3 Things I Wish I’d Done Sooner When I First Started Writing Online
These measures revolutionized my earnings, and they can do the same for you!
There are many aspects of life that are beyond our control, but earning money from our craft doesn’t have to be one of them.
Today, I'll show you step-by-step how I turned my old, unwanted stories into a profitable venture, making thousands of dollars in just a few months.
When I first set foot into the world of online writing, all I had was a heart full of passion and a modest amount of knowledge I gathered from an online blogging course.
After a year of relentless trying, I braced myself for the worst possible outcome — not earning a dime!
I thought this was the ‘norm’ because every writing forum and every blog I encountered reinforced the idea — that becoming a writer is hard, but getting paid for your work is a whole other challenge.
If you write online, you might have encountered similar beliefs along the way.
However, it appears I was mistaken! And so are those who are dishing out such advice.
You don’t have to write mindlessly for months before seeing any results
If you can write one blog post, chances are, you can turn it into another ten, potentially increasing your earnings tenfold.
Many writers make the mistake of confining themselves to one primary source; a personal blog or an online platform. And there’s nothing wrong with that, if you have the patience of a saint and your main intention is to never get noticed.
But let me ask you a question. Do you know the real reasons behind not making enough money from your writing?
Let me tell you a short story.
Four years ago, I made the difficult decision to close my blog I poured my heart and soul into. I wrote daily for an entire year; sharing my deepest insights in topics like spirituality and mindfulness.
However, the results were far from satisfying. After twelve months, I counted my losses and found myself drowning in self-doubt, regretting ever believing I could make it as a writer.
While I was licking my wounds scrolling through the internet one day, I came across a story. It sounded very similar to many of my previous blog posts. And this was the moment the lightbulb finally went off — Hallelujah!
Guess what?
It turns out that my efforts didn’t have to go down the drain. All my hard work wasn’t in vain!
Following some initial research, I quickly discovered that there was an audience who would likely enjoy my stories.
After digging deeper into some insights, it became evident that there were people who would probably be even willing to pay for my blog posts.
# LESSON №1 — Repurpose Your Content Strategically
Rule Nº1:
Never let the results of one platform determine your success.
After a short pause, I got myself together and this time, with the intention to succeed, I marched forward into the wilderness.
The words that rekindled my hope came from an unexpected source — a story I stumbled upon in a women’s magazine, Cosmopolitan.
As I accessed the magazine’s digital version online, I delved deeper into reading. And soon, I started to see:
a trend
the stories were resonating
best of all, they all kept repeating
This time it was becoming clear that I was sitting on a mini goldmine. With hundreds of stories at my disposal, I promptly set to work to find them all a new home.
The plan that turned my ‘useless’ old stories into a profitable income
I always dreamed about seeing my stories featured in a magazine.
The truth is, I never really took any action. And as we all know, action is the only thing that distinguishes aspirations from reality.
It’s never easy to overcome heartache, especially when your dreams have been shattered. But remember,
One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.
After dedicating an entire week to research, reading magazines, analysing articles, and looking for a new home where I could repurpose my old, unwanted stories — I discovered three things about newspapers and magazines:
they all publish similar stories over and over again - the editors know what the readers want and because they fulfill their curiosity, readers keep coming back for more.
you as a writer, you can explore many niches, not just one - While many writers believe that focusing on a niche isn’t necessary, what I discovered tells a different story. While I was dedicated to repurposing my neglected stories, I realized what set the top publications and magazines apart in terms of profitability — they all cater to specific niches or target audiences.
Takeaway Nº1:
To earn money as a writer, focus on tailoring your content to meet different needs and repurpose your stories. This approach is one of the easiest and most effective ways to maximize your profits from your craft!
# LESSON №2 — Invest Time in Longfrom Writing
Rule Nº2:
If you can write one blog post, chances are you can turn it into an e-book.
A lot of writers make the mistake of sticking to shortform writing when in fact, research shows that your dedicated audience prefers depth and detail.
It’s okay to write a quick post, say a story about ’10 ways I changed my life in 3 months’ and get paid between $0– $500 dollars for it, but think longer term.
Imagine delving deeper into the topic and letting your readers into some juicy details and nuances. Not only you will fulfil their desires, you are more likely to build authority and gain trust and respect from your readers.
If you seriously want to make money from writing, you need to start thinking strategically.
Takeaway Nº2:
It’s not about working harder, but working smarter.
This is how EASILY you can turn your blog posts into a profitable e-book
(You can learn more about the techniques I used to sell 15,000 copies of my e-books in my book CONTENT WRITING 101)
Pick an article that you’ve already published online
Look at the analytics and feedback
Look out for requests from your audience. Are there any comments that suggest your reader would be interested in learning about the topic in more detail
Choose the topic
Choose where you are going to create your e-book. Canva is the easiest for most with many pre-made editable templates, but you can try Adobe’s Indesign if you feel adventurous.
Plan your e-book and outline
Do your research
Revisit the article you are using as an inspiration for your ebook and copy the style and tone of it
Show, don’t tell
Edit and revise
Run a pre-launch giveaway for your book. Offer your subscribers a free download of your book in exchange for an honest review. You can run a free giveaway on Goodreads. Publishers Weekly also offers free review opportunities for self-published books.
Make sure to choose the right price. Research shows that digital products ending with a 7 seem to do well. For instance $7, $17, $27 etc.
Choose a platform for your e- book. If you want to publish for free — go with Gumroad or Lulu. If you do have a small budget, check out platforms like CovertKit. Personally, I would not recommend Amazon KDP. I would however highly recommend setting up a funnel page. I find Squarespace to be super easy and worked well for me in the past. You would need to choose their ‘business’ package to sell digital products, otherwise you can just add a link to the platform your book lives on.
Keep promoting your e-book on your favourite social media platform and don’t forget about PINTEREST. Most writers are not aware that Pinterest is responsible for 75% of traffic coming to your website — if it’s done correctly. Make sure to sign up for a business account and start pinning. You can find out more from my e-book, PINTEREST 101.
Repeat the process with as many of your articles as you like. Your e-book can be as little as 25 pages long.
I’ve written over 20 e-books in the last year alone. They vary from ‘How to’ tutorials to more in-depth self-development guides. They all started off as a blog post and have turned into a profitable returning income stream. I’ve made over $170K from selling them online. You can find my step-by-step guide in my book CONTENT WRITING 101.
# LESSON №3 — Invest in Self-promotion and Networking
Initially, I underestimated the importance of self-promotion and networking in the online writing world. I believed that if I wrote quality content, readers and clients would magically find me. However, the internet is a vast space, and competition is fierce.
I wish I had started building my online presence and network from the beginning. Platforms like LinkedIn, Pinterest and now TikTok are powerful tools for connecting with fellow writers, potential clients, and readers interested in your niche.
Rule Nº3:
Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there, share your work, and engage with others in your field. Over time, this effort will pay off with more opportunities and a broader reach.
P.S.: Remember, writing online doesn’t mean you have to stick to just one topic. You have diverse interests and experiences, and you can leverage them. Find the right audience and platform, and apply the strategy I outlined above to set yourself on the path to achieving great things.
Happy writing!
Don’t forget to explore these articles to help you achieve your writing goals:
I'm just glad that I'm on this path and have been steadily working on all three points for a while now...
While I do wish that the insights that I've gleaned from this journey would have come a bit sooner, I've come to terms with the way that the process has its own time to reveal the lessons I need to learn in their own time.
Thanks for being a guide and a friend, Deni!
I always enjoy your articles. And I have new hope I can get an e-book out one day. Lol.