What’s inside this book
Welcome to my book about getting your music to people, into people, and through people.
You deserve a little preview of what’s inside, so I’m going to introduce you to all of its main ideas, right now, all at once. It’ll be a bunch of declarations in a row, like reading a table of contents, but it’ll give you an idea of what’s to come. Ready?
- Marketing is an extension of your art. Business is just as creative as music.
- Marketing means being considerate. Focus on others. See yourself from their point of view. Being weird is considerate.
- All opportunities come from people. Stay in touch with everyone. Use a database.
- People skills are counterintuitive. To be helped, be helpful. Persistence is polite.
- Be resourceful. Ask for help, but never wait for help. Call the destination and ask for directions. Get specific about what you want.
- The music industry is run by cool people like you. Don’t put them on a pedestal.
- Describe your music in a curious way, and it will travel faster and further.
- Be extreme and sharply defined. Target a niche. Proudly exclude most people.
- Money is just a neutral representation of value. Be valuable to others — not just yourself. People like to pay.
- Decide if you’re at the starting line or finish line. Nobody knows the future, so focus on what doesn’t change.
- Whatever scares you, go do it.
That’s it! That’s the whole book. These 88 tiny chapters will explain these points.
At the end of each one, I’ll give you the web address of that chapter, where you can read the interesting comments or questions people have about it.
When you’re done reading this book, please email me to let me know. Anyone who finishes this book is my kind of person, so please introduce yourself and feel free to email me any questions. All of my contact info is at sive.rs
Thank you. You're an inspiration to me.
Mr. Sivers.
All of your advices help me everyday running my business in the music industry.
You inspire me in a way you could not even imagine.
Thank you to be my mentor even though you don't know you are.
Derek, this is awesome on so many levels! Just a single fact that you've developed a store to sell your e-book (vs pushing it to Amazon where a visitor will be distracted by thousands of other options the moment he lands on an Amazon page of your book) is outstanding! Love the intro, buying the ebook and going to enjoy it as a bottle of a good vine, sip by sip.
Wow! A book where one can read what other readers Think, right here in the chapter! Genius!
How interesting! An HTML-format book with a link at the end of each chapter to interact with you and other readers. The format looks great. Highly readable and usable.
Yes, this book isn’t just for musicians. My key take-always from this first chapter:
Marketing means being considerate. Focus on others.
All opportunities come from people. Stay in touch with everyone. Use a database.
Be extreme and sharply defined. Target a niche.
Whatever scares you, go do it.
Derek: Is the entire content of your books available to read on your site or are they just excerpts? What has this done to sales?
The entire content was already online for years before the books were published. If someone wants to click through 155 web pages, yes, they could read the contents that way. — Derek
For Hugh, above:
Regarding sales, I would hope you merely ask out of curiosity, not economics. Derek's self image is not that of a "businessman" who thinks he is "supposed to" make more money.
It is plain from his writings that he has various motivations beyond the bottom line. (of an accounts ledger)
I can say that because I have read all his 154 posts... and I'm back here at this post again!
Hello Derek! What a terrific way to say the main things!
I'll try to read your English book, it is not my language...
All this information its quite vital for Latin American music market, it would be amazing if the book could be translated to Spanish.
All the very best!!! Many thanks for share all this incredible Information!
It is in Spanish! It is in my store in Spanish, for free, for anyone who bought it through me. — Derek
Thank you so much! The book opened my mind.
Derek, I'm going through your articles again and I'm copying them by hand word for word in my notebook.
Your writing style is what I aim for and I've found your writing so helpful in helping me to improve my own craft.
My aim is to rewrite one your articles per day until I get to your most recent one.
I will write a short comment on each one to keep myself honest.
Appreciate you being one of my invisible mentors!
Cheers,
Arman