Do You Earn Six-Figures From Writing?
How often have you heard about all the poor, starving freelance writers ? Perhaps it’s time to face the truth … that not all writers struggle to put a meal on the table . Some writers are earning a very tidy income.
But first before we look at writer income, let’s consider for a moment how freelance writers earn their living. They write material for magazines, newspapers and web sites. Some concentrate on copywriting or technical writing. And others specialize in writing resumes, short stories, poems and greeting cards.
The income that freelance writers receive for their services varies quite widely however, much more so than for other professions such as teaching or plumbing.
A survey conducted by the American Society of Journalists and Authors revealed a number of interesting facts about the earnings of freelance journalists. The results took into account responses of 473 freelance journalists who worked in United States and who considered freelancing to be their primary job.
Around 7% of these freelance journalists earned $100,000 or more . An additional 24% earned between $50,000 and $100,000 . And close to 69% of these writers earned under $50,000 per year.
The good news is that many of these writers are clearly not starving. And 7% of them reached that wonderful “six-figure writer” status. In fact, 3% of the freelance writers surveyed actually earned $150,000 or more !
The bad news is that many freelance writers are still earning less than $50,000 annually . If you are a writer and that describes your situation, then here is some advice to increase your writing income towards that six-figure mark.
What Type of Writing Do You Do?
By changing the kind of writing you do, you might be able to get better amounts for your work. One of the most lucrative areas of writing is copywriting. I know that a survey of copywriters revealed 39% of respondents earned from $500 to $100,000 a year, which is certainly a higher percentage than the 24% of writers above.
Other lucrative areas of writing include ghostwriting, technical writing , and writing and publishing your own ebooks and information products.
Discipline and Perseverance
It takes hard work to build any business, and a writing business is no exception. Set your objectives in advance. Work out how many hours you will work and what amount you need to earn per hour in order to achieve your targets. For example, in order to make $100,000 this year, you must earn on average around $2,000 per week. If you intend to work 40 hour weeks, then you need to earn at least $50 for each hour in order to reach your target of $100,000 for the year.
Many people dream about being a full-time writer but don’t know how to make their dream come truet . Do some due diligence up front . Find out which areas of writing are most likely to work for you. Now go for it. Write on !
