The #1 Key to Make More Money in Your Writing Business
By: Cindy Heath
Tags: Storytelling, Writing Tips, Creativity, Success, Writing

Have you ever had an idea for a story that you just couldn’t wait to write? You’re knowledgeable about the subject, and you do a masterful job sharing your enthusiasm with your reader.

But it bombs. Nobody reads it, claps for it, or pays you for it.

Let me tell you what probably happened.

My Personal Failure

Years ago, pursuing a lifelong dream, I started a kennel raising top quality German Shepherd dogs.

I had terrific dogs with bloodlines back to the breed’s foundations — imported from Germany, Belgium, and Czechoslovakia. The dogs had the best training, conformation, and health.

I carefully raised each puppy with the most up-to-date, scientific methods, and socialized them to my exacting standards.

On my website, I had their parents’ pedigrees and photos, yet, I was struggling to sell my pups.

I’d invested all my money and I was getting desperate.

Looking for help, I met a talented marketing expert who asked me this question, “Why should your customer care?”

He explained that we all share five core human drives or needs, and these motivate our behavior— including buying a dog.

I remember them as A through E:

A cquire- we all want material needs and power or status.

cquire- we all want material needs and power or status. B elong- humans need to be loved, valued, and understood by others.

elong- humans need to be loved, valued, and understood by others. C uriosity- people are curious and enjoy learning.

uriosity- people are curious and enjoy learning. D efense- we will protect ourselves, our loved ones, and our property.

efense- we will protect ourselves, our loved ones, and our property. Emotion- humans crave experiences that produce pleasure and excitement.

This expert suggested that on my updated website, I should explain why my dogs’ genetics would result in a superior puppy, better than the ordinary German Shepherd.

He told me to detail how my dog training methods produced puppies they would be proud to own — reliable friends and protectors.

I posted copies of their parents’ hip x-rays and explained their diet, carefully formatted diet to prevent health problems.

Many photos illustrated the pups’ daily lives — socializing at the airport, playing with kittens and kids, preparing to join the family.

They were so cute. Who could resist? Especially with my 100% satisfaction guarantee.

Now I had a waiting list of people wanting puppies at three times the price!

Customers could imagine how proud they would be to own one of these fantastic dogs and see it fitting into their family. They could picture how comfortable they would be with a magnificent German Shepherd protecting their home.

I suspect they even imagined how superior they would feel, knowing they had an expensive dog with ties directly to Germany.

It was a lesson I try never to forget. My dogs and their care hadn’t changed. I had just put myself in my customer’s shoes and discovered their needs.

We can forget to ask, “Why should my reader care?”

Talking to other writers, I realized it’s easy to forget this prime directive, and wonder why no one is reading our work.

Each article, essay, or piece we write must fill the reader’s need, not our own.

It’s fine to write for yourself, but that is a journal. And few people are paid for sharing their diary entries.

Educate, Inspire, Entertain

These are the three primary purposes of writing. If a piece does none of these things, it’s unlikely anyone wants to read it.

Our writing can educate the reader by inspiring curiosity when we promise to share a tip on improving a skill. The person imagines they can make more money and buy the things they need, hitting the acquire need.

When we share a story of personal struggle, perhaps as tragic as a partner’s death, and our inspiring journey learning to love again, it matters. Our reader feels a sense of belonging, knowing we all suffer but there’s still hope.

And fiction, humor, and poetry can all entertain and inspire us.

At first, looking at your writing this way feels tough. However, it will soon become natural to you.

If it bleeds, it leads.

You’ve heard that old newspaper saying that means violence and tragedy are always top articles, and perhaps thought, “That is exploitative.”

I will not suggest you capitalize on tragedy but rather understand the truth behind that saying. We are interested in the experiences of other people, whether happy or sad.

Unless you are an academic, technical, or scientific writer, you need to include human stories in what you write. Writing styles change over time. We are in an era that favors creative nonfiction. This modern form combines elements of storytelling with facts, to educate and inform.

Even journalists, who in former times may have been content to answer who, what, when, and where — now delve into the why.

Why should the reader care?

Check out this theory and see if I’m right.

We know we’ve got to hook the reader with an intriguing headline for a relevant topic. Here are some popular stories from today; it’s easy to see how each one resounds with human needs.

I Spent 3 Weeks in School, With Kids, Under Covid-19

The private school where I teach followed CDC guidelines to the letter. Let this be a cautionary tale.

An Obsessive Misogynist Killed a New Jersey Judge’s Son. He’s Long Targeted Feminists, Too.

How many people have to die before we take sexism seriously?

How to Make Your First Twenty-Five Dollars as a Writer

The key is to think small.

Those Are Effective Topics.

The first article appeals to our need to defend or protect ourselves by knowing more about COVID-19.

The second article promises to inform us about an important news story, satisfying curiosity and suggesting the author understands the pain created by sexism.

The third article says it will tell writers how to begin making money, clearly an acquisition.

Of course, each article follows up with clear writing, proper formatting, and meeting the reader’s expectations.

Keep the principles of meeting basic needs in mind and you’ll be an effective and compelling writer—and more successful.