Write • Build • Scale How This Writer Turned His Substack Into Multiple Income Streams
Dec 21, 2025
Derek Hughes, founder of The Irresistible Writer, shares insights on monetizing writing via Substack. After losing most of his Medium income, he diversified his revenue streams and reveals how to create personalized AI agents. Derek emphasizes the importance of validating demand before launching large products and discusses the value of low-ticket items as entry points to higher-priced offerings. He believes trust in a saturated market is vital, and he explains how cohorts and tailored products can maximize earnings and retention.
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Income Shock Led To Diversification
- Derek lost about 95% of his Medium income overnight and that forced him to diversify his revenue streams.
- He now experiments with products he builds for himself and then offers them to his audience when they work for him.
Launch Before You Finish Building
- Launch cohorts before fully building courses so you can create sessions as you go and iterate with students.
- Charge higher prices for live cohorts because they deliver more value and you can adjust content in real time.
Build A Tiered Offer Ladder
- Offer multiple product tiers to serve different buyer needs: low-ticket products, cohorts, and one-on-one coaching.
- Use low-ticket purchases as entry points that can lead buyers to higher-ticket cohorts or coaching.