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…
I’ve made a hell of a lot of mistakes while working on 42 nonfiction books. I learned from them. And although my clients may not realize it, that is why they pay to me work with them. I show them how to do it right, and how not to do it wrong, based on all…
A nonfiction book is a huge undertaking. But writing a book is easier than you fear. Here’s how. A book is an idea Start with a differentiated idea that’s relevant for your audience. No idea, no book. If you know something few other people know, that’s your idea. If you have no idea, don’t write…
I had a half-written book. It had languished for a while. I felt stuck. This is how I brought it back to life — without wasting all the work I’d done. Why my book was stuck A while back, I’d started a book titled How to Write a Business Book That Matters: A Comprehensive Guide…