How I Failed as a Musician - and Built a 1,000-Person Email List

In the last 12 months, I've built an email list of over 1,000 subscribers.

But this isn't a story about metrics.

It's about how an empty merch table, a dive bar revelation, and a conversation that saved someone's life taught me what really matters in building a writing business.

And more importantly, it's about how these lessons can transform your writing career.

The Night

Her name was Becca.

Standing alone near the back wall of the venue, fingers wrapped around an untouched drink, something in her eyes caught my attention – a familiar emptiness I recognized from my own mirror on those mornings after playing to full rooms but empty merch tables.

We talked about music at first. She loved the way the bass drum hit her chest during our third song. Said it made her feel alive, if only for a moment. Then the conversation shifted to life, to dreams, to the weight we all carry when we think no one's watching.

That's when she said it:

"I wasn't planning on being here tomorrow."

The words hung between us, heavier than any silence I'd ever felt.

The letters were already written, waiting on her kitchen table – one for her mom, one for her little sister, one for her best friend from high school.

"It's funny," she said, wiping away a tear. "I came here to say goodbye, but you're the first person who's really seen me in years. Not just looked at me, but really saw me."

The Writer's Paradox

As writers today, we face a similar paradox.

We can reach thousands with a single post, but something gets lost in the crowd.

We chase views, likes, and follower counts, but end up feeling as empty as I did at that merch table.

A few months ago, a writer in my Writerpreneur community named Ngangjoh was struggling with this exact problem.

She had talent, she had ideas, but her words weren't reaching people. Her view count stuck at 3,000, her message lost in the digital noise.

Then she discovered what I learned that night with Becca: True impact doesn't come from reaching crowds.

It comes from seeing individuals - and you can reach the crowds when you focus on the individuals.

After implementing this approach, Ngangjoh's views jumped from 3,000 to over 47,000 in just one week. Her follower count grew from 194 to 214. But the numbers aren't what matters – it's the genuine connections she's building with each reader.

The Framework That Changes Everything

This understanding crystallized into what I now call the 4 Ps Framework.

It's helped me build an email list of 1,254 subscribers, but more importantly, it's helped writers create genuine connections with their readers.

Here's how it works:

Pain

Start with the real pain.

Not the surface-level stuff like writer's block or finding time to write. I'm talking about the 3 AM thoughts that keep writers awake:

The fear that your words don't matter….

The frustration of writing beautiful pieces that nobody reads…

The disconnect between having important things to say and feeling invisible…

The exhaustion of creating content that gets views but doesn't create impact…

Personal Credibility

Share your battle scars.

For me, it was spending a decade as a musician, playing to packed venues but going home broke because I had no business sense.

For you, it might be:

The countless drafts that never saw daylight.

The viral posts that brought attention but no real connections.

The years spent perfecting your craft while struggling to find your audience.

Your struggles aren't weakness – they're your strongest connection point with your readers.

You struggle show that you’ve been where you audience is.

Promise

Offer hope, not hype.

My promise to writers is simple: I'll help you make a living doing what you love.

Your promise might be:

Teaching others what you've learned the hard way

Helping people avoid the mistakes you made

Showing them a path to being heard that doesn't require sacrificing their authenticity

It's not about getting rich quick – it's about building something real and lasting.

Plan

Give them a clear next step.

Make it simple and achievable.

For example:

Join my email list for weekly insights on building your writing business

Reply to my welcome email with your biggest challenge

Share your story in the comments

The key is making it easy for readers to take that first step toward connection.

Putting It Into Practice

Here's what this framework looks like in action - this is the actual CTA I’ve used for Writerpreneur to gain over 1k email subscriber in under 12 months.

Building a business and being great at writing are two different skills.

I learned this the hard way, spending a decade as a musician making $0 because I had no business sense. Over the last seven years, I've dedicated myself to learning business.

Now, I'm here to help other writers make a living doing what they love.

I send out occasional emails with business tips for writers.

Join over 1k other serious writers.

Connection at Scale

"But how does this scale?" you might be wondering. "You can't personally connect with thousands of readers."

Actually, you can.

For every person who replies to my emails, I send a personal video response (if you’re on my email list, you know).

I know hundreds of their names, their struggles, their dreams.

When Barry, another community member, reached his first 10,000 views on Quora, I celebrated with him because I knew his journey.

This isn't about time management – it's about priority management.

When you truly understand that one deep connection matters more than a thousand shallow ones, you make different choices.

The Real Measure of Success

Every time I sit down to write an email to my list, I think about Becca.

About how sometimes the people who need our words the most are the ones sitting quietly in the back, waiting for someone to really see them.

That's what this framework is really about.

Yes, it will help you build your email list.

Yes, it will help you craft better CTAs.

But more importantly, it will help you connect with the people who need your words most.

Because at the end of the day, we're not just in the writing business.

We're in the connection business.

And sometimes, one genuine connection can change everything – for them, and for you.

Want feedback on your CTA?

Join the Writerpreneur email list and reply to the welcome message with your draft.

I personally respond to every email, because I believe every writer deserves to be seen.