Amateurs do on accident what pros do on purpose

The great comicbook writer Chuck Dixon recently dropped a magnificent quote. It was about the difference between amateurs and professionals. And that difference is: "Amateurs do on accident, pros do on purpose." A very good distinction. It also dovetails with something I talk about in the October Email Players issue about the difference between a mere “content creator” and a Craftsman: Content creators are a dime a dozen. And the ones using AI are even cheaper. But in both cases they create content as a means to an end. They may enjoy it, maybe. But everything they teach, talk about, create content about goes wide, and never deep. A Craftsman, on the other hand, has an undeniable — can’t be faked — “mad scientist”-like obsession with what they do/teach. They’re so irrational about excellence it almost makes people nervous to be around them. They’re easy to spot these days since they’re so rare. Takes Steve Jobs. He wasn’t a computer guy, a software guy, or a tech guy. He didn’t even know how to code. (Which even Bill Gates mocked him for). But he was a Craftsman, learned from his dad, who was a world class cabinet maker. Jobs was a notorious azzhole & narcissist. But I’d argue that was from being a Craftsman. He demanded such perfection “good enough” wasn’t even in his vocabulary. And while you’ll exhaust and sabotage yourself if you aren’t careful with this attitude (it helps to have a billion dollar budget & millions of customers, so blowing deadlines ain’t the end of the world like it is for those on a shoe string, for example — and probably even adds to the demand as people value what they wait for more than what comes fast…) it’s still the attitude to have with content creation. If you’re writing, every word drips with depth. If you’re making videos, every shift of body language has intensity. If you’re doing audio, every inflection oozes passion. Not on purpose, or as an act… but because you’re naturally so intense about your topic. That’s how you know you’re a Craftsman and not a mere content creator. The fact so many content creators need to motivate themselves, have “accountability partners”, need Facebook groups, seek constant validation from peers… shows how few content creators are truly Craftsmen at what they do/teach/create. This is a small part of a much longer conversation. And I go into more depth with this inside the October Email Players issue. I also show you the approach (that admittedly won’t work for amateurs, but it can help amateurs stop being amateurs and become Craftsmen) I use when creating content that has allowed me to create & sell content (in my case, ordinary books, but can be applied to any kind of content) for hundreds and even over a thousand dollars that others would probably only be able to sell for $20 or $30, if that. This is the kind of info that is not “new.” Certain network TV stations have used it for decades. As have many high paid artists, writers, studios, and other content creators. But you don’t see a whole lot of it in the business world. And you see even less of it in the “content creator” community. If you want to stand out from the amateurs, and let your Craftsmanship shine and command higher fees, higher prices, and higher engagement, status, and prestige then read the October issue, think long and hard about how to apply it to your content… and then aggressively implement. Deadline to subscribe in time is Friday. To get in on time, while you still can, go here: [https∶//www.EmailPlayers.com]( Ben Settle P.S. I’m also including an extremely valuable bonus with the October issue: “How To Use World-Building & Sociological Marketing To Become A Niche Unto Yourself” Here’s the scoop: Since I have been getting a lot of questions about the last two issues (about World-Building and Sociological Marketing) from Email Players subscribers & BizWorld readers… I wanted to keep the discussion going in this 12-page bonus, which was recorded as an interview for Email Players subscriber Ray Brehm’s private customers. These ideas are not directly related to the content creation approach inside the October issue. And yet, if you take that kind of content and rapidly implement it within a World you create around your business your audience loves being in and doesn’t want to leave, it’s almost like 2 + 2 doesn’t equal 4 but more like equals 4,000. Here are some highlights inside this bonus I’m sending with the October issue: * The “racist” policy I strictly adhere to in my World-Building that makes liberals squirm while drinking their pumpkin spice lattes safely behind their homogeneous gated communities. * How to sell offers to your list that 99% of the people on it couldn’t care less about buying much less using. * The powerful World-Building secret of a small retail shop owner I know who has everyone from street prostitutes to Hollywood A-list actors and actresses (and their stylists) clamoring to buy from her, wanting to hang out at her store, and telling her all their problems. * The #1 biography I suggest to business people that I use for getting the best ideas for my own business World-Building endeavors. * Why chasing money, metrics, and algorithms like a chicken with its head cut off is probably the single worst way of doing business ever invented by all of goo-roo-dom. * A “litmus test” for knowing if you’re doing World-building correctly just by the kind of questions your leads and customers ask you. * A cunning way for helping to make sure your business’s audience has lots of fun buying your offers, consuming your information, and dealing with you day in, and day out. (People tend to love to buy from businesses that make buying fun… and this is one surefire trick for doing just that, which probably anyone can do.) * Advice (none of them ever wants to hear, but too bad) to marketers who want to have an email or other kind of writing-centric business but have trouble motivating themselves to write. * A government-sponsored TV show that is probably the single best “template” for having a successful Sociologically-driven business within a World people love to enter and hate to leave. * How I choose who to JV with and who I won’t JV with. (I’ve turned down JVs with good friends as well as have done JVs with business people in my niche that are despised… and the reason has absolutely nothing to do with money, brand, reputation, or even the offer. It’s all centered around servicing my Sociologically-build World in my business.) * Why I turn down appearing on probably 9 out of 10 “online summits” I am invited to speak on — even those run by people I know, like, trust, and would otherwise like to do business with. To get this you’ll have to subscribe before the October issue deadline. Here’s the link: [https∶//www.EmailPlayers.com]( This email was sent by Ben Settle as owner of Settle, LLC. Copyright © 2023 Settle, LLC. All Rights Reserved. No part of this email may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission from Settle, LLC. Click here to [unsubscribe]( Settle, LLC PO Box 1056 Gold Beach Oregon 97444 USA