Hi Reader, Yesterday, I told you about my golden rules for affiliate marketing. In case you missed it: Promote products and services only if you use or trust it. Promote a product or service only if it adds value to your audience. Here’s an example: I wanted to overhaul my social media profiles earlier this year. I was rocking out with a headshot of me 8 years ago when I had more hair and fewer wrinkles! My pic wasn’t disingenuous, but I felt like a Tindr guy who turns up in real life and...
2 days ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, I’ve earned multi six-figures from affiliate marketing. Anyone can do it if they enjoy documenting how they use a product or service. It’s a great way to get paid to create content. But before you try affiliate marketing, remember these two promotion rules: 1. Promote products and services only if you use or trust it.2. Promote a product or service only if it adds value to your audience. I get weekly queries from companies looking for me to promote their products. I almost always...
3 days ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader I obsessed over picking the right genre for a few years. Should I write science-fiction, thrillers, mysteries, non-fiction, dystopian horror…? Do I even need to pick a genre? The answer was a resounding YES. Genre is a helpful constraint for writers and their audiences. Try and self-publish a book on Amazon KDP and they’ll force you to pick two or three genres before it goes live. You must pick something that defines your work. Selecting a genre doesn’t mean producing something...
4 days ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader I get lots of emails from readers and newer freelancers looking for paying writing work. Alas, I’m not hiring or offering paying writing work. I’d much prefer you spend time working on your business instead of someone else’s. That starts with building an asset you own, like an email list. It ends with creating a high-ticker offer like coaching and consulting. Building your content business is profitable, rewarding, and easy to do. That’s how I spend my days. I have no illusions,...
5 days ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader I've built a Claude AI project for writers. It’s dramatically improved my content creation process. Here's how it works: I write my initial content (usually a 400-800 word email) based on research, personal stories, and reader feedback. Then, I use Claude AI as an editorial assistant to: Analyze potential flaws in my arguments Identify gaps in my thinking Suggest supporting content Help repurpose the content for social media I'm not using AI to write. I enjoy writing too much to...
6 days ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, Being polite to your list is expensive. I was chatting with a small business owner the other day. They’ve built a reasonably sized email list of several thousand subscribers. But they only send a newsletter about what their business is up to once or twice a month. “Why don’t you want to email your list more often?” I asked. “I don’t want to annoy my list,” the owner said. That’s a common objection from many list owners. But being over-polite is costing him sales. When I fired up...
8 days ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader, For years, I ran a content publishing business. I published 100s of articles a month with the help of a team of freelance writers. I got millions of page views from SEO. I earned five figures a month from display ads and affiliate revenue. Last year, I let my editorial team go. I sold off most of my niche websites. And I changed my business model. Now, I run a daily newsletter. And I provide content strategy and coaching services to a few high-paying clients. When I posted about...
9 days ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader I send a newsletter to my list every day. I spend 15-30 minutes writing a newsletter in the morning using a Markdown app. I write while wearing noise-cancelling headphones, drinking tea and listening to ambient music like Brian Eno. Then, I schedule my email and move on with client work, a workout or another creative project. If I'm travelling or busy, I write a few emails in one go and schedule them in advance. Like last week. I went to Portugal for an Ironman. I spent a few months...
10 days ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader I deleted thousands of readers from my email list a few days ago. If you’re reading this, you escaped the cut! Here’s why: When I started my email list, my mission was to get 1,000 subscribers. I asked friends and family to join my list and gave away a PDF on my website. I hit my goal after a few months. Then, I set a new goal of reaching 10,000 subscribers. I used every strategy I could think of to hit it: Facebook ads, content upgrades, outreach campaigns, competitions, and...
11 days ago • 1 min read