Two Different Ways to Think About Your Writing
To monetize or to not monetize.
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Writing online is the best way to leverage your ideas.
The more you write online, the more followers you’ll attract. The more like-minded folks will love your work.
The question I’ve asked in the last few months is: Am I writing for fun, or am I writing to build a business?
Am I writing for fun?
There’s nothing wrong with writing for fun.
It’s casual. There’s experimentation. There’s no pressure to improve or build anything. Everyone should write for fun when they first start. It makes it easier to build a writing habit because it feels enjoyable.
Writing for fun allows you to experiment with style, your voice, and who you are as a writer.
In a way, you have a casual relationship with writing. You don’t feel compelled to do it every day. You don’t feel pressured to write on more platforms or grow an audience.
Am I writing to build a business?
Building a writing business means treating it like a business.
- You have a writing schedule
- You measure the performance of your writing
- You start monetizing your writing through different services
Building a business requires consistent effort. Sure, you can still have fun, but you’re doing it with more precision. There’s an end goal in mind when it comes to monetization.
You’re not simply teaching and educating. You’re getting paid to do it. Monetization plays a role in it.
This is how I think of monetization when I think of writing online:
- Services like copywriting, ghostwriting, and SEO
- Courses on copywriting, ghostwriting, or SEO
- Cohorts on building an online presence with online writing
- Paid communities that teach people how to become an online writer
You can try all of them, or you can try one of them. I’ve offered services, created a course, and am working on a cohort.
