Longing for the day ...

The best advice you don't have to buy

Derek Sivers has just released his manifesto for being heard. Derek has long agreed with the view, which I believe was first expressed by Cory Doctorrow, that the enemy of the unsigned artists is not piracy, but obscurity. This is Derek's contribution to helping Indies overcome the barrier of obscurity.

Now, Derek's take on these things, like Derek, takes some understanding. This seems like a document full of simple, practical advice - but it's more than that. Many of Derek's recommendations seem impractical, or difficult to implement, but they are the profoundest kind of advice. You need, as Derek suggests, to really take your time getting your head around what he's saying because it's not immediately obvious. If it was, everybody would be doing it, Derek wouldn't need to write this and obscurity would not be a problem ... or would it ...?

Brilliant stuff, but not a quick-fix full of unrealistic promises. Get it, read it, implement it.