What springs to mind when you think about getting paid to write?
For many writers, the answer is client work. Maybe that’s true for you, too.
You certainly can get paid by clients to write blogs, white papers, email messages, SEO content, sales pages, and a whole host of other types of projects.
But, what if your words could go to work for you, even when you’re not clocked in?
As a freelance copywriter who has juggled caregiving, homeschooling, and building multiple businesses, I’ve learned that your skill with words can become one of your greatest assets — beyond being a service you offer to others. In fact, the more intentional you are about creating writing that works for you, the more long-term freedom and income you can build.
Here are five ways your writing can pay off outside of client work… plus, how I’ve used each one in my own business and what I’ve learned from being in the trenches.
1. Build a Substack or Paid Newsletter
Your writing already helps your clients connect with their audiences — why not use it to build your own?
Platforms like Substack and Beehiiv allow you to create free or paid newsletters around your areas of expertise. Whether you write about SEO tips, health and wellness, parenting, homesteading, faith, or something else you’re passionate and knowledgeable about (or simply want to learn more about), your voice can attract readers who want your perspective.
How I Use It:
I run several newsletters under my brand, including Moving Up the Ranks and Rebecca’s Health Sense. I offer free content and paid tiers, with newsletters scheduled consistently in advance. My best success on Substack came from writing in advance and scheduling newsletters ahead of time — because life does happen.
I learned this the hard way. Recently, while facing a family health emergency and the heavy grief that followed, I found myself unable to write like I had before. As a result, I became inconsistent, and it hurt my credibility. I’ve realized it’s much harder to regain trust once readers stop hearing from you regularly. Now I’m actively working to repair that damage and rebuild the momentum I lost.
Pro Tip:
Keep your format consistent and create a 90-day editorial plan. Write in batches and schedule your content ahead, so you’re prepared for life’s unexpected curveballs. Consistency builds trust — losing it takes time to recover.
2. Create and Sell Digital Products
Every how-to article, checklist, or swipe file you’ve ever created can become a product. You likely already have content sitting on your hard drive that could be bundled, polished, and sold.
Think workbooks, templates, guides, printables, or mini-courses. If you’ve helped one client streamline something, there’s a good chance others need it, too.
How I Use It:
I created Rebecca’s Ultimate Blogging Mentorship to help writers start, grow, and monetize a blog. It’s a more in-depth offering, but not everything has to be that complex. For example, recently over a weekend, I wrote a simple, helpful guide on how to find the best types of tea and how each can benefit your health. It didn’t take long, but it’s valuable — and now it’s a digital product I can share, sell, or use as a lead magnet.
Small, useful products like that can grow your audience, establish your authority, and generate passive income over time.
Step-by-Step Tip:
Start small. Take one helpful resource you’ve made for yourself or a client and ask:
- Could this be a lead magnet?
- Could it be a $9 mini-product?
- Could it be the seed of a course or mentorship?
3. Start a Blog That Ranks on Google (and Monetize It)
You already know how SEO works, so why not apply it to your own site?
If you blog consistently around a niche topic and optimize for keywords, you can start getting organic traffic. That traffic can be monetized through affiliate marketing, ad revenue, or even product sales.
How I Use It:
While I don’t currently have a blog with a formal name like SEO Web Copy Insider, I do write regular SEO-focused blog posts — both for my own platforms and to support my email newsletters. I make sure those blog posts are optimized for search, so they can actually be found by people looking for help with SEO. Every blog I publish has a dual purpose: to serve my readers and to build my authority in the SEO space.
Expert Tip:
Use tools like Ubersuggest or AnswerThePublic to find what search terms people are actually using. Then write helpful posts that answer those questions better than what’s already out there.
4. Use Your Writing to Build Authority
Every post you write — even on LinkedIn or Facebook — can establish you as an expert in your niche. Thought leadership can lead to podcast interviews, joint ventures, referral opportunities, and yes — better-paying clients who come to you.
How I Use It:
In the past, I made a point to post daily on LinkedIn, and I saw firsthand how it built my authority — not just as a copywriter, but as a businesswoman and especially as an SEO expert. Clients started reaching out to me, because they saw me consistently showing up, offering value, and demonstrating what I know.
To stay consistent without burning out, I spent a couple of days each month batching my social-media content and scheduling it ahead of time. That small habit gave me freedom during the rest of the month and ensured I never disappeared from my audience’s radar. Even when life or client work got hectic, my content was still working for me behind the scenes.
Structure Tip:
Use this simple format for social-media posts:
- Hook (draw them in)
- Story or Value (teach, tell, or inspire)
- Call to Action (comment, click, or sign up)
You don’t need to go viral. You just need to show up consistently and speak directly to your audience’s needs.
5. Write Books That Sell While You Sleep
If you’ve ever written long-form content or told a story that resonated with an audience, you’re halfway to writing a book. Thanks to print-on-demand services like Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), anyone can self-publish and earn royalties month after month.
A few days ago, I got an unexpected email from KDP letting me know they were sending a royalty payment directly to my bank account. Honestly, I had been so busy the past month juggling client work and family responsibilities that I completely forgot to even check on my book sales. It was such a nice surprise — money I hadn’t spent a minute trying to earn in real-time.
That check is showing up simply because of work I did in the past. And it made me wonder… how much bigger could that check have been, if I had promoted my books even just a few times this month?
That’s the beauty of writing books as a copywriter — you already have the skills to create something people want to read. Once it’s published, it can continue to generate income and visibility without any additional effort (though a little marketing here and there certainly helps!).
Quick-Start Tip:
Start by turning a popular blog post, email series, or case study into a short book. Aim for 10,000–20,000 words. You can even narrate it later as an audiobook to reach more readers.
Final Thoughts: Make Your Words Work for You
Client work can be rewarding — but it’s also trading time for money. When you build assets from your writing, you multiply its value. You create income streams that continue long after the work is done. You also gain more control, more confidence, and more resilience in slow seasons.
If you’ve ever felt drained or worried about landing that next client, it might be time to ask yourself:
“How can I make my writing work harder for me?”
The answer might just be one Substack issue, blog post, or digital product away.
