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How The Best Online Writers Publish Perfect Headlines (The One Rule They All Follow)

A Simple Exercise That Helps Writers Drive Engagement

Cal Axe
Practice in Public
4 min readNov 23, 2024

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Photo by Marcos Paulo Prado on Unsplash

You may not like it, but online writers want to purchase your time by selling their headlines.

I started writing online while working in commercial real estate. I wanted a break from cold calling and a space to flex my creative muscles. Plus, I wanted to make extra money doing something I enjoyed, like writing.

Like all good writing rookies, I paid attention to top online writers and their writing techniques. Guess what? I learned that if you want anyone to read your articles, you have to sell.

Good writers are also good salespeople. The best writers, like Tom Keugler, Nicolas Cole, and Tim Denning, are great copywriters, marketers, and sellers.

We’re all in sales. Doctors sell their qualifications to patients. Lawyers sell alternative points of view to win cases.

And online writers?

We sell with headlines.

Write Headlines The Same Way Jake Paul Sells Fights

Jake Paul is a jackass.

But that’s beside the point.

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Practice in Public
Practice in Public

Published in Practice in Public

If you want to become a better writer, you have to hit the publish button. Notes and drafts don’t count. Practice in public helps writers get off the sidelines and turn pro.

Cal Axe
Cal Axe

Written by Cal Axe

Practical advice about writing and running | Subscribe https://runwithcalaxe.substack.com

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