7 Misguided Rules That Are Preventing You to Write and Make Money Online
To live is the rarest thing in the world
We’re all experts in something, even if you don’t realize it, yet.
When I started writing online, I hardly knew anything about the world of writing.
It began as a fun hobby, and I never took it seriously as something I could enjoy the most and dream of doing full-time.
My career ambitions have dramatically changed in the last two years.
I have been working in the corporate sector for the past 10 years, and in the last two years of deep observation about my work life and how I want to spend the next decade, many things became clear to me.
What I don’t want is:
- Working 15 hours per day with no work-life balance.
- Waiting year-round for disappointing appraisals and salary hikes.
- Sometimes not receiving any hike for years due to market conditions.
- Bosses that make you feel average.
- Colleagues who take credit for your work.
For many years, I thought this was how things were supposed to be.
I believed that you need to learn the rules to play the game.
However, the online writing world changed my perception about work.
I don’t need to settle into ruts and routines.
I can live a life I dream of.
I have the ability to own my time and find a work-life balance that works for me.
‘To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.’ — Ralph Waldo Emerson
Here are a few commonly held assumptions that you can avoid:
Misguided Rule #1: To write online, you have to be a professional writer.
No, you don’t.
If that were the case, you wouldn’t see many successful creators who never had a professional degree in writing online.
We are all writers in some ways or another. We write emails and text messages all day long.
I started with writing journals, and here I am.
If you do something every day, you are bound to get better.
I am good at writing but struggle with editing, so I use technology to proofread my articles.
My favorite tool is Grammarly.
Misguided Rule #2: You have to be an expert at something.
No, you don’t necessarily need to be.
It feels odd to say, but we’re not always aware that we are experts in something.
You need something that makes you curious and makes you want to learn more and more about it.
Whatever I have learned, it’s from online tutorials, books, podcasts, and YouTube.
Knowledge is just a click away for free.
It’s up to you how you want to use it for your own good.
The secret is to remind yourself that you are a work in progress and can become an expert at anything if you put your mind to it.
This way, you know more about a few topics than you’ve been willing to let yourself realize.
I always thought I sucked at writing and didn’t want to write.
Others didn’t need to believe in me; I did.
‘Get it down. Take chances. It may be bad, but it’s the only way you can do anything really good.’ — William Faulkner
Misguided Rule #3: You need a huge follower lists
It’s nice to have but not a must.
You can build your email list through a newsletter and get recommendations from people you know.
Even if you have a bunch of loyal readers, that’s all you need.
Numbers don’t usually reflect how successful or good you are.
I agree that having a large following adds credibility and attracts more people to follow you, but thousands of followers are not the ultimate measure of success.
For me, it’s about connecting with my readers and adding a little value to make their day happier.
Writers are starting to realize that they don’t just need social media, email lists.
All you need is a good writing.
Choose your priorities wisely.
Writing online is hard, but those who can stay in the game for 1–5 years can make six figures, and then a job becomes optional.
‘Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration, the rest of us just get up and go to work.’ — Stephen King
Misguided Rule #4: You need to publish on every social media app.
If you divide your writing efforts among more than 1–2 platforms, you won’t gain traction.
I tried writing on many platforms but realized that some of them were not suitable for the content I wanted to share.
I prefer to publish long-format content.
Social media is about understanding the nuances and unique features of each platform.
The goal is to master one platform, and then try the another.
Misguided Rule #5: You shouldn’t repurpose content
Contrary to what people may say, you can repurpose content.
Each platform has its nuances and algorithms, but you can:
- summarize your article into two-line tweets,
- pick a paragraph to post on LinkedIn,
- or turn a quote into a blog article.
There are numerous techniques to repurpose your content.
As you grow your audience, there will be readers who may have never had the chance to read your old articles.
So, smartly edit your content to use on other platforms.
There is no harm in doing that, and it doesn’t sound lazy or unauthentic.
‘Appreciation is a wonderful thing. It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well.’ — Voltaire
Misguided Rule #6: You need a niche topic.
It’s okay to write about various topics that interest you.
I write about self-improvement, mindfulness, and side hustles.
And each topic is different from the others.
So, write about all the topics you like.
Over time, identify a few key topics you know about, enjoy researching, and that readers enjoy hearing from you about.
Whenever you feel bored, you can change the topic. And don’t forget to blend together unlikely topics.
With time, you’ll figure out the 2–3 key topics that people prefer to hear from you and enjoy reading.
Misguided Rule #7: The writing platform matters the most
Some of the common question is what is the most lucrative platform.
And people directly think it’s the proposition of how much money you can make from it.
The thing is your can share your over content different platforms.
The key thing is the writing just has to be good that connects with your readers.
Lastly,
‘Let me live, love, and say it well in good sentences.’ — Sylvia Plath
The hardest part is doing good work.
Showing up everyday.
Finding your motivation to keep doing it.
That requires good thinking, commitment, and perseverance.
And all these comes from building a writing habit, taking adequate rest, aiming for flow states, and actually living your life.
So go out, have fun, explore the world around you, and write about it.
That’s what I am choosing to do, and you?
‘A writer never has a vacation. For a writer life consists of either writing or thinking about writing.’ — Eugene Ionesco
What do you think? Share in comments.
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