Merchandise that highlights your writing, freelance work, or author brand can boost your writing income in multiple ways. The most obvious is through selling those products. Beyond that, people showing off your wares become your “street team,” shoring up the personal connections and word-of-mouth critical to book sales and freelance referrals.

“As human beings, we have an innate drive to belong to groups,” explained Joanna Penn in her book, How to Market a Book. She writes nonfiction for authors and is a best-selling thriller author as J.F. Penn. “Providing merchandise for fans of your work offers them a way to feel a part of the tribe. You must have at least one rock’n’roll t-shirt in your wardrobe! In the same way, authors can provide their fans with a way to connect more deeply with the books and characters they love.”

Displaying mugs, shirts, or posters at author signings, book fairs, and writing events helps draw people to your table. That, in turn, creates opportunity to generate a mailing list and future sales.

“As a writer, it’s always good to have more than one source of income,” said Jon Acuff, a motivational speaker and New York Times bestselling author of six books including, Finish: Give yourself the gift of done. “As buying habits change, as bookstores change and as products change, it’s helpful to know you’ve got multiple ways to build your career.”

You can customize almost anything. Does your book series have a protagonist who loves wine? Put your covers or catch-phrases on wine charms and glasses. Does your main character own a business? Think about all the Forest Gump movie fans you see sporting “Bubba Gump Shrimp” apparel. Cookbook authors can make recipe binders, tea towels, trivets, spoon rests. Poets can design home decor or writing journals with meaningful lines from their best work.

Popular print-on-demand websites include CafePress, Zazzle, Redbubble and CustomInk. Sites like these enable you to create products with no up-front cash. They have user-friendly tools to build and promote your shop, as well as templates and graphics to aid product design. Most allow you to set the retail price or royalty percentage you want to receive. They also produce and ship items directly to buyers.

My author website features a “Literary Merch” page that highlights my book-themed products for sale on Zazzle. The page provides my readers a way to support my work while awaiting the next book. I also buy items myself, for giveaways, and as thank-you gifts for editors, book clubs, booksellers and others who support my work.

If you’re crafty, you can use Etsy to sell products you make and ship yourself. Susan Johnston Taylor is a freelance writer covering personal finance and lifestyle topics for publications like Entrepreneur and Fast Company. She also writes articles and books for kids. Taylor’s Etsy shop, Grammar Geek Greetings, features unique greeting cards designed for “writers, editors, teachers and smart people.”

Another approach is to partner up and customize an existing product. Acuff collaborated with NeuYear after singing the praises of their wall calendars for years. The Finish Calendar now ties seamlessly with Acuff’s best-selling book of the same title.

“It’s always great for writers to create products they really use,” Acuff said. “I wouldn’t release a tea kettle with my quotes on it, for instance, because I’m not a big tea drinker.”

What best fits your writing or author brand?

Important note: If you have a publishing contract, study the subsidiary rights to make sure commercial and merchandising rights reside with you before proceeding.

NOTE: McCann’s “Find the Beauty in Adversity” product line ties with her 1930s Dust Bowl novel, Peculiar Savage Beauty. Her book cover and web address appear discreetly on the back of all products.

BIO – Jessica McCann has earned a living as a freelance writer and editor for 30 years. She’s an award-winning historical novelist and creative nonfiction author, and has worked as a judge for the Writer’s Digest Self-Published Book Contest. Visit her website and check out helpful “Stuff for Writers.” www.JessicaMcCann.com

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