Fun fact about me: I like making up words.

Mythstakes, for example.

What I've discovered is that many of the MISTAKES creators make when trying to build their creative careers are intrinsically tied to false MYTHS or beliefs about the way things are.

If someone is operating under a false reality, it’s no surprise they’ll make bad moves.

The good news is that these "mythstakes" are easily corrected once the underlying myths are debunked and the new reality is embraced.

And that's why in the READY FOR LAUNCH workshop you recently attended, I spent a lot of time debunking 3 big myths (and the mistakes made because of them) around what it actually takes to get your Kickstarter project funded.

The Key to a Successful Launch

You now know that despite all the hype and hoopla about the importance of social media, your EMAIL list is the key to getting backers and funding for your campaign.

You know that compared to social media, a fan on your email list is more likely to:

• See your message.
• Read your message.
• Click on your message.
• Back your project.
• Back at a higher dollar amount.
• And actually prefers that you’re marketing to them there, rather than their social feeds.

And that’s because email is for BUSINESS communication and if you’re on Kickstarter, you’re open for business.

If You've Already Started a Launch List, Then You're Ahead of the Game!

If you're reading this post, it likely means that you do have an email launch list.

Awesome!

Even if your list isn't very big, the fact that you have one at all says something.

Believe it or not, 58% of the creators who enroll in my ListLaunch program join with ZERO people on their lists.

The fact that you're not starting from scratch means you have an existing platform upon which to build.

Now, you might not think having a few emails of fans is that big a deal and I don't blame you if you haven’t prioritized an email list…

This simply isn’t advice creators are given.

Most artists will complete a four-year degree program costing hundreds of thousands of dollars and never once get told to start building a list.

Hell, list-building isn’t even taught at most business school!

But the reality is, your email list is one of your biggest business assets.

As I mentioned in the READY FOR LAUNCH workshop, more than $16,000.00 in funding for the Sweet Dreams Cthulhu Kickstarter project came directly from the email list we’ve been building over the past three years.

But it's not enough just to have a list. 

After all, anyone could go online and buy thousands of emails for pennies a piece. 

The power of your email list isn't in the emails... it's in the relationship with the people behind each one of those addresses. 

To have support on Kickstarter, you need and ENGAGED list. 

The good news is, this is growing and engaged list of fans is totally doable, provided you avoid a few big “mythstakes.”

Mythstake #1: I'm not going to email my list until I have something to sell.

I used to suffer from this one big time.

I’d have something big coming up, maybe a Kickstarter launch, and I think, “I better not email my list until we launch, because I really want them to open that email and be excited about this great new thing, and go back.”

And so, instead of building buzz, energy, engagement, and excitement before launch, I’m building… nothing.

Can you imagine if Hollywood did this before a blockbuster movie release?

It’d be a disaster.

And what’s worse, imagine for a second you had a friend.

We’ll call him Trevor.

The only time Trevor ever calls, texts, or drops by is when he needs something from you.

Every communication with him is:

“Hey, Broseph, can you pick me up from the airport?”

“Can you lend me fifty bucks, Brotein Shake?”

“My mom’s baby grand needs moving. Can help me, Bromo Sapien?”

If that was the case, and the only time you ever heard from Trevor was when he was asking for something, how long would you continue to be bros?

The same thing goes for your fan base.

If the only time you’re emailing your list is when you want their money, you’re being a Trevor.

So knock it off, Bro.

Reality: Emailing your list when you don’t have anything sell will make them more likely to buy from you when you do.

Mythstake #2: I'm not going to email my list because I’m a lousy writer and suck at marketing.

I’ve had creators tell me, “Any writing that's not creative stumps me.”

Many can sit down and knock out page after page of script, but struggle to write a single sentence in the form of an email blast.

This I get.

Writing mass emails isn’t something we were ever taught in school, and it is it’s own art form.

Most creators I talk to hate marketing.

But you want to know what’s funny?

Most LOVE talking about what they’re working on, or what their influences are, or who they’re working with, or what’s blowing their minds.

Communicating with your list isn’t a one-size fits all, boilerplate approach.

Lately, I’ve been obsessed with Myers-Briggs personality types and how knowing yourself and your type can help you discover what kind of communication style is right for you.

One of the biggest benefits of being a part of ListLaunch is seeing all the many different ways that creators can approach building a relationship with their audiences in a style unique to them.

It turns out, you don’t have to be Shakespeare to write a damn good email.

Reality: Once you discover the right communications style for YOU email writing will become among the easiest things you do in your creative business.

Mythstake #3: I'm not getting any engagement in my email list, so why bother sending it?

Many people’s best advice boils down to two simple steps:

1) Take Action.

2) Get Results.

Unfortunately, when you take action and the results aren’t what you expect or are underwhelming, it can make it very difficult to keep taking action.

It’s why most of us have quit 99% of every activity we’ve every tried… we didn’t like the results from the actions we take.

And so perhaps you’ve sent some emails to your list and found that most people don’t even open it, very few click, and you don’t get any replies.

Demoralizing, right?

And social media doesn’t help.

Social has trained us to be super impatient.

You post a picture on Facebook or Instagram or a Tweet on Twitter and you will get nearly instantaneous feedback...

Likes.

Hearts.

Shares.

Feels good, right?

Unfortunately, you can’t pay your bills with likes or retweets.

You need to understand that the power in your list comes not from any one single email sent, but the cumulative effect of the relationship you’ll build over time.

It can be hard, but just trust me on this.
I’ve been singing this song for a while and not a single creator who has launched a Kickstarter has come back to me and said, “Wow, Tyler, I really regret all those emails I sent to my list before my launch. Big waste of time.”

Quite the contrary.

Reality: The power of your list will be made evident when you launch.

Send This Exact Email TODAY!

Okay, so we’ve just demolished the 3 biggest mythstakes holding creators back from enaging their email lists.

You know the mindset to avoid and a way to reframe it to actually move forward.

But knowledge without action is useless, so let’s take some action.

I want you to send this email to your new list today.

Even if your list tiny, I want you to send this email to your list TODAY.

Subject Line: The best _____ you're not _____

Ex. “The best comic you’re not reading.”

Ex. “The best tv show you’re not watching.”

Ex. “The best band you haven’t heard of”

Then, in the body just compose a short message talking about something you’re consuming right now that’s blowing your minds, and that more people should be checking out.

Say who it’s for, who it’s definitely not for, and what it is you love about it.

And just say you had to share the recommendation.

Then, in the P.S. ask them what artists have been blowing their minds lately, as you’re always up for recommendations.  

That’s it.

No links to your websites.

No, go buy my book.

Just share something you’re into that the people on your list might like to, and see what happens.

Can you do this?

(Of course you can.)

But will you?

The Next Step

The goal of this training was to blow up some of the beliefs that halt creators in their track when it comes to actually engaging with their email list, and then to get you to take a little bit of action.

Getting the ball rolling is easier than you think, so let’s get that law of inertia working for us instead of against us.

Hundreds of creators who have gone through the READY FOR LAUNCH Workshop have done just that.

We know that the groundwork for $1,000, $10,000 or $100,000 Kickstarter projects are laid months and even years in advance...

🚀 One fan at a time.

🚀 Once communication at a time.

🚀 And yes, one email at a time.

If you're serious about learning to build a large and engaged audience (or serious about learning anything) the fastest, most efficient way to do it is to pull together these 3 things:

1. Find a COACH who’s done what you’re trying to do.
2. Implement a SYSTEM that’s been proven to work again and again.
3. Join a COMMUNITY of creators on a similar journey for accountability, support, collaboration, and idea-sharing.
    

If you’ve been at this audience-building thing for a while and you’re not happy with the results you’ve been getting, it’s likely because you’re missing one or more of the above three elements.

What Exactly Is ListLaunch?

ListLaunch is a four-module online training program tailor-made for creators ready to get serious about growing an engaged email list of true fans.

ListLaunch is also a private community of dedicated, hardworking creators also passionate about building their fan bases, who will support and encourage you along the way.

Once enrolled in ListLaunch, you’ll have instant, 24/7 access to the program.

ListLaunch is your complete plan to building an engaged email list step-by-step, with nothing left out!

Imagine...

You had all the network, guidance, strategies, and accountability to build a large and loyal audience that appreciates and supports your work.

You knew the techniques, best practices, and habits that professional creators use to keep subscribers engaged and interested as you build your creative business.

You had the ability to attract hundreds of new people and streamlined, automated systems in place to do so without having to spend all your time on social media or self-promoting.

You had a plan that outlined exactly what you should be doing to build a better relationship with a consistently growing fan base.

You knew precisely where to find more of your ideal readers and how to turn strangers into subscribers who interact, engage and fund you and your projects?

If all of that were true, do you think you could launch with confidence on Kickstarter and beyond and start going after even bigger goals?

Are you coachable?

Can you follow a step-by-step plan?

Then ListLaunch might just be the breakthrough you’ve been looking for.