If you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen me share a glimpse of this story about my friend Matt BlakWe are bombarded with success stories that rely on huge vanity metrics.
But what really gets me going is championing the underdogs.
The people who have the raw talent, who hone their craft and expertise.
I found interviewing Brian Collins for Creative Boom really inspiring on this subject.
When I asked about how other designers could emulate his success, he talked about just developing their skills. Be You. You can read more of that interview here.
To anyone out there who has been told you can’t get a book deal because you don’t have enough followers, or feels you can’t make it because you don’t have the vanity metrics of bigger bizfluencers. This week’s post is for you.
Oh.
And it should go without saying. Pre-orders are SO crucial for authors regardless of their size. I would love it if you could support my good friend by pre-ordering his book.
Or, add it to your wishlist!
These all send digital signals to retailers that this is a book worth stocking.
P.s. You can contact Matt directly if you want to cover his book, review it, or interview him for your podcast or newsletter. His story is fab!
I have heard many of you say you can’t get a book deal because you don’t have the social media following or large enough newsletter numbers.
Matt shows us why this isn’t true and how, if you have a great story and genuine writing talent, you can still land that book deal.
So how did this happen?
It started with a press pitch.
Having been an investigative journalist for a long time, Matt had many press contacts.
This was the first time he was ever pitching a story based on his own real-life experience. The article blew up.
Within a week, it was a huge international success, garnering more than half a million reads and invitations to talk on international podcasts.
What happened next was no overnight win.
A few weeks after the article was published, Matt was approached by an agent.
The book proposal evolved as he searched for the right publisher, and at times, he even thought it might not happen.
It’s taken nearly three years to go from that first article to the book deal. You never know which story you write could turn into your next book. If you take anything from this story, it's not to give up.
Matt Blake tells the powerful true story of discovering his new home was once the lair of the E17 Nightstalker. Hearth of Darkness follows Matt’s struggle to unravel the chilling secrets of his house, where the weight of the past threatens to suffocate the present. It was meant to be a refuge for him and his young daughter after a painful divorce. But when strange things begin to happen, he is forced to confront his own fears and vulnerabilities. Can a house be haunted by a bad past? And how does a rationalist who doesn’t believe in religion or ghosts make sense of the paranormal?
Matt Blake, author of Hearth of Darkness, says:
‘There are only so many times in a writer’s life – maybe only once – that a story comes along that you simply have to tell. This is mine, a story that I hope will resonate with anyone who’s ever wondered what happened in their home before they moved in, and what secrets its walls may keep. Hearth of Darkness is a story that was born in the dark, and I can’t wait to bring it into the light. I couldn’t be happier to be working with Katie and the team at Elliott & Thompson, and I’m delighted to join such a fabulous roster of authors.”
Ok. This isn’t always the norm. But the takeaway I want for all of you is that if you are passionate, talented, and share what you do or what happens to you, you never know what can happen.
Keep on hyping.
Lucy x
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