Where to Write 2023?

Decisions, decisions

I got overwhelmed by choice last year. 2022 was the year of new creator programs and soooo many options for writers. (Not all of them worthwhile.)

LinkedIn, Twitter, Substack, Medium, Vocal, NewsBreak, Quora, and on and on.

Did you get overwhelmed too?

I tried quite a few, but it’s a relief to step back.

2023 is about deciding where we really want to be.

Before we look at that, here’s one place you really want to be in 2023:

Writing Group!

We start Jan 30th and give our writing a three-month commitment. It’s about accountability, friendship, support, and investing time in our writing.

And the financial investment is very small—Just $28USD a month!

Hit reply to this letter to let me know you’re keen.

Now, let’s do an opportunity cost analysis.

Ooo, so economics-y! “The value of the road not taken…”

I have a weird love of economics.

I don’t quite understand it and can’t even do my times tables. (I tried, they just don’t stick!)

But economics isn’t really Math.

Economics helps us think about how we use our (scarce) resources.

All of us have a very limited resource—our time.

And when we spend it in one place, we shut out other opportunities that may be better for us.

We can’t write EVERYWHERE.

We need to decide where to spend our precious energy and time and that’s not easy.

Last week we looked at Medium vs. Substack.

It was pointed out by one of our BYW group, that I had very few cons for Substack.

TRUE! I was very positive about it.

But actually, there is one big one.

Cons of Substack

Substack gets better all the time, but it isn’t the right place for everyone.

• If you’re new to writing, it might be better to experiment with topics on Medium and see what you (and your readers) enjoy most.

• If you get bored easily and don’t want to commit to a regular newsletter.

• If you love to write on several vastly different topics or in several genres—it’s probably not for you.

But the biggest thumbs-down of Substack?

Substack can be difficult to monetize.

There are two ways to approach monetization of Substack—subscriptions or selling things.

Check in with yourself:

• Do I want to make money from my writing?

• Do I have something to sell or affiliate programs I could be part of?

• Could I create products or services to sell related to my writing?

• Do I have an expertise or entertaining voice people would want to pay for?

• Some of my fans will subscribe just to support me (they like me, they really LIKE me!) Is my voice unique enough to draw in a fanbase who love me?

Did that help you decide if Substack is right for you? Let me know in the comments.

This is NOT an affiliate program

My writing friend Sean Kernan announced this week that his course is ready!

“The Online Writing Masterclass.”

I’m not an affiliate for it.

In fact, I say NO! (politely) to almost everyone who asks me to sell courses to you.

Sean didn’t ask.

But I’m still sharing it because I can trust you’ll be looked after with Sean.

He’s had a lot of success in the online world because he cares about his craft and his readers. He cares about delivering quality.

If anyone knows how to master online writing, it’s Sean.

Have you got online writing questions for Sean or questions about his course? Shoot them into the comments.

Recap for comments and replies to this letter:

• Want to join Writing Group for $28USD a month? Hit reply

• Got a question for Sean? Comment below.

• Thoughts on Substack? Comment below.