For anyone who hasn’t used a developmental editor, it may be hard to understand what a developmental editor does. Put simply, a developmental editor reads a manuscript and makes suggestions intended to help that manuscript accomplish the author’s ultimate goal of communicating meaning. For example: Standing in for the reader Because of the kind of…
I really like finishing things. (Most people do.) As a result, if I have a few minutes free, I read some emails and respond. If I have half an hour free, I complete a task I can do in half an hour, like reviewing a document or drafting a blog post. If I have an…
I’ve seen a lot of messes that were supposed to become books. I learned that fixing messes is neither cheap nor fast, and the results are rarely great. A mess before you start writing is manageable; afterwards, not so much. What is a mess? Authors that build books haphazardly create messes. What is a mess?…
Could there be a place in every big city dedicated to the latest thinking on business ideas, a place where serious business thinkers would love to hang out? Consider what follows my business plan. What got me thinking about this was a Ben Cohen article in the Wall Street Journal titled “That Cool New Bookstore?…
There are lots of crappy books written by people who don’t know what they’re talking about. Regrettably, there are also plenty of really experienced people who doubt their ability to write a book about their knowledge, which is a shame. Which are you? Start by asking yourself these questions: If the answer to all of…
This is exactly what you need to know about business book ideas — in 49-seconds. (At least until Twitter — er, I mean X — stops allowing me to embed video.) From the John Jantsch Duct Tape Marketing Podcast.
Last week I started a LinkedIn newsletter for authors. From now on I’ll be posting it every Wednesday here as well. The format is: short essay, snarky news takes, people to follow, books to read, and an obligatory but lovable plug. This week I cover bullshit, McGraw-Hill’s exit from the business book market, a thief…
Readers of this space (or my book) may recall how I’ve held up Jay Baer’s business books as paragons of the form: sparkling ideas, great stories, meticulous organization, and flawless launches. Now, Jay Baer proves fast is best Jay’s latest business idea is about speed. He’s done consumer research to prove that, with a few…
Do you think the people who made the movie “Barbie” are concerned that “Oppenheimer,” Christopher Nolan’s dark tale of the creation of the atomic bomb, is opening on the same weekend? After all, your average moviegoer is going to see at most one of them this weekend. Surely they studios are competing for your moviegoing…