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So many writers and artists I speak to strive to do their work full-time — to be able to spend their days on their craft and developing an audience around it.

I was considering the moment when everything changed for me… when it became possible for me to work full-time on my own, to spend my days doing creative work that I love.

It all started by sending an email newsletter to nine people. If I hadn’t done that, I likely wouldn’t be where I am today.

Today, I want to tell you that story and reflect on how the moment that everything has — or will — change for you.

In 2005, I worked in a gray cube at an office of a large media company. In fact, I felt like I had won the lottery, I had been given a “double cube!” Instead of 8-10 hours per day being spent in 5′ x 5′ confined space, I could spend it in a 5′ x 10′ confined space!

This was before the days of social media, when it was still controversial to consider how the internet would change publishing. The concept of self-publishing was still perceived as vanity publishing — something to be looked down upon, an exercise in ego-fulfillment.

I worked with a lot of writers, and the company’s focus was still squarely on the value of print. Sure, they had websites and digital strategies, but few saw it as a viable future.

As I read article after article about the way that publishing will change because of the internet, I decided I wanted to share some of my thoughts around it with my colleagues.

I asked my boss if I could send a small email newsletter to nine of my friends in the company, and explained the focus on the content. She approved it, which was a pretty exciting milestone. Communications in the company were tightly controlled, and she was in charge of the formal company newsletter. It felt like a big step that she would approve a (dramatically) smaller one, run entirely by me.

That Friday I sent out the first newsletter to those nine people. It turns out, I would send an email newsletter every single Friday for the next 14 years as well.

One of the nine people I emailed was a lawyer for our company. He replied back that he thought I should send it to our CEO, and that he would appreciate it. I resisted. Emailing the CEO seemed like the type of thing that a guy sitting in a gray cube didn’t do. Too often, in corporate culture, you don’t raise your hand in order to stand out, you simply try to fit in.

My friend gave me an ultimatum: if I didn’t email it to the CEO, he would.

My cube was near all of the executive offices, and this was the chain of events:

1. I asked my boss permission to forward the newsletter to the CEO. She approved.
2. I forwarded the first newsletter to the CEO saying that it was suggested I forward it to him, and that he may appreciate it.
3. A few minutes later, I saw the CEO walk out of his office, past my cube, and into my bosses office. He shut the door.
4. Five minutes later he went back to his office.
5. 30 seconds later, my phone rang, and my boss called me into her office.
6. When I arrived, she asked me to close the door and sit down.

At this point, I was 100% convinced that I was about to be fired. Why? Not only because I had spoken up within a corporation, but because the topic I was writing about (how digital media will effect writers and print media) represented a huge threat to the company’s core business model, and to many of its employees.

This is the type of thing that would threaten the bonuses and stature of every executive. That still confounded the entire sales operation. That editors eschewed.

Who was I to stoke these flames? What my boss said next still astounds me:

“The CEO would like to forward your email to the entire company, suggesting that everyone subscribe.”

That instantly boosted my subscriber base to well more than 9 people. Over the years, my subscriber list grew within the company, and more and more, I began sharing my own thoughts about how digital media, blogging, and social media was changing opportunities for writers and other creative professionals.

Within the company, I became well-known. I had advocates, but I’m also well aware that I had detractors; those who did not like what I had to say, and were not supportive of my ability to share so easily within the company.

I knew that many executives received the newsletter — people whose bonuses were tied to print revenue, and who constantly had to reassure their employees that print revenue will continue to grow. I clearly remember telling my wife in that era, “One Friday I’m going to click “send” on this newsletter, and I’m going to get fired. Some executive will get offended, argue that my newsletter is hurting the company, and I will lose my job.” I wasn’t trying to be dramatic, I genuinely felt this would happen.

To my surprise, it didn’t. In fact, when the company was disbanded in 2010, with the pieces being sold off or closed, I was one of the last remaining corporate employees.

Even though we had months of warning, I never looked for another job. I had decided I wanted to try my hand at starting my own company when this job ended. That’s when I started WeGrowMedia.

Because of my email newsletter, I got a few clients right away. My business quickly developed a firm foundation because I had created an authentic way to share my voice, and connect with my audience via the newsletter, and the blog that accompanied it.

Marketing expert Seth Godin talks a lot about not waiting to “be picked” by others. He encourages you to “choose yourself.”

When I consider any lessons to take from my moment that everything changed, I consider his wisdom. There is no doubt that my lawyer friend, my boss, and the CEO all had a hand in these things happening. With their (generous) actions, I got lucky.

But what I did with that luck is also something that matters.

I didn’t just send a newsletter once a month, missing months when distracted. I have sent a weekly email newsletter (and posted weekly to my blog) every week for more than 14 years. I have shown up to my writing and to connecting with my readers.

Since that time, I have created hundreds of newsletters and blogs for writers, and trained thousands of individuals how to do it themselves.

If you have long considered starting your own email newsletter and blog, or if you want to improve one that you already have, then consider joining my Blogging & Email Newsletters for Writers program. Here I walk you through the exact steps to take, I provide direct feedback to you each week of the program, and I give you all the tools you need.

This isn’t a course where you drown alone in information. I guide you with personalized recommendations and answers to your questions. This is a collaboration.

More information and registration for Blogging & Email Newsletters for Writers can be found here.

Each week, I talk to successful writers and artists, and I often consider the moment where things changed for them. For me, it was in sending that newsletter to 9 people.

For your own work, I would encourage you to consider:

• Will you wait to be picked?
• Will you squander a lucky hand?
• What is your creative shift — the moment where everything changes for you and your creative goals?

Thanks.
-Dan

I’ve been thinking a lot about the tools that writers have to connect with readers. On any given day, how are you able to connect with people who may love your books and writing?

This past weekend I picked up a vintage radio. It was made in 1931 and is powered by vacuum tubes. In today’s dollars, the radio originally cost nearly $1,200, a dizzying sum when you consider this was in the midst of the Great Depression.

The radio made me consider how the communication and marketing tools that an author has have changed dramatically. Yet, these old fashioned tools still remain very powerful.

Here I am in a pretty typical office setup from 1935, 1955, or even 1975:

(Yes, I collect vintage things!)

If I were a writer in that era hoping to have my manuscript published, hoping that my writing gets in front of readers, what actions could I take?

I could go to the library and look up the names of publishers and agents. Hopefully the books are not out of date. I could then call them, with long distance fees, to ask any questions about how to best query them. I could type up a letter. Then go to the copy store to pay for mimeograph of my manuscript, and send it in a package in the mail. In a few weeks or months, maybe I will hear back.

I can listen in to the radio or TV to get a sense of trends, of what authors are talking about on talk shows, to try to get a sense of how my work fits into the marketplace. I could read newspapers, magazines, books, and journals. But these are all one-way media.

I could attend events, readings, bookstores, libraries and social gatherings to try to meet authors, readers, and those in publishing. Each one requires me to live in an area where this is possible, and to hope I’m in the right room at the right moment to forge a connection with someone.

If the quality of my writing doesn’t grab someone’s attention, or if my social circle is not developed enough, then behind this desk I remain. Yes, I can join local writing groups. I can find a reading at cafes to read excerpts of my work. I can submit essays to publications.

But a distance remains between my writing and my readers without a publisher, without an agent, without a direct means of communication with my readers.

Last week I talked about key elements of author platform: communication and trust. These two things were as essential in 1935 to a writer as they are today.

Nowadays, of course, we have the internet for research, email for direct outreach, social media for connecting with both loose and tight connections, as well as video, websites, newsletters, and so much more.

Yet, “old fashioned” tools still work incredibly well. In fact, sometimes they are even more powerful than newer technology.

I received this letter in the mail this week:

It was from writer Dawn Downey, thanking me for all I have shared for the decade she has followed my work. That’s amazing right? Because of email, the internet, social media, she has been able to connect with me in various ways through an entire decade.

What was even more lovely about this letter is that the card she sent it on featured the artwork of Lisa Sinicki, who Dawn met in my Creative Shift Mastermind! Here is the card:

It was a great reminder that friendships and patrons are forged in these collaborations.

This week I also received an email from writer Faye Westfall who shared:

“You do amazing work with writers. I think it was [more than a decade ago] when I took a course or two from you through Writer’s Digest. I purchased your ebook on blogging and tried my hand at that. Your approach to helping others be successful has kept me reading your Friday emails all these years.”

She then told me about a friend of hers who is a writer, and said, “I think [your book] Be the Gateway will be in her stocking at Christmas.”

For what Dawn and Faye shared with me this week, both were akin to the photo above. Someone taking the time to write a letter to connect. To communicate and build trust.

Oftentimes I consider how the most effective marketing is old-fashioned. The things that connect human beings that are timeless.

I can’t share specific details yet, but for the past few months I have been working with author Leigh Stein on the marketing plan for her new novel which comes out next year.

Key aspects of the marketing campaign could be considered old-fashioned. Things that intentionally don’t scale. Where social media is a secondary component, not primary.

She shared this in her newsletter this week:

My fourth book, Self Care, comes out next summer. I started working on my marketing strategy in August.

That’s right: in August.

I’ve been devoting five to ten hours a week to marketing a book that won’t be anywhere near bookshelves for months. The book doesn’t even exist in a physical form yet. It’s way too early for my publisher to assign a marketing or publicity team to my novel (they have sooo many other books ahead of mine to work on.)

I learned a few hard lessons with my last book launch, for my memoir, in 2016, and I want to do better this time.

 

The marketing plan is comprehensive, but filled with completely outside the box ideas that Leigh is excited about. The goal is to connect her book with readers, but also to create meaningful experiences in the process.

Leigh is publishing a book, but also creating conversations, human connections, supporting others, and continuing to go all-in with her creative vision.

For you, the writer hoping to connect with readers, you have the opportunity to use tools both new and old. To choose a path that fits with your sensibilities, instead of squeezing yourself into someone else’s box, or having to follow “best practices” that don’t resonate with you.

Great marketing is more accessible today than ever before. And even newer marketing tools leverage the best what worked from on old-fashioned means, which is what connects us as human-beings. What draws us in to ideas, to stories, to each other.

Don’t let the tools, new or old, limit you. Connect your writing to readers in ways that are meaningful to you both.

It is so inspiring for me to connect everyday with writers such as Leigh, Dawn, Faye and so many others. Thank you all for your continued support.

Thanks!
-Dan

I recently traveled into New York City to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. They had an exhibit of famous rock guitars and instruments that I was excited to see.

Something about the experience was surprising to me. It was a great reminder that your writing and art is a gift to the world. Let me explain…

So, I brought my trusty companion with me, my 9 year old son:

It’s fun for me to see things through his eyes. Here he taking a photo of Chuck Berry’s guitar…

My son plays the piano, so the big highlight of the show for him was Jerry Lee Lewis’ piano:

As he and I meandered through the exhibit, you couldn’t turn your head without being confronted by another legendary instrument. Here are The Beatles’ instruments:

Jimi Hendrix’s guitar:

Eddie Van Halen’s guitar:

Eric Clapton’s guitar:

There were unexpected highlights, such as Prince’s guitar:

I tried to explain to my son some of the context behind these instruments. This is the guitar that Bob Dylan played when he went electric on stage for the first time, a huge moment in rock & roll history:

Here he is trying to understand The Clash through Joe Strummer’s guitar:

This was perhaps the best display of the whole exhibit. An empty display with a note:

This case was meant to house Keith Richards’s telecaster, one of the most famous instruments in all of rock history. Where was it? He took it on tour. Even though it it is a well-worn object worth millions, he drags it around with him and still plays it. I love that. These are tools that are meant to make music, not sit in museums.

As I gazed at these objects that I dream about, I felt an odd sensation of hollowness. I was looking at a hunk of wood and metal, trying to remind myself “This is the instrument that Jimmy Page used to write a song,” or “This was Stevie Ray Vaughn’s beloved stratocaster — right here in front of me.”

But without the person, without the music, these objects felt like… well… objects.

This reminded me of one of my favorite scenes of all time from a movie. In the 1995 movie Before Sunrise, we follow two young people as they get to know each other and meander through Vienna. There is an energy and magic in their conversation:

At the end of the movie, they depart, and the the film shows a montage revisiting the places that the couple had explored. But these places are now empty, the couple is not there.

And there is something missing. A hollowness to the places, because the special energy of this couple is gone. Their conversation, their ideas, the seeds of attraction and perhaps even love that might be forming. Instead, they are blank canvases without that magic of conversation and connection.

To my surprise, this is how the guitars felt to me at the museum exhibit.

But it was a lovely reminder that we are left with the music that these instruments have created. Through the recordings of songs and albums and live performances, we can experience the exact energy of the moment those performers and instruments created their art.

As writers and artists, we each have this same capacity. To not just write, but to publish. To create, but also to share. To capture our creativity in books, essays, illustrations, music, blogs, podcasts, and so much else.

Too often, we judge the effect of this work too quickly. We measure “likes” and “follows” and “subscribers” and “reviews” by the minute.

But our writing and art remains for longer than that. Months. Years. Decades. For generations even. What you create is a gift to the world.

For others to experience what you create has become easier than ever. The internet has made access to books and art nearly universal. A book costs a few bucks, maybe $30 at the most. A movie, a song, an illustration, are all in a similar price range.

One does not need to travel to a big city to see a limited-time museum exhibit, or attend an expensive concert to experience what you create.

You are a writer. You are a creator. As I reflect on all of this, I encourage you to create more, to publish more, to connect more.

Thanks.
– Dan

I’ve used this phrase a lot in the past year: “human-centered marketing.” To me, this is the type of marketing that truly works. The kind that moves books. That creates a career for a writer. That develops a sense of fulfillment in the process.

Today I want to talk about what human-centered marketing is, and how it does (and doesn’t) relate to so many author platform and book marketing trends you may have heard about in the past decade.

Let’s dig in…

Marketing “Best Practices”

One of the more controversial things I wrote in my book, Be the Gateway: A Practical Guide to Sharing Your Creative Work and Engaging an Audience, is to avoid best practices. I understand why writers seek out best practices with marketing: they want tried and true strategies that won’t make them embarrass themselves.

The problem with best practices? Everyone is doing them. Usually they are copying a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a marketing strategy that used to work really well when it was unique and new. But now everyone is doing it, and oftentimes, they are half-baking it. They put in the minimum effort, hoping for the maximum result.

They end up with the concurrent feelings of “I’m doing everything I’m supposed to be doing to grow my author platform and market my book,” and “Gosh, nothing seems to be working.”

You have likely seen a lot of these best practices in the past few years, and have perhaps become overwhelmed by them.

Maybe you have been told you that you need a newsletter list, that you have to create a compelling “lead magnet”, that you have to use hashtags left and right, that you should run a webinar, do a blog tour, create a course, get on Medium, buy social media ads, or do 100 other tasks.

Can each of these tactics work? Absolutely.

But they each have a critical flaw: too much content, not enough actual engagement. For the person creating them, sometimes they hide behind this content. They can create a beautiful author website, setup an email list, create a lead magnet, send out newsletters, post them to social media with hashtags, link to them in Facebook groups, and so on.

They put all of this content out there, but oftentimes have very little engagement with another human being. They end up with a few social media “likes” to show for it.

On the flipside, it overwhelms people with content. When I started my company WeGrowMedia nearly a decade ago to work with writers and creators, most people didn’t have email newsletters, and online courses were this fresh new thing. People still needed to be convinced that social media, blogging, online video and so many other things were viable ways to market their work.

But today, I often hear from readers who are hesitant to sign up for yet another email newsletter, podcast, blog, or social media channel. There has been an open floodgate of content coming at them for years.

Psychological Marketing Triggers

How have people tried to make their online content more compelling? Two ways: exaggeration and ‘fear of missing out,’ otherwise known as FOMO. These are psychological triggers that encourage people to take action.

For example, a writer recently shared with me a course that she liked which taught the practical steps of how to self-publish a book. 90% of the course was about the specific ways to format a book, to upload it to a distributor, etc. Of the entire course, three minutes of it were focused on marketing. But to make the course seem more appealing, the instructor added the phrase “bestselling book” to the title.

Why? Because it makes the entire course feel more valuable. It’s an exaggeration.

Could the steps taught in the course apply to a book that happens to become a bestseller? Yes. Will these steps help make a book a bestseller? Um, maybe? Not any more than 3 minutes of diet advice will give you six-pack abs. Or 3 minutes of financial advice will make you a millionaire.

I suppose I could try to do both in a single sentence: “To get six-pack abs do lots of sit ups and to become a millionaire, save your money and hire a good investment broker.”

But that advice is simplistic, and exaggerates the likelihood of the potential outcome. You probably see promotions like these all over the internet. “10 Easy Steps to Launch a Bestselling Book in Just 10 Days!” Things like that. Otherwise useful advice is oversold with exaggeration.

The other psychological trigger that is often used is fear of missing out. Limited time deals or access. This one is remarkably effective, as indicated by sales we see at stores and online retailers. While it makes sense to pay less for an item you need, how often in our lives have we bought something we ended up not really needing, just because we didn’t want to miss out on a good deal? (Yes, I have a barely used pasta maker sitting on a shelf. I mean, did I really think I needed to make my own pasta?! But it was such a good deal!)

You see FOMO used all the time with authors and creators. And while there is nothing wrong with it, my concern is when it becomes the only way to market something. For example: a limited time book deal or bundle that go away at midnight. Even when these deals work and bring in an actual sale, the end result doesn’t usually lead to the books being read and enjoyed. Like my pasta maker, the books just sit there, unread.

Trust, Communication, and Relationships

What does work? Years ago when the phrase “author platform” first came out, I defined it as consisting of two things:

1. Trust
2. Communication

I’ve often heard that the only marketing that really works is word-of-mouth marketing. If you consider what that is, it is exactly as I described: good communication, between people who know and trust each other.

Not a website, not a newsletter, not a blog, not a limited-time bundle deal.

How does an author develop trust and communication with their potential readers? Knowing who your audience is, knowing who connects to them, knowing what resonates, and having conversations and connections.

In other words: actual engagement with real human beings.

Every success story relies on them. You will never hear an interview with a successful author or artist that doesn’t reference how communication, trust, and relationships were a key factor in their success.

That is what human-centered marketing is. Connecting with real people, in meaningful ways, and in the process establishing the skill of communicating what you create in a way that creates trust, engagement, and professional relationships.

This is baked into human beings. The desire to connect. To co-create. To share. To support. To communicate.

But this may sound scary to some writers because the other thing baked into human beings is fear of social rejection. So sometimes we tell ourselves it is better to post a blog on Medium or use a hashtag, than to reach out to an actual reader, author, librarian, or event organizer.

But time and time again, I’ve seen human-centered marketing work to help a writer not just establish their career, but ensure it is filled with a sense of meaning and fulfillment, not hollow social media numbers.

This process is geared towards introverts (as well as extroverts and people in-between.) So many writers I speak to describe themselves as introverts, and they fear it prevents them from reaching readers. But being an introvert is not a liability, it is a strength.

Human-centered marketing allows them to connect to their audience in a way that feels natural: one-to-one, on your terms, focused on listening, filled with empathy, and one person at a time.

What’s more is that this kind of marketing only becomes more powerful over time, unlike most marketing tactics which flame out quickly (such as those based on exaggeration or FOMO.)

This is the marketing I help writers do. The stuff that feels great and actually works. They are skills that grow over time.

Thanks!
-Dan

All good marketing starts with empathy. Empathy for the individual people you hope to reach, what they struggle with, what they hope for.

But I think there is also an internal empathy that is needed, which we talk about much less. An understanding of why you create. And what gets in the way.

Too many writers fail not because they don’t have a good enough idea, or they lack the skill, or they don’t have enough time. They fail simply because they stop. They stop creating. They stop sharing and connecting with their ideal audience in meaningful ways.

Why?

The reasons are often complex. It may be an internal narrative that says, “They world doesn’t need another book like mine.” Or “I don’t want to bug people.” Or “I just don’t have the time.”

Something I think a lot about is people who are seemingly self-motivated. Those who have the stamina to start a creative project, and keep going. To do so, even when there are bumps in the road. Even when it seems like nothing is working. Even when it’s boring.

But here is the key: those who seems to have this magical self-motivation, often have a hidden support system. That support system is built on empathy. Empathy to for themselves and others as they create. And then empathy as they give themselves permission to share and to connect with their ideal audience.

Today I want to talk about two of those people. Two people who astound me with what they create, and how a lot of it is driven from this unwavering creative vision and stamina. I also want to discuss their underlying support system and what that entails.

Writing a Book with Your Readers

Two years ago, I first interviewed Elise Blaha Cripe about how she developed her career as a creative professional. Someone who spends every day creating, shares her process with her tens of thousands of followers, and who has developed her own products.

She has a new book that will soon be published called, Big Dreams, Daily Joys, so I reached out to her to discuss the process of writing and launching her book.

I already knew that Elise had spent nearly 15 years sharing thousands of blog posts, hundreds of podcasts, and an endless stream of craft projects shared on Instagram. She didn’t just share her life and ideas, but in doing so, it became a sort of collaboration with her audience.

But it was interesting for me to talk to her about the book launch, how she got the book deal, and how she is promoting the book. She is focused deeply on her own goals, and focusing on what her readers need most.

In doing so, she turned down an agent who approached her about a different book to write. She turned down the inquiries from a major publisher. What did she do instead? She waited. She waited until she felt she had an idea within herself that was the book she wanted to write.

A year later she shared a series of posts on Instagram about goal setting and her audience really responded. Suddenly, she knew this is the book that her readers needed. The book that she had spent 15 years building towards.

Because she has been online for so long, she has been messaging with people one-on-one about their own struggles with creative process and creative goals. She described the book was her way of reaching out to all the people who messaged her over the years. I thought that was such a powerful way to frame the value of this book, and give oneself permission to write.

When I asked about marketing, the first thing that she said is that when she wrote the book, she shared her process of writing it with her audience. There are more than 100 slides on her Instagram of this — among them are literally videos of her standing there writing. She described it this way: “I like to work by sharing the entire thing as I go. Just sharing builds hype. Not telling but showing. Demonstrating how to get through a to-do list, or how I make decisions, sharing that process. I try to highlight the book – demonstrating why the content is valuable.”

She is showing up for her readers and simply sharing her own creative process. Her readers are infused in what she creates, even though it also singularly reflects who she is as a person.

What is amazing is that her support system is her audience. She is constantly messaging with them, sharing details of her creative process, and infusing what they tell her into her next project.

I’m so inspired by what Elise creates and shares. Below are links to her stuff. But first, let’s talk about someone else…

Sharing Who You Are

When Rick Beato was 54 years old, his intern said, “You should share these videos on YouTube.” Rick replied, “Nobody’s going to watch a white-haired guy on YouTube.”

What happened next is astounding.

You see, Rick spent his entire career studying music. He played in bands, he taught lessons, and then became a producer for other musicians. But he hit a rut. He describes it this way, “I was 54 years old, and really unhappy with what I was doing. [My work] was unbearable to me. I was trapped.”

He didn’t like the music he had to produce. He was tired of the grind of that kind of work. But he had a family to support, so he didn’t feel he had any other options.

Then Rick created his YouTube channel.

He started as we all do, he created one video. But then he did something that most people don’t do. “That first year, I made 340 more videos.”

Rick took everything he learned about music in his career, and simply shared it in videos. He read comments and replied to listener questions. He considered the mistakes that musicians always made, and sought to help others avoid those mistakes.

The result? He now has more than 1.1 million subscribers and makes YouTube videos full-time. He is well-known throughout the music industry, with a wide network of people who deeply respect what he has created.

He reflected on it this way: “It never occurred to me that this thing actually would be successful. This idea that in your mid-50s, you can change the course of your life, just by trying something out. It doesn’t always work. But if you don’t try, it is definitely not going to work.”

Here, Rick looked inside himself and shared who he was. He also carefully considered who is audience could be, and what they need most. That became not just what he created, but how he shared, and how his work connected with people.

Empathy and Marketing

Most writers know me for my advice on author platform, book marketing, and book launches. Yet in my blog, newsletter and podcast I talk a lot about creative clarity, building your creative support system, and developing rock-solid creative habits. Why?

Because marketing starts with empathy. It starts with knowing what you want to create and why. It requires you to know what will get in your way, and to challenge your own assumptions to move past impostor’s syndrome and other barriers. It means creating every day, and connecting with others as a human-being.

If any of this resonates with you, I want to remind you that tomorrow is the final day to register for my Creative Shift Mastermind, which begins Monday October 1. You will spend three months with me and a very small group of other writers and creators. I will give you direct feedback each day, and we will become your support system that fuels your creative growth.

Full details here.

Thanks!
-Dan

PS: Here is my most recent interview with Elise Blaha Cripe, and you can hear Rick Beato talk about his career here.