Why Most Creators Are Dead Broke (And What You Must Do Instead)

Hi Reader,

I took an intensive non-fiction class in the Irish Writer’s Centre, in Dublin City, a decade ago. On the first night, our instructor, a cranky balding author from Texas, told us,

“Don’t expect to make any money from writing. If that’s what you’re here for, I suggest you leave.”

Some students, like me, nodded along. Most of us in the room loved putting one word after another. Associating money with writing felt like a taboo, and when a student walked out, the rest of us gasped.

I tried making a living as a fiction writer for a few years. It didn’t end well. Slapping the label “creative” on myself and invoking mystical woo-whoo didn’t pay my childcare.

So, I worked twelve-hour shifts in a care home. I only started earning money after switching to writing online, and I only figured out how to write online once I had enough money to quit my all-consuming day job.

(Meanwhile, my Texan instructor emigrated but not before publishing a confessional memoir about all the women he slept with in Dublin - a story for another email).

I fired up my first blog with WordPress. My new problem was attracting readers. So, I honed my SEO chops and started my email list. These days, you’re better off writing on social.

I also wrote and self-published a few books. My first book royalty cheque from Amazon was for a princely eleven dollars. Thanks for the coffee Jeff! I figured out how Amazon ads worked and broke four figures monthly in royalties.

Books don’t pay the bills, though, so I upgraded to selling online courses. Then, I dove more into copywriting, affiliate marketing, and consulting.

Today, doing things that don’t directly involve moving around words on the page feels weird, although ChatGPT can do that. And I’m sure my Texan instructor would be horrified.

I’m good with that.

You see, a few years ago, I read this piece of golden advice from screenwriter David Mamet:

(That’s right, an award-winning creative! And one who’s earned a good living, too.)

“You’ve got to do one thing for your art every day, and you’ve got to do one thing for your business every day.”

So, if you’re serious about earning a living as a creator:

1. Work on your craft for 90 minutes every morning. No news. No social media. No doomscrolling.
2. Work on ONE business strategy every afternoon that puts money in your bank account.
3. Take what you earn, pay yourself, and invest the right back into your business.

Because that’s what pro creators do.

These are ideas I’m exploring more inside my private, no-cost Telegram channel.

I share behind-the-scenes content about how I run my content business. I aim to help you add $3–5k to your business in 2025. Join here​

Write on,
Bryan Collins