📚 18 Books Every Creative Pro Needs to Read

The comfort zone of a composer is--you guessed it--writing music.

But the reality of making music for a living is that at least 70% of your time will be spent on non-musical tasks. That includes (but is definitely not limited to):

• Networking
• Negotiating
• Admin & Organization
• Ongoing communication with clients
• Bookkeeping
• Sending & receiving invoices

That's why today, I'm sharing just one topic: my 18 must-read books for aspiring full-time composers.

These have been game changers for me in terms of creating content that attracts clients, networking more effectively, winning negotiations, and optimizing my creative business.

If you grab and enjoy one (or have already read one), be sure to let me know!

(Books marked with a ⭐️ are my must-must reads 😉)

👋 Getting Started

• 💭 Start With Why - Simon Sinek​
  ​Great book for determining what makes you unique
• ☝️ The One Thing - Gary Keller​
  ​Determine your priority and eliminate the rest
• 🆘 All You Have to Do is Ask - Wayne Baker​
  ​Overcome the discomfort of asking for help

📲 Social Media & Marketing

• 📲 Show Your Work - Austin Kleon ⭐​
  ​Learn to share the process, not the product
• 📣 This is Marketing - Seth Godin​
  ​Understand the psychology of buyers
• 📄 The 1-Page Marketing Plan - Allan Dib​
  ​Implement a system for attracting new customers

💬 Negotiation & Communication

• 🏆 The Win Without Pitching Manifesto - Blair Enns ⭐​
  ​For business owners looking to raise their rates and implement policies
• 🤝 Never Split the Difference - Chris Voss​
  ​Negotiate like a pro without feeling like a salesperson
• 😡 Not Nice - Dr. Aziz Gazipura​
  ​Get comfortable with standing your ground and asserting your needs

🤑 Legal & Finances

• 🤑 Profit First - Mike Michaelowicz ⭐​
  ​Automate a financial system to always ensure profitability
• 📜 The Music Business Contract Library - Greg Forest​
  ​Useful downloadable contracts for templates

🤖 Time & Energy Management

• ✂️ Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less - Greg McKeown ⭐​
  ​Do less, but better (One of the best books I've ever read)
• 🏖️ The 4-Hour Work Week - Tim Ferris ⭐​
  ​Get inspired with loads of automations and systems for efficiency
• 🔕 Digital Minimalism - Cal Newport​
  ​Eliminate digital distractions

❤️ Health & Motivation

• 🎨 The War of Art - Steven Pressfield ⭐​
  ​Learn how to beat Resistance with a capital "R"
• 🤪 It Doesn’t Have to Be Crazy at Work - Jason Fried​
  ​Create a healthy work environment for yourself and your team
• 🏃 Atomic Habits - James Clear​
  ​Build good habits that stick (and eliminate unhealthy ones)
• 🪄 The Power of Habit - Charles Duhigg​
  ​Learn how/why bad habits form, and how to break them