We have looked at regular content like blogs and podcasts for passive income.  However, there are better options for passive income that are one-time content products.  These include things like books, instructional videos, white papers, and more.  These products are excellent options since they provide recurring revenue from a single push to create it.

One-Time Content Takes On Going Effort

One-time is a description for the creation of the content alone.  It is not a way to describe the effort required to keep that income rolling in.  The good news is that the work to keep things going is often small and can provide a sizable return on a few hours of work.  The content itself is key to how much work will be required to keep it “fresh” and draw in more (or repeat) customers.  Beyond that, you will need to refresh ads, participate in communities, or provide interviews and feedback to bring in people.

Carve Out Time

The time required after your content is made available to the public should be minimal.  Thus, we have a passive income solution.  Even better, the kind of work required can quickly be scheduled around your normal activities.  These chunks of time can often be addressed in a late-night session or by getting up early once a week.  You might even be able to group your time into a weekend afternoon once a month.  Thus, all of these options should make it as easy as possible to expend the time needed for your content freshness without impacting your daily activities.  This approach can even be used to provide regular enhancements to that content with minimal time expenditures.

Many Options To Choose From

The number of one-time content options available makes it easy to find one that works for you.  Each of these has some strengths and weaknesses.  However, they are all common in passive income circles.  Therefore, you have numerous resources at your fingertips.  Here are a few available on this site alone.

Writing A Book – What You Should Know Before You Begin

Creating a Podcast – Not Just a Lot of Talking

Writing for Fun and Profit: A Business Communication Primer

Rob Broadhead

Rob is a founder of, and frequent contributor to, Develpreneur. This includes the Building Better Developers podcast. He is also a lifetime learner as a developer, designer, and manager of software solutions. Rob is the founder of RB Consulting and has managed to author a book about his family experiences and a few about becoming a better developer. In his free time, he stays busy raising five children (although they have grown into adults). When he has a chance to breathe, he is on the ice playing hockey to relax or working on his ballroom dance skills.

Leave a Reply