for monetization through sponsorships, advertisement deals, and even premium content could provide a significant supplemental income stream, helping you boost your earnings and possibly even transform your writing career.
How much you can make: $400 — $1,020,000/month
How much does it cost to start: $2,000 (?)
How long does it take to build: 60 days (?)
Time commitment per week: Min. 2 hours/week
A successful podcast production company that grew from one client making $15/hour to a team of 10 contractors producing over 30 shows per week with revenue of over $10k/mo, primarily through referrals and with a focus on providing high personal touch and being picky about working only with clients who are a good fit.
8. Create an online course ($91.9K/month)
Starting an online course could be a lucrative avenue for you to make six figures as a writer by monetizing your specialized skills and knowledge. As an entrepreneurial course creator, you have the opportunity to identify educational gaps in writing topics and develop engaging video lessons and supplementary materials tailored to your audience. This online business model allows for flexibility, offering both self-paced and cohort-based structures to suit different learning preferences.
Building a student base provides passive income potential, enabling you to earn money even while focusing on other writing projects. If you enjoy sharing information and expertise, launching an online course platform could serve as a cost-effective way to monetize your instructional talents while catering to eager lifelong learners. This creates a win-win scenario, providing value to your students and helping you hit that six-figure income target.
How much you can make: $350 — $1,000,000/month
How much does it cost to start: $2,000 (?)
How long does it take to build: 88 days (?)
Learn how one couple created a successful personal finance blog, The Savvy Couple, that now makes over $20,000 per month and has sold thousands of digital workbooks and courses, by focusing on purposeful content and optimizing their ROI with efficient time management.
9. Become a social media influencer ($57.4K/month)
Exploring the path of becoming a social media influencer could greatly enhance your income as a writer, opening diverse revenue streams. By leveraging platforms like Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and TikTok, you could connect with a vast audience and showcase your writing expertise in engaging ways. This expands your reach and could attract lucrative brand partnerships, sponsored content opportunities, and affiliate marketing deals.
With the right strategy and by choosing a popular niche aligned with your interests, you could establish credibility and grow a dedicated following. Your ability to create relevant, compelling content could persuade your audience to act on your recommendations, enhancing your influence and income potential. By integrating your writing skills into your social media presence, you could potentially reach six-figure earnings through these multiple channels.
How much you can make: $2,500 — $166,666/month
How much does it cost to start: $800 (?)
How long does it take to build: 155 days (?)
How one mother built a profitable frugal motherhood, life, and travel blog from scratch, using Instagram, Pinterest, and paid sponsorships to grow from 0 to 18.5K followers and generate $1,500-$3,000 per month in less than two years.
10. Start an ecommerce store ($287K/month)
Starting an ecommerce store could be a lucrative path for writers looking to supplement their income and potentially reach six figures. As an entrepreneurial writer, you could leverage your unique voice and expertise to create and sell digital products such as e-books, writing courses, or templates. The low overhead costs and increased flexibility of an ecommerce business would enable you to maximize your profit margins while reaching a global audience.
In today's convenience-driven market, consumers prefer the efficiency of online shopping. By setting up a dedicated ecommerce website, you could offer a seamless purchasing experience, complete with inventory tracking, payment processing, and shopping cart software. This way, you could focus on producing high-quality, engaging content that meets your audience's needs while generating a steady revenue stream.
Ultimately, the ability to merge your writing skills with the booming ecommerce sector presents a unique and profitable opportunity. As your store gains traction, it could pave the way for you to achieve financial success and career growth well beyond traditional writing gigs.
How much you can make: $350 — $13,500,000/month
How long does it take to build: 120 days (?)
Time commitment per week: Min. 5 hours/week
Southern Elegance Candle Company, founded by D'Shawn Russell, started as a side hustle making around $200 per weekend at a local Farmers Market, but now averages approximately $20,000 per month in sales across their retail site, wholesale site, and Faire.
11. Become an affiliate marketer ($55.3K/month)
As a writer, venturing into affiliate marketing could provide you with an additional stream of income by promoting products and services that align with your niche. This low-cost business model leverages your existing writing and marketing skills to drive traffic and sales, allowing you to earn commissions without the need to develop or stock products yourself.
You could start by signing up for affiliate programs relevant to your audience and integrating affiliate links within your content. With the right approach, your compelling storytelling and persuasive content could turn readers into buyers, enabling you to steadily increase your earnings.
By strategically choosing affiliate partnerships and producing high-quality, targeted content, you could potentially reach six figures, diversifying your income and enhancing your financial stability.
How much you can make: $18,000 — $83,000/month
How much does it cost to start: $100 (?)
How long does it take to build: 150 days (?)
This case study explores how Spencer Mecham founded Buildapreneur, an affiliate marketing business, and has made over half a million dollars in profit with no employees, relying solely on content marketing through platforms like Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok.
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Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
