I'm celebrating 10 years of running my business, WeGrowMedia, full-time. In that decade, I have worked with thousands of writers and made space for creativity in my daily life. Today I want to reflect on what that decade has taught me, and how I am using that to set my goals for this year, and for the next decade.
Today I review what I have learned in running a mastermind group for writers and artists for the past four years, and why you should consider joining one yourself. I also mention my Creative Shift Mastermind: https://wegrowmedia.com/mm
In this episode, psychologist and author Kelly McGonigal is going to share with you a radically different vision of what it means for an author to connect with readers and prepare for a book launch. Her new book, The Joy of Movement, comes out in December, and she shares specifics on what she is doing and why. She also shares what having a viral TED talk with twenty million views, did (and didn't) do for her career. Oh, she will also explain why she turned down an invitation from Richard Branson!
Bestselling author Jennifer Louden is about to upend your idea of what success as a writer looks like. She's been a bestseller, she's been on Oprah, and she's been a successful author for more than 25 years. But the wisdom she picked up along the way will surprise you. We dig into topics of book marketing, navigating your writing career, the creative process and so much more.
What happens when a celebrity with 11 million followers tells them all that she loves your book? Today, author Jessica Lahey and I discuss that exact situation, and dig deep into the tactics and strategies of book marketing.
In this episode of The Creative Shift Podcast, I talk with literary agent Lori Kilkelly about two creative shifts that she made in her career. The first is when she left a successful career in advertising and sales pursue a career in publishing, starting as an intern. The next one is more recent, the launch of her own agency: LK Literary Agency.
Today I want to share my process for getting out of a creative rut. So many writers and creators I speak with struggle to develop the habits they need to feel fulfilled in what they create, I wanted to share my way of staying on track. In this episode I also mention my next Creative Shift Mastermind which begins July 1: http://wegrowmedia.com/mm/
In this interview with bestselling author Chuck Wendig, he gets really honest about how he navigated his career as a writer from early jobs to hitting the bestseller list. We dig into details of the four novels he wrote which were never published; how he changed from taking 4 years to write a book, to 30 days for the one that followed; the real value of social media for writers; and the reality of what it is like to have your book optioned for a deal in Hollywood.
Today I want to share the specific steps I took to help a first-time author establish her platform and release her book. The topline results of our work together so far: her book hit #1 New Release in the Divorce category on Amazon; She now manages a thriving private community of 1,350+ people; She has 2,500+ people who like her Facebook Page, with lots of engagement. The author is Whitney Boole, and her new book is You Got This: Healing Through Divorce.
Leigh Stein did something that few writers do: she talked publicly about how many copies her books have sold. Her novel sold 8,000 copies. Her memoir that followed it sold 1,345 copies, which was hugely disappointing to her. In particular because it came out at a time when she was running an organization of 40,000 people. We dig into the highs and lows of the writing life, and what she learned in publishing fiction, memoir, and poetry. Plus we celebrate the sale of her new book to Penguin!
In this episode of The Creative Shift podcast, I interview author Brian Heiler about how he developed a thriving online community around his love for 1970s toys and pop culture. He runs PlaidStallions.com and is the author of the book: Rack Toys: Cheap Crazed Playthings. He blew me away when he told me that in order to do the layout and design for the book he wrote, he went to night school! I Oh, and we talk about the time his dad came home with 5,000 General Urko dolls from Planet of the Apes.
"The most interesting marketing opportunities are those that are unconventional." That is how author-illustrator Lori Richmond sums up the case study we are about to present here. In today's episode of The Creative Shift podcast, we take you step by step as to how Lori discovered a way to get her work seen by millions of people in the middle of New York City. You can find Lori at LoriDraws.com and on Instagram at @LoriRichmondDraws
In this episode of The Creative Shift podcast, artist, illustrator, and author Samantha Dion Baker takes us inside her career. She tells us how a simple daily practice of drawing radically reshaped her career, and helped her stay true to her creative vision. She is the author of the book Draw Your Day.
I'm excited to share my interview with author, entrepreneur, and teacher Seth Godin. He just released a new book, This is Marketing, and has spent his career sharing advice in his 17 other books, 7,000 blog posts, and many other resources. In this podcast, we dig deep into Seth's career, and the many decisions he made in order to create a staggering body of work.
On Instagram this morning I saw a series of videos from author Miranda Beverly-Whittemore where she talked about how she keeps writing, even when she has some bad days with it. I asked if she would hop on the phone to talk about this topic, and she was up for it! In this conversation, we dig into: life after becoming a New York Times bestselling author; the importance of creative collaboration; how she works through feelings of despair, exhaustion, and doubt; and how becoming a parent made her MORE productive.
Today's show is a masterclass in human-centered publicity. I speak with Seale Ballenger, who is the Publicity Director at Disney Publishing Worldwide. He has worked with legendary writers, and shares his experience of what publicity looks like within the publishing industry. He has worked within Random House, Simon and Schuster, HarperCollins and many other publishers. What Seale shares isn't just useful, but truly inspiring.
In this week's episode of The Creative Shift podcast, I talk to comedian, author, and speaker Nina G. She walks us through the moment when she made a profound creative shift in her life: "I was allowing people to talk instead of me. I cleaned house and started a new life." In this interview, we talk about the details of how she made that shift, how she pursued comedy, wrote her upcoming memoir, and we dig into her creative process.
In this episode of The Creative Shift with Dan Blank, I speak to Tim Calkins, Clinical Professor of Marketing at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. We discuss the cornerstones of marketing and his experience in launching his latest book: "How to Wash a Chicken - Mastering the Business Presentation." We dig into his book launch strategy, what worked, what didn't, and what he will do differently next time.
I'm happy to announce the new name for this podcast: The Creative Shift with Dan Blank. Last week I asked for your feedback, and was blown away by all of the response I received. In this episode, I reflect on what I heard from you, and what you can expect in this podcast moving forward.
It occurred to me that even though I started this podcast back in 2012, and have published more than 60 episodes, I never properly launched it. In todays episode I reflect on what this podcast is, why I do it, and where it is going. And I ask for your help in that process.
Today I share my interview with Emma Dryden, who in the course of her career has edited more than 1,000 books for children and young readers. She spent more than 25 years working in traditional publishing as an editor and publisher, working within Simon & Schuster and Random House. A decade ago, she founded her own company, drydenbks, where she is a children’s book editorial and publishing consultant. We dig into every aspect of her career, but the part that really touched me is how she describes the massive creative shift in her career. At that moment, she asked herself a simple question that changed everything: “What could that look like?” when dreaming of her next act. You can find Emma at http://drydenbks.com.
In this conversation with New York Times Bestselling Author Joseph Finder, we dig into the value of a writer connecting with their audience, how he got his agent and made writing his full-time career, his experience having his books turned into major motion pictures, and what his creative process looks like today. I loved how he underscored the incredible power that writers have: "It takes one person to write a book. To make a movie it takes 500." His new thriller, Judgement, hits stores later this month.
In today's episode, I share specific strategies to define goals for your creative work, and practices to actually achieve them. If you feel like you have hit a plateau with your craft or are in a rut, these are the steps I would recommend you take to create momentum.
Today I'm excited to share my interview with New York Times bestselling author Thomas Greanias. What jumped out at me the most was his advice to writers, and how they have a power that they often don't fully understand. Unlike screenwriters and filmmakers in Hollywood, writers have greenlight authority on their own ideas, and also have final cut. He encourages you to use that power.
For 25 years, I failed at learning how to play the guitar. One year ago I set a goal for myself: finally learn how to properly play the guitar by practicing every single day for a year. Today I want to share what that process has taught me about what it takes to establish a creative habit, reach your goals, and share your work. The insights below be applied to any creative craft, including writing. In the podcast, I mention my Creative Shift Mastermind, which you can find here: http://wegrowmedia.com/mm