I'm sharing this because I just had an interesting discussion with a friend who is an aspiring writer and author.

Since I am unofficially in the blogging and writing coach business, my friend, who I will refer to as "Charles" for this post, wanted to ask for my advice and opinions about how he can make money online as a writer. But before offering any advice, I asked to see his blog or website where he publishes his content online. His response?

"I don't have one."

WHAT!?!?

How can you consider yourself a writer -- a writer who aspires to make money online, no less -- and you DON'T have a blog or website where people can read or review your work.

I'm sorry, but that's about the same as someone who doesn't diet or exercise, but aspires to be a body building champion.

Here's the ONE thing you must do if you're going to succeed as a writer online. Are you ready?

YOU HAVE TO WRITE! And you have to write often.

Whether you want to be a fiction novelist, a niche blogger or a journalist, you need to create content. And you need to ALWAYS be creating content.

Some people will disagree with me, and say that you don't need to be a habitual writer to succeed. But here's why I say that you do.

The more you write, the better your develop your craft. Great athletes, speakers, coaches, and even writers, don't become great because they have a few wonderful ideas or possess amazing talent. They become great because they consistently practice. Olympians don't stop practicing after they qualify for an event. They continue to train because that's how they better themselves in the long-term.

The same applies to you as a writer.

If you are going to succeed online as a writer, then you need to get comfortable with writing frequently and often. Because writing is more than a craft, it is a discipline. It requires time and focus to really become great at what you do. Great writers don't just write for the sake of it, they do it because they love it. They develop a relationship with their craft that allows them to build a platform to share their creative processes and work with the world around them.

Two years ago, I started a blog to talk about my experiences as an entrepreneur from a spiritual perspective. The blog never did well in the beginning, and it was not because my content was boring. (It may have been.) But more so because I was not writing. How would anyone ever find my blog if I were not writing, connecting with other readers or building my platform?

It would take almost 8 months of consistent writing, hustling and building my platform before I was able to earn any revenue from my blog. But it wouldn't have happened had I not been CONSISTENT.

If you are like my friend who wants to be paid before committing himself to writing and creating more work. Or who writes and keeps his content to himself, tucked away on his hard drive. If that's you and you’re happy with that, then great. But you'll never succeed online with that mentality.

If you want to succeed online as a write and earn a living from your writing, you need to first, get clear on your vision. What kind of writer do you want to be, and how do you want to earn your money?

And second, you need to get comfortable with your voice. Develop a habit and discipline for writing that works for you. For me, it's to write in the earliest part of the day when I'm most relaxed and refreshed.

If you want your words to get the attention they deserve as a product of your passion, then at some point, you’ll need to look at how to expand your reach. And that's going to mean writing more than a single blog post or article a month. The more you write and PUBLISH your work, the more chances you get to receive feedback on your work, which will allow you to correct mistakes, or discover what people really enjoy about your writing. Which means you can either correct what's wrong, or focus more on what people want from you.

The one thing you must do to succeed as a writer is to WRITE -- and be sure to write OFTEN and write WELL!

Be blessed!

Ra

I forgot to mention, that I offer a training series that teaches people who to profit from their writing. I have a post here on Nairaland about the offer. You can read it here:

https://www.nairaland.com/2608103/first-30-people-comment-post

Also, feel free to post questions at anytime. I will do my best to help you find the answers you need to grow in your endeavors.

Be blessed!

Ra

Am a writer nd I have a blog wich I post my stories. Ppl view d blog but I don't know how to make money from it. Not dat making money from my writing is my primary concern but well wat harm culd a little change cause along side d joy of writing. So pls help me

DUOz:
Am a writer nd I have a blog wich I post my stories. Ppl view d blog but I don't know how to make money from it. Not dat making money from my writing is my primary concern but well wat harm culd a little change cause along side d joy of writing. So pls help me

What is the link to your blog? I may be able to offer some suggestions.

Also, your revenue strategies will depend on the kind of writing you are doing. For example, if you are a fiction writer, you could earn revenue by offering writing courses or training, or you could earn by selling some of your novels or ebooks.

But to actually make money from those things, will require a strategy. And part of that will require knowing who your targeted audience is. And you find your target audience by asking, "Who do you write for?"

What type of person are you trying to reach with your work? When you sit down to right, what kind of person do you imagine who would be interested in your blog? More specifically, the kind of person who would be interested in buying what you are offering.

This isn't a very detailed approach but it's enough to get you started in the right direction.