Saturday Morning Coffee ☕ #40

Forty editions, Bernie!

Writers should get paid for doing what they love, which is something few people are truly capable of: entertaining, educating and inspiring others through the written word. Become a paid subscriber to How to Write for a Living for just £8 a month to unlock every benefit in our comprehensive membership package.

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Happy Saturday, my friend! 👋

Hopefully you’re reading this in a peaceful part of your home with a steaming mug in one hand. If so, let’s begin.

We’re now 40 editions into Saturday Morning Coffee, which means I’ve been sending these roundups out every week since the start of 2024 (and apparently missed one week somewhere along the line, argh!). Remember, if you’re feeling nostalgic or just want to browse through the hundreds of linked articles I’ve curated so far, you can check out all previous editions here.

And if you’re still enjoying these posts, do let me know in the comments! 🙏

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📚 UPDATE: in a complete contradiction of last week’s announcement, my adult horror novel The Substitute will be available to buy from November 27th.

You should be able to pre-order it from next week. 🤞

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And as always, here’s the result of last week’s poll:

Thanks for voting! Don’t forget to read to the end for this week’s version. ⬇️

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ICYMI:

110: Book Funnels (with Renee Puvvada)

Your first sale probably won't (and shouldn't) be your membership

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Interested in becoming a How to Write for a Living sponsor? Just email hello@davidmcilroy.com for more info.

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Consider supporting How to Write for a Living!

Upgrade to our paid tier to unlock every benefit in our comprehensive membership package. Become a Sustaining Member for a bit extra and book up to three 1-to-1 coaching calls with yours truly. Check it out. 👇

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Some interesting thoughts from others:

• Week 16: 10 Phrases That Scream ‘AI Wrote This!’ — Even When It Didn’t by

  Tan Rosado

• Is her writing worth more than a Netflix subscription? by

  Noor Rahman

• Chasing Views Won’t Make You Successful—But This Will by

  Matt Lillywhite

• Discover the 7 Essential Steps That Transformed My Newsletter into a Substack Bestseller in Just 45 Days by

  Deni Sahaya

• the worst thing to be on substack is a substacker by

  Ochuko Akpovbovbo

• The LinkedIn-Substack Flywheel: How to 10X Your Newsletter Subscribers by

  Wes Pearce

• “There Are No Silver Bullets”: Financial Advice for Substack Creators by

  Amanda B. Hinton

• 30 Valuable Lessons Every Digital Writer Should Know Before They Start by

  Khadejah J

• Escaping the productivity trap. How working less helps you get more done. by

  Benjamin Antoine

• I'm a full time writer, let's talk about my finances. by

  Amie McNee

• Struggling to Niche Down? Try Niching Wide. by

  Dave Kang

• Lessons after 6 weeks on Substack by

  Carly Janes

• The Idea of “Deep Work” Is Great, But… by

  Tim J. Schröder

• "I don't know what to write about" by

  Astrid Bracke

Contributions from our Paid Members:

• Writing Away Worries: How Active Journaling Helps With Letting Go by

  Matt Tomporowski

• Try This Helpful Grief Tip And See What Happens by

  Jennifer Hacker

• The Power Of The Story by

  Heléna Kurçab

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A good video:

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A good note:

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Thanks for being here this morning, my friend. ☕

Here’s this week’s poll:

Feel free to share this post if you found it useful/interesting.

Have a restful Saturday! 😊

PS. You can read all previous editions of Saturday Morning Coffee here.

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Table of Contents [Start Here]

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What others are saying about How to Write for a Living:

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📣 Want to support this publication + get more eyes on your brand? Become a How to Write for a Living sponsor. Email hello@davidmcilroy.com for more info.