My Crazy Plan To Build A $20k Writing Business In 2024
I’m using all I’ve learned in 2023 to craft a new writing strategy
I’ve had a lot of fun experimenting this year.
Some stuff has been a disaster (Quora, ghostwriting). Some have succeeded beyond my wildest dreams (digital products, newsletter). I’ve kept testing. Tweaking. Revising. And now I understand what works. I know what I need to do to take my writing up a level.
Here’s my 3 stage plan to build a $20k side hustle in the next 12 months.
It’s as simple as ABC.
1. Grab attention.
My first writing failure was a blog.
I wrote and hoped people would find it. It didn’t work. You have to start where people are. This is why Medium and X are the first part of my strategy.
Their purpose is simple. Grab attention.
Medium
Using Cal Newport’s Deep Work principles I’ve upped my output to 15 articles a month. I share what works for me. I’m always learning and trying new stuff. This gives me endless content ideas.
The bonus of Medium is the valuable portfolio that builds up. This is crucial for the next steps in my writing strategy
X
I’ve gained 1000 followers on X in 2023.
It’s a great place to find new readers. My Quora failure has taught me it’s better to do fewer platforms well. You need to learn the culture and what works. Spraying content everywhere will have a limited impact.
How I post on X with minimal effort
I work a 9–5 so need to be efficient with my time. I reuse my Medium content on X. It takes little time to produce these types of posts.
- Each section of a Medium article becomes an X long post. Each Medium article gives me 5–10 posts. That’s 75–150 X posts/month.
- I post links to all my articles. I craft a strong hook and then invite people to click the link (use the friend’s link option so non-members can read it). This creates 15 easy posts/month.
- Posting about your success to win attention. People want to follow those who are making progress. Writing on Medium offers loads of opportunities for this. Earnings, positive comments, and follower milestones have all worked for me.
This stuff works.
When I launched my free email course. I got 44,700 X views.
These numbers are exciting but don’t let them mislead you.
Be clear on the role of social platforms. The task of social media is to grab attention, find your fans, and move them to your email list.
Without that, all the attention is a waste of time.
2. Build trust with a newsletter
You won’t get anywhere without a newsletter.
Kieran Drew has 193,000 followers on X. Every post gets a ton of likes and comments. He’s made $500k selling courses and coaching. But despite his massive X presence. His sales come from his email list. He makes hardly any money on social media.
Writers must understand this.
The inbox is where the relationship deepens. You can be more personal and people will start to trust you. I encourage readers to reply with their writing challenges and offer personal advice. These valuable deposits of trust will pay dividends when we get to stage 3.
Social media is a shaky foundation for your writing.
A tiny proportion of followers see posts. Followers disappear all the time. And you have no way of getting them back. Platforms can change their algorithm and destroy your impact. I was flying on X then overnight my views dropped by 75%.
Protect yourself with an email list.
I send out a weekly newsletter with writing advice. I share what is working for me. People don’t want bland platitudes they want details of what works. I keep this sharp and focused (around 600 words).
Newsletters are an opportunity to give readers a flavour of your personality too. So I add a photo of a book I am reading (taken in a different part of my house).
Like this one:
Once you’ve got attention through social media and built trust with a newsletter. You’ve got a valuable asset you can turn into cash.
3. Cash in with services and products
This is the stage I’m aiming for.
I hate selling but this strategy means I don’t have to. By this stage, I’ve a deep knowledge of the problems my readers face. So I can develop products and services to help them. These can be:
- ebooks
- templates
- email courses
- group coaching
- individual advice sessions
I’ve used 5 of my popular Medium articles to make an email course. I turned another article into a bonus download to enhance my coaching offer. I’ve tested this content on Medium so I know readers love it.
I will launch paid products and build my coaching business in 2024. This will easily generate a $20k side hustle.
It’s taken me 11 months but it’s crystal clear how to achieve this:
A — Grab attention through social media
B — Build a trusting relationship with a newsletter
C — Convert to cash with helpful products and coaching
3 ways I can help you:
- 5-Step Writing System for creating irresistible articles (free course)
- Writing Clinic — personal coaching
- My 10 best X hooks dissected (free email course)
