An interview with Rohit Bhargava, author turned publisher

An interview with Rohit Bhargava, author turned publisher

Rohit Bhargava had an idea. After writing a few great books, he decided to become a publisher-partner for authors. Rohit’s Ideapress Publishing venture is closer to self-publishing, with some costs for authors, but with great upside and the benefits of partnership. His company has now published seven books, including his own bestseller Non-Obvious. Rohit’s got great insights…

How to rewrite a book in one day (with sticky notes)
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How to rewrite a book in one day (with sticky notes)

In 2009, Ted Schadler and I had a problem. The back half of our book Empowered wasn’t working. This is how we fixed it. We were nearing the manuscript deadline for Empowered, Ted’s and my book about strategies to deal with empowered consumers and workers. The front half of the book, about consumers (and marketing), was holding together pretty…

BenBella CEO Glenn Yeffeth on the future of publishing

BenBella CEO Glenn Yeffeth on the future of publishing

BenBella Books occupies a unique position in the publishing business. Rather than pay high advances, BenBella offers a collaborative process with more upside for the author. It’s an attractive alternative to the publishing options I’ve showcased before. Here’s an interview with BenBella’s CEO and publisher, Glenn Yeffeth. What sets BenBella Books apart from other publishers? BenBella…

Lessons from picking a “Writing Without Bullshit” publisher
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Lessons from picking a “Writing Without Bullshit” publisher

I spent the last month pitching publishers. I spent Monday biting my nails and weighing offers. Today I announce the results and share what I’ve learned. HarperBusiness will publish Writing Without Bullshit in September 2016. My editor will be the estimable Hollis Heimbouch, who in an ironic twist was the editor in charge of acquiring Groundswell for Harvard Business…

Review: Why you should read Shel Israel’s “Lethal Generosity”

Review: Why you should read Shel Israel’s “Lethal Generosity”

Shel Israel wrote a followup to his book with Robert Scoble, The Age of Context. Lethal Generosity: Contextual Technology & The Competitive Edge explains what companies need to do now that everything in the world is getting smarter. You really should read it. Shel and I have been on parallel paths for about eight years. He…

The Sense of Style by Steven Pinker: a worthwhile writing guide
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The Sense of Style by Steven Pinker: a worthwhile writing guide

I just finished Steven Pinker’s book on writing style. I like Pinker’s take on writing; I learned a lot from it. It’s a great guide and you should read it, but be aware that business writers need to bring a different and more practical perspective to the advice in this book. Harvard psychologist Steven Pinker is…