Success as a writer depends almost entirely on having a critical mass of people who want to read what you write.A good general principle is not to try to sell anything (including writing a book) until you have 5000 regular readers. If that sounds like a lot, it should! Getting 5000 people to read your writing consistently isn’t easy—but it shows that you have something people are interested in. That’s why building your audience should be your priority.

Your Audience is Your Most Valuable Asset

Most writing will never be read by anyone. Of what remains, the vast majority will stay confined to the narrow corner of the internet they were birthed into.But a few pieces will travel widely. It only takes a few such pieces to build a career.

Look for Extreme Bets

Emulate the writing you enjoy reading. There are two reasons for this:<ul><li>First, it’s next-to-impossible to write well in a style you don’t enjoy. A good piece to write is something you would choose to read.</li><li>Second, imitation can be a starting point for creative success.</li></ul>

 Write What You Like to Read

Success as a writer means navigating the ever-changing sea of systems, social media networks, and outlets people use to find success. While marketing alone won’t make you successful as a writer, it’s also true that an absence of this knowledge can be fatal.

Don’t Write Alone

Two factors influence this insecurity. <ul><li>The first is that your taste inevitably outstrips your ability. You can always appreciate writing that is better, smarter, more thorough and incisive than your own. You get better as a writer—but improve even more as a reader. The confidence gap widens, even as your absolute abilities grow.</li><li>The second factor is that there is no end to mastery. You can always learn more about a topic.</li></ul>

 You May Never Feel “Smart Enough”

It is rare to achieve success solely from writing.However, writing can be a good tool for leveraging other opportunities. Sometimes that means landing a more prestigious job, getting on a cool start-up, or just meeting cool people. Being an engineer, accountant, or manager who also writes well is a powerful combo.

Use Writing to Build Indirect Opportunities

Many writers obsess over their style when they haven’t produced enough to have one yet.One hundred essays is probably a good benchmark to hit before worrying about whether what you’re writing is good or not. Writing this much will also get you over your inhibitions about putting thought into text.

Don’t Worry About Quality Until You’ve Written 100 Essays

I’ve been writing full-time for over a decade. Here are the things I wish someone told me when I was starting out.

Use Writing to Build Indirect Opportunities

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