How to Become One of the Rare Writers Who Actually Makes Money
Steal my strategies
You'll probably never make real money writing.
You'll likely quit.
And you'll die with unrealized dreams.
Harsh? Maybe. But that's what the stats say.
Want to be different? Listen up.
Most writers fail for one reason: they romanticize their work too much.
Write for love? Sure. I do. But love doesn't pay bills or free you from your 9-to-5.
Jeff Goins nails it:
"You make money so that you can make more art."
Financial freedom equals artistic freedom. Here's how to get both.
The Best-Selling Secret
Rich Dad Poor Dad. 32 million copies sold.
Kiyosaki's advice to an aspiring MFA writer?
Marketing. Promotion. Sales.
She balked and thought it was sleazy to sell. She said that real writers focus on their craft.
His response? "It's called best-selling author, not best-writing author."
Harsh? Yes. True? Absolutely.
Your writing is a product. Treat it like one.
How?
Build a tribe of loyal fans: Start an email list. Always include a call to action to sell your offer.
Package your work: Catchy titles. Clickable headlines. Make people want to read.
Promote shamelessly: When I launched my third book, I sent three times as many emails Result? Much higher sales.
"But I'm not a marketer," you think to yourself.
Neither was I. Until I was.
Craft an Offer That Sells
Here's where many writers go wrong: they focus on creating more content instead of creating an offer that sells.
I teach my students a principle called the "$1,000 Client Blueprint." It's about crafting an offer that solves a specific, high-value problem for your ideal clients.
For writers, this could mean:
Offering high-ticket ghostwriting services for thought leaders
Creating a premium course teaching your process or expertise
Providing one-on-one coaching for aspiring authors
Package your skills into a solution that's worth at least $1,000 per month to your clients. This helps you make more money with fewer clients, giving you more time to focus on your craft.
You Can't Have Your Cake And Eat It Too
Josh Spector once said:
You can write for yourself or you can write for an audience, but you can't do both.
You can stories about your life, but you must write stories someone other than you wants to read. Read that sentence again.
Writing is a business with markets just like any other business. There are different markets for different types of writing.
You can choose to write in an unprofitable market but don't get upset if you don't make much money.
You can focus on what you want to write over what audiences want but don't get upset when you hear crickets when you hit publish.
If you choose to take an audience-driven approach first, you can find the intersection between what people want to read and what you want to write.
Find out where the readers are and what they want to read. Choose a topic that matches your tastes.
Some techniques to create audience-driven content:
Market research: Check Amazon for similar books. See what topics get traction on your platform.
Audience research: Read comments. Note patterns. Create a profile of your ideal reader.
Take responsibility: If your writing isn't getting traction, never blame the audience. It's on you.
Focus on High-Value Clients
Forget mass appeal.
Target the 1% willing to pay premium prices.
"But I need a huge audience to succeed!"
Wrong.
You need the right audience. Five $1,000/month clients beat 500 $10 customers. Quality trumps quantity. Always.
Instead of trying to appeal to everyone, create content that speaks directly to your ideal high-paying clients. These are the readers who see the value in what you offer and are willing to invest in it.
You only need a handful of $1,000+ per month clients to build a sustainable writing business. It's about quality over quantity.
The Path to $10K Months as a Writer
I have a system I teach students for scaling to $10,000 per month. For writers, this might look like:
Craft a high-ticket offer (e.g. premium ghostwriting or 1 on 1 coaching in health, wealth, or relationships )
Create content that attracts your ideal high-paying clients
Use a proven sales script to convert interested readers into clients
Focus on retaining and upselling existing clients
It's not about writing more. It's about writing strategically.
Write for an audience of buyers and package your skills into high-value offers.
The Choice Is Yours
You can choose whatever route you want. Some writers hate my approach to writing. Many think people who teach writing in this formulaic fashion are full of it. Fine with me.
I create art. I write quality and I'd stack myself up with an "artistic" writer any day. Going about your writing like a business owner, like a professional, leads to quality and artistic genius.
Why? Because professionals do the work. Nine times out of ten, those who claim artistic integrity are just self-centered and lazy.
They don't want to do what's required to make a living from their writing. Are you? The answer to that question will determine how your writing career pans out.
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Ready to turn your writing skills into a profitable business? Learn more about the Words to Dollars system and how it can help you craft high-ticket offers, attract ideal clients, and scale to $10K months. DM me "WRITER" for more information.
Damn, this is good. 👍🏼
Nice framework!