This is my father’s slide rule. For those unfamiliar with this vintage computing instrument, a slide rule was how scientists, engineers, and technicians did mathematical calculations for much of the twentieth century. You’d carefully align the sliding middle portion with outer frame and read the result off the scales, using the cursor (which was a…
If you have an idea, you can spend hours trying to find the right name for it. GoDaddy and NameCheap have efficient tools for searching domains. And Trademarkia will tell you who’s attempted to trademark the name, and for which services. That’s a lot easier than the real work of figuring out who would pay…
Relax. Take it easy. Be creative. Do your own research. I’ve noticed phrases like these creeping into writing that I edit. I call them I4’s: inane, irritating ironic instructions. They turn how-to advice from specific to infuriating. Stop writing this way, please. What is an I4? An I4 is useless, vague advice included in a…
After a while, experienced ghostwriters and editors get a sense of which clients are going to be a problem. But it goes both ways: if you hire folks like us, you should also be aware of problems to watch out for in your editorial partners. Red flags for ghostwriters, editors, or book coaches evaluating clients…
It can take many months or years to assemble a book. Sometimes there are gaps in your work as an author, as life intervenes. It’s fine to work on a book from time to time as your availability allows. But once you start writing in earnest, it’s best to keep going. The fundamental principle is:…
Career advice for the pre-AI era looked like this: Work as creatively and productively as you can. Solve not just the problem put in front of you but the broader problems it reveals. Learn to use the most modern tools that can help you do your work. Carefully check your work; assume there are errors,…
Airbnb gets a lot of snark these days for people’s perceptions of the extra things they are supposed to do. They go in thinking they are getting a bargain, and then find themselves doing the host’s housework. If this is you, you are using it wrong. How to evaluate an Airbnb stay I am in…
Here it is in a nutshell. Use AI do to tedious crap you’d rather not do yourself. Check everything it comes up with. Trust nothing. Use your own judgment to make decisions. It helps, but it can’t replace you. The smarter you are, the more you can use it to help — and the more…
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…