Money or Followers? What Matters More?
By: Kern Carter
Tags: Life Lessons, Freelancing, Money, Writing, Writing Tips

A writer’s dilemma.

Image by: Krystasia Carter

By the time March is over, I would’ve made more money than I ever have in a single month. In the same breath, I still don’t have over a thousand followers on any single social media platform (Linkedin not included).

What does that mean? On one hand, I’m excited. This is what most people dream of: to do what they love and get paid for it. Very well, in my case. So from that perspective, I’m literally living my dream.

Part of my dream, I should say. Because on the other side of the grass, my dream is to touch the world with my writing. There’s a lot of people in the world, and if you add up everyone who reads my books and articles, I’m really only speaking to a remote town in the distant parts of Northern Ontario.

And I’m so thankful for that. I still have vivid memories of not having any fans at all. I remember blogging and then checking my Google analytics to see 1 reader. 1 damn reader. So the fact that thousands of people are interested in the words that I put together is still incomprehensible to me.

But it’s not enough. I’d be lying to myself if I said that I’m satisfied. Of course I’ll take the money. I’ve worked tirelessly to solidify my reputation as a writer who can deliver content in nearly any form and do so at a high level. I study the craft of writing and anyone who comes to me knows they’re getting the best. I’m proud of that.

I’m also proud of the fact that I am a single father taking care of a teenage girl who gets more expensive every year. She’d laugh if she read that last line, and tell me that she’s not that bad, her obsession with gold accessories not withstanding. Seriously, though, being able to provide for her is one of my greatest achievements. Not just monetarily, but being there emotionally is something that’s been even more important.

That said, I want more. I want to touch more people. Millions more people. I want to grow from touching small towns to cities, cities to countries, countries to entire continents and cultures. I have no idea what kind of work that will take. My logical mind tells me that it’s daunting, but my heart tells me it’s possible; probable, even.

So where does that leave me? Should I just shut up and be thankful that I can afford to live in an apartment on the cool side of town and provide for myself and my daughter? Should I smile because I’m now considered upper-middle class getting taxed out the ass?

Maybe. But, you guys know me by now. I’m going to keep pushing. Then push some more. And why not? I’ve gotten this far. I’ve made my way from not knowing where my next dollar is coming from to budgeting every dollar I have. I’ve come from no one reading my work to putting out two books and writing for some pretty dope publications. There’s really no reason for me to stop now. Especially when I’m just starting to roll.

How Am I Making Money Without Followers?

Um, I guess I should answer this question before wrapping up this piece. I do plan on writing a more exhaustive explanation, but I’ll give you the short version for now.

Be good — Being great is even better. Average writers make average money. Maybe in the short term you can get away with mediocrity, but it will always catch up to you. Plus, you can charge a premium for premium content. Let people know — I get a lot of clients just from sharing what I do. I post to social media, talk to my friends about my writing, and bring it up in conversation when meeting new people. If people don’t know what you do, they won’t ask for your help. Let other people do the work — OK, that sounds terrible, but let me explain. I’m not a big sales person, but I know other people who are. I’m connected to agencies and writing groups who find work for me. The contract I’m on now was through an agency, and it’s a big one. Know your weaknesses and work around them.

These are just some high level strategies that have nothing to do with how many followers you have. In the social media world, followers is currency. In the real world, it’s a bit more tricky. But that’s another post.

CRY