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…
I’m subscribed to Jane Friedman’s weekly Bottom Line email newsletter. Jane’s updates on the publishing industry and opinions on trends are essential, and she’s been sharing them since 2015. But rather than her expertise, today I’d like to call out her courteous and respectful attitude towards subscribers, which ought to be the standard for every…
Congress is currently debating major legislation that would cut taxes, especially on corporations and richer Americans, and reduce spending on Medicaid and other programs. In what has to be a peak of Orwellian silliness and as a tribute to how President Trump speaks, it’s called the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. But before you blame…
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…
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,…
Unless you carefully plan your rewrites, you risk wasting lots of effort — and worse, wasting your ability to bring a fresh and creative mind to all parts of your nonfiction book project. The naive approach to the book is to write all the chapters in order. This is easy to conceive, but it creates…
As a ghostwriter and editor, I collaborate with authors all the time. Sometimes it’s stressful. But when it works, it’s glorious. Authors have ideas. The best authors have great ideas. It is not my place to criticize those ideas, in fact, those ideas are often why I’ve decided to collaborate with those authors in the…
According to the Boston Globe, the owners of the Connecticut Sun WNBA team are exploring options for selling the team. I’m not that surprised; Uncasville in southern Connecticut is an out-of-the-way place to put a team, and their facility is not quite up to the level of the growing professionalism and booming audiences of today’s…