The 9 Subtle Traits of Highly Effective Online Writers
Steal from the best in the game to become one of the best
Photo by Andraz Lazic on Unsplash
“You only have to do a very few things right in your life so long as you don’t do too many things wrong”
The most effective online writers execute basic tactics very well.
I’ve been fortunate enough to read and interact with some of the best online writers for years.
Many don’t know I exist, but they have impacted my life in ways they probably can’t imagine.
I’ve taken my observations and made them into digestible insights you can apply. Here are the 9 subtle traits of highly effective online writers.
#1: They have a bulletproof mindset
Whether you think you can be an online writer or not, you’re right.
It sounds cliche as hell, but your mindset is everything.
Does talent matter? Of course.
But most people writing online give up far before talent ever becomes a limiting factor.
Ineffective online writers reject themselves through pre-judgment, negative thought patterns and perfectionism.
Highly effective online writers feel the same emotions but publish their work anyway.
#2: They know how to leverage this
In a distracted world, the ability to focus deeply is a superpower.
Flow is a state of optimal performance. Where the words fly off the page. Time seems to melt away and nothing can distract you.
Flow is a superpower we all have access to, but few exploit it.
The only difference between the effective and ineffective writer is the ability to access flow for long periods of time.
Chuck your phone away. Close off every other tab. Focus, focus, focus.
#3: They focus on building their own empire and helping others do the same.
Don’t take writing criticism from people you wouldn’t take writing advice from.
99% of people who throw arrows at other writers are either jealous, broke or envious (or all three at once).
They’ve concocted this story in their head that other people’s success takes away from their success.
They play a zero-sum game where there can only be one winner.
Wrong.
The most successful writers understand that relationships and collaborating with other writers are the keys to their success.
They know that teamwork makes the dream work.
If you want to go fast, go alone. But if you want to go far, go together.
#4: They genuinely care about the success of other writers
Seeing other writers succeed genuinely makes me happy.
I’ve witnessed writers like Eve Arnold, Neeramitra Reddy, Michael Lin and Niharikaa Kaur Sodhi come onto Medium and absolutely kill it.
I could have let their success detract from my success.
They started writing on Medium after me and have achieved a world of success I could only dream of.
Instead, I get inspired by what they have done and see if I can learn anything from it.
I buy their products, I listen to their podcast, and I read everything they publish on Medium or Substack.
I re-engineer their success for my own growth. They have shown me it is possible to grow fast (but not easily).
Ineffective online writers want to tear others down. They use their creative energy to write ‘take downs’ about other writers. It’s really sad.
For all of the world’s problems out there, do you want to spend your energy taking down another creative for your own gain? Grow up.
#5: They use social media to build the life they want, not distract them from the life they have.
Since I’ve become a digital nomad, I am constantly asked:
Do you think social media is good or bad?
Neither. Social media is a tool, just like a hammer.
You can use a hammer to build a house or kill someone.
The utility of the hammer is dependent on the person wielding it, not the tool itself.
You can use social media to build businesses, connect with incredible people all around the world and consume content that inspires you to improve your life.
You can also use social media to watch mindless TikTok videos, engage in toxic ‘debates’ online, and distract yourself from improving your life.
Highly effective writers use social media to help them build the life they want for themselves, and ineffective writers use social media to distract themselves from the life they have.
The choice is yours.
#6: They understand the opportunity on the internet
Anyone can build an online writing empire.
There is an abundance of opportunity to take a hobby you would happily do for free and create a one-person business.
I am not saying you’ll make enough to drive a Lambo, but you can create a life of time and location freedom. Win-win.
More and more people are joining the internet. Every day there is a new way to monetize your creativity. There are endless possibilities for self-education.
Effective writers see the opportunity and adapt to the times. Ineffective writers see everything new as a scam.
While pessimism might be right sometimes, optimism is what helps you experiment and find a winning online formula.
#7: They are patient with the results. But impatient with taking action.
“Patience only works if you do.
Doing the work + patience = results.
Planning to work + patience = you’re just waiting.”
Talent is overrated in the online writing game.
The only that matters is a consistent effort with a bucketload of patience and a dash of resilience.
Patience is a paradox in the online world.
People want results instantly when they begin.
But five years is the minimum amount of time you need to invest to become so good that people can’t ignore you.
Well, where’s the paradox exactly, Mick?
Good question skip.
Most people will happily spend 50 years working a 9–5 job that grinds their soul into dust but aren’t willing to invest in creating something online for five years.
As Tim Denning says:
You can work 50 years at some job you hate or you can work for 5 years and then be free for the rest of your life.
Seems like a fair deal to me.
#8: They laugh in the face of permission and qualifications.
Anyone, at any age and at any stage of life can be an effective online writer.
The internet takes qualifications and puts them in the blender.
The internet is like a dodgy security guard who doesn’t even ask for your age to enter the club.
Got something to say? Say it, kid.
You don’t need permission from the adults.
The only qualification you need is wifi access and belief in yourself to put your work out there.
Everything else is an artificial barrier.
#9: They take calculated risks
I don’t know any serious writer who quit their job cold turkey to write full-time.
The ‘overnight success’ story is a myth sold to desperate people.
The most effective writers took a staggered approach:
They worked a 9–5 job.
They started writing on the side (mornings + evenings + weekends).
They built an audience and following.
They scaled their writing income with digital products (or services).
The income from writing was now more than their 9–5 job.
They quit (optional).
Writers I follow closely like Neeramitra Reddy and Eve Arnold are killing it on Medium whilst holding down full-time jobs.
Rethink telling your employers to f*ck off.
Maybe being a part-time online writer suits you better.
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