Start developing some additional sources of income. Now.

by Nick Usborne

When you are just starting out, or early on in your writing career, it’s hard to focus on one goal at a time.

And arguably, you shouldn’t be shifting focus at all. You should be seeking out more clients, adding to your portfolio and building a reputation for great work.

But what I’m going to suggest is that you put aside just two or three hours a week to start working on something a little different.

You can write. Yes? That’s why you have ambitions to become a great copywriter.

Well, there are other ways to make money with those writing skills you have.

You can build and write your own web sites, you can write e-books, you can create instructions CDs or DVDs, you can start speaking.

The point I’m trying to make is that it’s all too easy to go through your copywriting career simply making money by the hour as a freelancer.

Over that same period of time, you could be building yourself a much larger business, and building a stream of long-term income.

I’m guilty of being slow to catch on myself...

I made money just as a copywriter for almost 30 years before I suddenly realized that I could use my writing skills to build additional sources of income.

Maybe I was a bit slow to catch on. But in my defense, a lot has changed over the last ten years. Ten years ago there was no such thing as an e-book. Ten years ago you had to be right on the leading edge to think about using your writing skills to make money online with your own web sites. And so on.

So maybe I haven’t been THAT slow to catch on.
But right now, about half my income is derived from copywriting...and the rest comes from speaking, holding seminars, building money-making web sites, publishing...and a few other ventures.

In other words, I’m extending the revenue potential of my core expertise – which is writing.

Two ways to go with your multiple streams of income...

One way is to create sites, e-books, programs, seminars etc which are all centered on your copywriting business.

That way, you are not only making more money in a variety of different areas, but you are also strengthening your brand as a copywriter. You create all your products and services so that they highlight your skill as a copywriter.

The other way to go is to keep your publishing work separate from your copywriting career.

For instance, you might do copywriting for the financial services industry, but have a personal passion for mountain bike riding. In this scenario, you could build a quite separate business of creating sites, writing e-books and shooting videos all about mountain biking.

You are still profiting from your core skill – writing – but your publishing empire is separate from your copywriting career.

Whichever route you take, start now.

I feel a little like an investment advisor who tells everyone to start investing for their retirement when they are in their twenties. It’s a tough sell, because when we are twenty-something, retirement income is not exactly uppermost on our minds.

But, of course, the advisor is giving good advice. The earlier you start investing, the more money you will make.

The same goes for building a broad based publishing business. Start now.

You keep your copywriting gigs to pay the bills now and for the next few years...and then year by year you’ll find that your publishing business is contributing more and more to your total annual income.

To get your brain firing in a few different directions, I have put together a list of resources, one or more of which might inspire you to start something new, exciting and profitable...

Self Publishing – Your complete business plan for creating a life without borders...

How to write and publish your own OUTRAGEOUSLY Profitable eBook in as little as 7 days...

Site Build It web site hosting, creation and marketing system...

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Related learning materials:

Nick Usborne's Million Dollar Secrets to Online Copywriting

The demand for print and direct mail copywriters is static, to say the least. The real demand right now is for copywriters who have the skills to write effective copy for the web. This is a professional-grade course that will make you a specialist in online copywriting. This is where the future for copywriters lies! More about this online copywriting course...

Michael Masterson's Accelerated Program for Six-Figure Copywriting

Improve your copywriting skills and enter the very lucrative market for direct marketing copywriters. This is a comprehensive course and my #1 recommendation for anyone who wants to learn how to write copy that drives results. Read my in-depth review