ABOUT THIS EPISODE
What does it actually take to share your work publicly — and keep sharing it?
Author and poet Justin Marlowe didn’t ease into writing. He committed fully. After leaving a career in education, he wrote and published his memoir Perfect Strangers: Echoes of a Black Suburban Youth — and then did the part many creatives avoid: he showed up to promote it.
Consistently. Publicly. Without shrinking.
In this conversation, we talk about what happens after you decide to take your creative work seriously — the momentum, the visibility, the fear, and the discipline it requires to keep going.
We explore:
Writing and publishing a memoir
The realities of hybrid publishing
Marketing your work without apology
Building creative momentum
Navigating criticism without losing your voice
Showing up on the days you don’t feel like it
Moving through fear instead of waiting for confidence
Why community matters for writers
Justin speaks honestly about the pressure of pitching agents, refining your craft, facing criticism, and continuing to create even when self-doubt creeps in.
This episode is about discipline without rigidity, confidence without ego, and the long game of building a creative life in public.
If you’ve ever hesitated to share your work — or posted once and disappeared — this conversation will meet you exactly there.
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