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 ”Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”

Please read this post to the end or you will miss out. If you can’t read it now, please come back later.

I will continue to help you, if you are a serious writer who wants to know how to fill the bottom of their writer’s boat. 

But I’m fresh out of fish.

As of July 17, 2012, I’ve been writing online for four years.

Though I’ve tried plenty of times to describe the ups and downs, twists and turns, inside outs and loop-de-loos of those last four years, I won’t bore you with any of those stories today.

Today isn’t about the last four years, but it is about the last six months.

Six months back, I had what I thought was an excellent idea: I wanted to start a publishing company that would naturally spring from the many lessons I’d learned online – first from my years as a blogger, ghostwriter, copywriter and marketer, and then from my six months of bliss publishing serialized fiction at The Collective Inkwell with my creative partner, David Wright.

The publishing company in my head, Sterling & Stone, was unlike any other publishing company I’d ever heard or read about – a true digital publisher, perfectly tailored to our quickly shifting era. Most of these ideas are still clear enough in my head, though yet to be fully realized.

They lay fallow not because they are flawed, but because while I still love the principal ideas behind Sterling & Stone, I started the company on the back of a heinous mistake. In my head – where all my best lies and truths are born and broadcast – Sterling & Stone is a fiction company. And yet, the company spent its first six months producing nonfiction product.

Can you imagine Apple making apps for the Android?

I knew starting with nonfiction, specifically The Digital Writer, would be a gamble, but I didn’t expect it to be a failure. And while failure might be an awfully large word to use for something that’s yielded several wonderful relationships, a bank of quality product, and a far clearer focus than I had before, I’d be a liar worthy of the Pinocchio sized nose on my face if I said it was a success.

Yet, I don’t mind admitting failure, at all. I believe my mistakes are valuable for me, and valuable to you, so long as I’m willing to admit them, even if it makes my face red to do so.

So on the surface, The Digital Writer, thus far, has been a blunder. I would’ve been far better served to stick with everything that was already working so well with fiction, set my sights on moving that from good to great a whole lot faster, and not tried to bring so many fellow writers along for the ride.

But I’m grateful, not for the time I’ll never have back, but that it yielded a clarity of focus and some truly excellent partnerships.

Yes, the writer’s road I’ve been ambling along for these last four years has been long, with far too many bends, and not enough light to illuminate the shadows. I started with a blog that taught me to chase attention, then quickly drifted into a world where I could only keep my nose above water by writing keyword articles for $5. I treaded water with those articles, slowly making my way to the far shore where I finally found myself writing sales copy and SEO for thousands of dollars.

Then, just when I had all of my shit together, I went back to the beginning, risking it all on the hair of an idea – to start publishing serialized fiction – because I would rather spill ink on the bed of my dreams without promise of reward and rest my head on a contented pillow beneath a moon of my choosing, than to rise each morning with the thick clot of certainty sitting in my stomach that comes from knowing I never even tried.

That is the same hungry spirit that first fueled, then fostered my belief in The Digital Writer. I’m a high school dropout, but only because I hated school. I’ve never hated learning. And I’ve always loved teachers, at least those teachers who love to teach, which is why I married the best one I know, and why I moved 2,350 miles across the country to leave three and a half decades worth of family, friends, and perfect weather, to put my children in the best school I could find.

I love teaching; I love knowing that my words, deeds, and actions serve to inspire. I’m exceedingly proud of the work I did back at GhostWriter Dad, but six months ago, I felt like I’d outgrown that name, and I longed to blow up the Digital Writer, making it into something bigger, better, and more potent. But I failed.

I tried to create an environment for writers that would grow relatively well, while not being too demanding on my time. I believed I could do it, and do it well.But I was wrong.I love my partners, and believe they’ve all done an exceptional job: Lori Taylor, Matt Gartland, David Masters, Rachael McNaught, Krissy Brady, Shane Arthur, Diane Krause, and Shelly Davis have all done tremendous work.

I am proud to know them all, and am grateful for their partnership and support. But I didn’t deliver what I expected six months ago, to any of them. Not even close.

When Matt and I started the Digital Writer, we brought all our writers and editors together, then created a list of titles we thought would help modern writers most. Then we got to work.

We plotted, outlined, researched, and wrote. We line edited, copy edited, and published a few dozen books. We worked tirelessly enough that we now have a bank of content that will give The Digital Writer a fresh weekly release through this Thanksgiving. We also built a website with a members area, and created worksheets for each of our books.

100% of this was free.

I did this because I believe in this extraordinary time for writers, and because I have faith in the modern creative and her ability to shift the world, and of course because I’ve not forgotten how hard it was four years ago, or how embarrassed I was to send my children to school in clothes that didn’t fit because I had just $20 left on my credit card and milk was more important. But it’s time to make a change. Doing everything we’ve done so far at The Digital Writer has cost me more than five-figures, and while I’m perfectly happy to break even, the Digital Writer is five-figures away from doing that.

But the true cost of this adventure isn’t money. Dollars are whatever. I can always make more. Time harbors the most worth for me, meaning the real cost of The Digital Writer is more minutes than I can count, and worse, a loss of faith in my audience. It’s hard to give my very best for half a year, pouring my time and money into a community, while asking for nothing but tweets and likes and reviews in return, with barely a breath in response.

The most recent example is “Writing Online,” free just two weeks ago. The book is $9.99; a couple hundred pages, packed with three years of my best advice. I made it free, asking only for reviews, likes, and tweets.

Ten likes, three tweets, zero reviews, from several thousand downloads.

Clearly, at least on the surface and so far, The Digital Writer is a failed experiment.

And yet, I don’t want to fold. The teacher in me won’t let me. My wife won’t let me. The writer who was writing $5 keyword articles just three years back won’t let me.

I began searching for the answers to my many developing questions earlier this year while David and I were furiously publishing our unique brand of scripted television inspired fiction. Unfortunately, no one else was doing most of the things we were, at least no one I could find. So answers were desert dew. I realized how important the teaching element of what I’m doing actually is. But it’s my responsibility to develop new and better ways to deliver this information.

The old way may still work, but it doesn’t work for me. The time cost is enormous, as is the financial burden. I’m no longer comfortable losing 25% of my time and thousands of dollars when the writers I’m trying so hard to help (for the most part) don’t appreciate it, or at least have the scant few seconds to show it.

Yet, I see it as my responsibility to make The Digital Writer work, and I’m determined to do so. But I must be happy, too. I wake up happy, and go to bed the same. I can’t spend time, or money, feeding something that fails to work while eroding my happiness. I’m finished with that. I’ve done it too many times in the last four years to feel comfortable with it a minute longer. I’m not saying I’ll never do it again, because I’m only human and still make at least 42 mistakes each week, but I’ll never do it intentionally. Not ever again.

I’m burned out on blogging, especially now that I have tangible examples of far better ways to broadcast. I launched the self-publishing podcast with Johnny B. truant and David Wright 14 weeks ago. It grew faster in the first two months than the Digital Writer did in the four before, or the two since. Even better, the podcast fits my personality, and costs me nothing but an hour each week, and I’m wearing a smile the entire time.

The only thing I have to do for the self-publishing podcast is be myself, and keep no secrets. If something is working for me on the publishing side of my business, I discuss it. This candor helps hard working writers, while helping me to crystallize my own thoughts – which is precisely what good, effective teaching is supposed to do.

But the best part? Every day I get emails telling me how much of a difference the self-publishing podcast is making to writers inspired to pick up the pen and go farther and faster than they ever thought possible. I want to be responsible for more of that brand of inspiration, and while I feel bad that I’ve not managed to make it happen at the Digital Writer, by no means do I believe it impossible.

I’m going to try again, but I must shake the Etch-a-Sketch and start over. What I have right now is broken.

I’ll nurture those writers who want to be nurtured. That means YOU if you’re still reading this, since you clicked the link in my email and didn’t flinch at the truth. The Digital Writer is no longer a blog, at least not in the traditional sense. This is what the Digital Writer will be from now on:

There will still be free books. For a while, these titles will have general writing topics, because that is what we’ve already written, and what is now sitting in our content bank. But the definite focus from here forward is self-publishing in general, and fiction specifically.

If this community doesn’t grow, I cannot afford to continue publishing titles. Hopefully it will, so I can.

As long as I can break even, or at least feel positive about the time I spend, I will continue to feed this beautiful beast. The emails you get, the calls I hold, and the content I continue to develop, will all be more personal and directly related to my business, because tangible examples will help you as a writer to get where you’re going faster. I’ll be holding calls, anywhere from once per month to each week. I’m not sure yet. I love the format, though. No matter, whatever I do – all subscribers to the new list will be invited.

As before, the Digital Writer is 100% FREE.

NOTE: I can only make the titles FREE on Amazon for no more than 5 days out of every 90. If I could make them FREE indefinitely, most titles would be FREE already. That is the purpose of the list. You always get the titles when they’re FREE.

I would like to thank those writers who did take the time to email me their thanks, leave their reviews, and socially promote The Digital Writer. I know who you are and appreciate you greatly.

Thank YOU.

I hope for two things from this email. The first is an improvement in this community. The current list has a lot of subscribers. Most blogs would publish for years and not have a list this large. But that list is now retired.

I’m starting a new community, for true fans and serious writers. Too many people on the current list are on it for the wrong reasons, and I’m not comfortable with that. I hate spam like Boricio hates Applebee’s (high-five if you get the reference!) and I don’t want to send anything to anyone who doesn’t actually want it.

I want a better community – with a new focus and a fresh direction. Subscribers who don’t want to be here, or aren’t willing to do the mild, barely there work of helping the Digital Writer community grow, are not a part of the site’s service. The site is now invitation only. You are invited.

In between August 1 of 2011 and August 1 of 2012, I’ve published well over 100 titles to Kindle. I know what I’m doing and I do it well. And I’m getting better by the week. If you want to be a part of this community, and grow with us, awesome. The truly remarkable is coming.

For me, one of life’s hardest lessons is patience, right behind that is knowing what to do when I finally get where I wanted to go. I’ve won the war with myself, and have been more patient this year than at any time in my life. And now that I’m inches from where I’ve always wanted to be, I know exactly where I want to go.

I’m happy, but I’m also smart enough to know I’ll be happier sharing; that means helping other writers – but only those writers willing to show their gratitude through hard work, a thank you, or a click. Being a writer isn’t easy, yet there are too many scribes looking for an easy formula that doesn’t – and will never – exist. Just because everyone can publish, doesn’t mean that everyone should. I want to help those who should.

I’m also hoping for comments below that validate my decision, and prove there’s a community here worth nurturing. The conversation starts below. Please tell me what you think, I’m eager to hear. And please, don’t forget to share.

Enter your best email address in the box below for free ebooks and game changing calls – every week!!

I did it. So can you.
Sean Platt P.S. If you have a question you’d like to have answered, you can click on the Q&A button up top. I will address your question on our first live call – Monday, August 27. Of course, a recording will be sent to all subscribers.

P.P.S If you would like to get social, please join me at any of the following sites:

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Collective Inkwell

• Sean M. Platt
• August 14, 2012
• Publishing