MC-Guide
Content Writing
Website 115: gatsbyjs.com
How Can You Earn Money Writing For “gatsbyjs.com” Website
This guide shows you, step by step, how a beginner can learn to pitch and sell stories to gatsbyjs.com.
You will learn what gatsbyjs.com wants, how to test your idea, how to write a pitch, and how payment roughly works. You can use this like a small SOP.
Practical Guide — Build a Gatsby Blog, Publish Articles, & Earn Money (Beginner)
This guide walks you step-by-step from setting up a fast Gatsby blog to writing publishable technical articles (including how to contribute to the Gatsby blog itself), then shows practical ways to monetize your writing: paid publications, newsletters, subscriptions, sponsorships, and product funnels.
Actionable, link-heavy, and focused on what you can do today.
Section 1 · Fundamentals
What Gatsby is — short and practical
Gatsby is an open-source, React-based framework for building blazing fast websites and apps. It’s especially popular for blogs, documentation sites, and marketing sites because it offers excellent performance, a rich plugin ecosystem, and powerful data-layer features that let you pull content from Markdown, MDX, headless CMSs, and APIs. Learn the official overview and docs at the Gatsby site. :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}
Key benefits: fast static pages, strong SEO-friendly structure, MDX support, image optimization, and many ready-made starters so you can launch quickly. Plus a large plugin and starters library to add features (search, RSS, analytics). Start exploring Gatsby docs and examples. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}
- Pre-built blog starters (fast to launch).
- MDX support (JSX inside Markdown) for interactive embeds.
- Image & asset optimization built-in via plugins.
- Works with headless CMSs (Contentful, Sanity, Ghost, WordPress, etc.).
Basic prerequisites: Node.js (LTS), Git, and a GitHub account for hosting your repository (or another git host). Optionally create a free account on services like Netlify, Vercel, or Ghost for deployment and monetization. The official Gatsby quick-start is perfect for hands-on practice. :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}
Section 2 · Quick Start
Create a blog in under an hour (using a starter)
The fastest way to launch is to use an official Gatsby blog starter. There’s a maintained “gatsby-starter-blog” that includes RSS, syntax highlighting, and image helpers — a perfect base for a monetizable blog. :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}
Install Gatsby CLI and bootstrap
Run:
npm install -g gatsby-cli
gatsby new my-blog https://github.com/gatsbyjs/gatsby-starter-blog
cd my-blog
gatsby developThis spins up a local dev server (http://localhost:8000) with demo posts you can edit.
Choose Markdown vs MDX
Markdown is stable and simple. MDX lets you embed React components into posts (great for interactive demos). If you want to include live components, go with MDX from the start.
Customize metadata & theme
Edit siteMetadata in gatsby-config.js for title, description, and social links — these help SEO and sharing.
Add plugins for images, sitemap, and RSS to support growth.
Put content in /content/blog (or your chosen folder)
Create posts as MD/MDX files with frontmatter (title, date, tags). Keep images in a structured folder and reference them from frontmatter or the post body.
Section 3 · Authoring Content
Write better posts: structure, MDX, images, and SEO
To create posts that read well and perform in search engines, follow these conventions: clear headline, short intro, step-by-step sections with code examples, screenshots or embeds, and a conclusion with “what next” or a small checklist.
- Headline: specific promise (e.g., “Deploy a Gatsby blog with Netlify and Stripe tips”)
- Intro: short 2–4 sentences — explain the problem and the result.
- Steps: 4–8 numbered sections with code + screenshots.
- Conclusion: actionable next steps and links to demo code or repo.
Use Gatsby image plugins for optimized images. Add code blocks with syntax highlighting. Fill meta tags (title, description, og:image) using Gatsby Head or plugins — this improves social shares and search presence.
If you plan to sell courses, newsletters, or memberships later, include a single call-to-action (CTA) in your posts with a landing page that captures email addresses.
Section 4 · Deploy & Host
Deploying your Gatsby blog — practical options
Three popular hosting flows are Netlify, Vercel, and Gatsby Cloud. Netlify/Vercel give free tiers and automatic Git-based deploys. Official Gatsby docs include step-by-step tutorials for both Netlify and Vercel. :contentReference[oaicite:5]{index=5}
Netlify supports automatic builds from Git and has a generous free tier. It also integrates with serverless functions, redirects, and form handling. Read Gatsby’s Netlify deployment guide for configuration tips and auto-adapters. :contentReference[oaicite:6]{index=6}
Vercel is fast and supports Gatsby features like SSR/DSG. Gatsby Cloud provides previews and optimizations tailored to Gatsby sites. Use them if you want premium previewing and build analytics. :contentReference[oaicite:7]{index=7}
Tip: Start on the free tier (Netlify/Vercel) and move to paid plans only when traffic or features require it.
Section 5 · Contributing to the Gatsby Blog
How to submit a post to the official Gatsby blog
Gatsby welcomes community blog contributions. They provide a clear Blog Contributions guide that explains the proposal process, content guidelines, and the submission form. If you’d like your post published on the Gatsby blog, read and follow that page carefully. :contentReference[oaicite:8]{index=8}
Read the Blog Contributions page
Open the official page: Gatsby — Blog Contributions. Note required fields for a proposal (title, summary, outline, target audience, code examples, demo links). Proposals that show a demo or repo and a clear outline get better responses. :contentReference[oaicite:9]{index=9}
Make a small demo project & writing sample
Editors prefer posts grounded in real work. Build a tiny demo (hosted or GitHub) and prepare a full article draft or earlier published sample.
Use the proposal form
Fill the form linked on the contributions page. Keep the pitch clear, include your demo link, and provide a short timeline for delivery.
Publishing on the official Gatsby blog is excellent for credibility — it demonstrates expertise to employers and paying clients.
Section 6 · Writing Posts Editors & Readers Love
Tactics to make your posts readable, trustworthy, and sharable
Verify every code sample works on a fresh machine. Use reproducible steps and include a GitHub repo or CodeSandbox for readers to run. Editors check that code runs. Errors reduce the chance of acceptance.
Link to official docs and any libraries you use. If you borrow snippets, attribute sources. Honesty builds trust with editors and readers.
Use small code snippets (not huge monoliths) and consider releasing a companion repo with the finished demo. This makes sharing and maintenance simple.
Section 7 · Monetization Strategies
Real ways to earn money from your Gatsby blog and writing
There is no single path — treat your blog as the hub of content that feeds multiple earning channels. Below are the most practical options and short implementation notes.
Use Substack or Ghost for paid newsletter models. Substack makes it easy to go paid and takes ~10% + Stripe fees on paid subscriptions; their guides explain conversion expectations. Ghost provides an integrated membership, subscription, and newsletter system if you prefer self-hosting or a managed plan. :contentReference[oaicite:10]{index=10}
- Substack: fast to set up, great discovery tools for writers.
- Ghost: full publisher stack (members, Stripe, advanced site control).
Publish in the Medium Partner Program to earn money based on member reading time and engagement. Joining the program has eligibility rules, but it’s a low-friction way to monetize long-form articles. :contentReference[oaicite:11]{index=11}
Use your Site/Gatsby portfolio to get paid writing gigs or sponsored posts. Many agencies and tools providers pay for high-quality tutorials that highlight their product (with disclosure).
Sell small products like Gatsby starters, themes, or tutorials. A single well-marketed starter or mini-course can provide recurring income.
Practical tip: combine 2–3 channels (e.g., free blog + paid newsletter + occasional sponsored post). Audience + trust determine income, not the platform alone.
Section 8 · Pitching & Publishing to Paying Outlets
Places that pay and how to approach them
Many high-profile tech publications accept contributed articles and sometimes pay contributors. Good places to pitch (and where to find “write for us” pages) include:
| Publication | Why pitch | Note |
|---|---|---|
| SitePoint | Tech tutorials, widely-read audience, pays per article | Follow SitePoint’s contributor guidelines. |
| freeCodeCamp News | Large dev audience; strong credibility | Read their contributor guide first. :contentReference[oaicite:12]{index=12} |
| Smashing Magazine | Design & front-end focus; strong editorial process | Editorial selection can be competitive; quality is key. :contentReference[oaicite:13]{index=13} |
How to pitch: read the publication’s “write for us” page, prepare a short outline (3–6 bullets), include a writing sample link, and show a live demo if your article involves code. Be concise and specific.
Section 9 · Final Checklist & Resources
Checklist before you publish or pitch
Curated resources & quick links (open in new tabs)
- Gatsby — Official site & overview. :contentReference[oaicite:14]{index=14}
- Gatsby Docs — Tutorials & how-to guides. :contentReference[oaicite:15]{index=15}
- Gatsby Blog Contributions — how to submit to the official Gatsby blog. :contentReference[oaicite:16]{index=16}
- gatsby-starter-blog (GitHub). :contentReference[oaicite:17]{index=17}
- Gatsby Starters gallery. :contentReference[oaicite:18]{index=18}
- Deploying Gatsby to Netlify. :contentReference[oaicite:19]{index=19}
- Deploying Gatsby to Vercel. :contentReference[oaicite:20]{index=20}
- Ghost — membership & newsletter platform. :contentReference[oaicite:21]{index=21}
- Substack — going paid guide. :contentReference[oaicite:22]{index=22}
- Medium Partner Program. :contentReference[oaicite:23]{index=23}
- How to write for freeCodeCamp News. :contentReference[oaicite:24]{index=24}
- SitePoint — write for us (useful example for pitching).
- Smashing Magazine — editorial & write-for-us pages. :contentReference[oaicite:25]{index=25}
Final encouragement: Start small. Ship a short Gatsby post with a working demo, publish it on your site or Dev.to, and use that as your writing sample. Then use the guide above to pitch larger outlets or the Gatsby blog itself.