# CJ Chilvers
> 25 years of resources for lifelong creatives and independent publishers.
Public Ghost content for AI and LLM tooling. Use `/llms-full.txt` for consolidated page and post context.
Append `.md` to any post or page URL to get the content in Markdown (for example, `/example-post.md`).

## Pages
- [Introduction to A Lesser Photographer](https://www.cjchilvers.com/a-lesser-photographer-introduction.md) - Introduction This is a chapter from the book A Lesser Photographer [https://www.cjchilvers.com/a-lesser-photographer]. Since the age of twelve, I’ve been obsessed with photography. I built a little darkroom and took class after class to learn as much as I could. I studied the zone system for years…
- [A Lesser Photographer](https://www.cjchilvers.com/a-lesser-photographer.md) - Get Your Copy Reviews “For something beautiful and well-said, check out A Lesser Photographer.” — David duChemin “Amazing read…I really recommend everyone get a copy.” — Chris Marquardt “CJ Chilvers reevaluates what it means to be a photographer in this manifesto. Most of the points apply to virtua…
- [About](https://www.cjchilvers.com/about.md) - Hey there! I’m CJ. For over 25 years, I’ve been writing honest and useful books, essays, and newsletters at the intersection of science, creativity, and marketing. My personal newsletter serves as an oasis of sanity in the creator/AI economy — a bullshit-free zone where evidence matters. I also coa…
- [Articles](https://www.cjchilvers.com/articles.md)
- [Ask A Question](https://www.cjchilvers.com/ask-a-question.md) - Name * Name First Name Last Name Email Address * Question * Do not reveal my name when posted. Thank you!
- [Books](https://www.cjchilvers.com/books.md) - Principles for Newsletters These are the lessons I've learned from 37 years of publishing newsletters. It's the clear, simple guide you need to start and maintain a lifelong readership. Get your copy. A Lesser Photographer Tear down the myths you’ve been taught about creativity and embrace the habi…
- [Hey there!](https://www.cjchilvers.com/home.md) - I’m CJ. Join the thousands of smart, kind, and devastatingly gorgeous readers who subscribe to my no-nonsense newsletter about creativity and technology.
- [How to Create Fine Art](https://www.cjchilvers.com/how-to-create-fine-art.md) - This is a chapter from the book A Lesser Photographer [https://www.cjchilvers.com/a-lesser-photographer]. > “Art is anything we do, after the chores are done.” — Teller There’s been a lot of handwringing among the art crowd to explain away the democratization of photography. To differentiate betwee…
- [index](https://www.cjchilvers.com/index.md)
- [New Gallery](https://www.cjchilvers.com/new-gallery.md)
- [What I’m up to now](https://www.cjchilvers.com/now.md) - * We're making the best home possible for our new puppy, a 4-pound Yorkie who thinks she's the size of a grizzly. * I'm working daily on AI-related content strategy for clients. This is where I spend 90% of my non-puppy time. * I pop up from time to time on podcasts for fun. I have two new ones on…
- [Chicago](https://www.cjchilvers.com/photography-chicago.md)
- [Northern Illinois Landscapes](https://www.cjchilvers.com/photography-northern-illinois-landscapes.md)
- [Subscribe](https://www.cjchilvers.com/subscribe.md) - Get honest commentary and useful links, delivered direct to you from the intersection of creativity and sanity — an oasis in the creator economy. Your email address Subscribe Please check your inbox and click the link to confirm your subscription. Please enter a valid email address! An error occurr…
- [The Music Press Directories](https://www.cjchilvers.com/the-music-press-directories.md) - The Music Press Directory From 1999-2009, music journalists and photographers have been sharing contact information at Music Press Report. This directory was the first attempt to present that information in one cohesive book. Typical press contact lists have never provided enough information to tar…
- [The Music Press Report](https://www.cjchilvers.com/the-music-press-report.md) - The Music Press Report From 1999 to 2009, I published a music journalism news and editorial site. It became popular and eventually took up so much of my time and energy that I needed to decide if it was worth being the priority in my professional life. In short, it wasn't. A search went on for an e…
- [The New Rules of Photography](https://www.cjchilvers.com/the-new-rules-of-photography.md) - This is a chapter from the book A Lesser Photographer [https://www.cjchilvers.com/a-lesser-photographer]. > “I am not interested in rules or conventions. Photography is not a sport.” — Bill Brandt The “rules” of photography you’ll find in most textbooks are based on economics. These techniques work…
- [The Snapshot Is King](https://www.cjchilvers.com/the-snapshot-is-king-2.md) - This is a chapter from the book A Lesser Photographer [https://cj-chilvers.ghost.io/a-lesser-photographer]. > “Inherently, we all know that an image isn’t measured by its resolution, dynamic range, or anything technical. It’s measured by the simple—sometimes profound, other times absurd or humorous…
- [The Van Halen Encyclopedia](https://www.cjchilvers.com/the-van-halen-encyclopedia.md) - History The year was 1997 and Van Halen was the only iconic rock band I could imagine that never had a detailed history published in some kind of book. It was bewildering. So, with the help of around 200 like-minded fans, The Van Halen Encyclopedia was born. It took two years of research, writing a…
- [Unlearn Photography](https://www.cjchilvers.com/unlearn-photography-2.md) - This is a chapter from the book A Lesser Photographer [https://cj-chilvers.ghost.io/a-lesser-photographer]. > “Great photography is about depth of feeling, not depth of field.” — Peter Adams How much about what you’ve learned as a photographer could you let go of today? How many of the lessons have…

## Posts
- [Why the future belongs to independents](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/why-the-future-belongs-to-independents.md) - It was an honor to be back on Media & the Machine, which has grown to be an un-skippable podcast — usually with guests who are much smarter than me. Rob Kelly puts a lot of work into these episodes – more than any other podcast I’ve been on (even on the big networks). For this first half hour, we g…
- [Do experts keep cleaning you?](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/do-experts-keep-cleaning-you.md) - Have you ever been mysteriously unsubscribed from an email newsletter? It happens to me all the time. But I expect it. In fact, it’s how I can tell which “experts” are really beginners. I subscribe to a lot of newsletters and I use RSS to read long-form newsletters, which can look confusing in a cr…
- [CJ’s Newsletter: 200 Abnormally Useful Ideas](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/cjs-newsletter-200-abnormally-useful-ideas.md) - Over in the VIP Lounge, I published a small ebook of readers’ favorite quotes from 20+ years of publishing. I started it last month because I thought it would be the easiest project ever — a nice extra for paid members, filtering my collection of ~2,000 quotes down to the 200 most highlighted. It w…
- [SeO what?](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/seo-what.md) - A new algo dropped from Google and it appears to have the world of SEO in a tizzy. So what? If you’re like me, you’ve learned to recoil at the thought of playing by the rules of someone else’s game instead of serving your readers. And besides, isn’t AI taking over from search? Well, kinda… There ar…
- [AI can replace your job. Here’s what it can’t replace.](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/ai-can-replace-your-job-heres-what-it-cant-replace.md) - AI’s weakness lies in technology that predates the web. AI is now the single most-cited reason for job cuts in the U.S. CFOs expect AI-driven cuts to be 9x higher this year, with 44% of all CFOs saying they’re planning layoffs. 9-to-5 jobs haven’t been safe for a while and people are finally notici…
- [Issue 283: The $200 plastic box opportunity](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/issue-283-the-200-plastic-box-opportunity.md)
- [The $200 plastic box opportunity](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/the-200-plastic-box-opportunity.md) - If you ever needed an example of the increasing importance of personal brands in the AI era, I’ve got a whopper. Over the past few months, I’ve noticed something that construction professionals and jewelry makers on Etsy have in common: they’re always looking out for better ways to sort and store t…
- [Why it’s 1995 again](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/why-its-1995-again.md) - Rob Kelly was nice enough to have me on his new podcast, Media and the Machine. Unlike most of the podcasts I’ve been on recently, this one goes deep into my actual job: content strategy for tech companies. Here’s a summary of what’s covered: Why small creators may move faster than big companies in…
- [Fix your roof when it’s raining.](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/fix-your-roof-when-its-raining.md) - Tis the season for overwhelm. Often, in times like these and when being pushed to their limits, creatives will seek help and hear this age-old advice about when to adjust their processes, “Fix your roof when it’s sunny.” This is not helpful. Here’s the problem: Roofs don’t leak when it’s sunny. Roo…
- [I was wrong about AI](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/i-was-wrong-about-ai.md) - I updated my principles for creating with AI to find out if anything’s changed since I wrote it in 2023. I got pretty angry about a prediction I got totally wrong — never make predictions within a principle — lesson learned. I go in-depth about it all in an upcoming episode of a new podcast you sho…
- [Principles for Creating with AI (update)](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/principles-for-creating-with-ai-update.md) - Back in April 2023, I posted a list of principles for creating with AI, attempting to separate fact from fiction and find some universal truths about working with AI. How did it hold up? For the most part, I think it stood up well. But there’s one thing I got very wrong and I’m furious about it. I…
- [Personal brands to the rescue](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/personal-brands-to-the-rescue.md) - Let’s close out summer on a high note — a business doing it right. My wife signed us up for this summer camp-themed dinner at a local restaurant. We were greeted with Old Fashioneds, served with the chefs’ high-end interpretation of camp food, and read a ghost story from the stage above. To remembe…
- [Can personal brands save big business?](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/can-personal-brands-save-big-business.md) - NP Digital asked 200 companies about their employees’ personal brands. If you’re guessing that most companies said, “Huh? what?” you’re probably right. Over 80% of the companies didn’t support their employees’ personal brands. Only 18 of the companies reported that they both supported employees wit…
- [The best things in life don’t scale.](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/the-best-things-in-life-dont-scale.md) - The best things in life don’t scale. I wrote this past week about how the same is true in marketing. I’ve come up with a list of examples since writing that post, but I’d love to hear yours. Feel free to respond and I’ll share the best. — CJ Link love: * SEO is dead. The ad-model newsletter is dead…
- [Do shit that doesn’t scale.](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/do-shit-that-doesnt-scale.md) - I get questions from marketers all the time about what to do as more and more of their work is eaten by AI. They see their clients happy with AI content, even if conversion rates and sales go way down. Why? The amount of cost-cutting involved is so massive, the client willing to take a big hit in s…
- [Blogs aren’t quite dead yet.](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/blogs-arent-quite-dead-yet.md) - According to long-time content strategist (and 2025’s YouTube viral breakout) Pat Flynn, SEO is dead. According to newsletter guru Matt McGarry, ad-based newsletters are dead. So, what’s alive? If you’re an AI company, it’s the lowly blog. According to NP Digital, blog posts are the #1 source cited…
- [Keeping a daily journal since 2010](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/keeping-a-daily-journal-since-2010.md) - I went on the Day One podcast to talk about my daily journaling habit. I've been journaling every day since 2010, and in Day One since...day one of the app, I think. Every Single Day: C.J. Chilvers on Journaling as Reflection and MeditationC.J. Chilvers has journaled every night since 2010, treatin…
- [Stop asking me if I exist.](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/stop-asking-me-if-i-exist.md) - Is this true for you? I keep getting emails from newsletters asking me if I’m still around. Maybe it’s because I use Apple products, which emphasize privacy, and mask a lot of opens and clicks that newsletters (still?!) use to determine engagement, as if we were living in 2015. Why are so many crea…
- [Be weird. Save Lives.](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/be-weird-save-lives-newsletter.md) - We don’t deserve dogs. So, I got a new puppy. I figure the lack of sleep and constant cleanups will eventually get me close enough to deserving this dog. This past week I wrote about how the rest of the newsletter world is waking up to the fact that this newsletter model is dead. ‘Bout time. Then,…
- [This newsletter model is dead.](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/this-newsletter-model-is-dead.md) - Matt McGarry just posted about what he’s calling Newsletters 3.0. “If you’re running a ‘newsletter business’ the way most people do, you’re doomed to fail.” His post could be mistaken for a summary of the topics in my book on newsletters, but his take is from an ad-based newsletter POV. The timelin…
- [Be weird. Save lives.](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/be-weird-save-lives.md) - There’s been a flood of great “create for the fun of it” content in recent weeks, that I desperately wanted to link to — but I feared I’d be repeating my message a little too much. Then, I saw a video pop up on YouTube that said the same thing, but in a new way. I saw the words: “If it wasn’t for F…
- [Daydreaming about Publishing](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/daydreaming-about-publishing.md) - Since the last post, I spent a week in Mexico (above). I learned two things: 1. All I ever need from a “break” is time away from urgency. We rarely get that, even on a vacation. 2. When I did get a real break, I thought about how I could improve on the same things I post about here. If you’re ever…
- [Where does blogging fit in your newsletter strategy?](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/where-does-blogging-fit-in-your-newsletter-strategy.md) - I got this question from a reader recently: “Have you written about how a blog and a newsletter could interact together? Two problems: 1. We’ve monetized each newsletter. Can I monetize the blog? 2. Can I train my audience to visit a ... blog (?) ... every day?” I moved my blog over to Ghost specif…
- [SEO elder abuse](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/seo-elder-abuse.md) - According to research by Neil Patel, 59.2% of traffic to blogs is driven by SEO. It’s the biggest single driver of traffic by far. He also reports that your SEO decreases over time, if you’ve published a lot of posts that no longer get the traffic they once did – which describes every older blog. I…
- [What’s the job?](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/whats-the-job-2.md) - The Criterion Collection just put out their 4K edition of No Country for Old Men, which includes a new interview with the Coen brothers. The Coen brothers made two of my favorite films of all time: The Big Lebowski (a film about life trying — and failing — to change an oblivious character) and No C…
- [Surviving Advice Season](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/dont-take-this-advice-2.md) - The new year is almost upon us, which means we’re about to enter advice season. Yay! My only advice for surviving advice season is to add the following caveats to everything you’re told: * If it’s about AI, add: “…for now.” or “…yet.” * If it’s about productivity, focus, or creativity, add: “…for s…
- [Newsletters are getting personal](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/newsletters-are-getting-personal-2.md) - Cold can be beautiful. But this week we’re talking about warming things up. I wrote about the encouraging trend of newsletters getting more personal. I admit, I thought this would start happening a few years ago, but let’s just be glad it’s happening at all! — CJ Elsewhere: * Rick Beato backed me u…
- [Newsletters are getting personal](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/newsletters-are-getting-personal.md) - A lot of my advice, especially to small businesses, involves getting more personal in their email newsletters. It remains a struggle to convince some businesses to include real names (not just the brand name), be a little less perfectionist in their designs, and write like a real human. The more hu…
- [Recommended Reading](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/recommended-reading.md) - No one goes north this time of year, so I took a weekend off and headed up north with my son on a road trip to Door County. A whole bunch of new books were released, so the timing was perfect to catch up on some reading. Alex Van Halen’s new book, Brothers, is really two books. It’s a love letter t…
- [Make the time.](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/make-the-time-2.md) - I hate that sentence. It assumes a lot about agency, not to mention the reader’s mental and physical abilities. The core of it is necessary to hear, though. It would be better stated as, “You must fight for enough time to devote to the things that matter.” No one will give that time to you. It’s to…
- [A little ain’t enough](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/a-little-aint-enough.md) - Well, that’s another horizontal line filled on the life calendar in my office – another trip around the sun. Unfortunately, I think this calendar has outlived its usefulness. It used to be a reminder of how far I’ve come. It’s turned into a weekly chore now. Thanks a lot, brain. Soon it will be rep…
- [Brands became bands.](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/brands-became-bands.md) - Rick Beato just posted a video about why bands have disappeared from the charts, replaced by solo artists and collabs between solo artists. Before recorded music gained mass popularity in the 1950s, music branding was all about individuals. As the industry became a well-oiled machine with global di…
- [When text wins over video](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/when-text-wins-over-video.md) - I know the future, and present, of online consumption is video. Audio falls in and out of favor. Text seems like a dinosaur. When does text still win over video? John Gruber thinks he knows and I find it encouraging – especially for email newsletter publishers. He recently released a podcast episod…
- [“Don’t compete with yourself.”](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/dont-compete-with-yourself-2.md) - There’s been a lot of great analysis this week of my favorite topic: the fuzzy line between personal and business newsletters. Josh Spector gave some good advice about why creating multiple brands is a trap that only multiplies your work and your readers’ confusion. “If you insist on building simul…
- [What’s your creative refuge?](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/whats-your-creative-refuge-2.md) - I did a stupid thing. I had a summer packed with content strategy work — mostly about AI and mostly with big tech companies. For some reason, I decided this meant I had to really buckle down and never leave my keyboard. I took only one vacation day for the entire summer. The day off was part of a f…
- [AI Burnout](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/ai-burnout.md) - One of the most beloved Italian restaurants in the Chicago area has a different take on menu technology. No QR codes. No over-the-top printing costs. The menu is written on the wall. If you want it on your phone, you take a photo. Humanity is underrated. Does AI decrease productivity? Executives sa…
- [Does AI decrease productivity?](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/does-ai-decrease-productivity.md) - From a new survey conducted by The Upwork Research Institute: “77% [of workers] say AI tools have decreased their productivity and added to their workload in at least one way.” Meanwhile, upstairs: “81% of leaders at companies that have deployed AI report an increase in workforce productivity in th…
- [Revenge of the Essayists](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/revenge-of-the-essayist.md) - I was wrong. In my last post, I explained where the biggest companies were going with AI, on the backs of creators. But I assumed the biggest corporations in the world had legal teams that understood the basics of creators’ rights under the law. But Microsoft proved me wrong this past week. “I thin…
- [New: Principles for Newsletters Paperback](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/principles-for-newsletters-paperback.md) - There’s finally a physical version of the book at Amazon. You can find it here. There’s a Kindle version up on Amazon as well, if that’s more your thing. That’s over here. I’m still offering the book indie-style as a package in multiple ebook formats over here.
- [What’s with the hostility towards personal publishing?](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/whats-with-the-hostility-towards-personal-publishing.md) - It's about money, of course. Google may have a problem with us. A few weeks ago, Google had a big leak. While details are still lacking, it seems like there’s a bias against personal sites when it comes to search results. From Mike King: “Google may be torching small sites on purpose. Google has a…
- [Embrace the carnage.](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/embrace-the-carnage.md) - The web is back. Or, is it on its back? Google and OpenAI have been racing to see who can replace the web for you. Google isn’t even hiding it anymore. From Platformer via Daring Fireball: “This new approach is captured elegantly in a slogan that appeared several times during Tuesday’s keynote: let…
- [Notes on The Newsletter Conference 2024](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/notes-from-the-newsletter-conference.md) - I went to The Newsletter Conference last week in New York City. Some have posted notes from the event and Dan Oshinsky has even posted the text of his keynote. The first thing I learned was that Dan has been crowned “The Oprah of Newsletters.” I endorse. As one of the older folks there, I wanted to…
- [This will sound obvious in 3 years](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/this-will-sound-obvious-in-3-years.md) - From Digiday: “Newsletters are the darling of the digital media industry again. Publishers like Axios, Eater, The Guardian, theSkimm and Snopes are either growing or revamping their newsletter offerings, tailoring new emails to specific audiences with more personality-driven content…” This was the…
- [Long Form = Long Term](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/long-form-long-term.md) - I’ve been writing a lot about AI lately for big tech companies. I don’t think any of it would surprise you anymore, except for the reverberations. Every Friday I see news releases about thousands being laid off in content-related business, while I hear nothing but great things about the economy fro…
- [Why I went back to buying CDs (and you should too)](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/why-i-went-back-to-buying-cds-and-you-should-too.md) - I blame David Lee Roth. A few years ago, the final studio album from Van Halen disappeared from streaming services. No one knew why. Even Wolfgang Van Halen didn’t know why at first. Then, in an interview much later he said, “I hope people who like it have a physical version of it.” That’s never a…
- [Create like an Icelander.](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/create-like-an-icelander.md) - What a month! Thanks so much for all the messages about the new book. For everyone who asked: yes, it will be available physically. I’m working on it now. Here are a few of the things I thought were worth sharing in the meantime. 1. Dan Oshinsky of Inbox Collective was nice enough to feature 15 of…
- [Read an Excerpt from Principles for Newsletters](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/inbox-collective-excerpt.md) - Dan Oshinsky of Inbox Collective was nice enough to feature 15 of the 49 lessons in my new book today. I really love the community Dan has fostered around newsletters. Make sure to subscribe to his newsletter – the newsletter of record for newsletter publishers.
- [Behind-the-Scenes: Principles for Newsletters](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/behind-the-scenes-principles-for-newsletters.md) - First, thank you to everyone who bought the new book over the past few weeks. After just one email, around 3% of you immediately bought the book — not clicked on — bought. That’s huge. Thank you so much! Like any book, there’s bound to be questions about the choices made. This should answer most of…
- [Principles for Newsletters](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/principles-for-newsletters-released.md) - My new book, Principles for Newsletters, condenses the most important lessons I’ve learned from 37 years of newsletter publishing down into 49 short principles. There's no fancy launch, special editions, courses, or workbooks. Just $5 for the ebook in every popular format. Square deal. WARNING! Thi…
- [Your favorite links of 2023](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/your-favorite-links-of-2023.md) - Back in July, I wrote about what I had learned from your feedback. It’s been a crazy half-year since. Discovery is really about re-discovery, right? Based on your replies and visits, these are the links that got the most attention in 2023. (I also sprinkled a few favorites that never made it into t…
- [Everything is an essay.](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/everything-is-an-essay.md) - I get this question a lot. From Tim Stoddart’s personal newsletter: "I love newsletters. They are great businesses, I enjoy writing them, and they are lucrative. However, I’m still unsure about the format. I have two options… Do you prefer the lighthearted and more entertaining style of the curated…
- [Easier books and handsome home screens](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/easier-books-and-handsome-home-screens.md) - I think there’s still a place for books in 2023. I consider them the place for the “why.” Courses and posts cover the “how.” I’ve been privately updating my 2022 post 35 Lessons from 35 Years of Newsletter Publishing with new lessons, revisions, and research. It’s a straight-up “why” piece. So, why…
- [Indie Hope and Bankers Boxes](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/indie-hope-and-a-bankers-box.md) - Welcome to the best season. I’m feeling a bit silly — optimistic in a very contrarian way. I see nothing but pessimism in the press right now, and nothing but opportunity for creators with an indie spirit. That’s the tone for this issue’s set of truly odd links. – CJ “Don’t stay home.” It’s temptin…
- [The Wisdom of the Bankers Box](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/bankers-box.md) - Please allow me to relay a bit of old-man nerdery today: Look to the Bankers Box. When my mom died, and we had to move my dad out of his home of 50 years, I was tasked with salvaging as much of their documents, photos, and keepsakes as possible. They had done the same for their parents, so I had to…
- [Social proof is overrated.](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/social-proof-is-overrated.md) - There’s so much bad advice in content strategy, that no one bothers to talk about what is merely overrated advice. After decades of email marketing, copywriting, and content strategy, I’ve can confidently say that “social proof” gets too much attention. It’s important, but it’s overrated. It’s a fa…
- [Enjoy collaboration…or else!](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/enjoy-collaboration-or-else.md) - I can’t look at the news anywhere online without seeing threats being made by CEOs to their remote workers. It’s a thinly-veiled, insecure attempt to turn the clock back and save what’s left after their poor real estate decisions. I think it’s an opportunity for indie creators. From The Street repo…
- [“Don’t stay home.”](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/dont-stay-home.md) - In 1995, the band 311 had a hit with the song, Don’t Stay Home. Ever since, it has played in my head whenever I’m supposed to go out for an event and don’t feel like it. This happened last weekend. Consider it for your weekend. I had tickets to a movie premiere for The Road Dog, starring Doug Stanh…
- [The Best Newsletter in the World](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/the-best-newsletter-in-the-world.md) - This is not my usual newsletter day, but in the past few weeks, I’ve written a book, several guides, a course, and more articles than I can remember. I wish I could share them, but none had bylines. So, I figured I’d just randomly share some interesting links with you on a Monday for no reason. Hav…
- [Never meet your heroes?](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/never-meet-your-heroes.md) - Never meet your heroes, they say. Well, I met Nuno Bettencourt last week and he turned out to be a nice dude. Plus, he’s also the template for a well-lived creative life. For those who don’t know, Nuno is one of the last guitar gods still performing. You most likely know him from hits he had as far…
- [Some Idiot Wrote This](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/some-idiot-wrote-this.md) - My favorite creative prompt.
- [Creativity vs. Productivity 🥊](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/creativity-vs-productivity.md) - I saved this from a post by Tobias van Schneider, which has now been deleted. Spot on, though. Links are break quicker these days, which is just one more reason I need to create more of these link-sharing posts. Feel free to send me any that you think I should highlight in the future. Thanks! – CJ…
- [Personalization is creepy.](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/personalization-is-creepy.md) - File these rules under “totally obvious advice that almost no one follows.” 1. Don’t be creepy. 2. Treat everyone online as if you’re talking to them in real life. 3. Long-term relationships build long-term businesses. 4. You are never automatically entitled to track a person. You wouldn’t walk up…
- [RIP: The External 🧠](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/rip-external-brain.md) - Last week, while everyone was arguing over who the next social media giant was going to be, Evernote laid off its entire U.S. staff: “Evernote, the app that has sought for two decades to find a large paying audience for its ‘external brain,’ is moving its operations to Italy, home of its parent com…
- [Thanks for the advice!](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/thanks-for-the-advice.md) - I don’t like analyzing personal newsletters. They’re whatever their creator wants them to be. There’s no rules. That goes for mine as well. But I am interested in looking back every year or two to check in on what you think. I don’t nitpick. I don’t scrutinize. I just want the big picture: what wer…
- [Opens Wins](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/open-wins.md) - RSS is still the way. I’ve written about the utility and idealism of RSS in the past, but I think enough time has passed for us to reflect on whether the anti-RSS decade we’ve just been through worked for anyone. Were consumers better off? Were publishers better off? How do you personally feel abou…
- [Don’t mess with librarians.](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/dont-mess-with-librarians.md) - This weekend, I helped my wife in her booth at the American Library Association Conference (my wife helps libraries with fundraising). I’ve been to the ALA conference a few times in the past decade, but this time felt different. The conference is usually overshadowed by authors, big publishers, and…
- [Publish or perish? Document or die.](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/publish-or-perish-document-or-die.md) - I don’t believe in goals. I believe in process. I believe in process because I used to believe in goals. What I’m about to reveal to you is far more boring than goal setting, but far more effective. Goals tend to get further away the closer you get to them. The solution is to not move closer to you…
- [Why would you write a book in 2023?](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/why-would-you-write-books-in-2023.md) - It doesn’t make much sense to write a book in 2023 — especially a nonfiction book. In fact, your readers would likely pay 10X as much to get the same information in a video-based course. But, for many reasons, some of us still prefer creating books over any other medium. Why?! 1. Books have an end.…
- [Do Personal Brands Matter?](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/do-personal-brands-matter.md) - Many of you have asked me about the differences between personal and business newsletters, websites, and branding. There must be something in the air, because I’ve seen a lot of content spring up around the subject lately, including from Gary Vee, Seth Godin (in multiple new interviews), and Copybl…
- [Want a Do-Over for This Month?](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/want-a-do-over-for-this-month.md) - Some of my experiments aren’t as Earth-shattering as others, but I wanted to share one small update I’ve made to my routine that might improve your life by 0.5%. For the last few years, I’ve been keeping a note called, “Month notes.” Every month or so, I go into the note add a thing or two that I n…
- [The Books of No Excuses](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/the-books-of-no-excuses.md) - I buy books to dissect their strategies as much as to read. A sub-genre of these purchases is the “no excuses” book — a book that exists to show you why you have no excuses not to publish your next book. Kevin Kelley’s new book, Excellent Advice for Living, is simply a collection of the advice he’s…
- [The Workspace of the Future Is a Workbench](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/the-workspace-of-the-future-is-a-workbench.md) - A few months ago, I shared some aspirational garden offices. But I didn’t share the aspirations for what should go inside those offices. For example, this is a beautiful office, but it’s not a place for work. It’s a place for leisure. So, what makes for a great place to work? Research says humans w…
- [Your 3-Step Book](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/your-3-step-book.md) - What if you could create a table of contents for everything you’ve posted online? How many chapters would you be proud of? I’ve done it. It’s not difficult. It’s not even as time consuming as you might think. The secret is constraints. Don’t worry about tools or methods. Use whatever tools you have…
- [Solitude Deprivation](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/solitude-deprivation.md) - Since I’m doing some editing and cleaning on my site, I figured it might be fun to do another link love issue. Enjoy! — CJ 1 Author Cal Newport explains the collected research on whether smartphones are bad for kids or just another moral panic. This was more even-handed than I expected, and it re-i…
- [When Pay to Play Doesn’t Pay](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/when-pay-to-play-doesnt-pay.md) - Seth Godin just posted about the search tax you’re paying: “Amazon took in more than $30 billion in ad revenue last year, money spent to elevate some products over others in the hierarchy of attention.” Amazon, like Google, YouTube, and Apple’s App Store are often referred to as “pay to play.” But…
- [You’re not namedropping enough.](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/youre-not-namedropping-enough.md) - I wasn’t kidding. Curation is probably your best bet for the near future. And it’s been too long since I shared some great links and quotes. Enjoy! — CJ You’re not namedropping enough. I love this. What’s the secret of the most successful local publication ever (grabbing 112% of their target market…
- [Principles for Creating with AI](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/principles-for-creating-with-ai.md) - As usual, when I find myself writing too much about a topic, I have to distill it all into a set of principles — easily digested by a (very) mere human. These principles are backed by real data, case studies, and personal interviews. They are subject to change, ridicule, and memes…but only if all g…
- [Choose your stressor.](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/choose-your-stressor.md) - Here’s just a quick lesson I learned from a road trip to the Smoky Mountains this past week. Even with the views, the southern cooking, and time with family, I put in plenty of work — both for myself and others (related: see my new post at StudioNorth on B2B marketing email ROI). Why? Don’t I preac…
- [They tricked us.](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/they-tricked-us.md) - All of the following rock guitar gods sold tens of millions of albums. Guitar players, like myself, believed for years that these artists had access to futuristic tools and production tactics that were out of reach for the ordinary musician. The opposite was true. * Eddie Van Halen’s iconic striped…
- [Consistency is simpler than you think.](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/consistency-is-simple.md) - Why does mediocre writing and photography often get more attention than best of the best? Why do mediocre “coaches” get more attention than industry veterans with decades of advice summed up in a single book, video, or blog post? What are we missing here? The hardest problem to solve in creating an…
- [Are you useful?](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/are-you-useful.md) - I preach about the miracle of constraints and their ability to boost creativity in anyone. But I see un-useful constraints being used all the time by creators, so I wanted to make a small list of examples to clarify what a useful constraint looks like. There’s only two real constraints when publish…
- [The C Word](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/the-c-word.md) - “Curation” shouldn’t be a dirty word, but it is. In the last decade, it has come to mean slapped-together-links, or outright-stolen content, used to fill space and capture just enough attention to convert free onlookers into consumers. There’s a lot of truth behind that association. In fact, I’d sa…
- [Where were we 10 years ago?](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/where-were-we-10-years-ago.md) - It’s been a decade since I gave this short talk at Ignite Minneapolis, titled “How to Take Perfect Photos Every Time.” I’m sure title was inspired by the sarcasm of the infamous 2009 Merlin Mann and John Gruber talk about blogging ,“149 Surprising Ways to Turbocharge Your Blog With Credibility!” I’…
- [What do you have to offer?](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/what-do-you-have-to-offer.md) - I want you to write a list of what you have to offer the world — professionally and personally. I think it will be a longer list than what you’re imagining right now. This list is among the most useful you will ever create. This list is how you beat imposter syndrome. You can’t be an imposter on th…
- [Brainless Tasks](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/brainless-tasks.md) - When you’re burned out, in the 2pm slump, or not in the mood to “produce,” keep this in mind: 1. It’s OK to not be productive all the time. Humans were likely designed for a 15-hour work week. Go a little easier on yourself. 2. Know that you will probably not go easy on yourself. Prepare for the ne…
- [Your Smartest Dumb Tech](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/the-smartest-dumb-tech.md) - If the resurgence of blogging and newsletters wants to remain sane, it should really be a resurgence of RSS. Email has new problem. For the longest time, I’ve advocated for publishing by email as the most independent, universal, and effective form of getting the word out about anything. That’s stil…
- [How to Stay Creative Forever](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/how-to-stay-creative-forever.md) - How do writers stay in shape? They usually don’t. But writers (and all creators) do have to keep their minds in shape over the decades if they hope to maintain that career or hobby. The mind gym It’s now been 36 years since I started publishing and I just passed the 8th anniversary of the first edi…
- [The Future of AI, Newsletters, and Your Garden](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/future-ai-newsletters-and-gardens.md) - Let’s start off 2023 with some fun, get into some data, and play with ideas for how to ship more in the year to come. 1 What would it look like if creation was joyful and sane? From my swipe file of dream workspaces, this just series of tiny, serene garden offices. 2 Is AI going to take creators’ j…
- [4 big questions for email marketing in 2023](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/4-big-questions-for-email-marketing-in-2023.md) - I posted last week about the predictions from Litmus (based in part on research from earlier in the year). It just re-affirmed what we’ve know for over a year about the future of email as a publishing and marketing platform. It’s a great future for readers and customers, but terrible for marketers…
- [Is AI going to take creators’ jobs?](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/is-ai-going-to-take-creators-jobs.md) - Yes. Over enough time, there’s isn’t anything we do as creators that AI (as it's defined now by tools like GPT from Microsoft) won’t be able to do. AI has all the time and energy in the world to learn and improve. We don’t. That’s not the problem. Yes, AI scrapes from what creators before have done…
- [Just a Series of Garden Offices](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/just-a-series-of-garden-offices.md) - Creator Cabins seem to be a growing business – thanks in part to the increase in remote work. Who doesn’t aspire to have a place of their own for uninterrupted creative work? Within that genre resides the more-within-the-grasp-of-an-actual-human cabins for backyards and “gardens.” This seems to be…
- [The Stupidest Experiment](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/the-stupidest-experiment.md) - Me since 2001: Don’t revisit your Van Halen book for a third edition. It’s an endless pit of work that never makes money and invites trolls by the dozens. Me in 2022: Let’s do this thing. As always, I’ll report back with my findings on Substack, the concept of “living books,” and what content forma…
- [Just putting it out there](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/just-putting-it-out-there.md) - Publish your weird ideas in public. You never know who’s listening. Back in May 2021, I posted this idea about a guitar design to Twitter, tagging EVH guitars: I asked EVH for a Nuno-style version of the guitar (which is a natural-finish ash or swamp ash guitar body with an ebony fretboard and chro…
- [Surviving the Ad-pocalypse…Again](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/survive-the-adpocalypse-again.md) - Experience is a brutal teacher. One lesson, that is almost never passed along, is that creators should avoid advertising as a business model for as long as possible. Sure, most of time, it seems like the easiest, fastest way to put food on the table, especially to a younger generation who grew up i…
- [Return of the Lazy Billionaire](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/return-of-the-lazy-billionaire.md) - I love a good lazy billionaire — or at least a person who acts like one. I’ve written about them in the past as trusted, imaginary advisors for creativity and marketing. Strategy? Funnels? Pfft. Make it. Sell it. Move on. Lazy billionaires protect their time, energy, and reputation — all of which a…
- [Having trouble starting your next thing?](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/having-trouble-starting-your-next-thing.md) - Make a list of writers, podcasters, and YouTubers who are consistently pushing out great stuff – in the ugliest ways. Refer to it often. I love slap-dash creators! I won’t name names here, but they’re not hard to find. From the CEO who records videos on his morning walks to the dad on a treadmill r…
- [The Cures for Burnout](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/the-cures-for-burnout.md) - Hi there! I’m back from Maine and ready to publish. How has the summer treated you? The hope is that it’s sunsets, pools, and loved ones having fun all around you. The truth is often that we hope the summer just staves off the inevitable burnout for a few months. But there are diffenent levels of b…
- [Consumption is underrated.](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/consumption-is-underrated.md) - “Create. Don’t consume.” Do you hear this mantra as much as I do? Does it get under your skin too? Behind every hour of good writing is at least 10 hours of reading. Every great writer I’ve known is a voracious reader. Every great musician I’ve known is an insatiable listener — among the top 1% of…
- [Why Nerds Win](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/why-nerds-win.md) - Are you a good fit for what I write? Here’s one way to know. I’ve been getting a lot questions about my new website theme. It’s still being built out, but how I decided on the theme should tell you everything you need to know about “growth marketing.” There’s several themes for Ghost having a momen…
- [You are more interesting than you think.](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/you-are-more-interesting-than-you-think.md) - I’m guessing you’re a generalist, because most people are. But the online content-consumption machine seems to reward those who make their personalities all about one thing. I believe that’s a distracting, unhelpful remnant of the first 29-ish years of the web — minus the first five years. Why subt…
- [You’re Doing Email Marketing Wrong](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/youre-doing-email-marketing-wrong.md) - The time and money invested in email is going to the wrong places. Investing for the long-term with relationship and content marketing is the best use of your funds. But short-term-focused marketing emails still represent the vast majority of spending. As long as that’s true, where should that spen…
- [Why move to Ghost?](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/why-move-to-ghost.md) - I got a lot of messages after my move to Ghost Pro from Squarespace (after being there almost 15 years). I figured it made sense to post the reasons publicly. So, here goes. Better Experience Yes, you pay a lot more. But, you’re paying for the time saved toward producing something. You’re also payi…
- [The Most Useful Book Cover Constraint](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/book-cover-constraints.md) - Love plain linen hardcovers. Wisdom without hype. pic.twitter.com/nlvHCAWcMe — Derek Sivers (@sivers) September 6, 2021 I can’t tell you how many hours and how much money I’ve spent on book cover design. But, for nonfiction, nothing beats the stamped, cloth cover. It somehow adds more weight to you…
- [A Lesser Minimalism](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/a-lesser-minimalism.md) - Minimizing your processes is more important than minimizing the amount of your objects. Objects are often just the byproduct a process and a reflection of its health. But there are painful places where the two ideas meet. One of the first nerdy courses I bought, many years ago, was MacSparky’s Pape…
- [Be everywhere. But be your best here.](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/be-everywhere-but-be-your-best-here.md) - The biggest trend in branding this year appears to be one of the oldest trends — signature models. From shoes to guitars, old-school brands are flooding the market with products stamped with a creator’s personal brand. A “brand” is just a “reputation.” The bigger you get as a company, the less cont…
- [Ghosting to Improve Relationships](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/ghosting.md) - This post is my first on my new host, Ghost. They were kind enough to port my 15+ years worth of blog posts and newsletters over to kick the tires. My former host, Squarespace, was built up by word-of-mouth during the second golden age of blogging, and evangelized by bloggers in those early days as…
- [How to Enjoy What Doesn’t Exist](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/how-to-enjoy-what-doesnt-exist.md) - I entered my dog’s guitar rig for an episode of the always-hilarious Rate or Roast My Rig. I’m deep into the part of each fiscal quarter when I’m spending 100% of my time writing for others. So, I’ll keep this issue short on commentary. I’ve compiled a rough draft of my book on publishing newslette…
- [A New Brand of Unsubscribe](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/a-new-brand-of-unsubscribe.md) - A few weeks ago, I downloaded the Substack app. I didn’t like what I saw, so I deleted it. That action unsubscribed me from every email newsletter on Substack. Fast-forward a few weeks. This is what I just received. Notice: 1. Substack newsletters are now just email “notifications.” 2. I could be u…
- [How Spring Break Broke](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/new-newsletter-how-spring-break-broke.md) - Taking a step back from the photo everyone else is taking is way more interesting. Same goes for life. As anyone could have predicted, I didn’t do the traditional spring break very well. It only made me want to publish more — but in different ways. I got fired up about how creators are currently be…
- [Is plain text best?](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/is-plain-text-best.md) - Derek Sivers [https://sive.rs/plaintext] and Patrick Rhone [https://www.patrickrhone.net/11399-2/], two of my favorite writers, have just posted about how the simple text file is the most stable, malleable format for storing your thoughts and work. This is probably the most widely accepted truth am…
- [New newsletter: HustleTrust](https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/new-newsletter-hustletrust.md) - The great newsletter migration, character > competence, and logo paralysis: it’s the latest issue [https://www.cjchilvers.com/email/issue-275-hustletrust] of my newsletter. Is it possibly the last in this format?

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