Some of the low energy and non-deadline led ways I make money

Since publishing my last blog post about my move this year to stopping exchanging my time directly for money, I have had a lot of people ask me how I intend to do this. Instead of writing back to people individually I though I’d write a blog post about the ways I’ve learnt to make money in low-energy, non-deadline led ways. I hope there’s something useful here you can adapt for yourselves.

My eBook

I’m still learning a lot about what works for me in terms of low energy, non-deadline working. My experience with releasing my ebook, Sustainable Creativity has been very positive. Releasing the <a href=http://www.sustainablecreativity.info/100-readers/”>”warts and all” version was well supported by people which meant I could support myself whilst I continued to work on the expanded version. Everyone who buys the warts and all version gets all future updates of the book, so it’s a good deal I think and the blog has a core readership now which (hopefully!) trusts that I will continue to deliver the goods, albeit at a not particularly swift rate!.

Other stuff that has worked for me includes:

1. Using Amazon affiliate links for the books I wanted to mention in my free ebook Start to Draw Your Life. I haven’t made great riches by any means but it did show me that there was the possibility of earning money via Amazon. I did a very happy dance when I received my first $100 cheque!

2. Moving to publishing my illustrated journal, The Beany as an ebook. I’ve produced a paper version for a number of years and whilst I love paper books the overheads mean there is very little profit in them sadly and distributing them myself has meant a lot of work in terms of packaging and posting. The ebook version, distributed via e-junkie, can be full colour without any extra cost, is all but free for me to distribute (and being electronic means I can correct typos even after I’ve published it!!). It also looks beautiful on an iPad. I do still intend to produce a very limited edition hardback version of each issue for people who want something to hold, but paper and production costs do make that an expensive option both for me in terms of outlay and for buyers in terms of the cover price.

3. Building up an email list with my microMag, Getting Your Important Work Done. My microMag (just a posh name for my email newsletter!) was one of the best things I did in 2010. I love writing it and have received some lovely positive responses from readers. As well as as place that I can share what I’ve learnt about getting Important Work done despite having limited energy, it is also a place I can recommend books and digital media from other people I have learnt a lot from (many of them offer affiliate programmes for their products so I can earn a little from any sales).

A word about affiliate programmes. It’s common sense really, but worth saying nonetheless: I am always very careful about any books or other products I mention in my microMag, Twitter, or here on Sustainably Creative. Yes, I love that it is possible to make some money by helping other people sell their stuff, but that does have to be a secondary consideration behind recommending things that I genuinely have learnt from/see value in. I also always try to keep recommendations relevant to the themes I explore in my blog and the microMag.

4. Learning to reuse stuff. Reusing, repackaging and adding extra value and content to what I have already created is something I have increasingly learnt the value of over the last two years. It takes me a long time to make a drawing. When I first started blogging back on 2004 it took me even longer (I was just starting to draw then and was much iller than I am now), but I felt the drawings I made only had one use, an appearance on my blog. Over time, as the blog became more popular, people started asking to buy the drawings, I sold a few and then happened on the idea of using them in an illustrated journal and The Beany was born. It is far less intimidating to think about making one drawing and then another for my blog, and then after a year of drawing start to use them in an illustrated journal, than thinking I need to make 100 drawings for an illustrated book. Moreover this way of working means that the stuff I happily do for free (publishing my blog) has the possibility of feeding into things that can bring me in an income over the long term.

As I have been increasingly moving towards making digital products I am also thinking of ways I can make use of written work I have already published on my blog or elsewhere, repackaging it in an easily accessible way and turning it into something I hope people will want to buy. One long term plan I have is that once I have around 50 essays from Getting Your Important Work Done (around two years work) I will think of making a digital product, probably an illustrated ebook, with added new content, which I hope people will find useful.

5. Making short print-runs of little booklets.. Whilst I am increasingly moving away from making paper products to sell (because of both the cost and energy involved) I have made a few limited edition booklets last year. They have sold well, and I do love sending out snail mail to people occasionally. It’s worth noting that this isn’t a particularly efficient way of increasing income but it is a lovely way of having more direct contact with people.

I did try out Blurb last year for the handling of printing and distribution of one book, but missed the connection with buyers sending my own things gave me. Also, whilst their workmanship was wonderful their pricing meant that what I saved in effort in terms of distribution I lost in income. The jury is still out for me when it comes to paper products.

The other side of the equation: needing less

I had a little celebration in September last year when I finally replaced the income I had given up when I became a full-time artist and blogger two years before. My income wasn’t (and still isn’t!) great riches, but I’m hoping it will continue to grow, and the accomplishment definitely felt worthy of celebration. However, I’m sure many people would struggle to live on what I make, and the only way I mange to is to live frugally.

As important as how we make money, is how we spend it. I remember reading a book on household management that my parents owned when I was quite young. There was a lovely drawing in it of a pile of money and a piggy bank with a caption that read something like, “weekly income £40, weekly expenditure £39. Result equals happiness. Weekly income £40, weekly expenditure £41. Result equals unhappiness!” The principle is a timeless one, and a simple one; spend less than you have and you are happy, spend more than you have and you’re not.

The words stuck with me, but sadly the principle didn’t. I spent all my adult life spending more than I had, always being just a little in debt and feeling trapped by the need to keep working to service my debt (particularly stress inducing when I became too ill to work). A few years ago I suddenly saw the light and now refuse to get into debt. I’m learning to live as frugally as I can so I can do the work I love in ways that I can manage. As my income increases I can enjoy it rather than see it disappear into a hole of debt.

The inspiring Leo Babauta has a list of 50 ways of living more frugally here. His book, Zen to Done is also worth read if you want to read more about living and working with minimal effort. You might also find Everett Bogue’s The Art of Being Minimalist: How to Stop Consuming and Start Living useful.

I’m just a beginner

I hope all that is of some use. I’m really just a beginner at making a living as a blogger and an artist. There are plenty of people that do it far more successfully than I do, but nonetheless I am very excited by, and proud of what I’ve achieved so far. The decision to move completely away from exchanging my time directly for money feels like the right next step. I hope this time next year I’ll be able to report that the move has been a success!

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