Why You’re Still Not Getting Paid (And How to Change That This Summer)
Let’s be honest, most advice out there keeps you stuck.
You’ll hear things like
“show up consistently,”
“write every day,” or
“just keep creating value.”
And while those things are not wrong, they are not enough. Especially if you want to start earning real money with your writing.
I’ve seen too many writers spinning their wheels for months, even years, because they were following vague advice without a plan, hoping it would somehow click.
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A Different Story: Andy’s $3K in 2 Weeks
Andy is a student of mine. He had been writing for a while. His content was strong, his audience was growing, but he wasn’t making real money from it.
He booked a coaching package with me and we got focused fast.
We clarified:
His most valuable offer (not what he thought)
Who it was really for
How to talk about it so people actually wanted it
Then we mapped out a simple launch with 3 clear posts, a short email follow-up, and a payment link.
Within 2 weeks, he made over $3,000 from his first offer.
Not because he worked harder but because we stopped guessing and got strategic.
How to Actually Make It Work
If you want to start earning from your work, here’s the shift:
#1 Treat your newsletter like a business.
Instead of hitting publish every week and hoping it adds up to something, start with a plan.
Ask yourself:
What specific problem am I helping solve?
What’s the transformation I want to guide people through?
What do I want to sell later and is my content leading readers toward that?
How to do it:
Open a blank page and write down the top 3 things your audience cares about most.
Then, write the real outcome they want (e.g. “more freelance clients,” “less burnout,” “more writing confidence”).
Now look at your recent posts. Are they helping with those things? If not, time to shift.
Example:
One of my clients was writing a beautiful newsletter but it had no direction. We uncovered that her readers were mostly creatives struggling to price their work. We shaped her content around that and her first mini-guide pre-sold over 30 times within 3 weeks.
#2 Start with one clear offer.
Don’t wait to build something massive. Start small and focused. Give people something they can say yes to now.
Ask yourself:
What do people already ask me about?
What can I help someone with in 1-2 weeks?
What feels like a natural next step from my content?
How to do it:
Pick 1 outcome you can help someone achieve.
Write a 2–3 sentence description of what that help would look like.
Set a clear price. Keep it simple (e.g. $30 for a digital product, or $200 for a consulting call).
Share it with your email list in a post or email.
Example:
Andy was getting DMs asking about audience growth. We created a 2-week sprint offer, priced it at $300, and emailed his list with a short, direct invite. He made over $3K in 2 weeks, without a sales page.
#3 Build around your warmest people.
Your next step isn’t out there. It’s already in your inbox.
Ask yourself:
Who’s been replying to my emails?
Who’s commented or shared something I wrote?
Who opens every post?
How to do it:
Open your Substack dashboard or email tool and find your top engaged subscribers.
Reach out personally to 10–20 of them. Example:
“Hey! I’m creating something new to help [audience goal]. Want early access or to test it out?”Track who replies. These are your earliest buyers, champions, and feedback crew.
Example:
One writer I worked with emailed 20 of her most engaged readers offering a “beta session” to help them organize their writing workflow. 8 booked. She didn’t need a landing page. She only needed a personal message and the courage to ask.
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This is powerful 🌹thank you Claudia
Super actionable post here!