“You’re a publisher. Why are you telling me this?”

…Because not everyone wants to go through the process of traditional publishing. The most important thing is to find a way to share your work with readers in a way that’s comfortable for you.

Not everyone is interested in monetizing their writing but it can be a good source of income if you aren’t afraid of doing a little legwork.

I think we can all acknowledge how influential social media has become and how it can impact book sales for an author. We can also probably agree that a number of people have generated a good deal of money online as well.

You can do the same thing with your books.

“But how?”

Read to the end to get our free writing progress tracker.

Find A Platform

There are plenty of places out there where you can post your writing such as on Wattpad, StudioLink, A03, etc.

The great thing about having so many options of places to share your work is that you don’t need to have your own website if you don’t want to. It will save you a lot of money to post your story elsewhere.

You can even post on more than one platform but make sure that you are updating all of them as necessary.

💡Make sure to choose a platform that doesn’t own your content when you post.

Plan A Schedule

Your schedule will save you a lot of stress later on and it will help your readers know exactly when they should be expecting a new chapter or bonus content.

A lot of writers have said that by getting into a routine with their writing, it has helped them be more creative. Some of them even say that it has reduced the amount of instances where they get stuck with writers’ block.

Knowing when you are going to post new work also means that you’ll be able to promote it easier.

Work Ahead

This might be the most difficult part in the beginning.

If you’ve finished your book then this isn’t much of a worry for you.

Get at least a few chapters written before you start promoting the work you’re monetizing. That way if a situation comes up you won’t miss posting a chapter and you’ll still have time to get back on track later.

It also makes it easier to avoid major plotholes if you aren’t posting a chapter then moving on. You’ll have more time to review and edit before you show it to you readers.

Keeping up with writing is a difficult process, especially when you’re sharing it with strangers almost immediately.

💡Make sure to let readers know that what you’re sharing is more of a first draft.

Choose A Monetization Space

This is where people will be able to become a subscriber and support your writing. Sites like Patreon or Buy Me A Coffee will be where you drive readers to.

Many writers will have to post their stories for free in the beginning so what do you offer in your monetization space?

There’s a lot that you could offer but many writers tend to offer things like:

• Bonus chapters
• Access to unpublished work
• Subscriber-exclusive artwork

Some writers even make it so subscribers can read their work for free even after they’ve published it physically.

Monetization doesn’t have to be extensive or expensive. You just have to provide members with something extra that makes supporting you worth it.

Market Yourself

Once you have yourself set up to post your stories and make money from them, it’s time to start marketing your writing and asking for support.

Yes, you should let people know that there is an option to support your writing. They can’t do it if they don’t know about it.

Share things about your book that would make people excited. Then tell them where they can read it and about any exclusive bonus content that they can unlock by supporting you through your monetization space.

Marketing isn’t for the weak. That’s one huge reason that people lean toward traditional publishing. Marketing will take time, patience, and consistency. It’s very much worth it though.

✍️✍️✍️

You don’t have to go through traditional publishing in order to make money from your writing. Yes, the clout may be nice but it’s not the only option available.

Social media has provided so many opportunities for writers to reach new readers, share their work, and make money. It would be a disservice not to acknowledge the potential that writers can take advantage of if they want more creative control and don’t want to go through the hassle of working with agents and publishers.

If you don’t want to be responsible for doing everything from hiring an editor, marketing, and distributing your book and want the same benefits of traditional publishing without being represented by an agent, we at Third Wheel Publishing can help. We are currently accepting queries from new authors. Submit yours today!