Social media is an overwhelming and chaotic space, especially for shy writers. However, by using social media effectively, it could lead to getting a publishing contract, or at least building an audience that will make a publisher’s mouth water. That’s what Ally and Darrell Vesterfelt found anyway. Listen to the interview (37:53) [audio:https://s3.amazonaws.com/scc_files/Darrell+%26+Ally+Vesterfelt.mp3] Download MP3 […]

Michael Hyatt’s New York Times bestselling book Platform got everyone talking about how building a platform through a blog or a podcast can get you published, but nearly all of the talk surrounding platforms is about non-fiction platforms. What can creative writers do to build a platform? How is a fiction platform different from a […]

Listen to this lesson (1:06) [audio:http://commondatastorage.googleapis.com/authorcartel/Rule%202.9%20-%20interview.mp3] Download MP3 It’s your turn. Interview an author, writer, or blogger. Start by reaching out to your friends and family over Facebook or email for any writers they might know. If not, you can ask to connect with a more experienced writer in the Story Cartel forums. Then, just follow […]

Listen to this lesson (1:35) [audio:http://commondatastorage.googleapis.com/authorcartel/Rule%202.3%20-%20Find%20the%20cartel.mp3] Download MP3 In the last lesson, you learned about the Cartels behind the successes of many of the best known writers in the last several hundred years. Now, it’s your turn to do some research. Your Assignment Choose one of your favorite authors* and research him or her using […]

Listen to this lesson (8:29) [audio:http://commondatastorage.googleapis.com/authorcartel/Rule%202.13%20-%20destroy%20cartel.mp3] Download MP3 “What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others is immortal.” Albert Pike Even with all of your hard work to create your Cartel, all the networking you’ve done to build relationships, there is one thing can dissolve your Cartel faster than anything […]

Listen to this lesson (5:14) [audio:https://s3.amazonaws.com/scc_files/Information+Interview+Lesson+(Track+1).mp3] Download MP3 The Informational Interview is a tool developed by Richard Nelson Bolles in his book What Color Is Your Parachute.* It’s a great way to develop relationships in your field and build your Cartel. The Informational Interview’s Three Easy Steps Informational interviews can become extremely fun, especially because you’re […]

Listen to this lesson (11:22) [audio:https://s3.amazonaws.com/scc_files/Rule+2.10+-+join.mp3] Download MP3 Now that you understand the power of Cartel-based thinking, how do you join a Cartel? If you need a Cartel to succeed, how do you create one in the first place? It’s all about connection The short answer is learn to connect. When I first started sharing my […]

Listen to lesson (11:14) [audio:https://s3.amazonaws.com/scc_files/Rule+2.2+-+Behind+every+artist.mp3] Download MP3 This may sound like hyperbole, but the truth is that behind every great artists is a Cartel. There is no such thing as the individual genius. Great artists are always found in Cartels. This is true for Ernest Hemingway, Jack Kerouac, William Faulkner, William Shakespeare, Virginia Woolf, Charles […]

Listen to the lesson (5:09) [audio:http://commondatastorage.googleapis.com/authorcartel/Rule%202.4%20-%20Behind%20every%20artist%20II.mp3] Download MP3 Still not convinced Cartels are important? After looking at the stories of the six famous writers in the last lesson, we can draw four conclusions about the power of Cartels. 1. Relationships Matter The underlying argument behind Story Cartel is that relationships matter, even in the arts. This […]