There are two basic ways to approach the content that goes into a book. You are creating topical content that’s relevant based on current trends and events. Or you are creating evergreen content that will have value for many years to come. If I can shamelessly steal terminology from Scott Monty’s estimable podcast and Substack,…
I got some interesting responses to yesterday’s list of what tasks to do for your book and in what order. One editor’s response on LinkedIn was typical: I’m fascinated by this list. It seems incredibly counterintuitive to me. Spending time on a title, subtitle, marketing copy, and worrying about who your editor might be before…
So often, authors waste time early in the process of creating a nonfiction book. It breaks my heart to see people writing extensive material that will almost certainly be useless, or trying to line up an agent without a solid idea. At best, such tasks are an inefficient way to make progress. At worst, they’ll…
Do you know someone who’s always saying they should write a book? Or is that you? Here’s a little shove in the right direction, so your friend (or you) can start 2024 on the path to being an author. Starting today and continuing until December 15, you can get your copy of Build a Better…
Here’s what a good author client looks like to me: You want to help people. You know the specific type or group of people you want to help. You know what you are talking about; you have experience. What you know is bigger than could fit into a few pages. You have new insights, not…
The marketing thinker Scott Wilder recently posed this question on LinkedIn: “Would you write a business book today even though in a few years all information will be created and discoverable using AI?” What do you think? Will all information be discoverable using AI? You could have asked this question 15 years ago in the…
I recently wrote about how to negotiate with your publisher. But the publisher-author dance is remarkably subtle, and if you don’t know the steps, you might inadvertently make the relationship awkward. The key for authors is to know when to go first . . . and when to expect the publisher to go first. The…
Why I love text more than other medium, how Amazon prices, a machine reads your book pitch, plus three people to follow, three books to read, and witty link. Why text is good and books are best There’s an explosion in content. Blogs, Substacks, Medium posts, Threads, Podcasts, vlogs, you name it. Which format is…
If you’re going to hire me (or anyone else) to help you writing or editing your book, I’m going to ask a bunch of seemingly invasive questions. There are good reasons for those uncomfortable questions. In fact, I’ll go further: if you’re working with a writer, editor, or coach who doesn’t ask these sorts of…