The unorthodox guide to creative success. Short anecdotes, parables, and concepts that help readers ask important questions about their creative journeys. Everything in this book is simple, pragmatic, and straightforward – but also slightly unintuitive. It’s a collection of the most uncommon expressions of common sense for creative people, and I’d recommend it to anyone trying to carve out their niche in *any* creative field — music or otherwise. — Erik Sabol

Musings about the music industry with crucial insights for how to chart your own path in the world of business. Each page has actionable advice, which sometimes goes against the prevailing wisdom. Reading him should make you question some of your closest-held beliefs about how business and marketing works. Anyone who is in business should read this book. It’s genius-level advice coming from a guy who’s actually done it, and knows what he’s talking about. — Tom Stein

This is one of the top two marketing books I own (and I’ve read hundreds of them). — Dan Sanchez

Every creator has the same problems with marketing.

• How do you call attention to your work?
• How do you get your creations into people’s minds and hearts?
• How do you create word-of-mouth so fans tell friends?
• How do you charge money for your labor of love?
• How do you get the media industry to help?

Derek Sivers was a professional musician for ten years before he accidently started a music distribution company that helped 150,000 musicians sell their music to over four million people. So after ten years of living the problems, he had ten more years of witnessing the solutions.

Your Music and People distills Sivers’ advice and philosophy into a short book you can read in two hours. Though it uses music as the example, it is meant to be read metaphorically by any creator trying to reach people. Early readers called it one of the best books ever written on business marketing.

Example points include:

• Marketing is an extension of your art. Business is just as creative as music.
• Marketing means being considerate. Focus on others. See yourself from their point of view. Being weird is considerate.
• People skills are counterintuitive. To be helped, be helpful. Persistence is polite.
• Call the destination and ask for directions. Get specific about what you want.
• Be extreme and sharply defined. Target a niche. Proudly exclude most people.
• Money is just a neutral representation of value. Be valuable to others — not just yourself. People like to pay.
• Nobody knows the future, so focus on what doesn’t change.

The first 10,000 early buyers of Your Music and People have posted hundreds of 5-star reviews at sive.rs/m — but it is now being released to a wider audience.