POV: You're facing the same predicament Bon Jovi once did

My plan of attack

Jon Bon Jovi, just before his song “Runaway” became his breakthrough hit

---

One of the biggest buzzkills for someone who wants to be a writer is discovering how many other things they must become good at. Writing well is at most only half the equation.

If you don’t promote your work, your writing is unlikely to find an audience. Thus, writers must invest significant effort into developing what’s known as an author platform – writing guest posts for other outlets, connecting with potential collaborators, lining up podcast appearances, etc.

I used to get miffed about this reality until I watched the docuseries “Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story.”

In one of the episodes, Jon Bon Jovi recalls how the demo for his song “Runaway” was rejected by every single record label. He started thinking maybe it was time to call it quits. But in a last-ditch effort, he snuck into a New York radio station to personally pitch “Runaway” to a DJ. The DJ started playing the song on the radio, and “Runaway” went on to become Bon Jovi’s breakthrough hit.

I’m sure Bon Jovi could have gone on creating phenomenal music for the rest of his life, regardless of whether he and his band ever found an audience. But if he wanted to share that music with listeners beyond the local club scene and build a career as a successful working musician, Bon Jovi had to persist in doing whatever it took to introduce his music to a broader audience.

I never expected to face a challenge similar to Bon Jovi’s, and yet here we are. So I’ve been trying to be as persistent as Bon Jovi as I seek ways to share Things Your Mom Should Have Told You with a wider audience.

One of the projects that’s been on my to-do list for a while is labeled “Pitch Perfect” and encompasses all the tasks required to pitch oneself to podcasts successfully. I’ve gotten started–purchased the Podcast Matchmaker’s book, requested professional microphone equipment for my birthday gift, etc. But I haven’t been able to free up the time I really need to devote to the Project Pitch Perfect.

So, how am I ever going to find the time to tackle Project Pitch Perfect?

This summer, I will be taking a break from posting new pieces (single-handedly producing an issue every week requires way more time than you might think). Don’t worry, I’ll still show up in your inbox every Tuesday–I will just be drawing from the archives to share some of the pieces that I consider my best work.

Likewise, I will be featuring previously chosen Books of the Month for June, July and August (some of these Books of Wisdom are worth another look anyway).

I appreciate your understanding. If I want Things Your Mom Should Have Told You to reach more people who might appreciate knowing these things, Project Pitch Perfect is essential. And turning my attention to it is certainly better than living on a prayer.

BTW I could use a little help to get Project Pitch Perfect rolling. Would you please DM me and let me know which podcasts you’re listening to these days?

Thank you for listening to all the things I’ve been telling you.