Kent Sanders

Reflections on Writing & Creativity

Podcast #147: Success Stories: Craig Harmann on Blogging and Music Publishing

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Series Introduction

Today is the start of a new monthly series here on the podcast. Let me take a minute to share what it’s all about, then I’ll introduce our guest.

My over-arching goal with this show is to help you grow your business with writing, whatever kind of business you’re in. I love doing interviews and connecting with people, and one of my life’s greatest privileges is connecting with successful authors and business leaders through the interviews I do on the show.

Just in the last couple of weeks, we’ve had amazing interviews with Lee Cockerell from Disney, Anissa Holmes from the dental industry, and in the coming weeks we have amazing interviews coming up from Aaron Walker, Jody Maberry, Dan and Joanne Miller, Mike Kim, and so many other amazing people.

Again … I love doing these interviews. But I also realize that it’s easy to sometimes feel a disconnect when you’re just starting out. You hear from all these amazingly successful people, and if you’re not careful, it can be a little discouraging.

I confess that I have felt that way many times over the years when I hear interviews with people who have built their own successful businesses or have books on the NYT bestseller list, or have similar accomplishments.

The thing to remember is that the vast majority of these “successful” people have been working at their business for a very long time. In most cases, at least a decade, if not several decades. So when you’re just starting out building your business, or if you’re making a career transition, there can be a huge disconnect.

That’s why I wanted to showcase some people who are in the building stages of their business. These are people who are doing the work consistently, putting out great content, and helping people.

I’m simply calling this series “Success Stories” because I want you to know that you can be successful, too. And in many ways, you might relate to the people I’m featuring in this series more than you relate to guests I interview on Fridays.

The great thing is that you can learn from ANYONE. You can learn from those who have been building their business for a long time, and you can also learn from those who are in the first few years of building their content-based business.

Today’s Guest

So, with that said, I want to introduce the very first guest in this monthly series. His name is Craig Harmann, and he’s a musician, writer, music publishers, and entrepreneur. Craig has a blog called Church Music Makers, where he writes for church musicians. He also hosts a podcast by the same name, Church Music Makers, where he touches on all kinds of issues related to church music.

Craig is open and honest, which I very much appreciate, and he’s also one heck of a writer. He really has a gift. Even if you’re not a church musician, I’d encourage you to check out his blog and podcast just to get his perspective on life.

In this interview, Craig talks about his journey as a writer, the tools he uses, and where he’s headed next. You can connect with Craig on Facebook and find his sheet music here.

The tools mentioned in this conversation include Scrivener and Kindle Digital Publishing.

Key Takeaways

  1. Know your target audience.
  2. Know where your audience hangs out.
  3. Develop multiple streams of income.

Thanks for Listening!

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