Suzanne Lieurance

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2 Suzanne Lieurance Note: This publication and writebythesea.com contain links to my products and affiliate links to others products for which I may receive a commission.

3 Business Models for Writers A Short Overview from Suzanne Lieurance If you re just starting to build your freelance writing business or your career as a author, you need a business model to follow. Fortunately, there are several business models to choose from. And, while you probably will want to incorporate several of these models into your overall writing business or writing career at some point, I suggest you choose just one of these models as your major focus to start.

4 What follows is an overview of 12 different business models for writers. There may be others, but these are the most common and, generally, the most lucrative. Business Model #1 Novelist Many people decide they want to become a novelist and that is the only (or major) way they will make money writing.

5 This is good because it creates a narrow focus for the writer s business. Still, within that narrow focus, there are several key actions that need to be taken on a consistent basis. First, the writer who chooses this model will need to write novels, of course. And, studies show that most writers need to write and publish (either traditionally publish or self-publish) at least 5 novels within the same genre before they start making a significant income from this model. If self-publishing, many writers choose to publish Kindle e-books. And, in order to make a significant income each month, they write and publish a new novel every month or so. Marketing is also part of this model since any author needs to market his/her books to sell them. Novelists generally supplement their income by public speaking engagements, which they are paid for and where they can often (although not always) sell their books.

Novelists today also need to create an online presence (generally a blog) and build a following for their work, incorporating social media into their overall marketing plan.

6 Novelists today also need to create an online presence (generally a blog) and build a following for their work, incorporating social media into their overall marketing plan. Business Model # 2 Nonfiction Book Author Many people choose to make writing nonfiction books the major way they will earn money writing. Some writers choose to write nonfiction only for children and teens.

7 Other writers choose to write nonfiction only for adults. And still other writers choose to write nonfiction for both children and adults (though the same books won t be appropriate for both of these audiences). Marketing is also part of this model since authors need to promote their books in order to sell them. Public speaking can be part of this model, too. And blogging and social media marketing are also important parts of this business model. Many writers choose to self-publish their nonfiction as e-books (not print versions) and make a living this way after they have several books available for purchase. Again, marketing these e-books is also part of this business model. And, generally, writers using this business model need to create a new e-book every month or so to generate a significant income following this model.

8 Business Model #3 - Business to Business Writer Many writers choose to write a variety of materials for other business clients. It s usually a good idea to decide on a specific type of business to target for this and then

9 become an expert at writing materials for this type of business if this is the model that appeals to you. Writers who choose this business model can write blog posts, white papers, copy, sales copy (both online and offline sales copy), press releases, and all sorts of other materials that businesses tend to need. But it s usually easier to make more money following this model if you specialize in the types of writing you do for your target market. For example, many writers only write sales copy for other businesses and they are able to charge premium prices for this service because they are so good at this type of writing. As with the other business models, this model also includes marketing since writers need to market themselves in order to obtain business clients to write for. Business writers market their writing businesses offline as well as online. So, generally, a strong online presence is also needed in order to attract clients.

10 Business Model #4 Affiliate Marketer Affiliate marketing is a good business model for freelance writers to follow because it involves a great deal of writing. Typically, to follow this model, writers decide on a niche market they will target and then

11 they look for affiliate programs that offer products and services that will be helpful for those within this niche market. Affiliate marketing is usually done through blogging, marketing, social media, and partnering with other business owners to promote their products and services as an affiliate.

Business Model #5 Niche Blogger With this model, a writer decides on a niche market that he wishes to serve, then he sets up a blog that will appeal to this niche market.

12 Business Model #5 Niche Blogger With this model, a writer decides on a niche market that he wishes to serve, then he sets up a blog that will appeal to this niche market. This business model usually includes affiliate marketing. Writers who choose this business model can also earn income through sales of their own products and services and by selling ads on their blogs.

13 To be successful with this model, it is necessary to create a large following, so thousands of readers are visiting this niche blog every day. Creating this following is often the most difficult part of this business model. Fortunately, there are many ways to build a following for a niche site, these methods just need to be learned and implemented.

Business Model #6 Coach Many writers decide to coach others. They develop their own coaching products and programs and market them both offline and online.

14 Business Model #6 Coach Many writers decide to coach others. They develop their own coaching products and programs and market them both offline and online. This is a good model to use if you have expertise in some area that can become the basis for your own unique line of coaching products and services. Again, these products and services must be marketed constantly.

Business Model #7 Information Product Creator and Marketer Writers who decide on a specific niche they will target often create their own information products for this specific niche and then market

15 Business Model #7 Information Product Creator and Marketer Writers who decide on a specific niche they will target often create their own information products for this specific niche and then market them as a way to earn income. Information products are items that can be delivered digitally, such as e-books, e-courses, webinars, teleseminars, special reports (delivered as pdf files, like this one you are now reading), audio files, etc.

16 This model can work for most any niche once the needs of this niche are known and the writer knows how to meet these needs with his information products. A writer who chooses this business model is known as an Internet marketer.

Business Model #8 Journalist Writing for magazines (both print and online versions) and other periodicals can be an excellent business model to follow if the writer is good at researching information

17 Business Model #8 Journalist Writing for magazines (both print and online versions) and other periodicals can be an excellent business model to follow if the writer is good at researching information and locating primary and secondary sources of information on all sorts of topics. Of course, the writer also needs to be very good at continually coming up with new ideas for articles and then slanting these ideas so

18 they appeal to specific magazine and newspaper editors that the writer decides to target.

Business Model #9 Content and Social Media Marketing Manager Many writers love social media and create a business managing the social media marketing for other businesses, including other writers,

19 Business Model #9 Content and Social Media Marketing Manager Many writers love social media and create a business managing the social media marketing for other businesses, including other writers, authors, coaches, entrepreneurs, etc. It is best to learn as much as possible about content creation and social media marketing and treat yourself as a client before offering your content and social media management series to other businesses.

20 Business Model #10 Virtual Assistant For writers who are computer savvy and have some technical knowledge of setting up blogs, creating online documents, etc. this can be a lucrative business model to follow. There are various training programs available online for this model.

Business Model #11 Ghost Writer Ghost writers typically write books and other materials for a fee without getting a byline or other credit for their work.

21 Business Model #11 Ghost Writer Ghost writers typically write books and other materials for a fee without getting a byline or other credit for their work. Rather, the client is credited with writing the material. Before becoming a ghostwriter, it s good to get some experience writing the types of materials you wish to ghostwrite. For example, if you wish to ghostwrite children s books for clients, write some

22 children s books for traditional children s publishers first. Once you have experience writing the types of materials you wish to ghostwrite, you can set up a blog or website where you offer your ghostwriting services.

23 Business Model #12 Children s Writer Many writers decide to specialize in writing for children. There are a few ways to go about this. Some writers choose to create their own books for children and then find an agent who will sell them to traditional publishers or they decide to find traditional publishers on their own.

24 Other children s writers self-publish their books for children and then market these books themselves. Other writers specialize in ghostwriting children s books for clients. Many children s writers who make a good living from their work also do what are called workfor-hire projects. Work-for-hire projects can include books (fiction or nonfiction), materials for students to use in the classroom, teacher materials (lesson plans, teacher guides), plays, posters, etc. Children s writers can also supplement their income by charging for school visits, where they develop presentations they can make in classrooms to small groups of students and/or to large groups of students (gathered in the auditorium, for example). Some children s writers also make school visits via Skype.

25 What s the Best Model for You As you can tell by now, a successful writing career or a writing business tends to incorporate several of these models into the overall business model. Yet many successful writers/authors follow only one model. If you wish to build a successful writing business or a writing career, use this overview as a guide to get started. Which model appeals to you and your particular interests and skills the most? Once you ve decided on one of the following models, find out all you can about it, then start implementing that model. For Additional Help Implementing Any of These Models Visit to find out more about my professional coaching programs. Suzanne Lieurance

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