A Human-Centered Approach To Marketing
“Dan provided a framework and roadmap to help me move beyond my inaction and panic, to develop my platform and grow my readership.”
– Beth McMullen, author of Mrs. Smith’s Spy School for Girls
“Dan Blank is a savvy strategist whose insights really helped me to stay much better connected to my readers and spread the word about my books.”
– Joseph Finder, New York Times bestselling author of The Switch, The Fixer, Paranoia, and Buried Secrets
“Dan is the best kind of guide in that he helped me find one simple thing: how to be me. Whether I’m tweeting, speaking or posting, I now know why I’m doing it. That leaves more time for writing.”
– Claire Cameron, author of the The Last Neanderthal and The Bear: A Novel
I’ve worked with hundreds of writers and some of the most respected names in publishing. This is how I can help you:
The Power of Writing
I received this letter in the mail recently:
It was from a writer I have been working with, and it was a letter expressing her gratitude for what we have been creating.
To receive a letter like this is, well, a shock. I mean, how often do you go through your mail to discover a letter you didn’t expect, and open it to find four thick paragraphs that do nothing but say nice things about you?
Nowadays, I think we default too much to a “like” on Facebook, or clicking that little heart on Instagram. We justify that it is an adequate expression of “I see you. I appreciate all that you are, and all that you create.”
But how can a “like” button truly express that?
In the work I do, I help writers create meaningful connections with their readers. For this, I help them connect their book to the world, and craft experiences outside of the book.
The ideal is something similar to the letter I received. Where an author and their writing creates a moment that is so impactful that it adds a richness to the reader’s life.
Maybe it reframes how the reader sees the world, or it makes them feel understood for the first time. Perhaps it takes them somewhere they never knew they wanted to go, but once they arrived they felt they never wanted to leave.
That is the power of a book. The power of writing. The power that authors wield in their work. And it is the goal for how writers can connect with their audience outside of their books as well.
People tend to call this “platform” or “social media strategy,” but it’s more than that. It is living the life of a writer. To craft one’s identity as someone who, through their writing, truly connects people to new ideas, new stories, and new ways of looking at other human beings.
I spend my days working with writers in my Creative Shift Mastermind, my private clients, and talking to writers in my podcast or in conversations on the phone. Many describe with complete joy, a moment when their writing truly connects with someone.
I want to take inspiration from the letter I received, and challenge you to truly connect with someone in a way that will brighten their day.
Meaningful Connections With
Readers Starts Here
To get started, I encourage you to:
GIVE YOURSELF PERMISSION TO CREATE. Put craft first and accept that the world needs what you create. You are ready to be seen and heard as a creator. Don’t follow trends and rush for the easy “like” on social media. Your growth as a writer relies on the mastery of your skills.
UNDERSTAND WHO YOU HOPE TO REACH. This is not some vague demographic. It is a real person with a name, a face, a lifetime of experiences, and someone searching for what you create.
CONNECT TO A PERSON, NOT AN AUDIENCE. Connecting your work to others should be a process of deep connection, not one of trying to amass faceless followers, judging your success on likes and reshares. It is about connecting through writing and art, and how that changes someone.
These are some of the wonderful writers I’ve worked with recently who have been doing exactly what I outline above:
TAKE ACTION
The biggest mistake writers make? Waiting too long to delve into this work. Are you ready? Take action.
If you would like to work directly with me, check out my Work With Me page. This is where I become your co-pilot to grow your platform, develop your audience, or prepare for your big launch.