Is Writing a Thing?

The Pulizzi boys at Bowling Green State University on a campus visit.

Thanks to everyone who sent feedback after Random Newsletter #1. It was all very positive, which is great, but I think it was more ‘good to see you back Joe’ rather than ‘this is an amazing newsletter Joe.’ Either way, I’ll take it and I’ll keep improving.

It’s funny…just a few days after I released the first newsletter, I saw this article about there being too many newsletters. There are, of course, too many newsletters. Last year I unsubscribed to about 100 newsletters and today can only name a few that I actually read.

Why so many you ask? Ownership, for one. I’ve mentioned this in about every speech I’ve ever done. While we don’t own or control any of the social media we are on, we can control our newsletters. The second reason is trust. I don’t necessarily trust anything on social media, but I do trust a newsletter that I subscribe to. This is big! This is also a reason why there is still opportunity in print media (see last issue on Raspberry Pi).

I bumped into Joe Watson at a coffee shop last week (Hi Joe!) and he told me my newsletter was great but needed more Joe. I’m not sure anything needs more Joe but I understood his point…more personal…maybe more about my struggles.

So before I get to all the articles I think you should read, here’s more about me:

As most of you know, I finished my novel, The Will to Die, last month. After three reviews and a bunch of editing, I started submitting it to agents. I’ve had six agents politely say “this book sounds terrible.” It’s all good though. I’m working with an editor to clean it up. The story is there, but it does need some reworking in my opinion. Also, my query letter was hideous, so I’m redoing it. I take solace in the fact that just about every publishing house in England rejected JK Rowling’s Harry Potter.

I’m working on a new marketing book. Instead of a formal “how-to” book like I normally write, this one will be a story…sort of in the vein of Who Moved My Cheese or The Go-Giver. Because honestly, who needs another how-to marketing book?

And I’m still cracking up at people’s reaction when I tell them I’m writing.

“What are you going to do now Joe?” they ask.

“I’m writing, both fiction and non-fiction books,” I say.

“No really. Are you going to start another business?”

Writers must get this all the time. I feel sorry for all of them.

Lastly, I’m getting rid of just about all my sports collectibles. That was the plan way before Marie Kondo was a thing. If you are into Cleveland Indians cards please hit me up. I don’t know why, but I’m totally into the minimalism thing. Even deleting an app on my phone makes me feel good.


The following was an excerpt from Joe’s newsletter. Only subscribers receive the full version.

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