How I Built A $50k Writing Business From Scratch Aged 51 (With Zero Experience)
3 dead simple steps anyone can use to find their dream life
This week, I’m delighted to share a guest post from my Substack friend Derek Hughes.
Derek went from zero to 30,000 followers in just two years, with no writing experience and no clue what he was doing. Now he’s the creator of The Irresistible Writer, where he helps others do the same.
Two years ago, I was stuck.
500 followers. Zero products. No plan. Just this vague, echoey ache whispering, You were meant for more than this. And right behind it? Doubt. Piles of it.
I was 51.
Too old to start online. No writing background. No business experience.
No clue. Everything screamed, Too late. Everything except one quiet voice that said: Try anyway.
So I did.
Now? I’ve passed 33,000 followers. I earn enough working a few hours a day to walk away from my 9–5. I get messages from people saying, “I’d love to get even half the success you’ve had.”
Which is wild. Because for years, I didn’t think I had anything special going for me.
What changed wasn’t magic. It was these three simple moves:
1. Pick a place to start
Pick one place to write. Not five. One.
Study it like an anthropologist. Watch what works. Notice who wins. Copy the patterns, then make them your own. Most new writers act like graffiti artists—spraying content across every wall they can find. It feels clever. But it only dilutes your voice.
Pick your spot. Plant your flag.
Stay put long enough to grow roots.
2. Build a library that earns trust
Writers obsess over being noticed while readers are craving help.
That’s why the “just go viral” myth is such a con. A clever post might get you attention for a day. But if it doesn’t solve a real problem, readers scroll on and forget you.
In two years, I wrote 600,000 words. That’s the equivalent of ten books—a library I own outright. But here’s the part that matters: it’s not just a pile of words. It’s a toolkit.
Here’s how I use it:
When coaching clients hit a wall, I pull answers straight from my archive.
When subscribers ask tricky questions, I reply with pieces that walk them through the fix.
When I run a live masterclass, I shape my best hits into a step-by-step guide.
Each word is a breadcrumb that helps someone move forward. Each breadcrumb builds trust. Reliability gets you remembered. Usefulness gets you followed. Together, they make you indispensable.
Readers don’t need promises. They need proof that you can help.
3. Turn frustration into a stampede
The comments section is your focus group.
Your audience is literally telling you what to sell. Look at what they say, like or share.
Mine kept saying:
“I’m losing motivation. No one’s reading me.”
“I want more readers—but I’m failing.”
I only had 585 subscribers. But I knew how to solve this. So I built a headline course. Nothing fancy. Just tested frameworks and templates from my best-performing posts.
Month one: $2,500.
That blew me away. Later, I ran a Substack Growth Cohort. Six Zoom sessions. Same principle: solve the exact problem my readers were screaming about. That made $6,250. A $1000/ hour of teaching. Crazy I know!
When you solve their loudest problem, they stampede.
This is the part I want you to hear:
If you feel invisible, late to the game, or not “special” enough. Your story isn’t over. The only way to prove yourself wrong is to start. Because what looks impossible right now can turn into a business, a following, and a life you didn’t think you were allowed to have.
I’m living proof.
Want to see how your ideas can start paying the bills? I’m giving you free access to my masterclass: 3 Secrets to Creating a Digital Product. It’s how I made $37,000. And shows you exactly how to turn what’s in your head into income in your bank.
This post has given me some great ideas about how to gain more subscribers. And it came with a gift attached. I have to recommend this.