149177770 You Are a Writer So Start Acting Like One

7/27/2019 149177770 You Are a Writer So Start Acting Like One

1/99


2/99

You Are a Writer(SO START ACTING LIKE ONE)

BY JEFF GOINS


3/99

You Are a Writer (So Start Acting Like One) / by Jeff Goins

opyright 2012 by Jeff Goins, Goinswriter.com. All rights reservePublished in the United States by YourDigitalBook.com. First

edition.

Cover design by Erin Marie Johnson, TheWanderingReader.com

You are welcome to use a short excerpt of this book for review orcritique purposes.

For more information and other queries, [email protected].
http://www.thewanderingreader.com/http://www.yourdigitalbook.com/go/yaawchttp://www.goinswriter.com/


4/99

Contents

orewordntroductionriters Are Born, Not Madehe Truth About Writinguilding a Platformstablishing a Brandhannels of Connectionetting Startedefore Your First Bookhat Next?bout the Authorhare this Book


5/99

Foreword

ecently, I was reading a book about writing. In it, the authalked about how she just loved to write.

eachers told her she was a good writer, and they encouraged halent. Magazines were eager to publish her work. She wontinuously encouraged to write and share, but there was just oroblem: She didnt see herself as a writer.

ve heard this kind of story numerous times from other writerEveryone encouraged me to write, but I just didnt think I was goonough.

hat story is not mine. Not exactly.

was never told I was a natural or that I should consider becomiwriter. I liked to write here and there. Mostly poetry and ba

eenage drama poetry at that.

often received negative marks on my English papers, and I canemember one teacher telling me I was a good writer.

n college, I would regularly watch a paper I was proud of get too pieces by my professors. At my first job, I was plagued by the reen of criticism. It haunted me.

he red pen isnt bad when its followed up with an encouragemenut without it, such a rebuke can be devastating. Those red marpoke to me loud and clear: I was not a writer. I would cry and bru

t off and just accept the fact that I wasnt a writer, until the day


6/99

ealized I was one.

hen, I felt like a fraud. I had an audience and was writing, butanted to hide. I never felt good enough. What if I was found ond exposed?

ut Ive learned something important about my audience: They thinm a writer. They believe something about me that Im stirestling with. That I can actually do this thing called writing.

ts taken me four years of blogging, failing, and growing, to be abo say, Im a writer. You know why I say it now? Solely because I he thing: I write.

write every day and have the privilege of a platform where peopome to read my writing. Its a gift, this thing we do this writingnd the fact that people give us their time is a blessing we couever repay.

e have an opportunity. To write words that matter, to change livith language.

m a writer. I bet you are, too.

ou have a unique privilege here. Jeff Goins is a day-in, day-ouriter. He is diligent and focused and living his dream. Hes riter, and he knows what it takes to guide you through thourney.

n this book, Jeff will inspire you to claim who you already ar

long the way, hes going to teach you some super-practical tips


7/99

perfecting the craft, expanding your platform, and getting your wpublished.

This book is a gift. Indulge in it. Then, turn around and give gift of writing to someone else.

Sarah Mae, Writer

SarahMae.com


8/99

Introduction

i. My names Jeff. And Im a writer.

ike most writers, I like to write. Not sell myself, or pitch ideas,

ait for publishers to pick me. Just write.

ve stumbled upon this idea, you see, that writers shouldnt spenheir time doing what they dont enjoy. Instead, they need to do whhey love. They need to write.

ounds idealistic, right? But I believe this is the key to creatiour best work.

o how do you just write? I mean, lets be honest. Weve all hearow writers need platforms and influence and great marketingight?

ut how do you do that?

hats what this book is about. Its about falling back in love witour craft and building a platform, so you dont have to pitch or seourself. Instead, you can focus on what you were made to do: write.

efore we get into that, though, introductions are in order.

Why Listen to Me?

m nobody special. Just a writer who got frustrated with a brok

ystem and decided to do something about it.


9/99

This idea isnt new. Lots of writers are building platforms that ethem the chance to deliver a message. Theyre focusing on passion, people are paying attention.

Thats all Im going to share with you nothing you couldnt Gooon your own. There is, however, something that qualifies me to shathis with you, something unique that I am quite familiar with: frustrations of a writer.

The long nights. The thankless work. The bad pay. I know them quite well.

But heres the rub: It doesnt have to be this way. There is a way of this feast or famine cycle in which most writers fithemselves. A way to even break the chains of fame and accoladesspurn the addiction of an audience and create lasting work. A way the gatekeepers to come to you.

There is a way for you to live what every writer dreams of: nehaving to write a proposal or query letter again. Never havingpitch, never having to compromise. Wouldnt that be great?

Ive learned the secret to writing for the love of it and gettacknowledged for your work.

And Im going to share it with you.


10/99

Writers Are Born, Not Made

very day, somewhere, a writer is born.

he comes into the world with a destiny: to share her words an

roclaim a message. To make a difference.

hese words have the power to move and motivate strangers, to shakhe earth and rattle the heavens. If only she would share them.

ts a choice, writing is. One that belongs to you and me. We get

hoose it (or not) every single day. So whether or not the world heaour message whether you leave the impact you were born to makes entirely up to you.

cary, isnt it?

here are, of course, thousands who wont make this choice. Theyail to be who they are and live up to their calling.

e will forever miss their words. And this is tragic.

he Would-Be Poet

ole Bradburn is a chiropractor who longs to be a poet.

ost days, he works in an office, helping people improve theiealth. Secretly, though, he longs to make a difference with hords. Some day, he hopes. Maybe. If Im lucky.


11/99

ts not that Cole hates his job. He rather likes it. Which is thole problem. Theres another life he longs to live, one that feet odds with the one hes living.

he world, it seems, is full of people like this. Closet artists anspiring authors, people longing to do meaningful work thnspires. Theres just one problem: Theyre not doing it.

any of us worry about our lives, whether or not well make mpact. In the late hours or early mornings, we wonder what well emembered for, what our legacy will be.

hile some people are trying to make it through another weethers find themselves succeeding in the wrong thingsanespairing as a result.

ake no mistake. All of us at some point wonder if what were doiatters.

he answer taunts us. It whispers from afar. Keeps us wondering anaiting. All the while, deep inside our hearts, something dangerotirs. Something were afraid to admit.

reating a Legacy

ears ago, I was in Spain. As part of a college study abroad programas spending the fall semester of my junior year in Seville, eautiful, historic city full of art and wonder.

n a very ordinary day, my friend Martha and I took a trip to Liralda, the impressive tower adorning the worlds third-largeathedral in the city. After ascending the massive spiral staircas


12/99

e gazed out an opening, overlooking the city. We looked dowatching thousands of souls pass by, from the place where Columbas allegedly entombed.

s we descended the stairs and exited the tower, Martha posedhought Ill never forget: I wonder what kind of legacy Ill leave

t hung in the air for all to hear.

n the ground floor, we stopped and stood in front of the altarhere we were, surrounded by centuries of art, and Martha wanted now which of her creations would endure. Would still be standin another thousand years.

had to wonder the same.

e are all hoping something we do in this world matters. That whe create will stay with people forever. As Steve Jobs, the infamoounder of Apple Computers, once said, we all long to put a dent he universe. To leave some kind of impact on this ball of dirt.

ut most of us, tragically, wont.

ere afraid of the cost. Worried we dont have what it takenxious of the road it takes to get to greatness. So we play it sand abide by the rules. Before we start, we sabotage our work anubvert our genius.

nd how, pray tell, do we do this? With words. Subtle but serioords that kill your passion before you can pursue it. Words li

aspiring and wannabe. Words like I wish and someday.


13/99

here is a solution to this. A simple but hard way of facing yoears and living the dream: Become who you are.

nd who are you? A writer, if youll believe it.

hope you do, because we need your voice. We need your message.

ntil you acknowledge this that you are a writer you aepriving the world of a gift it longs for. One that stands the tef time. One that could leave a legacy.

Finding the Dream

All is not lost, all is not lost / Become who you are / happens once in a lifetime.SWITCHFOOT

bout a year ago, a friend asked me what my dream was, and I told h

didnt have one. Which was exactly the wrong thing to say.

Thats too bad, he said, baiting me. Because I wouldve said it wo be a writer. I guess I was wrong, he shrugged, turning away.

began to steam. Swallowing hard and working up the courage

peak, I finally uttered, Well, I guess it is. I mean I suppose ope to maybe be a writer some day.

y friend looked at me intently and said without blinking, Jefou dont have to want to be a writer. You are a writer. You just neo write.

hose words struck a chord in me. The next day, I started writin


14/99

ithout excuse or exception, I began.

nd you know what? My friend was right. Pretty soon, I became riter at first without realizing it. It began with a few hundreords before the sunrise. But pretty soon, I was publishing articlnd producing work on a regular basis that frankly surprised me.

found my dream not by searching for it, but by submitting to whatad always hoped was true: I was, in fact, a writer. All I had to as write.

nyone can do this. All it requires is a simple, scary solutioelieve you already are what you want to be. And then start actiike it.

Falling Back in Love with Writing

he first time I fell in love, I was twenty years old. At least,

hought I was in love. Little did I know it was quite the opposite.

he relationship was all wrong from Day One. This girl and I broke nd got back together exactly four and a half times the half beihen we started going out again but didnt tell our friends (becaue had already broken up four times).

fter the last cycle of breakups and make-ups, we stayed together fwhile: a year and a half, to be precise.

ventually, the relationship started to stabilize and grow stale. ecame comfortable and then boring. Soon, the feelings faded, and ahat was left was a commitment neither of us wanted to be in.


15/99

he problem, though, was we didnt know how to end it. We felt stuck

s the relationship fizzled, I grew distant and she stopped showinffection. We found clever and convenient ways to avoid each othetill, for some reason, we stuck it out. We just couldnt end it as an awful, confusing cycle.

felt the way a lot of people in broken relationships feel. I ferapped. We were hanging onto something longer than we should havut we were scared and didnt know how to let go of what had becomafe and predictable.

inally, one day, the relationship ended. The final break happenen accident, as all the best ones do. We started talking about the paew months, and before we knew it, we were saying goodbye.

fterwards, I remember going to the park, lying on a picnic table anreathing a deep sigh of relief. I finally felt free.

ears later, Im reminded of that experience when I look at mpproach to writing.

When You Feel Trapped

t will happen, eventually. You will do something you love, anfter awhile, youll forget why you started. Whether its elationship, a career, or a calling, youll start to feel trapped.

his happens to the best of us. We lose steam and want to break uith our passions. We achieve success, and it doesnt matter.


16/99

hy? Because the reason we started no longer motivates us. We cheut and want to move on. We dream of quitting.

hat you do next, though, is what forms your character. Its whetermines the course of your lifes work and what makes a legacts the difference between someone who creates something memorabnd meaningful and someone who just gives up.

hen this happens, youre in a tough place. You start resenting whrought you so much attention in the first place. You may even findourself longing to reinvent your work.

usicians experience this. So do marketers. Writers do, as well. Bhat do you do with it?

f youve had any success in your craft, you know what Im talkibout. One day, you write something, and an audience shows up. Anhis changes everything. Because now you have customers people

mpress.

hats when things start to get tricky.

very writer experiences this. At some point in your journey, yond yourself writing for the approval of others, not for pure lov

f the craft. Youre no longer satisfied with your passion, and therothing you can do about it. All these royalty checks, all this blraffic youre stuck.

t these times, youll want to give up. Throw in the towel. Move nother country, buy a cabin in the mountains, and forget about thorld. But this is not the end. Its only the beginning of anothourney.


17/99


18/99

o thats what I did. Not thinking about writing or talking about iut actually doing it. Which is the hardest thing in the world forriter to do.

would wake up at 5:00 a.m. every morning and write for hours befooing to work. When I finished the day, Id spend another couplours in the evening. Just writing.

would write on lunch breaks and when I could grab a spare momend stay up late and put in weekend hours. Every chance I could getas writing.

didnt care about anything else. I was euphoric. I was in love.

aybe youve experienced this. Maybe you hope to. Either way, I wao make something clear.

ou are a writer. You just need to write.

ts time to kill the excuses and start writing. Time to becomeriter again. Not a marketer or an entrepreneur. Not a blogger usinessperson. A writer. A real one.

ll of this this business of becoming a writer starts not withe hands, but with the head.

urning Pro

hen I started writing, I had all sorts of anxiety. Who was retending to be a writer? How could I possibly call myself one wh

hadnt even written a real book, hadnt been published or paid f


19/99

y work?

s I began to pursue my craft, I learned something important. In fam still learning it.

riting is mostly a mind game. Its about tricking yourself inecoming who you are. If you do this long enough, you begin elieve it. And pretty soon, you start acting like it.

hen I started writing, titles intimidated me, and I wondered wht would take to arrive, to be considered legitimate. I secretorried I would never feel like a writer, despite what I tolyself.

o I asked an expert.

n The War of Art, Steven Pressfield explains you have to turn pron your head before you can do it on paper. More important than boeals and hitting the New York Times Best Sellers List is thelief in yourself.

n other words, you have to trick yourself, because you arent riter yet. Youre just beginning. But we all have to start somewhernd a writing career begins with you.

t first, I didnt buy this. So I emailed Mr. Pressfield. I wanted tonow the truth about this writing business, what it really took. n interview, I asked Steve, When do you really become a writer? t when you get an agent? When you sign your first book contracthen you sell 100,000 copies?


20/99

e said it was none of that. The truth was much simpler. When do yoecome a writer? When you say you are, he said.

didnt get it. I poked and prodded, trying to dig deeper. I wantractical steps and formulas. Where were my charts and diagrams? Be insisted, Screw what everyone else says. You are when you say yore.

decided to give this a shot. What choice did I have? All this seloubt, all this questioning I was willing to do whatever it tooo alleviate the lack of confidence I felt.

o I started saying I was a writer. I put it on my Facebook pagncluded it in email signatures. Everywhere I could, I wrote thatas a writer. It was kind of ridiculous, but something crazy happens a result of this campaign.

t actually worked.

s I started making these public proclamations of identity, ctually started believing them. I began to trust my calling beforead anything to show for it.

efore anyone else called me one, I believed I was a writer. And

tarted acting like one.

hen something strange happened. I started to get better at my crafll because of a few, mere words. Through this process, I learnedrucial lesson. Before others will believe what is true about yooull have to first believe it yourself.


21/99

kay, were going to do an exercise together now. Take a moment anrite this down. Do it as an act of faith, of believing before you seay it before you feel it.

his isnt positive thinking mumbo jumbo; its affirming somethineep inside of you that youve been resisting. Its time to submit, urrender. Are you ready? Write it now before this sense of urgeneaves you. Grab a pen and paper make this a tactile experiencend write the following words:

am a writer.

ood. Now do it tomorrow and the next day. Continue this practior the rest of your life until you believe it. And then keep doit as a means of practice and ritual. Because there will always oubt. Always anxiety and second-guessing.

elcome to the life of an artist.

Being True to Your Voice

ost people dont know what they want. We writers sometimes forghis. So we write the words we think others want to hear. Theres june problem with this. Its not how you create art.

s a communicator, your voice matters. More than you realize. We (youdience) are relying on you for your insight and profundity. eed you to poke and prod, not merely pander.

ou have to be yourself, to speak in a way that is true to you. This he next step to reclaiming your life as a writer taking yourseeriously so your audience will, too.


22/99

dmittedly, this was hard for me. I had spent years helping otheople find their voices. I wasnt sure Id recognize my own when iame. And truth is I didnt. I needed help. I needed people to tell hen I had hit my sweet spot. When I had struck a nerve.

hen I started writing every day without excuse, I didnt know material was resonating with anyone. I was just showing up. It tookew friends telling me Id found my voice before I realized it.

he same may be true for you. Some days, its enough of a chore just ut your butt in a chair and stay put. To create something. Anythinf you do this long enough, though, you start to create really go

ork.

t may be subtle at first, but if you continue if you persevere oull discover a reality all professionals know quite well.

verything is practice. Every word you write and action you take

chance to get better. This is the difference between professionand amateurs. Pros are always looking for a chance to get better, mprove their craft just a little more.

Practice Makes Habits

ast year, I finished my first half-marathon. But this wasnt my firttempt at running one.

few years ago, I tried to run a race and failed. I didnt practicidnt buy the right shoes, and didnt do the work. Halfway throughe training, I injured myself and had to quit.

hen I tried again. But this time, I took it seriously. I gave th


23/99

port the respect it deserved.

believed if I put the time and effort in, I could do it. I committeo a plan and made room in my life to practice. I used the righquipment and invested a little money, which made me take it evore seriously.

everal months later, I crossed the finish line.

ot too long after the race, I woke up early one morning, drank somoffee, and went for a five-mile run. After that, I wrote a few pageor my book and went to work.

hat evening, I looked back on the day and was shocked by all I haccomplished. Getting up early, running five miles, writing over housand words where did all this discipline come from?

t came subtly, as all things well practiced do. It didnt happen hinking about it. Not through wasting time with meaningless goar silly, fruitless plans. No, it happened from doing the work reating habits and building momentum. This is the secret astering any discipline: As you conquer one, youll find it easier tackle another.

f you do anything long enough, it becomes habitual. This is the goor any passions in life: to wake up and do it without thinking. Than happen for writing, running, and anything else you want to do ife. It wont be easy, but it can become effortless.

es, it may hurt on occasion, but if you do something long enough, yventually stop thinking about it.


24/99

rofessional weight lifters dont get sore like you and I do when ift weights. They show up, push themselves, build muscle, and ome. Then tomorrow, they get up and do it again.

he less they think, the more successful they are. The same is true ny craft. Soreness is the result of untrained muscle. If you practivery day, you dont get fatigued. All muscles are built this waven creative ones.

hen you start writing every day, youll find yourself getting moromfortable with your voice. So will others. As those two intersecoull discover your message.

his may take months or years. But if you keep showing up, keracticing and doing the work of a professional, youll find it.

he Secret to Successful Writing

xperts say youre supposed to imagine a specific person and writor him. This is a trick marketers use to find their ideal customerhey choose someone, give him a name, and focus all communicatifforts on reaching that person.

did the same. I chose to write for one and only one persoyself.

he only person you need to worry about writing for is you. This he secret to satisfaction in anything: doing what gives you life anot trying to live up to others expectations.

s you do this, you may find what I found, that youre not as uniqus you thought. There are a lot more people like you than y


25/99

ealize.

hen I published my online manifesto and over a thousand peopownloaded it in a week, I realized I wasnt the only one who fehat way. It made me feel not so alone. Incidentally, thats the samhing people who read the manifesto thought when they read it.

omeone recently put it like this: If youre one in a million, anhe world is full of seven billion people, that means there are sevhousand people just like you.

hen you think about it like that, you dont feel so alone anymoro you? Which raises the question: If there are thousands of peoput there waiting to hear from you, how do you find them? Is it haro believe that it starts with you?

t Begins with Passion

or five years, I wrote a blog nobody read. I measured my traffic andid everything I could to maximize my reach. All the while, eart slowly died, and I grew bitter.

watched other writers succeed in ways I hadnt, and I envied theventually, I grew to resent them. Why? Because I wasnt doing whatanted. I was writing, but I wasnt enjoying the process. I was onhasing results.

o what did I do? I went back to the basics: writing for the love t. Not profit or prestige. Not analytics or metrics. Just for writinor the sake of writing.

s a result, something amazing happened: I started to have fun. An


26/99

he quality of my work dramatically increased. I finally felt freo do what I loved.

ou can do this, too. But this kind of change comes with a cost. ith all good things, there will be sacrifice a price to pay.

De-clutter

n order to create your best work, youll have to make room for ioull have to cut out the excess noise and focus on what realatters: the writing.

n our world today, distractions abound. Thousands of advertisiessages inundate us every single day. As a result, we live hurrierantic lives full of interruption.

he average attention span is short less than three minutes (Iveard as short as nineteen seconds). The demand for writers with t

bility to capture and maintain interest is high.

o ahead and try to watch a five-minute video on YouTube. I darou. If you get through it without checking email, changing browsabs, or picking up your phone (or wanting to), I applaud you. You harare ability that most now struggle with.

or me, the worst of all these distractions is social media.

acebook. Twitter. Posterous. Friendfeed. Blogger. Ning. PlaxinkedIn. Google Plus. Wordpress. Instagram. AIM. Jabber. Tumbllickr. Foursquare. LinkedIn. Myspace. Digg. Delicious. Stumbleupoelp. Path. Gowalla. And more.


27/99

ve been on them all. And I have little to show for it.

nline, there is this expectation (usually self-imposed) for writend communicators. Its a fallacy, but it doesnt stop well-meanieople from saying it all the time. The myth goes like this: Yave to be everywhere.

hats ridiculous.

ou know who says that? People who are always responding to thatest trend. I know this, because I was one of them.

hen I started writing every day, I realized a painful truth: I caneact and create at the same time. Neither can you.

ur brains dont work well when we try doing too many things. Thouge may have eclectic interests, we can only do one thing at a time ao it well.

ultitasking is a myth. You can either create or react. But you cano both. Choose wisely.

ts hard to say no, but its even harder to spin your wheels. To wasour creative energy on frivolous things like an endless series heck-ins.

ou know what most of this crazy, social media platform maintenans? Stalling. Procrastinating the real work you need to do, which riting.

dont play that game anymore. I pick a few networks that work f


28/99

e and I say good riddance to the rest. If youre going to be a reriter, youll have to make similar sacrifices.

dont know your distractions, but you do. Fess up to them, doittle purging, and get to work.

ancel Contingencies

heres a trend amongst writers. Most have more ideas than they knhat to do with. They have hundreds of half-written articles andew books started.

ow many of these projects have they finished? None. I was the samay.

nce a month on a Saturday, when the wind was blowing just right anfelt inspired, I would write. Id write for hours at a time lon

rawn-out essays about who-knows-what. It felt beautiful an

recious, but really it was a waste of energy.

would come up with imaginative ideas and potential projects ebsites and communities and other brilliant creations. Some of thed actually start, even followed through with a few. But I finishexactly none.

wasnt creating. I was only dreaming.

his is dangerous territory, when your creativity hijacks yoroductivity. Do you know whats at work here, when we thraround with countless projects?


29/99

EAR.

ear of finishing. Fear of picking one thing and sticking with it. Whink, what if its the wrong thing? What if I mess it up?

eres the truth: There is no wrong thing. Just begin. Once you leaow to finish, youll be able to start again.

ancel all backup plans, pick a project (it may be a book, blog hatever) and move forward. Start writing. If you dont, all youoing is waiting.

Fail Forward

s you cancel contingencies and find something to stick with, youleed to learn how to ship. Youll have to move through fear. Youave to learn the lesson every writer hates learning.

n fact, nobody wants to learn this lesson: how to fail.

teve Jobs once said, Real artists ship. I love that. Howeveomeone recently reminded me its the shipping part thamphasized when it should be the artist part.

n other words, just because its shipped doesnt make it art. But t doesnt ship, it doesnt matter what it is. Art is creation. It neeo exist on paper or screen to fulfill its purpose. Which is to changomething.

eal artists risk failure every time they release their work in

he world. If your words are going to matter, you will have to do t


30/99

ame. You will have to let go.

ntil you do, youre not creating art. Youre just screwing around.

emember: The fear of something is always scarier than the thi

tself. Yes, there is pain and rejection. But the greatest failure o never risk at all.

hen you fail, you dont really fail. You learn. You draw a lessrom it. You find new ways to move forward, ways to work arounuture problems. As Thomas Edison said, you find 999 ways to n

ucceed. If you persevere, you hit that 1000th

try the moment reakthrough.

ut this happens only if you ship.

Build a Community

hen I first started writing and sharing my work, it was on a bloglogs let you see how many readers youre affecting every day, so as easy for me to get off-track to focus on results instead rocess.

chased numbers, not people. I thought like a pollster, not

onversationalist.

ot surprisingly, I failed. I had hundreds of daily visitors, but riends or followers. No one who really cared about my work.

f youre going to fall out of love with public approval, somethi

nteresting will happen: People will be deeply attracted to yo


31/99

work.

They wont be able to help it. Passion is contagious. If you trpeople like human beings and write from a place that is deep true, you will find your audience.

But you wont do it alone.

You will need others help. You will need a community. And tcommunity begins with one person who truly believes in the work.

That person is you.

So what do you say? Time to start writing? Thought


32/99

The Truth About Writing

riting is hard real hard. Its work. Somehow, you never talk abohat in your college composition class.

obody wants to tell you the truth, because if you knew how hard as, youd never start in the first place. Youd quit before you bega

ets begin there with the truth shall we?

What Nobody Ever Tells You About Writing

Its harder than you think.

Its not enough to be good. You have to be great.

Nobody cares about you. People care about themselves.

Its more about who you know than what you know.

Youd better love it. (Otherwise, quit now.)

o what do you do now that youve been acquainted with the reorld? Do you give up or persevere?

obody ever tells you this. That writing takes more hours and enerhan youd ever be able to plan for. That no one cares about you as thriter until youve actually written something. That what you wri

snt as important as getting your work in front of the right peopl


33/99


34/99

here are plenty of writers who choose the Hemingway route anuffer through their lifes work. They subject themselves to thiolence of their art, instead of conquering it. They ruin marriagnd type masterpieces while completely wasted. They wallow.

f youre a wimp like me, though, you may not be too keen uffering. In which case, rest assured. There is another way. You donave to suffer; you can work, instead.

he Second Camp

Talent alone cannot make a writer. There must be a m

behind the book.RALPH WALDO EMERSON

alent is not enough to succeed. We know this. We see it every day.

ollywood is not just full of the worlds best actors, but those whlso made the right connections and paid their dues.

usic Row has welcomed not only the worlds most remarkabusicians, but also those who knew the right people.

f course, talent is important. But it is also a given. In order ucceed as a writer, you need something more, something vibrant.

n other words, there must be a life behind the writing.

tephen King said in his memoir On Writing that for years he labornder the assumption that life was a support system for art. Onears later did he learn it was, in fact, the other way around.


35/99

f you are going to succeed as a writer, you are going to have earn to be smart. To have thick skin. To be more than talented. Yore going to have to be a marketer, an entrepreneur, a talentalesperson.

ecause this is a business.

f your art is going to have the impact you want for it, you haetter learn the tricks of the trade not so you can become part he system, but so you can start changing lives.

wish someone wouldve told me this ten years ago. I wouldve gotto work a lot sooner. And I wouldve succeeded, too.

wish Id have known there were simple tools to help writers hat they were made to do: Write, not deal with ridiculoureaucracies.

wish Id have known how to network and make meaningfuonnections. And that it was all easier and less sleazy than hought.

wish Id have gotten online and started blogging much sooner.

f I had done all those things when I was in college, Id havuthored dozens of books by now. Im sure of it.

ut I didnt do those things. Instead I waited for permission. To bicked.

aybe you are, too. If you are, consider this your official wake-u


36/99

all: Its time to stop waiting to be asked and start creating.

he Most Important Lesson a Writer MusLearn

or years, Ive been writing and publishing articles both onlind offline. Ive experienced the pain of being ignored and thisappointment of being rejected.

n a matter of months, that all went away.

verything Ive learned about writing query letters and boroposals has been thrown out the window. Im no longer pounding ublishers doors, pleading to be picked.

nstead, Ive learned to choose myself.

ithout trying to sound like an infomercial, you can do this, tond it will make all the difference.

ve been writing my whole life, but in the past year Ive learned tost important lesson about building a writing career, which meat doesnt take long. Doesnt have to, anyway.

ve learned secrets and tricks to publishing that used to baffle anrustrate me. And Im going to tell you how I did it: how I focused he craft and wrote for the love of it. How I got published withoaving to plead and grovel. How the gatekeepers started coming e.

re you ready to get started with this? To live the life eve


37/99


38/99

Building a Platform

very writer needs a platform. A stage. A place from which ommunicate a message. This is the first tool you need.

platform is something only you can build. You cant borrow or stet. You can only earn it. Its the permission people give you ommunicate with them.

here is no set form for any given platform; it all depends on tribe youre building. A platform is what you make it.

he question is: Will you build one? Will you create your own ruler will you continue to be bound to someone elses standards? lend in with the rest of the crowd?

ot sure where to start? Lets look at some examples.

Examples of Platforms

here is no set way to do this. There are all kinds of platforms hich one will you build? Here are a few types to consider:

YouTube Channel

Podcast

Blog


39/99

Newspaper Column

TV Show

Speaking Career

prah has a platform. So does Bono. As does J.K. Rowling. If you waeople to pay attention to what you have to say, you have to begitimate. You need to have a reason for people to listen.

n the old days, a lot of this was left to chance. Musicians had

lay a lot of dives before they ever stepped onto a main stagcreenwriters moved to Hollywood and paid their dues for yeaefore they ever made one of their stories into movies.

ut now, things have changed. Now, you dont have to wait. The odre still against you, and this will be hard. But the good news his isnt left to chance. You dont have to wait anymore.

ow, you can create your own luck.

hen it comes to platform, there are so many options so mapportunities it can feel overwhelming. Where do we begin? Withat we know.

How to Build a Platform

here are three important parts of building any platform:

1. Get experience.


40/99

2. Demonstrate competence.

3. Generate buzz.

et me unpack that. There are three parts to building any successf

latform, three steps or actions you need to take to get noticed.

irst, you need experience. This is about apprenticeship. Aboaying your dues. Its about spending time getting good at your craf

econd, you need to demonstrate competence. This means showing

hat you have. It means practicing in public.

or musicians, this means playing live shows. For writers, it mealogging. For artists, it means putting your work on display for torld to see. You need to show the world you have what it takes ao find someone who will give you a chance.

hird, you need to generate buzz. You have to get people talkibout you. If you have experience and are good at what you do, but ne advocates for you, you dont matter.

ou may be writing for the love of it, which is perfectly fine, but iou want to touch someones life (as most writers do), this is nnough.

his means more than fans. It includes patrons and supporters aneople who will spread your message for you. Its a tribe.

his may sound overwhelming or vague. It may be too ethereal. Whoes it actually mean?


41/99

hats all well and good, you may be thinking. But I dont even knohere to start. What do you do?

he best way to build a platform and earn influence is actualluite simple. How do you get noticed in a world full of noisistractions, and advertisements? Easy. Help people.

e a resource to others. Do favors. Be selfless. In a world of me-firstnd gimme-gimme, this is totally crazy. And unexpected. Which is wht works.

enerosity catches people off-guard; they dont see it coming. This hy they trust you, why they take time to listen to you. You haheir best interest in mind.

ith trust comes permission. With permission, the opportunity hare your work.

Personal Story: How I Got Started

hen I first started my writing blog, Goinswriter.com, I felt like ool. I had never published a book and had only gotten a few articln print over the years. I did a lot of online writing and blogginut that was it.

ho the heck was I to offer advice?

hen I heard of other bloggers who were considered experts in theelds. I found out many of them didnt start out as experts, eithernstead, they just started asking questions. They started poking anrobing and finding the answers to their burning questions.


42/99

So I realized something: The only prerequisite to buildingcommunity is curiosity.

If youre struggling with feeling good enough, stop it. Thats the issue. Not really. The issue is fear. Namely, fear of starting. Wit takes to start is not talent but the willingness to finish, follow through.

Are you willing to push through the fear of rejection embarrassment? To be curious and ask questions? To persevere commit to learning? To work harder than most so you can become expert?

If so, youre ready to begin. Youre ready to build a platfoRemember: A platform is people. It doesnt get much simpler than thHelp others, and youll find your helpfulness reciprocated.

As it turns out, the age-old adage is true: What goes around co

around.

So start being generous today.


43/99

Establishing a Brand

he second tool every writer needs is a strong personal brand.

or years, I neglected this, riding on the coattails of others.

artnered with writers and organizations that had strong brandshought somehow their influence would transfer to me.

was wrong. It doesnt work like that. Only you can own your olatform. Only you can manage your own brand.

ou have to have an image and personality that people recognize. At needs to be distinctly yours. Otherwise, you disappear. You donxist. Youre camouflaged, blending in with the background of otheoices.

rust me, I know.

used to write for a magazine. Every time I sent in a new piece (aftublishing multiple articles with them), I had to re-introduyself. Every. Single. Time. It was pathetic. And terribly frustratinut I had no home base no website, no landing zone, no platformot what I was asking for.

ithout a brand, youre forgettable.

he good news is you have a choice. With the Internet and thillion ways people are connecting with each other every day, you cake command of your personal brand. In fact, you must.

hat, exactly, is a brand? Thats not a bad question. In fact, theres


44/99

ot of confusion about what the word even means. It means differehings to different people.

or some, a brand is a logo. For others, its your reputation or thrust people put in a product. The word itself may conjure images pple or Coca-Cola. It may cause you to wince or make you roll yoyes.

f thats the case, hang in there. Because what I mean when I sbrand is actually quite simple. And as far as Im concerned, everiter needs one.

brand is who you are. But its more than that. Its your truest selhe part people remember.

Elements of a Brand

here are three elements of every brand. When building yours, yo

ould do well to pay attention to each:

Name: Your actual name, a brand name, or a pseudonym.

Image: A logo, your face, or some kind of custom headshot.

Voice: Your style and tone of communication. Its how peoprecognize you.

brand is your identity. Its what makes you, you. But its not juour personality. Its who you consciously choose to be. Its

ntentional identity you don for the sake of your art.


45/99

ont misunderstand me. I dont mean your brand can be whatever yoant. Its an important part of yourself revealed to an audience. Nn a disingenuous way, but in a way that is helpful, consistent, annderstandable to your readers.

like guacamole, but it doesnt need to be part of my brand. A brans part of you, but it cant be the whole person with all youances and idiosyncrasies, thats impossible.

hoose the parts of your personality you want your brand mphasize and why. My affinity for avocados doesnt need to bentral in my brand. What does is my belief that passion is central

ife.

he Biggest Mistake Writers Make

he biggest mistake writers make is believing they dont need rand. Wrong. This is a common fallacy and, quite frankly, ridiculou

veryone has a brand. One way or another, you are making mpression on your audience.

randing yourself with a consistent image, voice, and name is how yain some semblance of control over what people think of you. Its nperfect process, but you can guide it. You can influence what peopl

hink of you, if you care enough to act.

brand will happen whether you do this or not. Either yntentionally choose one for yourself, or one will be given to yoight as well have some say in it.

hen it comes to branding, I cant emphasize how important it is to


46/99

ourself. Not in a lazy, lackadaisical kind of way, but purposefulnd intentionally.

ont misuse marketing gimmicks to trick your audience inelieving something that isnt true. If you do, you will be found ouxposed, and discovered for the fraud you are.

ut if you do this branding thing right, your audience will thanou, because you will help them know what to expect.

hink of a brand as a promise one you get to deliver on with eveord you write and article you publish. Every book you sign. Evemail you respond to. Every fan you meet.

his is what branding is about: promises delivered.

ou have a choice in this. Dont waste the opportunity and inheriteputation you didnt choose. Make your brand count.

Making Yourself Memorable

ow do you build a brand? How do you put all of these elemenogether and create a reputation people can trust? You make yoursenforgettable. As Seth Godin says, you make yourself remarkable

he most literal way so that people will remark about you.

he point in all of this is not to turn into a marketing machine, bo get people to not forget you. Its about making yourself memorablbout standing out in all the noise. This wont just happen. You wiave to work. Heres how to build a brand from scratch in threimple (but not easy) steps:


47/99

1. Choose a name.

2. Design your look.

3. Find your voice.

ets unpack those.

hoose a Name

good brand name can be as simple as your first and last name. Iany cases, that will be just fine.

or others, a more creative route will be appropriate. You may hao go with a pseudonym, like Mark Twain or Mary Shelley. Floggers, a brand name can also be a sort of call sign li

roblogger or Tall Skinny Kiwi. It can even be something iconic liadonna or Avi.

efore choosing a name, take some time to carefully weigh the prnd cons of your options. Once you have a published name, it will ard (and confusing) to change it, so dont take this lightly.

ake your name memorable. Make it work for you. Make it consisteith the rest of your brand.

our brand needs to serve the purpose of your writing. Dont stiith something that doesnt work. Also, dont rush into the firsdea that comes to mind. This is important; treat it as such.


48/99

Design Your Look

esigning your look takes intentionality. Again, this is somethiou want to have a say in, not something you completely delegate efer.

our look may be an icon or logotype. It may be a photo of you. It maven be a creative combination of all three. It can be a symbol likrince had (or whatever name he goes by these days talk aborand confusion!).

esigning your look is a great example of how a brand is epresentation of you, but not your whole self.

or instance, you dont want your headshots to be of you right aftou get out of bed. At the same time, you dont want an image thooks nothing like you. Your image needs to represent you. The whooint is so it causes people to recognize you.

hen designing your look, remember these tips:

Be recognizable, inviting, and interesting.

Use a professional photographer or designer to help yoOutsource what you cant do yourself, but make sure yospeak into the process.

Be certain people will notice you and your work by yologo, headshots, etc.


49/99

Get feedback from friends, fans, and followers throughothe branding process.

Finding Your Voice

inding your voice is the hardest, most important task a writer windertake. Some authors say it takes years. Others say its a matter riting hundreds of thousands of words.

he one non-negotiable is this: You will have to work to find youoice. It will not come to you in a daydream or revelation. Its nust how you talk or act. Its a product of elbow grease.

writers voice is the combination of passion, personality, aneople. Its communication in a way that is both personalulfilling and relevant to your audience. Its meaningful anarketable.

f your writing only moves you, then you havent found your voice.

ere are a few questions to ask yourself:

Describe yourself in a few adjectives. What do you an

others come up with?

Take note of your interests: favorite books, movies, musietc. What do they have in common?

Imagine your ideal reader. Describe him or her. Write

letter to this person (including a name).


50/99

s you take note of your unique style of writing and whom yourying to reach, you will begin to find your voice. Dont worryhough; it takes time. Give yourself lots of grace and room to fail.

oull need it.

Personal Story: Branding Myself

tumbling upon my own personal brand was less intentional than hould have been. I kind of backed into it, accidentally. Call meerd, but it happened through my blog.

he .com domain for my full name was already taken, so I did ariation of it with Goinswriter.com, since I knew I wanted to builplatform around my writing. Then, I repurposed a headshot from

amily photo shoot I did with my wife. I put it on every piece ollateral I had: website, Twitter, Facebook, etc.

hen, I started reaching out to people, building relationships, anriting.

he more I wrote, the more comfortable I became with my voice. Asooked around, I saw how my writing resonated with others. Beforenew it, I had a brand, a unique writing style that attracted othend I had no idea.

n fact, a friend had to tell me, Jeff, youve found your voiceefore I would believe it.

aybe youll need the same reminder. Thats why we cant simpractice in a corner somewhere in a darkly lit room.


51/99

Youve got to get out in the world and share your work. Otherwyoull always doubt yourself.

Your brand is waiting. You just need to find it.


52/99

Channels of Connection

platform is nothing without channels to connect people to youontent. This is the third tool every writer needs: a channel etter yet, channels.

nother word for this is marketing. But its much deeper. Itelationships.

ost writers dont like promoting themselves. But what alternatio you have? If you want to get your content in front of people, yoave to be connected to others: agents, editors, publishers, readernd writers.

ith a craft requiring solitude and focus, this can be hard. Which recisely why most writers make this tragic flaw: They neglect thmportance of building meaningful connections.

nd they pay dearly for it.

he New Assembly Line

verywhere you look, people are assembling. Theyre lining up fommunity. Gathering around unique interests and passions.

he term niche has never been more popular. If youre going to finn audience for your writing, youre going to have to jump into thew world. Youre going to have to join some existing channels anetworks if you want your message to matter.

ere are a few examples:


53/99

Facebook

Twitter

Email

Phone

Conferences

Meetups

ou need distribution, to get into these channels of connections. Yoeed a tribe a focused group of followers to spread your messagut what if what youre doing isnt working? How do you start?

Treating people with respect is the best way to earn theattention.SETH GODIN

his is the hard part of trying to get noticed for communicatingessage. Its the part most writers neglect. They get scared or lazhey procrastinate and delay the inevitable.

r they get excited about sharing their art, and they rush trocess. They jump the gun and burn bridges.

hen, they wonder why nobody pays attention to what they have ay, why theyre virtually anonymous.


54/99

his concept of building long-term relationships slowly may not asy for you. But its necessary. Even if its a discipline, dont skhis next section.

Making Connections

hen two people relate to each other, when they exchange usefnformation and a meaningful experience is shared a connection ade.

herein lies the rub. A connection must be meaningful. It must utual. It must matter.

eaningful: The listener must care about what youre sharing. Yust have permission and attention.

utual: Both parties need to be in it. One may benefit more than thther, but it cannot be completely one-sided.

atter: Not only must both sides care about the content, but theeeds to be fruit. Something good must result from the connection.

his aspect of networking is essential to making your work mattehat you need to do is build a platform, establish a strong bran

nd then start creating inroads.

oull want to earn followers and friends and subscribers, but youeed more than daily guests and visitors.

ou need to build faith with your audience so they give yo

ermission to communicate with them whenever you like. This is


55/99

ignificant mark of trust. Without it, you have nothing but a serief one-hit wonders.

ow do you earn this permission? You ask.

How to Ask Permission

ere are some ways to ask and build permission, so that you celiver a message.

Invite blog readers to subscribe to your newsletter.

Ask another writer or potential mentor to coffee.

Give away something for free like an eBook in exchanfor attention.

he possibilities are endless, but not all of them are equal.

f course, you need to do more than ask. You need to be smart. Yeed to serve your way into relationships. The most importauestion you should ask is, Whats in it for them?

ithout permission, youre only adding to the noise. The best way ombat this is to be over-the-top helpful, to be unexpectedenerous.

hink about what happens when you enter a retail store. Witheconds, a salesperson approaches you. Can I help you? he asks.


56/99

hat do you say? Usually, No, thanks. Im just looking.

ut thats not true, is it? You walked into the store to buomething, and the person that could help you, you just chased awahy? Because we dont trust salespeople.

ikewise, your audience doesnt trust you. Not yet. Theres elationship, no trust built. Why should they? You need to omething for them to show them youre worthy of their letting doheir guard.

hen he decided to give away free copies of an eBook, Michael Hyaaw his email list grow from 3000 subscribers to over 30,000 inatter of months. He saw a 1000% trust increase with his audience ess than a year all because he decided to be helpful.

n other words, generosity works.

Attention Is Earned

t doesnt matter what you think. What matters is what I think.

obody cares about you. Not yet. If you want them to, you have ealize something: You dont get to decide what matters. They do.

ho is they? Your future fans.

hats the best way to start earning permission and building a fase? What is the best way to make meaningful connections? What ou need to make all this happen? A channel of your very own.


57/99

or years, I overlooked the importance of having my own channelhought it was a nice add-on. Its not. Its a necessity. A channel our own is essential to building a platform and extending yoeach beyond your immediate networks.

ithout it, you are either borrowing attention or stealing it. Thnly way to earn it is by sharing a meaningful message throughhannel you own. For me, this is the email list that connects peopo my blog. For Dan Miller, its his podcast. For Gretchen Rubin, ier extensive network of relationships.

hat will your channel be?

Personal Story: Finally Getting Picked

emember how I had to repeatedly reintroduce myself to the samagazine? How I had to keep pitching that magazine? Talk about thefinition of insanity. I just heard from them recently, but thiime it was a different conversation.

ears ago, I stopped submitting pitches to this publication. I wrustrated and fed up and frankly, just plain tired. For about a yeafocused on building a really meaningful platform, which allow

e to share my work with a broader audience.

n other words, I had forgotten about the magazine and moatekeepers for that matter. Something strange happens when you his. Much like the pretty girl whos not interested in you, it makou want her even more.

didnt set up the analogy right, because in this case, I am th

retty girl.


58/99

few months ago, the magazine emailed me out of the blue, asking fcontribution. They wanted to republish something I had alrea

ritten on my blog. Imagine that.

ont overlook how monumental of a shift this was. For years, itched this magazine, and theyd occasionally publish me (maybe out of ten pitches). Every time, I had to fight to get noticed as if iere the first time. Then, after building a platform, they came to mesking me for permission to publish.

had now become the gatekeeper.

his is the magic of the age in which we now live. We are aublishers. And peers to those whom we previously used to pitch oork.

ince starting a blog and building an audience, Ive been approachey more publishers than I have in the past six years combined. I

een offered book deals and speaking gigs and other writipportunities. All because of a blog.

ecause I chose myself instead of waiting for others to do it.

What You Get (When You Reach Out)

f you decide to build a platform to create a brand and conneith others, you will see things youve never before seen. I hope Iot making this sound easy; its not. But its possible, which omething thats never been true before.

ou, the writer, can now create a destiny for yourself that was nevefore possible. Amazing, right?


59/99

ere are some of the potential opportunities awaiting you:

Book deals (without the proposal)

Offers to write for magazines (without a query letter)

Money (I have to throw that in there)

Free stuff (like books and products)

Interview opportunities

Chances to connect with other writers and influentiapeople

ts simple but not easy and definitely worth the work.

owadays, Im not afraid of publishing. I dont fear rejection. Iicked myself, and others have seen the difference. Instead leading to be published, the gatekeepers are coming to me. Honestlts pretty cool.

m no John Grisham, but Im pretty content with where I am. Eveay, my writing is read by thousands of people something I nevould have dreamed of when I first picked up a pen and paper antarted writing about gargoyles. (I was in sixth grade; give mereak.)

his didnt take years of living in obscurity. It took eight monthsid it with a full-time job and a wife, working in the evenings an


60/99

early mornings. It wasnt easy, but it wasnt impossible, either. I the time in and showed up and I saw results.

All of this began with a pledge, with a simple understanding: I awriter. I just need to write.

Theres no formula, but being intentional is important. You follow a similar process as I did, or you can try something completdifferent and find what works for you. Maybe youll see succesooner; maybe it will take longer.

If you do the work, youll see the results. The age in which we lis full of incredible opportunities for writers and communicatIts the Age of No Excuse where anything is possible and the oone holding you back is you.

Your opportunity is here. Dont let it pass you by. And rememberall begins with a change of mind.

You are a writer


61/99


62/99


63/99

witter is a great place to connect with other writers. Facebook ce good, too. Often, these relationships go offline and lead treater influence. Thats the whole point of them: Social media is eans to an end, not the end itself.

nce you begin, you will want to start building connections. Withother people, it will be hard to succeed. So where do you begin?

hree Important Relationships

here are three must-have relationships that will extend yoeach, and each of them is absolutely necessary:

ans: You need to build meaningful connections with your tribe ollowers.

riends: You need to connect with others who are doing what you ar

atrons: You need to earn influence with influencers who willupport your work.

fan is someone who admires and follows your work. These peopill spread your message and pay money for your work.

friend is a peer someone who can relate to the work you do. Yohould have an inner circle of friends to hold you accountable eing true to your craft and art.

hese people will help you get better.

n advocate is a patron someone who supports you financially o


64/99

hrough lending you his or her influence.

hese people will mentor you and help you go to the next level. Thill increase your influence and help you grow in wisdom.

ere are three ways to start building a fan base:

Create amazing stuff. Find out what people need and delivit to them.

Be generous. Reward your readers by giving them freebionce in awhile. Do favors. Serve them.

Ask permission. Never assume. Always invite.

How to Win Fans

he best way to win a fan is to create meaningful art work thill move people and change the world.

owever, when youre just getting started, youre working pretlindly. How do you know what people want? You dont.

nce you build a platform, you can ask your audience. Until then, yave to go with intuition. The good news is that online distributind communication are virtually free. So you can try stuff oithout it costing you a ton of time or money.

egin, and tweak as you go.


65/99

f youre not sure what to do, try writing something dangerous omething that challenges the status quo or contradicts a socionvention. Create something worth adamantly disagreeing withances are youll find someone who likes it.

inse and repeat.

How to Make a Friend

riends are important to your work. Without peers and cheerleaderere doomed to live lives of solitude and limited impact.

ometimes, though, its hard to make friends, hard to meet new peopltill, this is essential. Here are three ways to build a relationshf you need help:

Reach out. Email people. Reply to them on Twitter. Start

conversation.

Help. Begin the relationship by serving and showiinterest in the other person.

Follow up. Dont let the relationship lie fallow. Stay

touch.

he best way to make a friend is to show interest in someone elithout agenda. I hope youre seeing a pattern here: Serving peops the best way to earn influence. The most influential people I knowo this regularly. They give more than they take; they ask more thhey tell.


66/99

f you want your writing to reach the most people possible, youeed friends to champion your work and encourage you in the proces

he best way to find these people is to be one yourself.

How to Earn a Patron

e live in an incredible age. Technology is amazing and accessiblase of communication allows you to reach millions in seconds at the touch of your fingertips.

ronically, writers and artists are more alone than theyve ever bee

ne challenge in this age of super-connectedness is the prevalence ompetition, especially amongst creatives.

e need help. We need someone to show us the ropes. We nenfluencers who are generous with their platforms to help us findur audiences.

ithout the Medici family, Michelangelo wouldnt have painted tistine Chapel. Without his friends at Atari, Steve Jobs nevouldve started Apple. Without patrons, you wont reach yootential.

e all need people who believe in the work we do and help suppos. How are patrons different from other people? For one, thlready have influence and expertise. They are also extremely busy

t may be hard to get time with these important people, but its we

orth the effort. How do you get potential patrons to notice yo


67/99

ere are three steps:

Ask. Start with email or a letter. Ask for a short meetinThis can be in person, over Skype, or whatever is moconvenient for them.

Interview. Show interest. Come prepared with questionRespect their time.

Stay in touch. Follow up with an email (or phone call) aftthe meeting.

Repeat. The real secret is diligence and perseverance. this enough with enough people, and youll find someone whbelieves in you.

he best way to do this is to demonstrate competency and proactive

each out. Before you ask for a meeting, show them what youve dor are capable of doing.

hen setting up the meeting, the trick is to make it easy. Offer uy them coffee or breakfast near their workplace. Do it when ionvenient for them, not you.

hen you meet, make it more about them than you. However, dont urprised if they have their own questions. Come prepared to botsk and answer.

bviously, you want them to help you, to endorse the work that yo

o. But dont make this ask the first meeting. Instead, make it yourimary goal to build a relationship. If they like you, youll ha


68/99

lenty of opportunities to ask later.

fter the meeting, thank them and send a list of notes to show yoctually remembered their advice. You want them to know you toheir time seriously. Then, like any relationship, let it build ovime.

elationships are important. They can lead to all kinds pportunities and breakthroughs in your career.

very success is a story of community a complex network of peopelping each other. Dont forget: You cant do this alone.

f youre intimidated or afraid of reaching out to potential patronnow that it gets easier. You just need to start. If youre alreaoing this, keep going. It never hurts to have more people on yoide.

Personal Story: Connecting with People

was hesitant to start networking with other people who could hee. It felt sleazy. I didnt like the idea of promoting myself.

nstead, I did what I knew: I offered to interview people I wanted

onnect with. I would reach out on Twitter, Facebook, or via emaind ask someone to coffee. Then, Id interview them.

fterwards, I would publish the article and let the person knohis was my excuse to follow up. With many of the relationships,ust continued to stay in touch.


69/99

ver time, this gave me the confidence to reach out to other peoplhis simple formula has allowed me to get people like Seth Godnd Michael Hyatt to endorse my work. Its allowed me to publixclusive interviews with writers like Steven Pressfield and manyany others. And it will help you, too, if you take the time to ask.

ou must be bold and risk a little, but I promise you: The outcome orth the risk.

What It Really Takes to Be a Writer

This business of being a writer is ultimately about aski

yourself, How alive am I willing to be?ANNE LAMOTT

his isnt easy, this writing life. It is, however, a noble calling. Anike most things worthy of fighting for, it will require all of yoot just your fingers and brain, but your whole self.

hen people tell me they want to publish a book but arent willio build a platform or worry about marketing, I dont believe thef you want to be a writer, if you want this badly enough, you wiork.

hy wouldnt you be willing to give this everything you have?

his is your dream were talking about? Why would you hold anythiack?

es, this life will be hard. You will get rejected and be callames. Theres no sugarcoating it: Writing takes work. It requirumption and moxie. No, it wont be easy, but it will be worth it.

heres a foolish way to pursue a writing career (waiting to


70/99

icked) and a smart way (building a platform worth noticing). ourself a favor and choose the latter. Create a brand that resonatake meaningful connections that help you succeed.

his craft is not for the faint of heart, so hang in there. You wieed to get tough and learn to stick through some stuff and I hoou do. Because we need your voice. We need your art whether yoealize it or not.

ow comes the hard part. The part where you apply this (or donhere you find your tribe and build your path to publishing.

efore that, though, you will have to do something important. Yill have to choose yourself.

his is harder than it sounds. It will take a lot to do this day aftay of hardship, misunderstanding, and slander. You will strugglnd thats okay, as long as you keep going.

hich brings me to my final point. There is one and only one tooou need to be a writer:

OURAGE.

one of this matters one hill of beans if you arent brave. If you ot persevere. No guide or set of tools can prepare you for thejection you will face, the criticism you will endure, the pain yoill experience.

ll these strategies carry with them a core, underlying assumptio

ou must be courageous.


71/99

The world needs this more than you know. We are waiting for ywords. Longing to be changed. Will you share your art? Will believe you are a writer and start writing?

I hope so.


72/99

Before Your First Book

very writer wants to get published. Its the dream we long for, tecognition we crave (even when we say we dont).

t doesnt take long to realize getting published isnt easy. It takard work, thick skin, and perseverance. At the same time, its not ifficult as you might think. Not if you know the secret.

very day, hundreds of books and thousands of articles go into prinnd heres the truth: Some of them arent very good.

hats the difference between published authors and you? What hey have that you dont? Maybe nothing. Except they know how to gublished, which is actually quite significant.

First Things First

efore you jump into the world of publishing, you need to aourself a few questions:

m I serious?

m I committed?

m I prepared to be challenged?

oo many people dream of one day publishing a book or getting a pieeatured in a magazine without first counting the cost. It sound

ind of glamorous getting published doesnt it? Its not. Its morisly than anything.


73/99

ost writers are content to dream but arent prepared to do the worhey fail before they start. Before you begin, take a moment onsider what youre about to do.

re you prepared to dig in and stick it out? Even when it gets harven when youre discouraged or lose sight of your goals? Will ytill get up each day and write?

his is what you must resolve to do. Otherwise, youre doomed frohe start.

ets be honest: Youre probably not a great writer. If you are jutarting out and dont have decades of publishing your work undour belt, this is a given. Which is fine as long as you dont stahere. We all start somewhere, right?

he best way to get good at something is to practice. You probablready knew that. Heres the twist: The best way to practice is to

t publicly. Musicians become professionals by playing a hundrive shows. Likewise, writers become authors by publishing a lot ad work (until its no longer bad).

young actor once lamented to Walter Matthau, Im just waiting fy big break.

atthau laughed and replied, Kid, its not just one break; iifty. The same is true for any craft, especially writing. You have alk before you run.

writing career happens iteratively, over time. You dont need ake a giant leap. You just need to take the next step. Publishingook begins not with a manuscript, but with a baby step, wi


74/99

racticing in public.

here do you start? With small, gradual steps. Start a blog. Gueost for a friends website. Do a freelance gig pro bono. Bit by biou are building your portfolio before you go for the Big Kahuna.

his is the only practical way to get published. You might be able orgo this step if youre a celebrity or heiress of a tycoon. Howeveor the rest of us, this will require work honest blood, sweat, anears.

top waiting for permission and prepare to do the work. There are ig breaks. Only tiny drips of effort that lead to waves of momentu

Walk Before You Run

efore you write a book, you should write a dozen magazine articleaybe more.

ou should guest post on popular websites and blogs and do radnterviews. You should create a platform (i.e. a blog, a podcast,ewspaper column, etc.) and build an audience now.

ou should start generating buzz around the brand of you.

ll of this is practice for your book for your career as a writehe fun part is its not practice at all. Youre doing it. Youriting and publishing your work. When the time comes, publishingook will be the next logical step.

here are five steps to getting published in magazines and othe


75/99

ublications before you take a leap into book publishing. The firss the most important.

tep 1: Get Your Foot in the Door

lot of writers make a big mistake. They come up with a writiopic that would make a good piece for magazine, newspaper, ebsite. Then, they spend way too much time on the idea without evetting feedback.

hey spend hours or even days writing the article. Then, they try nd someone to publish it. And they fail miserably. Some people cal

his freelancing. I call it stupidity.

his is backwards thinking. It assumes you know your audience betthan the publisher does. (Even if you do, this attitude wont get yery far.) Its better to start with a few loose ideas and contact thublisher before moving forward with the piece.

he whole point of that initial contact is to get on a publisheadar. Relationship and conversation are more important than goodeas and great writing. (At least, at first.) Instead of cold-pitchinour ideas to publishers, do something better: Build a relationship

efore you do that, though, do your homework. Study the publisheruidelines. Read sample pitches. Email friends who have gottheir work published. Find out what works and replicate it. You mnly get one shot at this. Make it count.

hen, reach out to the editor. Present your ideas in a way that islear win for the publication. Explain how your piece will b

elevant to their readership. Offer samples of other pieces you


76/99

one. Have something to show them anything. Just dont show umpty-handed. This works for a magazine, trade publication, or evenlog.

s it turns out, content is not king. Relationship is. Start makionnections with publishers so when the ideas come, theyll pttention to your work.

tep 2: Dont Fall in Love with One Idea

any friends with book deals tell me the idea they least expected he one publishers choose to turn into a book. The same has happene

hen Ive published articles in magazines, on websites, and in othublications. It even happened with my first book. The publisheicked a topic I never wouldve considered turning into a book.

here is an important lesson here: You dont get to decide what makgood idea; the publisher does.

s you build your platform and establish your authority as uthor, you will earn the right to decide which ideas are gooowever, when youre just getting started, you dont get much of a sats best to be go low here, to learn and serve your way innfluence. Consider this a seasonal discipline; it wont last forever

f you have great ideas the world needs to hear, you will eventualet to share them.

Why Your Good Ideas Dont Matter

f no one will read your article, then it doesnt matter how good

s at least not in the realm of publishing. Sometimes, your ide


77/99

rent as good as you think. Other times, the world just isnt reaor them.

hen approaching publishers, if you stay flexible about what shoulet published, it will make you a better writer. It will also maou a better salesperson of your ideas.

hats right. Pitching is selling. Theres no other way around it. Thoesnt mean you have to slick your hair back and talk funny. It jueans you need to be prepared to make your idea appealing to thublisher.

mean, youre asking them to hire you. Theyre spending money on yoight? Make it worth their while. Enter their world. Think likhey think.

he Pitching Process

efore you pitch, gather a few ideas you think are worth publishinrainstorm them out, taking notes as you go.

ext, highlight the very best ideas (at least three of them, but ore than ten), and write an interesting headline for each. Under teadlines, write a couple of sentences, describing the potentiiece.

hen, try pitching them to several publications or publishers nce, following the appropriate guidelines for each. (You shouhoroughly scour a website or magazine for any submissiuidelines before ever submitting a piece.)

ake sure you pitch more than one publication. Keeping several iro


78/99

n the fire will increase the likelihood of at least one gettinublished. It will also allow you to put a little pressure on ublisher that may be dragging their feet.

heres nothing wrong with a little healthy competition. In facoull need a competitive spirit in order to pitch and get your woroticed. Get used to it.

What Every Pitch Needs

f you need help, heres a quick list of items every pitch needs:

Personal salutation (use the editors name)

Quick introduction of yourself (if this is the first contac

Samples of your work (article links, document attachmentblog posts whatever is your best work)

List of ideas with potential titles (scan the publication get a feel for how they write headlines)

An abstract of each article (2-3 sentences)

Closing with your contact info, including a link to yowebsite/portfolio

ant to see how I do it? Following are three samples Ive used.

ample #1: First Contact


79/99

i [First Name],

y name is Jeff Goins, and I wanted to submit an article idea fMAGAZINE]. The premise is people in their twenties and thirtieed to travel the world.

spent fifteen days last January with a group that is traveling foyear and saw how thats changing their lives. Im attaching a pre

elease I wrote to give you an idea of the experience. There aifferent directions we could take the article, but I think the ids compelling for your readership.

ome ideas would be to do a Q&A with one of the travelers who jueturned from a year abroad and how they are now living life. Orould expand upon an article I already wrote for [WEBSITE].

nother option is to make it a general call to action for younmericans to take a year off and find themselves, as so many othe

ultures do.

eres another article I wrote about that: [LINK]. I could expand uphat idea.

et me know your thoughts. If youre interested, Id be happy to sta

rafting something and send it your way. Just let me know when youhink of running it.

hanks for your time,

eff Goins


80/99

oinswriter.com

ample #2: Ongoing Relationship

ey [First Name],

had an idea for an article for an upcoming issue of [MAGAZINE]: riend Paul and I traveled around the U.S. for a year after colleo play music. We spent a year, living in community, sleeping eoples homes, and living on nothing but the generosity of stranger

e communicated with each other regularly, sharing our frustrationd challenges of life and on the road. Sometimes, I think thats ahat kept us sane.

ere are my ideas for the article:

1. A piece we would co-write, sharing highlights from our yeon the road.

2. A piece about traveling, leading peers, and the importanof long-distance friendship.

3. A travelogue of a year on the ride (just written by one of u

hat do you think?

incerely,


81/99

eff Goins

oinswriter.com

ample #3: Guest Blog Post

i [First Name]:

ve been following your work for a while and really appreciate whou write.

m working on a piece that I thought might be fitting for [BLOG]. Ialled, [ARTICLE TITLE]. Its based on something I learned froeading your blog.

he rough draft is below: [300 word article excerpt]

re you interested in running this? If so, Id love to develop it soore. If youd like to see samples of my work, heres an article on wn blog: [LINK]. And heres a recent guest post I wrote: [LINK].

hanks,

eff

oinswriter.com

tep 3: Dont Write the Piece Yet

f this is your first foray into publishing, theres something yo


82/99

eed to be prepared for. Something you may be dreading. Somethioud rather not do.

oure going to have to write and rewrite a lot.

or every hundred words I write, I spend about thirty to sixinutes of editing and rewriting. When Im pitching publications,lan for this. I schedule accordingly. You should, too. (Your pace me different; whats important is that you set reasonabxpectations.)

piece that runs about 2500 words (the length of a feature magazirticle) can take me anywhere from five to twenty-five hoursepending on the amount of work involved and my familiarity wihe topic.

hen you break it down, earning a few hundred bucks per piece (whoure spending dozens of hours on it) isnt really worth the effor

ood thing writers dont write for the money.

hats that? You are writing for the money? Well, good luck wihat.

f passion isnt what drives you, you may not have much tolerance f

he pain, rejection, and disappointment of the writers life. Iowever, you write because you have to because you cant imaginot doing it then there may be hope for you yet.

f you arent prepared for this arduous process, you had better nd an easier way to make a buck. Otherwise, itll be a rudwakening when you come in contact with your first picky editor. Anrust me, hes waiting for you. Red pen in hand.


83/99

o it really doesnt make much sense to write the article before yoitch the piece. Does it? I mean, youre going to rewrite it anywaight?

ight as well get a guarantee theyre going to run the piece first (iou can).

etter yet, get to know the editors preferences and style befoeginning. Itll save you a lot of work.

till, youll be tempted to do the exact opposite. Excitement over dea will cause you to jump the gun and start writing.

void this temptation like the plague. It will steal hours, days, aonths of your life if not more.

ou will

Documents

149177770 You Are a Writer So Start Acting Like One