Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.
It seems that the only people who can make money in the paranormal are the folks from TV shows. Well, that’s not true! I’ve debated writing about this, as making money usually isn’t someone’s first priority in the paranormal. In fact, making money in the field is often frowned upon. I don’t want to say that you shouldn’t be in this field to make money, because, yeah…you might get disappointed when you’re not making much if any at all.
I often get asked how I’m making some side cash in the field. It’s a lot of work. But, perhaps these tips will help you find a start. You’ll be creating some sort of content or product, and it may take a lot of work.
Ways You Can Make Money in the Paranormal
1. Write Books
In my opinion, this is probably the best way to make money that becomes a source of passive income that lasts for years. It’s not easy though, and you have to make something that is quality. It takes a considerable amount of time to write and publish a book. If you manage to go through a traditional publisher, it will take at least a year from submitting your manuscript to release. Also, you may get an advance for your book, which is nice. If you self-publish, you can set your own prices and get your book out a little sooner. However, you’ll have to invest some money into editing, cover design, and formatting. By the way, you can check out my books here.
2. Sell T-Shirts
If you’re handy with graphic design, you can definitely design and sell t-shirts and other products on platforms like RedBubble and CafePress. Also, a bunch of paranormal folks love supporting other teams, and buying shirts is exceptionally popular! I know folks who’ve been able to support their expenses with shirts alone, which is great! My team has a RedBubble store, and I have a RedBubble store with my own cute ghost designs. T-shirts are always a fun investment that can be worn for investigations, sleeping, or even painting your house.
3. Make a Blog & Monetize
You’ve probably noticed that there is ad space on my website. The more content I create, the more people will come to my website. I get a small sliver of change every time people visit my website, and I get a little more when people click on those ads. The key to making money from this is creating quality content on a regular basis that people will continue to come back to. There are other ways to drive traffic to your website as well like Facebook groups, newsletters, and more. Google AdSense will let you cash out every $100. You’ll have to host your blog on a hosting platform like Bluehost in order to qualify for monetization. Bluehost has a deal right now if you pay upfront for a year’s worth of hosting.
4. Social Media Brand Deals
If you have a decent following on social media, like a couple thousand followers on Instagram, you may be able to land brand deals from companies that are similar to your niche. Companies are looking at micro-influencers these days for promotion because they have an audience that trusts them and it’s less expensive than paying a major influencer with millions of followers. A brand deal is when a company pays you to promote their product. For me, I get brand deals with companies that make jewelry, makeup, and horror movies. It’s not a lot. Like, I’m not going to quit my job anytime soon. But it’s enough to break even on my business expenses. If you’re not getting paid, you could get free stuff instead. Also, you have to be able to back up your numbers with engagement percentages to prove your audience is paying attention to you.
5. Join Affiliates
Websites like Amazon and other major retailers have affiliate programs! All you need to do is sign up. For example, I’ve promoted products on Amazon before, and I use my affiliate link for each product. This means that if someone buys a product I recommend using my link, I get a cut of the profits. This is really effective if you have thousands of followers. If you’re going to use affiliate links on your posts, blogs, etc. you MUST add a disclosure and is an FTC-mandated practice. See my disclosure at the top of this blog.
6. Freelance Writing
If you’re good at writing, you might be able to get onto some online publications that need writers. For several years, I wrote for a list-based website that occasionally needed paranormal content. I made anywhere between $50-$100 per article. Then, I moved on to write scripts for that website’s YouTube channel, which paid about $150. Don’t get me wrong, it was work. Like, 2000 words work. But it was worth it to me because I was writing about my passion.
7. Start a YouTube Channel
If you have some patience and the ability to stay consistent, YouTube is another possible avenue to make money. On YouTube, you have to have 1000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours in a span of 12 months to qualify for monetization. Personally, I’m not there yet, but I’m over halfway. Do I aspire to be a professional YouTuber? No. But I know many who have been able to make that dream come true. This one takes time and patience, and you’ll often question your sanity as to why you’re doing it.
8. Offer a Service
If you have a skill like graphic design, web design, coding, etc., you can offer your services to folks in the paranormal field. Recently, I’ve started offering social media and blog training for paranormal teams and individuals. My friend, Alex King, is an amazing graphic artist and he also builds websites. I know a few folks who will repair your paranormal equipment, fix cars, etc. If you have something to offer the community, you can definitely make some money while still staying in your paranormal niche.
9. Sell Merchandise
If you have a brand, whether it’s your team, your business, etc., you can make merchandise. If you make an image that is popular, people will want it on bags, magnets, stickers, and more. I know I have a few fun items that were designed by friends, and I’m often asked about them. On RedBubble, one of my most popular designs is the Ghost with a Flower Crown, and it makes me a decent commission each month.
10. Make Products
Handmade items are all the rage, and they are a favorite when it comes to gift giving. You can make and sell handmade items, especially in the divination community. There is a high-demand for crystals, pendulums, and “baby witch” kits right now. Or, some people build their own ghost hunting equipment and sell. I also know folks who sell prints of their photography of haunted places, make their own jewelry and pottery, the list goes on. If you’re creative and like to make things, this might be a venture to explore.
11. Run Events, Ghost Hunts, and Ghost Tours
I put this last because it’s the most difficult and my least favorite. There’s a lot of work behind this including book venues, selling tickets, set up, tear down, hiring help, and running the event. But I know plenty of people who have started their own businesses running events, ghost hunts, and ghost tours, and they are amazing at it. This is definitely an option to explore if you have the time and seed money to get it all set up.
12. Start a Store
This takes some finesse and knowledge on how to run a business. But I see a decent amount of people starting their own “ghost hunting store” where they will buy equipment and accessories at wholesale price and then resell them. I also know folks who will sell used ghost hunting equipment, supplies, jewelry, apparel, and books. This takes a considerable amount of work to get it all set up with business licenses, taxes, and maybe even a retail storefront.
Ways to NOT Make Money in the Paranormal
Charging Clients for Residential Investigations
Don’t do this. Just don’t. Considering that we can’t even prove that ghosts exist, it’s a bit hard to make an argument for charging clients. Doing residential cases is a huge liability along with that. Charging clients go from a volunteer context to a business transaction, and that can open up a whole wormhole of legal issues if things go sour.
Fundraisers
You shouldn’t be doing fundraisers to turn a profit for yourself if you’re advertising that 100% of the proceeds is going to a charity. Yes, you can pay for the fundraiser’s expenses from the money you raise, pay event staff, etc. The tricky thing here is that people have gotten in trouble for organizing fundraisers, and then people find out they pocketed the money, or didn’t send as much to the charity as they promoted.
Fundraising is typically seen as community service that people shouldn’t be making money from. Of course, there are nonprofit organizations that manage to do this. However, you need to be completely transparent about where the money is going and be ready to show receipts. Note: The exception here are events that will also support a charity. Event planning is a huge task to take on, and people working in the event should be paid for their time.
One More Note: Taxes
Anything you do to make money in the paranormal is taxable. Yes, you still have to pay taxes. You will want to keep track of everything and report all of your income including cash, books, products, commission, and free stuff. You don’t want Uncle Sam knocking on your door and then you aren’t able to pay because you spent your money already.