Imagine you’re a fisherman. You spend hours in the open sea, and you finally catch a big fish. All the work was worth it, and you’re expecting a big payday. A local grocery store buys it. Then it ends. Tomorrow you have to do the same thing and hope for the next lucky catch.

But what if you could make more money in the long-term from that same fish? Think royalties but funded by your audience.

For example, the fisherman gets a cut when the grocery store sells it at retail price. They get paid when the customer cooks it. You get paid when the customer offers the neighbor a plate over the fence. When the customer shares the recipe, you get rewarded.

As digital writers produce assets, they can build a living content empire. It goes beyond getting paid for writing a piece or making money off affiliate links. It’s productizing your work and inviting your biggest fans to invest in you.

Today, we can start experimenting and preparing our content for valuable online assets.

But First…Build Your Audience

NFTs do not give you exposure. As a digital writer, you need to build and foster your audience. You create an audience and fanbase through consistent writing, social media, and networking. You add value to them and they invest in you.

Your fans will want to support you, and many would like to “own” a piece of their favorite works by you. Your NFTs will become more valuable and discoverable as you grow your following. Focus on building exposure for your brand for a successful NFT strategy.

Mint NFTs for Your Top Articles

Every digital writer knows how important it is to produce content every day. The more we write, the more discoverable we become. In addition, it increases our chances that one piece of content will resonate with a larger audience.

Occasionally, I identify a top piece of content. I might get tons of readers on Medium, my website, or through social media. These “viral” pieces of content help build a fan base. They loved the content; it added value to them and has helped them.

These are golden opportunities to offer NFTs. You can sell an image of your article or a GIF or scrolling video of the piece. One person (or a limited few) could own the digital representation of your work. You can offer benefits like meeting with you via video to discuss the subject. Use your top content to make collectible assets for your fans.

Another way to make your NFTs more valuable and unique is by signing them. Not only do they get to own a piece of your work, but they can enjoy your signature as a fan.

Create an NFT-only eBook

Digital writers can take advantage of the excitement when they exclusively release an ebook as an NFT. It creates buzz, an innovative reading experience, and an exclusive community benefit.

Former LinkedIn employee and marketer Ish Verduzco released his book as an NFT. When readers buy it, they get access to benefits from the author. Then, after reading it, they can sell the book and recoup a part of the cost. It’s a win-win for both the reader and the author.

Imagine selling an eBook with limited copies. They can cost more, and when someone sells them, another can buy them. If it makes sense, you can sell single chapters. They can serve as collectible, valuable assets for readers. These NFTs need many available versions but are limited enough to generate exclusivity. As it gains popularity, the selling price could increase through re-sales.

Sell NFTs of Your Book Covers or Original Images

If you are a writer, you’re likely dealing with your books or articles images. You could turn the images you own into collectible assets. For example, imagine buying an NFT of the cover of The Great Gatsby when it was first published. You could support the author and invest in an asset that you believe will grow in value.

Selling an NFT of your original images will help you break into the art community. It’s the most exciting space in the NFT market right now. This crossover appeal can increase your discoverability. You create a new asset out of something you already had.

Mint Micro-content

We might not mint every piece we create, like low-performing articles, but we can create value from it. For example, you likely have strong one-liners within the content. These micro-pieces of content could be NFTs.

Think in tweets. A viral tweet could be a screenshot. Creators have already made thousands. You could mint great sentences in your works, popular tweets, and more. Minting micro-content will increase your NFT library and help you grow your brand.

As NFTS, crypto, the Metaverse, and innovations emerge, writers can prepare and experiment. Then, as you build your assets, you can create a digital empire in the future.