The Real Skills You Need to Earn a Full-Time Income Writing Online (Part 1)
From a writer who hits the 'blogging jackpot' over and over again.
It’s a battlefield out there when you're trying to earn a living from your craft.
Although, that depends on how you look at it.
It’s no secret that complete beginners can make $300-$500, or even more, on platforms like Medium by posting journal entries and jumping on the ‘manufactured engagement wagon.’ (These are groups on Medium that engage in ‘read for read’ activities. You read my article, I read yours—simple as that.)
But what if you're in this writing game for the long run? What if you get goosebumps just thinking about your next article? What if the Muse decides to visit your drowsy ass at 2 a.m., and you have no choice but to give in? What if your mouth fills up with the taste of last night’s dinner just at the thought of not being able to write ever again?
In that case, my friend, you have to write.
But writers have a reputation for being broke—and that’s where things get confusing.
On one hand, you see people boasting about making $50K a month from posting on the internet. On the other hand, you look at your starving bank account and think, What am I doing here? Am I ever going to catch a break?
I know the feeling. You spend all day glued to your computer screen, analyzing every word, rewriting your first draft a hundred times. You agonize for days over the perfect image for your blog post, try to convey the right message. You check out your favorite writers—they’re raking in the cash. You pace up and down, head held low, and finally press ‘Publish.’
Surprise, surprise, nothing happens.
The usual faces send you a heart or a thumbs-up. You might get an encouraging message now and then—but a thumbs-up has never paid anyone’s rent. And no one ever got fed from a nice comment.
It’s time to stop and reevaluate.