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Deep Dive with Ali Abdaal
How to Make $10k/Month as a Writer - Nicolas Cole
Jun 27, 2024
Expert writer Nicolas Cole shares tips on making $10k/month as a writer, focusing on services over products, debunking the need for a large following. They discuss traditional vs. self-publishing, book deals, immersive writing, and overcoming self-doubt in writing.
02:03:05
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Quick takeaways
- Focusing on value and education over direct sales builds trust with potential clients.
- Engaging with numerous warm and cold leads increases outreach success and refinement opportunities.
- Personalized outreach showcasing care and effort yields meaningful connections and positive responses.
- Despite automation tools, authentic personalized messages resonate more with recipients for successful outreach.
- Quality, personalized communications are more effective than quantity in outreach efforts for better results.
- Balancing volume and engagement, while emphasizing relationship-building, leads to impactful interactions and opportunities.
Deep dives
Building a Relationship through Value
The key to connecting with potential clients is to focus on providing value and education rather than directly pitching. By highlighting problems in their business and offering solutions, individuals can build trust and establish themselves as helpful resources. This approach shifts the energy from selling to educating, creating a more engaging and effective interaction.
Volume and Persistence in Outreach
Success in reaching out to potential clients requires significant volume and persistence. Engaging with warm leads first and then moving to cold leads can help maximize responses. By reaching out to at least 50 warm leads and 100 cold leads, individuals increase their chances of success and learn from each interaction to refine their approach.
Personalization and Genuine Engagement
Personalization and genuine engagement are crucial in outreach efforts. Understanding the recipient's business, industry, and needs before reaching out demonstrates a level of care and effort that stands out. By focusing on a conversational tone and highlighting common interests or connections, individuals can create meaningful interactions that lead to positive responses.
Authenticity Over Automation
While automation tools like chat GPT can streamline outreach, authenticity should not be compromised. Genuine engagement and a personal touch are more likely to resonate with recipients and prompt a positive response. Avoiding generic copy-pasted messages and instead taking the time to craft personalized and valuable communications can significantly improve outreach success.
Value of Doing the Work
The value of putting in the effort and doing the work cannot be overstated. Engaging authentically, providing value, and personalizing outreach efforts are essential steps towards building meaningful connections and securing opportunities. By focusing on learning, refining, and actively engaging with potential clients, individuals can stand out in a crowded digital landscape.
Quality Over Quantity in Outreach
Quality over quantity is key in outreach efforts. Rather than spamming a large number of leads with generic messages, focusing on crafting thoughtful, personalized communications can yield better results. Taking the time to understand the recipient's business, offer valuable insights, and build genuine connections can lead to more meaningful and positive responses.
Balancing Volume and Engagement
Finding the balance between volume and engagement is crucial in outreach strategies. While reaching out to a significant number of leads is important, ensuring each interaction is personalized, valuable, and genuine is equally essential. By combining persistence with thoughtful engagement, individuals can increase their chances of success in securing connections and opportunities.
Prioritizing Relationships and Education
Emphasizing relationship-building and education in outreach efforts can lead to more impactful interactions. By approaching potential clients with a focus on providing value, addressing their needs, and establishing trust, individuals can create lasting connections and meaningful opportunities. Cultivating authenticity, expertise, and personalized engagement can set the foundation for successful outreach strategies.
Building Hybrid Agencies and Understanding Business Scaling
One of the main insights discussed in the podcast episode is the concept of building hybrid agencies or being hybrid creators in the current landscape. The speaker shared a personal experience of scaling a ghostwriting agency to $180,000 a month in revenue within 18 months. However, a key takeaway was the realization that the sweet spot of profitability was reached when the focus shifted from solely offering services to incorporating digital products. By blending services with digital products, the agency became more profitable and created a sustainable business model.
Creating Video Content for Businesses and Navigating Challenges
Another significant topic covered in the podcast was the idea of starting a video agency that creates content for businesses without needing the business to provide talent. The discussion highlighted the challenges faced by individuals, executives, and companies in creating video content, emphasizing the importance of professional presentation. The speaker suggested structuring the video content around specific ideas or categories to ensure consistency and reduce subjective decision-making during the editing process.
Self-Publishing vs. Traditional Publishing: Decision-making Process
The podcast delved into the author's decision-making process between self-publishing and traditional publishing for their books. The conversation revolved around the pros and cons of each approach, considering factors such as advances, royalties, access to distribution channels, and creative control. The speaker shared insights into the value of maintaining ownership of one's library, maximizing royalties, and leveraging audience engagement in the publishing process. The discussion highlighted the importance of understanding industry dynamics and aligning publishing choices with long-term creative and financial goals.
Feel Good Productivity: Finding the Right Title
The podcast episode delves into the process of finding the right title for a book. The speaker discusses the journey of naming a book, from exploring different options to ultimately landing on 'Feel Good Productivity'. This title was chosen after testing numerous alternatives and seeking feedback, emphasizing the importance of a title in shaping the overall narrative and messaging of the book.
Overcoming Writing Challenges and Embracing Immersive Writing
The episode highlights the challenges of writing a book and navigating self-doubt throughout the process. The speaker shares insights on overcoming the inner critic and imposter syndrome by seeking support from a writing coach and editor. Additionally, the importance of immersive writing experiences is emphasized, suggesting that dedicating focused time to writing and creating 'writing parties' can enhance productivity and creativity in completing a book.
11.
Building Cash Generating Machines, Self-Publishing vs. Book Deals, and Compliments on Book Quality
2min
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In today’s episode, I sit down with Nicolas Cole, and we explore the fastest path to making $10,000 per month as a writer, why monetising through a service is often more effective than selling products, and we debunk the myth that you need a large following to start earning money.
We also cover the pros and cons of traditional publishing versus self-publishing and delve into the intricacies of book deals and distribution.
Finally, we discuss Feel-Good Productivity, the process of writing a book, overcoming self-doubt, and the benefits of immersive writing sprints.
Enjoy :)
(00:00) Introduction
(03:48) The Fastest Path to Monetisation
(08:00) The Value of Your Knowledge
(19:08) The ROI of Free Work
(25:26) The Three Services Every Business Owner Needs
(26:47) Identifying Potential Clients
(40:46) The Abundance Mindset
(57:35) Doing the Work
(01:09:26) Traditional Publishing vs. Self-Publishing
(01:29:19) Overcoming Self-Doubt
(01:46:55) Expanding the Feel-Good Productivity Category
(01:57:41) Immersive Writing Sprints
🔗 CONNECT WITH NICOLAS
🎥 YouTube Channel
🐦 X (Twitter)
📸 Instagram
💻 Website
🔗 CONNECT WITH ALI
💻 Website
📄SHOW NOTES & TRANSCRIPT
Visit the website for the transcript and highlights from the conversation - https://aliabdaal.com/podcast/
🎙 ABOUT THE PODCAST
Deep Dive is the podcast that delves into the minds of entrepreneurs, creators and other inspiring people to uncover the philosophies, strategies and tools that help us live happier, healthier and more productive lives.
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