Blog
WRITING
I never finished my book
I was sitting in a workshop at Bread Loaf Writers' Conference, watching Scott Russell Sanders field questions about his career. If you don't know Scott's work, he's written a bunch of books and made his living that way, with a side of teaching thrown in. He's the kind...
These two turned 60 authors into bestsellers (And I’m still not over it)
I'm not one to brag on clients (okay, that's a lie—I totally am), but Cecilia and Jason Hilkey are the real deal, and I want you to know about them. Here's what happened: These two came to me at the end of 2024 wanting to publish a parenting anthology. Not a solo...
The blind date that made me realize I was a fraud (and why that was the best thing ever)
I was on a blind date, sitting across from some guy I'd met on Match.com, when he asked what I did for a living. You would have thought I was a street walker, the way I started hemming and hawing. I was so mortified to tell him I was a chemical salesperson—selling...
You’re not a writer, you’re a hoarder (And that’s actually good news)
Let's pretend you're ready to start writing your book. That you're a real eager beaver. Now, word of advice: Before you stare at a blank document for the next three months wondering why writing feels impossible, let's talk about the content goldmine you're probably...
READING
What I learned about acceptance from a dying man and two hospice nurses
Decades have passed, but the two and a half years of illness are still fresh in my mind. I can still hear his voice calling me from the hospital after exploratory surgery. From his tone, I know something is terribly wrong even before he tells me. He’s supposed to be...
The gym guy who made me question everything
Every day, I talk to people who are looking to up their game by writing a book. They've done amazing things in their life and in their business and they want to share the wisdom they've gained. For many, writing a book is a brand new circus trick. It requires them to...
Skip the backstory: let your objects tell the story instead
I was browsing through a little bookstore in D.C. when I ran into an interesting book. It was called China in Ten Words. The Table of Contents had me at hello. Here’s what it looked like in all of its glorious simplicity: People Leader Reading Writing LuXun (Must have...
The ugly truth about why everyone quits their book (except this one badass)
Each week, I have conversations with people who claim to want to write a book. I listen carefully, not just to establish if I like an individual, which is necessary if I'm to take them on as a client; if I think the project would be interesting and teach me a thing or...
LIFE
If you don’t know me, this will sum me up
Several years back, I had the privilege of being interviewed by Denise Brown for a column she writes in the North Star Monthly, a New Hampshire publication. I thought I might share an excerpt of it with you here. It’ll give you some of my philosophy and background,...
Let’s discuss my feet
I'm guessing you're here because you're interested in writing and/or publishing books. Bear with me for a moment while I seemingly deviate from the topic... Every once in a while, Walt gets it in his head that we need to climb another mountain. So, one week not so...
Haters are going to hate
I was 26 the first time I realized that what people thought about me had more to do with them than with who I was/am as a person. Such an epiphany should have freed me; unfortunately, it didn't. When I’d first moved to Iran, I wanted two things more than...
The silliest thing that changed my life
I got to thinking about this bike rack I refused to buy because it looked like way too much bother. Anything that requires me to read a user's manual, well, I I just don't need it badly enough. Yet, if I hadn't been nagged to death to buy the damn thing; if I hadn't...
Check out my book
A no-nonsense guide that teaches writers how to strategically build books using a brick-by-brick content system, focusing on practical results over perfectionism.
Subscribe to my newsletter
Want to know my deal? Well, these are some of my stories. This is my take on life, writing, and reading.