“Talent + hard work + luck = success” is what the late Nobel Prize-winning behavioral economist and psychologist Daniel Kahneman said. Without a little bit of luck, a person can’t be very successful. But luck is not within our control. We can do the work as best we can but we’re not in charge of the outcome.

Can I give you some practical advice?

Regarding writing, I would focus on either writing for Medium and Substack, dedicating all of your time to both, or just exclusively on your essays and children’s book, with the goal of getting them traditionally published. I wouldn’t try to do too much at once. You want to really zone in and be the best you can possibly be in either of those areas. Fact is, there is so much competition out there, and more writers than ever today.

Realistically, Substack is saturated with top writers and it’s hard to do well there. But it’s possible if you’re very good and have your own niche. It would be a slow grind, but again, it’s possible to do well there. And of course there’s Medium, where it’s easier to thrive but has a low payout rate and is not the ideal writing platform to make money.

Anyway, good luck, whatever you decide! (Sorry if this came off as a lecture.)