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#568: Cal Newport — The Eternal Pursuit of Craftsmanship, the Deep Life, Slow Productivity, and a 30-Day Digital Minimalism Challenge

The Tim Ferriss Show

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*Proactive Approach to Achieving Success. Calls resourcefulness for first book deal. *

The speaker creatively networked with a family connection to seek guidance on getting a book deal, demonstrating a proactive approach. They were proactive in understanding the publishing landscape without trying to sell themselves, focusing on comprehension. To prove credibility and establish a market for their writing, they wrote commissioned articles for web sites and magazines. They were resourceful in gathering writing samples by getting commissions, which included talking to experts for advice. The speaker showed dedication by conducting numerous interviews and creating an annotated table of contents for their book. They tailored the format of their book to be simple and practical, making the project manageable. Finally, in finding the right agent, they researched acknowledgments in target books to identify suitable agents and successfully secured representation by contacting an agent with a tailored book proposal, eventually signing a deal just before their 21st birthday.

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