Blog
WRITING
Book launch FOMO is making authors do dumb things
Last week, I had three different authors ask me variations of the same question: "Should I do a Kickstarter like Sarah Jessica Parker did, or that $1.99 thing like Mike Pence, or maybe try that free shipping deal like Jennifer Lopez?" (OK, they didn’t use those...
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...
The publishing question that’s keeping you from writing (And why you’re asking it backwards)
So here's what happened. A woman named...oh, I'll call her Taylor Swift because Walt is super into her.... reached out with some questions about Summit Press's hybrid publishing model versus going the self-publishing route. These were smart questions, the kind that...
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
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...
In defense of the mundane
I recently put together an anthology about single pieces of advice that changed people's lives—real stories from real people about those small inflection points that shift everything. When it came time to promote the book, I asked the contributing authors to share the...
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,...
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