Should I Make Money From Writing? A Gentle Guide to Choosing Your Path

ByKristy Wessel Updated on
Make money from writing: Female in sweater counting dollar bills while sitting at wooden table with planner and pen

Ever wonder:

Could I make money from writing? Should I make money from writing? If so, this gentle guide will help you figure out what’s right for you based on your time, energy, and what really matters to you.

You love writing. Maybe you always have. But when you start looking for ways to make money with your words, the internet gets loud. Everyone has a system. A hack. A hustle.

But maybe you’re coming to writing from a different place:

  • Maybe you’re healing from burnout.
  • Maybe you’re rediscovering creativity after years of putting other people first.
  • Maybe you’re craving something meaningful, not just marketable.

This guide is here to meet you where you are.

There isn’t one right way to make money writing. What matters is finding a path that feels honest and possible for you right now, something that matches your energy and your season of life.

Path 1: Writing for Yourself (and Maybe Sharing Later)

Sometimes, writing isn’t about income. It’s about processing. About grounding. About making space to feel again.

You don’t need to publish anything or build an audience. You just need a place to land.

Ask yourself:
  • Do I want my writing to stay private right now?
  • Am I using writing to process something difficult or tender?
  • Do I want freedom, or would gentle structure help?
Try this:
  • Keep a daily journal or explore morning pages
  • Use prompt-based notebooks for reflection or healing
  • Create personal zines or poetic notebooks just for you
  • Take a low-pressure writing class to reconnect with your voice

I use a simple journal every morning and have fallen in love with the LEUCHTTURM1917 journal. The dotted pages feel spacious and gentle—perfect for reflection, healing, or just getting words out of your head.

If you’d prefer a bit more guidance, the 5-Minute Journal offers a beautiful way to ease into a daily practice with simple prompts and gentle structure.

If you want to share eventually, you can. There’s no rush.

Path 2: Writing to Share Something That Matters

Sometimes, writing feels like something that wants to be witnessed. Maybe it’s your story. Maybe it’s something you’ve learned. Maybe it’s something you’re still trying to understand.

Ask yourself:
  • Who do I want to reach? Many people? Just a few?
  • Do I want to build an audience, or simply speak what’s true?
  • Does writing help me connect in ways I can’t always do out loud?
Try this:
  • Start a blog or newsletter to share stories and reflections
  • Submit essays or poems to literary journals
  • Join a local or online writing group
  • Publish a chapbook or zine for a small circle of readers
  • Read your work at open mics or community gatherings

If you’re starting to reconnect with your creative voice, The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron is a soft and classic companion, especially if you’re moving through burnout, transition, or grief.

You don’t have to be loud to be heard. You just have to speak in your own voice.

Path 3: Make Money From Writing (Now or Eventually)

Sometimes, writing is more than a creative practice. It’s a way to support yourself. That doesn’t make it less meaningful. But it might mean making choices based on time, energy, and financial needs.

Ask yourself:
  • Do I need income soon, or can I build slowly?
  • Am I open to writing for other people (clients, businesses, or brands)?
  • Would I rather create something of my own?
try this:
  • Offer blog writing, editing, or ghostwriting
  • Write content or copy for therapists, coaches, or nonprofits
  • Sell digital journaling tools or printables
  • Submit to paying publications and contests
for long-term income, try this:
  • Start a niche blog with affiliate links or ads
  • Write and self-publish a book, journal, or poetry collection
  • Build a writing course, workshop, or guided challenge
  • Host a writing group or creative accountability circle

Begin with small steps. You don’t need a full-time writing career to start earning in ways that feel authentic. Building income through writing often takes years, but if it brings you joy and meaning, the journey is worth it.

Final Thoughts

Writing can hold so much: grief, hope, ideas, dreams, income, and connection. It is a place that can carry both what feels heavy and what inspires you.

There is no single right way to be a writer. There is only the way that feels true for you right now.

Start where you are. Be honest about what you need in this season, and let your writing grow from that place.

You don’t have to go fast.
You don’t have to go big.
You don’t have to make money from writing.

But if you want to make money writing, the path is open. You can follow the path in any direction you like; it’s very exciting! It usually takes time, patience, and consistency. Sustainable income from writing is built slowly, through steady practice and showing up for your words again and again. If writing matters to you, keep going. The effort you invest now can grow into real income over time.

💡 Resources I Love

These are a few of my favorite tools for grounding, reflecting, and building a writing practice that feels sustainable.

Note: These are Amazon affiliate links. If you choose to buy through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend tools that feel grounded and trustworthy.

Writer, Poet, Journaling for Healing

Kristy Wessel is a writer, poet, and creative guide based in Minnesota. After experiencing a mental health crisis in 2018, she discovered journaling as a lifeline- a practice that helped her untangle anxiety, find clarity, and begin again. Out of that journey she founded Write to Heal, a space for burned-out, overwhelmed people to reconnect with themselves through words. Her work has appeared in The Loft Literary Center's Blog, Hippocampus Magazine, and Commoners Zine. When she isn’t writing, Kristy can often be found by the lake with her family, tending her garden, or filling yet another notebook with reflections.

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