Hey everyone,
I will just own it: If there’s an opportunity to take work I’ve done and repurpose it in a different format or for a new audience, I do it.
I’ve taken blog posts and newsletter editorials, edited them into a coherent whole, and written books around them. I’ve taken a series of blog posts and converted them into video trainings. I’ve also done the opposite—taken chapters from books and used pieces of them in these newsletters.
As a journalist, I was excellent at repurposing. I’d take a trade magazine story and write it for a consumer magazine, and then the other way around. I’d take a story I’d written for a US publication and sell it repeatedly to editors in Europe and Asia. I’d take a radio interview I’d done on a current event, transcribe it, edit it, and pitch it as a news story to a print or online publication.
There are so many ways to repurpose. The skill is in being able to see the opportunity.
I spotted an opportunity last year when, after I changed my name, I decided to do a bit of freelancing so that I could build some new clips with my new byline. I didn’t enjoy it as much, I have to admit. I pitched and reported to my heart’s content in the first fifteen years of my career, and I’m not excited about it in the same way now. As I was freelancing, however, I was also playing around with the idea for a new novel set in London. I began my research and almost immediately, two story ideas jumped out at me. So, I did what I do best—I pitched the two stories, received two commissions, and then basically got paid to not only research the topic for my book, but talk to multiple experts about it.
When writers typically talk about contributing to publications as an author, they’re talking about using your freelancing skills for marketing. That is, when you have a book out in the world, promote it by writing about the topic in all manner of publications.
Which is fantastic advice and something I intend to follow.
However, since I’m looking to indie publish my nonfiction titles, some of which may end up being research heavy, I’ve started early, right in the beginning stages of the process.
If you pitch stories about the subject you’re researching for your book, you can be paid, essentially, to research your longer projects. Sure, you’ll write an article about it as well, but doing this can help you keep your cash flow steady as you’re writing the book.
I am still, as I said, experimenting with some of these ideas. But last year I earned $1,800 from two assignments, and they paid for the week of research I did for one portion of the book. This is helpful because since I plan to indie publish my nonfiction, there will be no advance. Additionally, when the stories are published, I’ll end up with two fantastic bylines that solidify my expertise in the subject.
Repurposing. It saves you time, it makes you more money, and it gives you more opportunity to go deeper with a subject.
Try it.
Cheers,
Natasha