Self publish an ebook

Writing a good book is tough, but the internet makes it easy to bring it to market. If you’re a writer who can churn out pages, you can use Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing to sell your books(s) on the Kindle store. It’s free to publish a book, and you can earn up to 70% of each sale in royalties. Write your book, enter a clear description and the details to be displayed and upload your manuscript. Set the price and see if it sells.

Total time: How fast can you type? We don’t have to tell you writing a book can be a slog.
Setup: Quick and easy on KDP once the book is ready.
How easy to start: Just start writing.
Age threshold: 18+.
How fast you’ll get paid: Monthly, after you meet the $100 threshold.

Need to know
Just because it’s simple to self-publish doesn’t mean your book will sell. Competition is high with millions of e-book titles on the Kindle Store.

Choose one of two royalty options: 70% or 35%. You’ll have to price your book between $2.99 and $9.99 if you select the 70% option. You can go higher when you pick 35%.

Requirements
You need to create a Kindle Direct Publishing account to get started.

Proper formatting is important. Amazon says most Microsoft Word documents convert to e-books easily, but other formats are supported.

Get advertising revenue from your blog or YouTube channel

Turn your cat videos into cash videos. If your YouTube videos or blog posts draw a big audience, you may be able to make money from advertising. YouTube sets 1,000 subscribers as the benchmark for applying for the YouTube Partner Program. YouTube Partners then get access to monetizing features, including a share of ad revenue. You can also use Google’s AdSense, the same ad platform on YouTube, to put relevant ads on your blog or website for earning potential.

Total time: It can take several weeks to get up and running.
Setup: Not that hard.
How easy to start: Depends on how good you are at producing interesting videos.
Age threshold: 18+.
How fast you’ll get paid: Could take a long while to earn the first payout; then monthly.

Need to know
Signing up for Google AdSense is pretty easy, but to use AdSense with YouTube, you’ll need to be part of the Partner Program.

You can use AdSense on a website or blog with fewer eligibility requirements.

Allow at least two months for ad revenue to start trickling in.

You need to earn at least $100 before you’re eligible for a payout.

Once you hit the $100 threshold, earnings are issued between the 21st and 26th of the month.

Requirements
Your own website that has been active for at least six months.

For YouTube, you need more than 1,000 subscribers.

You must be at least 18.

Become an Instagram influencer

Companies are using Instagram influencers — people with large, dedicated followings on the platform — to rep their products. You can get in on the action by applying for opportunities via a marketing platform like Open Influence or Aspire, or by contacting the brands you want to work with.

Total time: You’ll need to stick with it.
Setup: Quick and easy.
How easy to start: Not that easy. Read: Must build following to gain influence.
Age threshold: 13+.
How fast you’ll get paid: Varies on partnerships.

Need to know
Creating an Instagram account is quick, but building a following can take months or even years.

Once you have the numbers, you’ll need to find paid opportunities. You can do this via affiliate networks or by pitching brands you want to work with.

The time to receive your payment will depend on the terms of your agreement, but affiliate networks typically pay out earnings the month after a campaign is completed.

Monetize your twitch channel

Gaming could be a way to make money from home if you have a steady following on Twitch, the go-to site for gamers. Streamers can receive donations from viewers and even get a share of subscription and ad revenue if they reach Affiliate or Partner status.

Total time: This can be a long game.
Setup: Quick and easy.
How easy to start: Easy to start; takes a while to build a following.
Age threshold: 13+.
How fast you’ll get paid: Monthly.

Need to know
You can launch a Twitch channel and start streaming in a day, but it will take weeks or even months to build a following.

You may be able to withdraw donation revenue rather quickly, depending on the payout method.

Subscription and ad revenue earned as a Twitch Partner or Affiliate is paid out around the 15th of every month, and you must have a balance of at least $50 for most payout methods (it’s $100 for wire transfers).

Requirements
You need to hit certain viewership and broadcast milestones to become a Twitch Affiliate or Partner and qualify for a share of game sales, ads and subscription revenue.

Sell your photography

Turn your photographs into cash via sites like Fine Art America, which lets you upload your images to sell as prints, T-shirts, phone cases and more. Other marketplaces for photographers include SmugMug, 500px and PhotoShelter. Some sites require a subscription but may provide features ranging from cloud storage to password-protected galleries and a customized website.

Total time: Buyers need to find you — and like your work.
Setup: Just a few hours.
How easy to start: If you have a library of photos, you’re on the way.
Age threshold: Any.
How fast you’ll get paid: Depends on your sales platform.

Need to know
You can set up a profile with sites like SmugMug, PhotoShelter or Fine Art America in a few hours, assuming you have a body of original work.

Payment varies widely depending on the site.

Fine Art America: Payment issued after 30-day return window expires. Sent on the 15th of each month.

PhotoShelter: Payment issued at time of sale to your chosen payment method (PayPal, Stripe, etc.).

SmugMug: You can request payment be issued the following month if you have a balance of at least $5.

Requirements
Requirements vary by site, but you need to have all necessary rights to the images you sell.