“The key is having great players. But there are a lot of teams that have All-Stars and haven’t been able to put it together.”

– Mark Cuban

How to create a Self-Sustaining Business

For a long time I thought that writing junk eBooks was a waste of time and money. Generally I earn about eight bucks a month in royalties off the 12 titles I’ve produced. That’s nothing to write home about.

However, recent information has made me rethink my stance. While I only make eight dollars in sales, my actual profits are mush higher. This is due to Amazon Kindle’s borrowing program. The system pays you between $1.33 and $2.50 (it fluctuates every month) for titles that people borrow.

A $0.99 eBook will earn you $0.35 for every unit sold. If that same book is borrowed you’ll get at least $1.33. If one of your books gets borrowed every day, which can happen, you’ll make at least $40.

Since the start of 2014 I’ve been making $20 to $40 a month off Kindle without even realizing it. This isn’t a ton of money, but it was a pleasant surprise. Everyone could use an extra $300.

While looking over my earnings I found that two titles moved almost all the sales. Both are short 3,000 stories that generate a decent number of borrows. With this in mind, I decided to produce more stories in the same category for 2015. My goal is to make an extra $250 a month from little eBooks.

Unfortunately there’s a problem.

I hate writing books and stories. It’s boring and monotonous. Plus, putting three hours of work into a project that will make a couple bucks a month isn’t a good investment. I can earn significantly more by writing 1,000 words of copy.

Enter the publishing house

I’ve experimented around with a lot of book projects. I’ve also worked for others and ghost written a variety of works. I know what does and does not sell well (hint: those “how to” books that gurus always advocate writing are one of the worst fields to go into). And a particular type of short fiction, I’ll reveal it to you once my project takes off, is a hot seller.

Without getting too specific, I’ll give you all the gritty details once the money starts flowing, these stories write themselves. I can come up with 10 titles in an afternoon.

This is all great, except for the fact that I hate writing eBooks. It’s a pretty big issue if that’s what you’re whole plan revolves around. Fortunately, I’ve already made some money from this year’s royalties. And rather than spending it, I decided to reinvest. The cash went to hiring freelance writers for my project.

Are ghost writers any good?

On oDesk I put out a call for talented authors. They’d earn a little over $30 if they could produce a title between 2,500 and 3,000 words.

Most of the applicants sucked.

(This is a real message I got)

But, some of them had talent that blew my mind. One writer wrote up a title for me in less than 24 hours and did a fantastic job. It was better than anything that I could ever do.

The story will pay for itself in less than 30 days and is surpasses what I can do. Additionally, I was able to focus on my regular job while it was being created, earning me even more.

Why this plan won’t work for everybody (and how you can adapt it to fit your needs)

I’m not going to Tim Ferriss you and preach about how awesome outsourcing is. Truthfully, it’s something that most people would have a difficult time with. Unless you’ve worked on eBooks before, you won’t know how to market them or pick the best writer for a job. I’ve hired editors for projects in the past and would often get ripped-off. The idea that you can simply make everyone else work while you relax on a beach is just silly.

However, getting outside help is great for secondary projects that you just don’t have the time or energy to do yourself. I could spend 3 hours writing an eBook (costing me about $100 in time), or I can pay someone $30 to do it for me.

You need to know what your time is worth. A lot of guys make the mistake of undervaluing themselves. They’ll waste a thousand dollars of their time to avoid spending a hundred dollars. Likewise, there are others who won’t pick up easy money. Some Kindle books that turn a profit with no marketing or promotion are about as passive as passive income can get.

I know several people who could have bestselling books out if they were willing to get someone to write for them. These people are living libraries of knowledge, but they feel intimidated by writing.

Yet they could easily hire someone to sit down with them and transcribe their thoughts. With a little editing you could easily make a book out of that.

If you have one aspect of a particular skill set down, like knowing how to sell a product or having the idea for a book, there’s no reason not to get help with your vision.

 

“Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world.”

– Gustave Flaubert

What to look for before moving abroad

Finding reliable information about living in another country is near impossible. Backpackers and tourists will blather about “authentic cultural experiences.” Men’s forums will talk about hooking up with exotic women. And early retirement blogs will basically just talk about how cheaply you can live.

While all of these are fine topics, they aren’t incredibly helpful for young entrepreneurs who want to have fun, save money, and build a business. Trying to get work done from a party hostel near a famous landmark would be virtually impossible. And countries that are super inexpensive, or have a lot of attractive women, usually have massive economic problems.

You might be able to get a beer for $1.25, but the country’s whole infrastructure is shot. Opening a bank account, or getting a reliable Internet connection can be a huge challenge.

When I lived in Nicaragua my apartment cost $12 a day and I could eat a lunch for $2. But the power would go out almost every afternoon and locals would constantly try to rip you off. Whatever money you saved was offset by the inconveniences.

Every country has issues

The Internet is full of dorks who preach the downfall of the west while advocating that people flee to various third-world sh*tholes for a “better life.”

I always laugh after reading this. There’s some serious cognitive dissidence going on. Guys who are worried about street crime, germs, war, disease, police brutality, and ethnic conflicts are willingly moving to places that contain all of those.

American cops might be thugs, but they aren’t going to throw you into forced labor camps or imprison you for 20 years for some minor charges.

The same goes for crime. I actually know people who’ve moved to Mexico and Brazil out of fear that crime in the United States was out of control. That’s like moving to the middle of the ocean because you’re afraid of sharks.

Local cost of living won’t affect you

I recently read that the average Peruvian makes $500 a month. On paper moving to Peru sounds like a bargain. You could work for 20 hours a month and still enjoy a comfortable life. Right?

Wrong.

The average Peruvian lives at home with their parents, and sometimes even grandparents, well into their 20’s or 30’s. Even though they might be earning $500 a month, they are still splitting rent, groceries, and other expenses between three to six people. Since you’re living alone the costs can quickly add up. During my entire trip I never met a single American citizen who was living on less than $2,000 a month.

Hyperinflation, civil war, and genocide

Moving to an unstable area because it’s cheap is another really stupid idea. Yet a lot of guys do this. Then they act surprised when the local instability starts affecting them. If you move somewhere that’s in decline, don’t be surprised when your quality of life starts diminishing.

As a general rule of thumb, you should try to go someplace that is improving. Saving money and living dangerously by moving to an unstable region is a recipe for disaster.

What I look for when moving somewhere

In a few weeks I’ll be moving to Vietnam. After that I’m going to settle down in Las Vegas.

While Latin America, Asia, and the United States might sound like a weird combination, I picked each one for a specific reason. A lot of research went into each destination and what it had to offer me.

Here are a few things that I look for when finding a new place to live:

• Cost of food

You have to eat every single day. And anyone who lifts weights will need to get a lot of protein. But, and this is a big problem, looking at restaurant prices is generally a bad idea. While these joints might not cost a lot, they dish out incredibly small servings. Peruvian restaurants had cheap food that came in tiny portions. One meal was never enough to satisfy me.

You should check out the rates at local grocery stores. Meat, cheese, and dairy can often become incredibly expensive overseas. A block of cheese can be a luxury item in some nations. Make sure to look at the prices before you travel. It will spare your stomach and wallet.

• Economic growth

Talking about GDP and other stuff might seem boring and unnecessary if you aren’t a major corporation. However, it will still have a huge impact on you. If everyone in the country is successful, you’re going to find a ton of new business opportunities. People with extra money need someone to teach them English, build their websites, and write their copy.

I’ve actually hung out with guys who’ve used a country’s growing GDP to leverage themselves into cool positions where they worked as “boots on the ground” for major corporations. They did took a skill, like article writing, and used it to make a ton of money by being a private corespondent for some huge business.

• Lack of crime

You can’t enjoy yourself if you’re dead. I’m a pretty meek guy and would get beat down after about ten seconds of street fighting.

As a result, I tend to look for areas that have a pretty low crime rate. This way I don’t have to worry about walking around at night or exploring various neighborhoods.

Real life isn’t like some James Bond movie. You aren’t going to outmaneuver your pursuers and swoop some model level girls along the way. Stay somewhere that’s safe and boring. It will keep you alive for a lot longer.

“A higher proportion of [rape] cases designated false involved 16- to 25-year-olds.”

– Liz Kelly, Professor of sexualized Violence at London Metropolitan University

How to avoid getting charged with rape

Recently there’s been an epidemic of false rape accusations. If you’ve kept up with the news you’ll know that there was a high-profile incident involving a girl who fabricated a brutal gang-raping at University of Virginia.

However, this is nothing new. Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle, a good-natured comedian from the 1920’s, had his entire life ruined by false rape claims and yellow journalism. And black men throughout the South were savagely beaten and killed whenever a bored white woman decided to accuse them of whistling at her.

If you’re a man you’re at risk of being falsely accused of rape.

You don’t even have to have sex with a woman to face charges. Max Temkin, the creator of Cards Against Humanity, awkwardly made out with a girl and then got accused of raping her.

Guys who actually have sex are in a way worse position. Especially if you’re into bondage or anything rough.

My story

Although I’ve mentioned this before, I was once falsely accused of sexually harassing a girl.

While out at a college bar some random chick was all over me. I was a teenager at the time and was still a little nervous about getting really physical. This girl continued to ramp up the raunchiness before being dragged back home with her friends.

Later that same night she called my phone to yell at me about harassing her and being a sexual predator. Her friends ended up defusing the situation and I later learned that this girl would hook up with a different guy and accuse him of taking advantage of her in some manner almost every single weekend.

That single event had a profound impact on me and made me paranoid about false claims regarding sexual harassment or rape. While the claims weren’t taken to court or anything, the experience still terrified me. At the time this happened I had no clue as to how I could protect myself.

And my story isn’t unique at all.

I’ve talked to dozens of good men who’ve had their lives, and reputations, ruined by similar false accusations. Some had to fight these claims in court. Others had to deal with rumors and social stigma. One guy even had made up claims posted about him online and they damaged his career.

Men, especially younger guys who are in college, should take the following precautions:

Drunk girls are the greatest threat to men

You don’t practice magic tricks during a witch hunt and you never declare yourself an atheist while there’s an inquisition afoot. If I were still in college I’d be very careful about trying to meet girls at bars or house parties.

Thanks to new laws emerging on both the East and West coast, you can be kicked out of school and branded as a rapist under the flimsiest evidence imaginable.

I’ve been going to college parties since I was 16. From my five years of experience I can tell you that a lot of party goers drink unholy amounts of alcohol. I know girls who will start pre-gaming at 5 in the afternoon before going out around 10 at night.

Anyone, whether they’re a man or a woman, who has been drinking for five hours straight isn’t going to be functioning properly. When you’re that drunk you operate on a very primitive level.

Next time you go out to a bar refrain from drinking and watch the people around you. There will be some point when a girl at the venue does something stupid and starts crying or making a huge scene. This is over something dumb like an argument with her boyfriend, some fight with another girl, or various other stupid things.

Then take a look at how many guys rush over to defend her. I’ve seen situations where a girl cried about some guy being a jerk and then her gung-ho flock of platonic male friends rushed out to fight the dude or smash his car up.

If a drunk girl will have a meltdown over some guy not responding to her texts, imagine what she’ll do after accidentally having sex with a dude she doesn’t like.

Avoid girls who are dramatic

In his incredible book, Games People Play, Eric Berne discusses a common situation known as “Let’s You and Him Fight:”

“As a game it is comic. The woman sets up the competition, and while the two men are fighting, she decamps with a third. The internal and external psychological advantages for her and her mate are derived from the position that honest competition is for suckers, and the comic story they have lived through forms the basis for the internal and external social advantages.”

To put this in layman’s terms, sometimes a woman will dupe two saps into fighting over her so that she can be amused. Some girls cause trouble for the thrill. There’s no real logic to it, but they enjoy the conflict and power.

Luckily, there’s a really easy way to avoid these situations. Don’t associate with girls who are dramatic. If conflict follows her everywhere she’s the cause of it.

If a girl only has negative things to say about every guy she’s ever dated or slept with, why would she do something different with you.

This is a big shocker for most guys and something many men never realize, but girls who are difficult and overly dramatic aren’t worth pursuing. If you can surpass every one of their challenges the “reward” is getting to see more of their bad attitude.

Don’t play games with manipulative women. Spare yourself the risk and just avoid them at all costs.

Save your texts

If you have a girl coming over, send her a text that implies that there will be sex. Don’t do something corny or vulgar, but make it clear that something will happen. Then screen-cap her response.

Actually, record all of your text conversations and store them somewhere for later. Having these on hand could help against any future allegations.

From what I’ve noticed in the media, people reporting on these cases act like the girl is always some kind of innocent virginal saint while the man is a creepy dudebro rapist from Hell. Reading some of these news reports would make you think that every girl on campus is a pious nun who has never drank or even thought about sex. Meanwhile all the men are sacrificing kittens to honor Satan and buying Rohypnol by the palate.

Having proof that sex was on the agenda can, at the very least, help to expose the fraudulence of any claims made against you.

Last word

I want to remind you of two important things. The first is that I’m not a lawyer or an expert on false rape accusations. Go consult a professional for better advice. Secondly, and this is for anyone with an IQ under 50, I’m not condoning rape or writing a “get out of rape free” guide. This is for men who face false claims against them.

And finally, I want to point out that the first two steps, avoiding drunk girls and overly dramatic chicks, are essential to keeping out of trouble. Once I started being more careful about the types of girls I associated with, my worries dropped significantly.

“I tweet, therefore my entire life has shrunk to 140 character chunks of instant event & predigested gnomic wisdom. & swearing.”

– Neil Gaiman

Guide to growing your Twitter by 25 followers a week

A few weeks ago I went to the book store and saw a title about growing your Twitter presence. Being curious I decided to take a look.

The content was, to put it nicely, very silly.

It had strategies like: use plenty of hashtags, follow thousands of people, and make intentionally stupid mistakes in your Tweets (like misspelling things) so the people correct you.

As someone who has grown their Twitter account exponentially over the past three months, I have different advice.

My suggestions aren’t going to cost you $25 for a book, and I know they actually work. You can watch my Twitter followers go up daily. There’s no smoke and mirrors here.

1. Know your audience

I write for men in their 20’s. It would be a little weird if you followed me on Twitter and everything I posted was tied into some trending pop-culture event.

As of this writing here’s what’s trending:

(Note: My account still thinks I’m living in Peru.)

If you logged on and saw “If you think #TheHobbitTickets are cool, check out this post!” You’d probably think it was cheesy and disengage with me.

It’s a lame strategy and one that really won’t win anyone over. Folks who are Tweeting about a movie don’t care about some finance article.

If your target audience is men, write about stuff men like. If your target audience is women, post about things they’d enjoy. It’s that simple.

2. Publish good content

This is where most social media marketing books falter. They put an emphasis on posting a lot or chasing trends, but they act like quality doesn’t matter. According to them you could basically Tweet like this:

9:00 am – “Just woke up. Hope everyone has a good morning!”

9:30 am – “Eating a pancake. Lol!”

1:00 pm – “Look at this funny meme!”

That’s great, if you’re a high school girl. The rest of us have to actually put a little more effort in.

Personally, I’ve had a lot of luck with the following strategies:

• Tweeting out something I’ve actually learned (and is useful to others).
• Asking a discussion question (“If _____ happened what would you do?”).
• Going on a multi-part “Twitter rant” (where an entire concept is explained or discussed).
• Occasionally (and I mean very rarely) making jokes and lightly trolling.

3. Re-Tweet great material

Well Built Style is one of my favorite Twitter accounts (click here to see for yourself). The guy constantly puts out great information and links to some really cool videos, books, and articles.

A marketing guru would say “don’t link to that guy. His account is better than yours!” And you’d end up missing out on some great content. It isn’t like Twitter only lets you follow one person. If I re-Tweet something cool it doesn’t cost me my audience.

Don’t be afraid to refer people to someone who does something better than you. Pretending to be the all-knowing master of everything will leave you burnt out and alone.

4. Engage with people bigger than you

Here’s a marketing rule that’s kind of a secret. You never ever start a war with someone smaller than you. Always aim for the big guys.

The other night some knucklehead actor started a fight with Danger & Play. He did this because D&P is bigger and more famous than he is.

Knowing that this actor (I forget his name and am too lazy to look it up, but he’s the only guy who starred in Project X without his own Wikipedia page) was being a hypocrite, I Tweeted something at him. Thanks to re-Tweets, my one message ended up reaching over 16,000 different people. Not bad!

Site traffic went up and I think I got a few new followers out of the deal.

When you see a fraud or a troll, especially if it’s a big one, point them out. They’ll be caught with their pants down and you’ll gain some exposure.

Conclusion

Last week I added 23 followers to my Twitter account. And social media is something that I barely use. If you take my advice and use this guide to growing your Twitter followers, you can easily do the same.

Building up your brand isn’t rocket science. There are plenty of stupid people who can still amass a crowd. As long as you know your audience, have something to say, share other people’s cool finds, and converse with the higher-ups, you’ll do fine.

Lastly, be sure to follow me on Twitter if you aren’t already.

“The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and starting on the first one.”

– Mark Twain

How to read a book a week

Reading is something that most people claim not to have time for. This always surprises me. A $20 book can hold a million dollars worth of wisdom.

Right now I’m reading MONEY Master the Game: 7 Simple Steps to Financial Freedom, by Tony Robbins (click here to read a great review of it). The book is over 600 pages long and I’ll have it finished within a week.

That sounds really difficult, right?

It’s actually pretty simple if you have a plan. Looking at a book, or any project, as a whole can be incredibly intimidating. Deconstructing it and attacking piece by piece will make the task much more bearable.

For my Tony Robbins book I’m reading 33 pages in the morning, 33 pages in the afternoon, and 33 pages at night. That’s 100 pages a day. And I’ll meet my goal very easily.

Where to find time for your hobbies

Nobody pays me to read books. Thumbing through paperbacks is my hobby, not a business. Copywriting and ghostwriting come first. And some days this can eat up all my time.

You probably have a schedule that’s just as busy. Going to school, working for yourself, pushing towards a promotion. Those are all activities that take huge chunks of time and a lot of effort. You aren’t going to abandon your career to go read in the park all day.

Compromises need to be made.

However, I have some basic tips for finding more time for your hobbies and goals. Here are three that I use almost daily:

• Extra time

To read my 600 page book in a week I’m waking up an hour earlier and going to bed one hour later. It’s a very minor adjustment but one that allows me to meet my goals. Most people sleep in as much as possible and they end up missing out on some great opportunities.

An extra hour or two is still a lot of time. If you’re doing entry-level freelance writing that’s about $24 a day. That’s an extra $168 a week just from getting up earlier and staying awake for an extra 60 minutes.  Over the course of a year that’s close to $9,000! Not too shabby if you’re a student or just starting out.

• Multitasking

When I go to the gym or grocery store, I listen to audiobooks.

If I still had a job that required me to commute I’d do the exact same thing. The last book I listened to was A Clockwork Orange. It was about eight hours in length. If you go for a walk everyday, or drive to work, you’ll have an eight-hour book finished in about five days.

While some books require your undivided attention (ever read philosophy?) lighter reads can be knocked out on car rides and jogs. I’ve gotten through hundreds of books this way. It’s fun and better for your brain than the latest pop music.

• Time management

99.9% of all “busy” people that I’ve met have been victims of poor time management. They’d play video games, watch TV, and loaf around. Then they’d wonder where the day went.

Make some proprieties and go after your most important tasks first.

If learning about investment strategies that could potentially make you wealthy is your goal, study those. If playing games is more important, do that.

There’s no lack of good information. The tools are all there. You just need to pick them up.