I discovered Amy not too long ago through her Substack, Make Writing Your Job. Since I have recently chosen to pivot careers (mid-career) and have full circled back to my roots of writing and creativity, I was in the season of trying to figure everything out - which route to take and what I wanted life to look like.
After contemplating my strengths, expertise, and passions I decided that memoir and personal essay would become my main focus due to my passion for connection and finding value in other peoples powerful stories through lived experiences. Soon after, Amy announced her book was publishing at just the right time in my journey. It’s an affordable read so I thought I’d give it a shot.
Book Summary:
Still buying the starving artist myth? Burn it — and get paid.
The gatekeepers told you poverty was noble so that you’d shut up and stay cheap. Ready to write your way out of the lie designed to keep you small, obedient, and broke?
If you’ve ever felt trapped in a writing career that pays in “exposure” or pocket change, this is your permission slip to demand more. Much more.
Amy Suto went from broke in the Hollywood trenches to becoming booked out as a seven-figure writer, bestselling author, and creator of a top 30 Substack newsletter. In Write for Money and Power, she shows you exactly how she did it — and how you can too, even if you’ve never made a dollar from your writing before.
Whether you’re a freelancer, a ghostwriter, a novelist, or any kind of writer with bills to pay and a vision to realize, this isn’t another “believe in yourself” pep talk. It’s a real, grown-up plan to make money and grow your personal power with your writing.
If you’d rather make history than excuses — keep reading.
In Write for Money and Power, You’ll Learn How To…
Crush the lie that artists should be broke with history’s real examples (Michelangelo invoiced like a boss, Shakespeare co-owned the damn theater.)
Follow Amy's 12-month roadmap to build your writing empire. This is the exact plan she'd use to go from $0 to building a seven-figure writing empire from scratch.
Rewire your brain for seven figures. Learn the pricing scripts, positioning plays, and simple mental models that allow you to generate money and power from your words and your laptop.
Build a ghostwriting business that screams luxury. Trade cheap words for six- and seven-figure projects — and what film schools and gatekeepers are scared for you to find out.
Grow a paid newsletter empire. Own your audience, write on your terms, and unlock the freedom of predictable, reader-funded income.
Self-publish like a tycoon. Who needs permission to publish? It’s time to own your work. Taylor Swift bought back her masters. Brandon Sanderson pocketed $41 million on his self-published book launch on Kickstarter. Now? It’s your turn.
Scale without burning out. Learn the systems, daily rituals, and non-negotiable boundaries that turn chaos into cash flow.
Write from anywhere — on the couch, a coast, or a café in Rome.
Why is this book different?Because this isn’t “wait your turn” advice — it’s how to skip the line.
Amy shares the exact systems she used to turn her writing into a seven-figure, work-from-anywhere biz.
Still skeptical?
“But I’m a total beginner.” Great. This book exists to make sure you don’t stay one. All you need is the willingness to bet on yourself.
“But no one will pay that much for writing.” Amy’s clients do — and so do so many other clients and readers. This book is here to build your confidence and smash your limiting beliefs so you can step into your power and charge more than you ever thought was possible.
Considered Reads Summary:
A how-to/self help book for writers that’s extremely affordable and loaded with great outlines for step by step guides on how to start planning a successful freelance writing business. I found the writing to have a lot of repetitive fluff, especially in the introductory chapters, lacking more detail or examples I craved. The contents in the meat of the book is very helpful for someone just starting out on this journey and worth the $0.99 Kindle version instantly available.
Suto had some good points to make and is deeply encouraging throughout, sharing her previous experience in film writing to motivate and acting as a living example of what is possible. She mentions using AI to help write the book and how we should be both ethical and transparent when using AI for our writing. Suto doesn’t explain how exactly she used it for this read and though I haven’t read any of her other books, I felt with the language used it could have possibly been fully written with AI. I am all for using AI for our benefit in research, organization, and even some light editing (not to replace a professionally trained editor), however it would be very disappointing to find out that the book was written using artificial intelligence.
Audience Match: For beginning writers who love entrepreneurial mindsets.
Quiet Question: What does a rich life look and feel like to you?
Mood: Encouraging
Pacing: Fast
Our Rating: 3.75 for the solid framework provided that can be of substantial help for one not sure where to begin!
Favorite Quote:
“Focus feels risky because it makes failure visible.”
Comparable Titles:
We Need Your Art - Amie McNee
Six Figure Freelance Writer - Amy Suto
