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…
If you hire me as an editor and your work has problems, I’m going to tell you. And I’m not going to sugarcoat it, either. These are the kinds of comments I frequently make: I sometimes wonder why people don’t fire me, but so far, with more than 100 clients, no one has told me…
Writing is never finished. Only abandoned. While there’s controversy about who said that first, it’s absolutely true. Books go to the publisher at the deadline, and always with authors regretting they don’t have more time to work on them. The key to ensuring that what you turn in is the best it can be is…
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,…
Last week I woke up at 4:00 am with a brilliant idea of what to write for the opening of a book proposal for a client. Every sentence was clear in my mind — at least to the extent that one can have clarity of mind at four in the morning. Was it worth getting…
Here’s how to cure one of the world’s most common writing problems. You’re writing an essay, a blog post, or part of a chapter . . . and something is just wrong. The words are somehow off. The logic isn’t persuasive. The point seems pointless. Writing more seems nauseating. Why write more when you’re disgusted…
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…
What would you think of an author who wrote like this: Build a Better Business Book is the first accessible & comprehensive guide for authors who want to create impact. Learn how to refine your idea, choose a publishing model, & research, write, publish, & promote a book that matters. Includes advice on how to…
I’ve been interviewing authors about how they use AI. One result surprised me. First, know that the authors I spoke with take pride in their writing and find it enjoyable. Almost none of them use AI to write things. One author actually went to the trouble of telling her AI, “Do not answer any of…