Welcome back, Books After Dark Lovers! It’s your boy, Mr. Steve—and today, we’re digging into a side hustle that’s making a serious claim from MSN, Microsoft’s long-running news and lifestyle portal.
According to a recent MSN article by Emma Newbery, you could build a $4,600/month passive income stream in less than a year — all by starting a (POD) print-on-demand business.
Sounds like a dream, right?
But can you really hit those numbers that fast? Or is this another too-good-to-be-true side hustle fantasy?
We dove in deep, broke down all 4 steps MSN claims will get you there, and ran it through our Scam or Legit Checklist. And since self-publishing and low-content books are one of my own areas of expertise, I can tell you exactly what’s hype, what’s possible, and what’s a pitfall.
And quick side note, the recent Amazon price shake up for low content books had me and other self-publishers scrambling. Can our titles be profitable now that the royalty rate for books priced below $9.99 USD shifted to only 50%! For many of us, this shift meant we earned $0. Yikes!
But don’t worry, I tried out some of these strategies mentioned by MSN and sales are already up this week. I’ll dive into those strategies in a future blog post and YouTube video, along with earnings, so hit subscribe on YouTube so you don’t miss it.
And, in case you missed it. Start here if you want to discover a proven $1,800 a week side hustle in 2025 that’s recession-proof, requires no degree, and can’t be replaced by AI.
So without further ado. Let’s dive into the focus of this blog post: MSN Tested Side Hustle in 2025, $4,600 a Month!
Is it a scam or legit?
Step 1: Brainstorm Your Theme and Products
MSN Claim:
You need to start with an idea — pick a niche, brainstorm designs, and figure out what products fit best (T-shirts, mugs, tote bags, etc.). Use your passions and interests to guide you, check trends, and never copy others’ work.
Mr. Steve’s Take:
Solid start. The niche matters — but here’s where many people fail: they pick something they like, not something the market is already buying. Passion is great, but sales data is better. Use tools like Etsy Trends, Creative Fabrica Spark, or even Amazon’s Best Seller Rank to validate your niche before you design anything.
Pro Tip:
Don’t pick “funny quotes” as your whole business. Pick “funny quotes for nurses who work night shifts.” That’s niche enough to stand out, but still big enough to make sales.
Step 2: Make a Plan
MSN Claim:
Map out costs, earnings potential, research your customer base, compare POD services, check competitor strengths/weaknesses, and make sure your designs don’t infringe on copyright. Decide whether to sell via your own site or on a marketplace like Etsy.
Mr. Steve’s Take:
This step is where many beginners get stuck because it’s not sexy. But planning is your insurance policy. POD is low-cost to start, but that doesn’t mean you should skip your numbers. Also, don’t sleep on Amazon KDP. Etsy or your site might sound sexy, but built-in traffic for your niche could save you ad cost in the long run by bringing organic traffic if your target audience already shops there.
Pro Tip:
Run a quick breakeven calculation: If your profit per mug is $6 and you want $4,600/month, you need to sell 767 mugs a month — that’s 26 mugs a day. That tells you instantly if your plan needs higher-priced products, more upsells, or paid ads.
Step 3: Test Your Idea
MSN Claim:
Before going public, order samples to check quality, take photos, and get feedback from friends, acquaintances, and ideally, your target market.
Mr. Steve’s Take:
Yes — but don’t just get feedback from people who will sugarcoat it. Your mom might say it’s “cute” while your target customer is scrolling past without clicking.
Pro Tip:
Use mockup tools like Placeit to test your designs in real-world scenarios — then run $10 of Facebook ads just to your target audience to see if they click. This gives you real-world interest data without buying 100 units upfront.
Also, use Placeit to help fuel your imagination and start dreaming! Let those creative ideas flow.
Step 4: Take it to Market
MSN Claim:
Sell on marketplaces like Amazon or Etsy to get traffic fast, or build your own site for more control (but with higher marketing costs). You can also combine both.
Mr. Steve’s Take:
Marketplaces are great for beginners because they already have millions of buyers. The catch? Fees will eat into your margins, and you don’t own the customer relationship. If you want to scale, you’ll need to eventually move to your own website and email list.
Pro Tip:
From Day 1, collect emails. Every order confirmation, every thank-you insert in the package — invite them to join your VIP list for exclusive designs or discounts. Your email list is the real passive income machine.
Final Word: Scam or Legit?
Yes, you can hit $4,600/month in under a year with print-on-demand, but only if you treat it like a business — not a lottery ticket. Most people quit before they reach the tipping point because sales are slow at first.
We say it all the time over here: you don’t need to wait on a stimulus check or someone else’s approval to start building income.
Sometimes, the bag is sitting right in front of you. It might be a little dirty… like starting a cleaning service side hustle, for example, but it could be your cleanest way out of financial stress in 2025.
So, now you have all the tea, scam or legit?
You decide.
👇 UPDATE: We Tried This Strategy Ourselves…
Curious what happened when we tested MSN’s print-on-demand strategy for ourselves?
👉 Read our full results here — $425 earned (and counting)
We break down exactly what worked and what we’re testing next!
What’s Next?
Want to know what side hustle is trending right now? Some remote workers are making upwards of $1 million a year by holding down multiple remote jobs at once.
And the wild part? They claim they’re doing it all while working only 40 hours a week!
📌 Click here to read: “How Remote Workers in 2025 Are Secretly Making $1M a Year (Scam or Legit?)”
And don’t forget — if you want honest, no-fluff reviews of trending money-making ideas, subscribe to the Mr. Steve Official YouTube channel and turn on those notifications.
You can also join the Books After Dark family on Facebook to stay in the loop and see what’s coming next.
And if you’re ready to explore even more money-making opportunities, check out the latest video on the Mr. Steve Official YouTube channel below.
