Category: sethwCategory: sethw

In a Substack Live with Sarah Fay last year, I made the point that you don’t have to go live, you just need to bring life to your thing.

There are several ways to go “live” (Substack Live, Mixcloud, Mixler, your local radio station), and none of them need to include your face. Where’s the Substack Live cat-cam? Who’s making coffee? Reading night time poetry? Making ambient music? Flipping through old Computer Shopper magazines?

Watch the full video replay (or audio podcast) with Sarah Fay here.

I got a newsletter awhile back from a talented musician, and they casually mentioned they’ve got new music available, but if you want to hear it you need to reply to the email.

In one our Escape Pod Zoom calls someone mentioned how they leave “easter eggs” in their newsletters, usually a phrase that someone needs to include when they reply.

Parker Gates sent me this link (it’s an Instagram link, sorry!) about artist Jon Bellion and how he sent his fans to websites without linking to them (they had to type them into a browser from a screen shot), used message boards, and sent out music via WeTransfer.

Don’t just wonder who your biggest fans are – send them on adventures and see who makes it back alive.

Before seeking more (subscribers, audience, fans), seek flow. This is something I bring up a lot through my Email Guidance offering.

Is your website set up in a way that pulls people in? Or is it a bunch of links to third party platforms that seek only to monetize and collect data from your fans?

Does your sales page include comforting and informative videos about what you offer? Or do you only post those sorts of videos on Instagram for just 3% of your followers to see?

Does your store have more than one item (this one from Laura Kidd 💌 Penfriend) in stock?

We want to expand and grow our audience, but stepping back and making subtle changes to our current operations might be a better place to start.

I saw someone saying that writers need to make more video and audio because people love watching video and listening to audio.

I don’t care what “everyone” likes, but I’ll say this – in this modern age of AI where “anybody” can write a newsletter, your voice is more valuable than ever.

I’m not saying you need to start a YouTube channel or a high-production podcast, but I bet your readers would love to see you and hear you.

Again, I don’t care what TikTok or YouTube people are looking for, or what “content they like to consume.” I’m talking about the 35 people who subscribe to your newsletter.

There are many ways to do video and audio that don’t require dancing, talking into a camera, or buying a $350 microphone. You’re a creative person. Now is the time to find a creative way to share the parts of yourself that AI can’t replicate.

Make a video this weekend. You don’t need to upload it anywhere, or show it to anybody. But make a video. Watch it. Listen to your voice – YOUR VOICE. The one that OpenAI would like to train from.

Make a video so two weeks from now you can come back to it and feel something. Make another one. Someday share it with someone.

Do this because AI slop will continue to fill the internet, but your readers might find peace and calm in hearing your actual voice. The future of your work depends on the trust you build today.

This from Davin Trail-Risk: “a tip for people making their own websites… you don’t have to “finish” it before you make it live. The joy of websites is that they can be living changing things.”

You probably don’t need to officially “launch” your website. You don’t need even need to announce it.

Simply start linking to your website from your newsletter and various other places. When a podcast host or someone asks you where they can find you online, just give them the URL of your website. Print your website address on postcards and flyers and hand them to friends, or leave them in coffee shops.