Dear Writers, You’re Killing Your Business By Doing This

Never sell yourself short.

“Wow, this costs $40? That’s outrageous!!”

I yelled those words once I looked at one of my favorite writers’ websites. They’re selling an ebook for $40.

My jaw dropped after I saw that price.

Then, I came back to my senses. I realized my reaction was how most other casual readers would view the price — highway robbery.

And that’s the problem.

It’s Obvious Why Some Writers Have Low Self-Esteem

I get it, writing isn’t your average profession.

You can take it in a million different directions. You can’t make moola at the very beginning.

But hey, it’s still a job whether people want to believe it or not.

And when I tell you it’s hard as hell to make money in the beginning, I’m not bullshitting you. I used to make one dollar per month…PER MONTH.

So when you do gain some traction online and you start building your email list, who wouldn’t charge a substantial amount of money for their first product? People have children to feed.

Everyone acts like writing is the easiest job in the world.

I’ve seen tons of readers online begging successful writers for free mentorship. People have done the same thing to me. I’m all for steering you in the right direction and pointing people to new resources.

But when you flat-out ask me to proofread your 1,200-word article…c’mon dude.

Writers have a skill that’s high in demand. If people don’t want to pay you for your services, that’s on them.

It’s not your writing, it’s the person.

This is exactly why some writers are thrust into this never-ending cycle of low self-esteem. If people don’t believe your work is worth anything, how can you?

Stop Worrying About Capitalism

I became one of those social justice writers who didn’t want to sacrifice her values for “the man.”

I was a hard anti-capitalist. I felt uneasy about selling courses to others because I didn’t want to be a part of this exploitative system.

But wait…I’m not hiring cheap workers from underdeveloped countries to do my bidding for profit maximization.

*Which is what a certain digital marketer I watch on YouTube does (cough)*

I need to stop being a social justice warrior to my detriment.

It’s okay to make money.

You aren’t a capitalist for increasing the fruits of your labor. If you get paid dust as I have for the past two years, you deserve compensation for it.

Final Thought

Your writing business is everything.

If you can’t sell your products at the price you think is most fit for you, what does that tell your customers? If I see something cheap, I assume it’ll be low-quality. Don’t sell yourself short.

Writing is fucking hard.

You shouldn’t have to grovel to others and damn near work for free when you’ve put the work in.

Make a good price for your services and increase it once your services get better.

That’s the name of the game.

Get my free writing guide that can teach you how to build a writing habit in 90 days or less here.