Think of it as on-the-job training

If You’re Not Making Money

You’re not a writer. Yet.

If you’re not making money, it’s just a hobby. So instead of thinking of it as your hobby, why not turn it into on-the-job training? When you start a new job, there’s a probationary period, right? You might start out as a temporary worker where they evaluate your performance at regular intervals. Are you doing that with your writing?

What are your thirty-, sixty- and ninety-day goals?

If you don’t know, why not? My first goal was to hit publish. I didn’t want anyone outside my family to read my crap so I published it on my own. My first story was a Letter to My Mother on Mothers’ Day.

Be kind to yourself when you set your goals and give yourself time to achieve them. Aim for your first 100 followers, and 100 stories and everything builds from there.

It really does build from there.

I used to read this advice from the big hitters on Medium. I thought, yes maybe this worked for you, but it’s not working for me.

You might think that too if you’re just starting out, afraid to hit publish for the first time. Don’t worry, no one’s going to read it yet unless you promote it. Or unless you have 1,000 followers and you haven’t even written anything yet. 😉

Read everything you can.

Read about writing and follow other writers. I followed writers whose opinions I agreed with. And one that I didn’t, but his writing advice was great. His personal views, meh?

But, he gave me the best advice that I follow every day. That is the thing that sticks in your thoughts, and you just can’t get it out of your head, then that is the thing you write about.

Find a mentor.

Another thing I learned from this writer, was to find a mentor. So, I sent a private note to the other writer I follow, and he politely said no. He’s too busy and he wouldn’t be a good mentor anyway. If a writer is ‘too busy’ and tells you that, that’s who you want as your mentor…

Since I am stubborn and don’t take no for answer, I read EVERYTHING he wrote and still do. I like his writing style and engagement. The first time I noticed <LINK> but there wasn’t any I sent him a private note. Hey, (you know who you are) did you forget something here?

I religiously comment on his articles, even if it's to say I respectfully disagree with that. And that is another way to find a mentor. Comment on their articles and ask questions. He’s been the best mentor, even though he thinks he’s not my mentor.

It’s also a good way to grow your followers.

Readers don’t just come to you; you have to go find them. Commenting on articles with something other than a ‘nice article’ is a great way for readers to get to know you. They might clap on your comment and follow you, or maybe even comment on yours.

Don’t tell anybody, but my next secret goal is to get Ayodeji Awosika to respond to one of my comments.

Take a writing course.

Stay with me on this. If you’re not making money, it’s just a hobby so think of it as on the job training. And when you need training, you can read a book or take a course.

Last year I took one online course and started a second. The first was a disappointment, although I have a new writing buddy, but more on that later. This teacher signed us up, then created the course after the fact.

Don’t do that.

Don’t take that kind of course if you’re not already a strong writer. If you’re lured in by dreams of making 6 figures as he does, it’s probably not a good fit for you.

My current course is Elna Cain’s Write Your Way to Your First $1K. I’ve been slacking on this, but my goal is to finish a course a week. Elna has a lot of great resources on her website as well. I’ve been following her for quite some time. Confession: I should have taken her course first.

The Creative Penn is a great resource for writers. This isn’t an affiliate link, I just like her work. She has plenty of articles, and videos as well as books for sale on writing, and several courses. This is where I first learned about multiple income streams.

Find a writing buddy

This is the best thing to come from my first writing class. We text and share ideas all the time. We’ve become good friends, and you need that when you’re writing. Besides, where else are you going to hear, “You’re a genius,”?

Even if you have an encouraging spouse, you need a friend to bounce ideas off. And sometimes you create something new together — more on that another time.

Writing as a side hustle or full-time job

Not ready to quit your day job? We have different motivators and maybe you do too. I have a 9 to 5 job, which I love. I love the work, but the politics get me down. It’s nice to have security in addition to becoming debt-free. This will change the way you see things.

Writing is a side hustle for me, and maybe it is for you. Since I’ve been on Medium, I’ve developed a writing schedule that works for me. I publish a daily short-form article and comment and read other articles during my lunch break.

Additionally, I publish a long-form article once a week, and a special feature article once a month. Historical articles require more research, and the editing process is longer with the publication, but it’s worth it.

How long does it take you to write an article?

Maybe you can write an article, polish it, and publish it all in an hour. Congratulations, you’re a writer!

I wish that is me. Although ideas and outlines are coming easier and quicker, it still takes me hours to write. Don’t beat yourself up if you can’t write and publish 1,000 words every day.

Content Creation Calendar

You knew this was coming, didn’t you?

I’m a production planner at my 9 to 5. I have a huge desk calendar at my home office identical to the one at my day job. Additionally, I have a spiral 12 month dated calendar I carry with me.

Excessive? Maybe, but it works for me. Budgeting your time is like budgeting your money. I schedule my story ideas. And it's no big deal if I come up with another idea that day.

I just circle the planned idea and draw an arrow to another day. I’ve created deadlines for my stories. If you don’t have deadlines, you lose sight of the goal. Keep track of what to publish and when to publish, and reduce your stress.

The Takeaway — Do what matters and do what you can.

Be predictable, consistent, and persistent with your writing. If you’re not making money, treat it as on-the-job training. When does your probationary period end, and the writing job begin?

Where will your writing be in thirty-sixty or ninety days? Would you hire you? Set some small goals and don’t forget a writing schedule. Oh and call or text your writing buddy!

Thanks to Linda Kowalchek, Darryl Brooks. Thank you Matthew Prince for the idea.