os.me Digest: Blog$

Hello!

Every third Wednesday of the month, our editorial post comes packed with tips, advice, and tools to assist the writers amongst us. You can read about it below or skip to Transformative Ideas.

Today, we reached out to Amardeep S Parmar — one of the top Medium writers and founder of Mindful & Driven. He is also a star blogger at os.me — a spiritual platform for seekers from all walks of life.

UK blogger Amardeep S Parmar quit his full-time tech job within 15 months of writing his first Medium article. Evidently, he knows what many others want to know — how to crack a blogging career! He has carved out a sustainable content career, which includes writing gigs, coaching, mentoring and podcasting. 

How can one monetise one’s blog? “I recently posted about how I made my first $100k online, and for me about half was through income directly from platforms such as os.me. I would tell other writers that they should treat me like an anomaly!” says Amardeep, who holds a degree in Economics and has Bank of England on his resume.

He suggests focussing on expertise and building a solid email list. “When I coach people, I teach them to see the income directly from a platform as a bonus. What you should really be thinking about is what is your area of expertise? Consider the blog as simply the way to connect with people who are willing to pay for your expertise. The crucial thing early on is to get your audience onto an email list. This means when you release products or services, you can market them directly to the people who have already shown interest in you! Your blog should be a beacon to attract people who would buy your courses, e-books, or coaching. My income breakdown now is much more heavily tilted toward client work who all found me because of my writing,” says Amardeep, who is very open about his revenue streams. 

He shares that blogging for various platforms makes for 50% of his income. 20% of the cash in-flow is from offering services such as coaching, guesting, editing, marketing, and project management. He takes up freelancing/ghostwriting for tech start-ups which makes for another 15%. Besides that, he has crafted several digital courses. Those and his newsletter, which is for paying readers, add about 10%. Then some affiliates add about 2% to his wallet. 

Well, all this looks amazing. But it takes time to reach to the first $100K. The readership might not be bright either. The motivation might be found wanting. What would you say to someone just starting out? “If you’re only writing because you want to go viral then I’d advise you to give up now. Save yourself the heartache and save others from having to read your inauthentic work. To truly succeed as an online writer or blogger you have to enjoy the process itself rather than be led by the numbers.

“My first ever article went viral and has over 100,000 views. My next twenty articles combined didn’t reach that milestone. Yet I loved learning about how to improve as a writer and how I could better add value to my readers. It paid off and set off a purple streak that allowed me to quit my job and become a full-time writer. In the end, those who only write for numbers will fade away and those who write for joy will win,” he says. 

“The secret to my success is I started believing no one would ever read my work. I was amazed when people did and felt grateful rather than entitled. You should expect nobody to want to read your work at the beginning, but you should do it anyway to process your own thoughts. A few hundred years ago, to have one hundred people read your work was almost impossible, yet today, every one of us can potentially reach millions of people. This opportunity is incredible,” he says. 

And before he signs off, he reminds that the reader is never to be taken lightly. “Even if just one person reads your work and makes a positive change to their life, you’ve done yourself proud. Keep your sense of wonder and never take people’s attention for granted,” says Amardeep, who offers a very popular Anti-Burnout Toolkit for free. You could download it here.

If you know someone who would benefit from this post, please share it with them and introduce them to our fantastic Karma Program.

Further ahead, we have some amazing reads for you. Check out our weekly pick, but first a quote:

Quote for the Week

Transformative Ideas

When your Knight turns into a Nightmare: Everyone we encountered commented on how he always looked so in love when he looked at me… I was unaware of what was just over the horizon. Amanda writes about her tumultuous marriage, which left her bruised. She discovered she was married to a narcissist. Eventually, the toxicity started decreasing. But she had no time to enjoy this phase. She didn’t know, she was being moved from the devaluing stage to the discarded. He discarded her for her friend!  

The Learning Curve: Why do so few figure things very late in their lives? Most likely, they don’t have access to Raghu Om Nagaraj’s self-help insights. In this article, he jots down a few things to help one progress in every aspect of life. 

A ‘Bechara’ Abuser: It’s necessary to be kind to all, but it is absolutely essential to be kind to yourself first. Suguna Ganguly learnt it the hard way. She shares this personal anecdote.  

Beginning of an Obsession: Roma Tambaku’s son is obsessed with the idea of getting a pet dog. On the other hand, she is not enamoured with the prospect of owning one. Who would win?

On Satsanga: John Assaraf grew up in the streets. He transformed his life and became a multi-millionaire after landing a job at a gym close to his house. Prahalad Rajkumar says satsanga can change your life. He dives deeper into greater detail about what it means and how it operates.

Responsibility: Since we are born in certain families, we are bestowed with some gifts (past karma credits) and loaded with some duties (karmic debts). While it is our responsibility to be helpful to others, it shouldn’t become a dependency for them. Ashish Sharma explains the art of striking the fine balance between the two. 

Self-love for a More Meaningful Life: We often hear that self-love is the beginning of a fulfilled life. However, it doesn’t come naturally to many. Divya GV walks us through this step-by-step plan to help us become the subject of our affection and kindness. It is pretty useful. 

As if It’s Their Last: Hritvik Chaturvedi caught up with a school friend after a long time. While browsing through old photos, his friend choked up. One of their classmates succumbed to leukaemia. The news left a profound impact on Hrithik. He feels it is not enough to live each day as if it’s your last; live it as if it is their last.  

Watch it Now!

Wisdom from Swamiji

The Chosen Path: How do we know what we want to do is our inner calling and not just a strong desire constantly talking in the head? Spiritual master Om Swami, who has authored more than 15 bestselling books, helps figure out. 

The Secret of Great Communication: Spiritual master Om Swami says there are three magic words that can take your communication skills to an entirely different level. Find out, now!

Well, that should be enough to keep you occupied for the rest of the week. Remember, our guest editor is reading your kindness blogs—the ones that are the most poignant, personal, and spiritual will make the cut for our upcoming Digest.

PS: Did you find it useful? Let me know in the comments. Someone you know would find this post helpful? Please forward it to them.