This month, I’m proud to have a feature in Writer’s Digest on how to monetize your website and blog. I cover eight approaches that can be mixed and matched:
- Reader support (donations)
- Affiliate marketing
- Advertising and sponsorships
- Native advertising
- Digital product sales
- Consulting or coaching
- Online courses
- Digital subscriptions
I’ve experimented with all of these over the years; today this site focuses on monetization primarily through affiliate marketing, digital product sales, consulting, and online courses. I also collaborate on a subscription product (The Hot Sheet) and have accepted sponsorships and native advertising in the past.
There’s no single monetization formula that works for all, but one of the first steps is at least understanding the full range of options and tools out there. Another critical factor is learning what good online writing and blogging looks like.
To read my feature article, you’ll have to download the issue or find it at a newsstand near you. And if this is an area that interests you, there’s still time to register for my 4-week class, Make Your Online Writing Pay.
Jane Friedman (@JaneFriedman) has 20 years of experience in the publishing industry, with expertise in digital media strategy for authors and publishers. She is the publisher of The Hot Sheet, the essential newsletter on the publishing industry for authors, and was named Publishing Commentator of the Year by Digital Book World in 2019.
In addition to being a columnist for Publishers Weekly, Jane is a professor with The Great Courses, which released her 24-lecture series, How to Publish Your Book. Her book for creative writers, The Business of Being a Writer (University of Chicago Press), received a starred review from Library Journal.
Jane speaks regularly at conferences and industry events such as BookExpo America, Digital Book World, and the AWP Conference, and has served on panels with the National Endowment for the Arts and the Creative Work Fund. Find out more.