If you’re a professional writer — say, a writer writing for an editor, or a ghostwriter writing for a client — you need to understand the psychology of book drafts. You may look at your drafts one way, while your editor or client sees them another. You’ll have less angst in your life if you…
If tell an AI tool like ChatGPT what you want, it’s going to try to get you what you asked for — even if what you asked for doesn’t exist. This is confirmation bias, and it’s a big problem for one of the best uses for LLMs: research. Tools like ChatGPT enormously speed up research…
All ghostwriters are good writers. That’s what clients imagine they are paying for. The challenge, of course, is that good writers — even great writers — are as common as robins in the spring. What gets ghostwriters work, of course, is referrals. And what gets referrals are the skills they have other than writing. These…
Great ideas and great writing make books succeed, even if the title is not perfect. While it pays to put effort into the perfect title, you’re almost certainly overthinking it. Truths: Some great books with the wrong title MIT Professor Clayton Christensen was brilliant. He invented the concept of business disruption. If you know Christensen,…
Newsletter 96. Value at the intersection of humanity and excellence. Plus, ludicrous justifications for AI copyright theft, billionaire boosting big beautiful bill, three people to follow and three books to read. The value of humans with skills Career success comes from two qualities. Skills. And humanity. Everyone knows that having skills — like writing ability…
I’m subscribed to Jane Friedman’s weekly Bottom Line email newsletter. Jane’s updates on the publishing industry and opinions on trends are essential, and she’s been sharing them since 2015. But rather than her expertise, today I’d like to call out her courteous and respectful attitude towards subscribers, which ought to be the standard for every…
Congress is currently debating major legislation that would cut taxes, especially on corporations and richer Americans, and reduce spending on Medicaid and other programs. In what has to be a peak of Orwellian silliness and as a tribute to how President Trump speaks, it’s called the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. But before you blame…
What would you think of an author who wrote like this: Build a Better Business Book is the first accessible & comprehensive guide for authors who want to create impact. Learn how to refine your idea, choose a publishing model, & research, write, publish, & promote a book that matters. Includes advice on how to…
I’ve been interviewing authors about how they use AI. One result surprised me. First, know that the authors I spoke with take pride in their writing and find it enjoyable. Almost none of them use AI to write things. One author actually went to the trouble of telling her AI, “Do not answer any of…