Dan Blank, Author at WeGrowMedia - Dan Blank

Being There – The Importance of Showing Up

Today I want to talk about the value of creating an experience. One where you show up, where you engage with others in real-time, where it becomes about more than “consuming content.”

I’ll frame this with three examples from my life this week:

MEETING J.K. ROWLING
In a moment of excitement, I purchased 7 tickets to J.K. Rowling’s only US appearance, a Q&A and book signing in New York City. When the tickets arrived, I was flumoxed as to what to do with them. They were hard tickets to get, and were now selling for hundreds of dollars each on the aftermarket. I could easily have made hundreds if not thousands of dollars by selling them.

But instead, I wanted to create an experience. I wanted to share these tickets with people who inspire me, who would make the evening even more incredible.

So I did two things:

I held a giveaway where I offered two of the tickets to writers. My goal was to help a writer meet their hero.
For the remaining four tickets, I reached out to a few people who I thought would make the entire evening a celebration of children’s & young adult literature. In the end, I gave the tickets to: Betsy Bird, Gabriela Pereira, Alison Morris and Lori Ess. All people who champion writers!

Here is our little group:
Dan Blank, Betsy Bird, and others

The evening was filled with discussions on books and writers, and tons of laughter. It’s the only time I’ve ever heard a potential review for a kid’s book as “It’s F-ing awesome!”

This was truly the experience I was hoping for – spending time with folks who write and support writers. Oh, and we got to meet J.K. Rowling:

JK Rowling

HELPING KIDS SHARE THEIR WRITING
For the past 8 years, I have volunteered at PS 123, a public school in Harlem. Showing up to the school, talking with the students and the faculty, I learn more about the successes and challenges of an inner city school than I could ever learn by reading an article or a book.

This week I had the first meeting with their 2012/2013 newspaper staff:
PS 123

More and more, it is easier to “like” a cause on Facebook, to make a $25 donation on Kickstarter, and feel involved in helping others. But nothing beats showing up, spending time, and most of all: listening.

This is exactly why I am so passionate about education, why I teach courses and workshops. It goes beyond “delivering information.” It is about conversations, explorations, experiences, and relationships. So many “courses” out there that just send you PDFs each week. Yes, they are filled with GOOD information, but that is very different than engagement – being part of an experience.

As I think about what I will create in the coming months and years, more and more I am considering the unique experience that can be shared. How we move away from commoditizing information, knowledge and relationships. How we can come together in ways that are unique, and truly build not just a career for writers, but an interesting life and legacy.

Thanks.
-Dan

Announcing: Guest Experts For Build Your Author Platform Course: Jane Friedman, Joanna Penn, Jeff Goins & More!

I am so excited to announce the guest experts who will be a part of the next session of my online course: Build Your Author Platform.

This 6-week course runs from October 31st through December 18th, where we work together to establish and engage an audience for your writing. But what’s more, is that you get to chat with leading experts in book publishing, marketing, and publicity.

Here is the incredible lineup of guest experts for this session of the course:

Jane Friedman is the former publisher of Writer’s Digest, and is now the web editor for the Virginia Quarterly Review. She has spoken at more than 200 events & conferences for writers, and is an encyclopedia of knowledge about how to navigate the world of publishing. You can find her on Twitter at @JaneFriedman

Joanna Penn is a author, blogger, speaker and entrepreneur who helps writers learn how to best publish and sell their books. She knows the trends, and knows what works by speaking with hundreds of successful authors, and by publishing her own series of thrillers. You can find her on Twitter at @TheCreativePenn

Richard Nash is the former Publisher of Soft Skull Press, current VP of Content and Community at Small Demons, and the Founder of RedLemonade and Cursor – exploring new types of publishing platforms. He is also a publishing visionary with deep experience with ensuring meaningful writing finds readers. You can find him on Twitter at @R_Nash

Jeff Goins is an author who helps writers find the best way to write and publish their books, and find an engaged and passionate audience for them. You can find him on Twitter at @JeffGoins

Colleen Lindsay is a Community Manager at Penguin Group, and has been a literary agent, a book publicist, and worked with books for more than 20 years. Colleen is an advocate for writers, and knows what works – and what DOESN’T – when it comes to developing your audience. You can find her on Twitter at @ColleenLindsay

Kathleen Schmidt owns a public relations firm and has worked in publicity roles at Simon and Schuster and Penguin. She spends every day working with writers to ensure people hear about their books. You can find her on Twitter at @bookgirl96

These folks have a wealth of information to share for writers of all types.

For more information on the 6-week Build Your Author Platform course, click here.

Thank you so much to Jane, Joanna, Jeff, Colleen, and Kathleen for your continued generosity to writers!
-Dan

Free Webinar: Why You Need an Author Platform

THE GOAL IS NOT TO PUBLISH A BOOK, BUT TO BE READ – TO IMPACT READERS

Are you a writer who is passionate about your work, but find it difficult to build an audience? What you need is an author platform – a strategic way to find the exact right audience for your writing and build a strong relationship with them.

This FREE 1-hour webinar explains the value of building an author platform, the biggest challenges to creating one, and some of the essential steps in the process. I will also be outlining the upcoming online course I am teaching: Build Your Author Platform.

My last webinar filled up, so please register early for this one which takes place on Wednesday October 24th at 2pm ET. You only need your web browser to attend.

There are limited spaces for this webinar, to reserve your spot, click here:

Thanks!
-Dan

The Habits of Highly Successful Writers

Education doesn’t stop when you become successful.

Constant improvement is an attitude.

Education is a process, not a destination.

A lot of people hope that once they become successful, they can stop working so hard. That from there, you can just coast because the world has finally realized your genius.

Unfortunately, that is not the case, and some of the smartest folks I know realize this. One of the most pleasant surprises of teaching my Build Your Author Platform course for writers has been having bestselling authors join the class, and take the work as seriously as if they were an up & coming writer who was working on their first book.

Time and time again, I find that I will have an author in the class who has published multiple books with big publishers, and here they are working diligently every week to find new ways to grow as a writer, and to connect their work with the right audience.

These people have a professional credo. (something Steven Pressfield talks about in his book Going Pro.) Their attitude is one of improvement, not entitlement. Of establishing good habits, not protecting their ego. They are always growing, always learning.

There is this incorrect assumption among a lot of folks I speak to, that think courses are only applicable to the inexperienced. So if I mention my course to them, the immediately suggest an “older” writer who needs helping figuring out social media; or a new author with no platform whatsoever. And while I work with LOTS of those folks and love doing so, its important to point out that some of the best students are those who are not going from level 1 to level 2, but from level 99 to level 100.

These people are opening themselves up to learn more, to rethink, to become better, to have a deeper effect on others.

They are building skills.

They are connecting art to strategy.

They are focused on PRESERVING their muse, not selling it out.

A professional invests in knowledge. In resources. In cultivating relationships. They are not waiting for an imaginary day when success means that the world will make things easier for you.

Success is hard to achieve, but what people don’t realize is that it’s hard to maintain too.

If you want to be successful, start building the right habits now.

Thanks!
-Dan

Writers: Win a Ticket to See J.K. Rowling In NYC!

SORRY TO THE GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED.

Are you a writer who has been inspired by J.K. Rowling and would like to see her in New York City? Well, I have something special to offer you.

I am giving away 2 tickets to this event, J.K. Rowling with Ann Patchett at Lincoln Center on Tuesday October 16th. The evening will consist of a Q&A between J.K. and Anne, a reading from J.K., and a signed copy of her new book, The Casual Vacancy. I believe that you get to actually meet J.K. during the signing!

I work with writers and publishers, helping them them build and engage their audiences. It’s an incredible honor to help writers ensure their voice is heard, and to be a part of their journey. I know how much J.K. has inspired writers, and would like to fulfill two writers’ dreams to see their idol!

This is her ONLY public appearance in the United States.

To enter, fill out the form below, and read the complete giveaway rules.

To make this more interesting, I will be asking a few questions as part of the contest entry:

Why do you write? How do you hope your writing affects the world?
How has J.K. Rowling inspired you?
What is your biggest challenge as a writer?

I may be quoting some of the answers I receive in an upcoming ebook I am creating, crediting you of course. The ebook will help other writers understand the passion that motivates you, and address the common challenges writers share.

All the details on the contest rules can be found here.

Please note:

My intention is for the contest to be open to writers – those who write in order to share their work with the world.
The deadline to enter is 11:59am ET on Friday October 12, 2012.
I will choose two winners, and each will receive a single ticket to the event.
The winners will be chosen at random.
Winners will be notified via email. We will meetup at Lincoln Center on October 16th, just prior to the event to give you your ticket.
You must be 18 years of age or older to enter and a legal resident of the United States.

All the details on the contest rules can be found here.

The entry form is below – thanks!

-Dan

SORRY TO THE GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED.