terraforming

True story:

Humans have been obsessed with Mars for over 100 years.

In that time, countless stories have been written about it…

Such as:

- The War of the Worlds (1897)
- A Princess of Mars (1912)
- The Martian Chronicles (1950)
- A Stranger in a Strange Land (1961)
- The Martian (2011)
- Red Rising (2014)

And of course, Elon Musk has famously said he wants to die on Mars.

(Just not on impact lol)

Anyway, a foundational element in many stories about Mars I find fascinating is…

 “Terraforming.”

This is the idea of transforming the atmosphere and landscape of a planet to make it more livable for humans.

Since Mars has no atmosphere or breathable air…

Anyone living there would be relegated to domes or caves…

Unable to step outside without a vac suit.

Now, why do I bring this up?

Because the concept of terraforming applies to building a successful story-driven newsletter too.

You need to transform the landscape of your mind…

And recognize that “hard value” isn’t the only way to attract and monetize an audience.

In fact, it might be the worst way…

Unless your dream is to have 100,000+ followers and spend all day on the social media hamster wheel.

But if you’d rather build a small yet mighty audience…

That can fuel a lean yet highly lucrative business…

Then resist the temptation to give away all your best secrets…

Simply to appease the info vampires on your list…

And use Email Storyselling to deliver insight instead.

This is how to create breathable air in your little corner of the internet so your newsletter can thrive.

Jim Hamilton

P.S:

If you’re looking for a technical sci-fi story that takes place on Mars, then you might enjoy the Red Mars trilogy.

I read it years ago… but have recently started reading it again.

Even though it emphasizes technology and scientific accuracy, the writing’s still very accessible IMO.

Plus it’s a fun exploration of the many ethical landmines that await the first colonists.