SMEC: CURRENTS

Indie Thinkers interview with Angela Hollowell: https://indiethinkers.substack.com/p/angela-hollowell

That’s a little catchphrase I came up with: When you hit send, it’s not the end. Maybe I invented it, maybe someone else did—but it’s true either way.

Right now, it’s summertime—open rates are down, comments are down, “likes” are down. But when you hit send, that doesn’t mean you’re done. Especially if you’re on Substack, you have the direct URL for every post you send. Sure, it lands in inboxes, but that’s just the beginning.

A lot has changed since the last Voice Note in May.

I’ve moved all paid memberships to Memberful, and I’m now posting these audio entries here on Transistor. That means a new RSS feed, which you can grab here: https://feeds.transistor.fm/smec-currents

And all episodes are here: https://smec-currents.transistor.fm/episodes

This new podcast (called SMEC: Currents) isn’t listed publicly on all the major platforms, so I’d love if you shared it with your friends.

I’m not playing the game of formatting...

I’m starting to think of all this as a delivery truck.

I make the thing, and the delivery person comes and picks it up. It goes on the truck, and then it’s out of my hands.

You’ve seen the disclaimers from online shops—‘we’re not responsible for what happens during shipping.’ I’m kind of feeling that for myself now. Once I hit send, I’m out.

I don’t want to look at the tracking details. I don’t need to know how fast it got there. I don’t want to care abo...

Put something new on your website, and link it in your next newsletter. Your newsletter isn’t your permanent address, it’s a delivery vehicle. Build an archive of work on your website and link to your stuff from your newsletter!

Oh, and this is the Alex Dobrenko` interview where his guest Isabel Cowles Murphy talks about someone else who says writing is your legacy.

https://botharetrue.substack.com/p/how-to-write-about-the-vulnerable

A reflection from today’s Escape Pod Zoom call, regarding Seth Godin’s ‘What is your art?’ post from 2015.

Art is a human act, a generous contribution, something that might not work, and it is intended to change the recipient for the better, often causing a connection to happen.

Five elements that are difficult to find and worth seeking out. Human, generous, risky, change and connection.

Read that full post here.

Today’s episode is a bonus add-on to today’s post:

https://socialmediaescapeclub.substack.com/p/print-your-tour-diary-start-a-conversation

Keep telling people about the thing you do!

In today’s voice note, I reflect a bit on last Friday’s post, and talk about the idea of building side quests with your audience—not just broadcasting at all of them.

Inspired by this zine project by Kel Rakowski: https://rakowwwski.substack.com/p/the-zine-we-made-together

I riff on some small ways to collaborate: ask for summer memories, favorite songs, books, whatever.

Start small, ask a few folks directly, and let it grow from there.

Not everyone will engage—and that’s normal. You’re not trying to rally the entire stadi...

A common trap is treating your website like the finish line.

“How do I get people to my WordPress,” is the wrong question.

Your blog and your newsletter should work together—your blog builds the archive, your newsletter delivers the value right where people already are.

Weave links into real writing. Offer substance in the inbox. Let readers wander deeper on their own, clicking a link on occasion. Don’t make it a requirement.

Feed the people that showed up, right where they are.

Thanks to Parker Gates for sending me this clip: https://www.instagram.com/p/DHqrfkYxskX

Where could you lead your current subscribers?

From today’s episode:

If you're a paid member you get two rounds of Email Guidance from me: https://www.youtube.com/watch...

I included a Seth Godin quote in my latest newsletter with Laura Kidd:

It starts a bit after the 10:00 mark of this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zcnK6Lx_p4

Are you chasing more? Or are there people right in front of you who still don’t really know everything you have to offer?

Use your voice, even if it’s not a full fledged podcast, or 4K video.

As I said in this episode, I think we’re so terrified of publishing our own vide...

In a recent talk with Olivia Rafferty I asked if there was a take away from her work that someone could adapt to their own:

Look at how others are making their work, and think how you could adapt that into...

Someone asked me recently via my Email Guidance offering about starting a newsletter, and the classic “what’s it gonna be about?”

I replied that instead of asking, "what should I write about?" try asking, "who should I write about?"

Your experiences, projects, and adventures likely involved other people, so write about them.

When you highlight someone in your newsletter, you can send it to them, which can spark conversations, build connections, and create momentum.

This human-centered approach bring more energy to your newsletter, especially in the early days when growth feels...

Watched this great interview with actor Anthony Mackie on the Pivot Podcast, about success being given, not earned. This part is at about the 14:04 mark: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqFfX0A8UAc

Success is different for everyone, and heck, you might not even be playing the game - and that’s fine!

But for a lot of us, trying to pay rent or get the new gig, we gotta get picked.

Today I reflect (not a reaction clip) on a video by photographer Noah Kalina, who questions the instinct to post creative work online, comparing social media to a "cursed room" where content is lost in a sea of distractions (starting at the 1:40 mark in the video below).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBRuUj0pXAM

I explore this modern dilemma, and of course urge creative folk to be intentional about where they share their work.

Today I’m reflecting on Andy J. Pizza’s recent post about letting go of outdated strategies. Ways of working that don’t serve us anymore.

“Let go of what’s no longer useful,” as Mr. Pizza puts it.

I’m also emphasizing the shift away from exhausting social media efforts and instead urging you to focus on email list building by sharing valuable work naturally (work you’ve already made), rather than simply screaming “sign up for updates!”

What’s your biggest struggle with growing your email list?

This will be a collection of voice notes from me, from your pal Seth, because I just got too many ideas. And they all don't need to be blog posts. They all don't need to be newsletters. They all don't need to be videos.

The stuff just comes to me a lot. So I want to get these out here, out and about.

And I really came to come to that from a conversation I had today with Amber Carnes. We got on the phone. We got on a Zoom.

That's how ideas...