Discovery Call

Discovery Call

James Bailey

Agenda

~~Introductions~~

~~Writing process and goals~~

~~Suggestions from my review of your Substack~~

~~Writing coaching services and next steps~~

‣

Substack Review

Structure and User Experience

Your user profile shows four newsletters, two of which are inactive: On Loving and Living and On Loving.
The line between your two newsletters is blurry.

Rather than a tab on your newsletter, you could plug An Audience of Two on your About page. Then, you could use Substack’s tags and pages to categorize your posts on your main newsletter.
Your pinned (or most recent) post on On Money and Meaning is “Buttered Toast” (from An Audience of Two), which may be confusing readers.

About Page

Some highlights:

It is my aim that my perspectives will:
1) improve your success in growing your wealth to reach your goals and2) inspire you to access ever greater meaning in your life.

If you’ve found On Money and Meaning and think the “stock market” is one giant casino, I invite you to subscribe. I will illuminate that the stock market is not in fact a casino.

You have a strong perspective and sense of purpose for the newsletter, but some of your value proposition is buried beneath personal details.
Have you considered splitting your About page into multiple sections? The About page could answer the following questions in order, each within their own sections.

What is On Money and Meaning?
Why should I subscribe?
Who is James Bailey?

Session Notes

Suggestions for Substack

Restructure your About page, and create a pinned post for On Money and Meaning that goes into greater detail about your background and establishes credibility.

Move personal details to their own section, and put the most important info for readers at the top (what it is and why they should subscribe).

Delete your two inactive publications.
Move the plug for An Audience of Two from a link on your navbar to your a sub-section of your About page.

Writing Goals

Help people live more meaningful lives
Biweekly publishing
Write with a touching emotional component that makes an impact

Writing Process

Inspired by reading and personal development work

Parables, self-help books, spirituality, sports stories

The concept is easy, even some of the connections, but the first draft is always hard

Re-reading and revising as you go

It will never be done because it can always be better. You just have to decide it’s done.

See ”The Finisher’s Paradox” by David Kadavy
Constraints, like a publishing schedule, can help you finish and move on to the next project.

💡

Suggestion:

Free write the “down draft” without attaching to or editing any part of it.

(See “Create No Darlings, Kill No Darlings”)

Create a reverse outline.
After you have at least one full draft and a reverse outline, start revising.