- Joined
- Oct 16, 2022
- Messages
- 366
Rep Bank
$1,700
$1,700
User Power: 256%
I've made almost $20k writing online.
Here's a guide to help you get started.
1. Study your platform/audience
You wouldn't sell ice cream in a bakery, would you?
Each platform on the Internet has a specific code, a specific style of writing.
What platforms am I talking about?
- Reddit
- Twitter
- Youtube (yes, Youtube is, to a large extent, a writing platform)
- Medium
- Substack
- Etc
Even TikTok, to some extent, is a writing platform.
Start by reading these platforms to learn about the style, average length of articles, topics discussed, mainstream opinions, and general narratives.
Get the "vibe" of the platform.
I have spent two years reading Twitter before feeling ready to write on it.
2. Learn to write fast
Writing fast means writing with a high pace of information disclosure.
Case study: the first few episodes of Netflix's Narcos. These are almost orgasmic because a lot of stuff happens over a long narrative period (several years) in a short period of time (45 minutes per episode).
Be concise, clear, specific, and unveil information as fast as possible.
3. How to get people to read you
There are lots of different ways and by no means do I know them all.
However, here are a few.
A. Tell them what they already know (positioning principle)
Repeat what people already think about something and they will read you for the pleasure of being validated.
B. Tell them what they feel but cannot crystallize into words (Jordan Peterson principle)
Peterson's success is only based on the fact that he's read Jung, Nietzsche, and Soljenitsyne and that these people had a gift to crystallize into words feelings and intuitions that normal people weren't smart enough to define themselves.
He simply repeated what these three guys said and since he was the only one doing that, got all of the credits.
C. Tell them a narrative that is truer/better than the official narrative (Marc Andreessen).
The idea is basically to find a better narrative than the actual narrative, which is what Marc Andreessen has done with his essays such as "Software is eating the world" or the recent "Why AI will save the world".
In the physical realm, this comes down to innovating. Eg: the paint roller is a much better tool to paint than the paintbrush!
Find the paint roller.
D. Move the conversation forward (what does this mean? -> Tim Urban)
Tim Urban has proven brilliant at doing this with his essays on Waitbutwhy.
To do so, you need to take the current narrative and ask "What does this mean" and "Where does that lead us".
Yes, it means that you have to think. Writing is basically thinking, so if you don't enjoy the latter, by all means, don't practice the former.
E. Provide explanations for badly-understood phenomenons (psychologist principle)
What do psychologists do?
They help you understand yourself.
People are confused and they don't understand what's going on.
Case study: the Ukrainian War. Some people say Putin invaded because of NATO, others said Putin invaded because he cannot stand the idea of Ukrainian identity, others said he invaded for internal political reasons, others said he invaded because he misses the USSR, and I said he invaded because...well, it's too politically incorrect to say.
Find a better narrative (than all of the others) that explains why Putin invaded.
Another case study is TMF : everyone said "bUy sTocKs tO geT riCh" then MJ came in and said "Build a business!".
F. Write pure entertainment (BuzzFeed's dumb listicles).
You'd be surprised to hear that I've made +$3k with dumb listicles.
Yep. Not proud of it though.
4. Test
Of course, I won't tell you everything I know either - it wouldn't be shooting myself in the foot, it'd be sawing both of my legs!
Through testing, you will:
1. Find your voice
2. Find what you like to write
3. Find what your audience likes to read
The idea is to write at the intersection of these three.
With time, I have found out about certain attraction magnets that I use as "emergency topics" in case my recent articles bombed.
Conclusion
That's what I think works, but don't take my words as the ultimate truth.
At the end of the day, most of the articles I thought would bomb worked, and most of the articles I thought would work bombed.
These are the principles that seem to explain my writing's successes and failures, but who knows - maybe it'll be different for you, or maybe I've just been lucky, or maybe both.
For sure, the only way to find out is to go ahead and try.
FAQ
1. What if I am not a native speaker?
I am not a native speaker either.
2. What if I am afraid of people reading what I write?
Then do something else. If you can't handle criticism, DO NOT WRITE ONLINE.
3. Which platform should I choose?
One where people will read you. I'm good at Medium and Reddit but I suck at Twitter/Substack, which is really frustrating.
4. How do I monetize?
It will be obvious when the time comes. Some platforms monetize by themselves (YouTube, soon Twitter, Medium, etc) while on other platforms, people will reach out for jobs; or you will acquire an audience to sell stuff to.
5. How long will it take?
A friend of mine made $400 in one month after following only a few points I have made here.
6. Is writing fastlane?
If your name is JK Rowling, yes.
7. When should I quit?
If you haven't progressed after six months of writing at least 3 times per week, give up.
8. Where do I get ideas?
Three ways:
A. Read
B. Read
C. Read
9. Is it true that I have to write short sentences with short words in the active voice?
All phones have very nice packaging but at the end of the day, the phone is what matters, not the packaging.
10. Should I write on my website?
Tough one. The way I see it, personal, SEO-reliant content websites are going to die, killed by ChatGPT. People will only hang out on content platforms like the ones quoted above.
11. Anything else?
Read a few copywriting books.
Good luck!
Here's a guide to help you get started.
1. Study your platform/audience
You wouldn't sell ice cream in a bakery, would you?
Each platform on the Internet has a specific code, a specific style of writing.
What platforms am I talking about?
- Youtube (yes, Youtube is, to a large extent, a writing platform)
- Medium
- Substack
- Etc
Even TikTok, to some extent, is a writing platform.
Start by reading these platforms to learn about the style, average length of articles, topics discussed, mainstream opinions, and general narratives.
Get the "vibe" of the platform.
I have spent two years reading Twitter before feeling ready to write on it.
2. Learn to write fast
Writing fast means writing with a high pace of information disclosure.
Case study: the first few episodes of Netflix's Narcos. These are almost orgasmic because a lot of stuff happens over a long narrative period (several years) in a short period of time (45 minutes per episode).
Be concise, clear, specific, and unveil information as fast as possible.
3. How to get people to read you
There are lots of different ways and by no means do I know them all.
However, here are a few.
A. Tell them what they already know (positioning principle)
Repeat what people already think about something and they will read you for the pleasure of being validated.
B. Tell them what they feel but cannot crystallize into words (Jordan Peterson principle)
Peterson's success is only based on the fact that he's read Jung, Nietzsche, and Soljenitsyne and that these people had a gift to crystallize into words feelings and intuitions that normal people weren't smart enough to define themselves.
He simply repeated what these three guys said and since he was the only one doing that, got all of the credits.
C. Tell them a narrative that is truer/better than the official narrative (Marc Andreessen).
The idea is basically to find a better narrative than the actual narrative, which is what Marc Andreessen has done with his essays such as "Software is eating the world" or the recent "Why AI will save the world".
In the physical realm, this comes down to innovating. Eg: the paint roller is a much better tool to paint than the paintbrush!
Find the paint roller.
D. Move the conversation forward (what does this mean? -> Tim Urban)
Tim Urban has proven brilliant at doing this with his essays on Waitbutwhy.
To do so, you need to take the current narrative and ask "What does this mean" and "Where does that lead us".
Yes, it means that you have to think. Writing is basically thinking, so if you don't enjoy the latter, by all means, don't practice the former.
E. Provide explanations for badly-understood phenomenons (psychologist principle)
What do psychologists do?
They help you understand yourself.
People are confused and they don't understand what's going on.
Case study: the Ukrainian War. Some people say Putin invaded because of NATO, others said Putin invaded because he cannot stand the idea of Ukrainian identity, others said he invaded for internal political reasons, others said he invaded because he misses the USSR, and I said he invaded because...well, it's too politically incorrect to say.
Find a better narrative (than all of the others) that explains why Putin invaded.
Another case study is TMF : everyone said "bUy sTocKs tO geT riCh" then MJ came in and said "Build a business!".
F. Write pure entertainment (BuzzFeed's dumb listicles).
You'd be surprised to hear that I've made +$3k with dumb listicles.
Yep. Not proud of it though.
4. Test
Of course, I won't tell you everything I know either - it wouldn't be shooting myself in the foot, it'd be sawing both of my legs!
Through testing, you will:
1. Find your voice
2. Find what you like to write
3. Find what your audience likes to read
The idea is to write at the intersection of these three.
With time, I have found out about certain attraction magnets that I use as "emergency topics" in case my recent articles bombed.
Conclusion
That's what I think works, but don't take my words as the ultimate truth.
At the end of the day, most of the articles I thought would bomb worked, and most of the articles I thought would work bombed.
These are the principles that seem to explain my writing's successes and failures, but who knows - maybe it'll be different for you, or maybe I've just been lucky, or maybe both.
For sure, the only way to find out is to go ahead and try.
FAQ
1. What if I am not a native speaker?
I am not a native speaker either.
2. What if I am afraid of people reading what I write?
Then do something else. If you can't handle criticism, DO NOT WRITE ONLINE.
3. Which platform should I choose?
One where people will read you. I'm good at Medium and Reddit but I suck at Twitter/Substack, which is really frustrating.
4. How do I monetize?
It will be obvious when the time comes. Some platforms monetize by themselves (YouTube, soon Twitter, Medium, etc) while on other platforms, people will reach out for jobs; or you will acquire an audience to sell stuff to.
5. How long will it take?
A friend of mine made $400 in one month after following only a few points I have made here.
6. Is writing fastlane?
If your name is JK Rowling, yes.
7. When should I quit?
If you haven't progressed after six months of writing at least 3 times per week, give up.
8. Where do I get ideas?
Three ways:
A. Read
B. Read
C. Read
9. Is it true that I have to write short sentences with short words in the active voice?
All phones have very nice packaging but at the end of the day, the phone is what matters, not the packaging.
10. Should I write on my website?
Tough one. The way I see it, personal, SEO-reliant content websites are going to die, killed by ChatGPT. People will only hang out on content platforms like the ones quoted above.
11. Anything else?
Read a few copywriting books.
Good luck!
Dislike ads? Become a Fastlane member:
Subscribe today and surround yourself with winners and millionaire mentors, not those broke friends who only want to drink beer and play video games. :-)
Membership Required: Upgrade to Expose Nearly 1,000,000 Posts
Ready to Unleash the Millionaire Entrepreneur in You?
Become a member of the Fastlane Forum, the private community founded by best-selling author and multi-millionaire entrepreneur MJ DeMarco. Since 2007, MJ DeMarco has poured his heart and soul into the Fastlane Forum, helping entrepreneurs reclaim their time, win their financial freedom, and live their best life.
With more than 39,000 posts packed with insights, strategies, and advice, you’re not just a member—you’re stepping into MJ’s inner-circle, a place where you’ll never be left alone.
Become a member and gain immediate access to...
- Active Community: Ever join a community only to find it DEAD? Not at Fastlane! As you can see from our home page, life-changing content is posted dozens of times daily.
- Exclusive Insights: Direct access to MJ DeMarco’s daily contributions and wisdom.
- Powerful Networking Opportunities: Connect with a diverse group of successful entrepreneurs who can offer mentorship, collaboration, and opportunities.
- Proven Strategies: Learn from the best in the business, with actionable advice and strategies that can accelerate your success.
"You are the average of the five people you surround yourself with the most..."
Who are you surrounding yourself with? Surround yourself with millionaire success. Join Fastlane today!
Join Today
