The one-man marketing team, it’s fair to say, is not the aspect of ‘being a writer’ that most of us think of when we aspire to it :-) Funnily enough the latest Tom Cox newsletter (he has just moved off Substack) mentioned his guilt at having to miss some events and the opportunity to sign a load of books due to being ill in a ‘visits to A&E’ sense. It’s a lot of pressure, which I can’t help thinking discriminates against disabled writers.
By the way - footnotes. Apologies if it’s a stylistic choice, but in case it’s just you being new to Substack, there’s an actual footnote option so that the reader can click on or hover over the number and it shows the text, without having to scroll to the end then find your place again. I know this because I overuse them.
I'm glad it resonated, although I wish it didn't have to. It'd be wonderful to just be paid properly for our efforts. I've never worked harder for less.
I was listening to a comedian recently talking about the reason they got into stand up, which was to only have one job that they enjoyed and only involved an hour a night. Instead they have about fifteen related jobs from handling their own social media, marketing, video editing and tour management.
It’s just a lot for a little introvert . I just want to write in a turret of a castle and someone deliver me money under the door . I’m not sure if I will ever get to see the day of being published but the micro jobs that go along with it ( and which you mention) seems so macro - ironically prob doesn’t come naturally to most writers’ dispositions. Stephen King once said ‘ I’m a good writer but that doesn’t mean to say I’m a good talker’.
The non-writing side really isn't for most of us and I resent it. I love doing events but I'm also a bundle of nerves for the first few minutes of any because I'm still the same basically solitary, living-in-my-own-head nerd who wouldn't dare open his mouth in class for fear of ridicule. I had to train myself to bash through that fear because it wasn't natural to me. In those moments that require me to be a public figure, I try to tap into the energy of my mum, who is a 75 year old burlesque dancer and completely unafraid of the the spotlight. I think "what would mum do?" and then I do that, stopping short of taking off my clothes and dancing the Can Can.
🤣🤣Well that’s solid advice if ever I heard any . So that’s it, drop everything , that is how I’m going to likely do life hence forth: seventy-something burlesque dancer. Even when I go to Asda and feel slightly overwhelmed in the aisles , I think I might tack this approach.
Ah probably the best bit of writerly advice I’ve ever had 😊 Thank you 😂
The one-man marketing team, it’s fair to say, is not the aspect of ‘being a writer’ that most of us think of when we aspire to it :-) Funnily enough the latest Tom Cox newsletter (he has just moved off Substack) mentioned his guilt at having to miss some events and the opportunity to sign a load of books due to being ill in a ‘visits to A&E’ sense. It’s a lot of pressure, which I can’t help thinking discriminates against disabled writers.
By the way - footnotes. Apologies if it’s a stylistic choice, but in case it’s just you being new to Substack, there’s an actual footnote option so that the reader can click on or hover over the number and it shows the text, without having to scroll to the end then find your place again. I know this because I overuse them.
Thank you for the advice re: footnotes. I had no idea about that feature. And Tom Cox has gone?! Where to?
Oh, and glad to be of service re. footnotes - they don’t seem to work in the preview though, only in the published version, just to be confusing.
Tom Cox has gone to Ghost, I just get the posts as emails now but this is the link from the latest: https://the-villager.ghost.io/r/2f69868e?m=1af457e5-fbfa-48c7-a777-bca338116638
Very illuminating, very true . The working class thing chimed . Town crier and mum message made me chortle.
Thank you 😊
I'm glad it resonated, although I wish it didn't have to. It'd be wonderful to just be paid properly for our efforts. I've never worked harder for less.
I was listening to a comedian recently talking about the reason they got into stand up, which was to only have one job that they enjoyed and only involved an hour a night. Instead they have about fifteen related jobs from handling their own social media, marketing, video editing and tour management.
It’s just a lot for a little introvert . I just want to write in a turret of a castle and someone deliver me money under the door . I’m not sure if I will ever get to see the day of being published but the micro jobs that go along with it ( and which you mention) seems so macro - ironically prob doesn’t come naturally to most writers’ dispositions. Stephen King once said ‘ I’m a good writer but that doesn’t mean to say I’m a good talker’.
If you can do both it’s a boon I guess !
The non-writing side really isn't for most of us and I resent it. I love doing events but I'm also a bundle of nerves for the first few minutes of any because I'm still the same basically solitary, living-in-my-own-head nerd who wouldn't dare open his mouth in class for fear of ridicule. I had to train myself to bash through that fear because it wasn't natural to me. In those moments that require me to be a public figure, I try to tap into the energy of my mum, who is a 75 year old burlesque dancer and completely unafraid of the the spotlight. I think "what would mum do?" and then I do that, stopping short of taking off my clothes and dancing the Can Can.
🤣🤣Well that’s solid advice if ever I heard any . So that’s it, drop everything , that is how I’m going to likely do life hence forth: seventy-something burlesque dancer. Even when I go to Asda and feel slightly overwhelmed in the aisles , I think I might tack this approach.
Ah probably the best bit of writerly advice I’ve ever had 😊 Thank you 😂
I hope you get to do the can-can at some point.