Searching for a “secret” to success that other people have already found?

Maybe you’ve heard the stories of AWAI members like Steve Maurer, Cindy Cyr, and Jake Hoffberg …

I have a friend who lives alone in modest circumstances. Does she know the secrets to making money? Well, she has no money to speak of. She does not own real property or place value upon possessions. But she does like to spend time alone in the countryside where she will walk for many hours of the day. Best Ways to Make Money from Home (At Any Age) There are various side hustles that can be done by most age groups and skill levels. For instance, entering data or selling used clothes online. To see which side gigs catch your eye, keep reading or jump through each age group. Freelance writing is one of the most popular ways to earn money online. Many successful freelancers can earn an average of 50 cents to a dollar per word. Some are earning twice that! Of course, it doesn’t start out like that.

They share the same goal you have: Make a great living as a writer.

And you know what? Each one did find the “secret” to reach that goal in one way or another …

Steve is making enough money from his writing that he no longer has to depend on his “day job” to pay the bills. Although he recently told me he plans to keep it for now because he loves what he does and enjoys his new “double salary.”

Cindy said good-bye to her corporate job of 10 years and hasn’t looked back. She’s earning six-figures from her writing and has a freelance lifestyle that allows her to help her son Dalton nurture his growing music career. Not only is she able to accompany him around the country and write publicity materials for him, but she’s also teaching him valuable lessons about how to market himself.

And, with the money Jake’s made from his writing, his wife was able to cut her hours to part-time, giving them more time to travel. After three vacations to Sweden this past year, they’re considering relocating there permanently since he can write for his clients from anywhere in the world.

Now, you may be thinking … “That’s great for them. But what I want to know is what’s the secret … HOW did they do it?”

How were they able to turn their dreams of making a living as a writer into reality?

Are Steve, Cindy, and Jake just luckier than most people?

Hard work and determination definitely played a factor. But they also followed the steps that AWAI has been teaching for over 24 years … the exact same steps I’m going to share with you today.

Spoiler alert: these steps aren’t complicated. They may even seem a bit simple on the surface …

The “secret” to success, however, lies in committing to getting through them. You need to take consistent action every day.

So if you’re ready to make a great living as a writer, let’s dive in …

Step 1: Understand the Real Opportunity for Writers

This is where it all begins …

Understanding just how big the opportunity is … and why writers get paid so much money.

The why is simple: Copywriters are needed wherever money is exchanging hands for products and services.

This exchange could be between companies when a company sells to a business — otherwise known as Business-to-Business or B2B.

Or it could be a direct sale from the company to a consumer — otherwise known as Business-to-Consumer or B2C.

Or it could be both!

Yeti, for example, manufactures high-end coolers …

They sell their coolers directly to consumers (B2C) — you can buy a cooler on their website. And they promote to sporting goods stores (B2B) — you can buy a cooler at a store.

But because the two buyers are different and making a different purchasing decision (a consumer buying one cooler vs. a store buying thousands to sell in their stores nationwide), they require two different sets of marketing materials that explain:

What the product/service is
How it solves a customer problem, need, or wish
How it works
Why it’s the best solution and value
How much it costs
How to order it

And they need to convey this information in a variety of ways so they can reach their prospective buyers and motivate them to buy.

Usually referred to as “marketing channels,” these various methods more than likely include a website, a social media presence … plus an e-newsletter, print materials, maybe case studies, white papers, videos, and more.

At the last audit, we identified 75 projects companies hire writers to write!! (You can get all the details — including the average fees — in our Pricing Guide here.)

So when you realize there are over 5.7 million companies in the U.S. alone …

All of which require marketing to sell their products and services, all of which need numerous marketing channels, and therefore all of which have multiple needs for copy and content …

It’s time to move on to Step 2!

Step 2: Determine Your Involvement and Money Goals

Now that you know the many opportunities that exist, it’s time to focus on what YOU really want from your writing.

Are you looking to just earn some extra cash on the side?

Maybe some “mad money” to pay for vacations, spa visits, unexpected repairs to your car, or Jiu Jitsu classes with your friends? So you only want to work a few hours every week … or maybe just on the weekends.

Are you looking to supplement your income?

Maybe you enjoy your job — or at least enjoy the predictable income — but would like to make more money. Maybe you want to add another $20K to your bank account every year, just to relieve some of the stress unexpected bills or previous debt brings. So you’re willing to spend a bit more time, maybe working a couple of hours each day.

Or are you looking to replace a full-time job and start a new career?

Maybe you’re like Mindy McHorse, who was tired of going to a soul-sucking job every day, where she knew she’d already hit her income ceiling. Or like Steve Coombes, who had a great six-figure job with a Fortune 1000 company, but didn't have time for his family. So you’re willing to treat this like a new career, and spend the time and energy to really go for it.

And your intention can evolve …

Maybe “right now” you want to make a bit of extra cash to prove to yourself you can do this. And then once you see you can, you transition into wanting to replace your career and write full time.

You can accomplish any of these goals …

The key is to be honest with yourself at this point before moving forward so you can focus on the opportunities that match your income goals and involvement level.

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Which leads us to the next step …

Step 3: Explore the Options and Paths

Once upon a time, there were only a handful of ways to make a great living as a writer … the biggest one being direct mail. (The letters you get in your mailbox.)

Today though, there are dozens of ways …

Short copy, long copy … sales-y, non-sales-y … projects you write on retainer (like e-newsletters, social media, and blog posts and other content), projects you write for yourself (like Money-Making Websites, e-books, and information products), projects that are great for journalists (case studies), projects that are great for storytellers and screenwriters (Video Sales Letters and video scripts), and on and on …

The challenge won’t be finding great paying writing assignments. The challenge will be choosing the ones you want to start with.

So start exploring, and determine which ones are of interest to you. I always recommend writers use the AWAI catalog as a research tool …

If there’s a great way to make a living as a writer, we likely have an online training program on it! And our promotions are at least 80% research … we dig to find out the size of the opportunity, what the projects entail, going rates, who the clients are, and more.

So if you ever want to know more about a particular project, head on over to the catalog, find the program, and click “Learn more.” You’ll have a good understanding in no time.

Just remember, the key isn’t learning how to write all of them …

It’s choosing one or two to start, and then going from there. And then once you get up and running, if a client asks you to

The Real Secrets To Making Money