How to fix a ghostwriting (or other freelance) project that’s gone awry

How to fix a ghostwriting (or other freelance) project that’s gone awry

I may or may not have struck out on my current ghostwriting project. We’re in the early stages, and it’s not yet committed. And so far, the client has suggested some very challenging objectives for the writing, and rejected significant elements of the tone I’ve been using. When problems arise in any freelance project, it’s…

How to write books about fast-changing technology

How to write books about fast-changing technology

Books take a while to write and publish. Technology changes quickly. You can still publish a book-length perspective on fast-changing technology, but you’ll need to make wise choices about your publishing model — and should consider an annually updated edition. This topic is top-of-mind now as many business authors are writing about artificial intelligence, a…

Business Book ROI fact: Among serious authors, only 1/3 of revenue comes directly from the book

Business Book ROI fact: Among serious authors, only 1/3 of revenue comes directly from the book

You’ve probably heard that the real money from publishing a business book comes from sources other than the book: speaking, consulting, workshops, courses, and sales for your organization. Now that we have completed the Business Book ROI Study, I thought I’d see whether the survey data backed that up. What it shows is that the…

What is AI good for; The Onion swallows InfoWars; fake bear damage: Newsletter 20 November 2024
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What is AI good for; The Onion swallows InfoWars; fake bear damage: Newsletter 20 November 2024

Newsletter 71. Why technology’s long-term impact is unknowable, HarperCollins pays you to train AI on your books, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s imaginary world, plus three people to follow and three books to read. Everyone predicting the AI future is wrong I spent last Friday at MIT, attending a conference called “BIG.AI@MIT” (Business Implications of Generative…

Could AI replace the teaching of writing? Why the Boston Globe op-ed is dead wrong.

Could AI replace the teaching of writing? Why the Boston Globe op-ed is dead wrong.

Writing teacher Stephen Lane’s essay in the Boston Globe is titled “AI in the classroom could spare educators from having to teach writing.” There are two reasons to teach writing. First, it is a skill that students will need as adults, even in a world drenched in AI tools. And second, learning to write is…

A new ghostwriting test: the tonal appetizers menu

A new ghostwriting test: the tonal appetizers menu

I’m in the trail stages of a serious nonfiction ghostwriting project right now. It’s a great project; I really want to do it. The author has asked for the impossible. He wants writing that’s captivating and compelling, but the source material, while excellent, isn’t very sexy. I could keep trying to rewrite things until something…

Questionable insights from a first-time author: lessons from “Groundswell”

Questionable insights from a first-time author: lessons from “Groundswell”

I was incredibly lucky. My first book Groundswell, written for Forrester Research with my fellow analyst Charlene Li in 2008, took off like a rocket soon after it was published. I thought, “Ah, I have this book thing figured out.” Fifty-plus book projects later, I’ve learned which of the lessons I took away were actually…

AI in the creator economy; the state of publishing; a rubric for storytelling: Newsletter 13 November 2024
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AI in the creator economy; the state of publishing; a rubric for storytelling: Newsletter 13 November 2024

Newsletter 70. When artists should (or mustn’t) use AI; standing desks aren’t worth it; low satisfaction for publishing workers. Plus three people to follow and three books to read. Should you use AI to create? Many of us make our living by creating. This includes both freelancers in the so-called creator economy and people who…