Writers should actively promote and educate readers about the value of their writing in order to attract attention and readership.
The best writing is often a result of ideas and inspiration generated during daily experiences, not just dedicated writing sessions.
Deep dives
The Importance of Hustling Your Writing
The podcast highlights the misconception that simply producing brilliant work will naturally attract readers and attention. Instead, it emphasizes the need for writers to actively promote and educate readers about the value of their writing. The discussion suggests that readers value what they are taught to value, and that writers must take initiative to hustle their writing, similar to promoting mixtapes out of a car trunk. By focusing not only on quality writing but also on distribution, headlines, and formatting, writers can significantly amplify their impact.
Writing as a Byproduct of Other Activities
The podcast challenges the assumption that writing occurs solely during dedicated writing sessions, emphasizing that the best writing is often a byproduct of other activities. It suggests that ideas and inspiration can be generated during walks, conversations, and other daily experiences. By engaging in activities outside of traditional writing, writers can allow ideas to marinate and develop over time, leading to more effective and higher quality writing when it comes time to actually sit down and type.
The Right Time to Start a Newsletter
The podcast delves into the question of when it is appropriate to start a newsletter. It proposes that instead of immediately starting a newsletter, aspiring writers should first focus on establishing an attention engine through social media platforms like Twitter or LinkedIn. By building a niche and engaging with existing users, writers can then deepen their relationship with readers through a newsletter. Starting with regular tweets and gradually transitioning into a newsletter allows for a faster feedback loop, exposure to new readers, and a more strategic approach to building a writing platform.
In this episode, Ship 30 for 30 Captains Dickie Bush and Nicolas Cole talk about the right time to start a newsletter, the best writing advice, and fears of AI.
(00:00) Intro (00:10) What’s something you used to think was true about writing that you now know to be untrue? (04:38) Is there a “right time” to start a newsletter? (08:46) How concerned are you about AI taking over? (15:14) What was the best writing advice you got?