Writer Career Paths

"There are only three career paths to make money as a writer. Work at a magazine or newspaper. Work in advertising. Or work at a coffee shop by day and on your novel at night."

That was the advice Nicolas Cole's college professor gave him upon graduating with a degree in creative writing in 2013.

But he didn't listen.

Over the past 10+ years, Nicolas Cole has generated more than $30 million as a writer by proving that writing can be monetized across a wide variety of business models, industries, and platforms. He has generated over $1 million monetizing his writing with SaaS, over $2 million with paid newsletters, over $5 million as a Ghostwriter, and over $10 million with high-ticket coaching programs. All by leveraging the same fundamental skill: the ability to write words people want to read.

So, can you make money writing?

Yes, but the career path you choose determines your earning potential.

That’s why some writers make millions of dollars per year, while others struggle to pay rent. Why Literary Fiction Writers win prestigious awards but live modest lives, while Genre Fiction Writers (who are often ridiculed by the literary elite) earn 10x, even 100x more. And why most writing programs fail to teach students the single most important skill: how to monetize your writing.

In this book, you will learn:

- The 9 Writer Career Paths, the writing skills you need to master each one, and which careers promise the highest earning potential. 

- What authors Colleen Hoover, Stephen King, and George Saunders all have in common, and why understanding the business model behind a writer’s career is more valuable than writing advice.

- The #1 mistake aspiring writers make when trying to build a writing career, the difference between writing for status versus writing for money, and how to sequence your career accordingly.

- The specific steps to start making money as a writer today, including case studies of writers earning 6-, 7-, and 8-figures across different specializations, realistic income expectations, time horizons, and business models for each path.

- Why AI is not going to kill writing careers, and how each of the 9 Writer Career Paths will be impacted differently, including which paths become more valuable as AI accelerates.

This book is business advice for writers. It explains the business of writing in the digital age, choosing a writing career path that aligns with your personal goals, and building a lucrative, sustainable writing career on your own terms. 

"If you make money writing words you enjoy—regardless of industry, business model, or genre—you've won. Don't let the legacy publishing world convince you otherwise."