We invited Eddie Yoon, Nicolas Cole, and Christopher Lochhead, who write Category Pirates, to share insights on how they created value for readers and a circular way for them to support Category Pirates’ work.
I have been studying Category Pirates and feverishly implementing their ideas. The results? 1) I am owning the category of mixternal communications, 2) I am a top 25 PAID Substack business newsletter, 3) I have turned interesting series into mini-books for cross-selling, and 4) I'm just getting started! THANK YOU Category Pirates!! https://mistereditorial.substack.com/
What a brilliant line: 'people don’t have short attention spans—they have short consideration spans'! It is so obviously true. Great piece with lots of ideas. The book giveaway for very longform authors is such a good one: give people something new, and they'll come back for more. I like this idea so much I might steal it!
This newsletter is worth EVERY PENNY. Each issue is an absolute delight of info and full of valuable content. The efforts of Eddie, Nicolas, and Christopher are much appreciated!!
Love this! And this, especially, I found interesting: "The three of us originally set out to write a book... After about a year of working together, we realized we had a larger opportunity." It sounds like Category Pirates is almost redefining what a "book" can be -- that instead of going away for a year or two (or more) and writing, you can write it on the fly, in real time, with feedback from readers. Really exciting what you all are doing.
100%. The idea of what it means to "write a book" is changing in the digital world, and our hope is to remove as many barriers as possible so more writers share their knowledge, insights, stories, and expertise with the world.
Thank you most appreciated My husband is a pilot and writes incredible unique stories on substack yet very little followers. I will pass this on to him.
I very much needed this. I started my substack as a very general thing and am becoming painfully, painfully aware of my need to narrow. This gives me incredible food for thought in that process. Feeling very good about strategically focusing on something specific, becoming know for it and getting very good at that one thing. Now just to pick that thing, made easier with this info
If it makes you feel any better, EVERYONE has this same problem when they're first starting out. It's very common for "niche clarity" to take several years. But hop aboard the pirate ship, and we'll reduce that growth curve for you. ARRRRRR!!!!!
Hahah I have to say that I love you leaning into the metaphor!
I will get on board, and appreciate the help and guidance your answers in the On Substack article gave, and look forward to subscribing and finding lots more.
This is amazing. I didn’t know of your newsletter, but it seems you’re breaking every conventional rule!! I’m going to sub to you guys just so I learn. I write about economics and climate change, and the seriousness of the topic makes it a bit tricky to be creative.
I have been studying Category Pirates and feverishly implementing their ideas. The results? 1) I am owning the category of mixternal communications, 2) I am a top 25 PAID Substack business newsletter, 3) I have turned interesting series into mini-books for cross-selling, and 4) I'm just getting started! THANK YOU Category Pirates!! https://mistereditorial.substack.com/
This is amazing. Glad to have you onboard and that you've learned so much already. Excited to see how you keep applying the knowledge! ARRRRRRR!!!!
Same. My results aren’t there (yet), but every time I implement something I’ve learned from the Pirates, my work gets better.
What a brilliant line: 'people don’t have short attention spans—they have short consideration spans'! It is so obviously true. Great piece with lots of ideas. The book giveaway for very longform authors is such a good one: give people something new, and they'll come back for more. I like this idea so much I might steal it!
Glad you enjoyed that one, Shane.
This newsletter is worth EVERY PENNY. Each issue is an absolute delight of info and full of valuable content. The efforts of Eddie, Nicolas, and Christopher are much appreciated!!
Thanks for the kind words, Jenny. Glad you've gotten so much out of the content. ARRRRR!!!!
Love this! And this, especially, I found interesting: "The three of us originally set out to write a book... After about a year of working together, we realized we had a larger opportunity." It sounds like Category Pirates is almost redefining what a "book" can be -- that instead of going away for a year or two (or more) and writing, you can write it on the fly, in real time, with feedback from readers. Really exciting what you all are doing.
100%. The idea of what it means to "write a book" is changing in the digital world, and our hope is to remove as many barriers as possible so more writers share their knowledge, insights, stories, and expertise with the world.
This post feels like it’s going to get a ton of back links, so good!
That would be terrific haha
This is genius. Thank you for catalyzing a stretch in my brain bandwidth.
Coolio insights, advice, and wisdom! More, more, and more, please . . . .
Plenty more to come! ARRRRRRR!!!!!
Thank you most appreciated My husband is a pilot and writes incredible unique stories on substack yet very little followers. I will pass this on to him.
Absolutely. Share and nudge him to hop aboard the pirate ship! ARRRRRR!!!!
So helpful!!! They have given me a lot to consider. Thank you.
I very much needed this. I started my substack as a very general thing and am becoming painfully, painfully aware of my need to narrow. This gives me incredible food for thought in that process. Feeling very good about strategically focusing on something specific, becoming know for it and getting very good at that one thing. Now just to pick that thing, made easier with this info
If it makes you feel any better, EVERYONE has this same problem when they're first starting out. It's very common for "niche clarity" to take several years. But hop aboard the pirate ship, and we'll reduce that growth curve for you. ARRRRRR!!!!!
Hahah I have to say that I love you leaning into the metaphor!
I will get on board, and appreciate the help and guidance your answers in the On Substack article gave, and look forward to subscribing and finding lots more.
Super helpful advice! Thanks for challenging commonly held ideas!
Thinking about thinking is the most important kind of thinking :)
I’m just getting started with my substack, so this article was helpful. I’ll definitely check out Category Pirates. Thanks!
Would love to have you aboard the pirate ship, Jean. ARRRRR!!!!!
Open rates for the newsletter?
About 40%
Awesome, thanks for sharing.
Awesome work Eddie, Cole and Chris! 👊🏼 🏴☠️
Thanks Raul!
This is amazing. I didn’t know of your newsletter, but it seems you’re breaking every conventional rule!! I’m going to sub to you guys just so I learn. I write about economics and climate change, and the seriousness of the topic makes it a bit tricky to be creative.
Curious... what platform do you guys use to distribute a book for free, and capture someone's email? Thanks, Michael in AZ
You can use any basic landing page builder. We use Carrd and then hook the email form up to ConvertKit.