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The secret to being remembered
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Reading time: 2.43 644 words Hey Reader, Have you heard of Alfred Russel Wallace? No? He came up with the theory of evolution by natural selection. BUT WAIT, I hear you say. THAT WAS CHARLES DARWIN. Yes, it was also Charles Darwin. Both men came up with the theory of evolution separately, and in fact Wallace’s work predates Darwin’s, but Darwin’s is the name we all know. Why? For a variety of reasons, one of which is: Darwin wrote the book on it. Wallace was actually a really cool guy: he was against eugenics (rare for someone of his time, as it was very fashionable then), pro women’s rights, and pro land nationalisation, among other things. He was something of a polyglot and published a LOT of books and papers on various topics. But not his theory of evolution. Instead, he sent his articles and notes to Darwin and Darwin wrote the book that I’m sure you’ve heard of: On the Origin of Species. Darwin didn’t steal the idea; he simply published first. Wallace was by no means unknown in the scientific community, but he’s not the household name Darwin is today. Lots of other people contributed research to the theory, too. Despite what history would like us to believe, discoveries are never made by one dusty old dude working alone and using his planet-sized brain to theorise. Discoveries come from building on work that builds on work that builds on work that came before. The person credited is often — you’ve guessed it — the person with their name on the front of the book. I’m not saying you’ll be the next Charles Darwin if you write your book. You probably won’t. But I DO see, all the time, people say, “I wish I’d written my book. So-and-so has just written a book on my topic, and I had a slightly different idea, and it could have been really good.” I say to that: Well, that’s no reason to not write your book anyway because your point of view will be different and your book will still be really good. And I say to you: If you have an idea and you think it’ll make a great book, don’t wait like Alfred Russel Wallace. Because there’s always room for one more book on any given topic, but it’s super cool if yours is among the first. TTFN, Vicky 🫡 p.s. There are a bunch of people on the waiting list for MicroBook Magic Season 8 and I’m about to invite them to join early, with an absolutely banging bonus. If you’d like to get in on that action, join the waiting list here and I’ll be in touch on Thursday. (Don’t hang about, one of the three VIP spots has already gone!) p.p.s. Know someone who might enjoy this email? Please forward it to them and get them to sign up here.
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Learn to Write Like You Mean It
Join 500+ writers, creatives, misfits, and weirdos and learn to write like you mean it in 10 minutes a week. Get ONE practical tip, story, or shenanigan every weekday + a creative goodie bag on Friday 🖖🏼
Reading time: 4.13 1,002 words Read this email in your browser Hey Reader, Everyone talks about the obvious benefits of writing a book (credibility, authority, connection, opportunities, etc.) and they’re all fine and dandy but have you ever considered THIS: 1. You’ll become a human Wikipedia page. If you’re thinking of writing a book you’re already a nerd on your topic. This is your opportunity to take nerdom to the Next Level. Be the go-to geek for everything related to your topic because...
Reading time: 1.25 334 words Read this email in your browser Hey Reader, When I asked Kenda about writing her book Hack the Buyer Brain, she told me it changed everything for her. I’m not saying it was magic; Kenda put the work in after she’d written the book and made sure it got in front of the right people. For three months after publishing it, she had nearly two interviews per week about it. She sold enough books on the prelaunch to pay for the first print run. And within two months she’d...
Reading time: 1.55 454 words Read this email in your browser Hey Reader, The blinking cursor on your blank page might be viciously attacking you right now but you do not have to take that kind of abuse. Writing your book doesn’t have to be hellish. What if I told you there is a simple activity you can do INSTEAD OF banging your head against your book that will get you writing and feeling excited about it? An activity that will: take you out of perfectionist paralysis bring clarity to your...