Have you ever stayed awake at night thinking about the writing secrets you wish you knew before you got yourself into trouble?

What if I say writing can be your high-paying career? Do you think it’s possible to earn $100,000 annually, especially for a non-native speaker? Are you willing to incorporate my advice into your writing journey? 

These are some of the questions I want to ask you before we proceed. I know you are doubtful whether what I say is true. You might be wondering if a non-native speaker can earn that much.

Seven years ago, I was in your position. I didn’t know what to do, although I was aware that working-at-home writing online would provide me enough income.

The problem was, I didn’t know the writing secrets or was aware of The Secret Writing Code most successful writers uphold.

Not until that moment I realized that tweaking a few things changed my life. And that’s the same wish I have for you right now. I do, which is why I came up with this topic today.

I want you to know about the 10 writing secrets you should know that could save your ass a lot. Are you ready? Let’s start.

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The 10 Writing Secrets You Should Know

1. Writing is a learned skill.
2. It doesn’t need a genius to produce good writing.
3. Your writing obsession will keep you going.
4. Always target emotional connection.
5. Turn readers into active participants.
6. Writing requires effective storytelling skills.
7. Flexibility is the key to writing success.
8. Never be afraid to show your vulnerability.
9. Writing is a high-paying career. 
10. Blogging is the key to leveraging a writer’s reputation.

1. Writing is a learned skill.

How confident are you with your writing skills as a non-native speaker? Let’s admit it. It is tough, right?

It is true for most non-native speakers. English isn’t our mother tongue, which may become a disadvantage. Unless you are willing to sharpen your writing skills, you will remain in the shadows, my friend.

In a sea of great writers online, nobody could deny the existing fierce competition in the marketplace. Can’t you tell the vibe when you apply for jobs on Upwork or Onlinejobs.ph, can you?

I did. I even needed to spend around $13 for connects from 11 to 81 to increase my chances of getting work.

In the end, I gambled 70 connects. Yet, I had no success because most clients tend to stay away from non-native speakers. True.

Although I am a non-native speaker, I feel blessed to work with a client willing to pay high for my services. Honestly, it gave me a sense of confidence, especially in my writing style.

2. It doesn’t need a genius to produce good writing.

Come on. You don’t need William Shakespeare to write good prose. You don’t have to be at the same level as Stephen King to prove your worth as a writer— even as a non-native speaker.

As I said earlier, it only requires consistent practice to hone this craft. Depending on how much you wanted to become the best writer in the marketplace, the results will never lie.

Like you, I started as a terrible writer. Though I had an English major in a university, it wasn’t attractive to most editors who were native speakers.

They thought I would quit this career after all the discouraging comments I received from them. I never did.

Can you imagine waking up in the morning to work, and the first thing you receive is hurtful comments from various “great writers” online?

If you like to improve your writing and become more attractive to clients, get access to my EXCLUSIVE library, and download your free copies of my eBooks.

3. Your writing obsession will keep you going.

You will fail as a writer if you aren’t willing to give 100% to your work.

If you’re like everybody else, you will never see the real power of writing when you only see it as a way to make money than as a lifetime vocation.

Let me tell you this to give you a sort of inspiration. I did a terrible job when I began my career. My income was enough to convince myself I was that bad.

I realized that as I began to pour my soul into it, my income also grew. 7 years ago, I barely earned $50.

Now, I got my first $2,500 income in one month from freelance writing. The rest is history.

4. Always target emotional connection.

It is the secret most successful writers know. When they write, they always think as if they are talking with a friend. They know how to build a heartfelt conversation with their readers, whoever they are.

You know, we live in a complex society. Over the years, we have become less human than we are, thousands, if not millions, years ago. We are slowly losing our values, as well as being human even in ourselves.

We lost connection with others, our world, and ourselves, as the new generation becomes more apathetic and narcissistic. Therefore, showing our sense of purity tends to be highly valued.

When our readers feel the emotions in our writing, the more they want to connect with us. And the more they feel heard, the more they like to stay and follow you. Are you getting my point?

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5. Turn readers into active participants.

Do you think you already have what it takes to become the best writer? If you think you are, I challenge you to turn your readers into active participants in whatever you are writing today.

How do you measure that?

There are two ways to measure it, depending on your status. First, check your Google Analytics if you own a website. Second, put yourself as a reader and evaluate your content. Is it good enough?

For writers who own websites

If you have a website, I suggest you go to your Google Analytics and see your bounce rates and the estimated time your readers stay on your page.

What have you observed? Did the metrics increase in value or the other way around? Did your site traffic and engagement with your audience improve or not?

For writers who have no websites

If you are on a tight budget and cannot afford to own a website, you could take advantage of Medium, a free online platform designed for writers.

You can sign-up and apply for their Partner Program, which is good to monetize your published articles. See if your country is eligible for the program.

6. Writing requires effective storytelling skills.

Do you write your diary or journal entries incomprehensibly? I don’t think so. Did you happen to read Anne Frank’s diary entries hard to understand?

I know most of us can relate wherein we try to make sense of everything, such an event—both inspiring and disturbing—to comprehend the whole picture. If you are an INFJ like me, you can attest to that, can’t you?

Even when you’re crying and disturbed by a specific event, you still try to scribble several words to describe how it started, why it occurred, and your feelings or thoughts about it. Am I right?

I consider it a must for a writer to scribble a comprehensible narrative. It is every writer’s responsibility to write something that others can understand.

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7. Flexibility is the key to writing success.

Nowadays, flexibility is a need for writers if one wants to monetize it. Let’s say you want to make a side income online by offering writing services. It’s impossible if you stick with a personal blogging format.

You would likely adjust the tone to sound more professional than how you usually write. It happened to me when I began my writing career back in 2014.

I know how difficult it would be to make drastic changes overnight, though. Like every learning process, it takes time to be comfortable with the new writing tone and style.

At times, it gets more confusing when you work on two different tones. I swear. It happened to me many times until now. Yet, as much as you want don’t want to do it, that is not working. So, my advice is, accept the reality.

If you only want to share your thoughts using freewriting, you can take advantage of Medium to publish them and get paid as well.

If you want to offer writing services to clients, you have to consider a more professional tone. So brevity and concise articles are keys when tailoring content for their respective audiences.

Suggested Post: 35 Types of Content Every Writer Should Know + Examples

8. Never be afraid to show your vulnerability.

Let’s be honest. You cannot write something or about anything without a single percent of yourself in it. You need to have experiences and personal opinions to come up with an article or a blog post.

Whatever you are writing right now, you admit that every word you said is from you. Be it an editorial or a guest post. It is inevitable for readers not to assume that.

And it is agreeable to all writers out there. It’s impossible to come up with a write-up without sharing your side to it, isn’t it? Otherwise, writing will be very tough if you are unwilling to be vulnerable.

Your readers will feel it, too. And they don’t like that. The more you become personal and open with them, the more they stick with you and follow you.

Why? Because they understand how rare it is to find someone who’s real and honest nowadays, especially for writers.

9. Writing is a high-paying career.

Yes, writing can be a high-paying career. In my previous post, I revealed a writer’s average annual income worth almost $100,000. Can you imagine how many writers could live a better life just by writing?

Unfortunately, it is not the case for most writers, especially for non-native speakers. Most of us tend to get stuck in frustrating situations where we feel like we are underpaid. Our gut feelings tell us right. We are underpaid.

So, how to change that?

Firstly, I suggest finding your writing voice. Don’t tell me you have no writing style because I believe every writer has one. It is just that we are afraid to let it out.

Secondly, have more writing portfolio. You can contribute several guest posts on reputable websites related to your niche or publish articles on Medium or LinkedIn via Pulse for free.

You have a lot of options, my friend. It is up to you and your willingness to go through this stretch to make writing a lucrative income source.

Thirdly, see yourself differently as a writer. If you lack self-confidence, approaching prospective high-paying clients will be more challenging than you imagine. Trust me.

Do you get what I am saying?

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10. Blogging is the key to leveraging a writer’s reputation.

There’s no doubt that blogging is the key you’re waiting for to leverage your reputation as a writer.

Take a look at Elna Cain and Jonathan Morrow, to name a few. They are among the well-known freelance writers who recognize the power of blogging in their careers.

I have the same experience, too. When I had no blog with my name on it, I barely get a few bucks from writing. But my life changed when I overcame my impostor’s syndrome and went with it.

I bought a web hosting package and operated my website. It didn’t take long when I got hired as a content writer with a $500/month salary. It wasn’t for me possible without a blog at all.

If you aren’t convinced this works yet, just a month ago, I earned $2,500 from my first very high-paying client, as I mentioned earlier. How cool is that? 

At this point, do you still doubt blogging does help in increasing your authority as a writer? 

Conclusion – How Are You Going To Apply The Writing Secrets?

Now, it is your turn, my friend.

I did my best to share the top 10 writing secrets I know will help your writing career. You will see writing from a different perspective as you did before you stumbled upon this post. 

For your information, everything I wrote here is from my personal experience. I learned these things both during my ups and downs in my writing journey. 

That is why I want to share them with you to prevent yourself from getting stuck or feeling frustrated. Your success is my all-time wish in the past 3 years since I started this blog. And I will continue to do so. 

How about you? How is your writing going? 

Let me know your thoughts about the post in the comment section below. 🙂

If you have something to share, feel free to leave them there, too. I love reading your thoughts, my friend. 

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