Melissa 1 has an ongoing zoom call amongst her authors every other week and invited me to sit in for an hour of knowledge and support from people in the same situation. So many good ideas, and so much good will I’m writing about it only moments afterward while still fresh in my mind.
Smart thoughts on building symbiotic relationships with companies that may need content, like ancestry.com or even Sysco. Transference, approaches, proper packaging, curating content, market placement… just a font of info to consider and exactly what I need to put in place. A lot I’m aware of (just never pursued) but having it reinforced and being in a different mindset, this time will be different (he says with moderate conviction).
Being cyberly-challenged I had to update my zoom in order to even get on the call. That and mic issues made me a few minutes late to the party. *Note to self- check that shit out prior, not during. It’s bad form, like when guitarists tune at full volume causing me an eye full-o-stink.
In the hour since, I’ve had 3 linkedin requests, a half a dozen messages following up on our discussions and numerous emails.
As per norm my mind is racing at the possibilities, but since they’re not in my comfort zone (aka marketing) implementation has not been my strongpoint up till now. It’s the change needed to succeed so that’s the change it’s gonna be.
Getting out of a lifelong creator mindset of work for work’s sake and into a “it wouldn’t be so bad to grow an audience and monetize said work” mindset is new to me and needs to grow by doing.
Creativity is like a muscle, the more you use it the bigger it gets.
It works pretty much with anything you apply yourself to. The more you do the better you get at what you’re doing. Action is needed. These good idea seeds- some ignored for years, some new today have been planted in my brain but need watering to flower. My new role is watering those bitches, not pondering from the backbench.
This is the first time I’ve felt progress. By any metric it’s too early to track meaningful data or see results but even a good feeling is something.
I’ve only done what I love for so long it’s hard to apply myself to anything else. A spoiled boomer’s first world problem, right? Yup, but there’s a price. By not putting my fate in the hands of others and working for myself my riches came in many ways other than $.
Experiences for one. So for now I’ll try to experience something I may not love in order to allow me to continue to experience the things I do. Take my medicine with a pout in order to hard groove on down the line by following up on shit I don’t care for and watering those idea seeds so my garden is lush with progress.
Alan Lake a.k.a. “Jazzfood” a.k.a. “The Garlic Chef” has been a globetrotting professional chef for three decades and has won numerous awards, professional competitions and distinctions. He’s also the author of The Garlic Manifesto, a book about the history of garlic going back to 10,000-year-old Neolithic caves that contains facts, fiction, folklore, artwork, recipes, professional insights, quotes etc. – think Mark Kurlansky’s Salt or Cod, but a bit more personal. He’s been a musician since he was a child and coined the term “Jazzfood” to describe his cooking style as “solid technique based upon tasteful improvisational abilities.” He views his food as he does his music and writing and has been known to bust a pout if any of them are subpar in any way.
That’s a tough hoe to row Alan
I’m a tough hoe
Book marketing can be a creative improvisation, too. And like cooking, a little messy as you figure things out. Good luck with it!
Good analogy but luck is too passive for me these days. Time to initiate more action to support my publishing goals. Thanks for the insight.