Are you trying to decide which of several book ideas is best for you to spend your time on? If you’re in this position, you need to determine which potential book will best advance your career. In what area do you want to be known as an expert? Are you solving a big problem for…
There are lots of crappy books written by people who don’t know what they’re talking about. Regrettably, there are also plenty of really experienced people who doubt their ability to write a book about their knowledge, which is a shame. Which are you? Start by asking yourself these questions: If the answer to all of…
Technology is redefining work. With the help of Phil Simon, now you have a chance to see around corners. His new book is The Nine: The Tectonic Forces Reshaping the Workplace. Phil produces valuable books at a breakneck pace. After documenting the most influential major tools defining the future of work with Slack for Dummies…
So, yes, my book was just published. If you count the books I ghostwrote, this is my seventh. A box of books arrived a few weeks ago. I wasn’t home at the time, but I told my son, who was at my house, not to open it – because of course authors are supposed to…
What does it mean to read a book? This is a surprisingly difficult question to answer. It used to be, you sat down with a book and you read it, one page after another. Now you can experience a book through your earbuds while walking in the woods or sitting on a bus, on look…
You know it’s smart to plan book chapters before writing. So don’t start by writing. Start by crafting a fat outline — you’ll save yourself anguish and improve your work with editors and other collaborators, too. What’s a fat outline? It’s a skeletal layout of what’s going to be in the chapter, laid out in…
I once met and briefly worked with an amazing man named Stefan Falk. He has been the executive coach to more than 4,000 leaders of large international companies, and trainer to the renowned consultants at McKinsey and company. There are a thousand books on how to motivate yourself, how to get smarter, and how to…
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…
As you structure your book, deductive logic is leading you astray — especially if you are an academic. State big conclusions first, if you want readers to keep reading. The logical, and wrong, way to structure a nonfiction book Here is the logical way to structure a book: Very nice. Very easy to follow. Very…