Learning how to brand yourself as a high-income writer paves the way towards your financial goals. That is if you’re willing to go through the tough process.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links that help me monetize the site. Since I don’t run any ads, this is my way to keep the site running. Don’t worry because I don’t promote programs or products I don’t personally believe it works and if I’m not using them.

Why do you have to learn how to brand yourself as a high-income writer? What differences does it make for you? 

Well, that’s exactly the reason for bringing you here. I’ll be sharing the outcomes of my efforts of branding myself as a highly-paid writer after 6 years in the industry. 

Back when I started in 2014 as a lowly writer-wannabe, writing only for free as a contributor to various lifehack sites was my only option to showcase my skills. 

My parents didn’t understand why I worked so hard for nothing. “You could have spent more time on printing resumes and going out to search for a stable job,” my family and relatives said many times. 

Those words put me at the edge but that wasn’t enough to stop me. Albeit the doubts, I continued and pressured myself to prove something right. It took some time before I did.

Does this sound familiar to you? 

Do you often hear rants from your family and friends, complaining about your decision to become a writer?

If yes, then, you’re in the right place. I hope that my most important beginnings will inspire you to commit to this life-changing industry. I tell you this, it is going to be worth your while.

Are you ready? 

Before Writing: $100 Monthly Salary As A Teacher

Before exploring my writing ventures, I was working as a full-time high school teacher in a nearby school, a few meters away from my house. It’s the 50th school I applied for several universities around the town. 

After my college graduation, my parents pushed me to apply for a job and start making money. Well, everyone does that, don’t they?

It seems everyone is excited to find a job in the hopes of getting financial stability.

Besides, that’s the reason for getting into a university and spending 4-hellish years of nonsense theories.

Every person I know was thrilled to print their first resumes and scoured the town for jobs.

At the time, I felt I missed something. Working for somebody else wasn’t my thing. It sounds arrogant, I know. It does because I know what I want in life.

Freedom and authority.

Seven years ago, I didn’t have an idea of how to achieve that life but I know there’s something I could do. And applying for another 50 jobs won’t make it. 

But then again … I have to survive.

[su_note note_color=”#fb8b24″]Writing remains an attractive income opportunity because it entails freedom and authority of your thoughts, in printed form.[/su_note]

After 50 schools I applied, only 2 small schools called me back. The first one was my alma mater. It was where I spent 2 years as a freshman and a sophomore. 

Given that most of the administrators know me and their support, I failed to secure a job even after wasting hours of preparation for a teaching demonstration.

The reason? 

The school administrator, the son of the school owner, was disappointed because I had an ambitious dream.

“I want to spend my time to reach the highest point of my education career. Perhaps, acquiring a Doctor’s Degree.”

He wanted to hire me but he refused because of my dream. It sounds petty, right? Sadly, I had to experience that.

That’s exactly what I said that led him to reject my application. Which then gave the way for another small private school to hear their offer as a new graduate.

In the Philippines, the schools don’t give a damn on your achievements. Especially in the provincial areas.

They won’t hire the ones with good credentials in fear of being thrown out from their positions. 

Most high-ranking administrators don’t like to delve into people like me, whom they think is a threat.

Unfortunately, they do this to protect themselves even if they compromise the education of their students. 

This is why I ended up getting hired in a small private school nearby in exchange for $100 as a monthly salary. 

According to the principal who accepted my application said this, “You can’t ask me more than $100 as your monthly salary.

You’re just a new graduate. Don’t be too ambitious just because you have an intimidating background.”

For $100 as a monthly salary, I knew it wasn’t the job for me. I like teaching, in general, but not in a standardized institution aka school. As my husband often says, schools teach their students how to become stupid.

As a teacher, I know he has a point. It was also my struggle as a high school English teacher.

I don’t have full control of my method of teaching, often regarded as crazy as everyone thinks I am. 

Although my students want me to continue teaching, I decided to quit. I think at the time I had enough. 

I worked more than 100 hours per week, writing 8 separate lesson plans for every single day + extra-curricular activities to handle + 8-hr teaching.

Despite the low paying job, my desire to survive was strong enough to stick through the mundane routines of a low-paid English teacher. 

From Sunday to Saturday, I was working relentlessly for a year until my body collapsed.

At that point where I laid on the school bed and fell unconscious for half-an-hour, I knew it’s time to go.

How Did I Start As A Writer? No Income.

Before I began my writing career, I had a stable job. And to survive, you know how important this decision is.

Do you want to pursue something you’re passionate about or do you rather remain in the cubicle from 9 to 5?

What if you don’t have an idea of how to achieve it? But you like to do it so much that all you can do is to let go and see what happens.

Would you risk your job you hate for a passion with an unclear path or not? 

These questions lingered in my head until my school contract ended. I left the job with no regrets.

Although I don’t know the outcomes of my pursuit will be, I let go of control and see what happens. 

I don’t mean to scare you. What I intend to do is to share the worst cases I experienced to give you a look at how this kind of life appears. Albeit the difficulties, I thrived.

If you have a supporting family, good for you. If I did in such a terrible scenario, how much more can you do then?

When I began, my family doubted me, discouraging me from my lifetime pursuit, and pushed to the edge.

Without support, I continued because I know this works. Like you are now, I was once naive, clueless of what to do and how to achieve my goal – become an author.

Total Social Isolation For “Chase” Detox

Nowadays, it’s all about the chase. People don’t have the time to sit down and slow down.

Stress and negativity surround their lifestyle, causing fatal results in the long run. 

As an overachiever, I was trained for it by learning the value of perfectionism and climbing the social ladder for authority and power. They were important values for me in every aspect of my life. 

You can’t survive without the strive for power and intimidation. This is what had believed.

Not until I met writing and its lifestyle, calm, slow yet precise. I was already aware that writing forces me to pause.

It’s like meditation. Your mind as a writer works naturally as the words flow from your mind to your page or onto your paper.

Whatever medium you use for recording your deepest thoughts, this is what writing is about.

Total Silence To Deliver Results

If you plan to pursue this industry, you must understand that silence becomes your luxury.

If you work in an office, becoming a writer requires it more regardless if you are a freelance writer, blogger, essayist, or author. 

Silence allows us to focus on delivering results. Noise from surroundings distracts us from entering the depths of our thoughts. 

Writing requires a higher level of focus to finish the chapters or posts you have to do.

Not only that, it requires a higher dose of self-discipline to keep with the flow. Otherwise, you’re writing life will be chaos.

Within months, I spent my day inside the house, not going out for months. It wasn’t because I was antisocial (although I am a bit) or something. 

I isolated myself from social distractions and focused on what I wanted to do with my life. That is for the whole 6 months.

Just like you, I have had my struggles trying to make an income, trying to make the best of our capabilities (based on our strengths).

Suffering from exhaustion for $100 as a starting salary for new college graduates, it wasn’t okay for me.

I knew I had to do something. 

And writing has become a calling I’ve been ignoring for a long time. 

Stakes Are High, Expect Rants, Cusses

At 21 years old, risking my full-time job for something new and unstable is a reckless idea.

In the Philippines, you are expected to earn money and try to be financially stable—not to move out from your family—but to support them. 

It’s our way of keeping our kinship and family ties. Given my academic background and credentials, having no job is not an option. It’s a big mistake.

But I didn’t bother and pursued my decision to quit the job. Honestly, I had never felt an intense fear as I did at the time. Perhaps, you are in the same situation as I did. 

Leaving a stable job to pursue what you like takes a lot of courage and risk to prove, not only for your family who’s expecting a lot from you but also for yourself. 

As Jeff Goins wrote in his popular Medium article, “When your calling seems vague and unclear, you’re onm the right track.”

And pursuing a career in writing—an industry notable for a vow of poverty —is insane.

You could get into affiliate marketing or lifestyle vlogging just as others do to make a passive income. 

Why do you choose to become a writer? Why do you commit to this life?

Is it because you want to spread a message or is it because you simply want to make an income? 

Why Do You Write? Money Or Passion?

This is where most writers fall into the trap. Yes, working as a freelance writer online is a proven lucrative business for many.

As a writer with a gift like you do have, staying as a writer should not be the end game.

You have to pursue an ambitious goal to gain authority and gather a tribe with the same mindset as you do have. 

You think you couldn’t influence someone while sitting in front of your PC, writing something that resonates with them. 

You’re wrong.

This is why I have been pushing you to raise your goals from being a writer to becoming an author.

It is when you feel the fulfillment a writer can do in our chosen profession—I mean, vocation.

If you like to know how I wrote my book within 30 days, you can read my post here.

I wrote a detailed step-by-step process on how to become laser-focused to finishing the book within a short time.

“Why are you pushing me to become an author if I just want to remain a writer for the rest of my life?”

I know you would ask that and I hear you. 

I have a big reason. For 6 years in the writing industry, I have done a lot of things you could think of.

I was also a freelance writer for several blogs and websites of various niches. 

Name it. I’ve been a writer for real estate, business, gaming, entertainment, lifestyle, and sports. I’ve done it all but I gained nothing except debilitating stress.

There’s nothing wrong with applying for freelance writing jobs and keeping it that way.

But I know, for sure, you’re aware this is only for making money online. A side hustle, if you will.

Yet, there’s a little voice inside your head that tells you to tell your story. You want to become an authority of something you know best. 

You want to tell somebody about it but you aren’t sure if somebody out there would give a damn and listen without judgment.

Example #1: Joanna Penn

Joanna Penn of CreativePenn.com started from small steps. Like every best-selling author out there, she began her journey as a writer and a blogger. She built her site to help people like you. 

She could have just remained there. But she didn’t. Instead, she wrote books to teach people how to write just like what I’ve been doing and to say something for the world. 

The fact she published several books under her belt, she has become the authority of her niche. 

Example #2: Jeff Goins

Another great example is Jeff Goins. He quit his good-paying full-time job to become a blogger.

Just so you know, you don’t earn anything within the first 2 years. But he continued and later, succeeded. 

He is now a best-selling author of several book titles under his belt. One of his works, You Are A Writer, which remains my favorite book to read.

Example #3: Chandler Bolt

Chandler Bolt, the founder of Self-Publishing School, sought success from being an ordinary blogger to becoming a best-selling author. Because of that, he started teaching others to follow the path he did.

This is why I am inviting you to join me in this lifelong crusade. Start branding yourself as a high-income writer today.

I mean, right now. 

This is why I could tell the difference between keeping myself in a writer bubble and avoiding the challenge, writing a book and becoming a published author. 

Writer VS Author – Who Earns More Money?

A writer could earn within a minimum amount. An average writer asks for $0.10 per word depending on experience. In my case, I started with a $250 per month base payment in 2015. 

In total, a writer could earn $10,000 monthly or less. This isn’t the average though. Only a few prolific writers can do. Besides, it’s a lot of work and you’re not guaranteed to have the authority of your work. 

On the other hand, published authors earn at least $10,000. By the way, that’s passive income.

Unlike writers, you have to write a post to get paid. You receive payments based on the number of write-ups you wrote.

The authors earn while sleeping via online book sales in Kindle, Barnes & Noble, etc. They make use of the internet to generate income without checking it from time to time. 

Downsides of Being A Writer

When working as a freelance writer, somebody could take credit from your writing depending on the client or the website you’re working on. 

I was in the same situation when I started my writing career. They just placed “written by staff writer” in every post I submitted. 

It doesn’t matter what company I worked for, as long as you don’t earn their trust or you’re someone who doesn’t deserve to be named, they won’t give a damn on you and your efforts.

Companies Start Noticing My Writing Abilities – A Glint Of Hope!

It took around 6 months of constant writing before I got the chance to have my name written on the post. That was when I worked on another news website. 

The worst thing is when you apply for writing jobs, most companies or clients want to have proof of your writing skills.

That means you have to send them a link to the posts you write with your name on it. 

Yes, it sucks. 

But it’s worth it. You can learn a lot from these kinds of experiences, which help you grow and be strategic towards your roadmap as a writer. 

As Crazy As It Sounds, I Continued Despite Awful Situation

You might think I’m crazy to keep writing in spite of the awful situation. If I were thinking just as the majority does, I could have quit the idea of becoming a high-income writer. I didn’t. 

Instead, I pursued it because I love it. 

I love writing so much that I can write 2,000 words at least every single day. This is the secret sauce why I reached this point where I am today. This comprehensive post alone has almost 5,000 words.

When Did I Start Seeing Success In Writing?

Because of the dedication and focus I gave to improving my craft, I was able to make $5,000+ in 2019 alone as a writer.

As you can see below, the breakdown of my income clearly shows how my writing life grows over the years.

Writing Income Breakdown

If I continued working as a full-time high school teacher, I couldn’t imagine I could earn more online as a writer. 

2014 Income = Approximately $50 

2015 Income = Approximately $1,000+

2016 Income = Approximately $1,000+

2017 Income = I paused for my Etsy shop until mid-2018.

Late 2018 until 2019 = Approximately $5,000+

By Branding Myself, I Earn Respect & Authority

This is how important branding yourself as a high-income writer is. The way you market yourself as a writer corresponds to the kind of clients or writing opportunities you get. 

Mind you, writing is a vocation. You won’t expect to get paid that high at the start. Like working in a regular job, you have to go through the corporate ladder. 

Similarly, starting a writing career needs a lot of improvement on yourself as a creator of the content and your way of delivering information for an audience. 

If you are already a native English speaker, you have the advantage. In my case, English isn’t my native tongue so I had to make extra effort to perform at par with the native speakers. 

I read a lot of books not only for the sake of it but to learn new ways to express an idea. You can read my post about the “5 underrated ways to hone your writing skills” here. 

How To Brand Yourself As A High-Income Writer — An Author Soon?

Do you get my point of why I’m pushing you to become an authority in this niche? 

Regardless of what writing pursuits you have right now, you should know the core of writing per se by asking this, “Why do you want to become a writer?” 

Staying as a writer isn’t something you would expect the true value of success. Many freelance writers on forums complained about the low-paying opportunities they have. 

And the comments go on and on. 

Why is this happening? 

Companies or clients will only pay higher if they see a high-income writer. 

Who Is Considered A High-Income Writer?

This is what I observed. When I began my writing journey, I didn’t have a blog thinking it’s a waste of time. At the time, I rather sleep than write a bunch of posts again. 

What I failed to realize is that most companies and private individuals who are in the search for the best writers rely on the blogs. 

Your blog is part of your resume. The quality of your posts serves as their basis for hiring you to write for them. Realizing my mistake, I decided to purchase a web hosting and domain name. 

After I scoured the best deals I could find, I found Namecheap as my trusted provider. In comparison to most web hosting packages available, they provide the cheapest price. 

For $100 investment, I bought the web hosting package and started blogging. This is when my blog was born. I wrote my first 5 high-quality, cornerstone content without expecting much.

A few months later, I started to see the results of my labor. It was when I got hired to write for someone and earned $5,000+ as a writer. Not including my side income from affiliate marketing and sales from my Etsy shop.

[su_note note_color=”#fb8b24″]Your blog is your resume because it serves as your clients’ basis to hire you or not as a writer. This is important, especially at the beginning.[/su_note]

How To Brand Yourself As A High-Income Writer?

I hope my story resonates with you at this point. The fact you reach this section, I am pleased because you survived reading a lengthy post as this. 

Because of that, I will share the secret sauces you need to do to brand yourself as a high-income writer. These are the same things I did to reach where I am now. 

Note: This isn’t an overnight success. Building your writing career takes a while. Just enjoy the process and do not give up. Struggles will be seen in between. It’s up to you to survive and win the game or surrender and regret. 

1. Develop A High-Income Mindset

Without my blog, I couldn’t have landed with a high-paying writing job because I already have an idea of how this industry works. 

Even without applying or searching for freelance writing jobs, offers are still coming in until now.

I often receive messages from LinkedIn from companies and private individuals to write full-time for them. 

Other publishing companies started to notice me on Wattpad and offered me a publishing contract. 

Of course, I declined. As much as how enticing the offer is, I want to focus on what I want to do because my roadmap is already clear for me.

I want to become a published and best-selling author with a fair and lucrative income from my books. 

Why do I need to make money as a writer?

I have to survive.

So, to make sure writing is for you, you also have to consider the business side of things. Practice your craft in preparation for bigger and wider opportunities.

2. Leverage Your Presence Through Social Media

Another thing you should do to leverage your presence as a writer is taking a look at your social media accounts.

You have a lot of social media accounts to market yourself well, to reach a wide audience better. 

I used Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and LinkedIn as my active social media accounts where I benefited the most. I have a Twitter account but it isn’t as active as the 3 accounts. 

Using Facebook

Facebook is the best way to show your latest posts in public. So, your family and friends, as well as strangers, could read and learn.

The link you posted will direct your audience back to your blog. Hence, you increase web traffic. 

In my case, I utilize my Facebook account to share my new notebooks on various groups and my page. At the same time, I post new updates for my readers and followers. 

If you are writing on Wattpad, you know what I’m talking about. You need to share the new chapters to your followers and invite them to read it on the said reading platform.

Using Pinterest

The second social media account will be Pinterest, which is my personal favorite. As far as my social media experiences go, this is the platform I see that works best for me. 

If you notice in this post, you see a pin image at the top. 

This pin is then saved by the readers (including you) and shared using the same platform. Voila, another traffic source.

Through the pins in various group boards I belong to, I attract readers to click on the image and visit the page to read more. 

Using Instagram

Instagram is the area I reserve for creative outbursts. Though I’m into writing, it doesn’t mean I won’t do something creative.

Because I love the realm of writing, I am not focused on writing alone but on the industries around it.

This is why I lead to creating my handmade notebooks, planners, and travelers notebooks for others in my Etsy shop.

It’s my way to share my love for creating something and for my craft at once. 

Using LinkedIn

Lastly, LinkedIn is a platform where all the serious talks are. Influential people like Gary Vaynerchuk or Bill Gates actively update their posts there. Rather than expecting a casual social vibe, it’s more of a professional vibe. 

This forces you to get serious with updating your profile because this also serves as your marketing material.

Your potential clients will also check on the information you provided while reviewing your website. 

3. Establish A Platform — Own Your Online Property!

Often, people suggest you have a blog if you plan to market something online.

True. You need to have your website to share whatever you have to offer for your audience. 

As I mentioned earlier, I wasn’t paid more before I included blogging as part of my writing journey.

Right after I published high-quality and comprehensive posts on my site, I started seeing people asking me to work with them. 

At the same time, I started receiving emails asking me how I do to achieve my dream and thank you for writing comprehensive information online. 

With that being said, I encourage you to do the same. Buy your web hosting package and own an online property (your blog). I would also like to recommend WP Engine because of its great deals. 

I used StudioPress Themes to create a professional vibe on this site. Without it, I could have an unattractive site until now. I don’t think you’ll stay on the page either. 

If you already have a blog, it’s time to bolster your posts. Know how to create high-quality posts for your audience, which I wrote a separate post that exactly tells the right ingredients your post should have. 

In general, your clients (companies or private individuals) stalk your accounts. Thus, you have to be consistent with the data you inform and be real. 

The more you experience in writing, the more information will fill in later on. This is how I began my writing career. 

4. Write A Book & Lead A Tribe

The third thing you need to do to brand yourself as a high-income writer is to start writing a book. As I mentioned earlier, you need to push yourself to the limits of your craft. 

You wouldn’t know your full capacity if you won’t try. 

I only realized this in 2018 when I wrote my first 3 finished fiction stories on Wattpad. Each book contains at least 90,000 words. 

What I gained from the experience is a fulfillment as a writer, which expands my view of possibilities I could do. Not only should I focus on being a writer, but I also want to publish a book and succeed.

Success in this context isn’t measured not only from the figures you receive in your bank account, but it also comes from fulfilling your quest as a writer.

Conclusion – Why Branding Yourself As A Writer So Important?

You are a writer. We are. We make an effort in transforming our ideas into something people can read and appreciate physically and digitally. 

This is why we’re important in everyone’s lives, leading to an increase in demand for writers. Yes, it’s true. Many companies want to hire writers, especially those who wanted to update their websites as regularly as possible.

The demand for writers may remain high, but only a few writers can get the jobs. 

Why? Again, this is about how a writer brands herself and markets her craft. You see, what I am telling you in this post makes sense. I hope so.

I do hope my words resonate with you because it’s my biggest pleasure to help you build your career in writing, known as a difficult and poverty-stricken industry. 

If you follow my pieces of advice, you will see how branding matters most for beginner writers like you who want to succeed. 

At this point, it’s your turn. 

Writing can be a lucrative source of income this year. It can also become part of your lifestyle, especially if you’re convinced that you have something to say for the world. 

It can be tough at the beginning as everyone experiences in given fields of expertise. But there’s nothing more self-fulfilling than writing. 

But then again, it matters how you see yourself as a writer. Do you see yourself as a highly-paid writer or not? Do you want to stick with your routines and avoid the publishing route?

How do you want to brand yourself as a high-income writer? Do you have chosen options or do you rather follow my instructions to achieve success?

The future of your writing career depends on it. If you want to seek the highest peak of your writing capabilities, learn how to brand yourself as a high-income writer and leverage your reach with your target audience.

Let me know your experience, my friend.

If you like my post about “How to brand yourself as a writer?” feel free to share this post with your friends and family. Especially those who are currently struggling to build their writing career. 

If you have any thoughts or comments about this post, feel free to leave them in the comment section below. I appreciate your time a lot. 🙂