How to Give Writers The Gift of Being Seen
To creative people, this is the greatest present of all
What most writers get wrong about building a career is that they think it’s all about them. They think it’s all about their story and their audience, so their focus turns inward instead of outward. Rather than building a community, they end up fueling their impostor syndrome.
In reality the only way you’re going to succeed is if you dedicate yourself to helping your fellow creatives. You have to commit to this objective with such intensity that you do it as a subconscious reflex. Purchasing the books of your fellow writers and leaving reviews should be as routine as brushing your teeth.
But there is a lot you can do to support your fellow writers beyond writing reviews. Over the last few years I’ve developed a lot of strategies for making writers feel appreciated.
Using a newsletter to share a book
Several months ago I discovered a new and talented writer. Like many writers, she’d launched a newsletter featuring the kind of articles that can actually be monetized.
But in addition to the paying work, she was using her platform to release chapters of her book. I’ve seen a lot of people use their newsletters to promote or generate interest in their creative writing, and it tends to kind of languish.
It’s challenging to serialize a book because people read a chapter or two, but if they don’t happen to get the email with the next chapter then they lose interest. At that point your audience steadily decreases.
I saw her book and because I respected her other work, I sat down and started to read.
Recording a performance of a reading
I noticed that the post didn’t have a voiceover. I personally prefer to read literature aloud anyway, so I thought I might as well turn on my mic. I record voiceovers for all my articles, and I thought it might be a pleasant surprise for her to receive a recording from me.
I had a lot of followers on the same platform, and I thought my voiceover of her story would be a clever way to promote her work to my readers. If she elected to upload the recording into her post, the followers I have who are inclined to listen to me would be more likely to engage with her work.
It’s very difficult to recommend and promote another writer, so any hook that actually gets people into the text is something to be explored.
I resolved to do the recording very quickly with no editing. Experience has taught me that you can turn a 10 minute recording into a 20 hour project by trying to make it perfect. So, the recording I sent had a couple coughs and word stumbles, but it was still better than AI.
Effusive gratitude
Chapter complete, I sent it as a surprise to her email. I wrote, “Here, I did a voice recording of your first chapter. Use it however you wish!”
I’m a writer too, so I know how exciting it is when people leave a review or mention your work on a blog. I didn’t want to publish the voiceover on my platform because that would be copyright infringement, but sending her something and giving her permission to use it is like sharing fan art.
Her reply came later that day, and when I opened her message, it was as if joy came flowing out of my computer.
She was clearly moved by listening to somebody else perform her words, and she said the recording allowed her to experience her own work in a different way. The book is very much a story that is written for women, so she was delighted by how effective it was when told in a man’s voice. She even appreciated the fact that there were a couple stumbles because they added a certain additional layer of humanity.
I’ve gone on to read the first 7 chapters and she’s been effusive with her gratitude. That alone is enough to continue, but the book is also extremely good.
We all rise together
At the time I met her, she’d only just started her newsletter. Since then, she’s become something of a superstar because of her reporting on the Epstein files.
I’ve been delighted to witness her success, and I also enjoy doing what I can to redirect her tens of thousands of new subscribers to her creative work. Her novel addresses many of the themes of injustice that are at work today, and I believe deconstructing that larger mechanism of oppression is our true objective in this challenging time.
Every week, I record another chapter. I send it, she uploads it, and then we both alert our followers that it’s available. This is a marketing strategy that allows us to regularly remind our audiences with new updates. It’s a regular, constant, and viable reminder that there’s a book out there they all need to read.
You can’t ask people to read your book just once.
The greatest gift
It’s important for creative people to do whatever they can to make sure the people in their community feel seen. I think this is the greatest gift any artist can ever receive.
We write to tell important stories that have been overlooked. We have a responsibility to explore injustices that our society has been trained to deliberately disregard. In doing this, we get people talking about important issues and we establish the foundation for meaningful change.
Whenever people make fun of English as a college major, I try to remind them of the greater value of writers. We are the group that stands apart from humanity attempting to map out a path to a more prosperous future.
Think about that the next time you struggle to pay your bills.
Other forms of appreciation
Lately I’ve been sending the profile pictures of my fellow writers to my daughter. She’s been using them to create cartoon images. It always gives me a feeling of tremendous joy to simply send off these little offerings of fan art.
Every morning, we all wake up to an inbox full of grouchy messages. Sometimes it feels like the whole world comes at us screaming and yelling.
Imagine what a relief it is to open a message and find a delightful cartoon version of yourself smiling back. One of my friends said, “I appreciate that she dropped a couple pounds off me, it’s a glamour look!”
Those little moments of surprise and relief give us the energy we need to get through another day. Sometimes they can sustain us for weeks! We need that now more than ever.
Everyone I’ve sent one of these drawings to has been overjoyed. Then I see them posting about the picture and talking about it on their podcasts and it makes me feel happy all over again. These are the kind of actions that create a whole greater than the sum of its parts.
Participate in the creation of self-perpetuating joy
There are many things we can do to allow our fellow artists to be seen. This provides the fuel that allows the creative spark to burn.
I’d encourage everybody out there who is reading this to create fan art for your favorite writer. Say, “Here, I did this for you!” Yes, there will be occasions where you don’t get a response. But in most cases I’m confident that the picture you send might be exactly what they need to fortify themselves against some current struggle.
We’re all facing terrible challenges, and together we get through.
If you go through life sprinkling little packets of magic and happiness and appreciation around, people will stumble upon them in their moment of greatest need. Even if you aren’t there to witness the discovery, you’ll be rewarded by the fact that these marvelous and compassionate people continue to create for us.
Give it a try! Let your creativity flow. Let your favorite writers know how much they mean to you!
Note, the writer I was talking about is Ellie Leonard, her book is ‘Death of a Mayfly.’
Thank you, Walter, for your ray of sunshine on a beautifully cloudy day. Love your positive approach and for sharing your voice with Ellie Leonard and the world!
What a treatise on kindness. I feel inspired and activated. Thank you for this gift and the gifts you give to others.