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1/ From $0 to $100,000: The business side of writing is the hardest to learn and the easiest to implement.
A thread
A thread
2/ You can’t rely on social media platforms anymore to get your work out to the readers who want it.
Treat writing like a business and de-risk your work by publishing in a few places.
Treat writing like a business and de-risk your work by publishing in a few places.
3/ The test of any business owner and writer is whether they can do it for free in the beginning.
And I’m talking about years. If you can write for free then you’ll build up the skill to make it into a business.
Time in the online writing game equals more financial upside.
And I’m talking about years. If you can write for free then you’ll build up the skill to make it into a business.
Time in the online writing game equals more financial upside.
4/ Understand the different ways you can make money.
- eBooks
- Traditionally published books
- Paid newsletters using Substack or ConvertKit
- Royalties from writing platforms like News Break
- Selling online courses
- Freelancing
- 1–1 coaching
- Ghostwriting
- eBooks
- Traditionally published books
- Paid newsletters using Substack or ConvertKit
- Royalties from writing platforms like News Break
- Selling online courses
- Freelancing
- 1–1 coaching
- Ghostwriting
5/ My rough formula is this:
90% of readers access my work for free.
10% of readers access my work via a paid channel.
90% of readers access my work for free.
10% of readers access my work via a paid channel.
6/ 100 readers can make you 6-figures.
7/ Why do most writers never master the business of writing?
They get greedy or impatient.
Greed is a distraction.
They get greedy or impatient.
Greed is a distraction.
8/ Find multiple ways to make money. Then invest the money you make wisely so it works for you.
Then reduce your spending, lower your desire to buy stuff, and you’ll have enough money to work when you choose, without stressing about the size of the paycheck.
Then reduce your spending, lower your desire to buy stuff, and you’ll have enough money to work when you choose, without stressing about the size of the paycheck.
9/ Think about writing in 5-year blocks. Build your writing business slowly. Make money from more than just writing.
10/ Choose 1 place to write for free.
Collect readers via an email list/online community.
Speak to readers through regular, helpful content.
Find a second writing platform that pays writers.
Write a short eBook and sell it.
Experiment with a paid newsletter for superfans.
Collect readers via an email list/online community.
Speak to readers through regular, helpful content.
Find a second writing platform that pays writers.
Write a short eBook and sell it.
Experiment with a paid newsletter for superfans.
11/ Writing tools have levels
Level 1 = you can use the tool
Level 2 = you can find the hidden features of the tool
Level 3 = you can use the tool in ways it hasn’t been used
Level 4 = you can stand out in how you use the tool
Mastery = you can help others be successful with it
Level 1 = you can use the tool
Level 2 = you can find the hidden features of the tool
Level 3 = you can use the tool in ways it hasn’t been used
Level 4 = you can stand out in how you use the tool
Mastery = you can help others be successful with it
12/ Business owners are investors — so are writers.
You have to be smart with the money you make from writing. There will be big months and periods where politics takes the attention off your writing.
You’ve got to be prepared for both and invest your money.
You have to be smart with the money you make from writing. There will be big months and periods where politics takes the attention off your writing.
You’ve got to be prepared for both and invest your money.
13/ I haven’t seen any writing businesses worth replicating that are based on a single human. A single human writing business will become overwhelmed, eventually.
14/ If you have 1000 email subscribers, and you had ten other people with similar sized lists, then that’s a lot of email subscribers.
You can reach a much larger audience when you collaborate.
You can reach a much larger audience when you collaborate.
15/ Publications, editors, the writing platform you write on — they’re all partners, so treat them that way.
A user says “what can I take?”
A partner says “what are you working on and how can I help?”
A user says “what can I take?”
A partner says “what are you working on and how can I help?”
16/ The business of writing is built on a solid foundation of high-quality content.
Write quality content readers find helpful and you’ll have thousands of ways to repurpose that same content into online courses, books, and premium subscriptions readers will pay money for.
Write quality content readers find helpful and you’ll have thousands of ways to repurpose that same content into online courses, books, and premium subscriptions readers will pay money for.
17/ The business of writing is simply being helpful to a small audience who want you around to inspire, tell stories and teach them in return for a small amount of money they will gladly pay you.
