My 10-year Overnight Success Blueprint
I started writing online when I was 17 years old.
Today, I write 10,000 words per day (almost a book a week) and earn 100% of my income from writing or publishing-related ventures.
Here are the skills I had to learn to do what I do✍️👇
I started writing online when I was 17 years old.
Today, I write 10,000 words per day (almost a book a week) and earn 100% of my income from writing or publishing-related ventures.
Here are the skills I had to learn to do what I do✍️👇
1. Volume
My first endeavor writing online was a gaming blog I had in high school.
I wrote (and published) a blog per day, every day, for an entire year.
By the time I graduated high school, I had 10,000 daily readers and was e-famous in the emerging eSports world.
My first endeavor writing online was a gaming blog I had in high school.
I wrote (and published) a blog per day, every day, for an entire year.
By the time I graduated high school, I had 10,000 daily readers and was e-famous in the emerging eSports world.
2. Interviewing
My first major in college was Journalism at the University of Missouri.
I didn't go to class and hated school. But I did join the school newspaper.
I would call up the police department and ask any question I wanted (mostly about drugs): "I'm writing a piece."
My first major in college was Journalism at the University of Missouri.
I didn't go to class and hated school. But I did join the school newspaper.
I would call up the police department and ask any question I wanted (mostly about drugs): "I'm writing a piece."
3. Fiction
My sophomore year, I transferred to Columbia College Chicago to study fiction writing instead.
I'd never written fiction before, but fell in love with it.
I gravitated to Russian literature & Kafkaesque "magical realism."
There, I learned the structure of story.
My sophomore year, I transferred to Columbia College Chicago to study fiction writing instead.
I'd never written fiction before, but fell in love with it.
I gravitated to Russian literature & Kafkaesque "magical realism."
There, I learned the structure of story.
4. Personal Stories
My junior year, I took a class (my only class) that was 100% nonfiction.
We had to tell true stories.
I wrote a short story about my teenage years as a pro gamer. This sparked my 1st book.
amazon.com/Confessions-Te…
My junior year, I took a class (my only class) that was 100% nonfiction.
We had to tell true stories.
I wrote a short story about my teenage years as a pro gamer. This sparked my 1st book.
amazon.com/Confessions-Te…
5. Teaching
My senior year, the only path I knew for earning a living as a writer was teaching.
I started tutoring students in the department as a "Writer's Workshop" teacher—with plans of going to grad school.
I learned a lot about my own writing by teaching other students.
My senior year, the only path I knew for earning a living as a writer was teaching.
I started tutoring students in the department as a "Writer's Workshop" teacher—with plans of going to grad school.
I learned a lot about my own writing by teaching other students.
6. Self-confidence
A week before submitting all my materials to Iowa's Writer's Workshop (#1 creative writing school in the country), a teacher I respected told me not to go.
"I went there. It killed my love for writing."
She suggested I get some life experience instead.
A week before submitting all my materials to Iowa's Writer's Workshop (#1 creative writing school in the country), a teacher I respected told me not to go.
"I went there. It killed my love for writing."
She suggested I get some life experience instead.
7. Marketing
Instead of grad school, I took a job as a copywriting intern at a small ad agency downtown Chicago.
I made minimum wage writing social media copy for brands.
My first "ghostwriting" experience was writing for a well-known female gynecologist.
I was 23.
Instead of grad school, I took a job as a copywriting intern at a small ad agency downtown Chicago.
I made minimum wage writing social media copy for brands.
My first "ghostwriting" experience was writing for a well-known female gynecologist.
I was 23.
8. Proofreading
My boss (the creative director & co-owner of the agency) became my mentor.
He used to have me proofread his emails, proofread his texts to girls, proofread multimillion-dollar proposals to national brands.
I racked up 2,000+ hours of proofreading.
My boss (the creative director & co-owner of the agency) became my mentor.
He used to have me proofread his emails, proofread his texts to girls, proofread multimillion-dollar proposals to national brands.
I racked up 2,000+ hours of proofreading.
9. Sales
The agency was small, and eventually there was nowhere for me to go.
When I asked how I could earn more money, my mentor said, "Bring in deals."
I used to watch Wolf of Wall Street & teach myself "how to sell," and after a year, I finally landed my first client.
The agency was small, and eventually there was nowhere for me to go.
When I asked how I could earn more money, my mentor said, "Bring in deals."
I used to watch Wolf of Wall Street & teach myself "how to sell," and after a year, I finally landed my first client.
10. Online Writing
While working at the agency, I didn't want to let go of my dream of becoming a writer.
So I challenged myself to write 1 Quora answer per day, every day.
In 2015, I became the #1 most-read writer on the platform.
Slow & steady wins the race.
While working at the agency, I didn't want to let go of my dream of becoming a writer.
So I challenged myself to write 1 Quora answer per day, every day.
In 2015, I became the #1 most-read writer on the platform.
Slow & steady wins the race.
11. Columnist Writing
On Quora, Inc Magazine started republishing dozens of my answers.
Eventually, they offered me a column of my own.
There, I wrote another 409 columns for them over the course of 2.5 years.
I mastered the art of the 800-word article
On Quora, Inc Magazine started republishing dozens of my answers.
Eventually, they offered me a column of my own.
There, I wrote another 409 columns for them over the course of 2.5 years.
I mastered the art of the 800-word article
12. Freelance Writing
After working at the agency for 4 years, and seeing success writing on Quora & Inc, I decided to take the leap.
I quit my job & went all-in on freelance writing.
All that practice on Quora & Inc meant I could write an article in 30 minutes.
My income 📈
After working at the agency for 4 years, and seeing success writing on Quora & Inc, I decided to take the leap.
I quit my job & went all-in on freelance writing.
All that practice on Quora & Inc meant I could write an article in 30 minutes.
My income 📈
13. Ghostwriting
Then, I stumbled into ghostwriting.
My first client was a guy in his 60s who had sold his company for $1B.
He wanted help sharing his entrepreneurship advice.
One client led to 2, 2 led to 4, etc.
All of a sudden, I was ghostwriting for 12+ execs at a time.
Then, I stumbled into ghostwriting.
My first client was a guy in his 60s who had sold his company for $1B.
He wanted help sharing his entrepreneurship advice.
One client led to 2, 2 led to 4, etc.
All of a sudden, I was ghostwriting for 12+ execs at a time.
14. Entrepreneurship
When my bandwidth hit a ceiling, I convinced one of my best friends to quit his job and start a ghostwriting agency with me.
We called it Digital Press.
2 years later, we had 20+ full-time employees, 80+ clients (at a time), and $2M in revenue.
When my bandwidth hit a ceiling, I convinced one of my best friends to quit his job and start a ghostwriting agency with me.
We called it Digital Press.
2 years later, we had 20+ full-time employees, 80+ clients (at a time), and $2M in revenue.
15. Self-publishing
In 2019, we decided to scale the business back.
Ghostwriting is very subjective and hard to scale. The biz was a disaster.
Once things settled down, I spent 4 months writing a book about everything I'd learned about Online Writing.
amazon.com/Art-Business-O…
In 2019, we decided to scale the business back.
Ghostwriting is very subjective and hard to scale. The biz was a disaster.
Once things settled down, I spent 4 months writing a book about everything I'd learned about Online Writing.
amazon.com/Art-Business-O…
16. Scalable Education
I loved the writing workshop model I experienced in college.
When I met @dickiebush, we built #Ship30for30 to be what I experienced in college, but 100% online & digital-focused.
Full circle.
ship30for30.com
I loved the writing workshop model I experienced in college.
When I met @dickiebush, we built #Ship30for30 to be what I experienced in college, but 100% online & digital-focused.
Full circle.
ship30for30.com
17. Intellectual Property
Around the same time, @lochhead & @EddieWouldGrow and I decided to start a paid newsletter together talking about Category Design.
10 years of writing online, ghostwriting for 300+ executives, all prepared me for this.
categorypirates.substack.com
Around the same time, @lochhead & @EddieWouldGrow and I decided to start a paid newsletter together talking about Category Design.
10 years of writing online, ghostwriting for 300+ executives, all prepared me for this.
categorypirates.substack.com
Even writing this thread is wild to me.
I had so many moments along the journey where I'd get upset and say to myself, "Why isn't it happening faster?"
Until years went by and realized: I needed each of these chapters.
Each one taught me a different skill.
I had so many moments along the journey where I'd get upset and say to myself, "Why isn't it happening faster?"
Until years went by and realized: I needed each of these chapters.
Each one taught me a different skill.
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
