✍️ 3 Things I Wish I'd Known About Becoming a Six-Figure Freelance Writer

Plus: a secret gift for my paid subscribers to say thank you!

Hey writers,

It’s been an action-packed week here in Paris: my partner Kyle and I did an amazing food and market tour with a local chef and had some of the best croissants and chocolate ever — they take their food seriously here. A travel guide is coming soon with all my Paris recs for you!

I’m headed to NYC tomorrow and can’t wait to eat some bagels and lurk in bookstores. I’m also so grateful to be invited to some writing dinners and events, and I can’t wait to get cozy and settle into the city for a few weeks before Thanksgiving.

I’ve got lots of cool things for you in this issue, so let’s dive in!

❗️ Hey, paid subscribers — scroll all the way to the bottom of this post to get your top-secret gift as a thank you for your support! 🎁

🫖 Sunday Tea: 3 Things I Wish I'd Known About Becoming a Six-Figure Freelance Writer

I made a lot of mistakes over the past 8 years as a freelance writer.

And every time I sit down to write a newsletter or create a freelance resource, I’m always trying to save you from falling into the same traps that I did!

Here are 3 of the things wish someone had told me about becoming a six-figure freelance writer:

1. Your first $100,000 is the hardest money you’ll make. Getting to your first six figures in revenue is the most challenging part. You’re still building up your freelancing flywheel and having to do a lot of things for the first time and completely from scratch.

2. Unfinished projects don’t compound. If you don’t finish your website or your portfolio, you can’t reap the benefits of clients finding you and being eager to hire you. Finished projects can get you work and act as a stepping stone — they give you compounding growth, especially if you’re finishing projects consistently for yourself and your clients.

3. You have to run your freelancing like a business. …because it is! I was able to grow so much faster when I learned more about sales, marketing, and other key parts of running and growing a business. You have to balance being a craftsperson and a business owner as a freelancer.

You never truly stop learning as a writer, and that’s one of the fun aspects of what we do.

✍️ New Writing Job Board Comes Out Tomorrow!

If you missed the last issue of my writing job board, check it out at the link below:

I also posted a special featured job a few days ago, which you can access here. This is a really cool book editing job that feels aligned with spooky season, and the client is looking for someone who has experience/interest with ESP/paranormal topics. Deadline is end of day tomorrow!

🗞️ Writing News: Hollywood is Burning

Back in 2021, I wrote a piece on my blog predicting the death of Hollywood — and in its place, the rise of the Creator Economy.

I was previously a TV writer before leaving the industry behind to write books, do freelance work, and work on my own projects — and I’m not pleased to tell you that my predictions were correct.

The Hollywood Reporter recently ran this piece about why Hollywood is feeling stuck. It shows that a lot of the stagnation is because young talent isn’t being fostered — which affects writers under the age of 40 whose projects and voices aren’t being valued in an aging studio system.

🎥 Video of the Week: Month 16 Update - Growing My Substack to $96,000/Year

I’ve been running this series for over a year and a half on YouTube, sharing the behind-the-scenes of what I’ve done to grow this publication. If you’ve been following along, you’ve been here through a LOT of pivots and changes.

I’m grateful to be here cultivating writing resources and opportunities for you — I hope you enjoy my monthly behind-the-scenes look at what goes into building a Substack publication :)

🎁 Gift for My Paid Subscribers as a ❤️ Thank You!

If you’re a paid subscriber, I have a 🎁 secret gift for you below the paywall! Enjoy :)