Seth's Blog : Chasing the snipe

Chasing the snipe

Here’s a summary from a book industry newsflash about what’s selling right now: Dystopia, Dark Romance, Dark Literary, Horror, Paranormal, True Crime, Alternative Histories, Decline of Democracy, Humor, Digital Wellness, Cozy & Cute, and Escapism.

Setting aside just how long it takes to bring a book (or just about anything more important than an instagram post) to market, it’s pretty clear that this list, and any list, contradicts itself.

Look closely enough or in a short enough window of time, and all you will see is turbulence. Turbulence is the chaos around the edges, the noise without signal.

The problem with snipe hunting (it’s a real creature, it turns out) is that it distracts you from the real work to be done.

A useful north star: Work that matters for people who care.

We need to figure out who the people are. What they care about. What would matter. To them. Not to everyone. To them.

And then we need to earn enrollment, trust and attention. Build a foundation, with consistency and persistence.

That’s impossible if you’re also hunting snipes.

Chasing snipes comes with a sort of deniability. It’s obvious that there are fast-moving snipes, and they’re successful as well. Of course you’re chasing them.

On the other hand, when we make a commitment to find our people and to contribute in a meaningful way, we’re on the hook. If it doesn’t work, there’s no convenient snipe to blame.