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Making Money as a Writer: Coaching

Kent Sanders — Tue, 06 Dec 2022 06:00:44 +0000

We’ve been working our way through a series on Making Money as a Writer. Today, we’re talking about a service that can take a lot of different forms, and can also be fairly lucrative if you make this a core part of your overall business. We’re talking about coaching.

Coaching is a very broad term that can mean different things in different contexts. But generally, you are there to help the client become more successful in a certain area.

Coaching is usually done in either an individual or a group setting. It can also be done as a one-off coaching session, or it can be ongoing over a period of time. If you have specialized knowledge in a certain area, it can be a great opportunity to help people in a deep way.

I have benefited from coaching in a lot of different ways over the years. Two of the paid masterminds I’m in right now include individual coaching as part of the group structure. And twice in the past year, I have paid coaches for one-off sessions on specific topics.

I’m a huge fan of coaching because it’s basically a fast track to success in a specific area. For example, I hired my good friend John Schuchman, a social media coach for real estate agents, to do an hour of coaching with me on social media for the Daily Writer. I learned things from him in one hour I couldn’t have figured out on my own in the course of a year.

I have never offered group coaching, but I’ve done a lot of individual coaching, primarily related to helping people with their books.

As a writer, you have specialized knowledge in certain areas. A simple way to get started is to offer one-on-one coaching around the same topic you write about. Your books and other content can be a great way to promote your coaching services, which allows someone to get individual help in a way they can’t experience just by reading your books.

If you’re just getting started with coaching, I recommend the incredible book The Prosperous Coach by Rich Litvin. It’s one of the best business books I’ve ever read. I’d also recommend offering a few coaching sessions for free as a way to help you get some practice and also provide you with some testimonials if you want to take your coaching practice further.

Question: How could you expand your knowledge and impact by offering group or individual coaching as part of your overall business?

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Making Money as a Writer: Book Sales

Kent Sanders — Tue, 29 Nov 2022 05:00:15 +0000

Yesterday, we began a new series on Making Money as a Writer. On today’s episode, we’re continuing by starting with the most obvious way to make money as a writer: book sales.

Book sales is probably the first thing you think of when it comes to making money. But let’s dig into this a little bit.

First of all, it presumes that you have books to sell. So, if you haven’t yet written a book, or haven’t even thought about it, get started on that.

Second, a book can lead to a lot of other things. A book basically proves that you can write a sustained piece and that you have the discipline and vision to complete a big project. One of the big reasons why having a book is such a special thing is not just because it demonstrates your writing skills. It also proves that you can tackle a big, complex project.

Most people are not willing to go to the trouble of doing that, which is what makes that skill rare and valuable. It’s also why authors who have written books can command much higher speaking fees.

In other words, by virtue of the fact that you have written and published at least one book, you are showing to the world that you have done the work and completed something difficult that most people want to do, but aren’t willing to actually put the work in to do.

Let’s talk about making money with books.

In order to make money with books, you have to embrace marketing. Good marketing is a way to serve people. A lot of writers don’t want to mess with the marketing side of things because they think they’re above that. They’re the “creative” type, not the business type. You need to embrace the business side because that is where the action happens.

Your books are not just going to sell themselves. The sooner you embrace that idea—that you have to be a business person as an author—the sooner you can get busy doing the marketing activities that will help your books sell.

What’s more, this income stream can be greatly expanded when you have many books on multiple platforms, and you create ancillary products related to those books. We’ll get to making products in a later episode.

But for now, I want you to get comfortable with the idea of not only WRITING and PUBLISHING books… but also doing the marketing work to MAKE MONEY with them.

Question: Have you embraced the idea that you are not only an author, but a business person as well?

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Milestone #6: Create Streams of Income Based on Your Writing & Services

Kent Sanders — Thu, 07 Jul 2022 06:31:43 +0000

So far, we have talked about getting clear on your message and audience, choosing your platforms, writing consistently, publishing books, and expanding your network. Once you have those in place, then you are ready to take advantage of Milestone #6: Create streams of income based on your writing and services.

Why it’s important: All of the successful writers I know personally have multiple streams of income. This mitigates risk and lets you grow several streams that can support you. They are also intertwined, and if you think like a business owner, you can always create new streams.

As I mentioned before, I believe that many writers should consider both sides of the equation – doing client work as well as focusing on income based on their own IP. Each side informs the other side.

This whole idea of streams of income could take up a whole series on its own, but for now, I just want you to grasp the idea that making money from books is only one of many, many ways to make income with your writing.

The main challenge that most writers face in this regard is learning to think like a business person. It is so easy to focus just on the creative aspect of writing. But you also have to think like an entrepreneur who is running a business…because if you want to make money with your writing, that’s exactly what you are. I want you to become comfortable with the idea of being a business owner and entrepreneur.

Daily Question: How comfortable are you with the concept of creating multiple streams of income based on your writing?

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My Story of Traveling the Writer’s Path

Kent Sanders — Thu, 30 Jun 2022 05:00:43 +0000

Now that you have a basic idea of what The Writer’s Path is all about, I’d like to share my story of traveling this pathway myself.

I began blogging around 2007 or 2008. I had several blogs and was just writing for fun. I wanted to build a business but didn’t know how. I was a college professor and wanted to create more income to support my family.

Then, around 2010, I began following Dan Miller, the founder of the 48 Days brand. He emphasized building a business around your writing using multiple streams of income. I was intrigued and attended his “Write to the Bank” conference in 2012. As I continued to follow his teaching, as well as material from people like Cliff Ravenscraft, Michael Hyatt, Jeff Goins, and of course Dan Miller, I started to have a strong desire to create a business.

My first paid writing gig was writing podcast show notes for a client. That soon expanded into several clients. My business was growing slowly and I was also trying several other kinds of side businesses to see if I could make faster progress. I tried networking marketing, selling used books on Amazon, business consulting, and doing part-time church ministry. None of those were successful or greatly fulfilling.

During the same time, starting around 2015, I began writing books and hosting a podcast. Although I wasn’t making any money from those things, they gave me the desire to continue creating my own content. I saw lots of other people doing the same thing and making a great living, so I decided to keep plugging away at it.

In 2019, I was introduced to ghostwriting, which is where I have continued to focus most of my energy. As that side of my business has grown, I’ve also put a bigger focus on growing the side of my business that is the Daily Writer, which includes the podcast, a membership community, books—including the upcoming Daily Writer book—courses, and eventually, other products.

I really enjoy doing both client work and having my own material. I love having multiple streams of income. Some of them are very small right now but I think it’s important to get things started and then find ways to grow them. The Writer’s Path represents what I see others doing who are successful, as well as where I’m headed also.

My point in sharing this is to encourage you in your own journey. I believe you can do the exact same thing I have done. I’m not anyone special. I’m just highly motivated. If you feel the same motivation, you can be far more successful if you take consistent action and don’t give up.

Daily Question: What could your life and writing business be like three years from today if you took consistent action toward your goals?

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The Key Idea Behind the Writer’s Path

Kent Sanders — Wed, 29 Jun 2022 06:00:58 +0000

I was a college professor for many years, so anytime I’m creating content, I begin with what I call a “key idea.” Anytime that I created class material, it always started with the main idea of what I wanted to talk about or accomplish in that class session. Other people call this a thesis statement or even a proposition. Regardless of what you call it, it’s a statement or a concept that drives everything else. As we look at the 7 steps to building a writing business, there is one central idea that ties it all together. Let me give you the key idea, and then I want to break it apart phrase-by-phrase so you can see why each part is so important. Here’s the key idea: The Writer’s Path is a sequential, achievable process to help you build a multi-faceted, robust writing business based on a growing network and multiple streams of income. AraSelene molly family album Let’s break this down a bit, phrase by phrase:

Writing business: This is a business based not just on selling the writing itself, but also on products and services based around the writing. In other words, writing is the hub of what you do.

It is also important that we emphasize the word BUSINESS. Coming from the ministry and academic worlds, the idea of making more money was frowned upon to a big degree in my experience. However, money allows you to do good in the world. It’s not something to fear, just a tool for good.

Sequential process: It’s step-by-step, and these steps should be taken more or less in this order. Now, I also want to emphasize that most people don’t necessarily do these steps in a set order, but for the most part, you will find that it’s easier when you do so.

Achievable process: You can do it! If you are motivated and committed, that is. You don’t have to be incredibly talented or work yourself to death.

Multi-faceted, robust writing business: This means your business is not just book sales, but also consists of other streams and possibly with client work as well.

Growing network: This is the big thing I see many writers missing—they don’t network and many have no desire to do so. This is a primary way your business will grow. I want to help writers network and build key relationships in natural ways, based on generosity and adding value to others.

Multiple streams of income: I do client work, as do many of you, and a lot of writers focus just on this. I believe everyone doing client work should have streams of income that don’t rely on clients—streams like courses, membership communities, their own books, podcast sponsorships, etc. I want you to have more security in your finances and also enjoy the benefits of income that comes from your own IP.

Daily Question: Do you believe you can achieve success in your writing business? If so, what does that look like specifically?

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New Series—The Writer’s Path: 7 Steps to Building a Writing Business

Kent Sanders — Mon, 27 Jun 2022 06:00:36 +0000

You might know (or maybe you don’t) that about a year ago, I left my full-time job as a college professor to do ghostwriting full-time. That’s my main gig, but I also run The Daily Writer Club, which is our membership community, as well as produce this daily podcast. I also write my own books.

Most writers have a desire to make money and build either a part-time or full-time career with their writing, so we’re going to lean into this topic for a while. As I’ve thought about my own journey and examined the journey of many other writers I know who have successful businesses, I’ve distilled it down into 7 key components.

Before I give you the 7 steps, let me share with you the key idea of what this is all about:

Key Idea: The Writer’s Path is a sequential, achievable process to help you build a multi-faceted, robust writing business based on a growing network and multiple streams of income.

Let’s break this down into 7 clear steps:

Clarify a powerful message for a specific audience.
Build the platforms where you will share your content.
Write consistent content that helps your readers.
Publish and market books that solve problems for your audience.
Expand your network of friends, fans, and connections.
Create streams of income based on your writing and services.
Practice key habits for wellness, productivity, and success.

For the next couple of weeks, I’m going to give you an introduction to this concept of the Writer’s Path. Then, over the next few months, we will dive into each one of these steps in detail.

This material is part of a course I’m teaching right now in our Daily Writer Club, so if you’d like to dive into this material immediately and work through it with a group of positive, motivated writers, make sure to check it out by going to DailyWriterLife.com!

Daily Question: Do you want to build a business around your writing? If so, why?

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The Happiest Place on Earth

Kent Sanders — Tue, 31 May 2022 06:00:25 +0000

Disney parks all over the world are known as the happiest places on earth. And judging by the number of people who flock there each year, it is correct. It’s known as a place full of fun, magic, and wonder.

But even Walt Disney himself knew that it was dangerous to contain happiness to a particular location. He said, “Happiness is a state of mind. It’s just according to the way you look at things. So I think happiness is contentment but it doesn’t mean you have to have wealth. All individuals are different and some of us just wouldn’t be satisfied with just carrying out a routine job and being happy.”

The most powerful happiness is created in your mind. Remember that you are creating your own happy place. The happiest place on earth can be wherever you are. Through your writing and creative work, you are creating your own reality. And you can invite others there to enjoy it too.

Happiness is not some distant time or place in the future. It’s right now, and you can create it. It’s not in the future somewhere when you publish the next book, get the deal, or reach some other goal. Happiness has to lie in the work you do each day.

Happiness can be created right here, right now. All you have to do is change your mindset.

Daily Question: Do you believe you can experience happiness right here, right now? Why or why not?

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Becky Kopitzke on Making Money and Serving God with Your Writing

Kent Sanders — Sat, 30 Apr 2022 06:00:21 +0000

If you’ve been listening to this podcast for a while, you’re probably familiar with my story. I used to be a pastor, then I was a teacher at a Christian college for a long time before I made ghostwriting and coaching my main gig. I am extremely familiar with the tension that comes from wanting to make a living with writing, while also at times wrestling with guilt and uncertainty because of how the Christian community sometimes views money and commerce. I’m excited to bring you this conversation with my friend Becky Kopitzke to help shed some light on this issue and give us some new insights. Becky is an author, blogger, writing coach, and co-founder of The Inspired Business (formerly Ministry to Business), which helps authors generate recurring income from digital products. camilla araujo podcast At one time, Becky’s husband called her author career a hobby, as her income was no match to her expenses and time spent. She soon discovered that making money in ministry is biblical, helps expedite our kingdom purposes, and can contribute to, not drain, the family income. In this conversation, we dive into some weighty issues surrounding ministry, calling, and money. Yes, we are going there in this episode! This was one of the most insightful and spirited conversations I’ve been privileged to participate in this year. I think you will be inspired and challenged also. You can connect with Becky and sign up for her complimentary consultation through the links below:

Visit TheInspiredBusiness.com to Schedule Your Free Consultation

Check out Becky’s Personal Website, BeckyKopitzke.com

Connect with Becky on Instagram

Follow Becky on Facebook

Check out Becky’s YouTube Channel

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Andy Storch: How to Use Your Book to Build a Business

Kent Sanders — Sat, 08 Jan 2022 04:00:02 +0000

We talk about books quite a bit here on this podcast, because after all, this is a writing podcast! But what happens after you write the book? That’s only half the battle, and in a sense, your journey has only just begun.

I’m excited to bring you this fun conversation with a good friend of mine who’s going to give us lots of great insight into marketing your book, as well as how to build a business with your book. His name is Andy Storch, and he is the author of Own Your Career, Own Your Life: Stop Drifting and Take Control of Your Future. This is honestly one of the best professional and personal development books I have read in a long time. Andy teaches you how to own your career, take responsibility, do networking the right way, and a lot of other key habits and practices that will make you successful.

Andy is also a consultant, coach, speaker, and facilitator specializing in the Talent Development space. Andy is also the host of three podcasts: The Talent Development Hot Seat, Own Your Career, Own Your Life Show, and My NFT Journey. And if that’s not enough, Andy also heads up the Talent Development Think Tank Conference and Community.

I first got to know Andy in the Total Life Freedom Community, which you probably recall is a running theme with a lot of my podcast guests. Andy is the real deal. He is kind, generous, brilliant, a great connector, and the kind of person who will help you succeed in life just because you spend time with him.

In this conversation, I get to pick Andy’s brain on the income streams related to his book, how he has used it to build his business, and some of his marketing strategies.

Check out Andy’s website: AndyStorch.com

Connect with Andy on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter

Read Andy’s book, Own Your Career, Own Your Life: Stop Drifting and Take Control of Your Future.

Listen to Andy’s podcasts:

The Talent Development Hot Seat Podcast

Own Your Career, Own Your Life Podcast

My NFT Journey Podcast

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How to Create Multiple Streams of Income with Your Writing with John Stange

Kent Sanders — Sat, 20 Mar 2021 16:10:11 +0000

Most of us become interested in writing because we want to impact people’s lives with our words. Which is possible! But there are other ways writing can also benefit your life.

One of those ways is by making income with your writing. And not just selling books, but by developing multiple streams of income related to your writing.

I’ve asked my friend John Stange to come on the show and teach us how he has done exactly this. John is the Lead Pastor of Core Creek Community Church in Langhorne, Pennsylvania. He hosts three podcasts: “The Chapter-A-Day Audio Bible,” Daily Devotions with Pastor John,” and Dwell on These Things.

John has written over twenty books, all of which are focused on spiritual growth, leadership, marriage, and practical aspects of following Jesus. He also has a book coming out in May called Dwell on These Things. The book is a 31-day challenge to help you replace unhealthy messages you preach to yourself with Gospel-centered truth. I encourage you to check it out at DesireJesus.com.

In this conversation, John goes into a lot of detail about his various income streams and how they are related. This is a fascinating conversation that will help you think bigger and give you great ideas for developing your own income streams.

I encourage you to pre-order your copy of Dwell on These Things. You can find links to John’s podcasts and his other books at DesireJesus.com, and you can connect with John on Facebook.

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