Digital Writing is Dead and AI Has Killed It

[hamzeri]

In a thread titled "Fastlane Opportunities for Writers" from 2021, MJ says:

​

"If I was starting over and looking for Fastlane opportunities, I wouldn't be writing."​

This was even before AI was mentioned in the thread.

Is it still worth it to write on Medium as a beginner in Entrepreneurship? Or even write at all?

​

I've started writing consistently for the last 3 months now, have around 250 followers and have earned around $5.

For the past week, I've been publishing every day, as advised by Nicolas Cole in his book about online writing. I find it very difficult.
Now, Nicolas Cole himself has started popularizing using AI for writing and as a tool to come up with endless ideas.

Tons of users are making articles using AI.

They can publish at a faster rate and with ease. I've found so many AI articles with a high amount of claps. Scroll down to the comments and you find comments written about how great this article is, using AI, from accounts that also post AI articles. It's like a wholesome AI writing society sitting in a circle scratching each other's backs.

I feel like I'm wasting my time because I could be spending this energy in the pursuit of something more worthwhile. Of course, learning to write is a good skill, but posting articles on Medium feels obsolete when I'm competing with this enormous supply of daily articles. Once I hit 120 articles written, I plan to re-evaluate writing and quit if it's not worthwhile. Currently around 51 articles published.

At least I'll rack up some credibility if I'm going to go for other writing-related pursuits.
I do not enjoy writing every day and writing repetitive self-help content as if I'm an all-knowing and experienced guru but it's the only type of content that works on there.

Interested in hearing your thoughts on this topic. Should I succumb to the AI dark side myself or ignorantly stay human?

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Trismigistus]

In a thread titled "Fastlane Opportunities for Writers" from 2021, MJ says:

View attachment 53326​

This was even before AI was mentioned in the thread.

Is it still worth it to write on Medium as a beginner in Entrepreneurship? Or even write at all?

​

I've started writing consistently for the last 3 months now, have around 250 followers and have earned around $5.

For the past week, I've been publishing every day, as advised by Nicolas Cole in his book about online writing. I find it very difficult.
Now, Nicolas Cole himself has started popularizing using AI for writing and as a tool to come up with endless ideas.

Tons of users are making articles using AI.

They can publish at a faster rate and with ease. I've found so many AI articles with a high amount of claps. Scroll down to the comments and you find comments written about how great this article is, using AI, from accounts that also post AI articles. It's like a wholesome AI writing society sitting in a circle scratching each other's backs.

I feel like I'm wasting my time because I could be spending this energy in the pursuit of something more worthwhile. Of course, learning to write is a good skill, but posting articles on Medium feels obsolete when I'm competing with this enormous supply of daily articles. Once I hit 120 articles written, I plan to re-evaluate writing and quit if it's not worthwhile. Currently around 51 articles published.

At least I'll rack up some credibility if I'm going to go for other writing-related pursuits.
I do not enjoy writing every day and writing repetitive self-help content as if I'm an all-knowing and experienced guru but it's the only type of content that works on there.

Interested in hearing your thoughts on this topic. Should I succumb to the AI dark side myself or ignorantly stay human?

I think AI is a great tool for streamlining process, but I don't believe AI will ever have the faculties as compared to a human being, we have access to infinity through our minds, an AI does not. It's for this reason I believe that humans will always have the ability to write superior content than what an AI could ever come up with.

But as far as the amount of time you put in, unless your writing is mindblowing, then id expect a slow roast process to build a giant following. Kind of like youtube, you think the average youtuber is blowing up just after 3 months? I wouldnt say so, these people spend the first few years getting to a following to where they are blowing up. But you could try n find a way to take it fastlane, Im not sure what kind of articles you are writing, but can they be consumed in a way that time doesnt make them stale? Meaning if you are writing articles about current events, I highly doubt months from now people are going to find an article you wrote and give it as much attention as you'd like. But if you write a book or a comic or something of the like, kind of like the Millionaire Fastlane , then someone, at any time can pick up that book and it is still relevant. Good luck man!

 

[MTF]

My quick background:

I've been writing since I was a kid and writing has always been a part of my life. I must have written millions of words by this point. My most successful business has been a self-publishing business. I published well over 100 titles (I stopped in 2020). That includes both fiction and non-fiction, short stories, collections, translations, etc. so not just full-length books (and most of my books are shorter).

I've retired because of the success of this business but I no longer write. The self-publishing industry these days is a waste of time unless you're a celebrity.

If I were to start again, I would NOT become a writer.

I love writing. It's the most natural way for me to express myself. I can't imagine myself as a non-writer.

But it's not a valuable business skill in today's world. It will get less and less useful each year.

Study and practice writing in your free time as it's immensely valuable for communication but don't fool yourself it's a valuable business skill.

Is it still worth it to write on Medium as a beginner in Entrepreneurship? Or even write at all?

No. Writing on Medium is for people from undeveloped countries who are happy making $300 a month. It's not a business. It violates most commandments but most notably the commandment of control and need.

If you're serious about building a profitable (high 6-figures or 7-figures) business, I wouldn't write at all.

For the past week, I've been publishing every day, as advised by Nicolas Cole in his book about online writing. I find it very difficult.
Now, Nicolas Cole himself has started popularizing using AI for writing and as a tool to come up with endless ideas.

As most gurus, Nicolas Cole doesn't make money from what he teaches about. He makes money teaching you how to make money with online writing. So I wouldn't listen to him for entrepreneurship advice because he's biased and wants to sell you his shit.

I feel like I'm wasting my time because I could be spending this energy in the pursuit of something more worthwhile. Of course, learning to write is a good skill, but posting articles on Medium feels obsolete when I'm competing with this enormous supply of daily articles. Once I hit 120 articles written, I plan to re-evaluate writing and quit if it's not worthwhile. Currently around 51 articles published.

You're right. You ARE wasting your time. So save yourself from further waste and just stop now. Nothing will change if you hit 120 articles. Maybe your writing skills will improve a little and maybe you'll make another $5. Is it worth it? Not really.

What are the other things you considered pursuing that would be more worthwhile?

 

[heavy_industry]

It depends on what are you writing.

• If you're writing marketing stuff for your CENTS business, that's fastlane.
• If you're writing a book, that's a hobby.
• If you're writing for an online content mill, that's slavery.
• If you're writing self-help guides and you're not a millionaire, that's fraud.

Besides that, the right type of writing teaches you how to think. And it teaches you how to sell.

All the successful people I know are masters of language.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[hamzeri]

I think AI is a great tool for streamlining process, but I don't believe AI will ever have the faculties as compared to a human being, we have access to infinity through our minds, an AI does not. It's for this reason I believe that humans will always have the ability to write superior content than what an AI could ever come up with.

But as far as the amount of time you put in, unless your writing is mindblowing, then id expect a slow roast process to build a giant following. Kind of like youtube, you think the average youtuber is blowing up just after 3 months? I wouldnt say so, these people spend the first few years getting to a following to where they are blowing up. But you could try n find a way to take it fastlane, Im not sure what kind of articles you are writing, but can they be consumed in a way that time doesnt make them stale? Meaning if you are writing articles about current events, I highly doubt months from now people are going to find an article you wrote and give it as much attention as you'd like. But if you write a book or a comic or something of the like, kind of like the Millionaire Fastlane , then someone, at any time can pick up that book and it is still relevant. Good luck man!

I agree with you. It's just that AI-generated content is working almost as well, if not better than human-made content on the platform where I'm writing.

I've analysed tons of different profiles. Repetitive self-help stuff like "This One Secret That Will 10X Your Productivity" or "7 Mistakes You MUST Avoid To Become Successful" is what works. These are timeless articles that will stay relevant. Thinking of new ideas and insights doesn't matter, post stuff like this every single day and you'll grow. This journey feels difficult and not worthwhile to do (if my goal is to be financially stable) if I don't use AI because it can spew regenerated ideas and write sentences faster than me.

 

[hamzeri]

My quick background:

I've been writing since I was a kid and writing has always been a part of my life. I must have written millions of words by this point. My most successful business has been a self-publishing business. I published well over 100 titles (I stopped in 2020). That includes both fiction and non-fiction, short stories, collections, translations, etc. so not just full-length books (and most of my books are shorter).

I've retired because of the success of this business but I no longer write. The self-publishing industry these days is a waste of time unless you're a celebrity.

If I were to start again, I would NOT become a writer.

I love writing. It's the most natural way for me to express myself. I can't imagine myself as a non-writer.

But it's not a valuable business skill in today's world. It will get less and less useful each year.

Study and practice writing in your free time as it's immensely valuable for communication but don't fool yourself it's a valuable business skill.



No. Writing on Medium is for people from undeveloped countries who are happy making $300 a month. It's not a business. It violates most commandments but most notably the commandment of control and need.

If you're serious about building a profitable (high 6-figures or 7-figures) business, I wouldn't write at all.



As most gurus, Nicolas Cole doesn't make money from what he teaches about. He makes money teaching you how to make money with online writing. So I wouldn't listen to him for entrepreneurship advice because he's biased and wants to sell you his shit.



You're right. You ARE wasting your time. So save yourself from further waste and just stop now. Nothing will change if you hit 120 articles. Maybe your writing skills will improve a little and maybe you'll make another $5. Is it worth it? Not really.

What are the other things you considered pursuing that would be more worthwhile?

Hello! I read through all your posts on that thread from 2021 and was quite intrigued by your perspectives. I am thankful that you replied.

But it's not a valuable business skill in today's world. It will get less and less useful each year.

That's what I find the most concerning, there is already a lot of supply of articles and blog posts. With AI content becoming more numerous, the value of writing goes down even more.

As most gurus, Nicolas Cole doesn't make money from what he teaches about. He makes money teaching you how to make money with online writing. So I wouldn't listen to him for entrepreneurship advice because he's biased and wants to sell you his shit.

Apparently, he got rich by becoming a top writer in Quora around 2016, then starting to write for online magazines and eventually ghost-writing. I understand that now, that path might not be the most optimal.

He says in his book, "I’d gone from making $0 as a writer to making $3,000 per month writing for Inc Magazine to making $20,000 per month ghostwriting opinion articles for executives."

Of course, now he makes money by teaching about writing and selling products related to it. It makes sense why he would popularize it. The same goes for Dan Koe who preaches that writing is the most valuable and monetizable skill right now since all media is based on it. Yeah, he has a digital writing course as well.

You're right. You ARE wasting your time. So save yourself from further waste and just stop now. Nothing will change if you hit 120 articles. Maybe your writing skills will improve a little and maybe you'll make another $5. Is it worth it? Not really.

What are the other things you considered pursuing that would be more worthwhile?

Honestly, I wasn't expecting much more to change except a few more followers from accounts who want me to follow back and yeah another $5.
I just didn't want to quit early without being able to say to myself, "Well, I've tried it.". I figured 120 articles was a good threshold.

Since you are immensely more experienced, I will consider this advice.

In terms of other things I can pursue, I was interested in looking into copywriting. I know AI has seeped into it. but I believe it should still be possible to make it work.

Will keep my eyes open for other opportunities though.

 

[MTF]

Apparently, he got rich by becoming a top writer in Quora around 2016, then starting to write for online magazines and eventually ghost-writing. I understand that now, that path might not be the most optimal.

That's the key piece of information here: he got rich in 2016. It's 2024. I got rich between 2015-2018 on self-publishing. It doesn't work anymore.

I just didn't want to quit early without being able to say to myself, "Well, I've tried it.". I figured 120 articles was a good threshold.

You've tried it and learned probably all there is to learn.

In terms of other things I can pursue, I was interested in looking into copywriting. I know AI has seeped into it. but I believe it should still be possible to make it work.

I recently created a sales page. In the past, I would have written the copy myself (I hate writing copy). I also once or twice hired a copywriter. These days, I just use AI. And we're only beginning. In a few years, very few people will use human copywriters.

You're putting yourself in a writer's trap. Figure out products or services you can offer that won't require you to write.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Awakened2022]

Since you are immensely more experienced, I will consider this advice.

Thanks @MTF for the guidance. I have also been feeling lost given that I teach English Language, and my family expects me to earn something from writing. I can now wholeheartedly concentrate on my cassava flour production business and only write for entertainment.

My daughter (11) recently asked me if there was a way of earning from poetry writing. I will now tell her to write simply for self expression.

Thanks OP for starting this thread.

 

[heavy_industry]

My daughter (11) recently asked me if there was a way of earning from poetry writing. I will now tell her to write simply for self expression.

I would find a way to incentivize your kids to read and write as much as possible.

These skills are basically the human I/O interface for data processing and are the gateway to learning any other cognitive skill you can imagine.

 

[Roli]

Sheesh, if I had started this thread, MJ and the heavyweights would be dog-pilling in right now telling me how negative I am.

The self-publishing industry these days is a waste of time unless you're a celebrity.

That's the key piece of information here: he got rich in 2016. It's 2024. I got rich between 2015-2018 on self-publishing. It doesn't work anymore.

I guess this non-famous dude didn't get the memo in 2018 and just became successful.



Also LJ Ross who started writing in 2020 and is now worth $7,000,000 didn't get the memo that you're not supposed to make money if you're not famous.

I love you @MTF but you're very wrong on this one, there are many stories like the authors above and even more who don't make the headlines but still make a nice six-figure income per year.

AI hasn't killed writing, it's streamlined the process. If you have skill and great ideas, you can use tools such as GPT to make you even better.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[MTF]

Sheesh, if I had started this thread, MJ and the heavyweights would be dog-pilling in right now telling me how negative I am.





I guess this non-famous dude didn't get the memo in 2018 and just became successful.

View attachment 53342

Also LJ Ross who started writing in 2020 and is now worth $7,000,000 didn't get the memo that you're not supposed to make money if you're not famous.

I love you @MTF but you're very wrong on this one, there are many stories like the authors above and even more who don't make the headlines but still make a nice six-figure income per year.

AI hasn't killed writing, it's streamlined the process. If you have skill and great ideas, you can use tools such as GPT to make you even better.

You'll always find outliers. I know some as well.

It doesn't change the fact that writing is on average a waste of time. Same goes for people who want to become singers or professional athletes.

It's about your odds. The odds of success were, say, 10% in 2014. Now it's more like 0.01%. Meanwhile, you have many other businesses that have 20%+ odds of success.

If you absolutely love writing and can't imagine doing anything else then cool (just be aware you'll most likely always struggle). If your primary goal is to build a business and get rich, writing is a bad choice.

Also, specifically for self-publishing you're at Amazon's mercy. I know some terrible horror stories of people who haven't done anything wrong. Any day, you can wake up to a message from Ahmed telling you that your account or book is under review and another Kafkaesque story begins.

 

[hamzeri]

Sheesh, if I had started this thread, MJ and the heavyweights would be dog-pilling in right now telling me how negative I am.





I guess this non-famous dude didn't get the memo in 2018 and just became successful.

View attachment 53342

Also LJ Ross who started writing in 2020 and is now worth $7,000,000 didn't get the memo that you're not supposed to make money if you're not famous.

I love you @MTF but you're very wrong on this one, there are many stories like the authors above and even more who don't make the headlines but still make a nice six-figure income per year.

AI hasn't killed writing, it's streamlined the process. If you have skill and great ideas, you can use tools such as GPT to make you even better.

(This is unimportant, but the most successful book of the second author you mentioned was published in 2015, among 17 other books published before 2020)

I get your point that it should be still possible to make a solid income through writing.

However, do you agree that writing is not an optimal way to achieve that solid income or UNSCRIPT-ing one's self?

Just like how it is apparent that starting a blog right now is not an optimal way to become financially successful anytime soon. It is only worthwhile if you are using it to promote your business or product.

AI hasn't killed writing, it's streamlined the process. If you have skill and great ideas, you can use tools such as GPT to make you even better.

My point was that AI has taken over online writing, and now kids can and are making well-written and quality posts by using AI. It will be difficult to stand out by having great ideas and skills when writing can be produced so easily. You're lost in a sea of millions of blog posts and articles, the supply of which growing further thanks to AI.

Maybe in a few years when AI content has become so common, opportunities will arise for human-written content when they are wildly sought after.

I didn't want to have to use AI because at that point I'm no longer a writer but an AI user.

If I were to continue my path of writing on Medium, the path would look like this:

1) Use ChatGPT to come up with endless article ideas.
2) Give ChatGPT some writing rules, feed it some of my articles to match my style of writing, tell it to write with more emotion and add in personal stories and touches (I can even give it information from my life so that the stories are personalized)
3) Make ChatGPT write the articles, maybe even just make it spend all day generating content and picking out the best ones to post.
4) Make edits when necessary, and optimize the way ChatGPT writes to have you make fewer and fewer edits.
5) Spam this content every day on platforms, along with a product, e-book or paid newsletter for an extra source of income.

Most of the AI content I come across only do steps 1 and 3. Steps 2, 4 and 5 further improve your chance of success.

Keep in mind ANYONE can do this. The ENTRY commandment, which was already suffering because anyone can make an account and post, is even worse for writing now, and so the NEED suffers because of the huge supply. Why hire a writer or a copywriter when you can use AI to write just as well? Like how @MTF said, this is only the beginning.

---

I'm only at the beginning of my entrepreneurial journey and I'm 20 years old, therefore although I could afford to make some mistakes, I want to make sure that the path I'm on is a worthwhile one, which brings us back to the same question, is being a writer Fastlane?

 

[StrikingViper69]

The problem isn't AI, the problem is that you're writing about "self improvement" when you're 20.

There will always be eyeballs and market for insights into a subject.

Writing is a vehicle. If you want your writing to stand a chance of being successful, you have to have something worth writing about. Everything else is secondary.

You're thinking about using a particular medium, when you should be thinking about how you can add value - and plot twist, regurgitating the same bromides on "5 ways you can improve your morning routine" isn't adding value.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[hamzeri]

The problem isn't AI, the problem is that you're writing about "self improvement" when you're 20.

There will always be eyeballs and market for insights into a subject.

Writing is a vehicle. If you want your writing to stand a chance of being successful, you have to have something worth writing about. Everything else is secondary.

You're thinking about using a particular medium, when you should be thinking about how you can add value - and plot twist, regurgitating the same bromides on "5 ways you can improve your morning routine" isn't adding value.

I wholeheartedly agree writing stuff like "5 ways you can improve your morning routine" and repetitive content like that isn't adding value. Google the top writers on Medium and look through their content, almost all of them write on self-help, productivity, and how to be a better writer. I hate writing that stuff but it's what works. Writing online for quick cash needs you to take this path. Be a self-help and life lessons content machine.

I do not enjoy writing every day and writing repetitive self-help content as if I'm an all-knowing and experienced guru but it's the only type of content that works on there.

If I want to focus on providing value, non-fiction writing isn't the way because there isn't much a 20-year-old who spent most of his life on video games can say aside from regurgitating information from books I read.

I've gotten the answer, I need to cut down on this sort of writing and work on another way to provide value to the world to be deserving of value vouchers. Maybe I can delve into the world of medical tech startups since I'm a med student.
Anyway, thank you all for your insights, I'll get back to taking action.

 

[StrikingViper69]

Maybe I can delve into the world of medical tech startups since I'm a med student.
Anyway, thank you all for your insights, I'll get back to taking action.

This sounds a lot more promising. Keep your eyes open as you study and practice and you’ll find opportunities.

@Spenny is studying chemistry and made a neat tool to help people draw molecular diagrams. Your idea doesn’t have to be hi-tech, it just has to be helpful

 

[Spenny]

This sounds a lot more promising. Keep your eyes open as you study and practice and you’ll find opportunities.

@Spenny is studying chemistry and made a neat tool to help people draw molecular diagrams. Your idea doesn’t have to be hi-tech, it just has to be helpful

You're dead right. It doesn't have to be crazy, just excellent/valuable/significant as a gift.

But even when I look at chemistry, there is a lot that I can do, and I've begun racking my brain for things I could make that are chemically related.

@Mikkel is likely the closest to med-tech stuff - he's also doing e-commerce related to physiotherapy. I'd recommend checking out what he's doing.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Simon Angel]

I'm getting more writing work than ever before. The funny thing is, I'm too busy with my email marketing business to accept most of it. We're talking $70-90/h copywriting work for dozens of hours on the regular.

Clients are practically begging me to write. It wasn't like this even before the rise of AI.

Now, this may be a case of AI's non-linear progression, but it looks like people have become disillusioned by AI writing/art in general (not just in marketing use cases).

That's my reality, though. I don't read the news or speculate about A.I. anymore. I don't care what anyone here says and nor do I entertain the doomsday Reddit posts.

If you're the type to quiver because of an opinion piece on A.I. and carry a lot of limiting beliefs, then you're sure to miss out on some good opportunities.

In short, if you're adding value through your writing (i.e. putting money in someone else's pockets) then you can write for a living. Heck, you can write and prosper.

 

[MJ DeMarco]

Once again we have someone confusing a TOOL into a BUSINESS MODEL.

Writing is a tool.
Newsletters are a tool.
Blogs are a tool.
Selling on Amazon is a powerful tool.
Podcasting is a tool.
TikTok shorts is a tool.
AI is a tool.

Build a business and use these tools.

When the tools themselves are used as a business model, then it becomes a horrible grind.

Yes, you can be successful turning a tool into a business model. But you can also be successful joining an MLM or buying lottery tickets.

To which I say, writing on Medium? For what ends? I'm trying to imagine WHAT GOAL do you have where "spend countless months writing articles on medium" is a goal.

 

[hamzeri]

To which I say, writing on Medium? For what ends? I'm trying to imagine WHAT GOAL do you have where "spend countless months writing articles on medium" is a goal.

I was going to write on Medium on niches and topics that do well, to garner enough attention and an audience (2-5k followers) which would give me a few options.

I could use it as credibility to delve into other forms of writing like copywriting or content writing for clients.

I would be getting a small amount of money through Medium earnings and could also make products on niches that my articles do well on.

I think this whole process would take around 1-2 years.

The results are low so far, which is why I created the 120 article goal, after which I was planning to quit if things didn't go my way.

It's just that AI seemed to make me rethink everything, and it felt like this whole writing pursuit isn't the best thing to be doing.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Mikkel]

If I want to focus on providing value, non-fiction writing isn't the way because there isn't much a 20-year-old who spent most of his life on video games can say aside from regurgitating information from books I read.

I've gotten the answer, I need to cut down on this sort of writing and work on another way to provide value to the world to be deserving of value vouchers. Maybe I can delve into the world of medical tech startups since I'm a med student.
Anyway, thank you all for your insights, I'll get back to taking action.

I know very little in regards to writing as a Fastlane business, but it seems like you lose the ability to separate yourself from the business unless you write a book.

However, I'm sure there is plenty of need in the med tech industry for writers, I just don't know how you will make it Fastlane. That certainly doesn't mean you can't make a fastlane venture out of it.

If you do decide to go this route, reach out to me. I'd be glad to chat with you, if you think you would find value in that.

 

[Edgar King]

I read about a recent anecdote from the book, "How to write a useful book" basically it's about creating a productocracy by starting from a real problem (for books) where the author describes having a "mini-monopoly" on the market because of the way the book was created. There are millions of self-help books in his category out there and yet people make their way to his book based on peer to peer recommendations because he offers (relative) value to a specific target audience. IMO, and based on the valuable insights everyone has said, trends and tools change, but providing (relative) value is a timeless endeavour.

 

[Simon Angel]

I was going to write on Medium on niches and topics that do well, to garner enough attention and an audience (2-5k followers) which would give me a few options.

I could use it as credibility to delve into other forms of writing like copywriting or content writing for clients.

I would be getting a small amount of money through Medium earnings and could also make products on niches that my articles do well on.

I think this whole process would take around 1-2 years.

View attachment 53353 View attachment 53354 The results are low so far, which is why I created the 120 article goal, after which I was planning to quit if things didn't go my way.

It's just that AI seemed to make me rethink everything, and it felt like this whole writing pursuit isn't the best thing to be doing.

If you need cash, go on Upwork and apply for content writing gigs. Do it for no less than $15-20/h even for your first one.

Leverage your Medium articles for your portfolio. And once you get your first gig, do a good job to get a 5-star rating and apply for another one in that niche ideally.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[alexXx9]

I'm making a living through self-publishing, and I've really thrown myself into it. I completely understand the challenges. In a move out of desperation and because it's one of the online skills I feel confident in, I've set up three different accounts using my family members' details to spread out the risks. But still, there's this nagging anxiety about depending so much on it.

To be honest, I think I might have missed the mark a bit. I didn't focus on building a brand, instead opting for pen names and jumping from one niche to another, trying to catch the wave of whatever trend was in at the moment. The trouble is, a lot of books just don't last because Amazon's page layout now gives equal billing to established books and new releases. So, you might get noticed for a bit, but then you're likely to get overshadowed by the latest arrivals, even if you're putting money into ads. It feels like an endless cycle of creating new content, starting from scratch each time.

Sure, I'm earning money, but I can't help feeling that I haven't really developed the deeper business skills that come with a more focused approach. I've got the process down—hiring ghostwriters, marketing the books, and making sales. And yes, I've learned a bit about niche research, gauging market demand, and marketing strategies to make my books stand out against the competition. But when I think about it, I could have used my time to learn something like website development, which seems like a more versatile and valuable skill.

With websites, there's so much more freedom. You can create as many as you like, write about anything you want, and attract traffic in various ways—YouTube, social media, paid advertising, guest posts, influencers, and so on. And then there's the monetization part: display ads, affiliate marketing, selling your own services or digital products, physical products, courses, templates, consultations, and even paid memberships like "the INSIDERS." You have a lot more control than with platforms like Amazon, Quora, or Medium.

The ability to sell your own creations, market products from others, or sell your time and services is invaluable. Learning how to get a website to rank well, create converting ads, be savvy with social media, and stay ahead with new technologies are skills worth having. Whether you're looking to work for someone else, promote other people's products, or launch a new venture, understanding all the ins and outs of website management is crucial.

If I were to start from scratch, I'd probably kick things off with affiliate marketing since it's a great way to learn and see results quickly. Then, I'd learn how to craft my own offers and pivot from there.

For anyone just getting into Amazon self-publishing: be aware that the rules are changing quickly. Advertising opportunities have shrunk to a fraction of what they were two years ago, customer support is frustratingly unhelpful, and the market value of these publishing accounts is dropping. It's definitely a downward trend, and with the influx of AI-generated content and low-quality books, the competition is getting even fiercer.

 

[alexXx9]

Also, specifically for self-publishing you're at Amazon's mercy. I know some terrible horror stories of people who haven't done anything wrong. Any day, you can wake up to a message from Ahmed telling you that your account or book is under review and another Kafkaesque story begins.

with the above message i wanted to reply to this part specifically

 

[BrunoRastablasta]

I'm a writer and have a freelance writing business since 2017. In 2022, I made $75K working like 10 hours a week.
In 2023, I made $23K working 35 hours a week.

Budget cuts and the rise of AI practically destroyed content marketing. This isn't just me; it's a lot of professional writers who make $150K+ from content marketing. We were all in the same dogshit in 2023 and even though this year will be a bit better, the idea of a prosperous writer is dying.

True, there will always be people who will strive, but the percentage of success dropped drastically.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[MJ DeMarco]

I'm a writer and have a freelance writing business since 2017. In 2022, I made $75K working like 10 hours a week.
In 2023, I made $23K working 35 hours a week.

Budget cuts and the rise of AI practically destroyed content marketing. This isn't just me; it's a lot of professional writers who make $150K+ from content marketing. We were all in the same dogshit in 2023 and even though this year will be a bit better, the idea of a prosperous writer is dying.

True, there will always be people who will strive, but the percentage of success dropped drastically.

Wow. Sorry to hear this man.

 

[Andy Black]

I read the first half of Nicolas Cole's book too and liked it. I stopped when he started getting detailed about HOW to create content. (I normally stop when people start on the HOW. All I care about is what they do and why.)

My biggest takeaway wasn't that the "money is in the list" as everyone regurgitates, but that the money is in the content that built the list. He could take his library of best content from one platform, amend it for a new platform, and publish and build an audience on a new platform.

He didn't state it, but the skill to create the system that churns out content, reviews feedback, and creates new content (act, assess, adjust) is surely even more valuable than the content created that builds the audience.

I can't help thinking that this:

If I were to continue my path of writing on Medium, the path would look like this:

1) Use ChatGPT to come up with endless article ideas.
2) Give ChatGPT some writing rules, feed it some of my articles to match my style of writing, tell it to write with more emotion and add in personal stories and touches (I can even give it information from my life so that the stories are personalized)
3) Make ChatGPT write the articles, maybe even just make it spend all day generating content and picking out the best ones to post.
4) Make edits when necessary, and optimize the way ChatGPT writes to have you make fewer and fewer edits.
5) Spam this content every day on platforms, along with a product, e-book or paid newsletter for an extra source of income.

... is the bones of a system that will allow you to generate leads using content.

In which case, as MJ already said, you're treating content as a tool to generate leads for a business. (And isn't the internet just one big lead generation machine anyway?)

Maybe putting content out faster allows you to act, assess, adjust faster? Maybe it helps you find content and content formats that resonate? Maybe they can then be turned into audio, video, etc?

Figure it out and maybe businesses hire you to do that for them (content marketing / SEO / audience building)?

What's your system for generating content daily that helps a person or business build authority and an audience?

I post daily(ish) to LinkedIn. What tips would you give me?

 

[chazwazzer]

It depends on what are you writing.

• If you're writing marketing stuff for your CENTS business, that's fastlane.
• If you're writing a book, that's a hobby.
• If you're writing for an online content mill, that's slavery.
• If you're writing self-help guides and you're not a millionaire, that's fraud.

Besides that, the right type of writing teaches you how to think. And it teaches you how to sell.

All the successful people I know are masters of language.

Hi @heavy_industry thanks for this helpful reply. It made me think and was hoping you had time to reply to my questions. I am a slowlaner learning about fast lane ideaology and just started my execution this year.



Do you think this would be a good addition to your list?

- If you're writing "How to guides" on Twitter (X) or LinkedIn to help a specific group of people solve a specific problem with the intent to convert them to paying customer for your digital product / service

@heavy_industry if you don't mind me asking do you generate income from a fast lane business or are you a slow laner executing on fast lane ideology to make the transition to fastlane?

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[chazwazzer]

Figure out products or services you can offer that won't require you to write.

Suppose you had a product / service that doesn't require you to write.

Does it make sense to write on social to try and generate interest on you? Seems like paid advertising could possibly work but with the advent of chatGPT i hardly even google anything anymore.

Just trying to wrap my head around this topic of proper execution / action faking. Seems in certain context writing is proper execution of fastlane ideology but in other context it is action faking.

 

[chazwazzer]

If I were to start from scratch, I'd probably kick things off with affiliate marketing since it's a great way to learn and see results quickly. Then, I'd learn how to craft my own offers and pivot from there.

So writing in this context is fastlane because the content helps sell affiliate products?

I am posting so many responses to this thread because I wonder if I got myself into a pickle with a path i chose in last couple of days to make a daily writing / publishing habbit. My intent was to publish "how-to" content on social to a certain group of people with a certain problem in hopes I could generate interest in future product / service they would naturally be interesting.

This thread seems to be advocating to stay away from writing if your intent is to build a fastlane biz.

Thanks for helping me sort this out. I am still in ideation stage so luckily I can pivot without huge sunk cost.