Songwriters dream of making their living by writing, and sometimes performing, their songs. But until that day comes they've got to make a living somehow! Sound familiar?

With a little imagination, you can probably find a way to convert your love for music and songwriting into a means of making money. To help you get started, here is a list of ideas worth looking into:

1. Sell your tapes and/or CD's online.

It is really remarkably easy (and pretty darn inexpensive) to set up your own web site and begin selling your tapes, CD's, and whatever else you have to offer. And, although it's beyond the scope of this article to tell you in detail how to do this, as a minimum you will need: a website; a web host; a means of collecting money (you can get a merchant account or use a service such as PayPal); and, of course, visitors to your website.

2. Write and sell an eBook about your music expertise.

An eBook, or electronic book, is extremely popular these days on the Internet. The benefits to you include ease of production and very low delivery cost. Customers benefit from the instant gratification of downloading the book immediately after purchasing it.

Don't forget, information is the hot product for today, especially on the Internet. With a little effort, you can surely come up with special information that others would be willing to pay for.

3. Organize contests.

Why not organize a songwriting contest for all the songwriters in your area? Or, better yet, use the Internet and start one on a national basis! Let's say you collected 250 entries at $10 a pop... that's $2,500. Even if you offered up $500 in prizes, you still walk away with $2,000! You might also get local songwriting clubs, music stores, etc., to help with the advertising and even contribute to the prize offerings.

4. Publish an online newsletter.

Publishing your own newsletter, or "ezine", can be an excellent way to earn some extra money. And, although some folks have succeeded at offering a fee-based newsletter, it's much easier to publish a free one.

Three of the most common ways to make money with your free newsletter are: sell advertising space, promote affiliate programs, and advertise the sale of your own products, such as your tapes and CD's.

5. Start your own jingle business.

There is alot of money to be made in writing jingles. And, as a songwriter, you probably already have all the equipment you will need to get started. It's also good training because it helps you learn to "write on demand".