The job of an author is inescapably lumpy. There are intensely challenging times and other moments — gaps — in which everything on the to-do list is lower priority. If you find yourself with an hour block or more that’s free, don’t waste it. Invest that time in efforts that will pay off in the…
Authors can’t do everything. What should they hire others to do for them? Assuming you’re working with a publisher rather than self-publishing, here’s a list, ranging from tasks you really shouldn’t outsource to those you probably ought to. Do this yourself. Here’s what you can’t or shouldn’t delegate. You could outsource these tasks, but don’t…
We authors need support from others. It can be a lonely job, and one that’s subject to occasional self-doubt. If your friend is an author, here’s what you can say and do to help during the writing process. Providing emotional support Asking an author how things are going can sometimes feel like asking a friend…
I work with dozens of authors. A lot of them end up surprised, regretful, or sad about what happened in the process of creating and promoting their books. “If I’d only known,” they say. Unfortunately, everyone in the publishing process has an incentive to hide, or at least ignore, some fundamental challenges. Publishers want you…
Is writing a book in your list of 2021 New Year’s resolutions? Your friends may be encouraging you. “This is your year! You can do it!” If you’ve subscribed to emails from any of the “we help you publish” services out there, they’re telling you the same thing. Maybe you need a push. Or perhaps…
The biggest publishing house, Penguin Random House, is merging with the number three publisher, Simon & Schuster. Here’s what that means for you as an author: lower advances, less service, more publisher nickel-and-diming, and still more of the responsibility for success landing on you. Publishing houses struggle to maintain profits and market power in a…
If you are or hope to be an author, there are people who make their living by manipulating people like you. They are hoping to sell you something, based on your dream. It annoys the crap out of me to see people preying on authors by telling them things that are not true. For example:…
I help authors. They’re all over the map. Some are experiencing the earliest glimmerings of author ambitions, while others have written hundreds of pages (possibly in a productive way, possibly not). By the time they get to me, I become their therapist. It’s my job to figure out their problems and recommend the best course…
I want to know who nonfiction and business authors are and how they work. I’d like to know why they got started, what their goals were, did they accomplish those goals, how long did it take, how did they publish (or plan to publish), how many copies did they sell, and how they made money….