Writing, Independence, And Selling Books Direct With Derek Sivers

Why is writing so important? How can we pursue true independence as authors? How can we stay open to technological change while still focusing on the fundamentals of craft? Derek Sivers talks about these things and more.

In the intro, How to know if you are putting too much pressure on yourself [Holly Worton]; Breaking down language barriers with augmented reality [Google].

This podcast is sponsored by Kobo Writing Life, which helps authors self-publish and reach readers in global markets through the Kobo eco-system. You can also subscribe to the Kobo Writing Life podcast for interviews with successful indie authors.

Derek Sivers is the author of four non-fiction books, as well as a musician, entrepreneur, and book publisher. His latest book is How to Live: 27 conflicting answers and one weird conclusion.

You can listen above or on your favorite podcast app or read the notes and links below. Here are the highlights and the full transcript is below.

Show Notes

* Why focus on writing?

* Decentralization and why selling direct is so important for authors who value independence

* Tips for selling direct — for digital and print

* Taking the long-term view

* Thoughts of blockchain, GPT-3, and AI translation

* Giving everything to one book — and starting again for the next one

You can find Derek Sivers at sive.rs and on Twitter @sivers

Transcript of Interview with Derek Sivers

[Note: Derek provided his notes which have been added to the transcript, so we hope you find them useful!]

Joanna: Derek Sivers is the author of four non-fiction books, as well as a musician, entrepreneur, and book publisher. His latest book is How to Live: 27 conflicting answers and one weird conclusion. Welcome to the show, Derek.

Derek: Thanks, Joanna.

Joanna: I'm excited to talk to you today. So, my first question is, you are a multi-passionate creator and your bio says, ‘I'm ambitiously focused on creating.'

What part does writing play in your creative life and your business these days?

Derek: First, listeners should know I'm not doing any of this for the money.  My cost of living is paid for by past investments, and I give all my profits to charity. So filter my answers accordingly.

If you're listening to this wondering how to get rich or something, I will not be giving a formula for how to get rich because I'm doing this for other reasons. So, what part does it play in my life?

I'm trying to better understand the world.I want to figure out life.