Musicians do this better than writers

COLLABORATION IS KEY

I remember the first time I heard Nas and Lauren Hill collab on If I Ruled The World. That track came out some time in the 90s and is still one of my favourite records. Lauren’s vocals with Nas storytelling was the perfect mix, and of course it’s been one of hip hop’s most legendary songs of all time.

I often think about how to bring that collaborative spirit to being a writer and author. Writing is such an isolating endeavour. We usually think of the ideas by ourselves, write the book or piece by ourselves, then find ways to bring exposure to whatever we’ve written by ourselves.

But each step of the way, there’s space for collaboration. And not just space, but value. Collaboration can take us to heights we couldn’t reach on our own. What we need to do is first identify then embrace those opportunities with the intention of elevating whoever is involved.

How can writers better collaborate?

Let’s start at the idea phase. I remember when my business/creative partner told me she had an idea for a TV series. We were sitting by the lake when she pulled out her notebook and shared what she wanted to do. We brainstormed a bit that day, then she’d write some more and continue to share her progress.

This was the process for months and essentially for a full year. She wrote the entire thing herself, but I know that her allowing me to be part of the creative process as she was drafting helped elevate the story. Now that idea has turned into a completed series that will be airing on platforms this year. That’s what happens when you let people in early on in the process and remain open to their ideas consistently as you continue to create.

I think letting people into the process that early is difficult for writers because we have such a specific vision. It’s also difficult to find someone whose ideas and overall creativity you trust is up to your standards. But difficult isn’t impossible, and true collaborations only add value to your idea, not take away from it.

That’s the hard part. Where we need to do a better job as writers is finding ways to collaborate to bring attention to the work we’ve completed. For the book launch of Beauty Scars, my second novel, I partnered with an installation artist. He printed out all of the pages of my novel, then ripped each page in half. We taped pieces of the stories to the wall with a purposely ugly green tape. All hundred+ people who attended that launch were moving from ripped page to ripped page trying to piece my novel together. It was the most interactive book launch I’ve ever been a part of.

None of that would’ve been possible on my own. This collaboration leveled up my book launch and it was such a simple concept. But simple for an established, talented, visual artist. It wouldn’t have been simple if I tried to do it by myself. We sold close to 100 books that day. That’s the power of collaborating.

I would’ve paid money to be in the studio with Nas and Lauren Hill while they cooked up If I Ruled The World. Now that I’m creating, myself, I welcome collaborations. I know they work. And not just for the creative process, but for the exposure.

Collaborating gives you an opportunity to tap into each other’s fan bases. As a writer or author looking to grow, this is essential. So not only do you need to be open to other writers/artists collaborating with you, but you need to find other artists and writers that you can collaborate with on their projects.

Listen, the only way to find more readers is to expose yourself to more readers. That’s one of the benefits of linking up with someone else. You get to introduce yourself and your work to their audience.

What do you think of collaborations? Have you done any cool collab that you’d like to share? Comment and let me know.