Episode 197 - Ream and the Creator Economy with Michael Evans
August 1, 2023
This week on The Indy Author Podcast, I talk with Michael Evans about REAM AND THE CREATOR ECONOMY, including the move toward niche audiences and community building; providing an immersive experience; building your mini Disney; the importance of not ignoring the non-paying members of your community; the fact that you don't need to launch the perfect subscription; divorcing value from quantity; monetizing short fiction and bonus content; the creative stress of subscription models; and the advice to start small and start small again. Michael’s new company, Ream, is a subscription platform, but there are plenty of insights here for writers who are not currently interested in pursuing subscriptions.
If one of those topics piques your interest, you can easily jump to that section on YouTube by clicking on the flagged timestamps in the description.
If one of those topics piques your interest, you can easily jump to that section on YouTube by clicking on the flagged timestamps in the description.
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"The biggest thing I see authors do is they map out where they want to be in five years, which is important to visualize and then try and start doing all those things today. And then you burn out very quickly." —Michael Evans
Michael Evans is the co-founder and CEO of Ream, the subscription platform by fiction authors for fiction authors, a sci-fi thriller author of a dozen novels, and a rising senior at Harvard.
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Links
Michael's Links:
https://reamstories.com and https://subscriptionsforauthors.com
https://www.facebook.com/groups/subscriptionsforauthors
https://www.instagram.com/mevansinked/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mevansinked/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCO0zf-nExw2J7ZdmUCssE2Q
Books Michael Recommends:
Below are links to the books Michael mentioned; I have provided Amazon affiliate links, but if you’d like to purchase these from some other retailer, I highly recommend Bookshop.org.
The Story Paradox: How Our Love of Storytelling Builds Societies and Tears them Down Kindle Edition by Jonathan Gottschall
The Business of Belonging: How to Make Community your Competitive Advantage 1st Edition, Kindle Edition by David Spinks
ADVANTAGE: Harnessing Cumulative Advantage in the Winner Takes All Publishing Market Kindle Edition by Joe Solari
The Long Game: How to Be a Long-Term Thinker in a Short-Term World Kindle Edition by Dorie Clark
The Membership Economy: Find Your Super Users, Master the Forever Transaction, and Build Recurring Revenue Kindle Edition by Robbie Kellman Baxter
Subscription Marketing: Strategies for Nurturing Customers in a World of Churn Kindle Edition by Anne Janzer
Fans First: Change The Game, Break the Rules & Create an Unforgettable Experience Kindle Edition by Jesse Cole
Matty's Links:
Affiliate links
Events
https://reamstories.com and https://subscriptionsforauthors.com
https://www.facebook.com/groups/subscriptionsforauthors
https://www.instagram.com/mevansinked/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mevansinked/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCO0zf-nExw2J7ZdmUCssE2Q
Books Michael Recommends:
Below are links to the books Michael mentioned; I have provided Amazon affiliate links, but if you’d like to purchase these from some other retailer, I highly recommend Bookshop.org.
The Story Paradox: How Our Love of Storytelling Builds Societies and Tears them Down Kindle Edition by Jonathan Gottschall
The Business of Belonging: How to Make Community your Competitive Advantage 1st Edition, Kindle Edition by David Spinks
ADVANTAGE: Harnessing Cumulative Advantage in the Winner Takes All Publishing Market Kindle Edition by Joe Solari
The Long Game: How to Be a Long-Term Thinker in a Short-Term World Kindle Edition by Dorie Clark
The Membership Economy: Find Your Super Users, Master the Forever Transaction, and Build Recurring Revenue Kindle Edition by Robbie Kellman Baxter
Subscription Marketing: Strategies for Nurturing Customers in a World of Churn Kindle Edition by Anne Janzer
Fans First: Change The Game, Break the Rules & Create an Unforgettable Experience Kindle Edition by Jesse Cole
Matty's Links:
Affiliate links
Events
I hope you enjoyed my conversation with Michael Evans! Do you participate in creator-supporting memberships or subscriptions and, if yes, do you choose your level of financial support based on the value you place on the content or the bonuses you get for various levels of patronage? I'd love to hear your perspective!
Please post your comments on YouTube--and I'd love it if you would subscribe while you're there!
