If I Had to Start From Zero (Again), Here’s Exactly What I’d DoHow to build a writing career even if you’re awkward, broke, and allergic to self-promotion

I Was a Writer Who Hated Promoting Myself

Six years ago, if you’d told me I’d be making a full-time living from writing, I would’ve nodded like, “Obviously. I’m brilliant.”
Also me, six years ago? Completely broke. Zero clue how publishing worked.

I thought if I just wrote great stuff, the universe would magically Venmo me.

Spoiler: it didn’t.

What held me back wasn’t talent. It was this gnarly fear of putting myself out there. You know that feeling? Like, “Please read my words but also please don’t look at me”?

Yeah. That was me. Hardcore introvert, keyboard warrior, allergic to anything that smelled like self-promotion.

But somehow—without going viral, without influencer shoutouts—I built a writing career. Just me, my laptop, and a bunch of awkward, scrappy attempts that eventually worked.

So if I had to do it all over again from zero? Here’s the playbook.

Shift: Why the First $100 Matters More Than 1,000 Followers

Let’s be real. Most new writers obsess over follower counts.
“10k by the end of the year!”
“Build your personal brand!”
Cool, but here’s the truth: your first $100 will teach you more than your first 1,000 likes.

I still remember getting paid $75 for an article. Took me a full week. If I did the math, I was basically earning Victorian chimney-sweep wages.

But that $75? It rewired my brain. Suddenly, writing wasn’t just a hobby. It was a job. A real thing. Someone had literally exchanged money for my ideas.

The next week, I landed a $200 gig. Boom—$275 total. Not exactly yacht money, but it was proof. Proof that people valued my words.

If I had to start from scratch today? I’d chase that first $100 like it owed me rent. Not because I need the cash (though, same), but because that little notification? It’s the loudest way to silence impostor syndrome.

Breakdown: The Real Strategy I’d Use Today

Let’s say I’m starting with nothing. No following. No niche. Just a laptop and a weird love for sentence structure. Here’s what I’d do:

1. Forget Picking a Niche (For Now)

“Find your one thing,” they say.
“Pick a lane,” they say.

Ugh. Can we not?

If you haven’t even written ten articles yet, how are you supposed to marry a niche?

When I started, I wrote about everything. Productivity. Running. Tech. My bizarre dreams. It was chaos. But it kept me writing.

Why it works:

• No pressure = more consistency
• Random topics = unexpected connections
• Writing freely = discovering what lights you up

Eventually, your niche will reveal itself. But it won’t happen by overthinking. It happens by doing.

2. Build a Lazy-Person-Friendly Writing Routine

Forget 5AM miracle mornings and bulletproof coffee.

I’m the kind of writer who forgets if they’ve brushed their teeth. I needed a routine that didn’t require motivation or enlightenment.

Here’s what worked:

• Set laughably low goals
  → Just write one paragraph. That’s it.
  → Funny thing: once you start, you usually keep going.
• Create before you scroll
  → Doomscrolling Twitter first thing? Motivation killer.
  → Write first. Compare later. Or never.
• Finish your crap
  → Even when it’s bad. Especially when it’s bad.
  → Publishing imperfect work is how you level up.

3. Crash Other People’s Parties First

Building an audience from scratch is like throwing a birthday party no one shows up to. Sad cake. Sadder balloons.

So… go where people already are.

• Medium
• Reddit
• Niche newsletters
• Tiny blogs that need contributors

Find small publications. Don’t aim for The Atlantic on Day 3. Contribute to that quirky newsletter with 500 loyal readers. They need you more than you need them.

And if you find a creator a few steps ahead of you? Offer to help with something—editing, admin, research. Trade value. Build friendships. That’s the real “networking.”

4. Learn to Be Useful, Not Just Clever

This was the hard pill I had to swallow:

Just because you write well doesn’t mean anyone cares.

The day I started asking these four questions, everything changed:

1. Who would benefit from this?
2. What problem am I solving?
3. Where do these people hang out online?
4. Why would they pay me instead of just Googling it?

At first, it felt gross. Like I was selling out.

But you know what? Thinking about your reader’s needs isn’t selling out. It’s serving.

Proof: The Wins Add Up

No viral moments. No media features. Just:

• $75 article
• $200 commission
• Guest posts in small blogs
• Eventually… recurring clients
• Then… full-time income

It’s not sexy. But it’s sustainable.

That’s the stuff nobody brags about on LinkedIn. But it’s what actually works.

Wrap-Up: Start Ugly, Start Now

Here’s the uncomfortable truth:

You can binge every writing tip on the internet. Bookmark every thread. Watch every YouTube productivity guru.

But none of it matters if you don’t start.

So here’s your challenge:

👉 Close this tab.
👉 Open a new doc.
👉 Write one paragraph that helps someone.

That’s it. Tomorrow, do it again. Then again. And again.

You don’t need a niche. Or a perfect routine. Or 1,000 followers.
You need momentum.

Just write. Publish. Repeat.
The rest comes later.

Quick Recap: What to Do if You’re Starting from Zero

✅ Focus on your first $100 — not your first 1,000 followers
✅ Don’t niche down until you’ve written freely
✅ Build a stupidly simple writing habit
✅ Show up where the readers already are
✅ Learn to be useful, not just talented
✅ Finish and ship — even when it sucks

I’m putting together a free short video course on how to earn your first 100 loyal (and maybe paying) readers — no audience, no gimmicks.

Wanna be the first to get it?
[Join the waitlist here.]

Your future self (and PayPal account) will thank you.