Think outside the box to find paying outlets about self-development
The self-development industry is huge, and if you think outside the box even a little bit, there are a tonne of places that will pay you for writing about how people can make themselves better.
The very first mind map I created for freelance writing was a self-development mind map. I was part of a writing group on Facebook where someone asked if they could ever make money writing about self-development. Someone else had piped up that there’s no money in that industry, and I was flabbergasted—especially since that industry is valued at over 10 billion dollars annually in the United States.
So I decided to create a mind map to help this fella find some places to pitch. It started with the self-development mind map, and now I’ve shared over 26 mind maps on this website, and even written a book on how to use mind maps to grow your freelance writing career.
Without further ado, here’s the mind map that started it all, on my trusty dry-erase board that hung proudly in my tiny electrical closet office back at home.
Here are some ideas on how to use this self-development mind map.
One way to make yourself a better person is to practice kindness to others. There are a tonne of organizations that work on this premise, including the Pay It Forward foundation, Free Hugs Campaign, and several charities. Why not check if any of these organizations employ writers or bloggers?
An important part of self-development is learning resiliency. Life coaching companies and even curriculum companies focus on teaching resiliency. Rejection games also teach this concept through a hands-on approach. Do some research to find companies in these areas and pitch your copywriting services.
When you’re unhappy with your career, one way to grow as a person is to find a more fulfilling one. Career counselors are an excellent resource for people looking for a change of pace in their professional lives. Why not research career counselling companies and pitch your blogging, copywriting, or brochure writing services?
People who want to continuously improve themselves will be interested in adult education courses. Why not write your own course and sell your expertise? You can use a platform like Teachable or Udemy to do so. You could also do copywriting for companies such as these, or even for the instructors for the courses.
You could write about self-development from a parenting lens: how to become a better parent to your kids. Pitch parenting magazines and/or websites with ideas about self-improvement that would appeal to those who are raising kids (and often losing themselves in the process).
You could write about becoming a better employee—business and human resources companies may be interested in blog posts about this.
And the list goes on. Look at the mind map above. What other kinds of companies could you pitch to earn money while writing about self-development?
Want to read more about self-development, especially as it pertains to writers? Head over to this section of the blog.
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