Why Is No One Talking About This?
The Real Skills You Need to Earn a Full-Time Income Writing Online (Part 2)
Last year, as my personal blog gained momentum and my Medium account skyrocketed, several writers approached me, eager to book private coaching sessions. At first, I wasn’t keen on the idea, especially knowing that many of them had already been through their fair share of 'coaches' and ‘gurus’ who took their money but failed to deliver results.
I didn’t want to be one of them.
Not because I worried my knowledge wasn’t substantial enough to help anyone succeed, but because I knew they were all searching for THE magic trick.
But the hard truth is: the real trick is that there isn’t one.
Creating a stable and lucrative income from your writing involves a series of interconnected actions. You'll need to apply some, if not most, of these strategies to see results. And there is ONE skill in particular that is often completely overlooked—but one that could ACCELERATE your success tenfold.
In Part One of this article, I shared practical, down-to-earth steps you can—and probably should—take to gain momentum in your writing journey.
In this part, however, I’m going to show you a whole new level that will help elevate your success.
Everything I share here comes from my personal journey. Yes, I’ve achieved significant success in a relatively short time after changing my approach, but remember: these tips are not a simple fix. However, they could be the key to your dream life.
Check in with your habits
When I set up my first WordPress blog following the advice of an influencer—let’s call her Christina—I promised myself I would dedicate an hour every day to my blog, no matter what.
It didn’t matter that I had a 3-month-old baby and a 3-year-old toddler, a living room that looked like a bomb had just hit it, or dishes piled up with a kitchen bin smelling of dirty diapers—I was determined to make it work.
I’d invested my last bit of money (the one I manifested—a story for another time) into Christina’s Blogging Bootcamp, which left me with an empty fridge and waking up in cold sweats for weeks to come.
If you’re not familiar with my modest beginnings, I should probably mention that I wrote tirelessly every day, publishing 5-7 blog posts a week. I grabbed this new habit by the balls, but despite my consistency, after 12 months and thousands of dollars poured into that first blog, I walked away counting my losses and feeling like a complete idiot.
Looking back now, it’s clear as day why it was never going to work, no matter what.
Was it because of poor SEO? Absolutely not!
Was it because I didn’t write well enough or share relatable stories? Again, I don’t think so.
Was it because I didn’t spread the word about my awesome blog on social media? No way—I wrote a book at the same time that became a best-seller a year later on ‘how to make money writing on the internet’ - so, I’m afraid not.
So what caused the shift, the dramatic change?
Energy
What I’m about to share is incredibly simple, not at all woo-woo, and works like magic.
Your writing carries energy that either draws people in or repels them like a toddler spotting broccoli on their plate.
When I first started writing online, I took all the right steps.
I invested in myself and my blog (fancy themes, plug-ins, and the whole shebang. Also, worth noting that navigating WordPress is a skill in itself—one that people make a killing selling on Upwork).
I also poured money into educating myself (from books to uni courses in journalism, marketing, SEO, and copywriting).
I worked hard like a bee and let nothing stand in my way—not even an impending court case from when the poor old delivery man tripped over a pile of toys left on my driveway and fractured his ankle while trying to deliver dog food.
I was so determined to make it work—but the harder I pushed and the more advice I followed online, the closer I got to my impending doom.
Today, I see many writers trying their hardest to jump through similar hoops, going through the motions—falling victim to the illusion of "I have to work harder," or, even worse, "I have to wait for my lucky break."
I’m not saying that hard work and consistency don’t pay off—they do. But nowadays, it’s easy to create your own luck, the break that will change the course of your destiny.
Here’s how it happened for me:
I started listening to my inspiration—writers of all genres, not just fiction are often hit with ideas out of nowhere. The mistake most of us make is overthinking them. I’ve been known for this mishap my whole life.
For example, one of my articles posted on Medium now has 70K views and 40K reads. It has earned me a few $$$$ (plus a blogging jackpot from selling my eBooks—more on that in another story).
The idea came to me out of the blue on a busy Saturday morning while I was trying to get ready for a day out with the kids. The feeling was so strong, but the title had me doubting my inspiration. The headline that popped into my head went against all odds—too long, not SEO-optimized, etc.
I almost completely disregarded the idea until I paused for a moment and focused on my energy - a trick I picked up from a course from energy healer, Jeffrey Allen. Suddenly, I felt like a child skipping around in a flower meadow, having the time of my life. The thought of writing the article excited me. It made me want to open my laptop, let the kids have another hour on their iPads, and ask myself: ‘What’s the worst that can happen if I follow this feeling and go with the flow?’
Long story short, for the first almost four weeks, the article earned me less than $20. This was far below what I was used to earning from my writing. I was disappointed because I’d been following this technique ever since I closed my first blog and published my second one, which became a hit.
With my first blog, however, I never really had this feeling. I was excited about generating income from writing, but nothing compared to the emotions I felt before publishing an article on Medium or my other blogs that ended up going viral.
It was also nowhere near what I felt when I got the idea to write a book about ‘content writing,’ which, one year later, allowed me to buy a house outright.
I thought I’d found the ‘magic’ key. (Take a look at the story stats below and judge for yourself)
What I’m trying to say is: follow your intuition. And if you're not tuned into that, follow the feeling.
Every time you get an idea for an article, forget about how much it might earn or whether anyone will read it. Just listen to the feeling you get in the moment.
I worked so hard on my first blog—I researched keywords, the topic (spirituality) I was writing about, gathered my resources, and stayed consistent. But the results? Crickets. I even wrote two books and sold zero copies. In fact, no one even wanted them when I offered them for free. Haha.
What was missing? The feeling. The joy. The enthusiasm. The underlying energy in my writing that people pick up on and get drawn to.
Honestly, if there’s just one piece of advice I could offer anyone trying to make a living from writing online, it’s this:
Keep your head in the clouds but your feet firmly grounded on Mother Earth. Listen to that feeling and let your inner GPS guide you as you take actionable steps toward achieving your dream of becoming a successful writer.
Over to you!
Do you ever dive into the inspiration you’re hit with?
Thank you for reading
Such great and practical information.
Valuable insights, Deni. Thanks so much.
I agree that energy makes everything easier: resonating with the audience, but also writing.
In my experience, another factor is more important, though. The topic.
Some topics are just too attractive. Case in point, "make money writing" has always been one of the most read topics on Medium. And it also works outside Medium. My most read article is exactly about that topic.
But not everyone can choose to talk about the most popular topics.