It sure is a lot of work to finish a book. Why must it be 99.99% perfect? Why worry about a few typos? Or an awkward page layout? Or a footnote, for that matter? The answer is simple. Flow. The trance When you read a book, you become entranced. Your brain is swept away. You…
You might think there is no one right way to behave in business. But it turns out, that’s wrong. There really is one right way. There are just a million ways to express it. That’s the message of Knock: How to Open Doors and Build Career Relationships That Matter, the new book by Rebecca Otis…
So, I’m lined up to do a consultation with this guy from Silicon Valley. He’s very well connected there, so he tells me. This is a pretty typical session for me — a 30-minute discussion of needs and publishing alternatives with an aspiring author. I typically do three of these a week. And they’re free…
Every book has acknowledgments — the page or two where you thank people for helping you. Those pages are filled with lies. Authors are certainly grateful for the help they get. But acknowledgments leave out so much of what actually happens in creating book. They’re dishonest by omission. Should acknowledgments be honest? Read this, and…
I have been in love with Dr. Seuss since childhood, and happily raised my own children on his lyrical work. Much of his imagery is delightful because it is so exaggerated; some of it is racist. If you want to understand why the company that manages his content has ceased to publish some of his…
I’m editing a book at breakneck speed right now. The author and I interact multiple times a day, but rarely talk to each other. A carefully designed system based on Google Drive, Docs, and Sheets makes it possible. Let me be clear here about the problem I’m solving: We’re building a book out mostly existing…
What is a developmental editor? And why would you need one? What a developmental editor does The job of a developmental editor is to help you make your book better. Lots of people are confused about editors, because “editor” is one of those words that covers a huge amount of ground. At a publication, an…
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…
Simon and Schuster cancelled its book contract with Missouri Senator Josh Hawley, and he’s pretty upset. Here’s what Simon & Schuster announced in a statement: After witnessing the disturbing, deadly insurrection that took place on Wednesday in Washington, D.C., Simon & Schuster has decided to cancel publication of Senator Josh Hawley’s forthcoming book, The Tyranny of…