Category Archives for Marketing & Publishing
World Building as Brand Strategy
I was a latecomer to the podcasting trend. It wasn’t until a 16-hour drive to my home state about four years ago that I really got hooked. I listened to the entire season of “Serial” and also started binge-listening to this wonderfully weird fiction podcast.
It started with the words: “A friendly desert community, where the sun is hot, the moon is beautiful, and mysterious lights pass overhead while we all pretend to sleep. Welcome to Night Vale.”
There was a dog park where dogs and people were not allowed and government agents from a vague, yet menacing government agency and angels that can’t be angels because angels don’t exist (but there are tall winged beings, and they’re all named Erika).
Because it’s so distinctive and strange, it’s a place I would know the second I stepped across the city limit. But it’s also a place I see every day in the world around me in little details.
Both those things are true because the creators of Night Vale, Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor, have built a tangible, engaging world that is both strange and familiar.
Creating your brand is like building a fictional world. You have to invite your reader into a place that you’ve fully realized. There are characters and backstories and inside jokes—all shared with the reader.
Writing and Publishing for Entrepreneurs: The Why and the How
Has anyone ever told you that you could write a book? A lot of famous entrepreneurs have answered “yes” to that question and chosen to go through with writing one.
Think of Timothy Ferriss, who wrote The 4-Hour Work Week. His book challenged the idea of a traditional workweek by explaining how people could be more productive in fewer hours per week instead of working grueling hours year after year.
Oprah Winfrey overcame an extremely difficult childhood to become one of the biggest success stories of all time. She has used multiple media platforms to build an empire, and among her many achievements is authoring a number of books.
Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple, Inc., changed the world of technology by pioneering the personal computer revolution. He, too, is an author.
Arianna Huffington, co-founder and editor-in-chief of The Huffington Post, invented a new kind of digital medium and has one of the most well-known blogs in the world. She has written a ton of books, on topics ranging from redefining what it means to be successful to corporate greed.
Entrepreneurs often write blog posts about their business and services, but they may not think of themselves as authors.
Publishing a book can change that and set them apart from the crowd.
How would writing a book prove you’re a stand-out entrepreneur?
Do You Need a Deadline to Write Your Novel?
“So, how is your novel coming along?” someone asked.
“Uhhhh…” I replied, and quickly tried to change the subject.
That was a conversation I had after several years of only writing on and off with no set deadline for completing my novel. I realised that if I was ever going to get it done, I would need to set myself a deadline.
I bought a five-year diary and filled in the dates for when I would need to complete each draft, with the end of the year as the goal for completing my first. It worked. I wrote more in that year than I had in the previous three years combined and felt immensely proud of myself.
The following year I completed the second draft with a month to spare. I was feeling great. I assumed it would be no problem to complete the third and final draft by the end of 2017.
That’s where the problems began.
Power Up Your Business with Guest Posting
You’ve got a blog, you publish frequently, and you’re meeting your content goals every month.
You’re living the good life as a fancy, badass entrepreneur.
But are you living your blogging life to the fullest?
While you’ve been growing the content on your own blog, reaching the loyal audience who’s come to know and love your content, you come across a guest post on Fancy Small Business Blog written by one of your competitors. (You know which one I’m talking about.)
It’s an article about successful marketing strategies in a niche market, and it’s something you feel like you could’ve written yourself.
Sure, you might grumble a little bit (“How did they even land an article there?”), but that’s not going to help you get published on successful blogs.