Creatives of all types are empowered now, in a way that simply didn’t exist in yesterday’s world. Each creative realm has its own Gatekeepers, whether you’re producing books, music, movies, or any other product you can think of. Today, that Gatekeeper is no longer necessary. I use the word “necessary” with intent. Not only will Gatekeepers continue to exist, but they will continue to serve a useful purpose.
But the cool thing about today is that you don’t have to wait for their approval. You can walk straight past the Gatekeeper and connect with your audience directly. The tools are out there, and most of them are free.
The Gatekeeper is not really on your side anyway. In reality, Gatekeepers serve the audience—which is the way is should be. They use their expertise and market savvy to curate what they think is the best stuff. That’s the part I have a problem with—why is it up to them alone? They make mistakes. They produce duds. They miss other talent entirely.
So now you don’t have to wait for their approval. It doesn’t matter if they say it’s good or not. Getting fifty rejection letters means nothing if your audience likes what you do and is willing to pay for it.
And here’s the other cool thing that I always tell creatives. Even if your goal is to work with Gatekeepers (i.e. get your book published, get a record deal, etc.), the activities are the same. You still need to produce a really good product and do the work of connecting with an audience. Trust me, a ready-made devoted fan base makes you look really attractive to a Gatekeeper. An audience is your greatest asset as a business. If you have the audience, you’ll have the power—not the other way around.