Coffee With Cole: The Digital Writing Podcast

Episode: How Writers Make Their Millions

Host: Nicolas Cole

Date: February 25, 2026

Episode Overview

In this episode, Nicolas Cole dispels common myths about how writers achieve financial success and shares his personal journey from confusion and missteps to finally understanding the strategy behind millionaire writers. Drawing examples from industry giants like James Clear, Ryan Holiday, James Patterson, and J.K. Rowling, Cole reveals the real secret: becoming known for a niche you own and committing to it over time. This focused approach, he argues, is the true and repeatable path to building wealth through writing.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Misconceptions About Wealth as a Writer

[00:00-01:30]
- Cole recounts his early misconceptions about making money as a writer:
  - Simply declaring, “I want to get rich from my writing,” doesn’t work.
  - Working harder or writing more than everyone else is not the magic solution.
  "The first misunderstanding is that you don't make a million dollars as a writer by saying you want to make a million dollars as a writer. That's the wrong goal." – Nicolas Cole (00:03)

2. The Illusion of Creative Freedom

[01:30-03:00]
- Many aspiring writers (including Cole in his early days) bounce between topics/platforms for “creative freedom”—writing about fiction here, mystery there, then fantasy, and content writing elsewhere.
- This leads to a lack of momentum and prevents any real compounding of attention, audience, or revenue.
  
  “When you bounce around like this, you make it impossible for compounding to happen.” – Nicolas Cole (02:32)

3. The Power of Owning a Niche

[03:00-07:00]
- Contrasting Writer A (the generalist) with Writer B (the specialist), Cole highlights writers who pick, own, and stick with one niche—using Ryan Holiday's focus on Stoicism as a core example.
- All content (tweets, newsletters, books, products) revolves around the same subject.
- This repetition is what makes writers massively successful over time.
  
  “You have to become known for a niche you own, and you have to commit to that niche for a prolonged period of time.” – Nicolas Cole (04:12)

4. Cole’s Personal Journey & Application

[07:00-09:30]
- Cole applied the same principle to digital writing—everything he produces is about digital writing.
- Over nearly a decade of single-minded focus, he’s generated tens of millions of dollars.
- Success comes not from “manifesting” wealth or sheer output, but from long-term commitment to his chosen niche.
  
  “As a result, I've generated tens of millions of dollars from my writing. Not because I wrote down this goal in my journal and manifested it every morning. Not because I wrote more words than the next person … but because I've committed to a niche for a long time. Almost a decade at this point.” – Nicolas Cole (08:44)

5. Debunking Objections to Niching Down

[09:30-11:30]
- Cole addresses common fears:
  - “My niche is too small.”
  - “My niche is too saturated.”
  - “I have too many interests.”
  - “Niching down will kill my creativity.”
- He dismisses them as self-sabotaging excuses that delay true progress.
  
  “All of these are just really clever ways that you’ve tricked yourself into thinking to postpone taking action. And even worse, they are the opposite of the winning strategy.” – Nicolas Cole (11:00)

Actionable Takeaway

Pick a niche, commit to it for at least five years, and let compounding happen. That is how every successful writer has made their millions.
– Nicolas Cole (11:18)

Notable Quotes

“The first misunderstanding is that you don't make a million dollars as a writer by saying you want to make a million dollars as a writer. That's the wrong goal.” (00:03)
“When you bounce around like this, you make it impossible for compounding to happen.” (02:32)
“You have to become known for a niche you own, and you have to commit to that niche for a prolonged period of time.” (04:12)
“All of these are just really clever ways that you’ve tricked yourself into thinking to postpone taking action.” (11:00)
“Pick a niche, commit to it for at least five years, and let compounding happen. That is how every successful writer has made their millions.” (11:18)

Timestamps for Important Segments

00:00–01:30: Cole’s myths about wealth as a writer
01:30–03:00: The creative freedom trap
03:00–07:00: The model of sticking to a niche
07:00–09:30: Cole's personal results
09:30–11:30: Overcoming fears and objections
11:18: The core prescription: pick, commit, compound

Summary

This episode is essential listening for aspiring writers who dream of building a lucrative career. Nicolas Cole lays out—in practical, honest terms—the importance of selecting a niche and relentlessly building authority and products around it. The path to millions isn’t about wanting, wishing, or wild output; it’s about focus, patience, and the long game.

Transcript

A (0:00)

I didn't understand how to make a million dollars as a writer for a very, very long time. And the first misunderstanding is that you don't make a million dollars as a writer by saying you want to make a million dollars as a writer. That's the wrong goal. Let me walk you through how I used to think this worked. So, level one, when I graduated from Columbia College Chicago with a degree in creative writing, I thought, the way I get rich as a writer is by writing down in my journal. I want to get rich from my writing. That is wrong. Level 2. Then, after a few years of getting humbled in the real world, working as a copywriter at an ad agency, I thought, oh, now I get it. The way I get rich as a writer is by working really, really hard and writing more words than anyone ever was. Wrong again. Which led to level three. It has taken me a very long time to realize that the highest paid writers in the world aren't rich because they wrote down in their journals. I want to get rich. And. And they also didn't get rich by just writing a gazillion words. How did James Clear, the author of Atomic Habits, make millions of dollars? How did Ryan Holiday, the author of the Obstacle Is the Way, make millions of dollars? How did James Patterson and J.K. rowling become billionaires? Seven words become known for a niche you own? Let me show you a simple example. Here's what most aspiring writers do, myself included. I made this mistake for years. Writer A says, I want creative freedom. I want to be able to write anything. So what they do is they tweet about fiction writing, but they make tiktoks about mystery and thriller writing. But their first novel is a fantasy novel, and their newsletter is about how to land content writing gigs on upwork. You see the problem? When you bounce around like this, you make it impossible for compounding to happen. Now, let's compare writer A to writer B. Writer B doesn't bounce around. Instead, Writer B commits to a niche for a prolonged period of time. They tweet about stoicism. Their newsletter is about stoicism. Their podcast is about stoicism. Their digital products are about stoicism. And every time they write a book, guess what it's about. It's about stoicism. If you want to know how a writer like Ryan Holiday has generated tens of millions of dollars, this is the big secret. You have to become known for a niche you own, and you have to commit to that niche for a prolonged period of time. It doesn't have to be forever, but it does have to be for at least several years. As soon as this clicked for me, I copied this exact same roadmap for myself. And guess what? I have unlocked very similar outcomes to some of the wealthiest writers in the world. I tweet about digital writing. I make LinkedIn carousels about digital writing. I have a podcast about digital writing. I create education products and programs around digital writing. I I write books about digital writing. And as a result, I've generated tens of millions of dollars from my writing. Not because I wrote down this goal in my journal and manifested it every morning. Not because I wrote more words than the next person, although I have written a lot of words, but because I've committed to a niche for a long time. Almost a decade at this point. And I have allowed compounding to happen. So I promise, whatever story you're telling yourself about why you can't or shouldn't niche down, it is wrong. My niche is too small. My niche is too saturated. I can't niche down. I have too many interests. Niching down will prevent me from reaching my creative potential. All of these are just really clever ways that you've tricked yourself into thinking to postpone taking action. And even worse, they are the opposite of the winning strategy. Pick a niche, commit to it for at least five years, and let compounding happen. That is how every successful writer has made their millions.