How to Make Money Fast as a Writer

[The Writer’ s Life]( October 2, 2018 Hi {NAME}, How fast can you start making money as a writer? The answer is different for everyone … But there are numerous things you can do to speed things up. I've asked a few now-successful AWAI members to report in on what actions helped them make money fastest. And today, AWAI Success Michele Peterson is here to share insights from her own personal experience … When I met Michele at her first Web Intensive, she was starting at zero, and wanted to be making enough money to be out of the family business within a year. She did it in six months. Michele is an active member of [Wealthy Web Writer](, and a popular contributor to the membership site as well. She's one of the many successful working web writers who help keep members up-to-date on all the latest trends, getting clients in today's marketplace, and making higher fees. Right now, you can take a test-drive of our newly revamped Wealthy Web Writer membership site for just $1. For just one buck, you'll have access to all the roadmaps, webinars, articles, and popular templates that can help you be a huge success as a web writer. [Go here for details.]( To your success, Rebecca Matter President, AWAI --------------------------------------------------------------- How to Make Money Fast as a Writer By Michele Peterson [Your Journey Starts Here writing on blackboard background] The secret to making money fast as a writer is to specialize … Learn to do one type of project really well and then use your new skill to start getting paid quickly. It really is that simple. You see, the thing about being a writer is that we can start making money from our craft almost immediately after deciding to do so. Doctors, lawyers, and accountants have to attend multiple years of formal training and then pass extensive tests proving they are qualified to do the job. Same to a lesser degree with realtors, insurance agents, contractors (general building, electrical, plumbing, landscape, etc.), teachers, and so on. For writers, the low barrier to entry is great. But, to stand out and earn a good income, you do have to be good at what you do. How good? Well, you don't have to be as exceptional as Nick Usborne, Heather Lloyd-Martin, Jay White, or Brian Clark. You just have to be better than the client you're working for. Social media (my first specialty) is a prime example. Most marketers or business owners simply don't know how to use social media as a marketing tool. They don't have the skill to write compelling posts that engage while also persuading their audience to take action. After less than a month studying Nick Usborne's Social Media Marketing Expert program, I could. And I quickly got clients who paid me well to do so. The fastest way to master any skill is to invest in yourself and learn from experts. Getting Started "But I don't have any money to get started … to invest in this type of training." If you feel like money is holding you back from the writer's life you're dreaming of and longing for, you're not alone. Many people never follow their dream of starting their own business, of being their own boss, because they think they don't have the money to get started. Yet, while it's true that many businesses cost tens of thousands to start (the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation estimated that the average start-up cost was just over $30,000 back in 2009), copywriters can start for a teeny-tiny fraction of that amount. Not only that, we can start making money to recoup that start-up investment almost immediately … often with a single project from our very first client. Say, for example, you invest $497 in a comprehensive program to learn to write email copy. A single email writing project for a five-email follow-up sequence — at the beginner's fee of just $100 per email — would pay you $500, and pay for the program. That's a complete 100% return on your investment from just one project for just one client … as a totally green beginner! Of course, once you know how to write engaging email content, you wouldn't stop at that one project. And each project after the first that recouped your initial investment is pure profit. My own investment in the Social Media Expert program paid for itself after just one initial setup of a Facebook business page. However, my client didn't hire me to just set up the page. I made thousands of dollars from the ongoing relationship with that first social media client … and dozens of others besides him. Picking Your Skill to Master So if you're going to start by mastering a single skill, a single type of project, what should it be? I suggest starting with whatever you're most naturally drawn to — the one you'll have the most fun with — as long as you can easily find clients who need it and who are willing to pay for it. Let's say you're drawn to online writing projects like I was … You could decide to focus on web writing, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), email writing, automated sales funnels, content marketing, or social media (like me). So first, determine what you're most interested in … what you're most excited to write. That excitement and passion will go a long way in convincing prospects to work with you. I was passionate (still am) about helping businesses use social media effectively as a marketing tool instead of it being a frivolous waste of time and resources. This conviction is attractive to my ideal clients. It makes it easy for them to believe I can help them. It makes it easy for them to say yes to working with me. Next, figure out what is in highest demand in your immediate circle of influence — the people who already know, like, and trust you. What do prospects that you have easy access to want and need? For example, if you're drawn to social media, email, and content marketing, ask the business owners you know which of these they need the most help with … What is their biggest challenge right now? What are they struggling with? What would get them the results they're looking for? Depending on your existing relationship, you might even say that you're going through specialized training for whatever skill you've decided on and ask if they'd be willing to be one of your first clients. If what they need and are willing to pay for matches what you're most interested in, you've found your first skill to master. Investing in Yourself When you invest in training to learn a money-making skill, you give yourself the ability to … well … make money. When you obtain a specialized skill set, you often can charge more AND get started faster. You also can achieve better results for your clients. That's a win-win. You can do projects in your specialty for a wide variety of clients and never be bored. (I've written for doctors, lawyers, accountants, insurance agents, realtors, fitness gurus, jewelers, info-marketers, app developers, and a variety of local retailers and service businesses.) And if you decide you want to expand into another specialty, it's easy! Simply roll some of your new profits around and invest in the next writing specialty that excites you. The best thing is that the basic copywriting skills you learn in your first specialty will help you in whatever next steps your writing career takes. I did that, too. I'm no longer solely a Social Media Specialist. I've expanded my toolbox of skills. Now, besides social media, my other favorite projects are websites, blogs, and email. Plus, I became a member of Wealthy Web Writer so I could always be up-to-date on web-writing trends, and learn more and more about the industry. But that one specialty — social media — is where I started. That's what called to me as being worth the first investment. And everything grew from there. Jack Ma, e-commerce billionaire, founder of the Alibaba Group, and the richest man in China has said: "If you put bananas and money in front of monkeys, monkeys will choose bananas because monkeys do not know that money can buy many bananas." Just as money can buy more bananas, specialty training gives you the ability to make more money, faster. So, what specialty will you start with? What sounds most exciting and fun to you? I'd love to hear from you in a comment [here](! Test-Drive Wealthy Web Writer for Just $1! Whether you're a new or seasoned web writer, having access to the right information, anytime you need it, is key to launching and maintaining a successful web-writing career. Wealthy Web Writer is a resource designed to provide you with a continuous flow of important information, techniques, and strategies to support and guide your web-writing career every step of the way. Sign up now for next to nothing! [But hurry! Offer Ends Soon.]( Can You Write AND Get Paid Well? If you look in from the outside, you'd think I was a typical middle-class mom … I drive a messy minivan, holler at my kids to hurry up, come alive with my morning cup of Starbucks, and wave at my neighbors as they rush to work. But my reality is a 20-hour work week … a six-figure income … And the freedom to do what I want, where I want, when I want. I'm a writer. [Click here to see if this writing life is for you.]( Free 2-Part Webinar Training with Clayton Makepeace Join "America's Highest-Paid Copywriter," Clayton Makepeace on October 3rd and 4th at 3 p.m. ET for a free two-part webinar series: The Makepeace Method for Writing Million-Dollar Sales Letters in 7 Days or Less. Clayton will teach you how to quickly analyze the product you're promoting and will reveal how to fully understand how to speak to your prospect. This is a training series you don't want to miss. [Learn more about the series and register today!]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Trouble viewing this email? [View in your browser, here](. For questions or requests: [contact us online](. --------------------------------------------------------------- ©2018 American Writers & Artists Inc. Do you know of someone who would benefit from reading The Writer's Life? Simply direct them [here](. --------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------- American Writers & Artists Inc. 101 SE 6th Avenue, Suite A Delray Beach, FL 33483 (561) 278-5557 or (866) 879-2924 Ensure your subscription delivery. AWAI Whitelisting info available [here](. --------------------------------------------------------------- You are subscribed to this newsletter as {EMAIL}. To unsubscribe from any future issues of The Writer's Life, please click here: [Unsubscribe from The Writer's Life](. To unsubscribe from all AWAI broadcasts click here. [I want to permanently unsubscribe from all AWAI emails](.