Good morning,

Welcome to your daily dose of Authoresque news, designed to help you move your writing career forward a little bit every single day. Here’s what we’re thinking on today.

CAREER

A Career in the Arts Isn't a Normal Job. It's More Like Being a Professional Athlete

Brent Hartinger gets real about pursuing a creative career in the arts, debunking myths and offering practical advice for aspiring artists.

• Unpredictable Path: Unlike conventional career trajectories, a path in the arts often lacks a clear progression. It requires flexibility and adaptability, as projects may come sporadically with fluctuating income.

• Value of Grit: Hartinger emphasizes the importance of resilience and determination, advising that success is often more about perseverance than raw talent. Staying committed through setbacks is crucial.

• Myth of Stability: While many seek stable jobs for predictability, a creative career often involves juggling different projects and hustling for new gigs. Embrace the chaos and learn to thrive in it.

• Intrinsic Motivation: The most fulfilling work often comes from within. Hartinger encourages artists to stay connected to their passion and avoid letting external pressures dictate their creative direction.

The takeaway? A career in the arts isn’t like a typical 9-to-5, but with dedication, passion, and adaptability, it can lead to a uniquely rewarding journey. I came away thinking that professional athlete was a better analogy than I did going into it.

TUTORIAL

How to comp subscribers from your previous newsletter to your Substack publication

The Author Stack's latest piece dives into subscriber growth strategies to help creators expand their loyal audience. Here are the main points:

• The Magic of Comping: Offering complimentary subscriptions can help you reach a wider audience. By selectively gifting subs to influencers, peers, or those with a passion for your content, you can amplify your reach through word-of-mouth.

• Referral Power: Encourage your existing subscribers to bring friends on board by providing incentives, whether it’s exclusive content, special access, or simple recognition for their support.

• Value-First Approach: Make it worth their while. Subscribers need to feel they’re getting unique, quality content they can’t find elsewhere. Craft a newsletter that's a must-read, not a "mark as read."

• Timing is Key: Strategic timing matters for offers and outreach, like using peak engagement periods to maximize interest and response rates.

The bottom line: by comping strategically, engaging your audience, and creating top-notch content, you can grow your subscriber base organically while reinforcing loyalty along the way.

CRAFT

Twisting the Opposites Attract Trope: Science Fiction Series Resident Alien

Jennifer Hilt's explores how the "opposites attract" trope twists and turns in modern romance writing:

• Timeless Chemistry: This trope has universal appeal, but writing it well requires balancing contrast with connection. Hilt points out how it’s a dance of finding common ground amid differing personalities.

• Character Depth: By pairing characters with differing goals and mindsets, authors can dig deeper into their personalities. It’s a surefire way to reveal hidden layers, building empathy and complexity.

• Conflict & Tension: Opposites naturally bring more tension, a crucial ingredient for any page-turner. But the trick is to make conflicts realistic and relatable, avoiding stereotypes or forced friction.

• Change & Growth: The journey of compromise and understanding allows both characters to grow. Their transformation fuels a story arc where love emerges from acceptance and change.

When executed thoughtfully, this classic trope can offer characters and readers a richer narrative experience, reminding us that embracing differences often makes for the most compelling stories.

MARKETING

Julia Roberts Taught Me How to Shamelessly Self Promote

C.K. Steefel reflects on how Julia Roberts became her guide to promoting their work with unapologetic joy. Here's the breakdown:

• Iconic Inspiration: Steefel admires Roberts' unmistakable ability to embody happiness, noting her infectious laugh and radiant smile, both on and off screen. These qualities taught Steefel to cherish moments without reservation.

• From Shame to Shameless: Steefel discusses how societal expectations often push people to downplay their emotions. In contrast, Roberts' unabashed joy served as a reminder that it's okay to express delight, paving the way to embracing life wholeheartedly.

• Living Fully: Taking a cue from Roberts' charisma, Steefel emphasizes that living shamelessly is less about ignoring challenges and more about letting joy shine through despite them. Her takeaway: Be unapologetically you, and celebrate your happiness without fear.

Steefel's piece is a heartfelt exploration of how Roberts' joyful example encourages us all to find joy without constraints.

TECH

When You Destroy the Tools of Creativity

Kyla Scanlon outlines the potential pitfalls of stifling creativity by relying too heavily on tech tools and offers insights on balancing innovation.

• Tool Dependence: Scanlon argues that creative tools like AI or complex algorithms, while useful, can become crutches. If not used thoughtfully, they risk standardizing creativity, limiting unique expression.

• Shifting Dynamics: The article highlights how economic and technological shifts can prioritize efficiency over originality, encouraging creators to prioritize data-backed decisions at the expense of experimentation.

• Authentic Creativity: She advocates for reclaiming creative control by embracing imperfections and human intuition, noting that true ingenuity often comes from deviating from the established path.

• Striking a Balance: The solution isn’t to abandon tech tools but to use them as a complement rather than a replacement. Technology should empower creativity, not replace the creative process.

Scanlon's post urges creators to rethink their reliance on technology and reclaim the creative spirit that comes from genuine exploration and risk-taking.

BONUS BITS:

• Ted Gioia stops worrying about bad music because it will all eventually disappear.

  In Ted article, he explores the idea that poor-quality music is naturally phased out over time, leaving only the good stuff. He argues that with so many streaming services and vast music catalogs, it may seem like bad music sticks around longer than it should. However, the "wisdom of the crowd" often ensures that the best songs endure while the mediocre ones fade away. Gioia uses historical examples to highlight how a process of cultural curation separates quality music from the forgettable, and remains confident that even today, audiences will sift through the noise to preserve the gems.

• Junot Diaz discusses life as an NPC. 
  The piece examines how the concept has become an online phenomenon, used to describe people who seem to follow social trends or mainstream narratives without question. The author reflects on how this labeling can reinforce divisions but also considers its usefulness in identifying cultural conformity. Ultimately, the article prompts readers to reflect on their own behavior and consider the value of critical thinking amidst societal pressures.

• Tom Kuegler eulogizes the death of Medium

  This article argues why and how Medium is losing its relevance and influence. Tom highlight how its early appeal has waned due to paywall restrictions, inconsistent user experience, and shifting company priorities. Despite a legacy of high-quality writing, these factors have alienated both readers and writers, leading to a decline in community engagement and content quality. Ultimately, the author paints a picture of a platform struggling to adapt and questions whether it can revive its former glory.

NEWSLETTERS TO FOLLOW

• Write • Build • Scale helps creators, writers, experts, and entrepreneurs looking to grow her audience, credibility, and income by writing online

• Stacked Marketer is one of my favorite daily newsletters that covers the world of marketing.