The Art and Business of Online Writing: How to Beat the Game of Capturing and Keeping Attention

by Nicolas Cole

This is why I tell everyone—whether you’re an aspiring author or the CEO of a public company—that before you do anything, before you write your book, before you launch your product, before you think about “positioning yourself,” you need to write online. Why? Writing online, first, reduces your risk: You will learn what people like and don’t like much faster, for free. Writing online, first, helps you find your voice: If you start paying attention to data, the way you write today will not be the way you write tomorrow. Writing online, first, builds your audience from day one: Instead of waiting until your bigger projects are ready to be shared, you will set yourself up for success from the very beginning. Writing online, first, will give you insight into what people want: This is what Mark Manson did that was so brilliant. He used the data from his blog to inform the title, structure, and concept for his book, The Subtle Art of Not Giving A F*ck.