Put Your Ass Where Your Heart Wants to Be

by Steven Pressfield

My friend Jack Carr is a former Navy SEAL sniper who made the transition, seemingly seamlessly, to bestselling thriller writer (The Terminal List, Savage Son, In the Blood.) When I asked Jack how he did it, he said, I decided if I was going to enter the space, I was going to enter it in full force. What we’re talking about here is breadth of commitment. It’s not just put your ass. It’s put your whole ass. And put it across the full spectrum. My own weakness, forever, has been promoting myself and my books. I’ve been great at putting my ass into the writing part, but I’ve dropped the ball big-time in marketing and self-promotion. Not so with Jack. He has entered the space with all guns blazing. Jack doesn’t just write the books. He has a podcast, he has a blog, and he has a store. You can buy a mug, a hat, a crossed-tomahawks wallet, a T-shirt. When a new novel appears, Jack is on the road, virtually if not physically. He does interviews, he runs contests, he gives away samples of the new book, and he creates VIP packs complete with souvenirs and cool little premiums. Jack appears regularly on cable news. He has made himself a go-to authority on issues involving the military, especially the mindset of the warrior and the transition of veterans to civilian life. Jack is present constantly on social media—and always “on-brand.” Even his beard is on-brand. You will see him on Instagram and Facebook at outdoor or shooting events, in extreme weather and endurance conditions. He ...