The 5 Key Decisions That Made Me $7,481 Writing Online.

#005: How I Earn Money as a Part-Time Writer at the Age of 16

Jul 28, 2024

When I started writing online, I didn’t know much.

I posted my first blog on Blogger.com back in March 2022. It was a movie review blog that garnered only 14 views—all of which were mine.

But I never quit. I tried, failed, and learned a lot.

Fast forward to today, I've made over $7,000 writing online as a 16-year-old while still studying in high school.

So, if you’re like me or have a 9-to-5 job and don't know where to start, Here are the 5 key decisions that helped me make money writing online as a nobody.

1. There’s No Quick Internet Money Scheme

When I started, I tried various quick ways to make money online. Thanks to that, I wasted more than 11 months of my life.

My YouTube feed was bombarded with videos from so-called side hustle gurus, sharing new, out-of-this-world side hustles to make you rich.

One day, I asked myself, “If they’re saying they make $400/hr playing games, why are they creating YouTube videos? Why isn’t everyone just playing games and getting rich?”

That’s when I realized it was all fake. There’s no such thing as a get-rich-quick hustle.

So, I decided to stop everything I was doing and focus on building a real online business.

2. One Topic, One Platform, One Hour a Day

After deciding to start a real business, I chose to become a digital writer. At that time, the one-person business concept was gaining traction, so I thought, why not give it a try?

But I didn't want to repeat my past mistakes.

Instead of doing everything at once, I decided to start small. That’s how I came up with a simple rule for the next 100 days, called The No.1 Rule.

Choose one topic to master as a writer (Writing).
Focus on one platform to write on and build my audience (Medium).
Dedicate one hour a day to writing.

This decision helped me achieve pretty good results. I started to gain followers, and my readers knew exactly what to expect from me.

3. My First Online Job (It Changed Everything for Me)

Even though I was writing on Medium and building my audience, I hadn’t made a single penny from it.

Why?

Because I'm from India and the Medium Partner Program isn't available here, so there was no way to make money from views unless I sold my own products or did affiliate marketing.

I was unsure if I would ever make any money from it. I was planning to quit when, two weeks later, someone bought my free Gumroad product and paid me $20.

I was surprised—it was my first money from writing on Medium.

I sent a thank-you email to that person, who turned out to be another small writer on Medium. While checking his profile, I got an idea and asked him:

“Hey, can I write for you on Medium? You can take 70% of whatever my writing makes you, and I'll take 30%. Let me know if you’re interested.”

Guess what? He agreed.

That was my first job—writing for someone else. I felt very excited, and as soon as I published my first article, I saw real earnings on my dashboard for the first time.

I networked with many other writers on Medium and started writing for them. It was a game-changer.

My 60% of my earnings came from writing for other Medium writers.

The Creator Blueprint

How I Made $123 with a Free Product on Gumroad

Gumroad has been my go-to platform for selling digital products for the past two years…

a year ago · 7 likes · 2 comments · Sid

4. Quitting Again. My New Start

Though I made most of my money writing on Medium for others, it wasn’t the growing business I was aiming for.

I wasn’t happy.

Every month I had to start from zero, relying on Medium’s algorithm to make my articles viral so I could make enough money. Plus, my commission was very low (30%).

So, I decided to quit again and start building a real one-person writing business—my own personal brand.

I started a newsletter called "The Creatorhood" on Substack, but it got banned, and my month of hard work was wasted.

I was disappointed, but I never gave up.

I created a new newsletter,

The Creator Blueprint

, the one you’re reading now.

I'm working hard to make it a hit on Substack, and I promise you, one day it will become the No.1 newsletter for like-minded creators like you.

Building my personal brand helps me connect better with my audience, grow a loyal following, and scale my business. Currently, my newsletter is doing pretty well.

5. Learning = Earning

In the past two years, I’ve spent more than $600 on writing courses, books, and templates.

Initially, I was nervous about spending my hard-earned money on these resources, but it was worth it.

Those books, courses, and templates helped me learn new things and improve my writing skills, significantly contributing to the growth of my one-person writing business.

Investing in learning always leads to growth, whether in money or experience.

By making these 5 key decisions, I was able to build my one-person writing business and earn $7,000+ online.

If you want to succeed, think about the key decisions you need to make.

Be brave and make smart choices.