Newsletter 101: Why writers puff up prose, and why it never works. Plus, an open letter to publishers, AI-generated books that never appear, three people to follow and three books to read. The superlative trap Hey, everyone! I’m the greatest, most talented, most super-accomplished writer that you’ve ever encountered. 🥳🎉🥳🎉 Admit it. You read that…
Newsletter 100: A smarter way to go on holiday. Plus, Anthropic’s training on books rules “transformative,” defamation by blurbs, three people to follow and three books to read. How to go away Everyone needs time off. And people tend to disagree on how to do it. There’s the “disconnect entirely” camp. They don’t check email,…
Newsletter 99: The incredible benefits of creating a book with a wicked smart thinking partner. Plus, AI learns from really old books, authors make TikToks of scrawling edits, three people to follow and three books to read. What I learned from my intellectual soulmates I’ve written nine books and am working on another. Only two…
Newsletter 98. Why audacity is essential, but arrogance is poisonous. Plus, Apple’s paper shows how AI doesn’t actually reason, Jane Friedman on what writers fear, three people to follow, and three books to read. Audacity inspires. Arrogance burns out. I was an arrogant guy. And I’ve worked in some pretty arrogant places. Startups tend to…
Newsletter 97: Two decades of persistent value from my long analyst gig. Plus, in defense of a dash, hallucinatory “formatting issues,” three people to follow and three books to read. How 20 years at Forrester changed my life I spent 20 years at one company: Forrester. It’s been 10 years since I left. When I…
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…
Newsletter 95. How AI could extend the productive careers of millions. Plus recommended fake books to read, nonfiction writing tips from fiction, three people to follow and three books to read. AI: Aging intelligence I’ve gotten pretty used to the way my brain works. Based on decades of historical evidence it’s quick, retains almost everything,…
Newsletter 94. Never trust a coach who wants credit for your hard work. Plus training on copyrighted content is not fair use, standing out from 2.6 million books, three people to follow and three books to read. Coaches don’t take credit About a week ago my lower back went out. What that meant was that…
Newsletter 93. How to think before you write and lead. Plus, three questions for all writers, writing advice from a dead mystery writer, a university press in crisis, plus three people to follow and three books to read. Thought leadership from a standing start With the churn now taking place in corporate boardrooms, countless smart…