Smutlancer Monthly Income Report: October 2019
October went by in a total blur. My focus was on health issues more than anything else, and I’m glad that I have some level of dependable income as a smutlancer. As long as I get my contracted worked done, I know approximately how much I’ll get paid. There were a few pleasant surprises — like a higher than normal affiliate payout — but it was a typical month.
October 2019 Income
October income is primarily based on work completed in September. I bill clients on the last day of every month, and they have 10 days to pay. Affiliate sales tend to pay quarterly, but some pay monthly. I break down my freelance writing between vanilla and sex content because I want to show what’s possible in either category.
- Freelance Writing
- Vanilla Content: $1190.00
- Sex/Adult Content: $5275.00
- Affiliate Sales: $123.52
- Podcast Sponsorship: —
- Sponsored Blog Posts: —
- Website Sponsorship: —
- Banner Ads: —
- Book Sales: $28.75
- Patreon: $456.56
- Consulting: —
- Donations: —
- Bonus (from client): —
- Product Sales: $204.85
Total Income: $7,278.68 (up $674.20 from September)
October 2019 Expenses
Some expenses are monthly, some quarterly, and some annual. Taxes are something I save for monthly to be paid quarterly. .
- Web Hosting: $42.98
- Domain Renewals: —
- Podcast Hosting: $32.00
- Canva: —
- Buffer: $10.00
- InLinkz: $2.99 (linky tool for Masturbation Monday)
- Blog Contributors: $21
- Taxes: $1000.00
- Payment Fees (PayPal, Stripe): $251.90
- Shipping/Postage: $20.12
- Tech Support: $66.50
- DepositPhotos (stock photo): — $29.00
- MailerLite (email newsletter): $15.00
Total Expenses: $1,491.49 (up $52.81 from September)
October 2019 Net Income: $5,787.19 (↑ $621.39 from September)
It’s always encouraging when I see Patreon, products, affiliate sales, and other revenue streams generated from my content go up. But it’s also a reminder that I’m not yet at the stage where I can even remotely depend on it. Until then, I’ll keep at my freelance writing gigs. I have a few plans on the horizon that may increase my other sources of income, but none of those things will be quick or easy.
Sometimes I get frustrated with the pace of revenue growth. And then I remember that I have the luxury of letting these things happen in their own time and without forcing anything. That’s the beauty of regular client work. While I’ll do one-off writing gigs, I prefer work on referral — the client knows what will be done each month, and I know what I’ll get paid.
Pro tip: If you want to turn a one-off freelance job into something more regular, suggest it to the client. Do the first one or two jobs to show them your capabilities. If you’re both happy, suggest something more regular. Offer a discount. Explain the value you can offer. Give them a little free advice — what regular content can do for their business, what you bring to the table in terms of skills, even a bit of SEO advice (assuming you know anything about it).
Show them you’re the one who can help them reach their content goals. When you do, you have a better chance of getting long-term work and income you can depend on.