Creative writing is a lonely affair. Apart from ending up with piles of unread and unpublished work, your bank account is always empty. People do not take creative writing seriously. Many do not consider it a career that someone can survive on. Most often, a creative writer will have to contend with such questions as,” Apart from writing poems, what else do you do for a living?” For an established author, the life of creative writing pays. He or she can easily get publishing deals.
For a young budding writer, getting money out of creative writing can prove to be a very daunting task. Were it not for the passion, many would have given up writing. But the advancement in technology has come with a lot of opportunities for writers. One only need to press the right button and money will start flowing.
Blogs
One way you can monetize your creative writings is by creating a blog. You can publish your poems, short stories, opinion articles and reviews on your blog. With time, your blog will attract followers. That is if your creativity is at par. When your blog hits a certain number of followers/subscribers, it can start attracting advertisements i.e Google AdSense. You will get good money from adverts placed on your blog. If you do not have a personal blog, you can submit your articles to another blog. If you get published as a guest writer for another blog, you stand a chance to make some money.
Contribute articles to newspapers and magazines
Another way you can monetize your creative writing is by submitting your articles to Newspapers and magazines. You can start by taking advantage of the “open to public” columns. These columns are usually unpaid but it will help you build a name. It will also give you some experience. With time, you can strike a deal to write for paid columns. There are some lifestyle magazines which pay when they publish your articles.
Online writing
The internet offers many opportunities for writers to make money out of their writing skills. You can decide to do academic writings or do content writing for websites. Academic writing involves doing research and writing term papers. You are given a topic and instructions on how you are supposed to write the article. Most academic writing projects are paid per page. Others pay per word. Content writing involves coming up with articles to furnish a website. They can be news articles or articles on health, fashion, science etc. Also, you can write book reviews and get paid.
Publishing
Another way you can make money out of your creative writings is to get into publishing. You can choose to get into a contract with a publishing firm. It is a slow but a sure process. Once you get your writings published into a book, you can sell them and get some income. Getting into mainstream publishing is not easy, especially for writers who are just starting out. It has forced many writers to opt for self-publishing.
Literary prizes
If you Google literary prizes in Africa, you will be surprised how many results you get. A young creative writer may not be aware of these prizes but they do exist. Each year, they offer opportunities for writers to submit their works for possible consideration. You can always try your luck. It is better to try and fail than fail to try. The good thing about literary prizes is that you get a chance to meet other writers from around Africa and the World. If you miss the cash reward, your articles may be considered for publication. Also, you can get a chance to attend literary workshops and festivals. Each year, most literary organizations give selected writers opportunities to attend Residency programs. This is also good for you.