"Yours are the only emails I actually open and read" - a regular reply in my inbox since 2009...and I'll bet in yours, too, once you subscribe and learn by pure, lazy osmosis to become the most compelling writer around. That said, no promises on improving your moral character.
Oops, caught you trying
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A few months ago, Shrimp Club alum Sarah Aviram did something most people wouldn't be caught dead doing. Her new book was coming out, and she posted that it had a chance of hitting the USA Today bestseller list — if enough people helped by buying and spreading the word. Why wouldn’t most of us do the same? Because we don’t want to be seen trying. It’s embarrassing. Thirsty. Vulnerable. What if I’m public about a big goal and then I don’t make it and the world sees me simultaneously fall on my face and shit my pants? Isn’t that why public speaking tops DEATH as the number one fear? It’s you, mic’d up in front of an audience and hoping to blow their minds — or at least to not go blank and stand there, frozen, like you might be having a stroke or experiencing a sudden k-hole. The very essence of trying. As a GenX-er, it was hard not to take a certain 1985 ad campaign to heart: “Never let them see you sweat.” (Do you know what product it was? Write back. You’re my people.) Though I don’t think that idea is any less pervasive in our culture now, 40 years later. Success and beauty should both be effortless. Luxury should be quiet. And it’s never a compliment to be called a “try-hard.” So, good for Sarah! Because — having watched me sweat my titular tits off promoting Tough Titties and declare my dream of making it a national bestseller (got it) and even a NYT bestseller (didn’t, but at least I tried) — she put her all into pimping her own book and goals for it. …And it worked. I know it’s sexier to be all “Oh, gosh, I’m so shocked by the success of this, I didn’t even dare dream of it.” But to expand on my IG comment above, the person who’s not afraid to be seen trying is the one who wins. If you’re trying for something this year, even if it’s something less measurable, like to be more human in your writing or to have a business that feels like you, Shrimp Club is a great place to get support — along with the encouragement to be seen trying unapologetically. Or, in Sarah’s words (see the PS), the help to “release the ick.” The words “shameless self-promotion” are verboten around here. They imply there’s shame in promoting yourself to begin with. We start in October. You can see details and apply here. xoLaura PS - Another gem Sarah gave me permission to share: Love Shrimp Mail? Forward this to a friend so they can get in on the action and sign up below.
Thank you for reading and sharing, |
Laura Belgray (Talking Shrimp)
"Yours are the only emails I actually open and read" - a regular reply in my inbox since 2009...and I'll bet in yours, too, once you subscribe and learn by pure, lazy osmosis to become the most compelling writer around. That said, no promises on improving your moral character.
Hey! If you know me and/or what day and month it is, you prob did a double take at the subject line. March? Is Kit glitching on Laura and sending out old emails? Or future emails? And doesn’t Laura loathe emails that start with “Can you believe it’s already ____?” No, Kit (my email service provider, where I build and communicate with my subscriber list) is behaving perfectly. I also don’t have any emails written that far ahead, or even a week out. I wish. And yes, I’ve begged everyone who...
Yesterday morning, I saw the former president of the network where I used to write promos. Great guy. Used to be my boss’s boss. He didn’t notice me. I almost said hi but it was pre-coffee, and I see him often in that exact spot, outside of Jack’s Coffee. I felt too boring and uncaffeinated today to stop and chat. We’d just recently gone through all the “How’s your summer going” and “Who’ve you seen or talked to lately” and “I can’t wait for all these summer douchebags to leave Sag Harbor”...
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