Unruly Author

Part memoir, part masterclass. This is a must-read for any indie writer who refuses to be shackled by traditional publishing or big tech platforms.

Writers often trap themselves by copying others. They think that's the way to succeed.

Look at Indian restaurants in every town. Identical menus. The same red flock wallpaper. The same copper serving bowls and bland curry house classics.

It's like walking into photocopies of photocopies. Each one got blander than the last. The vibrant regional flavours of real Indian cooking fade into a generic tikka masala haze.

Let's look at plants as an example.

You know stinging nettle. As every nettle in a patch has its own character, your writing needs to grow from your ground up. Don't report what others say.

Live it, breathe it. Let it seep into your bones until your experience gives rise to the words.

When you borrow ideas from others, transform them through the lens of your life.

This isn't about copying.

It's about using inspiration to create something that is yours. Think of it like cooking. You might start with a recipe, but your hands, kitchen, and ingredients make it unique.

Your writing should carry the weight of your lived experience.

Every sentence should pulse with the rhythm of your particular journey. This isn't about being weird for weird's sake. It's about being true to your path, your struggles, and your victories.

Time is sliding through the hourglass, grain by grain. What mark will you leave? What stories will echo after you're gone?

Will you leave behind pale imitations of others' work? Or, will you craft something that could only have come from you?

Stop worrying about what others might think.

Stop trying to fit into someone else's mould.

Write like yourself – messy, complicated, real.

Your readers aren't looking for another generic voice; they're looking for yours.

So write it. Write it now. Write it true.

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Five years ago I discovered something that shook up my marketing strategy.

Going against all the usual same same advice pushed out by kids barely out of nappies, let alone the old guard who have years of experience under their belt, and really should know better.

I stopped using reader magnets. That’s where you give away a free chapter or short report to grow your mailing list.

Eh! But, but, that's not what gurufuck says?

Yeah, that's because gurufuck has never built a real book business outside selling you a class on 'how to make money as a self-published author'.

So choose your gurus........ very........ wisely!

Actually, scratch that.

Kill the fucking gurus and find yourself a mentor.

All gurus are crooks and frauds and they want power over you and to make you a slave.

Mentors on the other hand, are like a mate who tells you like it is and doesn't mince their words to pander to your sensitivities.

Now that’s off my chest, let’s move on…

So what's this about only building mailing lists of people who have handed you cold hard cash, versus the freeloaders.

Come closer sweet pea, and I'll tell you.

My paid customer mailing lists convert way higher than my free subscriber lists.

We've all heard it: 'Grow your list at all costs', 'The money's in the list.'

But what if the real treasure is in a smaller, more committed audience?

Think about it.

Your paid customers have already shown they trust you. They've invested in you, both with their wallets and their attention.

No wonder they're more engaged, open more emails, and ultimately convert better.

Don't get me wrong—your free subscribers still matter.

But maybe it's time you shifted focus from quantity to quality.

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P.S. Every post of mine is an absolute gem. And like all gems, you'd be daft not to collect as many as you can get your grubby mitts on.

So, click here to get on my list and never miss a post.

Writing found me when most had written me off.

At school, they pinned my exam results to the board like badges of shame. They left them ungraded, forever.

The establishment had marked me as a lost cause. A “late developer,” they said, with thinly veiled disdain.

I left school with two O-levels – Politics and English, both C grades.

Hardly the makings of a writer, according to conventional wisdom. But conventional wisdom is often wrong.

You don't need to study the classics or get validation from writing institutions.

Look at the history of punk rock – raw, untamed creativity that changed music forever.

The establishment called us “medieval brigands” and “the great unwashed.” Sound familiar?

The ruling class and their sycophants want to keep the gates closed. They are privileged and entitled. They want writing to remain their exclusive domain.

But words belong to everyone!

Even with academic failure and personal issues, like addiction (now over ten years in recovery), I found my voice.

When people say you cannot write, that is the moment you should start writing.

Can't get words onto paper? Pick up your phone. Open the voice recorder. Start speaking. Your thoughts matter. Your story matters. The world needs voices that aren't polished by creative writing degrees.

Your cluttered, chaotic thoughts can become dynamite that changes minds and moves hearts.

The 'proper' way isn't the only way.

Sometimes it's the worst way.

Write your truth. Break the rules. Make your own path.

The gatekeepers don't own storytelling – we do.

Every voice deserves to be heard, especially those that others try to silence.

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P.S. Every post of mine is an absolute gem. And like all gems, you'd be daft not to collect as many as you can get your grubby mitts on.

So, click here to get on my list and never miss a post.

I came across a quote from Joe Schrieffer, a high ranking executive at Agora Financial Publishing, one of the world's most successful paid newsletter brands.

His words resonated with me, particularly in relation to my experience as a best selling author on Substack, where I have gained hundreds of paid subscribers within three months.

I've observed numerous individuals positioning themselves as Substack experts. When evaluating marketing advisors, I always scrutinise their practical experience.

From my observations, the majority of Substack trainers appear to have limited real world experience, merely repackaging information from Substack's help files and formulating theoretical principles for managing a paid newsletter.

Intriguingly, some of these self proclaimed experts have fewer subscribers than I do.

This situation underscores the importance of thorough research before accepting advice from individuals who may excel at self promotion but lack substantive achievements.

Joe Schrieffer's statement encapsulates this issue succinctly:

'Most teachers of marketing are nothing but wannabes. They fake their guru status because they've never actually made anything work.'

This assertion rings particularly true in the context of self publishing books or running a paid sub stack newsletter, caveat emptor.

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P.S. Every post of mine is an absolute gem. And like all gems, you'd be daft not to collect as many as you can get your grubby mitts on.

So, click here to get on my list and never miss a post.