You’re here because you’re tired of writing for free, aren’t you?
Or maybe you’ve been writing for peanuts—the kind of money that makes you question whether this whole “writer’s life” thing is actually viable or just an elaborate form of self-flagellation. I get it. I’ve been there. Hell, I’m still there some days, staring at my bank account and wondering if I should’ve become an accountant instead.
But here’s the thing: there are people making proper money from writing right now. Not lottery-winner money, not Bezos money, but enough to pay the rent, buy decent coffee, and occasionally splash out on something frivolous without immediately checking their balance in a panic.
The landscape has changed. It’s 2025, and the old gatekeepers—the ones who made us grovel for £50 articles whilst they pontificated about “exposure”—have lost their stranglehold. You don’t need their permission anymore. You just need to know where to look and what actually works.
So let me show you.
1. Substack (or Similar Newsletter Platforms)
I’ll start with the obvious one because it’s obvious for a reason: it works.
Substack has minted more successful writers in the past few years than traditional publishing has in the past decade. That’s not hyperbole; that’s just what happens when you remove the middleman and let writers keep 90% of their revenue.
The model is simple: write regularly, build an audience, convert some of them to paid subscribers. The beauty is in the directness of it. No pitching editors who take three months to reply. No wondering if your piece will get spiked because it’s “not quite right for our readers.” Just you, your words, and people who actually want to read them.
What actually works: Consistency matters more than perfection. Pick a schedule you can maintain—weekly is ideal, fortnightly is fine—and stick to it. Your readers are subscribing to a relationship with you, not just individual articles. They need to trust you’ll show up.
Start free. Build your audience first. I see too many writers launch with paid subscriptions from day one and wonder why nobody’s biting. Would you pay for a restaurant you’ve never eaten at? Give people a taste first.
When you do introduce paid subscriptions, don’t apologise for it. Offer genuine additional value—deeper essays, Q&As, access to you—but don’t grovel. “If you’d like to support my work” reeks of desperation. “Join the paid community for…” sounds like something worth having.
The writers making £5,000+ a month on Substack didn’t get there by accident. They got there by showing up, being genuinely useful or entertaining (ideally both), and treating their subscribers like humans rather than ATMs with email addresses.
Reality check: This takes time. Most successful newsletter writers spent 6-12 months building before they went paid. But once you’ve got 1,000 true fans paying £5-10 a month, you’ve got a proper income.
2. Ghost Writing for Executives and Thought Leaders
Here’s a dirty secret about the business world: most of the insightful LinkedIn posts, thought-provoking articles, and best-selling business books attributed to CEOs and executives weren’t actually written by them.
They were written by ghosts. Professional writers who transform rambling voice notes and scattered ideas into coherent, compelling content.
And it pays beautifully.
What actually works: LinkedIn is your hunting ground. Find executives in your niche who are posting regularly but whose writing is… let’s say “functional.” These are people who understand the value of content but don’t have the time or skill to do it justice themselves.
Send them a short, specific pitch. Don’t offer vague “content services.” Say something like: “I noticed your recent post about [specific topic] resonated with your audience. I help executives like you turn their insights into high-performing content. Would you be interested in a brief call?”
Charge properly. Ghost writing isn’t blog writing. You’re not just writing words; you’re channelling someone else’s voice, protecting their reputation, and remaining invisible. That’s worth £300-1,000 per piece for articles, and £5,000-30,000+ for books.
The best ghost writers become indispensable. You’re not just a service provider; you become their thinking partner, their voice in the market. That’s when clients keep you on retainer and recommend you to their equally wealthy friends.
Reality check: You need to be able to interview well, extract insights from busy people, and capture different voices convincingly. It’s not for everyone, but if you can do it, it’s remarkably lucrative.
3. Medium’s Partner Programme (Done Properly)
Yes, Medium is still a thing. No, most people aren’t doing it right.
I see writers complaining that they made £3 from their Medium article and declaring the platform dead. Meanwhile, other writers are pulling in £2,000-4,000 monthly. The difference? The successful ones understand how Medium actually works in 2025.
What actually works: Curation is everything. Medium’s curators decide whether your story gets distributed widely or dies in obscurity. To get curated, you need to follow their guidelines religiously and write stories that fit what Medium readers actually want.
What do they want? In-depth, valuable content. Not 400-word hot takes. Not thinly disguised sales pitches. Proper articles that teach something useful or share genuine insight. Think 1,500-2,500 words of actual substance.
Headlines matter more on Medium than almost anywhere else. Study the top stories in your niche. Notice how they promise specific value without resorting to clickbait? That’s the sweet spot.
Use publications strategically. Getting accepted into Better Humans, The Startup, or other large Medium publications can 10x your reach. But don’t just submit randomly; read what they publish and pitch stories that fit.
Consistency wins here too. The writers making good money on Medium are publishing 4-8 times monthly. That’s roughly twice a week. It compounds.
Reality check: You’re at the mercy of Medium’s algorithm and curation decisions. It’s not as reliable as owning your own platform, but as a supplementary income stream whilst building your audience elsewhere, it’s solid.
4. Course Creation (Without the Sleazy Marketing)
Every expert telling you to create a course is trying to sell you their course on how to create courses. It’s inception-level grift.
But here’s the annoying truth: courses can work. They just don’t work the way the Instagram gurus pretend they do.
What actually works: Don’t create a course until you’ve proven there’s demand. The graveyard of online courses is filled with beautifully produced content nobody wanted.
Instead, start by teaching something for free—a workshop, a webinar, a free email course. See if anyone shows up. See if anyone implements what you teach and gets results. That’s your market research.
When you do create a paid course, make it about transformation, not information. Nobody needs more information; we’re drowning in it. They need a clear path from where they are to where they want to be, with accountability and support.
Price it properly. A £27 course attracts tyre-kickers and refund requesters. A £297-997 course attracts serious people who actually implement. You’d rather have 20 serious students than 200 time-wasters.
Pre-sell it. Before you record a single video, sell the course. Get commitments. This forces you to deliver and proves the market wants what you’re offering. I’d rather refund 10 people than spend three months creating something nobody buys.
Reality check: Course creation is time-intensive upfront. But once it’s done, it can generate income whilst you sleep. Just don’t expect passive income; you’ll need to actively market it, support students, and update content regularly.
5. Sponsored Newsletter Content
Remember when I said Substack keeps 90% of your subscription revenue? Here’s another way to monetise that audience: sponsorships.
Brands will pay you to mention their product or service to your engaged audience. And if you’ve got a few thousand subscribers who actually open and read your emails, you’re more valuable to them than a massive Instagram account where nobody’s paying attention.
What actually works: Don’t wait for brands to find you. Once you’ve got 1,000+ engaged subscribers, start pitching. Find brands that align with your niche and audience, and reach out with your numbers: subscriber count, open rates, and what you can offer.
Be selective. Promote something you’d genuinely recommend, not just whoever throws money at you. Your readers trust you; don’t piss that away for a quick £500.
Pricing formula: roughly £30-100 per 1,000 subscribers, depending on your niche and engagement. A newsletter with 5,000 engaged subscribers can command £1,500-2,500 per sponsored issue.
Make sponsorships valuable. Don’t just slap a banner ad in your newsletter. Weave the sponsor into your content in a way that provides value to readers. The best sponsored content doesn’t feel like an interruption; it feels like a helpful recommendation.
Reality check: You need meaningful numbers before this becomes viable. Under 1,000 subscribers and you’re probably not there yet. But once you are, this can match or exceed your subscription revenue.
6. Freelance Writing for Premium Publications
Yes, traditional freelance writing still exists. No, you shouldn’t be accepting £50 for 1,000 words.
The market has bifurcated. There’s an oversupplied bottom end where content mills pay poverty wages. And there’s a high end where skilled writers charge professional rates and work with clients who respect them.
What actually works: Stop pitching generalist publications that pay in “exposure.” Target trade publications, industry magazines, and corporate blogs that have actual budgets.
The boring industries pay better. Cybersecurity, fintech, enterprise software, logistics—these sectors need writers desperately and have money to spend. Yes, it’s less glamorous than writing for The Guardian, but £800 per article spends the same regardless of glamour.
Build a niche. Becoming the go-to writer for a specific industry is more valuable than being a generalist. You can charge premium rates because you’re not just providing writing; you’re providing expertise.
Pitch with specifics. “I’d love to write for you” goes in the bin. “I notice you haven’t covered [specific topic] yet, and here’s why your readers would find it valuable…” starts a conversation.
Reality check: This is trading time for money. You’re not building an asset; you’re operating a service business. But it can be a lucrative one whilst you build other income streams.
7. Self-Publishing Books (Fiction or Non-Fiction)
Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing has created more full-time authors than traditional publishing ever did. That’s not an opinion; that’s just maths.
The economics are simple: keep 70% of your book’s price versus 10-15% through a traditional publisher. Publish multiple books and you’ve got a legitimate income stream.
What actually works: Genre fiction outsells everything else combined on Amazon. If you can write romance, thrillers, or fantasy competently and publish regularly, you can build a readership that generates consistent income.
For non-fiction, solve a specific problem for a specific audience. “A Guide to Productivity” is too broad and too crowded. “Productivity Systems for Freelance Designers” is targetable and searchable.
Series work better than standalones. If someone enjoys your first book, they’ll buy your second. And third. And fourth. The back catalogue compounds.
Don’t skimp on covers and editing. Your book is competing with traditionally published books and professionally produced indie books. Amateur covers and typo-riddled prose mark you as unprofessional.
Launch strategy matters. Line up reviews, promote to your email list, use Amazon ads strategically. The first week determines whether Amazon’s algorithm pushes your book or buries it.
Reality check: Most authors make very little. The difference between successful indie authors and unsuccessful ones is volume and marketing. You need multiple books and consistent promotion to make this work.
8. Writing Coaching and Editing Services
Writers need help. Aspiring authors need guidance, established authors need editing, and everyone needs someone to tell them whether their work is any good.
If you’ve got skills and experience, other writers will pay for your expertise.
What actually works: Package your services properly. Don’t just offer “editing”—anyone can claim that. Offer “developmental editing for debut novelists” or “submission package reviews for freelance writers.” Specificity sells.
Coaching can command higher rates than editing. An hour of your time helping someone strategise their writing career or work through a creative block can be worth £100-200. It scales poorly (you’ve only got so many hours), but it’s lucrative whilst you build other streams.
Create a waiting list. Scarcity is real. When you’re booked out for the next three months, you can raise your rates and be selective about clients.
Testimonials and results matter. “Sarah helped me get published” is worth more than any marketing copy you could write about yourself.
Reality check: This is still trading time for money, and there’s a ceiling to how much you can earn. But it’s a reliable income stream whilst building assets like books or courses.
9. Corporate Content Strategy and Consulting
Here’s what businesses are desperately bad at: content. They know they need it, they know it matters, but they haven’t got a clue how to do it effectively.
That’s your opportunity.
What actually works: Position yourself as a strategist, not just a writer. Companies have writers. What they don’t have is someone who can audit their content, identify gaps, create a coherent strategy, and implement it.
Target mid-size companies (50-500 employees). Small businesses can’t afford you; large corporations have bureaucratic procurement processes that’ll make you want to weep. The middle ground is perfect.
Charge project fees, not hourly rates. “I’ll create a comprehensive content strategy for £5,000” is clearer and more valuable than “I charge £100 per hour for consulting.”
Get results and publicise them. “I helped [Company] increase organic traffic by 240% in six months” opens doors to more clients at higher rates.
Retainers are the goal. Once you’ve proven your value, transition clients to monthly retainers for ongoing strategy and oversight. That’s recurring revenue.
Reality check: You need credibility and results to command these rates. This isn’t entry-level work, but if you’ve been writing professionally for a few years and can demonstrate results, it’s accessible.
10. Building and Monetising a Content Community
The most interesting income streams aren’t coming from writing alone anymore. They’re coming from building communities around your writing.
Think Patreon, Discord servers, Circle, or even private forums where engaged readers pay for access to you and each other.
What actually works: People don’t just want your content; they want connection. They want to be part of something. Give them that.
Offer multiple tiers. Basic tier gets access to the community and archives. Mid-tier gets live Q&As and exclusive content. Top tier gets personal feedback or small group coaching.
The sweet spot is £10-50 monthly for most communities. Lower and it feels disposable; higher and you need to offer extraordinary value.
Make the community valuable independent of you. The best communities become self-sustaining. Members connect with each other, share resources, and create value amongst themselves. You’re the curator, not the sole performer.
Show up consistently. Whether it’s daily, weekly, or monthly, be present. Nothing kills a community faster than an absent founder.
Reality check: This requires real work. You’re not just writing anymore; you’re facilitating, moderating, and creating ongoing value. But 200 people paying £20 monthly is £4,000 in recurring revenue. That’s transformative for most writers.
The Uncomfortable Truth About All of This
None of these income streams will make you rich overnight. Anyone promising you £10,000 monthly after 30 days is either lying or trying to sell you something (usually both).
But here’s what’s true: every single one of these methods has created full-time incomes for writers I know personally. Not hypothetically. Not in some guru’s fabricated case study. Actually, really, in the real world.
The writers making proper money in 2025 aren’t doing just one of these things. They’re doing three or four. They’ve got a newsletter, a course, and consulting clients. Or they’re freelancing, building a book catalogue, and running a community. They’ve diversified because they’ve learned that betting everything on one income stream is precarious.
Start with one. Get it working. Then add another. Layer them strategically. Your newsletter builds your audience. Your audience buys your books and courses. Your expertise leads to consulting opportunities. Your consulting work provides material for your newsletter. It compounds.
And please, for the love of god, charge properly. Your writing has value. Your expertise has value. Your time has value. Stop giving it away because you’re afraid nobody will pay.
They will. The right people will.
Now go write something worth buying!
Until Next Time
Discover more from Dominus Owen Markham
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