Why I Write Part 2
A few days ago I wrote about the personal reasons why I write, also known as the why no matter what I end up doing in life, I will continue to publish dumb shit on the internet. But there are further reasons, one less intrinsic and geared more to the career ambitions that cause me to get up in the morning. These are those reasons.
To Network Myself
The web is always on and available to anyone. Anyone in the world with a computer and a connection can search my name and have this website come up regardless of their location or time difference.
Because of this, this website becomes a 24-hour networker for me. Some examples:
This website is a concrete example of my work. Instead of saying I am a good communicator or writer on my resume, a recruiter can hop on my site and judge for himself. Instead of me saying I am good at SEO or copywriting, I can show metrics of how many monthly visitors I get or the number of people signed up for my weekly newsletter (which you should really sign up for).
It becomes an implicit example of what I can do. It shows that I can build, work on a project with consistency, hold myself to a certain standard while exposing myself to failure, and that I have a clear focus of where I want to go.
Finally, it becomes a medium of connection. People can see what I am working on, what I am thinking about, or arguing over with clarity from my writing. If they are interested in connecting or working together, my inbox, Twitter or Instagram is a click away. Always on, accessible to anyone.
To Leverage a Personal Brand
For better or for worse, we now live in the age of the personal brand. In such an age where everyone is connected, those able to carve out a following can easily make a living. People with 10,000 people on their email list can make six figures a year. If you can leverage your brand in even broader success on the internet, well, you are definitely a millionaire.
I don’t know if this is a good thing or a bad thing, (I plan on going deeper into the creator economy in a future article) but what is fact is that there has never been another time on earth where people simply from leveraging their persona and skills on the internet can make such an impact. Simply look at the YouTubers, streamers, and Tik-Tokers making millions of dollars every month.
Now, I am no YouTuber, but there are still definite benefits to creating a following online as a writer. Publishers are a lot keener to sign deals with authors they know already have an established following, even if that person may be a lesser writer. Hell, you might not even be able to get your foot in the door with a publisher if you didn’t have these metrics to back you up.
With how congested the internet is with content these days, creating a brand and developing a following ensures that you are heard above the noise, regardless of how good you are.
To Build Something Long-Term
Both of those reasons above can be summed up in my wanting to build something long-term. I want to create things that are long-term; books and articles, maybe other avenues in the future that are long-lasting and that are constantly providing value for the world regardless if I am awake or not.
The goal is agency. To be paid not for my time, but for what I create and what I own. To work for myself, not someone else. This is something that is not going to happen overnight if it even happens at all, at least five or six years at the earliest, but it is something worth pursuing for me. This is only possible with the creation and ownership of assets that continue to provide value.
In short, I believe that if you are good at communicating your ideas or creating something of value, the internet and the access it provides will eventually reward you with opportunities and agency not available prior. Because of that, and the fact that I actually enjoy the process, I believe I will always be writing.
Thanks for coming along.
If you would like to help me on the road to achieving these goals, consider joining the hundred-plus others that have signed up for my newsletter.