DEEP DIVE

My first client screamed at me for spelling their name wrong in a Facebook ad.

It's because of something I've been insecure about forever: I'm dyslexic.

• I can't write a paragraph without spell check.

• I lost my first job because I couldn't type in front of my boss.

• I failed high school English. Every vocabulary test was a nightmare.

• Almost every newsletter I've sent to tens of thousands of people has typos.

It’s embarrassing. Every writing task is a struggle.

But, it hasn't stopped me from building a $2M+ per year business on the back of written words.

It feels crazy saying that, but it’s true.

• 100,000+ people have read my content on social media.

• 1,000+ people have sent me money because of stuff I write.

• 39,856 people subscribe to my newsletter to read my words.

My entire career is built on one skill: Copywriting. It's a strange skill for someone who can't read or write correctly.

But my weakness is a strength: I'm forced to write simple, persuasive words.

So if you're insecure about writing and grammar, don't let it stop you from publishing.

You can write useful stuff even if you feel like a “bad writer".

I do. Yet because my content is valuable people overlook the occasional typo.

Here’s how…

12 rules for writing useful stuff

1) Read fiction

To write well, read authors who write like they speak.

Read these authors for 5+ hours per week and you’ll become a better writer without even trying.

• Hunter S. Thompson

• Charles Bukowski

• Chuck Palahniuk

• Denis Johnson

2) Publish

You don’t get better by writing, you get better by publishing.

Publish consistently. It’s the only way to find out what people love, hate, and ignore.

And don’t just publish a newsletter. Early on, it’s easy to hide behind a newsletter or blog that no one reads.

Publish once. Repurpose everywhere. Post on Twitter, LinkedIn, Medium, and communities. Get eyeballs on your words.

3) Swipe

Find great writers. Create a spreadsheet with 10+ writers to swipe from. Add a link to their newsletter, blog, social accounts, best posts, ideas, and hooks.

Take their best stuff and apply it to what you do. But make it different or better.

There's a difference between swiping and stealing.

• Swiping = using content as inspiration

• Stealing = copying word for word

Do it the right way.

4) Study copywriting and persuasion

Read these books in this order. Then re-read them.

After that, you'll know more about how to write words that sell than 99.9% of people.

• Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion

• How to Win Friends and Influence People

• Scientific Advertising

• The Boron Letters

• Ogilvy on Advertising

• The One Sentence Persuasion Course

• Breakthrough Advertising

• The 16 Word Sales Letter

• Expert Secrets

• Great Leads

5) Write for one person

Seriously, just one. It could be a friend, client, employee, reader you know, or your past self (use different people as needed).

Do this, and you’ll solve that person’s specific problem.

What is personal is universal. The problems that person has are problems most of your readers will have too.

6) Do stuff

Do something or learn about something interesting. Then write about it.

It’s harder, but it always works. Your writing will be based on real word experience.

7) Have good taste

Be opinionated. People read for your take. Don’t be afraid to share it.

Nobody cares about the things you don’t have strong opinions on.

When picking what to write or curate, use your gut. If it's important, share it. If not, discard it even if everyone else is talking about it.

8) Don't hit publish unless you’re afraid

I learned this from James Altucher:

“If you are not afraid of what you are about to put in the world, then chances are it’s been said or written before. When you take chances, even if they don’t work out, you are starting to build your real voice.”

I was afraid to publish all of my most viewed content. This rule never failed me.

And yes, this means your writing will be controversial. That’s a good thing.

9) Think about how people feel after they read it

My goal with every newsletter is to make readers feel like they learned one actionable thing they can use to grow their business. One golden nugget.

That’s why I have multiple curations and an article in each newsletter.

If my article flops, hopefully, there's still one valuable curated link. If readers walk away with value, they'll come back.

10) Beg for feedback

The only way to know your writing is good is when people tell you.

Don’t expect feedback to magically appear, ask for it.

• Every newsletter should have a poll

• Nearly every newsletter should ask readers to reply

• Send a survey with 5-10 multiple-choice questions quarterly

• Set up a call with readers who reply and respond to surveys

• Ask readers what they need help with. Then write content in response to that reader's question or problem.

11) Become an idea machine

Every day write down 10 content ideas.

It doesn't matter if the ideas suck. Write them anyway. Do it with pen and paper. This builds your idea muscle. If you don’t, your idea muscle shrinks.

Make it a daily habit. Eventually, the good ideas will come.

Showers and long walks help bring them out.

Save the good ones digitally with Notion, Apple Notes, or a similar tool. Soon, you'll have more content ideas than time to write them.

12) Edit

Put all your writing into Grammarly and ChatGPT to check for typos and clarification.

If you’re dyslexic like me, this is a must.

Then if you can, sleep on it. Wake up the next day. Drink coffee. Edit and remove every word and sentence that isn’t needed.

Finally, read your writing out loud. Does it sound like your speak? Does it flow? Which parts do you get hung up on? Fix those. Then publish.

That’s it

Good writing is hard. But applies to everything in your business and life: Thinking, speaking, marketing, sales, and more.

Don’t let insecurities stop you.

If you have something important to share, you are a writer.