Writing for MORE than Money

Writing for a living seems like a dream, even though I have been doing it for the last five years. The idea that I can sit at a computer and write words that entertain or inform others – AND GET PAID – takes my breath away. They might say that it is wrong that I want more, but They also think that expecting to make money writing is unreasonable so what do They know?

The words that I have been writing all of this time are just filler for the most part. I attempt to make it worth the time of the readers but most of the clients just want words that make sense. I have managed to accumulate a few jobs over the years where I write my passion and my heart. Those are the kind that I want all day.

Getting Paid for Passion and Heart

1. Start asking for jobs in your niche. The first job I landed was for a local newspaper that had just started up. I called and offered my services and the editor offered me a lifestyle column. Almost three years later and I have enough content from those columns to create gift books for the holidays that can be offered through my websites. All of that started with one phone call.

2. Continue to write your passion and heart without pay. They told me that I needed to monetize my websites to be able to make passive income. I decided to focus on creating content that I would enjoy reading and that would help me along. The words from those posts are become the foundation for short eBooks and booklets that I can offer to people at meetings where I speak, conferences that I attend and again, through my websites. Words that I wrote for free are now returning to become the passive income I was told I needed to focus on from the beginning.

3. Dare to believe it. Nothing kills a dream faster than the doubt of its reality. I played basketball in high school (more like I was on the team), but at 5′ even I had no delusions of doing more than occasionally holding a place on my high school team. My younger brother loved basketball. He practiced or just played all hours of every day. At 5′ 6″ his determination and heart landed him a scholarship playing in college. He wanted to play and never heard the doubters telling him that he was not “right” for the sport.

4. Create a path to forget the dollar signs. I understand that making money writing may be one of the primary reasons the words get written. The world requires dollars for things to happen. Weaning off the paychecks can be painful and scary. Around my house, we are tucking away as much as we can as fast as we can. Once we get enough saved to cover three to six months of bills then it will be time to fly solo. Find a way to control your own path instead of letting the money become the dictator.

Passion and heart will make the difference. They just need the clearance to fly. Find the jobs that will open up the space to allow you to pursue your dreams. Make a path for that reality. Look boldly into the eyes of They and say, “I believe.”