You may think that genealogy and family history are hobbies you can do for free. After all, it’s not like you have to buy expensive equipment or invest in anything fancy. You just need to be able to access records of your ancestors online, at local libraries, and at other genealogical sources.
Maybe you’re right. It doesn’t cost much money to research your family history. However, there are ways you can make money with genealogy, especially if your passion is exploring your family roots and sharing what you find with others who may be interested in learning about their ancestry too.
Here are 4 ways that you can make money with genealogy and family history.
Table of Contents
1. Write and sell a genealogy-based eBook
Ebooks are a great way to make money from your hobby because you can write them from anywhere, from any device. To make money with genealogy writing ebooks you’ll need to do your research to determine what topics are in highest demand and what your competition looks like.
Once you have a topic in mind and have done some initial research, you’ll need to create an outline. After that, you’ll be able to use your genealogy research and data to fill out the outline and create your ebook.
After you have written your ebook if you want to make money with genealogy, you’ll need to publish it on an online marketplace, such as Amazon Kindle.
Some of the most in-demand genealogy-related topics are how to research your family tree, how to find records about your ancestors, and how to use DNA testing for genealogy. You can write about the best tools to use online to research your family history such as Ancestry and genesreunited.
You can also write about your family’s history and the stories behind your ancestors’ names. How the did the surname originate, where did your family come from, what did they do, and did they have a coat of arms are all topics to consider for your ebook.
2. Participate in research and writing assignments
There are several genealogy-related websites and apps that connect researchers with people willing to pay for their research. You can find these assignments either on your own or on websites like Upwork or PeoplePerHour.
You might find that the terms of these assignments are flexible, including payment arrangements that are more in line with an ongoing research relationship than a formal contract. Even if you can’t find assignments that pay you directly, you may be able to earn money by helping a relative or friend with their research.
You can also write articles for genealogy and family history magazines and online publications.
If you want to make money with genealogy as a side hustle you could also start blogging about either your family history, interesting family members, or blogging about where they came from. For example, if your family hail from Scotland you could research the family tartan.
You can monetize your blog to make money with genealogy by using affiliates such as Amazon for types of tartan, or books on genealogy. You can also link to sites such as Ancestry and earn a commission each time someone signs up for a membership with them.
You can also sell your e-book on your blog as well as other services such as being willing to visit historical places and addresses to take pictures for people who cannot visit the area easily to give them a better idea of the places where their ancestors walked.
3. Make money with genealogy by hosting events
If you have a local genealogy or family history club or meetup, you can earn money hosting talks and events. Again, you won’t be paid directly, but you can use these events as a way to promote your business and sell your products for profit.
You can also host talks about genealogy and family history. You can do this with friends and family who are also interested in the topic, or you can do this as a way to promote your business and website.
The talks could be online or they could involve historical walks around certain areas for example to tourists to explain how and where their ancestors lived and worked.
4. Offer a service to research family
If you’re really passionate about researching and writing about genealogy and family history, you could consider offering research services to others. For example, you could offer to look up records and data for people who can’t access them themselves because they don’t have the right equipment or the right skillset.
You could also offer to write blog posts, books, or magazine articles for people who don’t have the time or ability to do so themselves using sites such as Fiverr.
Offering family history research services is a great side hustle as it allows you to make money from your hobby. It also allows you to follow your passion and learn more about genealogy.
Conclusion
Genealogy and family history are hobbies you can do for free. However, there are ways you can make money with genealogy, especially if it is your passion to root out your own or others family history. Sharing your knowledge with others who are willing to pay for your genealogy services is definitely worthwhile looking into if you want to make money with genealogy.
Writing and selling ebooks, participating in research and writing assignments, hosting genealogy events and talks, and offering research services are just some of the ways you can make money from your family history hobby.
