Category: writing

Newsletters, Podcasts, and Subscribers (oh my)

~ meximinnesotana ~ Leave a comment

Hello Blogging Friends,

Hope all is well in your world. I’ve been pretty silent here for a while. And it’s because I’ve been thinking.

I’ve also been writing on another platform, Substack.

I’m not a big believer in paid newsletters. Truthfully I’m actually kind of SICK of newsletters. They crowd my inbox, the detritus of my old interests. But it’s strangely hard to unsubscribe from them all. Because, you know, there just might be SOME juicy tidbit here or there. Once in a while.

Oh, who am I kidding? Anyone know of an AI service that can unsubscribe from everything that we are not opening at least 30% of the emails?

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Now that I’ve been podcasting at Somatic Wisdom for 8 months, and I’ve generated ~45 episodes of content, I am truly loving the audio medium. It’s been joyful to write solo episodes, along with expanding to interviews. There were five in the first season (out of 36 episodes), and I think there will be at least 8 in the second season (~24 episodes planned).

And so far there were over 700 downloads in February alone, and 3k downloads in total for the podcast! I’m flabbergasted, given that there are 4 million total podcasts out there. Of course, only about 17% of those are regularly releasing content. That means there are ~680k different options out there for listeners, so I don’t take for granted when people choose to follow my channel.

I realize I’m still a “small player” in the podcast world, and I have no idea who listens. Still no written reviews on Apple podcast where it matters as far as scaling. But no worries. When we deliver good content over time, I believe that’s how we attract resonate listeners.

This was one reason I opted to start the Somatic Wisdom Substack page. Several of my mentors and people I follow have been opting to publish their work in multiple formats, like Tara McMullin and Jenny Blake.

Multiple Formats for Many Different People
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For those of us who are business owners, consultants, coaches, and content creators, we need to have efficient ways to get our overall message out there. It makes abundant sense not to complicate things, and to free our time by approaching this more strategically.

I’ve deeply loved the ability to explore here on this blog since 2017. And for those of you reading, thank you for being here, and for engaging in my work. This blog taught me about what kinds of work energize me most (coaching, writing, and speaking about employee wellbeing) and now those are the things that are bringing in income for me.

Though I’m not yet raking in the big bucks, I feel grateful to have had a platform to help me navigate the huge career shift I was in from 2018-2022. Now it’s time to double-down on what’s working and cull back some areas where I no longer want to invest.

Within the next 3-6 months, my intention is to either archive this blog or to migrate the work. I haven’t decided yet.

I’ve not been successful at managing a newsletter related to my work, and I suspect Substack will make that much easier. It’s in a pilot/test phase. I like the notion that it’s a very voluntary process, and I don’t feel like I’m cajoling anyone into giving me their email address.

Your attention is precious, and I don’t want to clutter up your mailbox, unless I’m providing you 10x the value for opening that message.

Do you mind weighing in on a few questions (since you’re here) about the newsletters and subscriptions you most love and value?

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

I’m curious: what do you like about them? What drives you crazy? What do you wish they did more of? Less?

Wishing you well for March. I’m pledging to come back once a month here, until I make my final decision about where to migrate (if I do).

Thank you again for being here, being part of my writing community and for reading and/or commenting on my work. It’s helped me become a more thoughtful writer, and I deeply appreciate your contributions to that process.

Much love,

Cristy

Content lessons from podcasting

~ meximinnesotana ~ 2 Comments

Hello Dear Friends!

Happy Winter Solstice to those in the northern hemisphere!

It’s been a minute since I updated here, though there’s plenty to read in the world. I hope you’ve been finding good content that nourishes you and gives you valuable food for thought.

Writing and blogging have been loves of mine. I was thinking about how podcasting is different, and what relative advantages/disadvantages arise from this medium. In case you’ve been debating those as well in thinking what creative goals you may have for the new year, here’s my reflection. I’ve reached about two thousand downloads of the Somatic Wisdom podcast in only 36 episodes for my first 6 months. Clearly it is a way to grow an audience when you create content in specific niche.

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

What I LOVE about podcasting

  1. You still “write” the episode. I find that when I have a topic, it helps me the most to have an outline and/or script to speak from. I typically draft the episode 2-4 days before it goes live (for a solo show) and then as I read it out, I edit. This works well, and using Descript software has been AMAZING for audio editing. I love it. I can edit out my filler words and sound smarter and more concise for my listeners.
  2. I can listen back to my own wisdom. I don’t know what it is, but sometimes we learn things at a superficial the first time we read and practice. But then when we have to teach or explain them to someone else, our learning becomes much more refined and clear. So it’s fun to create and “audio record” of what I’m learning. I also can hear the “conviction” in my voice about things I’m really passionate about.
  3. Interviews are fun! So far I did five interviews in 2022, and I’m hoping to keep offering ~2 interviews per month in 2023. While they take a little more preparation and more editing to produce, they feel like an awesome way to network and provide valuable perspectives for my audience. In blogging, we are pretty much a “solo” offering. That can be wonderful if we have a lot of subject matter expertise. But the interactivity and personal connection of podcast interviews always feels energizing. Plus, I realize how much I love promoting others’ expertise and geeking out on subjects I enjoy. Go figure.

What’s hard about podcasting

Photo by Alan Quirvu00e1n on Pexels.com
  1. There’s no immediate feedback. When you podcast, you “broadcast” into thin air and generally don’t receive feedback, unless someone reaches out via my website link. But most listeners are not going to do that. While I like the fact that it takes away my tendency to “live for the like” it can also be very uncertain which episodes are resonating with listeners. I do have a dashboard on Libsyn, the hosting platform, which tells me how many of each episode have been downloaded.
  2. People tend not to leave reviews. I speak for myself when I say this. There are a lot of podcasts I listen to where I fail to leave a review. It’s not that hard, but I’m usually in the car or on a walk while listening, and that makes it more tricky. While I’m not “all about reviews” it can provide helpful feedback when someone leaves a sentence or two about why they liked the show.
  3. There are a few technical steps. Unlike blogging, where I usually write, walk away for breakfast, then edit, and post, podcasting has quite a few more steps. Granted, you can attach the same intro/outro each time, and Descript makes audio editing very easy, it still takes time. I estimate spending about 5-7 times the length of each episode on the editing, show notes, quality control, etc. I hear some podcasts with terrible editing, but I’m a long time audio book listener. So I don’t love that kind of sloppiness, and prefer to spare my listeners.

All in all, podcasting has been a wonderful adventure, and a lovely way to have conversations with people about topics that interest me related to Somatic Wisdom and wellbeing. I will continue it in 2023, likely releasing in seasons, since that feels like a sustainable way to flex when other life activities get busy.

What about you? Are you ready to start expressing yourself in new ways in 2023? If not, why not?

Be well, Amigas/os! Wishing you a wonderful holiday break, if you are fortunate to have one, and the best in the year ahead.

Anyone writing for Medium or Substack?

~ meximinnesotana ~ Leave a comment

Hi Friends,

Just a quick question for those of you who blog here and/or in other places: Do you have any experience with blogging for Medium?

The platform was recommended to me for visibility in getting some of the messages from my first book out into the world. I’m not sure if it is worthwhile but I do love to write so it seemed like a reasonable experiment to try.

Others have mentioned Substack and the paid newsletters that are out there, but I’m more interested in giving free content away to those specifically interested in the topic.

Thanks for any feedback or experiences you may have writing for other platforms!

Be well,

Cristy

The virtual book party

~ meximinnesotana ~ 4 Comments

It seems fitting that yesterday, at the beginning of the Chinese New Year and the celebration of Imbolc (in the Celtic tradition) that my first dozen author copies of my book arrived to my home.

I decided that I wanted my books to “hang out” with other books I’ve enjoyed and authors I love. So while my little writing muse (Willy) was dressed in his tuxedo best, I created a display to celebrate.

Cat sitting in a display with book: Unleash, Unlearn, and Enliven and books by Brene Brown, Martha Beck, Bessel Van Der Kolk, Jenara Nerenberg and Katherine May

While I know I have a long way to go in my author journey, and I’m not at the level of the amazing authors sitting next to my book. But I also know they had to start somewhere, and so did I.

Taking time to celebrate this event felt like the right thing to do. So grateful I got serious in 2021 about getting this process started and finished.

What’s your next big goal? How do you plan to celebrate when you achieve it?

Delightful nourishment

~ meximinnesotana ~ 4 Comments

Happy 2022, dear friends!

Are you anticipating new projects on the horizon? I am excited to consider a few creative intentions for the year. I’m not one to make resolutions but I see intentions as a helpful guiding compass for any new period of time that feels right.

Typically I set intentions each month, around the new moon, which tends to be an energetic cycle of contemplation for me. This month and year what kept coming forward was a combination of two of the core desired feelings I set as intentions back in July (which is what I think of as the beginning of my “fiscal” year).

Delightful nourishment (in noun form)

Delightfully nourishing (the adverb)

Playing with those terms a bit, I wanted to phrase that in a way that makes sense in a “quantum question” type of format. Here’s my idea:

In what ways can I create assets that are delightfully nourishing for myself, my husband, my clients and my business?

After creating my first book in the past year (though I’m still anxiously awaiting the paperback proof due to me this week) I considered all of the joy and love that went into that creation. While it was difficult at times to keep going, especially during the editing phase, overall the process was delightful nourishment for my soul. For much of the process, I devoted just an hour a day to the project, but as it kept moving forward and taking shape, it was enormously satisfying.

The shadow side of that process is that since late last summer, I’ve noticed slight but steady weight gain. Only about a pound or so per month, but it is a contrast to the first 4 months of the project, when I seemed to have some effortless weight loss. It was though I was being “fed” by my creativity. With my training as a yoga teacher, and my emphasis on somatic wisdom in the book, I feel somewhat sheepish at admitting this, but it feels related.

The pure joy of creating a draft and working with words is delightful nourishment to me. And the process of thinking about how my work will go out into the world, speculating how it will be received is another matter. It seemed to bring up all my past demons with food as a way to dull difficult emotions. It probably didn’t help that the pandemic uncertainty and anxiety about contracts and jobs also came up.

I find the beauty of sunrise to be delightfully nourishing, especially when I take the time to appreciate it.

Rather than chastise myself about this, though, I am bringing self-compassion to my struggle. It can feel so vulnerable to bring our work out into the world. So much so that many people have manuscripts in drawers, and many never share their gifts.

Overeating is never delightful nourishment. It can be subtle and tenacious though. This year I want to turn to forms of spiritual nourishment instead of food, like writing, abhyanga (Ayurvedic oiling), reading delicious literature, walking in nature, drinking in the beauty around me, being present with my loved ones, and creating more books, or maybe a podcast. All of these activities feel delightfully nourishing to me.

What kinds of delightful nourishment are you planning for yourself in 2022?

Finding a Creative Publishing Team

~ meximinnesotana ~ 8 Comments

I recently published my first eBook and it felt like such an achievement to me. After taking the time to work through a couple rounds of editing and then thinking through more changes after the Advance Reader Team helped me see where it could be improved, I felt ready to upload to IngramSpark to generate a paper version. Hurrah!

For me, a book isn’t “real” until I can order a paper format. Much as I love how digital products can generate royalties for their authors and creators, until I can hold something in my hands, it feels like a figment of my imagination. I crave the embodiment of something with weight and a cover that I might pick up in a store.

IngramSpark didn’t accept the fact that I didn’t yet have a professionally designed cover to add to my file. File rejected: bummer. I had hoped a “placeholder” cover would suffice could put off the process of locating a designer while I reviewed a bound and printed version.

What was I waiting for? I’d found my editor, Kay Grey, by putting a post in LinkedIn for an editing project. Within hours I got 8-9 applications. But only one person read the post closely and reached out to me to find out more about the budget. I was delighted when after viewing her website we connected and it seemed like a fit. Kay has made the book miles better than it could have been with my own editing.

Why couldn’t I find someone via LinkedIn for the cover design as well? Most professional designers might not work with just a one-week turnaround, I reasoned. But if I found someone who knew upfront that’s what I hoped for, maybe I could find them out there. Indeed within hours I received 8-10 applications again. I closed the post and took a look at the portfolios. One stood out in particular. I reached out. She scheduled a conversation. Turns out we have so many common interests I was delighted. She was able to take the art that I’d commissioned from a friend of mine, and turn it into a cover I really love.

Mock-up of the cover design; slight changes will be in the final version to be released in January.

This was not something I could have generated on Canva. It required an eye for visual art, competence with InDesign and an understanding of my vision for the overall project. And while there are many free tools that exist for eBook covers, I believe a physical book needs a professional to make it shine. So grateful to Natalya, who helped me visualize how this book might appear on my shelf (and hopefully for others) someday.

As authors, we can find the support of editors, artists, and cover designers to focus on our gifts. I have a deep appreciation for beautiful art, but that’s very different from actually making it. As indie authors who publish work ourselves, this can seem daunting at first. But taking it one step at a time, and being patient, it’s not so hard to find collaborators.

I’m already at work on the next book(s), which have been starting to present themselves in my morning freewriting sessions. Grateful to have worked with some amazing professionals that may accompany me on future book journeys if their schedules align.

Where have you found your best collaborators? I am curious to know.

Warm wishes for a lovely solstice or whatever holiday you celebrate.

Cristy