I’m sure we’ve all read a clickbait headline with this type of promise to unlock our writing dreams with just 7 easy steps.
The internet is a nuclear wasteland for writing advice. We love to focus on the money made from writing in the headline because the average writer thinks it will be a magic pill for their unfulfilled writing dreams.
We all know it never is.
Earning $200 from an article on a platform like this seems a dream, until you realize what you’re giving up.
The hamster wheel of writing to earn dollars
Platforms such as X, Youtube, Quora, and TikTok pay creators directly for their content. Big publications like Business Insider pay writers too.
The opportunity feels like a holy grail. “Finally I can just write and not worry about anything else!”
I used to think the same. I fell into the trap. I made 6-figures a year in platform money. I got paid from places like Business Insider and News-Break-my-balls, too. My mom was proud. It was a cheat code.
But over time the algorithm’s on these platforms change, and the staff that run them often try to play god.
“We’ll stamp out misinformation. We’ll champion this great cause.”
These sorts of idealistic notions quickly lead to glorified censorship and elitism. Before you know it, the platform is blocking anything with the word Ch!na in it and they don’t even know why.
As the algorithm changes and the platforms constantly alter their policies, you find yourself stuck on a hamster wheel.
The easiest way to fix a lack of content views
Here’s the solution:
If your writing views go down and you rely on platforms to make ya $200 an article, all you do is become more polarizing or controversial.
These are the magic pills to write an article that makes $200+:
- Doom
- Politics
- Religion
- Gaslight a gender/sexual preference
An article I read recently on here made $1500. Sounds amazing.
But the writer had to write about the former Donald Duck president to bank this payday, the equivalent of dropping your pants in the middle of Times Square in New York and showing your butt crack.
They described the payday feeling as amazing. It helped wipe out a few utility bills. But then minutes later they were back on the hamster wheel.
To keep the dog and pony show going it now makes sense for them to double down on the Donald Duck former president.
The paydays may get bigger.
Here’s what’s missed: the more stupid you have to become to please these platform algorithms, the more you destroy your credibility and reputation.
The real way to make money as a writer that doesn’t require you to walk around and flash your butt
$200 from one article is peanuts.
It’s not a repeatable process and it relies heavily on gatekeepers, luck, and hope. It’s better to play the lottery if you’re this way inclined.
The real money isn’t getting paid from the words themselves. No. It’s using your writing as the foundation for an online business.
$200 from an essay is nice, but writing three articles for someone else as a ghostwriter and getting $5000 is a much better opportunity. Or writing online to build an email list where you sell a book, paid newsletter, templates, community, etc, creates much bigger paydays.
The person above who made $1500 from writing about outrage loses out on this opportunity because they scare away all their potential customers.
Politics, controversy, and outrage is off-putting for potential clients. They’re secretly worried if they work with you, they may become the victim of cancel culture because of what you did for them or because they were associated with you.
My friend Nicolas wrote online for years too.
While everyone was chasing peanut royalties he built a $10M+ a year business. Same style of writing as many of us, completely different outcome.
I’ve done something similar. My writing has helped me create over ten income streams — some small, some huge. Back in 2021, I decided to get off the hamster wheel of platform money.
It’s the best decision I’ve ever made.
While helping others follow in my path, one of the coolest things I’ve seen is how simple it is to use writing to monetize a service.
All of us are 10 steps ahead in at least one topic. Offering 1–1 coaching or consulting in your field of expertise pays 100x more than platform money.
Or offering a done-for-you service such as web development, SEO, design, ad campaigns, blog content, or managing someone’s investments is a far smarter strategy.
I don’t understand why writers fail to see this opportunity.
- Why do we get hooked on platform money when it’ll never help us earn a full-time income or leave our jobs?
- Why do we give all our writing to some platform that makes us jump through hoops like clowns to stay alive?
Final Thought
$200 for an article is poo-change.
If you’re someone who brags about these piss-ant paydays, please stop. You’re embarrassing yourself. Play stupid writing games, win stupid prizes.
Instead, use your writing to sell a service.
Then dare to progress to digital products, newsletters, or paid communities later on. No writer should have to starve and be a slave to an algorithm.
