Jim, thank you for your wise words based in experience. Currently, I am doing some work on Upwork--I look at this as more of a stepping stone for learning SEO, content writing demand. Eventually, my goal is as yours--have clients come directly to me. And, your point that marketing to other writers doesn't make sense is a good one. I'm curious how you determine your rates? Maybe we can have a private conversation about that sometime.

Your 1% Medium writers make $1000 is also well-received. Thank you for pointing this out. I think it's natural for humans to admire successful people and also crave that success for ourselves, but it's important to remember how small of a slice is making a living on this platform.

I'll continue networking and learning from more experienced writers, such as yourself.

Thank you!