In my book, Be the Gateway, I share this metaphor of the gateway. On one side is your creative work, a world you have crafted and want to welcome readers into. Too often, a writer or creator sets up this gateway, then just wait there at the threshold, hoping a reader ambles by.
Today, I want to encourage you to venture on the other side of your gateway, into the world to find where your ideal readers may already be. Then, and this may sound scary, but I encourage you to talk to them. Not all of them, and not all at once. Just talk to one person who may be an ideal reader.
To have a conversation, not setup a billboard.
Inherently, this is about understanding the human side of what it means to engage people with creative work, crafting meaningful experiences, and learning how to make this a fulfilling experience for you and them.
We are not just measuring a transaction — did they follow me, did they click like, did they buy the book — but rather, the qualitative aspects of what draws people to become engaged with reading and exploring themes that you love writing about.
Talking about your work is not selling out. Instead, it is bringing people into the joy of creative work in a manner they can relate to and enjoy.
Let’s dig in…
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