Why Making Almost $50 Online Has Been So Exciting For Me

It doesn’t happen to people like me.

Photo by Timothy Dykes on Unsplash

Last month, I made my first $45 online.

I did that using two specific methods. Before I tell you what they are, let me give you a little background.

I’m from Nepal — an underdeveloped country where making money online is challenging.

Here are a few reasons why:

1. We do not have proper online payment gateways. So, no PayPal, Stripe, WePay, or any of that stuff.
2. Earning through advertising platforms (like Google Adsense) is not sustainable because the CPC (cost per click) is extremely low.
3. Affiliate marketing isn’t a reliable option because there are fewer affiliate programs. Also, we cannot promote international products because there are no (or very few) buyers. Even if we promote products internationally, it is difficult to receive payments because of payment gateway issues, as I mentioned in the first point.
4. It is difficult to sell digital products like e-books, courses, or apps online because of the same problem.
5. Creators are not valued as much. Our society does not consider it a suitable career option.

Shocking, I know.

When someone here says they made $100 online, everyone wants to know how they did it.

YouTubers with many subscribers are the only ones who make a good income online. But it’s difficult for them as well because of the low CPC.

It is incredibly challenging for bloggers and writers like me to earn money online. There is zero chance of doing it full-time.

Medium Partner Program? What’s that?

You must have guessed that I am not a part of the Medium Partner Program. You are right.

I have 1.4K followers, three Top Writer’s badges, and a few viral stories. Yet, I haven’t made a penny from the Partner Program.

But, I have leveraged my Medium profile to make money using other strategies.

How I made almost $50 online?

I started writing on Medium for fun. I heard that I could drive traffic to my blog from here.

But as I began using it more, Medium became a place to learn and explore. I connected with writers, followed their path, and significantly improved my writing.

Through Medium, I learned different strategies for making money online, even though I could not be a part of the Partner Program.

The two methods I used to make almost $50 online are:

#1. Selling my e-book

How did I do that? Didn’t I tell you that we couldn’t sell e-books and that there is no payment solution? Sure, I did.

I came up with a unique solution to set up my Stripe account. I asked my friend in Australia to do so. Problem solved.

I published an e-book in February this year. I use Payhip to sell it online. My Payhip is linked to my friend’s Stripe account. So, all the payments go there and then to his bank account. He then generously transfers it to me here.

Well, desperate times call for desperate measures.

So far, I have made $24 selling my e-book. And FYI, it’s a free e-book. People were so generous to support me by paying a few dollars for it.

Screenshot by author.

I value every dollar I receive from selling the book. And I’m thankful for everyone who paid for it.

You can download my e-book by clicking here. I would appreciate it if you supported my work.

#2. Receiving donations on Ko-Fi

I learned about a website through Medium where creators could receive donations and tips.

It’s called Ko-Fi.

At first, I thought it was only for creators with many followers. So, I ignored it.

But I was desperate to try anything. When I found that Ko-Fi pays through Stripe, I signed up for it.

I link my Ko-Fi profile at the end of every Medium article, even though I did not have any hope.

I was surprised when people started supporting me because they liked my stories. They donated $1, $3, and even $12.

Screenshot by author.

So far, I have received $21 in donations.

You can support me on Ko-Fi by clicking here.

Thanks for supporting

It is challenging to earn money online while living in Nepal, as I explained previously.

I didn’t give up my hopes. I kept writing for free and connecting with people.

My persistence allowed me to find ways to make money, even though they were unusual ways.

I am grateful to everyone who bought my e-book or supported me via Ko-Fi.

I hope this post inspires creators from countries like mine. To them, I want to say, “Don’t give up hope. Keep doing the work, and you will succeed.”

Thanks for reading.

If you like my work, please buy me a Ko-fi as I am currently unable to earn from Medium.

Check out my eBook: How to Build Side Hustles & Make Money Online.

More stories from me:

One Thing You Must Do To Become A Better Writer

I Became A Top Writer In Less Than 10 Days And Made $0