Hour six of the Write for Money and Power 12-hour livestream book launch felt like pulling a blanket over your shoulders and remembering why you fell in love with reading — and creating — in the first place.
I was joined by Julianne Buonocore, who hosts Friday Night Readers, a cozy virtual book club that’s become a haven for lovers of Gilmore Girls and deeply devoted readers everywhere.
What Jules has built isn’t loud. It isn’t optimized for chaos — it’s created for comfort, and that’s exactly why it works.
This conversation was about a different kind of creative power: the kind rooted in comfort, trust, and long-term belonging.
Here are a few ideas from our conversation worth sitting with:
Cozy Is Not Small — It’s Intentional
Jules talked about how cozy is an intentional tone for her when it came to approaching her ideal readership.
Friday Night Readers works because it knows exactly who it’s for — readers who want warmth, familiarity, and a sense of coming home at the end of the day.
We talk sometimes about how niche can box some creators in, but in this case Jules has done a great job leading with what her ideal readers want and building a big community in a thriving niche.
Reading as a Creative Fuel Source
For Jules, reading is how creativity gets restored. Her rituals are around quiet nights and slowing down, which is what makes deeper thinking possible — and what allows creative work to feel nourishing instead of extractive.
Community Isn’t Always Loud
One of the most important reframes from this hour:
Not every community wants Zooms, live video, or constant interaction. Some communities are introverted. Some prefer polls, comments, DMs, and quiet participation.
Good community building isn’t about forcing engagement. It’s about meeting people where they already are.
Ownership Means Reach You Can Rely On
Jules shared her background in SEO blogging — and the realization that “ownership” doesn’t actually mean much if you’re still dependent on algorithms.
That’s why Substack is a place you can own the distribution of your work directly to an audience, compared to the days of blogs having to rely on distribution through search engines to reach readers.
Jules also recommends exporting your email list every month, because your subscribers are the core of your community.
Discipline Builds Freedom
Coming from a law background, Jules spoke honestly about risk — and how doing hard things repeatedly builds resilience.
Creative freedom in her world is built through consistency, discipline, and trust in yourself over time.
Comfort Is a Strategy
One of my favorite moments of the hour was Jules invitation:
Pair reading with something comforting.
A warm bath.
A candle.
A playlist.
Creativity doesn’t have to be harsh to be productive.
If this conversation resonated — if you’re craving slower growth, deeper connection, and work that actually feels good to maintain — you’ll love spending time inside Jules’ world:
If Hour 6 reminded you that power doesn’t have to be loud to be real — that ownership can look like calm, clarity, and choice — the full framework behind that philosophy lives in my book:
Thank you Mary Beth Kaplan🪶, Oray, Amy Benavides, Elizabeth Norvell, Paul k, and many others for tuning into my live video with Julianne Buonocore!
-Amy
