TPX12: CJ Chilvers – You are not just a Photographer, You Need to Be a Publisher

CJ Chilvers of cjchilvers.com is a writer, blogger and photographer. CJ appeared in episode 119 of PhotoBizX Podcast right after I read his thought provoking book, “A lesser Photographer – escaping the gear trap to focus on what matters”

Since then, CJ has started blogging daily and I look forward to his email notifications above all others in regard to photography. Not only does he fly in the face of the recommendations Google makes to bloggers about long pillar type blog posts, he also thinks outside the square most photography bloggers have constructed around how the industry should work.

CJ gives me hope and I love that he believes, “anyone can be creative if they can figure out how to fight their brain’s need to avoid the pain of creation. If you’re not feeling that pain, you’re not pushing yourself enough. Constraints breed creativity.”

You need to present in the medium that best fits you. But I don’t think just because writing doesn’t fit you best doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try – CJ Chilvers

This episode of the Photography Xperiment podcast is sponsored by Studio Ninja… more about them in the show and below.

Here’s some of what we cover:

• CJ’s driving factor to blog daily
• Why you need to blog daily or at least give it a try
• Why CJ prefers listening to Seth Godin over Google and their recommendations
• How to choose your audience
• Why you need to hang out in Twitter instead of Facebook for writing inspiration
• Understand being different is better than being better
• Embracing your difference and using them to your advantage
• Doing the opposite of what experts are saying
• Why photography is the go-to subject for CJ
• Why you need to be familiar with the business of publishing
• Approaching your work the way a publisher would
• Storytelling is scarce now and will be in the future
• Storytelling will be valuable
• Finding a creative way to tell your story
• Defining what being a storyteller really means
• Why CJ took down most of his photos online after launching his book
• Bringing your story to your readers through syndication
• Why you should spend less time on social media
• Should you chase your audience to let them know you exist?
• How you will benefit from finding a good reader instead of more readers
• The difference between an ‘okay’ reader and a ‘good’ reader
• Why CJ does what he does
• Should you consider or worry about what other people think in regard to your blogging?
• What is CJ looking to gain with enrolling for photography courses?
• When did CJ conceive the idea of writing daily and how long before he acted on it?
• Short blog posts are underrated
• People just don’t read long articles
• The best place to manage and keep your writing
• Never spend more than an hour on a blogpost
• CJ’s workflow when writing his thoughts
• Recommended apps for daily blogging
• When is the best time to publish your drafted posts?
• Is it ok to change your thoughts on something you wrote in the past?
• The consequences of evolving and changing what you blog
• Dealing with the decline of your fan-base when shifting your writing style or topic
• CJ’s thoughts on owning one’s own space
• How to keep track of article references
• Why Twitter should be your preferred place to engage socially
• Why daily blogging is good for mental health
• Tips on how to blog daily
• Is it a good idea to blog daily as a photographer?
• There’s no “secret formula” to daily blogging
• Should you force yourself as a photographer to learn how to write?
• Are Google and SEO rankings enough reason to blog?
• How CJ measures the success of his newsletters

What is your big takeaway?

Following this interview, I’d love to read your feedback and comments. Was there something from this interview that struck a chord, inspired or motivated you?

Will you take any kind of action after hearing what CJ had to share?

Let me know by leaving your thoughts in the comments below.

If you’re a good storyteller, you can be a great salesman. You can be a great anything – CJ Chilvers

If you have any questions that I missed, a specific question you’d like to ask CJ or if you just want to say thanks for coming on the show, feel free to add them below too.

I think, you know, just like you choose your audience, you can choose your medium  – CJ Chilvers

I don’t necessarily want more readers. I want good readers – CJ Chilvers

Daily blogging is for your own mental health. It’s a kind of meditation too – CJ Chilvers

We do what we do because we have to do it. It’s a compulsion – CJ Chilvers

Links to people, places and things mentioned in this episode:

CJ Chilvers Website

A Lesser Photographer – the eBook

CJ Chilvers on Twitter

CJ Chilvers on Facebook

Chilvers on Instagram

Seth Godin Explains Why You Should Blog Daily

Seth Godin

Sally Hogshead

Dave Winer

Jeffrey Zeldman

Andy Ihnatko

Evernote

Squarespace

Pocket

Scrivener

Studio Ninja

You never know what you’re going to write until you start blogging – CJ Chilvers

Episode 119: CJ Chilvers – Focus Less on Gear, Create Images that Matter

Episode 172: Spencer Lum – The Blog Challenge for Photographers

Episode 173: Chris Garbacz – Focus on the Business Side of Photography for Financial Success

Fascinate, Revised and Updated: How to Make Your Brand Impossible to Resist by Sally Hogshead

A Lesser Photographer: Escaping the gear trip to focus on what matters by CJ Chilvers

None of us are just photographers anymore. In fact, all of us are publishers now – CJ Chilvers

Equipment:

Note Card Wallet

Thank you!

Thanks again for listening to the show and thanks to CJ for coming on and experimenting with a new and different format for this photography podcast and for sharing his thoughts, views and ideas on photography, blogging, writing and the industry.

Also, a big thanks to Chris from Studio Ninja for sponsoring this episode of the podcast and making the show possible. If you want to see what the worlds best photographers are packing in their bag, check out ShotKit. You'll see one of the best laid out, resource packed photography websites out there.

Don’t try to be better than everybody else at their game. Be different. Establish your own game – CJ Chilvers

If you have any suggestions, comments or questions about this episode, please be sure to leave them below in the comment section of this post, and if you liked the episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the bottom of the post!

That’s it for me, hope everything is going well for you in life and photography!

Thanks and speak soon

Andrew