How I Run a $8,500 Per Month Writing Business From My Bedroom

Oct 4

Work smart, not hard

I have to pinch myself.

Sure, it’s been a grind, but I’m now making $8,500 a month from my writing business. This was my goal 12 months ago.

I work with awesome people, swing weights in a fancy gym, and have zero client meetings. I typically work 3–4 hours a day.

So how do you get to this point?

Sacrifice.

Exhibit one: I’ve published over 240 articles since September 2020. That’s 100,000s of deliberately-crafted words. Thousands of hours.

But I’m also fortunate. English is my first language. I studied economics at university. I have a supportive family and friends.

I could go on.

But as you’d expect from an article like this, I have to say it:

I’m not special — and you CAN do this too if you put in the work. I’ve just made deliberate life choices which help me stay on track.

To me, it’s all about working smart, not hard.

Here are those choices.

Choice #1: Read the manual

“Show up to write for the next year and see what happens. You got nothing to lose.” — Tim Denning

Making money from writing isn’t rocket science.

You’ve got two options:

Build an audience and monetize through digital products, sponsorships, affiliates, etc. (Aka “The Creator Path”)
Offer writing services

The creator path is a crowded snoozefest. It also takes a while to build an audience. That’s why I recommend freelance writing and building an email list on the side.

I’ve learnt this stuff from writers I admire.

Here’s a reading list I’ve compiled over the last two years if you’re interested in building a writing business.

Choice #2: Say no to 90%

“Opportunities are just obligations wearing an appealing mask.”
— Paul Jarvis, Author of “Company of One”

In the beginning, you should grasp all the opportunities you can get.

And get them, you must. They don’t magically land in your hand. Earlier this year, I applied to 30 writing jobs in a month.

However, there comes a point when the tide turns, and opportunities flood your inbox. It’s flattering — don’t get me wrong — but I say no to 90% of them.

The same goes for the services I offer. On my website, I make it clear that I only offer freelance content writing to tech companies and founders. Not copywriting or anything else.

I proudly exclude clients.

After all, people don’t recommend generalists. They recommend experts.

This being said, I do things that people might consider “low value”. For example, I’m currently running a free 30-day writing challenge for people I’ve connected with online.

I also meet for coffee with entrepreneurs and business owners. We don’t talk shop, yet I often attract freelance writing opportunities without really trying.

It’s funny how “The Universe” works like that.

“If you set up your business like you don’t need the money, people are happier to pay you.
“When someone’s doing something for the money, people can sense it, like they sense a desperate lover. When someone’s doing something for love […] it triggers this law: We want to give to those who give.”
— Derek Sivers

Choice #3: Make time for the things you enjoy

“Wow, this must be a new record for us!”

My girlfriend was right. We spent close to FOUR HOURS on a call last weekend.

And I loved every second.

I also enjoy playing chess with my mum, watching TV shows, and going on hikes with friends.

Work to live.

Don’t live to work.

Choice #4: Keep on tinkering

Over the years, I’ve tried many things to make money online: day trading, dropshipping, eBay flipping — you name it.

None of them felt like me.

However, I wouldn’t have found writing without them.

My path to freelance writing goes like this:

podcasting → hiring a virtual assistant → online courses → coaching → Medium writing → freelancing → today

All go-getters have trodden a similar path because they know this:

Life is more fun when you experiment.

Choice #5: Don’t forget your friends

Some people invest in crypto and real estate.

I invest in friendships.

But not just any friendships. These are people I would run through walls for. They’d (probably) do the same for me.

I use a trusty spreadsheet to remember details about my friends:

Birthdays
Important events in their life
Birthdays of their close friends
When I last contacted them
What we last spoke about

I go through this spreadsheet every Sunday and update it.

I should add that I don’t have many friends. And that’s how I like it. If I did, there’s no way I’d be able to jump on hour-long calls, send birthday cards, and go on long hikes.

Quality over quantity every single time.

“I’d rather have 4 quarters than 100 nickels.”
— Al Capone

Takeaways

You might have noticed that I haven’t gotten into the weeds of writing in this article.

And that’s deliberate.

It’s far more important to point your compass to your True North before clearing any paths. Only when you know what you want should you start typing.

Here’s a summary of the choices that help me make $8,500 a month from my writing business:

Choice #1: Read the manual — Making money from writing isn’t rocket science. Here’s everything you need to do.
Choice #2: Say no to 90% — Take all the opportunities you can in the beginning. Once you’re set, proudly exclude people. It frees up your life for the things that are important.
Choice #3: Make time for the things you enjoy — Work to live. Don’t live to work.
Choice #4: Keep on tinkering — Life is more fun when you experiment. No one likes staleness.
Choice #5: Don’t forget your friends — “One has many more supposed friends when one is up than when one is down because most people like to be with winners and shun losers. True friends are the opposite.” — Ray Dalio

Want to ditch the 9–5? Get my free 19-page guide: Everything I Did to Quit My 9–5 Job & Transition Into Profitable, Sustainable Solopreneuring :)

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Scott Stockdale