Find the work you were meant to do (dream jobs with Pam Slim)

Find the work you were meant to do (dream jobs with Pam Slim)

  Recently I’ve been going through an identity crisis. I know what I want to do, and what I’m good at, and what I enjoy. But increasingly I’m becoming less relevant to my audience (“Great Derek, you want to write books and travel full-time. But how can you help ME?”) On the one hand, I’m

What’s your story? (Your story is not your product)

What’s your story? (Your story is not your product)

I’ve been thinking about story this year. Partly, because I’ve been struggling with selling digital products in a way that’s authentic to my brand. But also, because – as a fiction writer – I SHOULD be good at this stuff. According to Story Telling Made Easy, “every time someone pays you, they’re making...

Art has Value, Real Artists Don’t Starve, and other Shocking Truths

Art has Value, Real Artists Don’t Starve, and other Shocking Truths

I heard someone say recently, “there are too many marketers and not enough artists.” As someone deep inside the publishing industry, however, I find the opposite to be true. Recently I went to a writing conference – there were over 500 writers. All of them wanted to be artists: they made the work and now

How to Write Your Non-Fiction Book Introduction or Preface: Masterful Persuasion Techniques from Think and Grow Rich

How to Write Your Non-Fiction Book Introduction or Preface: Masterful Persuasion Techniques from Think and Grow Rich

Recently I’ve been learning about story. Specifically, using story architecture like a Trojan Horse: getting people to pay attention and disarm resistance, so that you can give them enough information to start liking (sympathy) and trusting (credibility) you. Because if they don’t like and trust you, they won’t keep...