Unlocking Your Potential: 5 Must-Read Books for Aspiring Writers
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Chapter 1: My Journey as a Writer
In my initial seven months of writing, I earned a mere $85, which averages out to about 40 cents an hour. It's a rather humbling start. However, in just the last three months, my earnings skyrocketed to $9600. Quite the turnaround, right?
If you're aiming to make a living from writing, merely being skilled isn't sufficient. You need a different arsenal of abilities. You don't need to become an overly aggressive salesperson, but simply writing and waiting for money to appear won't yield results.
After sifting through numerous books, many of which proved unhelpful, I finally discovered the gems that provided the insights I needed to see a financial turnaround.
Section 1.1: Essential Reads for Writers
To boost your writing career and income, consider diving into these five influential books.
Subsection 1.1.1: Digital Millionaire Secrets by Dan Henry
Despite my initial reluctance to read a book with a title like this, it came highly recommended, so I gave it a chance. From the start, Henry's storytelling captivated me. He shares the tale of a taxi driver who uses a metal detector on weekends, making hundreds of dollars but struggles to leave his day job.
Here's a glimpse of their conversation:
Henry: “Do you think many would be interested in learning how to earn hundreds on weekends with just a metal detector?”
Taxi Driver: “Absolutely. People ask me about it all the time.”
Henry: “I can show you how to make six figures.”
Taxi Driver: “Really? How?”
Henry: “By teaching others what you know.”
One of my key takeaways from this book is Henry's straightforward marketing strategy, which can be boiled down to two steps:
- Convince them this is the optimal way to achieve their desires (like earning extra cash with a metal detector).
- Present your offer as the best solution for them (such as a course on how to effectively use a metal detector).
This insight has fundamentally shifted my approach to communication and marketing. The book is a quick yet informative read filled with invaluable nuggets of wisdom.
Section 1.2: DotCom Secrets by Russell Brunson
DotCom Secrets serves as an outstanding manual for establishing a thriving business.
Brunson offers a treasure trove of tips covering traffic generation, email list expansion, and the customer journey. I utilized this book to craft the sales emails for my courses, which proved incredibly effective.
Additionally, I adopted Brunson’s funnel strategy, incorporating bumps and upsells, which significantly increased my revenue.
Bump Offers
A bump offer is an impulse buy, similar to those tempting items at the grocery store checkout. When customers are ready to purchase, you can present an additional small product on your sales page, increasing your earnings. Remarkably, 75% of my customers opted for the bump course, adding 50% to their total expenditure.
Upsell Opportunities
A segment of your audience will always be willing to pay for premium offerings. Brunson emphasizes this, and I found success in providing coaching to help clients implement the course they just purchased.
Chapter 2: Targeted Strategies for Online Business
Invisible Selling Machine by Ryan Deiss
After delving into multiple online business books, they began to blend together. When this happens, it's beneficial to zero in on specific topics. Deiss's book stands out in this regard.
He reveals how to utilize automated emails that align with the customer journey, prompting me to make numerous adjustments to my email service provider, Convertkit.
For instance, I now categorize my audience with tags, allowing me to send tailored emails based on their interests. I also created a waiting list for my latest course, sending sales emails only to those genuinely interested, resulting in fewer unsubscribes.
Furthermore, Deiss taught me to communicate differently with new subscribers. They lack familiarity and trust, so I developed a welcome sequence filled with free resources to showcase my expertise, followed by a gentle pitch for one of my products, leading to a steady stream of sales.
Course Creation Simplified by Jimmy Naraine
Naraine posits that we have transitioned from the information age to the transformation age, a concept that resonated deeply with me based on my course sales.
Today's audience seeks guidance from trusted sources rather than mere information. Naraine outlines a comprehensive process for course creation, covering essential aspects such as topic selection, course planning, content creation, engagement strategies, and sales techniques.
While Naraine advocates for platforms like Udemy, I recommend selling directly to your email list for greater long-term profits, even if it requires more initial effort.
People appreciate learning from those who can relate to their struggles, making you a credible source of solutions.
The Art and Business of Online Writing by Nicolas Cole
Undoubtedly, this is the premier book on writing from a commercial standpoint. For a deeper exploration, check out my analysis of Cole’s seven key lessons.
If you're interested in my writing system that garnered 12,000 followers within eight months and now generates $1200 monthly, consider joining 1687 other writers and accessing it here:
Free Email Course
In just three minutes a day, equip yourself with the tools necessary to become an impactful writer and elevate your craft.
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