I’m back from my psychospiritual sabbatical—got my ducks in a row and ready to start quacking…
So…
…pondering on the title of this post, all I can do right now is give you words; though, as I write these words I’m performing an action…
Shall I change the title to Action Speaks Just as Loud as Words?
Hmmm…
Leaving that psychological perplexity for possible future contemplation, I’ll forge ahead with a few links of posts I’ve done featuring Nilofer Merchant; then, look at a particular piece by her…
“How often I think of thanking the people who have been helpful. But then, I don’t act on it. Sometimes it’s because I feel like that might make that person uncomfortable (what if they think I’m asking them for something and the gratitude is just a setup?). Or, I worry I won’t find the right words, so then I’ll ‘do it wrong’ so better not to do it at all. Or, since I don’t know that person in real life, why does it actually matter that they know if little-old-me got value from their work?”
Perhaps you’re the kind of writer (or reader, or publisher) who notes and responds appropriately to every single person who helps you (whether they know they are or not), or shares with you, or comes to your rescue (whether they know they’re rescuing you or not…)…
Not many of us are that sort of person………
Nilofer’s example:
…there’s a writer I’ve never met. Yet this stranger had a huge impact on my work. By her putting her work out there for me to find, it really helped me to finish The Power of Onlyness.
“I found Theo Nester when surfing the web in December 2015…”
Nilofer goes on to describe how she surfed further and…
As ever, I urge you to go read the full article; but, for the purpose of this post, I’ll end with these words from Nilofer:
“I share this publicly not knowing how to reach Theo, but also as a reminder to close that gap between intent and action because that’s how we manifest ourselves into being. Or, in the words of Batman, what matters is not who we are underneath, but what we do that defines us.”
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“I’ll admit it: I hate business books…There’s only so much ‘seamless leveraging of synergistic core competencies while maintaining brand integrity and mindshare in the value system of the new economy’ that I can take before the urge to set the book on fire becomes too great, and I risk violating deeply-held principles I have about book-burning.”
Then, before the interview-proper, she goes on to rave about Nilfoer’s book…
Yes, Nilofer Merchant’s book can be called a “business book” and she is an Innovator who’s almost always talking about businesses.
So, some of you who are writers might wonder at my giving her so much space here (including videos in those past posts).
Well, I’m a writer and I can’t count the times I’ve learned something about how to write by paying attention to singers, painters, salespeople, religious figures, drunks in bars, and certain business people…
Getting back to #SocialEra as it relates to Social Media (and “most” writers find “some” need to engage with Social Media), Nilofer has an article on her site called, IN A FRAGMENTED WORLD, GO DEEP, where she begins talking about using Twitter, then says:
“For an introvert like me, actually, it’s draining. It is the opposite of grounded connection. Online, I am never alone with my thoughts for a decent stretch of time. Even when I have an empty calendar, I can have activity going on because I allow Twitter to be in the background. At first, it was like music — nicely humming away but not distracting — but now I’m realizing it’s like a dinner party with each person getting louder and louder as the wine flows.”
A bit later in the article, she says:
“…you could do the opposite. You could go deep. You could be that voice that everyone listens to because when it speaks, it is so deep and rich that it’s worth slowing down to listen to. Sort of a Morgan Freeman voice, in the times of Justin Bieber bop. Maybe it will allow the light of an idea to be seen more clearly.”
Think that relates to writers and writing?
Sure, going deep with writing probably won’t help a writer become an overnight 50-Shades-of-Excitement success; but, it might help a writer’s work remain valuable far beyond their lifetime…
And, in an article where she talks about the sacrifices necessary to accomplish something you’ve never done before, HOW TO TACKLE THE NEW THING, she says:
“…the gap between strategy and execution is a persistent one. It happens in organizations, it happens in our lives. In my 1st book (do you know about it? Published in 2010, it’s called The New How), I describe this gap as an ‘Air Sandwich’ – the persistent void between the big idea and the execution. I called it the Air Sandwich because all the stuff that matters — the thing that makes it complete — is missing. To fill it is about making the necessary tradeoffs, making tough decisions, and aligning resources. This is what I’m doing — though more slowly than I wish.”
If you’re a writer who is content to stay with the traditional model of getting your book into the hands and minds of readers, this post and its video are not for you…
Unless…
You may want to consider a new model of interacting with readers.
The video is of Nilofer Merchant giving a talk on the Google Campus.
“The era of social technologies provides seemingly endless opportunity, both for individuals and organizations. But it’s also the subject of seemingly endless hype. Yes, social tools allow us to do things entirely differently—but how do you really capitalize on that?”
“The Industrial Era and the Information Age are over and their governing rule are passé. Leading in the Social Era requires a rethink and re-imagination of what can be. Read 11 Rules for Creating Value in the Social Era to be ready to meet the challenges of this new age and thrive.”
So, first thought for writers:
Being on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+ isn’t enough…
Figuring out your PURPOSE for being involved in those social networks is what this woman can help you consider.
The video is definitely not a simple “follow these steps to success” rip-off.
This woman will let you think and think again and, perhaps, come up with your own unique way to do the “Business” of being a writer.
If a writer can walk through an art gallery and absorb concepts they later apply in their writing process, then a writer can watch this video and absorb concepts they can translate into guidelines for book promotion.
Here are just a few notes I made as I watched the video—relating Ms. Merchant’s ideas to the business of writing:
What Nilofer calls the “Gorilla”, I would call the Traditional Publishing Industry.
The “Industrial Model” amasses property and employees and corners some market, then sells authors to readers.
The “Social Era Model” involves readers in the book’s Purpose—either before it’s written or after, then lets the community of readers sell the book for the author.
Traditional publishing is all about taking risks and making money (the author and reader are often the last people considered).
Innovating your own promotion processes with the SocialEra mind-set is all about connecting readers with authors—having less risk and more solutions—making money by thinking beyond money…
It’s a writer’s business process conceived of as Story…
Every time the video talks about Organizations, think of Readers.
When Products are referred to, think Books.
So, essentially, what I got out of the video (at least from my first watching of it) is all about the writer’s Purpose in writing the book and giving readers a chance to “invest” in the Purpose…
And, one of the most powerful memes from the video is that the Social Era’s “Currency” is Attention.
So, clear some time; have your snack and beverage of choice handy; and, Profit from Nilofer Merchant on #SocialEra.
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