I woke up this morning with my brain still reeling.
All the opportunities I’ve been missing. All the things I need to do differently. All the time I may be wasting!
Like a typical Gen Xer, I blame myself.
But really, I should blame
. She’s a former Hollywood TV writer who walked away from her dream job to build a seven-figure writing business. And she doesn’t hold anything back.She has a new book out called Write for Money and Power: The Anti-Starving Artist’s Guide to Becoming a Seven-Figure Writer, which argues that creatives need to stop romanticizing poverty and start building sustainable businesses.
This conversation is packed with so much actionable information that you’ll want to have a notepad ready.
What I learned
Self-publishing is where it’s at. Amy recently interviewed one writer who turned down a $200,000 two-book deal from Penguin Random House. His self-published book has earned over $300,000 in royalties. Brandon Sanderson bypassed publishers entirely and raised millions on Kickstarter. Even Taylor Swift self-published her tour book.
Upwork isn’t dead. Amy has made over $300,000 on the platform.
Substack optimization is worth looking into. Amy’s team increased their Substack’s value by over $100,000 in 12 months. One discovery: simply changing their primary category from “literature” to “business” sent their traffic soaring.
Freelance money is not where it used to be. Forget writing for traditional media outlets who pay dismally. Copywriting jobs are paying $4,000 to $7,000 monthly. Also, look into YouTube script writing for creators. Ghostwriting for founders. Developmental editing for self-published authors.
Cold emails work. Amy used to download lists of startups that just got funding and cold email them offering copywriting services. It worked magic
The 50/50 rule rules. Amy says making money as a writer is 50% creating and 50% marketing. That’s hard for creative people to hear. Especially Gen Xers like me who were raised to think self-promotion is gross. But get over it.
There’s a ton more. I think what’s sticking with me is how practical everything was. Amy didn’t give vague advice about “building your platform” or “finding your voice.” She gave specific strategies.
I’m curious hit you hardest from this conversation?
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Thank you
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