This fly-by-night actor who knows bupkiss
I once had a conversation with an actor who wanted to write a book about public speaking. I'll call her Gloria, even though that's not her name. Gloria had figured out, thanks to years of professional training and experience, how to be comfortable on stage while...
The girl in the puffy red coat
You know how, at the start of a big endeavor, you worry that you’ll never drive it to completion? That you're about to bite off more than you can chew and delude yourself in general? How embarrassing the very thought of failing to finish what you started feels?...
This is the kind of argument you want
A lot of manuscripts slide across my desk each week, which shouldn't surprise anyone seeing as I run a publishing house. After all these years in the business, I can identify why a particular book draws me in and where another immediately goes off the rails. I mean, I...
Mean literary agents
I've been having the same conversation a lot lately. It goes something like this: A nice professional has gone to the trouble of crafting a book proposal, honing a query letter, even landing a call with an agent or two, only to be told one thing. "Your book will never...
It’s not about the advance
I speak at seminars about getting non-fiction books published. I'm often asked about the average advances authors get from major publishing houses and the average time it takes to write a polished book....the kind that interests said houses. And invariably, folks...
Discrimination?
I got an email the other day in response to my post on author platforms. Anything out there on how to build a platform? email lists, followings? I have no idea of how to get them or how to measure them. We have to be doing something for these to happen. So what...
A CRUEL SOCIOPATH OUT TO DESTROY YOUR SOUL
If you've ever received editorial feedback before, then you know it can be "challenging". I mean, it's not easy to accept that what you've got down on the page isn't letter perfect, especially when you're pretty good at what you do. All that red ink on your document...
How to go about writing a business parable
How to go about writing a business parable.
Why we need your story more than ever
One of the biggest fears my clients have is that by telling their personal stories they will appear grandiose, self-absorbed, or narcissistic. “Who am I to tell this story,” they ask. “Really, who cares?” Or, “It’s all been written about before, so why bother?” “There...
Which comes first: the blog content or the book?
I talk to a lot of strategic entrepreneurs. They already produce written content--mainly blog posts or newsletters--and they're wondering if they should be focused on writing posts with the sole intention of creating book content. I love people who are into...