Wanna Know How to Make Money Online?

How about a get-rich-quick strategy so you can stay home with your kids and never go back to work after maternity leave?

Yeah. Me too.

I’m not sure if the algorithm is just that smart, or if I only started noticing it more once I stopped working, but ever since my last day at work, I’ve been bombarded with ads promising easy online income.

“Here’s my foolproof system to build a six-figure business from your phone.”

“All you need is one hour a day.”

“Follow me for more stay-at-home income ideas.”

You get the idea.

And honestly? From what I’ve concluded so far, the easiest way to make money online is apparently to sell courses teaching OTHER people how to make money online. eye roll

(And yes, I fully recognize the irony of writing a blog post about this. But I’m not selling you a course or a “system.” No gimmicks here. Just words.)

So while I was hugely pregnant, mostly immobile, and suddenly had a lot more time to think, I decided to see if I could actually build something online that made real money.

And the good news is… I actually have.

Not a lot. Not “quit your job tomorrow” money.

But enough to prove to myself that it’s possible.

Enough to see little signals that maybe, eventually, all this work could pay a couple of our bills.

But it was NOT quick.
And it definitely was NOT easy.

It took actual work. Hundreds of hours learning new skills, researching niches, creating products, fixing mistakes, starting over, and spending way too much time staring at my computer while holding a sleeping baby.

It also cost money before it made money.

No magical overnight success story here.

So if you want to know how I’ve actually started making a little income online, read on.

(I’ve actually tried writing this blog post several times already, but I have way too much to say for one post, so I’m turning this into a series. If you want the next parts sent straight to your inbox, you can sign up for my email list here. I also send freebies to new subscribers, so… there’s that too. wink)

---

Truth #1: This Is Not Quick or Easy

I want to make that very clear from the beginning.

All those YouTube videos and TikToks promising easy passive income from uploading “simple journals” to Amazon KDP are wildly exaggerating.

Or just straight-up lying to your face.

Take your pick.

And honestly? I fell for it too.

One of those exact TikToks is what led me to Amazon KDP in the first place.

The reality is that Amazon KDP is EXTREMELY competitive.

Even getting your products seen is difficult if you don’t want to spend money on advertising. And before you even get to that stage, you still have to learn how to actually create products people want to buy.

That part is hard too.

The first few reading journals I made were honestly kind of terrible. They were my personal version of the infamous “simple lined journal.”

But I think whenever you learn a new skill, you’re going to create a few lemons first.

That’s part of the process.

---

Truth #2: You Have to Learn the Skills

Over the last several months, I’ve accidentally developed what feels like an entirely new career worth of skills.

Website design.
Video editing.
Graphic creation.
Marketing.
SEO.
Product design.
Photography.
Editing.

I’m basically a one-woman operation.

(Well… one woman plus the sleeping baby currently attached to me while I type this. I’ve also become surprisingly good at typing one-handed. Motherhood unlocks strange abilities.)

There are definitely tools and programs you can invest in that make the process easier, but you still have to learn how to use them.

And learning takes time.

Most weeks, I’ve spent somewhere around 6–8 hours a day working on different projects. Creating products, updating listings, writing blog posts, filming videos, maintaining my website, learning marketing…

And honestly? I’m still improving every single day.

In my next post, I’m planning to go into the actual tools and subscriptions I personally use, what they cost, and whether I think they’re worth it.

Because yes, there are absolutely things I regret paying for.

---

Truth #3: You Need a Niche

Everything stems from this.

Who are you?
What do you actually care about?

For me, the answer was easy:
I’m a mom.
And I’m obsessed with books.

That’s my brand.

Mom who reads.

Everything I create connects back to that in some way.

My journals.
My blog posts.
My TikToks.
My Pinterest content.
Even my Etsy products.

It creates cohesion.

People follow creators because they know what kind of content to expect from them. My audience either loves books, motherhood… or both.

If I posted parenting content one day, reviewed barbeques the next, and then tried selling accounting T-shirts after that, people would be confused.

Your niche helps create trust.

And yes, sometimes that’s hard.

I have ideas ALL the time that don’t fit my brand. (At least I think they’re good ideas. shrug)

But I try to stay focused.

---

Truth #4: Show Up and Be Patient

This is easily the hardest part.

It is SO discouraging to spend hours creating things that feel like they disappear directly into the void.

I can’t even tell you how many times I sat at my computer wondering:
“What is the point of this?”

But I kept going.

I kept writing.
Kept learning.
Kept improving.
Kept showing up.

And one day, completely out of nowhere…

The void whispered back.

My website started getting traffic.
My social media started gaining followers.

And then I got my first sale.

The dopamine hit from that single notification? Absolutely ridiculous. lol

And since then, it’s continued.
Slowly.
Steadily.

So if I have one piece of advice for anyone starting this journey, it’s this:

Show up consistently.
And be patient.

This is not overnight success territory.

The people making real money online didn’t build it in a week. A lot of them just want you to think they did so you’ll buy their course.

At some point, many of those businesses stop making money from the original thing entirely and start making money teaching people how to “make money online.”

And honestly? That gets dangerously close to scam territory sometimes.

But building something real?
That takes time.

Believe me, if I can do this, so can you.

I’m not anyone special.

Just a mom who loves books and accidentally started shouting into the internet.

And eventually…

the internet shouted back.

And honestly?
We love that.

---

Upcoming Posts In This Series

📚 What I actually sell online
📚 The tools I use (and whether they’re worth the money)
📚 Marketing for Moms 101
📚 How I started building traffic to my website
📚 What has actually made me money so far

Have you ever tried building something online? Or fallen down the “make money from your phone” rabbit hole at 2am while holding a baby? Because same.

I’d genuinely love to hear about your experiences, side hustles, wins, frustrations, or ideas in the comments below. Sometimes it feels like we’re all just collectively trying to figure this internet thing out together. 📚☕✨

And if you’d like to follow along as I continue documenting this chaotic little adventure into online business, motherhood, books, and creativity, make sure to subscribe to my email list below. I send out new blog posts, cozy updates, freebies, and digital goodies to subscribers first.

If you’re a fellow reader, journal lover, or digital planning addict, you can also check out my collection of customizable digital reading journals, sticker packs, and other cozy bookish products in my shop.

📖 You may also enjoy:

Why I Started Book Journaling (And Why Every Fast Reader Should)

Why Is It So Hard to Maintain Your Hobbies Postpartum?