How Sinem Günel Became a Full-Time Writer

"I was just curious to explore a new opportunity and willing to invest enough time to actually get good at it."

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By

Sinem Günel

My digital writing journey started in a very unromantic way: Someone told me about the opportunity to publish on Medium and get paid when people read my stories, and I was hooked.

I signed up and published my first piece on the same day.

At that time, I was a coach and trainer, facilitating dozens of in-person workshops on topics like productivity, habits, and self-management. 

I prepared new presentations every week, so I had a lot of content that I could repurpose for my writing, and my first articles were summaries of my workshops.

I’m not a native English speaker, and it didn’t even occur to me that I could use a spellchecker or any other editing tool, so my first 150 pieces sucked.

I made less than $100 through Medium’s Partner Program most months, but it was enough to keep me interested in the platform since it was only one of many side projects besides my studies and a full-time job.

What I loved about writing on the internet was that it was simple. I could do it any time of the day, from anywhere in the world. It was the opposite of my workshops, which required weeks of preparation, a team of several people, a location, sponsors, drinks, food, and client acquisition.

I kept writing inconsistently for the next 18 months until I hit a roadblock. At the end of 2019, I was juggling so many different projects that I was confused and overwhelmed. I had just published my first book, finished a B2B workshop series, and had no idea what to do next. So I asked myself what I liked doing most, and my answer was simple: Writing.

Between all my different projects, writing was the only thing I really enjoyed. I’m not necessarily an introvert, but I love peace and quiet. I adore my empty calendar, and I love to travel. All those things were not possible when I was hosting workshops.

This realization led to a cheesy New Year’s Resolution: Writing every day.

I was already familiar with Medium, so it was a no-brainer to continue there. I dropped all my other projects and went all-in on writing.

I spent each day writing and learning how to write. I analyzed hundreds of well-performing articles and created spreadsheets full of insights.

By the end of the first month, I made over $1,000 through Medium’s Partner Program and had launched my email list. I was still writing about personal growth and productivity - the topics I taught in my workshops.

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Use The ‘3 What, 3 How’ Framework for Writing Advice Posts on Any Platform

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By the end of the second month, I made almost $10,000 through the Partner Program, my email list was growing quickly, and I was receiving freelancing requests from brands and thought leaders who discovered my work on Medium.

As I continued to grow my audience, more and more people started to reach out and ask for writing advice so I started to share what I learned by writing about writing.

I also started one of the first and largest Facebook communities for Medium writers and launched a second newsletter exclusively for writers.

During the Covid lockdowns, local organizations asked me to run webinars on how to start writing online. At the end of the first webinar, someone asked if I was doing any 1-on-1 coaching for writers.

I wasn’t. But I was excited to try, so I said yes and created a scrappy first offer within 24 hours.

After working with several 1-on-1 coaching clients and celebrating great results, I turned my knowledge into a digital course - that’s how my signature program Medium Writing Academy was born in 2020.

The next few years were full of exciting opportunities and growth:

• I continued to write on Medium and send weekly newsletters

• I interviewed some of Medium’s most successful writers on my Youtube channel

• I freelanced for epic brands, ran collaborations with exciting companies, and did consulting for emerging creator platforms

• And I was still able to do what I loved most: writing, teaching, and educating!

At this point, I have to admit that I wasn’t doing any of that by myself. I’m running my business together with my fiancé Philip Hofmacher, who is responsible for most of our behind-the-scenes work.

One thing Philip and I do regularly is to ask ourselves where we are and where we want to go.

Too many business coaches pretend that their way of doing something is the only way to do it.

The truth is that you always have several options and opportunities. There are a million ways to make a living by writing on the internet, and you’ll be most successful when you pick the path that aligns best with your strengths and your desired lifestyle.

I’m all about ease, clarity, and simplicity, so I make all business decisions based on those three values.

I don’t like complex systems or exhausting clients. If I feel like we have different expectations and values, I’ll tell you that I’m not the right coach for you.

I also hate the idea of being present on a dozen different platforms, so I don’t do it.

Too many writers look at platforms as the holy grail while the truth is that you can build an audience on any platform.

You can write on Medium, Substack, Linkedin, Twitter, Instagram, your own blog, and anywhere else. What matters is that you know how to attract an audience and how to eventually turn attention into cash.

Most of my clients like to write on Medium because the idea of earning through the Partner Program sounds appealing. Writers usually hate to sell themselves. They want to write and don’t do any marketing. And I know you’ll hate me for this, but here goes: It doesn’t work that way.

There are very few (online) writers who make money without doing any marketing/sales.

Even though Medium’s Partner Program is a fantastic opportunity to get paid for your writing, it’s the only program of its kind and you never want to rely on an external platform when it comes to your earnings or audience.

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If I had to start writing online from scratch in 2024, this is what I’d do:

• I’d pick a platform to gain visibility. Choose your platform based on the type of writing you want to do, the topics you want to write about, and the audience you want to attract. Don’t get distracted by shiny objects or short-term popularity.

• Start your email list as soon as possible, even if you have no idea what you’ll do with it. If you write on Substack, you won’t need an additional email tool. If you write anywhere else, you can start your email list on Substack. My favorite email marketing tool is Converkit. Substack as an email marketing tool is more simple and easier to use.

• If you want to monetize quickly, be open to freelance or ghostwriting opportunities. Make sure potential customers can easily reach out to you through platforms like Linkedin or via email. Let them know that you’re open for gigs. Monetizing your writing through a newsletter or on Substack is not as easy as most people pretend it to be. Medium’s Partner Program can be a great way to start making money through your work, but it’ll require you to dig deep into the platform and understand how to write content that readers will love to read AND that will be distributed on the platform.

• If you are brand-new to writing, don’t expect to make money quickly. No matter which path you choose, it’ll take time to properly monetize your work because writing stuff that’s worth paying for isn’t easy, and you have lots of competition. Making money as an online writer can be simple, but it’s not necessarily easy. It takes a clear message, dedication, and consistency on different levels. You need to show up consistently, be consistent in the platforms you use, and don’t get distracted by shiny objects and new opportunities.

• Most importantly, write about topics you genuinely care about and experiment until you find a sweet spot between what you like and what enough people are interested in. Finding your niche isn’t easy, and it doesn’t happen overnight. Most of my students find their niche by writing a lot and listening to the feedback they receive. I’m not a fan of playing the quantity game and producing endless amounts of content, but if you’re new, the only way to improve and collect data is by publishing frequently.

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I eventually hit a wall again in 2023, so we killed one of our email lists and several offers that were linked to it and decided to focus only on helping writers turn their work into a reliable digital business. Here’s how:

• I write content to attract new readers and grow my email list, which is currently at 25,000 subscribers.

• When you join my email list, you can purchase a Database full of resources and templates.

• During the first 10-20 days, my subscribers receive different pitches, depending on how they discovered my work.

• My Medium Writing Academy is available as a self-study course all year long.

• And we run a private membership called Write Build Scale, where we help writers build their audience and scale their income through various monetization strategies.

• I occasionally accept freelance or consulting deals when I see an interesting opportunity in the partnership (or when it pays really well).

This business model allows me to spend most of my time writing.

I write content, emails, sales pages, freebies, and much more.

I didn’t start to write online because I always liked writing or because I was good at it. I was just curious to explore a new opportunity and willing to invest enough time to actually get good at it.

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