Welcome to A Novel Approach. If this is your first issue, I encourage you to check out my back issues for more tips on how to write a novel. It's my fondest hope that I can help other writers do the best they can do.

If you have any specific aspects about novel writing you'd like me to address in future issues, please feel free to contact me and let me know what those are. Thank you for your interest, and here's to better writing!

Wow, I feel like I fell off the face of the earth for a few months. I know I haven't gotten regular issues of this newsletter out, that's for sure. My apologies, but man, building your own house is time- (and brain-) consuming!

So, I'm ready to jump back into my website with both feet - uh hands? Right.

Anyway, I also wanted to note that I am changing my newsletter schedule due to time constraints. I will be posting one issue per month now, unless I find time to post a second "bonus" issue. Expect it around the middle of each month, and hope I don't fall off the earth again. Oh wait, the house is mostly done!

Onto the meat of this issue.

Get Paid to Write -
Where and How You Can Make Money Writing

But just how easy is it to do so with fiction?

Not so easy. Yes, there are plenty who get rich on at least one book, but never again. (Harper Lee with To Kill a Mockingbird) Or those who write so much and in a popular genre that they make lots of money at it (Louis L'Amour with his Westerns, for example).

But a great many authors struggle to make enough to live on and must supplement with other income from a 9-to-5 job or similar.

Don't let that stop you writing! Just find other writing "jobs" to help you get by, if writing is your main passion.

My Method of Choice

When I need to get paid to write and know my fiction's not ready, I turn to non-fiction writing instead.

This is NOT a cop-out. Especially since I enjoy writing non-fiction almost as much as fiction.

There are loads of non-fiction writing options. You should first choose one you feel comfortable about and in an area you already know, so you don't waste time needing to learn something new in order to start the money rolling in.

I probably can't name all the ways non-fiction can foot the bills, but I have three favorite methods, two of which happen to be pretty lucrative.

I offer web writing services, first and foremost. Because I've been building my own websites for four years now, and use a program that makes it easy to do it right and build traffic steadily and continually, I offer my services to people who don't have the time and know-how to do the same.

These people may or may not have a website, yet, and if they don't, even better because I build websites complete, as well. Website writing and creation can pay very well, and for me, has become fast and easy, so I can make good money doing it.

Web writing can include writing content pages, sales pages, landing pages, newsletters, and even blogs for busy business-people. I offer any and all, but tend to write more content pages than anything else at the moment.

If you have expertise in some area of knowledge, even if it isn't connected to web writing in particular, offer your writing services to businesses who provide products or services in your area of expertise.

For instance, my husband ran an underground irrigation company for over twenty-five years. So I have knowledge of irrigation, lawn care and a bit about the home-building industry. All of these are topics I could easily offer my services for.

My Second Choice

Another area I've had training in that I can also get paid to write is copywriting. If you don't really know what this is, pay attention next time you get junk mail in your mailbox.

Yup, that's right. Copywriting is writing "junk mail" - or more politically correct and impressive-sounding - direct sales copy. Much of what you get in your mailbox really is "junk": poorly written and lacking any punch.

I took a course in how to actually sell using direct mail, and offer my services as such. It's more of a sideline than my main income stream, but it can be VERY lucrative. I know one guy who's been writing for the financial industry for about thirty years. He makes well over a million a year doing it. (Yeah, really!)

If something like that appeals to you, you might want to check out the course I took, because without it, you won't get as far as fast. It's AWAI's Accelerated Program for Six-Figure Copywriting, put out by a company called American Writers & Artists Inc. . They're nice people, if you're interested in trying copywriting out.

Or, you can try a program by the guy who makes over a million a year at Clayton Makepeace's Total Package , called Clayton's Quick-Start Copywriting System. He has other's, so feel free to poke around his site. I'd say he knows what he's talking about.

Third, But Not Least

I have one more way to get paid to write that I don't use much, yet, but intend to, now I live in such a gorgeous vacation destination: travel writing.

Now most people who do this actually like to travel a lot to exotic and not-so-exotic locations. And once they're known for their great travel articles (and perhaps photography for same), they can get PAID to travel!

Yes, you heard me correctly. If you learn to do this right, you can get paid to write, at the same time you're getting paid to go on vacation!

Me, I like staying close to home, mostly. And there's money in that, too, no matter where you live. You can write about the unique places to visit in your own hometown, homegrown heroes, advantages of living where you do and plenty more. Just look for magazines about your area, get their editorial calendar (which states what topics their next six months or so of issues will carry), and query the editor with story ideas.

Don't forget to read several issues first, so you can offer what they really want. If they emphasize dining experiences, do the same in your article, or you won't sell it.

One More Way to Get Paid to Write

I have one other method to suggest, for those diehard "I'll-only-write-fiction" purists: Be prolific.

How, you ask? Set yourself deadlines and goals. Many of you know I participated in last November's National Novel Writing Month, and successfully passed both the 50,000 words in thirty days goal, and finished the rough draft of my kid's fantasy novel (which was about 75,000 words when done).

That convinced me I can complete the rough draft of a writing project in thirty days or less. I also know I can edit the same amount in a month - maybe two, including breaks from the project so I have some distance from the project before I edit. That means I can complete a minimum of three projects per year (one month to write, one month off and two to edit).

Now, I wouldn't just write one month and just edit one month. I'd be working on the rough draft of one project while I edited another one (or two). So I could conceivably do perhaps SIX projects a year. I know some authors do this, since they put out four new novels a year or more.

As a matter of fact, I have precisely that sort of schedule planned for this year (since we finally finished our house far enough to slow down on the details). I intend to NaNoWrite a humorous look at building your own house, NaNoEdit that one and both my NaNoNovel from last November and the first in my adult fantasy series, too, and NaNoWrite at least two, maybe three of my How to Write a Novel series of books, one of which will also get NaNoEdited.

That's three or four new books written, plus four or five completely edited. Sound tough? Yeah, it probably will be, since I'll also be writing website material and possibly some sales copy. But I really want to make a go of writing, so I'm going to keep to the grindstone and whip out those books.

You, too, can set yourself a schedule and stick to it. If you need someone to be accountable to with your deadlines, find a friend or family member - or a fellow writer - and give them your proposed schedule. Then have them check up on you - nicely.

Pretty soon you'll get paid to write, too!

But Wait, There's More!

If you want more info on getting paid to write, check out my "Get Paid To Write" web page, which has an overview of the wide variety of methods you can choose from - besides writing novels.

Just so you don't forget this writing gig is supposed to be a business...

Almost anyone can be an author; the business is to collect money and fame from this state of being. ~ A. A. Milne