Hi Reader, I’m running a Pro Writers Only workshop early next month. I usually deep dive into a single topic that helps amateur writers go pro. My next workshop is all about getting paid to write. There are many ways you can do it. Which one interests you the most? Offering coaching and consulting Selling courses Freelancing Selling books Tick the box for the topic you are most interested in. Tickets cost $97, but I’ll give away one to a poll respondent selected at random. Write on,Bryan Collins
2 days ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, What are half of searchers doing after typing a term into Google? NOTHING. That’s according to a joint study by SEO companies SparkToro and Datos. Enter the world of zero-click search, where Google serves up content scraped from people’s sites and slaps it in front of readers without sending traffic in return. And get this: 30% of searchers who click are going to another Google-owned property, such as YouTube, Google Images, or Google News. As somebody who built a writing business...
3 days ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader, I’m back from a 10-day holiday in Greece. I used the time off the grid to reflect on my current business model. Over the years, I’ve switched business models a few times. Here are a few I’ve tried: Freelancing I freelanced as a tech journalist and copywriter for a few years. I enjoyed this business model the least. Here’s why: Freelance writers spend most of their time creating content for somebody else’s business. That’s ok when you’re starting and need some money. But it’s hard...
4 days ago • 3 min read
Hi Reader, Most writers who earn a living don’t work alone. Sure, we like writing in a quiet room, a coffee shop, or a library… And we LOVE writing uninterrupted and FREE from Zoom calls, social media notifications, and meetings. But we also rely on support from others. I’m a classic introvert, but I couldn’t run a writing business alone. Nor should you. I regularly work with writers and creators in different niches when I need help with my business. Being able to ask a peer a question saves...
5 days ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, I’ve written and published nearly a dozen books over the years. It’s always exciting to send the final version to my editor, upload it to Amazon, and press publish. The months (or even years) of hard work are over… unless I factor in book marketing! But what if you’re still working on your book? Here are 4 common myths aspiring authors face when struggling to finish their manuscript. These are the myths about writing that hoodwinked me before I published my first book. 1. I Will...
6 days ago • 3 min read
Hi Reader, My accountant rang me at 09.07. When I saw his name pop up, I swore, hit the mute button on my iPhone, and turned on Work mode. Work mode blocks all callers, messages, and notifications except from my family. You see… I love nothing more than a good morning routine. It’s Summer, so my routine involves dropping my five-year-old son off at Summer camp, meditating for ten minutes, and then writing. I’ve grown my LinkedIn account and want to create an offer for relevant followers. So,...
7 days ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader, I’ve noticed a big difference between amateur writers and Pro Writers…. perhaps because I worked like an amateur for years! Amateur writers work for free. They spend hours writing and publishing content without a plan for getting paid. They hope that writing all this free content will attract a client—any client. If it doesn’t, perhaps a partner program will pay out. Amateurs rely on an algo to reach readers, any readers. They track vanity metrics like follower counts, views,...
8 days ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader, For years, I ran a content publishing business. I worked with a team of writers and editors. We published dozens of articles each week. As my sites grew, I spent less time writing. Instead, I spent hundreds of hours refining my SEO strategy to get MORE TRAFFIC to my site. More traffic meant more revenue. Thanks to AI and a brutal series of Google algo updates, I stopped investing so much time and money in content and SEO. The online publishing model demands increasing amounts of...
9 days ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader, If you’ve ever felt bad about procrastination or missing a deadline, take note from Mr. King. He’s in the middle of plugging his new collection of short stories, You Like It Darker, this summer. He started writing one short story in the collection when he was a sprightly 30-year-old horror writer. Now King, aged 76, is publishing Answer Man as part of his new collection. King told NPR about the 45-year gap: “I will write stories and they don’t always get done. And the ones that...
10 days ago • 2 min read