Is it possible to self-publish a book first, then solicit a traditional publisher? Sure, but only if your self-published book demonstrates a history of sales. If it doesn’t sell in a self-published format, you’ve proven to publishers that it’s not worthy of further investment. In Build a Better Business Book I wrote about authors that…
It is wasteful and ill-considered to write a nonfiction book without considering the competitive landscape. The people who read your book or are considering publishing it have likely already encountered competing books with a similar message for the same audience. You need to know how your book will fit in and how it will stand…
Newsletter 91: Why all writers should think like reporters, a clever writer’s AI hacks, scientific proof that ChatGPT steals books, plus three people to follow and three very timely books to read. Think like a journalist I didn’t go to journalism school. I wish I had, though, because so many of the lessons I’ve learned…
Academics and researchers have the luxury of working deeply for years on a topic. Often, in their work, they discover truths that have the potential to excite a more general audience, breaking out of their tight academic circles. But to succeed with a book on these topics, they need a very different approach than has…
Choosing a ghostwriter is a process fraught with worry. You’re about to put your most cherished ideas — and the business goals that depend on your book — in the hands of a stranger. As with any other hiring process, there’s no set guide on how to do it. And what makes it even more…
Nonfiction authors tell me, “I want to be like Malcolm Gladwell.” So they look at Gladwell’s output and draw lessons from it. Here are are Gladwell’s books and their topics: The Tipping Point (2000) — the spread of ideasBlink (2005) — perceptionOutliers (2008) — what leads to successWhat the Dog Saw (2009) — essaysDavid and…
You may have read that the publisher HarperCollins was offering payments to authors to license their books for AI training. Well, it’s really happening. They contacted my agent, who forwarded their offer to have me license my 2016 book Writing Without Bullshit. I signed the contract and a month or so later I got the…
Authors worry. A lot. Will I get a publisher? How big an advance? What if I don’t get a publisher? Is this the right title? No really, is this the right title? Does my writing suck? Is my idea commonplace? Am I the right person to write this? Do I need a coauthor? Do I…
Face it. Your publisher doesn’t care about you. You have an incredible idea that will change the world. Your publisher doesn’t care. You can write with such deftness and skill that readers will be captivated. Your publisher doesn’t care. You’ve conducted three years of painstaking research. They don’t care. You have incredible ideas on how…