"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.
Results of 90 posts in 90 days - please clap 👏
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Hey! I’m proud of something. Haven’t talked about it, I don’t think — though I did at the retreat for my mentoring group, Shrimp Club. During a Q&A, one of the Shrimpers asked about my recent activity surge on Instagram — because I’ve been posting like a mofo. So, GOOD, YOU BETTA NOTICE! There’s a lot more to the story, which I’ll tell soon, but on January 3rd, while I was on vacation, my friend Susie posted a story inviting her audience to join her in a 90-day challenge. Hers, she said, would be 90 days of no alcohol. Inspired, I decided to try my own:
A few days in, shoving my phone in a crevice between rocks to shoot
It struck me that DOING something for 90 straight days was a lot more work than NOT doing something. But anyway. On April 3rd, which was last week, I hit my 90-day mark. 90 (90-plus, actually) posts in 90 days! It’s been a lot of work. (ChatGPT has been helpful. More on that later, too.) And I’ve had to practice patience about results. My following hasn’t budged by more than 100, but I don’t care about that. My engagement hasn’t gone through the roof, necessarily, either. BUT: They comment that they’re loving my posts and learn a ton from me, and perceive me as “killing it” over there simply by virtue of posting a ton. Consistency + visibility = credibility. 2 - My subscriber numbers are up! I provide a CTA (call to action) in every post. Usually it’s to grab one of my freebies or to sign up for my emails on their own. It works. My IG efforts have added hundreds of subscribers per week. 3 - My book is back in the mix! Whether your book just came out, was released nearly 2 years ago (mine), or is a work in progress with a far-off pub date — or just hopes of a pub date because you don’t yet have an agent or book deal — you want to keep that ball in play. So that’s what I’ve been doing lately. Among my posts about email copywriting, storytelling, and writing, I’ve been stirring in a lot of talk about Tough Titties. That spotlight on it reminds people who meant to read it when it came out (which I get, you should see my own TBR pile) to finally dive in. It’s so gratifying to see DMs and comments like these:
Pretty nice, right? If you’re inspired by my 90-day self-challenge, think: What could you do or stop doing for 90 days? And when would you start? Write back and tell me. Accountability rocks. By rocks, I mean I wouldn’t stick to shit without it. xoLaura PS - I totally forgot to recap my popup salon with NYT bestselling author Jean Hanff Korelitz! It was a true pinch-me moment. And I found out that, as one of her guest authors, I’m in the company of megastars like Steve Martin and Joyce Carol Oates. Not too shabby, huh?
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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.
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