If You Want to Earn Money With Your Writing, You Need to F.O.C.U.S.

You are far more likely to succeed if you do this

In the writing world there are two performers.

There’s the one trick pony and the jack of all trades. The latter seems more useful because it can make a home in a variety of contexts. But the one trick pony is the one that wins adulation and brings in the money.

Before the animal rights ghouls throw the book at me for equestrian discrimination, allow me to explain.

Whose Success Is It Anyway?

By now you probably know of the famous debate among two schools of thought about how to succeed. Can you write about a multitude of topics for a wide range of audiences and make money, or should you niche down?

In other words, should you be a generalist or a specialist?

Most writers and creatives fall into the generalist category. We’re a jack of all trades and like it. This is understandable because creative people, by temperament and almost by definition, are interested in a variety of topics and want to pursue many of them simultaneously. We don’t like the idea of only doing one thing.

Fair enough. I’m in the same boat as you.

To add confusion to the issue, there seem to be people in both camps who find success.

I’ve read stories here on Medium about writers who publish stories about whatever interests them in the moment, and they pull in a few hundred dollars a month.

To that I say, “well done!”

I’m not claiming that my way is the only way, and I don’t want to be an obstacle preventing others from moving forward.

But whenever I read those stories, my spidey senses start tingling and my investigative mind kicks in.

They’re earning some money, but are they earning as much as the people who niche down? And are the generalists having as smooth a time making the money?

Based on what I’ve seen (and experienced) the answers are no.

To get where we want to go at a faster rate and with fewer problems, we need to focus.

Don’t Distract Me, I’m Trying to F.O.C.U.S.

F.O.C.U.S. is an acronym that stands for Focus On One Course Until Successful.

This is the key to getting maximum output with minimum friction.

(I would love to give attribution to whoever thought of this gem, but I don’t know who did. I heard it from Chris Do, who I recommend checking out if you’re trying to make money online.)

There are a lot of benefits that suddenly become yours when you narrow your area of focus and go at it with everything you have.

First, there’s clarity. You don’t have to run around like that ADHD chicken that had its head cut off trying to find out what to write about or how to connect with your audience. You’ll be able to align your writing with your readers and know that you’re hitting the mark.

Second, there’s the expertise you acquire. If you want to be known for something and be able to bring in money for it, you have to have some level of expertise.

Creative service consultant Blair Enns has the insight of a sage on this issue:

Expertise is the only valid basis for differentiating ourselves from the competition. Not personality. Not process. Not price.

Even as I write that quote, there’s the pang in my chest and the revolt in my mind that I know other writers share. “How can you say personality isn’t important! That’s outrageous!”

Now hold on. In context, Blair was speaking in relation to his clients who are creative service businesses who offer design services. The people that quote was originally spoken to work in a sector where their personality isn’t allowed to show in the work, unlike with writers.

But the principle still applies. Without expertise you won’t stand out, and if you don’t stand out you won’t earn as much.

Would you follow Carl Jeffers or Ayodeji Awosika if you didn’t perceive that they actually knew what they were talking about?

Third, focusing increases your credibility. Credibility is really a synonym for trust, and since trust is so scarce on the internet, we rush for it like it’s the last package of toilet paper in the store and we have an explosive case of the runs.

When I think about the people who earn substantial amounts with their writing, they are all specialized in some sense.

Carl Jeffers and Bin Jiang help other writers find success on Medium. (I’m not affiliated with them, other than being a writer for their publications like many others)

Esme Raine Harlow writes almost exclusively about writing, and earned over $1,000 in December only publishing a few stories. Don’t believe me? Check out her story with screenshot proofs:

(we’re not affiliated, I actually just really like her writing)

It’s the narrowed focus of these writers on specific topics that allow them to build credibility quickly and be relevant to their respective audiences—in turn increasing their earnings.

It’s a Struggle, I know

Like I said earlier, I’m in the same boat as you. I’m a creative person, and I resisted the call to niche down in my design business for years. I still struggle with wanting to pursue every interest I have—interests that are many in number.

I want to answer some of those doubts that may be erupting in your mind by sharing my experiences and observations that I have from my brand design business.

I learned that niching down didn’t mean I had to give up on those other interests. Rather it meant that I would be known for one thing professionally while I was free to pursue whatever I wanted in my personal life.

I also learned that I needed something to ground me and provide a measure of consistency so that my tendency to chase down several ideas at once didn’t undermine my professional efforts. Niching down can help with that.

Further, a niched area can still have a variety contained inside of it. Think about all of the ways you can write about writing! Or about branding. Or about pretty much anything.

Lastly, I’ve observed that when niching starts showing its results and you start making money, you’re able to indulge some of your creative tendencies with more freedom and less stress. It’s only after narrowing your focus and expertise that you truly get to work with multiple endeavors.

I’m still working towards that here on Medium, but I think it will happen. And I think it can happen for you too if you do the work.

But we have to do that one thing first.

Thank You For Reading

If you read this far then I want you to know that I really appreciate you. Time is one of the most valuable things we have, and we pay the price when we don’t spend it wisely. I’m truly grateful you chose to spend your time reading my work. I hope it was beneficial to you.

If you have anything to add I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences on this.

Sincerely,

David Friend That guy with the sense of humor that’s much darker than his complexion