The One "Secret" Step Writers Must Take To Exploit AI
And how I got it all so badly wrong at the start!
I see so many struggling writers toil away for years with very little to show for their efforts.
I was as guilty as anyone at the start of my writing career, and when I look back now, I truly regret the time I wasted.
Look, let’s be straight. If you’re writing for pure enjoyment, and you don’t need to earn a cent, then this post probably isn’t for you.
If you have bills to pay, take a minute or two and read on - I promise It’ll be worth your time.
Let me explain.
The problem I had with writing
It’s no secret there’s money to be made in writing.
The problem is identifying where the profits lie and how to tap into that seam of writing gold.
You can spend months or even years spinning your wheels, trying to figure out how to create an income with your words.
Initially, I was clueless; I admit that now.
I read a bit, strung a few clever words together, and thought I had it waxed.
Yep, I was that naive.
I wasn’t sure how I could make money with my writing, but I assumed people would naturally recognise my brilliance and come to me.
Come to think of it, I was naive, verging on delusional.
I’m coming to AI in a moment, but first a reality check…
The cold, hard truth about traditional authors
It’s an uncomfortable reality that most traditional authors don’t earn a significant income from their writing. Here are some real numbers:
Low Median Incomes: The general trend of low median incomes for authors remains consistent, with a median gross pre-tax income from books of $2,000. For all author-related income, the median is about $5,000. While there might be slight fluctuations, a dramatic increase across the board is unlikely. (Author’s Guild)
Full-Time Authors Struggle: Even for those who consider themselves full-time authors, the median book income is $10,000, with total author-related earnings of $20,000. This places many below a livable wage in many regions.
Income Disparity is Extreme: A small percentage of highly successful authors continue to earn the vast majority of income. The "winner-takes-all" dynamic is still very much in play. The top 10% of authors earn a median book income of around $275,000, while the bottom 50% earn a median of $1,300.
And there I was, thinking I was going to write the next bestseller, yep how dumb was I!
But, fortunately, it’s not all doom and gloom.
Copywriters & AI
Just as I was getting nowhere and about to drown in a sea of despair, I stumbled into copywriting.
There was no AI at the time, and that’s what makes copywriting so much easier nowadays.
There’s a subtle “gotcha” with AI that I’ll come to in just a second.
But first, let’s compare the numbers for copywriting with traditional authors.
A recent survey indicates:
42% of freelance writers and copywriters earn up to $5,000/month.
30% earn up to $2,000/month.
21% make between $5,000 - $10,000/month.
With bills to pay every month, copywriting looks like a much better bet than traditional authorship, right?
Now let’s get to the “Secret Step” I promised you and how it helps you avoid that dreaded AI trap.
You can read about swimming, but…
With AI at your fingertips, the temptation is to dive straight in and ask AI to do all the work - write me an email, write me a landing page, write me a blog post…but therein lies disaster.
AI can’t replace your ability to persuade and the subtle nuances of a human copywriter, no way. That’s where your true value as a writer comes in.
But there’s more.
If you don’t understand the basics of copywriting, how can you possibly guide AI in the right direction, and how do you know it isn’t producing crap that will never convince or convert?
You can read about swimming, study all the different strokes, but if you jump in the deep end without mastering basic skills, you WILL drown.
So, what is the minimum skill set you should master as a copywriter?
Learn how to write a SALES PAGE.
Why a sales page is your MVP
I’ve been asked many times what I suggest is the most important thing to learn in copywriting, and I thought long and hard about the answer.
Learn how to write a persuasive sales page first - that’s your MVP or minimum viable product.
If you learn the techniques to craft a convincing sales page, you’ve pretty much got a handle on 80% of the skills you need to be a copywriter.
Plus, a sales page is one of the most lucrative jobs you can take on. $1,000 per page, $1,500 per page, even $5,000 per page - none of these numbers are outrageous or even unusual in the copywriting world.
When you get confident with this one skill, the whole world of copywriting opens up to you.
Of course, you’ll naturally supplement your basic skill set as you progress.
The ability to write a sales page well is the one “secret step” you can take to exploit AI to the full - and also keep it in check, making sure it stays on the right track.
There you go - I hope this helps you get your head around copywriting, and what it takes to get started the right way.
Les