Fifty years ago, William J. Brink, editor at the New York Daily News, wrote a front-page headline for the paper’s story on President Gerald Ford’s refusal to bail out New York City as it neared bankruptcy: Ford to City: Drop Dead With apologies to the runner up, “Headless Body in Topless Bar,” this was the…
In August and September, with the support and sponsorship of Gotham Ghostwriters, I undertook a study of writers and their attitudes about AI. The results were fascinating. This Wednesday, November 5, we’ll be releasing them in the form of a free report. While I can’t share any statistics yet, I can tell you a little…
“We’re going to be a great partner for you.” Now that nobody writes checks any more, I think that statement has overtaken “The check is in the mail” for the most common lie stated in a business context. Partner is such an overused word. What it usually seems to mean in a sales context is…
I know you’re experienced and think you’re a decent writer. And I know you have what you think is a great idea. But after working with many dozens of authors, I’ve learned that you need more. These are the three personal qualities an author needs to get to the end of the book creation process…
Newsletter 121: Why is so much harder to lie in print . . . and could that save us all? Plus concentrating on what AI is bad at, an AI-enabled publishing imprint, three people to follow and three books to read. I can’t lie in print I’ve noticed something about myself and I want to…
Every thought leader wants to be known for a powerful, breakthrough idea. It’s very hard to create the idea that breaks through. But if your idea is big, new, and persuasive, you have a chance. It also helps if its timely and has a catchy name. But even if you do all that, you may…
My friend Dave Carroll has done it again. He’s a fantastic musician, international speaker, hot-selling children’s book author, and all-around nice Canadian. But if you know him, it’s probably because of the irresistible 28-million view YouTube video “United Breaks Guitars.” United Airlines really regrets breaking Dave’s guitar and suffering decades of humiliation in return. Dave…
In my experience, people in their 50s, 60s, and 70s are more likely than younger authors to want to write a nonfiction book. In our business book ROI survey, 80% of the authors were 46 or older. It’s no surprise why this happens. People in that age group: Advice for older nonfiction authors If this…
Editing is expensive. When I edit a book, the cost often exceeds $10,000. You might think I’d go out of my way to promise extra value at that price. It’s sort of the opposite. I never want to overpromise, because that makes trouble later. This is what I promise: But I also make sure people…