Dan Kennedy

So if you think about like Spencer, it'd be a low rent kind of Spencer. And he's right in my backyard, right? So I can do math. I have my nonfiction agent pull his Nielsen numbers. So I know how many books he's selling. I know roughly what his royalty is. I now know what his annual income is. And it's less than impressive. And I happen to now have money.

So that's a good shortcut a lot of times to the entrenched establishment, right? So I go and say, I'd like to second chair. Do a book with you. I can provide, because all his books are based in Cleveland and around Cleveland. I said, I can provide a setting you haven't used yet that you probably don't know much about, which I'll educate you about. I have some character ideas.

So that's a good shortcut a lot of times to the entrenched establishment, right? So I go and say, I'd like to second chair. Do a book with you. I can provide, because all his books are based in Cleveland and around Cleveland. I said, I can provide a setting you haven't used yet that you probably don't know much about, which I'll educate you about. I have some character ideas.

So that's a good shortcut a lot of times to the entrenched establishment, right? So I go and say, I'd like to second chair. Do a book with you. I can provide, because all his books are based in Cleveland and around Cleveland. I said, I can provide a setting you haven't used yet that you probably don't know much about, which I'll educate you about. I have some character ideas.

And then I basically, I want a second chair. I want to watch. I want to learn. I want to, okay. And I'll write you a check for X. which is roughly twice what he's making from writing the next book, which you'll still get that money, because I don't want any of the money. I just want a published novel. You can keep the money, and here's a check. And, of course, he took it.

And then I basically, I want a second chair. I want to watch. I want to learn. I want to, okay. And I'll write you a check for X. which is roughly twice what he's making from writing the next book, which you'll still get that money, because I don't want any of the money. I just want a published novel. You can keep the money, and here's a check. And, of course, he took it.

And then I basically, I want a second chair. I want to watch. I want to learn. I want to, okay. And I'll write you a check for X. which is roughly twice what he's making from writing the next book, which you'll still get that money, because I don't want any of the money. I just want a published novel. You can keep the money, and here's a check. And, of course, he took it.

We actually did two books together. And you could have probably done it with almost any second tier, you know, if you wanted to spend money. And I don't know if the publisher knows. I didn't tell them, but I don't know if Les did or not. I doubt it. it would be frowned upon by the Mystery Writers Association of America. You know, they might even yank his membership.

We actually did two books together. And you could have probably done it with almost any second tier, you know, if you wanted to spend money. And I don't know if the publisher knows. I didn't tell them, but I don't know if Les did or not. I doubt it. it would be frowned upon by the Mystery Writers Association of America. You know, they might even yank his membership.

We actually did two books together. And you could have probably done it with almost any second tier, you know, if you wanted to spend money. And I don't know if the publisher knows. I didn't tell them, but I don't know if Les did or not. I doubt it. it would be frowned upon by the Mystery Writers Association of America. You know, they might even yank his membership.

That's how tough people are about defending their establishment. But most of this is always nonsense. It's just nonsense. It gets entrenched over time because it gets passed on. Talk to the next batch, getting in a business. To the next batch, getting in a business. And pretty soon it's the religion

That's how tough people are about defending their establishment. But most of this is always nonsense. It's just nonsense. It gets entrenched over time because it gets passed on. Talk to the next batch, getting in a business. To the next batch, getting in a business. And pretty soon it's the religion

That's how tough people are about defending their establishment. But most of this is always nonsense. It's just nonsense. It gets entrenched over time because it gets passed on. Talk to the next batch, getting in a business. To the next batch, getting in a business. And pretty soon it's the religion

a secular religion in the organizing system of that business, and no opportunity for independent thought exists until you trigger the simmering unhappy natives who are living in the system, but are privately questioning it.

a secular religion in the organizing system of that business, and no opportunity for independent thought exists until you trigger the simmering unhappy natives who are living in the system, but are privately questioning it.

a secular religion in the organizing system of that business, and no opportunity for independent thought exists until you trigger the simmering unhappy natives who are living in the system, but are privately questioning it.

Well, so if you want to leap to the second part of the question, um, The fear is real. You do have to be prepared for the backlash that will inevitably come. In most cases, they are unlikely to strap a cross to your back and march you up the hill and crucify you. We have laws about that. But there are people from time to time who come close. Trump's one of them.

Well, so if you want to leap to the second part of the question, um, The fear is real. You do have to be prepared for the backlash that will inevitably come. In most cases, they are unlikely to strap a cross to your back and march you up the hill and crucify you. We have laws about that. But there are people from time to time who come close. Trump's one of them.

Well, so if you want to leap to the second part of the question, um, The fear is real. You do have to be prepared for the backlash that will inevitably come. In most cases, they are unlikely to strap a cross to your back and march you up the hill and crucify you. We have laws about that. But there are people from time to time who come close. Trump's one of them.

But had he not won, he'd probably be doing five to ten in an orange jumpsuit somewhere and be bankrupted. So there will be a backlog. And the better at this you are, the more successful at it you are, the bigger will be the backlash, right? So you got to know it's coming. And so some of it is psycho-emotional. You have to not care about the critics.