Archive
Business clarity for chaos-minded creators.
Your first sale probably won't (and shouldn't) be your membership
There are better ways to introduce your subscribers to you than your membership. If you're having trouble converting paid subscribers, you might be looking in the wrong place.
How to trick yourself into moving forward as a creator
Thinking on the mental tricks creators use to keep going in the face of self-doubt, fleeting attention, and constant audience churn.
2024 advertising analysis
I spent almost $50k on growth this year and went over 1,000 paid members this month. Did it help my bottom line?
The problem circling sustainable productivity (that nobody's talking about)
We talk about sustainable productivity and making work at a pace that won't burn us out, but by doing so we're missing a big piece of the puzzle.
Author Nation understood the assignment
The inaugural Author Nation conference brought changes to the indie author event scene, offering both improvements and challenges compared to 20 Books Vegas.
I made a weird goal this year...
It's relatively easy to be grateful and thankful (or at least performative say you are) one day a year. It's considerable harder to make gratitude a way of life.
The publishing industry is broken, but it doesn't have to break us
There are three words that can help, but you're probably gonna gag when you hear them. In fact, you are likely gonna have a lot of feelings reading this one.
Bouncing back: The defining feature of successful creators
Discover the key strategies successful creators use to bounce back from setbacks, embrace chaos, and maintain steady income streams in an unpredictable business landscape.
Debrief of our $13,551 "12 Concepts for Authors to Make $8333/Month (6-Figures/Year)" campaign
Another campaign in the bag. How did it go?
Are you running a low touchpoint or high touchpoint subscription?
There are two questions we don’t talk about much when it comes to creating a subscription. They impact how much energy you invest, how you price your offering, and how it fits into your strategy.
Tortured genius
As we toil away in obscurity, it’s normal to fantasize about being a tortured genius who will be appreciated in the future, maybe even after their death, like so many great writers of yesteryear.
Yes, writing a great book people read is marketing, too
Sorry to burst your bubble, but you're not too cool for marketing just because you "only wanna write the next book". You just love a different kind of marketing.
Letters to villainous ghosts
"You wear the crown, be toasted in the town And I'll take the fall when the wall's coming down Darling, If you're looking for a villain, I'm willing."
Your debut will probably flop
Your debut will probably flop, whether you are an indie or trad pubbed...and that's good news.
The. Only. Good. Marketing. Is. The. Marketing. You. Do.
The best way to make money as an author is to not to grin and bear something you don't like. It's to find something you already innately understand and obsess over it.
Always sell the transformation
No wonder everyone hates sales and marketing. The ways writers think about self promotion is deeply flawed. I would hate it if I did it their way, too.
Down and dirty character tricks
I don’t talk about craft much, but I’ve written over 40 novels, plus produced over 1,000 pages of comics, so I do understand a lot about story.
Find brand clarity & direction with a moodboard
Moodboards can be a powerful tool for all creators. They can help shape the visual direction of a project or publication, offer a sense of clarity, and focus your creative vision.
Be interesting enough for long enough around enough people
Do you wanna really know how to grow your Substack? There is really only one piece of advice.
"How do I market myself without feeling gross about it?"
This is the whole game, right? I mean, if we can all feel good about our marketing and we're reaching people that care about what we do, then it's easy to keep doing it forever.
Debrief of our $3,972 Bulletins at the End of the World Kickstarter campaign
We did a campaign, and here is what I thought about it.
It’s a good time to be a ghost(writer)
While it's harder than ever to land a publishing deal and the whole industry teeters on the brink, it might be a good time to consider becoming a ghostwriter.
