Hello, this is writer Arai.
These days there are plenty of sites where you can earn money by uploading illustration assets or written content.
Among them, illustAC is a site where users post illustration assets, and revenue is paid back to them whenever those assets get downloaded. At the time of writing, you get 3.56 points per download (1 point = 1 yen, about 0.007 USD), and once you've accumulated 5,000 points, you can cash out via bank transfer.
The number of uploaded assets is also pretty huge, so you can use them in all kinds of situations — making posters, banners, and more.
I Actually Tried Being an Illustrator for About Six Months
I created an account about half a year ago and posted assets little by little.
The result: I managed to earn 8,204 yen (about 56 USD) — total as of when this article was published.
Whether that's a lot or a little depends on your own yardstick, but personally I think it's pretty good. It's not like I was posting every day — I had an office job, so I'd whip something up on my way home, or make stuff on my days off when I felt like it. Most of the time it was basically left untouched. If I had worked at it more seriously, the earnings would definitely have been higher.
For reference, here are the kinds of assets I posted:
Is It Worth Posting Assets?
If you have a decent amount of illustration skill and you've been thinking it'd be nice to make some money on the side, I'd say it's absolutely worth a shot. Once you post something, the assets essentially "earn for you on their own" — and that's what makes it different from things like part-time jobs, which is the appealing part. (That said, don't forget that unpopular assets that never get downloaded bring in exactly zero...)
What Kind of Assets Should You Post?
illustAC has assets in all kinds of genres and styles — cute, cool, you name it. If you create assets with seasonal demand in mind (fireworks illustrations for summer, for example) or trending topics (cryptocurrencies and the like), your chances of getting downloaded should go up. Being able to upload Illustrator (.ai) files as well is even better.
There's also a list of asset requests you can browse, so when you're stuck for ideas, taking a look there and making something based on it might be a good move...
We live in an era where individuals can earn money with their skills. If this caught your interest, definitely give it a try.
