Ryan Holiday - Perennial Seller

PRAISE FOR PERENNIAL SELLER

I said this about Ryan Holidays last book, but Ill say this now about this book. This is his best book. This will be a perennial seller. Everything in here is so true and it is a guide to creativity in the real world.

James Altucher, bestselling author of Choose Yourself

As a showrunner or any kind of artist, you have to know when to stick to your guns and trust your gut, when and whom to ask for help, and how to define and lean into your brand. This book gets to the core of each of those elements in an attempt to help creatives be successful for a long time.

David Zuckerman, television writer and cocreator of Family Guy, American Dad, and Wilfred

My first book took five years for it to become a bestseller. It sells more now than it did ten years ago. You wont find a better guide to create something that lasts than Perennial Seller! Ryan Holiday is one of the great marketing minds of our time!

Jon Gordon, bestselling author of The Energy Bus

In an era of disposable hot takes, Ryans writing blends thoughtful and thorough contrarianism with delicious anecdotes to back it up. Perennial Seller continues that tradition.

Ricky Van Veen, cofounder CollegeHumor and Vimeo, head of global creative strategy at Facebook

Ideas are a dime a dozen, but those who put them into practice are priceless. [In Perennial Seller], Ryan shows you how to become one of those through his simple and cutthroat strategy for what it takes to be a successful creative in the modern world. This book couldnt be more timely!

Jake Udell, founder of TH3RD BRAIN; manager of Grace VanderWaal, Gallant, ZHU, and Krewella

Every artist aspires to create timeless, lasting work and this book is a study on what it takes to do just that. Ryan Holiday has written a brilliant, inspiring guide to ignoring the trends of the day to focus on what matters and what will lead to real impact. If you want to write, produce, or build something amazing, read this book.

James Frey, bestselling author of A Million Little Pieces and Bright Shiny Morning

Fashion, like most industries, is all about whats popular right now, yet at the same time the best designers and creators aspire to make and sell things that will last more than just a single season. Holidays new book is the ultimate road map to making your work and your message stick.

Aya Kanai, chief fashion director for Cosmopolitan, Seventeen, Redbook, and WomansDay

Ryan Holiday is more than a marketing geniushe is an extraordinary thinker whose instincts deliver him deep into the human condition. Ive been lucky to work with Ryan, and his goal is unwaveringto help creators make work that lasts. Perennial Seller is the perfect distillation of his ideas, and that rarest of giftsa road map to success and an insight into life.

Robert Kurson, New York Times bestselling author of Shadow Divers

Autodidact extraordinaire Ryan Holiday strips away the ridiculous obsession with contemporary bestsellerdom and gets to the heart and soul of individual genius, creating timeless classics that change peoples lives year after year after year. For those of us who wish to summon the courage and forgo instant validation in favor of deep and original creation, this book offers not just the Why, but the How. A must-read for creators of all persuasions.

Shawn Coyne, cofounder of Black Irish Books, author of The Story Grid: What Good Editors Know

At this moment, its easy to think of music as no more than ephemeral content. For this reason, its more important than ever to make work that stands the test of time. This book is a complete and current handbook for writing classics. Perennial Seller clears a path through the noise. If you are interested in creating work that stands the test of time, then Perennial Seller is a must-read.

Justin Boreta, The Glitch Mob

In a shortsighted culture obsessed with virality, its refreshing to read a book concerned with vitality. How do we make and release creative works that have a better chance of taking on a life of their own when theyre out in the world? Once again, Ryan Holiday proves to be a writer worth stealing from.

Austin Kleon, New York Times bestselling author of Steal Like an Artist

ALSO BY RYAN HOLIDAY

The Daily Stoic

Ego Is the Enemy

The Obstacle Is the Way

Growth Hacker Marketing

Trust Me, Im Lying

Portfolio/Penguin

An imprint of Penguin Random House LLC

375 Hudson Street

New York, New York 10014

penguin.com

Copyright 2017 by Ryan Holiday

Penguin supports copyright. Copyright fuels creativity, encourages diverse voices, promotes free speech, and creates a vibrant culture. Thank you for buying an authorized edition of this book and for complying with copyright laws by not reproducing, scanning, or distributing any part of it in any form without permission. You are supporting writers and allowing Penguin to continue to publish books for every reader.

ISBN 9780143109013 (hardcover)

ISBN 9781101992142 (ebook)

This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional services. If you require legal advice or other expert assistance, you should seek the services of a competent professional.

While the author has made every effort to provide accurate telephone numbers, internet addresses, and other contact information at the time of publication, neither the publisher nor the author assumes any responsibility for errors or for changes that occur after publication. Further, the publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party web sites or their content.

Version_1

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

I n 1937, a British literary critic named Cyril Connolly sat down to write a book around an unusual question: How does an author create something that lasts for ten years? Connollys view was that the mark of literary greatness lay in standing the test of time. With the specter of world war looming on the horizon, the idea of anything surviving in an uncertain future had a kind of poignancy and meaning to it.

The book that Connolly wrote, Enemies of Promise, explored contemporary literature and the timeless challenges of making great art. It was also an honest self-examination of why Connolly, himself a talented writer, hadnt broken through commercially with his previous work. By no means a mainstream book, Enemies of Promise was still a provocative inquiry into the important questions that artists have always asked themselves and one another.

Considering the authors belief that he was qualified to determine what contributes to lasting work, we are faced with an interesting set of questions: How did his own work do? How long did a book about lasting end up surviving? Was he able to hit the mark hed set? Could Cyril Connolly, like some literary Babe Ruth, actually end up sending the ball where he had called it?