Podcast Summary: Coffee With Cole: The Digital Writing Podcast Episode: No BS Writing Advice for 61 minutes straight. [Compilation]
Host: Nicolas Cole
Release Date: April 4, 2025

Nicolas Cole, the host of Coffee With Cole: The Digital Writing Podcast, offers an unfiltered and comprehensive 61-minute session packed with pragmatic advice for aspiring and established writers. This episode, aptly titled "No BS Writing Advice for 61 minutes straight. [Compilation]," delves deep into the realities of digital writing, ghostwriting, and self-publishing, dispelling common myths and providing actionable strategies for success.

1. Romanticizing Writing vs. Embracing Practicality

[00:00]

Cole begins by addressing a prevalent issue among writers: the romanticization of the writing craft. He emphasizes the importance of overcoming cognitive dissonance—the internal conflict between wanting to write out of passion and the necessity to generate income.

Cole: "You're either writing what you want to write about, writing something purely from a place of love and passion for the craft, or you're writing to make money."
[00:18]

He criticizes the notion that being a "real writer" means living idyllically without financial concerns, arguing that this mindset often hinders writers from monetizing their work effectively.

Cole: "Your competition goes down because more and more people go, 'Eh, you know what? Whether I make 40 grand a year or 80 grand a year... it's easier and easier to rationalize not working.'"
[06:24]

2. The Genius Idiot Rollercoaster

[05:34]

Cole introduces the concept of the "Genius Idiot Rollercoaster," a cyclical pattern where writers oscillate between feelings of grandiosity during success and self-doubt during setbacks. He shares personal anecdotes and real-life examples to illustrate how initial successes can lead to inflated self-perception, which is then abruptly followed by disappointment when challenges arise.

Cole: "When things are going well, you aren't a genius. Things are just going well, probably because you executed the fundamentals consistently over a reasonable period of time."
[15:22]

He advises maintaining a balanced perspective, urging writers to remain level-headed regardless of their business trajectory. The key takeaway is to separate one's emotional state from business performance to ensure sustainable success.

3. Eight Brutal Truths for Writers

[23:23]

In the latter half of the episode, Cole unveils eight "brutal truths" that aspiring writers must internalize to achieve financial and creative success in the digital age.

Truth 1: Work Twice as Hard as Everyone Else

[23:30]

Cole stresses that succeeding as a writer requires immense dedication, often involving long hours and relentless effort.

Cole: "If you want to earn a full-time living as a writer, you have to work twice as hard as everyone else."
[23:34]

He recommends ghostwriting as a strategic way to build writing skills and increase income simultaneously.

Truth 2: Nonfiction Requires Masterful Marketing; Fiction Demands Relentless Prolificacy

[40:00]

Cole differentiates between the marketing-centric world of nonfiction and the volume-focused realm of fiction. Successful nonfiction writers often double as savvy marketers or entrepreneurs, leveraging multiple revenue streams beyond book sales.

Cole: "If you want to succeed in nonfiction, you have to realize that the game is really about marketing and, in many ways, entrepreneurship."
[40:11]

Conversely, fiction writers thrive by producing a high volume of work over extended periods, continuously engaging their audience.

Cole: "What it really comes down to is your ability to... write a lot of them and continue to do it over and over and over again over a long time horizon."
[41:15]

Truth 3: Making Money Exclusively as an Author is Unnecessarily Hard

[52:43]

Cole challenges the outdated notion that writing should be the sole source of income. He advocates for diversification, suggesting writers monetize their skills through various channels such as ghostwriting, courses, coaching, and other services.

Cole: "Making money exclusively as an author or a legacy writer is unnecessarily hard."
[52:43]

He highlights examples like Ryan Holiday, who earns more from Stoic coins than book sales, underscoring the potential of alternative revenue streams.

Truth 4: Measure Success Over Decades, Not Days

[56:10]

Success in writing is portrayed as a long-term endeavor. Cole advises against expecting immediate results, emphasizing the significance of persistence and compound growth over years or even decades.

Cole: "If you want to make it as a writer, you're not playing a year-long game. You are playing a decade-long game."
[56:15]

He shares his personal journey from a struggling copywriter to a multi-million dollar writing entrepreneur, highlighting the importance of sustained effort.

Truth 5: Writing is a Lottery—Optimize for Volume

[14:37]

Cole likens writing to a lottery, where success is unpredictable. He advocates for producing a high volume of work, increasing the chances of striking a chord with the audience.

Cole: "Optimize over shots on goal volume. How can you get as many ideas as possible out into the world and then just let the market take care of it?"
[14:43]

He advises writers to focus on quantity, allowing the market to determine which pieces resonate most.

Truth 6: Writing, Not Reading, Makes You a Better Writer

[45:00]

Contrary to popular belief, Cole asserts that actual writing practice is more crucial for improvement than reading extensively.

Cole: "Reading makes you a better reader. You have to create in order to get better at creating."
[45:15]

He emphasizes prioritizing writing over reading, using the metaphor of going to the gym—exercise (writing) trumps merely taking supplements (reading).

Truth 7: No Good or Bad Writing, Only Effective or Ineffective

[52:43]

Cole redefines success in writing by focusing on effectiveness rather than subjective notions of good or bad.

Cole: "Your goal is for your writing to be effective in helping or entertaining a specific type of person."
[52:43]

He encourages writers to tailor their work to their target audience's needs and preferences, rejecting the binary classification of their writing quality.

Truth 8: If You Aren't Achieving Your Goals, It's Your Fault

[56:50]

The final truth is one of empowerment—Cole insists that writers take full responsibility for their success or failure, avoiding the trap of blaming external factors.

Cole: "If you aren't achieving your goals as a writer, it is your fault."
[56:55]

He encourages continuous self-reflection and adaptation, urging writers to identify and rectify their shortcomings proactively.

Conclusion: Embracing a Practical Mindset for Writing Success

Throughout the episode, Nicolas Cole dismantles romanticized notions of writing and replaces them with a pragmatic framework geared towards financial and creative success. By internalizing these eight brutal truths, writers can navigate the complexities of the digital age, leveraging both hard work and strategic diversification to achieve their goals.

Cole's candid discussion serves as a wake-up call for writers to align their passions with practical strategies, ensuring not only the creation of meaningful work but also the ability to sustain and monetize their craft effectively.

Notable Quotes:

• On Cognitive Dissonance in Writing:
  "You're either writing what you want to write about... or you're writing to make money."
  [00:18]

• On Romanticizing the Writer's Life:
  "A real writer is a myth that rationalizes not working very hard."
  [02:20]

• On the Cost of Action in the Information Age:
  "The cost of inaction is going up because the cost of action is going down."
  [06:24]

• On Volume Over Perfection:
  "Writing is a lottery. So optimize for volume."
  [14:43]

• On Responsibility:
  "If you aren't achieving your goals as a writer, it is your fault."
  [56:55]

This episode is a treasure trove of insights for writers seeking to transform their passion into a profitable and sustainable career. Cole's no-nonsense approach provides a clear roadmap for navigating the challenges of the digital writing landscape.