Blog

• What I’m learning from writers and artists… (4/30/2021) - I’m wrapping up the current season of my podcast, The Creative Shift with Dan Blank, and today I want to reflect on what I’ve been learning from the writers and artists I have been talking to. Each conversation is a deep look into not only what it means to effectively share your writing and art, … Continue reading "What I’m learning from writers and artists…"
• “I had to think, what kind of artist am I, and what do I want to be doing?” My interview with Rebecca Green (4/27/2021) - This is the third time I’ve interviewed artist and writer Rebecca Green, and each time we have tracked how she is transitioning her career to find more personal fulfillment in the creative process, as well as greater success. Today we talk about the risks she is taking in focusing more on certain kinds of artwork, … Continue reading "“I had to think, what kind of artist am I, and what do I want to be doing?” My interview with Rebecca Green"
• My mom and Muhammad Ali (4/23/2021) - Today I want to talk about a key skill that any author or artist needs if they want to share their work, develop a community of supporters, and establish their platform. No, it’s not some special button on Amazon, or the secret to social media ads. It is how to ask. Ask for what? For … Continue reading "My mom and Muhammad Ali"
• “I had the supportive community, because I had been supporting them for all these years.” My interview with Angela Abreu (4/21/2021) - Angela Abreu is a writer, and founder of the Dominican Writers Association. She shares her own story of launching her poetry book, and how she turned it into a performance, selling 100 tickets with huge support from her network. She talked about the value of being a part of a literary community and how that … Continue reading "“I had the supportive community, because I had been supporting them for all these years.” My interview with Angela Abreu"
• This isn’t easy, but… (4/16/2021) - In the past few weeks, I’ve been observing the book launches of Jessica Lahey, Laila Tarraf, Jasmin Darznik, as well as others. Jessica published nonfiction, Laila memoir, and Jasmin a novel. I happen to know each of those authors, but even if you don’t know an author, you can watch their book launch in real-time, … Continue reading "This isn’t easy, but…"
• “I had so much creativity waiting to come out.” My Interview Emma Gannon (4/14/2021) - Emma Gannon is an author and host of the podcast Ctrl Alt Delete. She shares her journey to becoming a writer, and what it is like to switch to writing novels after a successful nonfiction career. Along the way, she was “rejected once a day” from magazines she submitted work to, only to find people … Continue reading "“I had so much creativity waiting to come out.” My Interview Emma Gannon"
• Podcasts sell books (4/9/2021) - I have been helping writers develop their strategies to become guests on podcasts, which has proven to be a very effective way to sell books and grow their platforms. Today I want to talk about why this works, and how you can use the process yourself. Let’s dig in… Why Podcasts? Being a guest on … Continue reading "Podcasts sell books"
• Improving your author website (4/2/2021) - I have been helping quite a few authors with their websites recently, and have been making updates to my own. Today I would like to share some lessons and advice that I’ve been thinking about in this process. If you are a writer or creator who wants to establish or improve your website, this may … Continue reading "Improving your author website"
• “I had to figure out how to make writing the central part of my life.” My Interview with Author Donna Hemans (3/31/2021) - Donna Hemans’ first two books were published nearly 20 years apart, and in our interview, she describes the difference in launching each. She also shares the journey between them, where she began two manuscripts that are still unpublished, only to find that her next idea was the one ready to be finished and shared with … Continue reading "“I had to figure out how to make writing the central part of my life.” My Interview with Author Donna Hemans"
• Redefining creative failure (3/26/2021) - I want to talk about the role of failure in our process to write and share our work. I will frame this in the stories of two people who create with joy, and took the initiative to reframe what failure meant in order to live a life filled with creativity and a wide network of … Continue reading "Redefining creative failure"
• “I’ve created nearly 10,000 products, but creating this book was the most incredible experience of my life.” My Interview with Melissa Bernstein (3/24/2021) - Melissa Bernstein is the co-founder of Melissa & Doug, where she has designed nearly 10,000 toys and created a $500 million dollar company. In this conversation, we talk about the importance of failure in the creative process and what it means to live and create with authenticity. She also gets very honest about mental health … Continue reading "“I’ve created nearly 10,000 products, but creating this book was the most incredible experience of my life.” My Interview with Melissa Bernstein"
• Case Study: Behind the Scenes of a New York Times Bestselling Book Launch, with KJ Dell’Antonia (3/19/2021) - I want to share a case study of the book launch from KJ Dell’Antonia with the release of her novel, The Chicken Sisters. This book represented a huge shift for KJ, from being known as a nonfiction writer to a novelist. The book ended up being chosen as an Indie Next List pick, selected as … Continue reading "Case Study: Behind the Scenes of a New York Times Bestselling Book Launch, with KJ Dell’Antonia"
• Finding your readers (3/12/2021) - I want to start with two announcements first: Join me today March 12th at 3pm ET for my free webinar on Getting Creative Clarity. Full description and registration here. Next Friday March 19th at 9am ET I’m offering second free webinar about Finding Your Readers. Details and registration here. Okay, on to today’s message… A … Continue reading "Finding your readers"
• “I would buy records with my lunch money.” My Interview with DJ Skeme Richards (3/11/2021) - Skeme Richards has not only found a way to grow his creativity and audience, but fill his life with what inspires him. As a DJ and collector, he has found a way to infuse everything part of his life with the art, culture, and people he appreciates most. We discuss why he chose to not … Continue reading "“I would buy records with my lunch money.” My Interview with DJ Skeme Richards"
• The Creative Success Pyramid (3/5/2021) - Two years ago, I introduced the model I use to help writers get clarity in their work, develop an audience, and launch their work in a meaningful way. It’s called The Creative Success Pyramid. Today I want to share an update to it, which I’ve spent three months working on. This is it, you can … Continue reading "The Creative Success Pyramid"
• Behind the Scenes of a New York Times Bestselling Book Launch, with KJ Dell’Antonia (3/4/2021) - Today I talk with KJ Dell’Antonia about the huge creative shift she made from writing nonfiction to fiction. We take a behind the scenes look at her book launch, which she and I began working together on it months before release. She shares specifics of what she did, and how her novel, The Chicken Sisters, … Continue reading "Behind the Scenes of a New York Times Bestselling Book Launch, with KJ Dell’Antonia"
• The marketing spiral of doom (2/26/2021) - Today I would like to talk about two different ethos in marketing your writing. These are the underlying structures that drive how to approach getting people to know more about what you create, and consider engaging with you and your work. Let’s dig in… The Excitement & Fear Marketing Spiral of Doom Yep, that’s what … Continue reading "The marketing spiral of doom"
• From the NFL to Helping People Reach Their Full Potential, with Anthony Trucks (2/22/2021) - In today’s episode, Anthony Trucks takes us through his story of reaching the pinnacle of his dream — joining the NFL — only to having that dream crash down around him. But then, he found alignment: The clarity, the drive, the balance that so many of us desire. I loved this advice from Anthony in … Continue reading "From the NFL to Helping People Reach Their Full Potential, with Anthony Trucks"
• My social media reset (2/19/2021) - As a writer, how do you put creativity first in your life, and ensure your platform as a writer is infused with inspiring and meaningful connections to others? That is what I want to explore today. I want to share personal examples of how I have been trying to do this, and share how I … Continue reading "My social media reset"
• How a Creative Community Fuels a Creative Life, with author Amanda Stern (2/15/2021) - Growing up in New York City’s Greenwich Village, Amanda Stern met Shel Silverstein when she was 12, lived on the same block and Bob Dylan, and described it as: “the whole village was like a stage, and everyone was in a show.” We explore her success as a writer with 9 children’s books, 2 young … Continue reading "How a Creative Community Fuels a Creative Life, with author Amanda Stern"
• Impostor’s syndrome, creating, and sharing (2/12/2021) - I am preparing to share some training events later in the winter, and I wanted to know: what questions do you have around author platform, marketing, book launches, and the creative process? Reply to this email and let me know. This will shape what I create in the trainings, which will be free. Something that … Continue reading "Impostor’s syndrome, creating, and sharing"
• Knowing your readers (2/5/2021) - Two writers I am working with recently told me how our work in establishing their author platforms and marketing strategies is helping them with their writing. One expressed how our work has helped them clearly see the connections between all of her books in terms of the themes. The other said the work is helping … Continue reading "Knowing your readers"
• “I Started Building Creative Muscle.” (1/29/2021) - Today I would like to share the story of how one writer found his path to create, publish, and share his novels. Everything about this journey is so inspiring to me. The author is Julian Winters, and he and I recently chatted for my podcast. In the discussion, we touch upon: How he took a … Continue reading "“I Started Building Creative Muscle.”"
• “I Started Building Creative Muscle.” The Creative Shift of Author Julian Winters (1/28/2021) - Today I would like to share the story of how one writer found his path to create, publish, and share his novels. Everything about this journey is so inspiring to me. In this conversation with Julian Winters, we discuss finding permission to create, taking a huge risk to pursue your creative goals, managing mental health, … Continue reading "“I Started Building Creative Muscle.” The Creative Shift of Author Julian Winters"
• It’s not too late (1/22/2021) - I’ve been thinking about an interview I did with author Kalynn Bayron last year, where she said this: “It’s not selfish to pursue your dreams, and it’s never too late.” When she decided to query agents with her first novel, people told her that her book didn’t have a place in the market. That only … Continue reading "It’s not too late"
• Perfection vs Progress (1/19/2021) - Last week I sent out my newsletter to thousands of people, and in the very first line was a typo. Today I want to talk about how this typo represents what so many writers and creators tell me they fear: making a simple mistake that will sink their career. This can cause them to resist … Continue reading "Perfection vs Progress"
• Marketing is not what you expect (1/15/2021) - Too often, when writers think of marketing, they cringe. They expect that it turns you into “someone who sells and promotes,” instead of a thoughtful writer. Remember the movie Groundhog Day, when Bill Murray keeps bumping into the pushy insurance salesman named Ned Ryerson? That is what a lot of people think marketing is: He’s … Continue reading "Marketing is not what you expect"
• “If there is a moment where you feel lost, find a new path that energizes and inspires you.” My interview with Amber Coleman-Mortley (1/10/2021) - Today I speak with Amber Coleman-Mortley who shares her wisdom on making a creative shift in your life. It includes “delusions of grandeur,” a “social contribution of making the world a better place,” and “needing to have a plan.” She talks about the difficult parts of transitions: “[When] I took a pivot, I had a … Continue reading "“If there is a moment where you feel lost, find a new path that energizes and inspires you.” My interview with Amber Coleman-Mortley"
• Why I create and share (1/8/2021) - A little more than 25 years ago, I was on the phone with a record label, and the publicist on the other end said words that would change my life: “Would you like to interview the band?” At the time, I was in college, and on the side I was creating a zine. Basically, it’s … Continue reading "Why I create and share"
• Why I Create and Share (1/7/2021) - Today I look back on the moment 25 years ago that became the birth of this podcast. But not only that, I reflect on why I create, and why I share. In this episode I share the story of how I created a zine in the early 1990s interviewing my favorite bands like Oasis, Blur, … Continue reading "Why I Create and Share"
• Creative action plan (1/1/2021) - A few weeks ago I talked about a creative reset I have been working on. The last quarter of every year, I spend three months on a creative and strategic reset. The idea is to review my daily work and compare it to what I want to be creating and sharing. Today I would like … Continue reading "Creative action plan"
• Your platform is an experience to create (12/24/2020) - Your author platform and the marketing you do around your writing is not about a thing. It is not about promoting an object or making sale. Instead, it is about creating an experience for yourself and others that fills us each with a sense of purpose, connection, and possibility. Can that also lead to more … Continue reading "Your platform is an experience to create"
• The attention span of your audience (12/18/2020) - I often hear writers say that nowadays, people don’t have long attention spans. They say this when expressing their hesitancy to share about what they create. The context may be to: Not post too often on social media Only send infrequent newsletters Write only a very short bio for their website Only tell their friends … Continue reading "The attention span of your audience"
• A Creative Reset (12/11/2020) - The last quarter of every year, I focus on a creative reset. This is time to collect and organize my ideas and with a sense of intention, prepare a sense of creative clarity for the next year. In this episode, I share a bit about that process and why I’m pausing this podcast for the … Continue reading "A Creative Reset"
• Caring is power (12/11/2020) - Each week, I spend a lot of time talking to writers and engaging with them on social media. It’s not uncommon for me to hear a phrase such as, “I heard ______ doesn’t work to actually sell books or grow my audience.” What is in that blank spot? Well, if you talk to enough writers, … Continue reading "Caring is power"
• A season of creating and sharing (12/4/2020) - Something extraordinary happened this week for an author I worked with this year. Her novel was released and Reese Witherspoon selected this book as her December book club pick. I mean, just imagine this happening to what you created, an image of Reese holding your work and sharing it with her 25 million Instagram followers: … Continue reading "A season of creating and sharing"
• A Creative Reset (11/27/2020) - The last quarter of every year, I spend three months on a creative and strategic reset. The idea is to review my daily work and compare it to what I want to be creating and sharing. To me, this is an essential step in developing one’s platform and creating marketing strategies that work. It involves … Continue reading "A Creative Reset"
• Finding the time to write and share (11/20/2020) - The other day on Twitter, I asked this question: “If you could get rid of one challenge or struggle as a writer, what would it be?” I received a range of answers: procrastination, advertising, lack of response from agents, fear, and more. But the challenge that came up again and again was time. Having more … Continue reading "Finding the time to write and share"
• The people who will support your writing (11/13/2020) - I recently interviewed children’s book illustrator Veronica Miller Jamison about her amazing creative shift, and how she got her first book deal with Little, Brown. After spending nearly an hour discussing her career leading up to the book, I finally asked, “How was the book launch?” She replied: “A lot of anxiety. In the middle … Continue reading "The people who will support your writing"
• “I got diagnosed with depression and anxiety, but the book was my bright spot.” My Interview with Veronica Miller Jamison (11/10/2020) - Today, picture book illustrator and textile designer Veronica Miller Jamison, shares how she made a major career shift, and how that led to illustrating her first book. She discusses the value of surrounding yourself with people who appreciate the craft you are learning, and how that community then became major supporters of her work. She … Continue reading "“I got diagnosed with depression and anxiety, but the book was my bright spot.” My Interview with Veronica Miller Jamison"
• How radical focus helps you create and share (11/5/2020) - So often, when we create and share, we think big. A story that will move a wide range of people. A book that has a large potential audience. An essay that could go viral. A social media post that will get lots of likes. I’m always talking to writers about how to reach readers. Today … Continue reading "How radical focus helps you create and share"
• The courageous act of writing and sharing (10/30/2020) - This past week, a reader emailed me and asked “Dan, I’ve been waiting for your next book. You mentioned it would be published in June, but I haven’t heard anything since then. Are you still going to finish it?” Now, first I will say that that is every author’s dream, to know that someone is … Continue reading "The courageous act of writing and sharing"
• Quitting Her Job to Finish Her Novel: The Creative Shift of Naomi Jackson (10/28/2020) - Just as Naomi Jackson received a big promotion and raise at a job she loved, she quit. In doing so, she moved from New York City to the cornfields of Iowa with the goal of finishing her novel. In today’s interview, she shares incredible wisdom on the value of having a community around your writing, … Continue reading "Quitting Her Job to Finish Her Novel: The Creative Shift of Naomi Jackson"
• An Intro to Human-Centered Marketing (10/23/2020) - I have been assessing what I create and how I can focus my energy to better help writers reach their readers. Looking back on this year, I have shared more than 40 essays on marketing, author platform, and book launches, as well as 35+ interviews with writers and creators. All of it aligns to what … Continue reading "An Intro to Human-Centered Marketing"
• “Because I was finally following my passion, everything fell into place.” My interview with author Gigi Pandian (10/22/2020) - Gigi Pandian is a USA Today bestselling and Agatha Award-winning mystery author of 10 books. Today we explore the huge creative shift she made to stop pursuing a PhD in order to fill her life with more creativity develop her career as an author. She shares the long road to getting the first book published, … Continue reading "“Because I was finally following my passion, everything fell into place.” My interview with author Gigi Pandian"
• Leaving social media (10/16/2020) - Imagine having 39,000 followers on Instagram, and then saying goodbye to it. Walking away from your profile and thousands of likes and dozens of comments you receive each day. That is what one artist did this week. Today I want to revisit the idea of whether you need to be on social media in order … Continue reading "Leaving social media"
• From a 25+ Year Career in Education to Her First Book, with Valerie Bolling (10/14/2020) - For years, Valerie Bolling worked in education. One day, a visit from her nieces inspired her to write some stories. She set a goal to get published and “wrote and wrote and wrote.” Through a Twitter pitch, her book was acquired by a publisher. To find her agent, it took more than 150 queries (50 … Continue reading "From a 25+ Year Career in Education to Her First Book, with Valerie Bolling"
• Is anyone listening? (10/9/2020) - I speak to a lot of writers and creators, and I often hear them talk about how difficult it is to get people’s attention. Sometimes this applies to a book launch, and other times to subscribers, followers, and events. With so much going on in the world, it is easy to consider what you create … Continue reading "Is anyone listening?"
• How Star Wars Led to an Amazing Creative Shift, with Steve Sansweet (10/6/2020) - Today I want to share the story of an amazing creative shift. Steve Sansweet was working as a journalist when he was allowed to see an early screening of Star Wars in 1977. That day changed his life, and he went on to amass the world’s largest collection of Star Wars memorabilia. He eventually left … Continue reading "How Star Wars Led to an Amazing Creative Shift, with Steve Sansweet"
• A book marketing case study, with Amanda Montell (10/2/2020) - Today I want to share an extraordinary book marketing case study. This features the work I did recently with author Amanda Montell, focusing on the paperback release of one book this summer, and preparing for the launch of her next book in mid 2021. First, let’s look at some of the results: From May to … Continue reading "A book marketing case study, with Amanda Montell"