I’ve spent the last day walking around an events space in Manhattan at the second annual Gathering of the Ghosts. It wasn’t easy to get here. After two cancelled flights, I drove 6+ hours from Portland, Maine to New York. But I wasn’t going to miss it. It was worth it. It wasn’t just the…
The second annual Gathering of the Ghosts conference begins today in New York. In preparation for that event, I did a deeper dive into our AI and the Writing Profession survey, sponsored by Gotham Ghostwriters, to concentrate specifically on book ghostwriters. The survey reached a total of 1,481 writers, of which 1,190 were classified as…
Newsletter 122. A deep dive into what 1481 writers told us about how they use AI. Plus, AI is a better parrot than MFAs, demystifying royalty statements, three people to follow, and three books to read. And, I’ll see you next week at the Gathering of the Ghosts — let’s connect! Key results from the…
I help authors succeed. That’s my brand. Don’t abuse it. Look: I am generous with my time. It’s my instinct to help. If you’re a first-time author, you probably have lots of questions about books; I’m likely to spend 30-40 minutes on the phone with you. I’m also likely to give your recommendations for which…
I know you’re experienced and think you’re a decent writer. And I know you have what you think is a great idea. But after working with many dozens of authors, I’ve learned that you need more. These are the three personal qualities an author needs to get to the end of the book creation process…
Newsletter 121: Why is so much harder to lie in print . . . and could that save us all? Plus concentrating on what AI is bad at, an AI-enabled publishing imprint, three people to follow and three books to read. I can’t lie in print I’ve noticed something about myself and I want to…
In my experience, people in their 50s, 60s, and 70s are more likely than younger authors to want to write a nonfiction book. In our business book ROI survey, 80% of the authors were 46 or older. It’s no surprise why this happens. People in that age group: Advice for older nonfiction authors If this…
Editing is expensive. When I edit a book, the cost often exceeds $10,000. You might think I’d go out of my way to promise extra value at that price. It’s sort of the opposite. I never want to overpromise, because that makes trouble later. This is what I promise: But I also make sure people…
Newsletter 120. Why enshittification is this century’s most important economic trend, getting beyond AI hype and counter-hype, a new imprint for Hollis Heimbouch, plus three people to follow and three books to read. Is enshittification reversible? The essayist and novelist Cory Doctorow just published the most significant economic treatise of the Twenty-first Century. It’s called…