Looking around the web, I’ve noticed two types of publishers—private and public (these are terms I coined myself).
The Private Side
Private publishing puts marketing first. It treats content as commodity—like an ebook or a free report or even a blog that drives people to opt into a list. The list is where the magic happens: suave but automated relationship building that push sales of affiliate products in a given niche.
When done right, private publishing works. It rakes in huge profits not because the content is good, but rather good enough. By this I mean the content serves as the tool (aka weapons of marketing) for selling other products rather than serving as the product itself. [Read more...]

For the sake of clarity, the term “creative writer” in this article refers to anyone who considers their writing a gift of art long before it serves a function of marketing.
My First Comment Leads to More Questions
I recently got my first comment ever, and I have to admit it’s a small but significant milestone. That means at least one person is out there reading this and responding. So: thanks Tina Marshall, whoever and wherever you are.
Tina left her name, some good, brief commentary and a link to a quasi-related article, but no personal URL. So, out of total curiosity, I researched the origins of Tina’s comments and what her motive might be. Turns out it came from the blog of J. Peterman, that quirky old school mail order company once so famously portrayed on Seinfeld.
I found another comment by the same Tina on another blog with a link to a J. Peterman promotion. My guess is there might be a bit of soft promoting going on here. Maybe I am to start shopping at J. Peterman?
First of all, Tina — you left my first human comment and I’m so grateful no matter what your intentions were. As they say here in Hawaii — mahalo.
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