I believe that writers and creators have this magical ability to help and inspire others. Connecting their work to people in an authentic manner is an imperative that makes life better for everyone.
My name is Dan Blank, and I help writers and creators develop a human-centered approach to marketing and reaching their audience.
For the past 15 years, I have worked full-time with thousands of writers and creators. For the past 20 years, I have sent out a weekly newsletter.
I believe that you should GIVE YOURSELF PERMISSION TO CREATE. Put craft first and accept that the world needs what you create. You are ready to be seen and heard as a creator. Don’t follow trends and rush for the easy “like” on social media.
I believe that you need to UNDERSTAND WHO YOU HOPE TO REACH. This is not some vague demographic. It is a real person with a name, a face, a lifetime of experiences, and someone searching for what you create.
I believe you should CONNECT TO A PERSON, NOT AN AUDIENCE. Connecting your work to others should be a process of deep connection, not one of trying to amass faceless followers, judging your success on likes and reshares. It is about connecting through writing and art, and how that changes someone.
You can find me at WeGrowMedia.com, and on Instagram. Also, my book: Be the Gateway: A Practical Guide to Sharing Your Creative Work and Engaging an Audience.
I Love Helping Writers and Creators
My days are spent in my private studio creating and working with writers and creators. I am in trenches with writers and creators as they strive to fulfill their creative vision and ensure their work reaches an audience. I work one-on-one with writers via my coaching and consulting, and in small groups in my Creative Shift Mastermind.
I have also worked with publishers and creative organizations, assisting them in setting strategy to grow and engage their audience. These brands include: Penguin Random House, Hachette Book Group, Sesame Workshop, Workman Publishing, Abrams Books, Perseus Books Group, Writers House, F+W Media ,The Kenyon Review, Foundry Literary + Media, Publishers Weekly, Writer’s Digest, Council of Literary Magazines and Presses (CLMP), Library Journal, School Library Journal, Consortium Book Sales & Distribution, J. Walter Thompson, Springer, Kirshenbaum Bond Senecal + Partners, and many others.
My Background
Growing up, I was the “art kid” who was always drawing, writing, and creating. Here is a look into my history with the arts.
I have been an artist, a poet, a musician, a paper sculptor, a writer, a publisher, a photographer, a teacher, a radio DJ, a cartoonist, a designer and an entrepreneur.
As a child, I went to art school. Each week, I ventured into the basement of Mrs. Flannigan, my art instructor, whose walls were covered with murals and floors covered with splotches of paint. It’s hard to describe how creative and limitless that cold dark basement felt as a kid. At home, I found creativity in old shoeboxes and empty coffee cans, sometimes turning them into makeshift drum kits. In grade school, I went to extra art classes each week, and was always doodling in class.
My family sold baseball cards on the weekends, which gave me my first taste of entrepreneurship, and allowed for me to meet Muhammad Ali. I remember the many ways that my parents taught me to focus on meaningful connections and relationships as being the core of what it means to share one’s work and find success. My childhood was spent joining my parents as:
My mom sold Tupperware in the mid-1970s
My mom sold Avon in the late 1970s to early 1980s
My parents had a stamp business in the 1970s
My family had a baseball card business in the 1980s and 1990s
My mom was a realtor in the 1980s and 1990s
My high school had a separate wing of the building where kids studied performing arts: dance, theater, video, etc. I wasn’t a part of that program, but most of my friends were. I got into writing, poetry, and photography, spending my time outside of school taking black and white photographs, and on projects such as making a book of poetry out of sheet metal. I also got my first guitar and started playing music with friends.
In college I published a music zine, where I developed contacts at all the major record labels, and got to interview most of my favorite musicians, including: Oasis, They Might Be Giants, Blur, Weezer, and so many others! I was also a college radio DJ, a cartoonist for our campus newspaper, and interned at Rutgers University Press. Oh, and I graduated from Rutgers University’s School of Communication, Information and Library Science. After college, I managed an indie bookstore & cafe, where I helped schedule bands, poetry readings, and art exhibits.
After working at a series of web startups, I spent this entire decade working for a large media company. My time was spent with the editorial teams of more than 50 publications. I spearheaded their blogging strategy, launching 300 blogs, and trained hundreds of writers and editors in social media and developing their platforms online. I had a front row seat for how the web was changing the business model of publishing, and expectations of readers. Working day in and day out in New York City also allowed me to experience the art and cultural events it offered, including “The Gates” exhibit in Central Park by Christo and Jeanne-Claude.
This is the decade that I founded WeGrowMedia, and learning how to grow a business while raising a young family. I wanted to be around my wife and kids as much as possible, so I had to become a master of “work/life balance,” which, let’s face it, never felt all that balanced! Working from a small private studio near my home, I focused on infusing my daily life with creativity, business growth, and lots of quality time with family.
My days are spent in conversation with writers and creators, helping them share their unique creative voices, manage book launches, and ensure their work reaches readers. I am grateful to have my days filled with writing and writers. Here is a corner of my studio, with my typewriter collection:
You can reach me directly at dan@wegrowmedia.com.
Thank you for being here with me.
-Dan
