Can you believe this?

I was shocked … [The Writer’ s Life]( December 12, 2023 "The more you learn, the less you know." – Unknown Hi {NAME}, What's something you once knew to be true … Only to one day find out it wasn't? We were enjoying a team dinner under the stars on a cool night, when Lori from the AWAI team posed this conversation-starting question. Two hours later we were STILL discussing people's answers. (I highly recommend asking this question if you want to get a conversation going!) Last week we opened the door to something that has shifted the belief of many writers … Writers who once believed you had to choose between "writing for good" and "writing for big money." The belief has always been: there's no money writing for nonprofits. But as we proved last week, that belief is flat-out wrong. I first learned the truth about two months ago, along with Katie, some copywriters, and the training team … When AWAI's Learning Chief Pam Foster and Lisa Christoffel hosted a meeting to show us just how much opportunity there really is … having both worked for decades in this niche. They had submitted a proposal for a training … but we hadn't approved it, because we weren't confident there was enough money in it for writers. Like me, one of the copywriters, Guillermo Rubio (also known as G), was shocked by what we saw … He kept stopping the meeting … "Wait, say that again?", followed by a series of questions … his writer's curiosity intensifying the more he learned. Before that meeting ended, I enthusiastically gave the green light for the training ([which you can learn about here](), and our Training Team asked to clear the schedule to accelerate production. We now KNOW this training needs to be in the hands of writers everywhere (the organizations they will help are dependent on it!). We KNOW there is big money to be made by writers. And we KNOW this can give so many people the writer's life they want … complete with money, freedom, AND fulfillment. Today G shares his experience in that meeting … one that has him questioning the future of his own career. Give it a read and see just how big the opportunity is in this space … I'll be curious to see what you think! And if you're interested in dipping your toe into writing for nonprofits and causes … Grab the free Toolkit we're giving away with Barefoot Writer, [The Profitable Niche That Pays Up to $100 Per Hour for Doing Good](. It's free with your Barefoot Writer Club membership (along with five other guides aimed at accelerating your earning potential!). But do it today … It's your LAST CHANCE to get this toolkit for free and save $200 on your membership! [>> Go here to grab it now.]( To your success, Rebecca Matter President AWAI CLOSING: Only Accepting New Writers Until Midnight Tonight! Get accepted into the Barefoot Writer Club by MIDNIGHT tonight to claim your "Getting Started" writing gifts, worth $363 – FREE! You're a good fit for the Barefoot Writer Club if … You enjoy writing. You want to make great money doing it. You want control over what you write about and who you write for. But hurry … You only have until midnight tonight! [Get Accepted Here]( TODAY! Get all this for $1 … [PWA image spread] The Professional Writers' Alliance (PWA) takes the stress out of running your writing business. With ready-to-use business forms, templates, and checklists … VIP job board access … networking opportunities … and a mountain of tips, tactics, and "been there, done that" advice from working freelance writers … You'll minimize the "unbillable" hours you spend working on your business and maximize your time writing — and getting paid. [Claim Your $1 Access Here]( The Counterintuitive Niche That Made Me Question What I'm Doing With My Copywriting Career 🤦 ♂️ by Guillermo Rubio Most of life's biggest truths are counterintuitive. Meaning, the truth is found in the opposite of what we naturally expect. For example … - The more choices you have, the less satisfied you are with any particular one. - The more you try to impress someone, the less they will like you. - Change is the only constant. Life is full of these types of counterintuitive truths. And when it comes to writing, it's no different. Here are a few you've probably experienced firsthand: - Writing short is harder than writing long. - Rest and relaxation make you more productive. - Organization boosts creativity. I'll add one more to the list — and it's one that may surprise you (it definitely surprised me!): Writing for Nonprofits Could be Far More Profitable Than Writing For Profits I've thought about writing for nonprofits in the past … But "common sense" told me it wouldn't be profitable. Heck, it's in the name — NONprofit! My thinking on all this started to change after I was on a call with a top writer in the nonprofit space, Lisa Christoffel (who also happens to be the Managing Editor for B2B Writers International). Some of the things she said on that call were very surprising to me. So I went and did my own digging online. My jaw dropped. Never, in a million years, would I have thought the nonprofit market would be a place where I could make a great living as a writer. Yet, here's what I found: In 2022, the fundraising market was pegged at $625 … billion. Whoa. To put that into perspective for you … In that same year, ALL marketing spending by companies in the U.S. totaled $481 billion. This means the nonprofit market is actually BIGGER than what every company in America spent on marketing last year. Another way of thinking about it … Remember all those high six- and even seven-figure earning copywriters you've heard of or read about in niches like health and finance? Yeah, that $481 billion figure includes all of them. And it includes every "dream client" in the direct-response marketing space you can think of … every Fortune 500 … every small business … ALL of it! Yet the nonprofit space sits at $625 billion — a full 30% larger. And you don't have those same high-earning six- and seven-figure copywriters competing against you. They're busy writing for a slice of that $481 billion. All while a "quiet few" are making a killing in the much bigger nonprofit space AND are helping great causes. The wheels started turning in my head … 🧐 So I kept digging … Turns Out, the $625 Billion Fundraising Market Is Just The "Tip of the Iceberg" Aside from thinking "no money" when you hear the term nonprofit, it's normal to think of it all as being the large, well-known organizations … … like The Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity, Make-a-Wish Foundation, The Nature Conservancy, and others. Yes, they hire writers. Often. Because they need help bringing in donors through direct mail, online marketing, and more. (These are all projects that could pay up to $3,000 or more, by the way). But there's another BIG source of clients for writers in this space … one that hardly any writers think about when they hear the term nonprofit … Trade Associations. There are more than 43,000 trade associations. And they're in every industry imaginable, including the food industry (there's The Association for Dressings and Sauces), healthcare and business (there's the Autism Business Association) … and everything in between. Another fun fact: Trade associations bring in around $36 billion annually … … . AND they're sitting on about $57 billion worth of assets (which they can use, and often do, to hire writers like me and you to help them raise more money for the causes they support!). It's why it wasn't surprising when AWAI's Learning Chief Pam Foster mentioned to me she once got paid $10,000 to write a couple of newsletters for a veterinary association. Nice. But this nonprofit-profit train for writers doesn't stop there. The Faith-Based Market Once again, I'd never thought about the Christian market or other faith-based markets as "nonprofit". But it is. And it's a $150+ billion a year market. That's from retail sales, which includes book sales and other products (think calendars, board games, clothing, accessories, and more). So for any writer who is passionate about their faith, this is yet another great opportunity to make great money, while doing good. At this point, I was in total shock at how big and deep this nonprofit space goes. But there was one more area that was the cherry on the cake of my day, as I continued to research … it totally blew me away: More Than $1 Trillion Flows through This Nonprofit "Sub-Niche" I'm talking about grant writing. More than $1 trillion is given away every single year. Organizations that support different causes need some of that money. But the only way they can be considered for it is through a grant proposal. One that a writer who knows what they're doing writes, in order to give their client the best shot at being awarded the grant. And for that? You can get paid big bucks. AWAI member Toni Rockis reports making up to $20,000 for having written a single winning proposal. So yes, turns out that nonprofit writing can be very profitable! The Best Part? In addition to being a huge market with tons of prospective clients for any writer smart enough to specialize in this niche … … the nonprofit market has another advantage: Every project you're learning to write or would like to learn how to write — whether it's sales letters, email, newsletters, and even typical B2B projects like white papers and case studies … … these skills and projects "transfer" over to the nonprofit world. So in many ways, you could be way ahead of the game and not even know it. Especially if you've already spent a lot of time learning one particular skill, like email writing or sales letters, for example. My (and Hopefully Your) Takeaway … The long and the short of it is — nonprofit and cause marketing is a huge market. One rife with opportunity for any writer wanting to do good with their words. After doing all this digging, I sent my findings to Katie, who wrote a full briefing on the nonprofit market and how it can benefit you as a writer, [here](. Seriously. There's so much opportunity, it boggles the mind. I encourage you to do your own research. You'll see what I mean. Every indication points to this market becoming even bigger. As for me … I'm now utterly convinced I need to learn the nuances of how to write for the nonprofit and cause marketing world. I'm a big animal and nature lover, and a big kid at heart, so I'd love to help causes like the World Wildlife Fund or Make-a-Wish Foundation grow. So if you've ever thought about writing "for good" like I have … but you were dissuaded due to the belief there's no money in it … it may be time to reassess. Seriously consider writing for the nonprofit market. Not just because it's massive — and many corporations are now spending billions combined on "cause marketing", which shares many similarities to writing for nonprofits … … but because it's a way you can make a great living, help a cause you believe in, and feel proud and fulfilled about the work you do as a copywriter. Editorial note: In just five weeks, you could have the skills, samples, and a certificate that proves to future clients you've got the "goods" when it comes to writing for good. But the only way to get it, is by enrolling in the upcoming Writing for Good Training with 25-year nonprofit veteran, Lisa Christoffel. She'll teach you everything you need to provide real value to causes making the world healthier, safer, happier, better, and more. AND you'll be equipped to earn a fantastic living as a writer, while feeling total satisfaction that your talents are being used for good, in areas you're passionate about. All enrollment closes tomorrow … [Go here to secure your spot now!]( What's Hot at AWAI … 😎 Not a member of the Barefoot Writer Club yet? [Today's your last chance to join for just $49.]( 👀 Did you miss last week's Inside AWAI? [You can watch the replay here!]( 🤩 [Former medical professional becomes copywriter — income leaps 400%.]( Prepared to take the leap … [Social media post about getting a new client] Congratulations, Nathan! Being nervous is totally normal for your first client but you have the skills and the resources to be successful. Have your own story to share? Email us at mysuccess@awai.com, or [post it over in the Facebook group](, so we can celebrate your win too! SAVE THE DATE: Thursday, December 14 It's the day we're going to help get you started as a well-paid, in-demand writer … and set you up for big success in 2024. It doesn't matter if you've never been paid to write before … By the end of our time together, you'll have total clarity on what you need to start making money as a writer. But you MUST register to join us … [Go here to enroll now!]( Featured Jobs You can find these jobs and thousands more on [WritersWanted.com](: --------------------------------------------------------------- Grant Writer/Reviewer – CINQ Partnership Full-time, Remote Our client, a fast-growing tech company is looking to add some talented writers to their grant writing and reviewing team. --------------------------------------------------------------- Grant Writer – Anew: Building Beyond Violence and Abuse Full-time, Homewood, IL The Director of Grants and Contract Compliance collaborates with departments across the agency to complete grant reporting requirements. This position's responsibilities include, but are not limited to, managing federal and state government grants, including contract compliance, fiscal and program reporting, writing narratives and coordinating audits and site visits. --------------------------------------------------------------- Grant Support and Writer – University of Colorado Full-time, Hybrid, Aurora, CO This role will identify, write, and submit applications for funding opportunities for program sustainability as directed by Hummingbird leadership. --------------------------------------------------------------- Trouble viewing this email? [View in your browser, here](. For questions or requests: [contact us online](. --------------------------------------------------------------- ©2023 American Writers & Artists Institute Do you know of someone who would benefit from reading The Writer's Life? 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