Pitching to Podcasts and Manufacturing Quests

Day 15 of 100 Days of 10,000 Copies

Today is day 15 of 100 Days to 10,000 Copies, my project to launch my new book - Easy Discipline (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Audible).

THE WALL

We are into week 3 of the 100 Days. We have, let me check… 229 copies.

25% of me is questioning why I am putting myself through the public humiliation, while the other 75% is telling me how exciting the 84 Days to 9,771 Copies Project is.

But I am going to tell the 25% to shut up and let the 75% do its thing.

What I Did:

Last week was speaking week. This week is podcast week. I’m reaching out to my favorite podcasters to pitch myself on their shows.

I am a huge listener of interview podcasts. My phone is loaded with Tim Ferriss, The Diary of a CEO, The Prof G Pod, and Mel Robbins episodes. I rotate through them and their guests to get inspiration and outside perspectives. I’ve also bought many books after listening to an episode where the interviewee is an author.

(Speaking of which, let me check my Audible… I have 347 books. Wow, I’ve bought more books than people have bought of mine - 347 vs. 229. That’s embarrassing.)

My Audible library, with 347 books

Now it’s my turn to get on podcasts so I can sell more books. Here is my dream list. There are 38 of them. Will I get on any of them? I hope so. My baseline is 5. My stretch goal is 10. Anything beyond that would be nirvana.

To give myself a chance, I need to reach out to them. Moreover, pitching is fun! How can I miss this opportunity to be my best self and the artist I am?

In the following days, I will share my letters to some of my favorite podcasters. I’m hoping they will be my best writing. But I’ll let you give me feedback.

Why am I excited about this when most authors dread it? Because of an Easy Discipline principle I lean on hard:

Easy Discipline Principle - Manufacturing Quests

I don’t see life as a series of goals to be accomplished. I see it as a platform to have fun and make art.

Before I was 30, I was a video game addict, because video games provided me with worlds of fantasy and accomplishment that I couldn’t have in the real world. But as soon as I started vlogging, I never touched a video game again. The real world became way more fun and engaging. I no longer needed to take on fake quests, because my whole life became one exciting quest after another.

Excitement is such an underrated factor of success.

The Lord of the Rings is about a quest to destroy the ring. The Pursuit of Happyness is about a quest for a broke guy to become a stockbroker. Avengers: Endgame is about a quest to beat an unbeatable intergalactic villain and resurrect half of the population.

We often only see these quests on a screen, never imagining ourselves being part of them.

But the truth is, we can start amazing quests and tie them to our own goals.

These 100 days are my manufactured quest, and the 10,000 books goal is to make the quest more exciting. This week’s level is pitching to my dream podcasts.

How can I let this opportunity go?

For You

Hey, how’s your life, job, or career? Is it boring or exciting? If you feel you’re in a rut, how about building a quest with insane goals, then giving your all to obtain it? You don’t need luck to have excitement happen to you. You can create thrill, memories, and miracles with your own decision and effort, starting today.