Editor’s Picks — Top 10: Do Unprofessional Writers Make More Money Than Professionals

Check if you like these top 10 stories today

Tim Denning thinks unprofessional writers make more money than the professional writers. It’s that, or he wants you to think about it.

Isn’t it true that you do not write more because you think professional writers earn more money? How many times have you told yourself that you are not a pro?

If you are hoping to be the master of your craft, before you publish your short story or your novel, forget it. You have to write because you need to. Writing is such an unpredictable thing, and it’s impossible to find the perfect style. A good story — with mistakes — is better than no story at all.

The reason unprofessional writers earn more, according to Tim Denning, is that professional writers worry about their image and grammar more than the unprofessional writers. If you want to pay the bills with your writing income, bend some rules.

Another reason pros don’t make money is that books are out of fashion. Books don’t sell as they used to. Do what works. Don’t worry about headlines or language or style:

Change people’s lives rather than masturbate over headlines. ~ Tim Denning wrote

Views don’t matter if you write something that matters to you. No matter how little you write, write what matters. When your stats are not going up, write more, read more, and say the Medium Hello. Write three articles in a day. Share your pain and how you cope with it.

Tim Denning says the unprofessional writers focus more on research and getting the core message right. They ask for the email address of the reader. They try to help the reader in any possible way. The unprofessional writers earn money because readers start liking them. When they admire the writers, they are willing to pay for digital products or online courses.

To be successful on Medium, you have to listen to what Tim Denning says. Even if you have your own opinion, his piece makes you think, encourages you to take risks and tell your story.

Here is a list of our top 10 writers who are trying to touch your lives with their words:

10. I’ve Been a Vegetarian for 6 Years and This is What I Learned

Diana Bernardo is a former journalist who loves to write about travel, work, and life lessons. Her style is simple, direct, and engaging. Do check her other work as well.

We were approaching the end of 2014. Two of my best friends had recently become vegan. They started talking to me about their experience and the reasons that led them there. I listened. I followed their suggestions and watched some documentaries. I saw things that I can not unsee ever again. And in the space of a few weeks I got more and more convinced that me too, I needed to make a change.

I realized that I had been numb for the first 27 years of my life. I hadn’t asked the right questions, I hadn’t challenged what the world presented to me. Eating animals is an option that doesn’t make any sense from an ethical point of view. Then why had I never questioned it? Why hadn’t most of the world?

9. I’m a Performer with Social Anxiety

Jae Nichelle is a writer and a lover of sweet potatoes. Her poetry video went viral. Her style is friendly and engaging. If you read this story, you’ll like to read her other stories as well. Don’t miss it.

As a touring spoken word artist (before Covid, of course), I spent a lot of time traveling to different venues to perform poetry, to host open mics, and to compete in poetry slams. Truthfully, I love to perform, but it’s not always easy. In addition to being on stage in front of however many people, going to events comes with socializing, marketing myself, and answering questions — three things that my anxious mind does not like to do.

8. This Man Ate Only Mac & Cheese For 17 Years — Here’s Why

Kim Mia is a minimalist. Interesting story.

While we rely on food to sustain us physically, we also depend on it for its emotional support. From grandma’s chicken soup recipe to mom’s famous poached eggs, sometimes a dish just knows how to convey so much more than words ever could.

But what if this comfort food becomes all you could ever eat?

7. Your Yawning Makes Me Want to Punch You

Rose Bak is a writer, author, and yoga teacher from Portland, Oregan. Her style will teach you to knit words into interesting sentences. Don’t miss this one.

Did you just yawn? That’s so annoying.

I have a confession to make: every time I hear someone yawn I become irritated. Enraged even. In fact, there is a direct correlation to the loudness of a person’s yawn and how much I want to punch them in the face.

Also, if someone chews their food too loudly, or groans when they get up, or breathes too loudly, or makes any other body-related noises, it’s all I can do not to start screaming at them.

6. The forgotten side of Cystic Fibrosis

Louis Dennis loves to write. His style is academic and difficult to read. But if you want to know how to write scientific articles, he can teach you a thing or two.

Although the biological impacts of CF are commonly known, the psychological and social effects of living with a chronic illness such as CF are often unrecognised. The following article aims to discuss the psychological effects of CF on the development of adolescents. In particular, the psychosocial theories of Erik Erikson will be used in order to explain the developmental challenges and differences an adolescent with CF may experience, when compared to a “healthy” individual.

5. Why You Should Try Slow Reading

Jason Ward wrote this gem. If you missed it, here is an opportunity to undo that.

Reading purely for enjoyment, absorbing and savoring words seems to be being replaced with a need to simply consume information. On an increasing number of websites, there are estimates of how long a piece will take you to read. Book summary apps are immensely popular. I keep reading articles about ‘How I read x number of books a year/month/week’.

4. 5 Actions You Can Take To Add New Positive Influences Into Your Life

Rob Cyrier is an excellent writer and a family man. He loves technology. But in this great article, he is telling us to mend our ways. Don’t miss this one.

When you make an effort to live your life more consciously, you start noticing things are literally sucking the life right out of you.

You wake up out of your subconscious slumber, take a look around, and wonder how in the world you got yourself into certain situations.

3. What I Learned From a Year Dedicated to Writing a Novel

Luke Beling lives in Hawaii and finds joy in his stories. He is a superb writer and he is sharing with you his personal experiences. If you read this story, you are definitely going to read his other work as well.

I began 2020 with a simple mission: write a novel. I settled on a manageable word count per day (250) and started a story that had long been brewing under the surface. I’m a short-term goals oriented type of person. It’s difficult for me to stay with projects, ideas, or pursuits that span over months. I like to get things done immediately, then move onto the next task. Writing a novel wasn’t only out of my comfort zone; it was out of my universe.

“Writing a novel is like driving a car at night. You can see only as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way…”

2. The Frustratingly Simple Reason Why Black People Voted For Trump

Steve QJ’s superb insights that you have to read to know why many black people voted for Trump. Steve QJ is a rising star of Medium. You must check his other work.

Last month, I wrote an article about the Left’s failure to understand Trump’s popularity. While it was generally well-received, some people couldn’t get behind the central premise, namely that Trump’s supporters couldn’t all be dismissed as a bunch of racist, amoral bigots.

It’s not difficult to see where they’re coming from. Trump counts people like David Duke, the Proud Boys, and even the Taliban among his supporters. Trump himself was sued for discriminating against African-American tenants, described Mexicans as criminals and rapists, and was a leading voice in the racist “Birther” movement, which essentially questioned whether a black man should be considered an American at all.

1. The Easiest Buddhist Practice To Hammer Down Stress and Anxiety

At number one, it’s Sebastian Purcell, Ph.D. He is a philosopher and a happiness researcher. His style is friendly, focused, and compelling. You should check his other work if you like this one. Brilliance shines through his pieces, from start to end.

Buddhism offers a toolbox of practices for living well. You have probably heard about breath meditation (ānāpānasmṛti), for example. But have you heard of “changing the peg?”

While breath meditation is focused on uniting your conscious mind with an awareness of your own body, changing the peg is focused on altering the process of your thoughts themselves.

My practical purpose in this essay is to explain what this practice is and how to use it.

Final Thoughts

If your story was selected as one of the Top 10, please share another one of your stories in the comments with a brief introduction and a short review that can convince a reader to read your piece. (Please write the review in the third person and start it with your name.)

I must have missed something today. I cannot read every story on Illumination and Illumination-Curated. Dr Mehmet Yildiz, the Chief Editor and Founder of Illumination and Illumination-Curated, read, highlighted, and applauded every good story when he started his publications. He still reads almost all of the good ones. I try — and fail daily — to read all of the masterpieces.

Dr Mehmet Yildiz has kindly allowed our top 10 series a full shelf on the front page of Illumination-Curated and Illumination:

So, help me. Help me to find and rank the best work of the writers of Illumination and Illumination-Curated.

If you think you are an excellent writer, leave a link to your best work in the comments.

Happy reading.

You can read my curated stories here.