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Hey Reader,

Rejected by an entire herd of cows

Yesterday, I was rejected by an entire herd of cows.

As rejections go, this one was particularly painful because I am a friend of the moos. I’m vegetarian. I don’t drink milk (because it’s gross and the dairy industry is also gross). I only wear leather where it’s vintage or a genuine byproduct of the beef industry (and NEVER in front of them how RUDE).

I always stop for a conversation with a moo and find some tasty grass for them to snack on and not just because I hope they’ll come over and let me stroke their gorgeous velvety noses but because the grass sometimes IS greener on the other side of the fence.

On my evening run though none of that mattered.

As I crested the hill, sunbeams bathing me in the warm glow of early summer, 32 pairs of huge startled eyes gazed at me in disbelief: who is this bipedal, neon yellow and tomato red being hurtling towards us?

I stopped and waited, and walked over to say hi to the youngsters, who — as a single herd — spun on one hoof and stampeded off.

To add insult to admittedly minor insult, all the moos who were safely in the barn made it a point to poke their heads out, find me terrifying, and join the retreat.

I was just a woman, standing in front of a herd of cows, asking them to let me pet their noses.

But THEY saw a weird little neon stranger demanding their attention and their velvet faces with no context or guarantee of safety.

It’s like the difference between plopping into someone’s DMs or flinging an ad into their face, and gently offering them your book to sit with.

YES, I MADE THAT NOT-AT-ALL-CLUMSY SEGUE, DON’T YOU DARE JUDGE ME :grin

Srsly though: it takes a looooong time to build trust with people, especially if we’re hoping to work with them at some point.

There are a lot of ways to do it:

• Social media (although who knows if the algorithm will show us to the people we want to work with and even if it does it might decide that photo of us riding a bicycle by a canal is “non-consensual intimate imagery” and put our account in the bin).
• Ads (sometimes very effective but only if you really know what you’re doing).
• Podcasts (a great way to build a relationship with listeners — I know this because I had a podcast for 9 years).
• Email newsletters like this one (I know you know more about me at this point than my own mother).
• And, of course, a book.

A book has the advantage of intimacy. Time with you and your voice and your ideas.

Which means when you then DO approach your herd of moos with an invitation and an offer, they might not say yes right away, but at least they won’t stampede in the opposite direction and hang out muttering about how inappropriate you were.

Is a book a big undertaking? Yes.

Is it costly in time, money, and effort? Yes.

Is it worth it? In almost every case, a resounding YES.

But before you embark on this big journey, it’s a good idea to see if it’s a good idea for you.

I’ve got a bundle for that.

This pre-recorded 90-minute workshop walks you through every facet of your book idea to help you figure out if it’s the right idea for you, now.

And you get a bonus Reader Journey framework to get crystal clear on your reader and what they want.

It’s just £99 + VAT and you can find it here.

And nowwwww for the Friday Goodie Bag! Hold on tight…

“Yeah, nah” bills

I love language. Words. Dialect. In NZ, you hear the phrase “yeah, nah” a lot. It means no. A specific type of no. Not just “no” but “absolutely not” wearing casual trousers. So when I stumbled across this website dedicated to helping people object to awful political bills being snuck through parliament, I was delighted.

It’s called Yeah, Nah Bills. “Stink” bills being pushed through that will harm people if they become law. This organisation helps people write objections and send them out. It helps people engage with democracy, basically, and it does it relatably, using the language of the people. Are you using the language of your people?

Caroline Buist’s new podcast!

My amazing and wonderful VA, without whom me and my business would collapse in a little puddle, is launching her new podcast! It’s called Never Too Late to Dream and the trailer has already got me excited. As someone who’s done a lot of stuff later in life (pivoted a biz, become a profesh stand-up comedian, learned to surf, taken up gymnastics, learning to play guitar, it goes on) I LOVE the idea of “never too late.”

This story that’ll make you cry

The big moments are made up of the little ones. A life is built from slivers of feeling. Here’s some feelings that might make you cry but in a good way I promise.

Dance Your PhD 2026

One of my favourite EVER competitions is the annual Dance Your PhD contest. Eternal thanks to Sarah Silva for introducing me to this wonder of the modern world. The idea is: you explain your PhD idea through the medium of dance! This year’s winner in chemistry is Dina Haddad with Magnetic Flow. I particularly love this because it features pole dancing, and she makes a magnificent double-helix shape on the pole. Brava, Dina!

An ode to buttoning and unbuttoning your shirt

I’ve decided I don’t share enough poetry, so here is a poem about buttoning and unbuttoning your shirt, by Ross Gay. You can write about anything at all, as long as it has meaning to you. The meaning is all that matters.

What I’m reading

Currently engrossed in Amy Alkon’s I See Rude People. It’s been on my shelf for years and a few days ago I suddenly yanked it out and started reading. Possibly because someone’s bad manners had annoyed me. It’s pretty entertaining so far; kind of like an extended rant by a modern miss manners.

What I’m writing

Some new material for an open mic night on Sunday. I’ve already got a 10 minute set; I want to expand it, so I’m going to take out some bits I know work, and replace them with some new bits — I have no idea whether they’ll work or not. Wish me luck!

Word of the week

crux

n. The most important or serious part of a challenge, problem, or argument.

What’s the crux of your day today? How will you solve it?

Quote of the week

^^I fully endorse this message.

Happy Friday.

TTFN,

Vicky 🫡

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