Tag: Writing

Software Engineer Publishes Technical Writing Guide

What It’s About

A tech writer hacks his book launch by posting on tech forums.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Philip shares some important advice, “don’t reinvent the wheel, see what others have done and compound on their successes while avoiding their mistakes.”

Fun Fact

When Philip launched his first book, he posted it on Hacker News and got his first sale in 50 minutes. At the end of the week, he had made $20,000!

Notes from Chris

Episode 1534
In 2019 Philip Kiely was studying to be a software engineer when the idea of writing his first book came to him. He followed a number of writers and bloggers online and had seen several have huge success in “teaching what they know” through writing a book.

For Philip though, the roadblock was platform: he had only a dozen Twitter followers and what he describes as a modest personal network. If he wrote the book, he didn’t know how he’d get eyeballs on it to make sales.

Still, when he landed his first gig doing freelance work, he committed to the idea of a book. A former boss contacted him to produce some technical writing, knowing he had a knack for it.

It was a revelation for Philip. If his former boss who was a great programmer himself with a PhD no less was asking him—still a college student at that point—for advice on writing content, he knew he had a valuable skill. Perhaps it was a skill he could even teach others.

And that was the genesis of the idea for his own book. The working title of which was “Technical Content Development Handbook”, which Philip now thinks is terrible. He’d cover topics like writing style, what to write about, how to find clients, and overcoming writer’s block.

As luck would have it, Philip’s mom is a professional editor and he leveraged her skills to edit the book, in exchange for buying her a printer and a microwave. After several rounds of revisions and six months after first conceiving of the idea, Philip had a final draft.

It was time for him to market what he now called “Writing For Software Developers.”

By now, he had a personal website up and made a sales page for the book, priced at thirty six dollars. He also spent a few hundred dollars for cover art and manuscript layout. This was his masterpiece, after all.

To kick things off, Philip posted the sales page to HackerNews, a popular forum for programmers and tech enthusiasts. He left a comment on the post and included an excerpt from the book. As he suspected, the book resonated with the site’s audience and resulted in thousands of visitors and hundreds of sales.

Next, he tweeted to his own modest following about the book and pinged the interview subjects to let them know he’d done so. Several either retweeted his original tweet, or created tweets of their own. This led to another influx of sales and a boost in his follower count.

The book launch was a huge success, netting Philip fifteen thousand dollars in sales in the first twenty-four hours. Over the next month the trend continued, and by the time the initial peak was over he’d brought in twenty-three thousand dollars. Sales have slowed since but still exceed a thousand dollars per month. Because this is a self-published book, his profit margin is more than 90%.

Beyond this success, Philip now had several new contacts, a small but growing audience of his own and perhaps most importantly proved he can launch a product. Something he plans to do more of now that he’s graduated!

In fact, Philip doesn’t want a job at all. He’s aiming to make a living solely from writing, building and launching his own products.

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Check out Philip Kiely’s “Writing For Software Developers” at his website, philipkiely.com/wfsd.
  • Philip used sites like Hacker News, Indie Hackers and ProductHunt to find his target audience. When starting a side hustle, find the sites online where your potential customers are hanging out.

SEE ALSO:

Inspiration is good; inspiration combined with action is better. Now get back to work!

Yours in the revolution,

cg-sig-newsletter

Resources

GET $625 IN FREE TRAVEL

Earn 50,000 travel rewards points (enough for 2 round-trip plane tickets or $625 in travel credit). You'll also earn 2x points on all travel and dining spend, with zero foreign transaction fees.

I use this card every day all over the world! ✈️ Learn More

CREATE YOUR ONLINE STORE

Create your online store with Shopify using an exclusive discount for Side Hustle School listeners. For a limited time, get a free 21-day trial and a 10% discount for a whole year.

Many Side Hustle School listeners are building sites using Shopify's easy-to-learn platform. Try it free today! Learn More

Quote of the Day
"put something into the world that you feel genuinely passionate about and proud of. If you are not passionate about what you are contributing to the world, you can’t reasonably expect that others will buy into it either."
—Nico Millado #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Learn More With Skillshare!

Supporting the sponsors keeps the show free. Today’s episode of Side Hustle School is brought to you by Skillshare. 📷

Skillshare is giving Side Hustle School listeners 2 months of unlimited access—for $0.99! Join the 2 million students learning everything from street photography to SEO on Skillshare today!
Get Started Here!

Like the Show? Leave a Rating!

Side Hustle School is for you! If you’re enjoying it, please take a quick moment to leave a rating or write a quick review. It's really easy and it makes a difference! ✅

It also makes a huge difference when you tell your friends about the show. Remember, it's 100% free and listener-supported.


Here's How

Keep in Touch

There’s a new story every single day on Side Hustle School. Episodes are produced to be short and to the point—I know you’re busy. Be sure you subscribe to get instant notification of the day’s broadcast!


To infinity and beyond,

Chris Guillebeau

“Ordinary Dude” Creates Meditation Books for Men

What It’s About

Take a breath and listen to this “ordinary dude’s” story.

Words of Wisdom

John offers some advice when it comes to expanding and focusing your business. He says it’s important to, “Diversify, but not too much. It’s easy as entrepreneurs to fall for ‘shiny object syndrome’ where you want to just try everything. But if you try too many things too fast, then you’ll spread yourself too thin and end up accomplishing nothing. On the opposite end of the spectrum, if you zone in too much on one thing you could really hurt yourself… So diversify. Do not put all your eggs in one basket but also don’t spread yourself too thin.”

Fun Fact

An estimated 200 million to 500 million people meditate across the world. The number of people who meditate has tripled since 2012, with the rates of children meditating increasing by 800% since then. [Source]

Notes from Chris

Episode 1501
John Weiler has been meditating since he was seventeen years old. He says that it has helped him overcome anxiety, panic attacks and even save his relationship with his now-wife, who was actually his girlfriend at the time.

But unlike a lot of meditators, John doesn’t completely buy into the “hippie culture” surrounding meditation. Although he says that there is nothing wrong with that, he found himself wanting to connect to people outside that space. He especially hoped to encourage men who had previously written off the idea.

That’s what sparked his desire to write An Ordinary Dude’s Guide to Meditation. Not only that, but one of his mentors encouraged him to start writing about topics he knew well. With that, John decided to dispel the myths and preconceived notions about meditation and connecting with his community.

Between October 2018 and September 2019, John published four more titles. Like the meditation guide, the new books also centered around themes of enlightenment and mindfulness, and were all directed towards his target audience of “ordinary dudes.” Sales didn’t really pick up until his sixth, called A Dude’s Guide to the Couch. It was an unexpected hit, regularly bringing in $500 a month on its own.

Moving forward, he currently has six more titles that he’s in the middle of writing, but he also really wants to spend more time freelancing, which is his main source of income. Not only that, but he wants to do this while still expanding his knowledge on marketing.

For a while, he was penciling in way too much work and his health began to suffer. Since then, he has decreased his workload and taken care of himself more, and his business has thrived in response. John is confident that he will continue to rise to the challenge, spreading the word about meditation one ordinary dude at a time.

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

SEE ALSO:

Inspiration is good; inspiration combined with action is better. Now get back to work!

Yours in the revolution,

cg-sig-newsletter

Resources

WEB HOSTING @ $2.49/MONTH

Want to build any kind of website for your hustle? If so, you'll need somewhere to host it! This is the reliable company I've used for many websites. It's cheap, flexible, and offers support 24-7.

Get your own hosting plan for just $2.49 a month!
Learn More

GET $625 IN FREE TRAVEL

Earn 50,000 travel rewards points (enough for 2 round-trip plane tickets or $625 in travel credit). You'll also earn 2x points on all travel and dining spend, with zero foreign transaction fees.

I use this card every day all over the world! ✈️ Learn More

Quote of the Day
"It’s easy as entrepreneurs to fall for ‘shiny object syndrome’ where you want to just try everything. But if you try too many things too fast, then you’ll spread yourself too thin and end up accomplishing nothing. On the opposite end of the spectrum, if you zone in too much on one thing you could really hurt yourself… So diversify."
—John Weiler #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Try ShipStation for 60 Days FREE!

Today’s episode of Side Hustle School is brought to you by ShipStation, the #1 choice of online sellers. 📦

To get a 30-day trial AND an additional month free, click the microphone at the top of their page and enter the word HUSTLE.
Get it Here

Like the Show? Leave a Rating!

Side Hustle School is for you! If you’re enjoying it, please take a quick moment to leave a rating or write a quick review. It's really easy and it makes a difference! ✅

It also makes a huge difference when you tell your friends about the show. Remember, it's 100% free and listener-supported.
Here's How

Keep in Touch

There’s a new story every single day on Side Hustle School. Episodes are produced to be short and to the point—I know you’re busy. Be sure you subscribe to get instant notification of the day’s broadcast!


To infinity and beyond,

Chris Guillebeau

Behavior Analyst Creates Resources for Parents and Teachers

What It’s About

Twin sisters create resources to help children with autism and their families.

Words of Wisdom

Amelia shares important clarity regarding monetizing a blog, “if you’re looking to make money quickly – don’t start a blog. It was 15 months before we started seeing real growth. We could have probably taken a faster track by creating an online course first instead.”

Fun Fact

ABA has been around since the 1970s, and the science continues to develop.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1480
Amelia Dalphonse found her calling 17 years ago while she was teaching with Head Start, a program that provides early childhood education to low-income children and families. She’d worked with all kinds of kids over the years, but one, in particular, stood out. He was a four-year-old boy with frequent tantrums and very little verbal communication. Amelia and her fellow teacher wanted to help him, so they began researching the boy’s behavior and discovered that he might be autistic.

Wanting to learn more, Amelia then began studying Applied Behavior Analysis, a scientific approach that can be used to reduce challenging behavior and teach new skills in children with autism. Amelia liked Applied Behavior Analysis, or ABA strategies because they’re easy for non-professionals to learn and can have lasting benefits for the child if they are used consistently.

Not too long after she started her research, she ended up switching jobs to work with children with autism. She wanted to understand more, so she decided to pursue a master’s degree and become a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA), again specializing in working with children with autism.

And this is what brings us to the side hustle part of the story. Amelia started a blog called accessibleaba.com, hoping to share insights to help parents understand more about the field and their child. Soon afterwards, around Christmas 2018, her twin sister Dianna came for a visit. Dianna enjoys writing, so she offered to write some posts.

They started out blogging just for parents, but eventually expanded to have a separate blog for each of their target audiences: parents, teachers, and professionals. Together, their blogs get over 40,000 page views a month.

Amelia admits that as difficult as the pandemic has been, it’s also been the catalyst that has pushed them to work even harder. They’re bringing in around $1,500/month through a mix of book sales, membership fees, and supervision services. However, they have really just started to focus on monetization. For most of 2020, they focused solely on growing the blog and developing the courses.

They know that if they want to make more money, they need to come up with a better product or offer, improve their marketing, reach a new audience, or take some other action. One of those things—or perhaps all of them—is exactly what they plan to do.

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Learn more about ABA, Amelia, and the resources she and her sister have created for families and educators at AccessibleABA.com.

SEE ALSO:

Inspiration is good; inspiration combined with action is better. Now get back to work!

Yours in the revolution,

cg-sig-newsletter

Resources

WEB HOSTING @ $2.49/MONTH

Want to build any kind of website for your hustle? If so, you'll need somewhere to host it! This is the reliable company I've used for many websites. It's cheap, flexible, and offers support 24-7.

Get your own hosting plan for just $2.49 a month!
Learn More

GET $625 IN FREE TRAVEL

Earn 50,000 travel rewards points (enough for 2 round-trip plane tickets or $625 in travel credit). You'll also earn 2x points on all travel and dining spend, with zero foreign transaction fees.

I use this card every day all over the world! ✈️ Learn More

Quote of the Day
"Even though we’re still a long way from being able to quit our day jobs, there’s a feeling of control over the future that you don’t get working for someone else."
—Amelia Dalphonse #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Try ShipStation for 60 Days FREE!

Today’s episode of Side Hustle School is brought to you by ShipStation, the #1 choice of online sellers. 📦

To get a 30-day trial AND an additional month free, click the microphone at the top of their page and enter the word HUSTLE.
Get it Here

Like the Show? Leave a Rating!

Side Hustle School is for you! If you’re enjoying it, please take a quick moment to leave a rating or write a quick review. It's really easy and it makes a difference! ✅

It also makes a huge difference when you tell your friends about the show. Remember, it's 100% free and listener-supported.
Here's How

Keep in Touch

There’s a new story every single day on Side Hustle School. Episodes are produced to be short and to the point—I know you’re busy. Be sure you subscribe to get instant notification of the day’s broadcast!


To infinity and beyond,

Chris Guillebeau

Recruiter Gives Pink Slip to Boring Resumes

What It’s About

A technical recruiter levels-up traditional resumes and earns over $3000/month.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Chelsey cautions side hustlers not to accept advice from everyone. “Some people will discourage your idea because they’ve never started anything on their own. They’re not successful, so they don’t think you will be. They might have good intentions, but keep them at arm’s length when it comes to business advice.”

Fun Fact

Chelsey listens to a certain Nicki Minaj song before job interviews, annual reviews, speaking engagements, or any situation that scares her. Listening to that song makes you feel like, well … you can fill in the blank if you know the song.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1450
As a technical recruiter for the past five years, Chelsey Opare-Addo was the go-to resume writer for friends and relatives on the job hunt. After all, smart and successful people AREN’T always great writers. But they still need a strong resume to put their best foot forward.

Chelsey had plenty of experience reviewing job applications for her work. She knew what makes a resume stand out. So during Thanksgiving week in 2019, she decided to use her expertise to launch, Not Your Mother’s Resume. The name was inspired by Chelsey’s modern, eye-catching approach to resumes. These were NOT the formal, traditional resumes from days of old.

Chelsey had the idea on a Friday. By Monday, she was already accepting clients. To launch quickly and inexpensively, she didn’t create an LLC, write a business plan, or spend money on a website. Instead, she started an Instagram account called @notyourmothersresume, where she shares resume and job search tips. After all, necessity IS the mother of all invention.

Just over one year later, Chelsey is averaging around $3,000 per month. Best of all, she’s helped her clients build confidence in their job searches, change industries, even DOUBLE their salaries. And she’s done all that without any paid marketing.

Chelsey celebrated the first anniversary of Not Your Mother’s Resume on November 25 and says she’s confident it will continue to grow. After all, everyone and their mother needs a professional resume in this economy.

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

SEE ALSO:

Inspiration is good; inspiration combined with action is better. Now get back to work!

Yours in the revolution,

cg-sig-newsletter

Resources

GET $625 IN FREE TRAVEL

Earn 50,000 travel rewards points (enough for 2 round-trip plane tickets or $625 in travel credit). You'll also earn 2x points on all travel and dining spend, with zero foreign transaction fees.

I use this card every day all over the world! ✈️ Learn More

CREATE YOUR ONLINE STORE

Create your online store with Shopify using an exclusive discount for Side Hustle School listeners. For a limited time, get a free 21-day trial and a 10% discount for a whole year.

Many Side Hustle School listeners are building sites using Shopify's easy-to-learn platform. Try it free today! Learn More

Quote of the Day
"Be careful of who you accept advice from. Some people will discourage your idea because they’ve never started anything on their own."
—Chelsey Opare-Addo #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Learn More With Skillshare!

Supporting the sponsors keeps the show free. Today’s episode of Side Hustle School is brought to you by Skillshare. 📷

Skillshare is giving Side Hustle School listeners 2 months of unlimited access—for $0.99! Join the 2 million students learning everything from street photography to SEO on Skillshare today!
Get Started Here!

Like the Show? Leave a Rating!

Side Hustle School is for you! If you’re enjoying it, please take a quick moment to leave a rating or write a quick review. It's really easy and it makes a difference! ✅

It also makes a huge difference when you tell your friends about the show. Remember, it's 100% free and listener-supported.


Here's How

Keep in Touch

There’s a new story every single day on Side Hustle School. Episodes are produced to be short and to the point—I know you’re busy. Be sure you subscribe to get instant notification of the day’s broadcast!


To infinity and beyond,

Chris Guillebeau

Marketing Guy Isn’t Afraid Of Ghostwriting

What It’s About

A novelist drafts a new story for his life becoming a ghostwriter for others.

Words of Wisdom

Brian shares some helpful thoughts regarding side hustling: “There are no shortcuts. Put in the hard work first, lay the proper foundation, make sure you’ve got a good reputation and protect it scrupulously. Treat your side hustle like any startup business, meaning don’t expect instant results. Patience is definitely a plus. “

Fun Fact

Las Vegas is a large city and famous all over the world. Yet, despite it’s size and notoriety to the locals it still operates much like a small town.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1389
Over twenty years ago, a Las Vegas local known as Brian Rouff began a new chapter in his life story. He became a partner in what would eventually become a mid-sized marketing agency serving clients both inside and outside of Sin City. Starting a new business was an exciting next step for him. Not least of all because it came directly after he achieved a lifelong dream.

You see, for his whole life until then, Brian wanted to be a writer—a novelist, to be precise. Like many aspiring writers, he found it difficult to turn the page on that career. But he kept working at it, and after much effort Brian would eventually self publish his first novel. It was called Dice Angel and revolved around a down on his luck character who meets a mysterious woman who promises to turn it all around.

Although Dice Angel never graced the bestsellers list, it still opened up a lot of doors. He appeared at local book fairs, libraries, festivals and conferences … basically anywhere he could get a leg in before the door slammed shut.

As he spoke more, more people read his book. His Amazon reviews climbed and, serendipitously, a big-time casino magnate contacted Brian with a proposition. He’d read Dice Angel, noticed Brian’s contact details in the back of the book, and reached out to discuss an opportunity.

The magnate was big on ideas, but short on time and writing talent. He loved Dice Angel and wanted Brian’s help in writing a book of his own. A deal was struck and Brian was paid mid-five figures to write the book. It was a lot of money—although, over the next year he would earn every penny.

From then on, every time he spoke at an event he’d subtly mention that he offered ghostwriting and coaching services. This led to a steady stream of interest in his expertise. Brian felt like there was really something to this ghostwriting thing, so he started taking it a little more seriously.

What’s even more impressive, is that Brian has kept up this gig for twenty years, as a side hustle to his main marketing business. He did that not only because he loves writing, but because it’s also quite lucrative.

As he approaches retirement from his business, Brian hopes ghostwriting can become an even larger source of income. It can certainly keep him busy.

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

SEE ALSO:

Inspiration is good; inspiration combined with action is better. Now get back to work!

Yours in the revolution,

cg-sig-newsletter

Resources

WEB HOSTING @ $2.49/MONTH

Want to build any kind of website for your hustle? If so, you'll need somewhere to host it! This is the reliable company I've used for many websites. It's cheap, flexible, and offers support 24-7.

Get your own hosting plan for just $2.49 a month!
Learn More

GET $625 IN FREE TRAVEL

Earn 50,000 travel rewards points (enough for 2 round-trip plane tickets or $625 in travel credit). You'll also earn 2x points on all travel and dining spend, with zero foreign transaction fees.

I use this card every day all over the world! ✈️ Learn More

Quote of the Day
"There are no shortcuts. Put in the hard work first, lay the proper foundation, make sure you’ve got a good reputation and protect it scrupulously.”"
—Brian Rouff #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Try ShipStation for 60 Days FREE!

Today’s episode of Side Hustle School is brought to you by ShipStation, the #1 choice of online sellers. 📦

To get a 30-day trial AND an additional month free, click the microphone at the top of their page and enter the word HUSTLE.
Get it Here

Like the Show? Leave a Rating!

Side Hustle School is for you! If you’re enjoying it, please take a quick moment to leave a rating or write a quick review. It's really easy and it makes a difference! ✅

It also makes a huge difference when you tell your friends about the show. Remember, it's 100% free and listener-supported.
Here's How

Keep in Touch

There’s a new story every single day on Side Hustle School. Episodes are produced to be short and to the point—I know you’re busy. Be sure you subscribe to get instant notification of the day’s broadcast!


To infinity and beyond,

Chris Guillebeau

TBT: Bestselling Author Publishes Novels, Online Courses, and More

What It’s About

An update from a novelist who moonlights as a writing teacher.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1272

Welcome to Throwback Thursday / “Where are they now?” where we take an in-depth look at someone who’s story has evolved considerably since we first featured them.

So far in these features we’ve had a New York City musician with a blog teaching jazz that becomes a multiple six-figure business and an Australian woman who draws houses.

Today, in our latest feature, we’ll hear from Jessica Brody, Ep. 303: Published Author Adds Income Source; Makes Extra $21,000 Her First Year.

What’s happened since? Let’s hear directly from her. She has a lot of updates, it was a struggle for me to condense them because she gave us so many good things to work with.

But suffice it to say that she has massively increased her following and income and influence since Ep. 303. And not only that but she’s making some really smart moves to reduce her dependence on an outside platform.

Listen to today’s episode to hear Jessicas’s updates…

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

 

SEE ALSO:

Inspiration is good; inspiration combined with action is better. Now get back to work!

Yours in the revolution,

cg-sig-newsletter

Resources

CREATE YOUR ONLINE STORE

Create your online store with Shopify using an exclusive discount for Side Hustle School listeners. For a limited time, get a free 21-day trial and a 10% discount for a whole year.

Many Side Hustle School listeners are building sites using Shopify's easy-to-learn platform. Try it free today! Learn More

GET YOUR FIRST 1,000 EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS

Social media is nice, but building an email list is still the single best way to get customers and clients for your hustle. It's not hard to get started—sign up for a 30-day trial and join the list-building challenge! You’ll be up and running in no time. Learn More

Quote of the Day
"I think the key thing to note is that you do not have to be the best at something in order to teach it. You just have to have some sort of skill that other people don’t have."
—Jessica Brody #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Don't Do Business Without It

Side Hustle School is brought to you by American Express.

No matter what you do in business, from working nine-to-five to working five-to-nine, it’s easier when you don’t go it alone. Get the powerful backing of American Express—don't do business without it! 💳 Visit American Express

Like the Show? Leave a Rating!

Side Hustle School is for you! If you’re enjoying it, please take a quick moment to leave a rating or write a quick review. It's really easy and it makes a difference! ✅

It also makes a huge difference when you tell your friends about the show. Remember, it's 100% free and listener-supported.
Here's How

Keep in Touch

There’s a new story every single day on Side Hustle School. Episodes are produced to be short and to the point—I know you’re busy. Be sure you subscribe to get instant notification of the day’s broadcast!


To infinity and beyond,

Chris Guillebeau

The Legally Blind, Six-Figure Supernatural Romance Author

What It’s About

A hardworking author self-publishes a series of supernatural romance novels.

Words of Wisdom

Thinking about becoming a writer? Here’s some important advice from Steff: “There are a million easier ways to make a living than being a writer. If you’re in this for the money then become an investment banker. But writers are never in this for the money, so my rule is always that I have to be having fun. Because if I’m not having fun and I’m in a risky industry, then that’s just silly.”

Fun Fact

The rise of the supernatural romance genre came with the twilight series, one of the most popular book series ever written. The books have sold over 120 million copies world wide and spawned a series of equally successful films.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1256
New Zealander Steff Green spent years studying to be an archaeologist. In addition to countless hours spent in the library, she volunteered at every museum and excavation she could. But after graduating, she had no luck finding a job. She was repeatedly told she was a health and safety risk. You see, Steff is legally blind and while capable of the work, that put a bookmark in her story of becoming an archaeologist.

She vowed to one day be in a position where no one could say there was something she couldn’t do.

Ever since childhood, Steff had written stories about characters she created and the worlds they inhabit. She took it so seriously that she had four full-length science fiction novels to show for her time in high school and university. That youthful passion was still with her so she decided to put pen to paper on becoming a professional writer. She just had no idea how to go about it.

Like some of us might do, she went to Google, searched “how to make a living from your writing” then proceeded to try everything listed. She pitched articles to magazines, started a blog and even wrote product descriptions. Soon she got her first check for ten dollars and fifty cents for an article, then another twenty-five, then fifty and even more.

She learned not to accept rejection and keep going when the world told you “You can’t do that”. Even more relevant to our story, Steff brushed off one of her old novels. She cleaned up the narrative, edited it and ended up pitching it to an editor at a writers conference.

The editor worked with Steff to try and get something published. But she quickly learned that interest is not the same as a book deal, and it took nearly five years for one of her manuscripts to land a deal. Her dream of being a science fiction writer was about to materialize, someone had finally told her “You CAN do that!”

Around that time, she first heard of self-publishing, where writers can sell their own books on Amazon. She decided to edit and create a cover for one of her old novels and put it up for sale. When it sold around one hundred copies and made a few hundred dollars overall, Steff was hooked.

Over the course of the next few years, Steff published dozens of more stories in the supernatural romance world. Whatever she published her audience soaked up, an audience she kept building through a personal newsletter and Facebook page. By the time 2018 rolled around, Steff was making enough money from her books and freelance writing gigs that she didn’t have to work a day job anymore and promptly quit.

Since then the pages have kept turning. Steff has seriously upped her output and now has thirty-five books published and is making the sort of money she only dreamed of. Earning six figures a year for telling stories is like a fantasy come true.

Her success so far has led to her starting a blog and speaking at events telling anyone who’ll listen about the benefits of self-publishing. Her goal is to let as many people as possible know, if she can do it, maybe they can too.

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

SEE ALSO:

Inspiration is good; inspiration combined with action is better. Now get back to work!

Yours in the revolution,

cg-sig-newsletter

Resources

WEB HOSTING @ $2.49/MONTH

Want to build any kind of website for your hustle? If so, you'll need somewhere to host it! This is the reliable company I've used for many websites. It's cheap, flexible, and offers support 24-7.

Get your own hosting plan for just $2.49 a month!
Learn More

GET $625 IN FREE TRAVEL

Earn 50,000 travel rewards points (enough for 2 round-trip plane tickets or $625 in travel credit). You'll also earn 2x points on all travel and dining spend, with zero foreign transaction fees.

I use this card every day all over the world! ✈️ Learn More

Quote of the Day
"Writers are never in this for the money, so my rule is always that I have to be having fun. Because if I’m not having fun and I’m in a risky industry, then that’s just silly."
—Steff Green #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Try ShipStation for 60 Days FREE!

Today’s episode of Side Hustle School is brought to you by ShipStation, the #1 choice of online sellers. 📦

To get a 30-day trial AND an additional month free, click the microphone at the top of their page and enter the word HUSTLE.
Get it Here

Like the Show? Leave a Rating!

Side Hustle School is for you! If you’re enjoying it, please take a quick moment to leave a rating or write a quick review. It's really easy and it makes a difference! ✅

It also makes a huge difference when you tell your friends about the show. Remember, it's 100% free and listener-supported.
Here's How

Keep in Touch

There’s a new story every single day on Side Hustle School. Episodes are produced to be short and to the point—I know you’re busy. Be sure you subscribe to get instant notification of the day’s broadcast!


To infinity and beyond,

Chris Guillebeau

PR Pro Writes Herself Into Screenwriting Career

What It’s About

A marketing professional becomes a movie screenwriter.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

At the urging of her accountant, Melissa started a production company. To write off things like manager, lawyer, and agent commissions, it’s better to be an S-Corp than an LLC. The production company then acquired Melissa’s marketing business, which was an LLC.

Fun Fact

Melissa got her gig with Lifetime because she wrote a spec script, which is an entire sample movie script—for free—so she could show them what she was capable of. Her writing was good enough to land her the job.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1247
When Melissa Cassera was growing up, she had a dream of writing soap operas. But life took her in a bit of a different direction. She ended up working in marketing and PR. For a time she took her work on the road, spending three years traveling around the U.S. in an RV with her husband and their three dogs.

Eventually they decided to settle down in Napa, California. It’s a beautiful area, but also a bit isolated, and Melissa suddenly had some free time on her hands. To entertain herself, she decided to start working on a romance novel, just for fun. She never intended to share the book publicly—it was purely for amusement. She’d write chapters and send them along to a few friends.

Things kept up like this until one day, while visiting LA for a work appointment, Melissa picked up a book called The Coffee Break Screenwriter. The book teaches you how to write a screenplay in little mini-bursts of about 10 minutes a day.

This got her thinking—could her private novel become a public TV show? Intrigued, Melissa bought the book and immediately went to work. A few months later, she had a draft of a pilot episode. She contacted the author of the book, and shared her writing. The author had worked as Senior Story Analyst for DreamWorks, gave her glowing feedback. She told Melissa her writing was just as good as some professional screenwriters who’ve been working in Hollywood for years.

Melissa left that meeting ablaze with renewed excitement. She threw herself into screenwriting, working in the mornings, at night, and on weekends. She even scheduled work-cations where she could write more.

She received tons of rejections. But there was also some interest, and within a year she got offered her first paid writing gig—an original movie for the Lifetime Network.

Just like her mentor promised, good work got found.

Things happened quickly. One of her mentors introduced Melissa to a literary manager and they started working together. With his help, Melissa sold an original TV series called “Addicted,” loosely based on her own dark experiences with pharmaceuticals.

Her first movie, “Girl Followed,” premiered in April 2017 on Lifetime. She almost cried when she saw her name on screen for the first time.

The best part of the experience is knowing she is a professional writer, even though she was told for most of her life by teachers and colleagues that she wasn’t good enough, or that she had to follow certain “rules” to “make it.”

Moving forward, she’d love to fund and produce an original web series, film, or maybe even a documentary through the production company she started four years ago. Her advice to others is to keep their eyes on their own paper. Good work gets found, so keep working away.

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

SEE ALSO:

Inspiration is good; inspiration combined with action is better. Now get back to work!

Yours in the revolution,

cg-sig-newsletter

Resources

GET $625 IN FREE TRAVEL

Earn 50,000 travel rewards points (enough for 2 round-trip plane tickets or $625 in travel credit). You'll also earn 2x points on all travel and dining spend, with zero foreign transaction fees.

I use this card every day all over the world! ✈️ Learn More

CREATE YOUR ONLINE STORE

Create your online store with Shopify using an exclusive discount for Side Hustle School listeners. For a limited time, get a free 21-day trial and a 10% discount for a whole year.

Many Side Hustle School listeners are building sites using Shopify's easy-to-learn platform. Try it free today! Learn More

Quote of the Day
"Now, I try to avoid getting overly caught up in other people’s opinions, but her comments definitely boosted my confidence. I started thinking to myself, “Maybe this is something I could pursue seriously, not just as a hobby…”"
—Melissa Cassera #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Learn More With Skillshare!

Supporting the sponsors keeps the show free. Today’s episode of Side Hustle School is brought to you by Skillshare. 📷

Skillshare is giving Side Hustle School listeners 2 months of unlimited access—for $0.99! Join the 2 million students learning everything from street photography to SEO on Skillshare today!
Get Started Here!

Like the Show? Leave a Rating!

Side Hustle School is for you! If you’re enjoying it, please take a quick moment to leave a rating or write a quick review. It's really easy and it makes a difference! ✅

It also makes a huge difference when you tell your friends about the show. Remember, it's 100% free and listener-supported.


Here's How

Keep in Touch

There’s a new story every single day on Side Hustle School. Episodes are produced to be short and to the point—I know you’re busy. Be sure you subscribe to get instant notification of the day’s broadcast!


To infinity and beyond,

Chris Guillebeau

English Teacher Writes His Way Into All-Star Tutoring

What It’s About

How an English teacher became NYC’s best writing tutor according to Yelp.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Although John was able to tutor many different subjects, he found the best success when he niche’d down and marketed himself as Mr. WritingTutor. As John says, “When you say you specialize in everything, people know you specialize in nothing.”

Fun Fact

Although John is an English teacher, he isn’t naturally good at grammar. After being reprimanded by his administrators, he dove into grammar. He learned so much that he even published a book about it, called 50 Grammar Rules Everyone Should Know.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1226
John Castellano was working as an English teacher in New York City. As much as he loved his job, he needed more money to support his family.

As he thought about his options, he realized there might be some advantages to working as an independent tutor. For example, he could set his prices based on the market, and shift them easily in response to supply and demand. There would be no fixed ceiling.

But what kind of tutoring would he do? He hit the books and found that SAT tutors made the most money. There was only one problem – John didn’t do very well on the SAT.

Back in high school, John had scored in the 50th percentile on his SAT. And even though it had been years since then, and he had a lot of experience as a teacher, he knew that without a good score himself, he’d have a credibility gap. John also knew what he had to do next. As a 32-year-old, he signed up to take the SAT again.

This time, he scored in the 90th percentile. From there, he invested $3,000 in magazine advertisements in order to start getting clients – but he got zero in return. Unfortunately, this ended up being an expensive lesson to learn. He decided to switch his technique, and invested $150 into a Squarespace website and another $50 into SAT books.

This time, he scored in the 99th percentile of test-takers in the writing section. From there, he decided to specialize in writing and market his business as “MrWritingTutor.com” instead of just as an SAT tutor. By niche’ing down, he gained a lot more clients. As John says, “When you say you specialize in everything, people know you specialize in nothing.”

In his first year, he charged $60 an hour for general homework help and $120 an hour for standardized test prep. A year later, he raised his homework prices to $70 an hour. Eventually, he tried to raise it to $80 an hour, but he found that many new clients would not call him back with those prices. Through testing it over time, John found his threshold.

Now, John takes home thousands of dollars in extra earnings per month. In his best months, he earns anywhere between $2,000 to $4,000 just from tutoring. Not only that, but this side hustle has helped John get better at his career. He is constantly sharpening his teaching skills.

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

SEE ALSO:

Inspiration is good; inspiration combined with action is better. Now get back to work!

Yours in the revolution,

cg-sig-newsletter

Resources

GET $625 IN FREE TRAVEL

Earn 50,000 travel rewards points (enough for 2 round-trip plane tickets or $625 in travel credit). You'll also earn 2x points on all travel and dining spend, with zero foreign transaction fees.

I use this card every day all over the world! ✈️ Learn More

CREATE YOUR ONLINE STORE

Create your online store with Shopify using an exclusive discount for Side Hustle School listeners. For a limited time, get a free 21-day trial and a 10% discount for a whole year.

Many Side Hustle School listeners are building sites using Shopify's easy-to-learn platform. Try it free today! Learn More

Quote of the Day
"When you say you specialize in everything, people know you specialize in nothing."
—John Castellano #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Learn More With Skillshare!

Supporting the sponsors keeps the show free. Today’s episode of Side Hustle School is brought to you by Skillshare. 📷

Skillshare is giving Side Hustle School listeners 2 months of unlimited access—for $0.99! Join the 2 million students learning everything from street photography to SEO on Skillshare today!
Get Started Here!

Like the Show? Leave a Rating!

Side Hustle School is for you! If you’re enjoying it, please take a quick moment to leave a rating or write a quick review. It's really easy and it makes a difference! ✅

It also makes a huge difference when you tell your friends about the show. Remember, it's 100% free and listener-supported.


Here's How

Keep in Touch

There’s a new story every single day on Side Hustle School. Episodes are produced to be short and to the point—I know you’re busy. Be sure you subscribe to get instant notification of the day’s broadcast!


To infinity and beyond,

Chris Guillebeau

Belgian Blogger Gets Paid to Wander Through Europe

What It’s About

Want to get recruited and paid to travel? This blogger maps out a way.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Is it too late to start your own website/blog? Here’s what Sofie says about the topic, “There is SO much great info out there nowadays on how to set up any kind of blog, how to run it, how to outsource things, how to do SEO… All of it. Do your research. Spend a few weeks or even longer mapping everything out.”

Fun Fact

Dutch is the mother tongue in northern Belgium, being spoken natively by three-fifths of the population of Belgium. It is one of the three national languages in the country, together with French and German, and is the only official language of the Flemish Region.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1046
Sofie Couwenergh, a native of Belgium, knew she wanted to do “something with writing.” After graduating with a Master’s Degree, she landed a job as a copywriter for a publishing house, and then with a Belgian press agency.

It seemed as if everything was going according to plan … except she wasn’t very happy with either of those jobs. In fact, she was bored. Sofie realized she needed more creative freedom and a greater sense of responsibility for her work.

It was actually Sofie’s parents who suggested she start a website about travel. With earnings from her job, Sofie had already begun traveling around Europe in her spare time. And having traveled together as a family growing up, her parents saw a way for Sofie to combine her love for writing with her passion for travel.

The idea sounded good to her, so Sofie got to work building out a free blog. It started purely as a hobby with a diary-like collection of stories from her trips—but she figured out pretty quickly that it could also be a business opportunity.

The site was called Wonderful Wanderings. Not being someone who follows blogs to know about the people behind them, Sofie instead focuses on practical advice: what to see, where to eat, and what area to stay in. She meticulously plans her trips around Europe, rarely even entering a restaurant without first analyzing its reviews.

In less than a year, someone offered to sponsor a blog post on her site. That was the first way she monetized her content, but it wasn’t the last—or the most effective.

Sofie’s thorough research on destinations was useful. She wouldn’t just provide an objective collection of “things to do” but a whole, ready-to-use itinerary that people could print out and take with them.

In the second year of the blog, it turned a profit of about €15,000, or a bit more than $16,000. In the third year, it reached a little over €21,000, or more than $23,000. Last year, Sofie re-invested some of her earnings into improving the site, getting contractors on board to help with research and translations (since she runs the site both in Dutch and in English).

The most effective way Sofie earns money is through destination marketing campaigns. Let’s talk about that!

In a nutshell: countries, regions, and city tourism boards hire Sofie to visit their destination and create promotions for them. They ask for a certain number of deliverables (usually social media and blog posts) so they can get in front of the Wonderful Wanderings audience.

Sofie prefers destination campaigns over going on a trip with a specific tour operator. If something on the tour goes wrong, you might be stuck getting paid to write about an experience you don’t recommend. (You also might be stuck on the tour.) Working with destinations, on the other hand, allows Sofie to always be honest and travel as she would naturally.

Now, those travel boards tend to find her instead of the other way around, either through her previous work or from a referral.

In reflecting on her success in turning a hobby into a side hustle and onward into a full-time business, Sofie puts a lot of weight on the intangible benefits.

She has freedom to visit her grandparents more often. The comfort of wearing sweatpants to work. A growing confidence. A newfound network of friends. And the ability to invest in her future while seeing the world.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

SEE ALSO:

Inspiration is good; inspiration combined with action is better. Now get back to work!

Yours in the revolution,

cg-sig-newsletter

Resources

WEB HOSTING @ $2.49/MONTH

Want to build any kind of website for your hustle? If so, you'll need somewhere to host it! This is the reliable company I've used for many websites. It's cheap, flexible, and offers support 24-7.

Get your own hosting plan for just $2.49 a month!
Learn More

GET $625 IN FREE TRAVEL

Earn 50,000 travel rewards points (enough for 2 round-trip plane tickets or $625 in travel credit). You'll also earn 2x points on all travel and dining spend, with zero foreign transaction fees.

I use this card every day all over the world! ✈️ Learn More

Quote of the Day
"My biggest struggle during this entire adventure: finding out what worked for me and then just sticking to it."
—Sofie Couwenergh #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Try ShipStation for 60 Days FREE!

Today’s episode of Side Hustle School is brought to you by ShipStation, the #1 choice of online sellers. 📦

To get a 30-day trial AND an additional month free, click the microphone at the top of their page and enter the word HUSTLE.
Get it Here

Like the Show? Leave a Rating!

Side Hustle School is for you! If you’re enjoying it, please take a quick moment to leave a rating or write a quick review. It's really easy and it makes a difference! ✅

It also makes a huge difference when you tell your friends about the show. Remember, it's 100% free and listener-supported.
Here's How

Keep in Touch

There’s a new story every single day on Side Hustle School. Episodes are produced to be short and to the point—I know you’re busy. Be sure you subscribe to get instant notification of the day’s broadcast!


To infinity and beyond,

Chris Guillebeau