Why writing a chapter could be better than writing a whole damn book

I was talking to a potential client yesterday about her dream of writing a book. She's got this amazing story about rebuilding her life after losing everything—and I mean everything—in 2008. The kind of story that makes you realize your own problems aren't quite as...

Or you could just write an essay

When I was in grad school, I took an essay writing course. We were assigned an anthology called The Best American Essays, which still sits, all marked up with black ink, on my bookshelf. (If I could find a link, I'd put it here, but I can't.)  In it, I discovered the...

The life changing magic of cleaning our house

Walt and I were finally cleaning out the basements (yes, that’s a plural); and the over-stuffed three-car garage; and the attics (again, the plural); and all of the closets; and each of the seven, count them, seven bedrooms. This in preparation for our move to...

What an epic

Walt got it into his head a couple of summers ago that he wanted to paint our deck. He figured, with a little scraping and a gallon of outdoor, weather-resistant paint, he could have the task done over a weekend. To this end, we ran to the local home and garden center...

The Hidden Cost of Going It Alone

As a developmental editor working with experts and thought leaders, I've noticed a common belief that stops many potential authors from creating the powerful book they envision: "I've been creating content for years—I should be able to write this book on my own." If...

The Sane Food Solution

Tuesday, December 10, 2024; that's the day The Sane Food Solution:Transform Your Relationship with Food and Change Your Life hits the market. This book, Summit Press Publishers' latest release, captures Theresa Wright's nearly 40 years of experience treating food...

Momento Mori

I was doom scrolling on Instagram when I came across a Ryan Holiday post about his 2022 book, Discipline Is Destiny. In it he writes, “To procrastinate is to be entitled. It is arrogant. It assumes there will be a later. It assumes you’ll have the discipline to get to...

A six-week checklist to prepare for your book project

Here's a strategic six-week pre-writing roadmap that aligns with your goals for business growth and impact: Week 1: Vision Clarity & Market Research - Define your unique "book fingerprint" (what makes your perspective unique) - Research top 5 competing books in...

One of my inspirations for writing

When I first started writing, and we’re talking twenty plus years ago, I wasn’t the least bit interested in establishing myself as any kind of expert or to attract ideal clients. I simply wanted to better understand a complicated chapter in my life. To figure out what...

Why now is the best time to write your book

Years ago, Walt and I hosted a three-day event in Ireland. We got a bunch of folks interested in building a solid coaching practice to cross the pond and listen to us expound upon the framework we use to do just that. We also introduced our audience members to some...

The Secret Ingredient That Makes or Breaks a Nonfiction Book

A lot of manuscripts slide across my desk each week, which shouldn't surprise anyone seeing as I run a publishing house. After all these years in the business, I can identify why a particular book draws me in and where another immediately goes off the rails. I mean, I...

The kind of feedback that can screw you up

Maybe I’ve told this story before, maybe not.   During grad school, I wrote a series of personal essays and short stories about my experience living in Iran and the demise of my marriage. After graduating, I built out this body of work and decided to pitch it as a...

A music video with an embedded writing lesson

I broke my ankle a number of years ago. I ended up in the gym after six weeks of going crazy at home, which is precisely what happens when I don’t run. I don’t tend to watch TV or music videos, but I happened to be on the stair-master one morning when this video...

The Curse of the Natural

If you want to write a book but hesitate because you don't consider yourself a gifted writer, you may be suffering under The Curse Of The Natural. You assume that if you're not great at something straight out of the gate, you should set it aside because you're just...

Nobody wants to read your sh*t

In 2016, Steven Pressfield published his book Nobody one Wants to Read Your Sh*t. It scared a lot of would-be authors who want to contribute to the world, not burden it with garbage. What must you do to create a book worth reading? Let me answer that from the...

Writing books I recommend

Given my profession, I'm often asked about my favorite books on writing. Before I answer, I tend to want to know WHY someone wants this information, mostly because I've noticed the tendency to read extensively on the topic, as opposed to doing the uncomfortable work,...

Pleasure Island

Our job as writers, particularly prescriptive nonfiction writers, is to take our readers on a journey. A very specific, personal journey that takes us from Pain Island to Pleasure Island, as Vrinda Norman puts it. Pain island represents failure, pain, and frustration....

Strong Titles Are Keyword-Rich

Remember when I said that your book title has two jobs and two jobs only: 1. To sell your book 2. To help your book get discovered through search engines Well, it’s time to talk about those search engines for a hot minute. You have hundreds and thousands of books to...

Strong Titles Are Memorable and Pack a Punch

Our titling saga continues... The title is what readers remember well enough to repeat to friends and search for on Amazon; the subtitle, less so. The most memorable titles are short, three words or less being ideal. Now, there are exceptions to this rule, of course....

Still Stripping After 25 Years

Yah, I bet that subject line grabbed your attention, made you want to learn more. And yet...you want to be careful of attention ploys when it comes to book titles. I know how easy it is to fall in love with a clever title that would be the perfect match for an...

Strong titles match the category

You've probably read plenty of prescriptive nonfiction books, particularly if you're writing one or just finishing it up. Look at your bookshelves, or head to Amazon and browse around. Pay attention to the language of the titles and subtitles in that category. Notice...

Trying to craft the right title for your book?

If the title is powerful enough, it doesn’t matter what’s in the book. Maybe you’ve heard this said. Everything Men Know About Women proves this theory because that book has sold more than 750,000 copies and its 120 pages are … blank. Coming up with a strong title for...

Getting laid, getting paid, looking fab

Years ago, and I mean yearssssss ago, Walt and I attended a Brendan Bruchard conference. That’s where we recognized that we could create a business out of just about anything we pulled out of our backends. I mean, we met people who were making money doing the most...

We need to fix that dialogue

As much as we'd like them to, our readers don't tend to remember strings of concepts, statistics, or cold, hard facts. Especially page after page of them. The best way to make information sticky is to tell them a story, to deliver the necessary points, at least the...

Pity publishing doesn’t exist

I run into writers who do not understand the publishing world AT ALL. Take the nice person who commented on this video. If it's taking you two years to get published--and I'm not talking about the traditional production process, which feels like frozen molasses on a...

Revision steps for a prescriptive non-fiction book

Have you written a complete draft of a book, one with tons of bugs still in it? Are you wondering what comes next; what you’re supposed to do, specifically, during revision? If you’ve written a book that doesn’t require a narrative arc—motivational, self-help, or...

How delaying gratification can multiply satisfaction and success

In this Instagram video, the authors Ryan Holiday and Robert Greene discuss the true sense of fulfillment that comes from sinking your focus into a long-term book project instead of seeking a splashy insta win. Robert Greene is best known for The 48 Laws of Power a...

Success is a double-edged sword

I'm always interested in hearing about that moment a business owner decides that it's time to write a book. One minute they're juggling myriad responsibilities, the next, they're looking around trying to decide how one goes about getting a book writing job done...

So you want to create an audio book

Lately I’ve been listening to the book Braiding Sweetgrass on afternoon walks or whenever I putter in the kitchen. It’s narrated by the author, Robin Wall Kimmerer, which makes the experience all the more enjoyable. She sinks her essence into the material AND she...

Non-fiction formatting techniques

There’s something wonderful about writing a non-fiction book—how-to, self-help, or motivational, just to name a few of the business-building genres. You get to use all sorts of formatting tricks a memoirist or novelist would kill for. What do I mean by formatting...

30 minutes to literary success

I talk to writers about their desire to get a traditional publishing house deal at least once a week. I'm sure I've mentioned this numerous times before. It'll take me an hour to explain the lay of the land, when and if it makes sense, and I can't help thinking I...

Competing with Henry Kissinger

How do you stand out in a crowded market? Good question. Especially when you are writing an expert-positioning book on a popular subject. If you plug in the keyword “leadership” on Amazon, up will pop 60,000+ titles on the subject. That’s right, 60,000 PLUS. On the...

What if your book is an epic failure?!

You’ve been talking about writing a book for years, a book that will attract right-fit clients, grow your business, impact lives, establish authority in your field. But you’re afraid to get started because….what if you fail. OK, maybe this isn't you, but let's just...

Why would you write a book about that?!

Once upon a time--OK, about a month ago--an expert wanted to write a book to buttress her credibility, attract right-fit clients, and help those who couldn’t afford her consulting fee. This is a more than reasonable desired outcome for an author working on...

So you want to tell your personal story

Hey, successful entrepreneur writing a non-fiction book for your business. Here’s another way to turn your readers into clients and/or fans: Have a solid structure with a clear transformation path As opposed to  taking your reader on a wild goose chase over hill and...

Here’s why I think people end up writing Business Card books

Here’s why I think people end up writing Business Card books, you know, the 100-page (or less) skim across a topic that you can hand to potential clients, usually accompanied by an apology because you know it’s not very good. As an entrepreneur or business owner,...

The Lizard of Resistance

You’ve probably talked for years about writing your book, the one that will inspire people to take massive action AND build your business. The one that will save readers time and pain AND establish you as a true authority. The one that will spell out your framework...

Slinking back to my Crazy Creek chair…

Every  new year, I find myself crazy excited about the possibilities. This is the year that I'll climb some big mountain, or create an even bigger and better offer to help folks write their books. I'm going to lose 20 pounds (again). And finish my memoir... Once I get...

If you don’t know me, this will sum it 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,...

Business card books

A Business card book is often written by a business owner who wishes to demonstrate their expertise in 100 pages or less. The design is to establish authority and demonstrate that the author has a framework to solve a particular problem. Now, I'm not a huge proponent...

Excuse #3: It’s not the right time in my business to write a book

Oh, this is an excellent excuse for not writing a book for your business in that, sometimes, it's true. Quite possibly, it's not the right time for you given the much bigger fish you need to fry first. (Think: "I don't have a website or a client yet" all the way to,...

Excuse #2: I don’t have time to write a book

I wanted to share with you a 10-minute Masterclass I ran sometime back for those who registered for one of my book-writing webinars. I got tons of comments about just how helpful it was, thus me finally getting around to presenting it to you here. I would have done it...

Excuse #1: There’s too much work required to write a book

Oh, I'd say I hear this excuse for not writing a book once a day.  Mostly from people who actually WANT to have a book to their name at this point in their career. If I'm out in public and talking about what I do for a living, I'll hear it at least twice. Which is why...

How to turn your course into a book

It sounds so easy, right? Take the transcripts from your course--you know, the ones that accompany your video tutorials-- organize them into chapters, throw in a few extra case studies, and call it a day. Done and dusted, as the Irish like to say. A book in a weekend,...

When you can’t keep your sh*t together at work

🌟You know what happens. You've got that one knucklehead you have to interact with on a regular basis. Every single time they open their mouth, your hackles spring to attention. It takes everything you've got to suppress a growl, or refrain from saying something that...

How to choose the best book topic

Like a lot of my clients, my friend has way too many books he'd like to write. In fact, for the last ten years, the sheer volume of choices have kept him stuck. What if he chooses wrong? What if he invests all that time and effort into something he'll lose interest in...

Jack of all trades, master of none

If you have a bunch of interests, but don't consider yourself a master at any one... If you're afraid to choose one of these interests as a topic for an expert-positioning book because, you know, you're hardly the master.... If you're waiting for clarity, depth of...

Your book hook

A lot of manuscripts slide across my desk each week, which shouldn't surprise anyone seeing as I run a publishing house. After all these years in the business, I can identify why a particular book draws me in and where another immediately goes off the rails. I mean, I...

How to write a non-fiction conclusion for your book

I took an essay writing course in grad school back when dinosaurs roamed the earth and discovered that it’s much harder to wrap up a piece than it is to start one. When it comes time to draw a conclusion, just watch yourself blank out. The same sort of WTF-now? comes...

How to write a (prescriptive) non-fiction book introduction

The introduction to your non-fiction book is your chance to make a good impression on potential readers and convince them to keep reading. We’re all busy people, so we need to know, straight out of the gate, that our precious time will not be wasted. These first few...

Three narrative-driven nonfiction genres

Many of us become coaches, speakers, or service professionals, if you will, because we’ve had to solve a particular problem for ourselves. Through trial and error, we figured out the process required to get the desired outcome. Somewhere along the road, we realized...

There’s more to writing a memoir than meets the eye

I realize, after talking to a number of folks who want to write what they describe as a business memoir--what they really want to do is include a lot of personal narrative in a self-help book--that the average person has no idea what a memoir entails.  Years ago, I...

12 Horrific Things About the Publishing Industry You Need to Know

When I came out of grad school, writers had to bank on traditional publishing houses to choose them for a sense of worth and/or credibility. You could self-publish—it was called vanity publishing then—but that had all the panache of finding a spouse in the classified...

I’ve been avoiding this conversation

I have a problem. This problem has gotten big enough that I’ve decided I need a solution. Oh, sure, I’ve been aware of this issue for a good long while, but recently I recognized that it’s costing me big time, so it’s taken on some urgency. You see, I avoid conflict....

This book is about to blow up the marketplace

August 15, 2023. That's the official publication date of Calm the Chaos by parenting expert Dayna Abraham. Now, that might not mean much, particularly if you're not the target audience for this book. (Why buy a book on parenting if you've never had kids or the birds...

A Year of Yes

Each Friday, Simon and Schuster sends out a promo email advertising temporarily discounted books. You can snag great Kindle reads for a couple of dollars. If you’re not on their mailing list, you can right that travesty by going here. Trust me, you want to be on this...

Your story of triumph

I view stories, particularly the personal kind, with three sets of eyes. First, the eyes of a human who is deeply moved by the capacity of the human soul to rise above astoundingly traumatic shit. Then, the eyes of a writer (and editor) whose job is to make the thing...

There’s more to this game than being good at what you do

I once had a conversation with an actor who wanted to write a book about public speaking. I'll call her Gloria, even though that's not her name. Gloria had figured out, thanks to years of professional training and experience, how to be comfortable on stage while...

Do I look like I need help?!

I hate asking for help. I really do. And many of my clients have felt that way too. Until they recognized that writing a book on their own was harder than they thought or that they just didn't have the time, given their myriad responsibilities. As a culture, Americans...

Why risk it if you don’t have to?

A while back, one of my friends questioned my penchant for voluntarily placing myself in situations where I could get hurt, for "manufacturing fear". The world provides enough danger already, why go out looking for more? She was referring to mountain climbing, but in...

Lifting the skirts on the writing process

Have you ever watched a professional runner run? Looks so easy, doesn’t it? They’ve all got that half smile playing across their face, that healthy sheen, those long, fluid strides that make the act seem so fun. From the couch, you can practically feel the endorphins...

Just write an essay

When I was in grad school, I took an essay writing course. We were assigned an anthology called The Best American Essays, which still sits, all marked up with black ink, on my bookshelf. (If I could find a link, I'd put it here, but I can't.)  In it, I discovered the...

You get to be the hero

This week, I had the opportunity to speak to a group of awesome entrepreneurs about powerful stories, stories that sell. The nice folks in the audience are required to market their products and services to keep the lights on and the mortgage paid, etc. so they were...

I wish emotions weren’t necessary…but they are

Many of my clients want to include personal stories in their book, often because they've had to overcome certain challenges shared by their clients.  Their story, their journey, is relevant to their target audience. All successful stories have one thing in common:...

Healthy as F*ck

Oonagh Duncan, author of Healthy as F*ck, has a potty mouth. It's one of the reasons we hit it off straight away. It's one of the reasons her people are drawn to her like Spandex to a thigh. They've tried to get fit and loose weight before. They're not into cheery...

The gift of trauma?

Three years ago, I had a conversation with Dr. Edith Shiro. She wanted to write a book about post traumatic growth and she needed the book out, like, yesterday. The pandemic had just begun and she could see what was about to happen to the world. Trauma was going to...

When you have to go back and try again…

Mozella Ademiluyi understands failure, resilience, and hard-won success. Her inspirational book, Rise!: Lean Within Your Inner Power & Wisdom, documents her thwarted attempt to summit Kilimanjaro at the age of 50, which led to her standing atop Africa's highest...

Six pictures

Over the weekend, as I was perusing the New York Times, I came across an article about some actress I've never heard of who was willing to share six random pictures stored in her camera, pictures which would more or less sum up her past year. Like I said, I didn't...

Six feet under

I've been thinking a lot about the word legacy lately. The idea of leaving something of ourselves behind to future generations. Sure, you may have kids, but that's not what I'm talking about. The other day I was talking to a woman about legacy as it related to a book...

Seated at the soda fountain

In 2018, Vicki Suiter published  The Profit Bleed: How Managing Margin Can Save Your Contracting Business. Since then, she's consistently earned hundreds of dollars each quarter with her book, not counting the impressive income she brings in from her related products...

A symptom of the hustle culture?

Catherine Rolt, author of The Pain Paradox, has a huge mission, which was the driving force behind writing her book. She believes that pain is our friend and is trying to teach us something that we've likely been avoiding. Ignoring unpleasant events, relationships, or...

The minute you see just how random you are

I don't know about you but I think I'm pretty strategic. Like, I've got a clear-ish vision of where I want to go, a fairly good idea of what I have to accomplish now and in the next....oh, three or four minutes... Then I have a conversation with Jon Corteen. Jon...

When do you call it quits?

🌟What happens when the agent with whom you have a relationship turns down your first proposal AND tells you your credibility is in question? If you're Dayna Abraham, you keep going. You write a new proposal that gets you a 6-figure book deal AND you write the book in...

What I’m reading now: Barnflower

In Ireland, I would sit on the couch and watch my neighbor’s grazing cows through the living room window. Each morning John’s border collie would hit the pasture and drive the herd down the hill to the milking parlor. The dog would appear again in the evening when we...

Author Mary Barbera and her quest to turn autism around

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Your Achille’s heel is boring

My friend and I were seated together at a conference. I could practically feel the sparks coming off her, so consumed was she by the desire to be plucked from the crowd and brought onstage for an exercise. Leaning forward, she gripped the chair-back in front of her,...

Sometimes it’s not about the money

I sell book-writing and publishing services. That means I have to market said services: highlight the potential benefits of sinking time, energy, and money into a book project as well as point out the typical stuff that gets in the way. Basically identify the gap...

Know thy audience

I think author Jon Corteen and his two books, The Profit Culture Formula and The Catfish Interview, offer a terrific lesson to those looking to write a book, particularly if they serve multiple avatars.  You can package your content in myriad ways, but you've got to...

Another habit I need to kill

I'm at a stage in life and in business that requires me to kill some old habits. Oh, being frugal and learning to do it all on my own has gotten me here, but it won't get me where I want to go. I know that. Maybe you do too. Which is where this story comes in.

Here’s who I’m jealous of

“Jealousy,” according to writer Anne Lamott, “ is such a direct attack on whatever measure of confidence you’ve been able to muster.  But if you continue to write, you are probably going to have to deal with it, because some wonderful, dazzling successes are going to...

Speaking of soiling your family name…

Prince's Harry's memoir sold 1.43M copies on release day. That M stands for million, in case you're unfamiliar. Which is next to unheard of. Even before the shiny-covered tell-all hit the shelves, scuttlebutt abounded. And that ungrateful-over-sharing-Harry...

How to make book writing so much easier

For lots of entrepreneurs, sitting down to write an entire book on their own seems ridiculously daunting. They have no idea how they’d ever come up with that much content. But imagine getting others to do the writing for you. Even better, imagine attracting ten times...

No one wants to read your sh*t

In 2016, Steven Pressfield published his book No one Wants to Read Your Sh*t . It scared a lot of would-be authors who want to contribute to the world, not burden it with garbage. What must you do to create a book worth reading? Let me answer that from the perspective...

How do you know when your book is done?

That's the question all of us writers ask, not just my clients. In fact, I brought this post back because I've fielded this question twice this week, and it's only Monday. And there's a short and sweet answer--when you've done everything you can do, everything you can...

Dad was right about this

My mother loved to paint. I’m not talking art, I’m talking rooms. She’d head on over to the local Benjamin Moore store and buy three gallons of whatever shade of yellow was on special, and cart them home in our station wagon. Next, she’d set up the step stool, even...

So much for common knowledge

Barry, our caretaker, stopped by one day last summer. He’s a really lovely dude who cuts our grass and looks after our place in Ireland whenever we’re gone. Anyway, Barry was giving out about some Americans who were due to arrive at another property he looks after....

Permission to get it wrong

I think about my arch nemesis--efficiency--a lot when I'm on a mountain.  Day in and day out, carrying one load up to a higher camp, going back down for another.  Breaking camp in the morning, setting it back up all over again at night.  Going up an unpleasantly steep...

How to write a book proposal

In my line of work, I talk to a lot of fascinating people who consider their stories worthy of Big House publishing. They've done the whole rags-to-riches thing, or overcome outrageous abuse, or performed the most amazing feats of courage. I mean, I'm awed by the...

The book first, or the course?

You know what stops people from doing what they say they want to do? A plethora of choice, that's what. You get how it goes.  Should I do this first, or that? What's the benefit for taking this course of action, followed by that course, or vice versa? These questions...

If it were easy…

I grew up with ZERO understanding of process. I chalk this up to the alcoholic dynamic that played out in our household. One minute–OK, this would go on for hours, but who’s counting– my father would be drinking and raging, tearing into my mother, sending the family...

Start with What You’ve Got

Deb Feder is a business development coach and strategist who helps lawyers and professionals bring in consistent clients through curious, confident conversations and changing the way we view productivity for professionals. She's also a righteous bad ass. I LOVE...

Why does it matter, really?

I have this really wise friend who also happens to be a clinical psychologist specializing in the science of change.  Sometime last year, she started sending out these short videos to her mailing list. I find myself watching them while I eat lunch because they calm me...

One more way to spot a newbie

Lately, I’ve had my head in manuscripts just rife with purple prose. Purple prose, for those of you unfamiliar with the term, is writing that’s so extravagant, ornate, or flowery, it breaks the flow and draws excessive attention to itself. Purple prose is...

The painful book-writing process

Dr. Serena Sterling wasn’t sure she’d ever finish her book project. There were times, as her content developer, I wasn’t sure she would either. Because Serena wasn’t just writing about her business–helping people overcome chronic physical and/or emotional pain–she was...

Your motivation matters

Can I ask you a question? Why do you want to write a book? Seriously, do you even know? What's your purpose for doing so? •     To create a beautiful work of art? •     To tell your life story? •     To outline your message? •     To serve as an expert calling card?...

Inventing Anna: the cure for Imposter Syndrome

I write about the Imposter Syndrome all the time because it's the single biggest issue many of my clients have. It's what keeps them from starting their book, finishing it, then publishing it when it's time to let it go. In fact, I've written about this issue HERE and...

You’d be surprised by what I see

Years ago, I pitched my memoir to an agent at a famous writers' retreat. Big time agents basically trawled the place looking for up and coming talent, which was one of the reasons I was there. There I sat, doing my level best to describe my work in progress,...

This thing called process

Have you ever watched a professional runner run? Looks so easy, doesn’t it? They’ve all got that half smile playing across their face, that healthy sheen, those long, fluid strides that make the act seem so fun. From the couch, you can practically feel the endorphins...

Should you include personal stories?

I got this note from one of my clients recently: I was reading some reviews on Amazon associated with books on my topic and some of the reviews were awful. People complained that they didn't care to read about her (the author's) life events, they just wanted to focus...

See if you can spot your favorite excuse

Any time you switch up your routine or form new habits–which is pretty much what needs to happen before starting a book project–you’ve got to overcome all sorts of obstacles that spring up in your path. It’s all well and good when you’re pumped up and motivated, when...

A cruel sociopath out to destroy your soul

If you've ever received editorial feedback before, then you know it can be "challenging". I mean, it's not easy to accept that what you've got down on the page isn't letter perfect, especially when you're pretty good at what you do. All that red ink on your document...

It’s not about the advance

I speak at seminars about getting non-fiction books published. I'm often asked about the average advances authors get from major publishing houses and the average time it takes to write a polished book....the kind that interests said houses. And invariably, folks...

Mean literary agents

I've been having the same conversation a lot lately. It goes something like this: A nice professional has gone to the trouble of crafting a book proposal, honing a query letter, even landing a call with an agent or two, only to be told one thing. "Your book will never...

This is the kind of argument you want

A lot of manuscripts slide across my desk each week, which shouldn't surprise anyone seeing as I run a publishing house. After all these years in the business, I can identify why a particular book draws me in and where another immediately goes off the rails. I mean, I...

The girl in the puffy red coat

You know how, at the start of a big endeavor, you worry that you’ll never drive it to completion? That you're about to bite off more than you can chew and delude yourself in general? How embarrassing the very thought of failing to finish what you started feels?...

This fly-by-night actor who knows bupkiss

I once had a conversation with an actor who wanted to write a book about public speaking. I'll call her Gloria, even though that's not her name. Gloria had figured out, thanks to years of professional training and experience, how to be comfortable on stage while...

Who knew this would be such an epic?

Walt got it into his head that he wanted to paint our deck. He figured, with a little scraping and a gallon of outdoor, weather-resistant paint, he could have the task done over a weekend. To this end, we ran to the local home and garden center with a paint chip to...

Dropping the armor

Walt and I were talking about the performance artist, Marina Abramovic, this morning. I don't know if you've ever caught sight of this video clip of her sitting across the table from strangers at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. People stood in line...

What a music video can teach you about writing

I broke my ankle a number of years ago. I ended up in the gym after six weeks of going crazy at home, which is precisely what happens when I don't run.  I don’t tend to watch TV or music videos, but I happened to be on the stair-master one morning when this video...

Advice from a literary agent

This is a guest post by my friend Lucinda Halpern, head of Lucinda Literary. Lucinda is a literary agent. That means she gets writers book deals with traditional publishing houses. Trust me, she's no slouch. She's gotten some pretty amazing deals for some of my book...

A smack upside the head

Here’s the thing. Your readers (a.k.a. potential clients) want to know that you’ve overcome the same challenges that they’re currently facing. They want to know that you’ve had your own on-your-knees moment—that horrible moment when you recognized that something had...

How to turn your speech into a book

Once upon a time (actually, in 2014), Naval Admiral William H. McRaven gave the University of Texas Austin commencement address. It was a twenty-minute speech that outlined ten principles he’d learned during Naval SEAL training. These principles helped him overcome...

Get others to paint your fence

For a lot of entrepreneurs, sitting down to write an entire book on their own seems ridiculously daunting. They have no idea how they’d ever come up with that much content. But imagine getting others to do the writing for you. Even better, imagine attracting ten times...

I’m going to help you with your dialogue

As much as we'd like them to, our readers don't tend to remember strings of concepts, statistics, or cold, hard facts. Especially page after page of them. The best way to make information sticky is to tell them a story, to deliver the necessary points, at least the...

Help? Who, me?

Being a pretty decent writer, you may think you should go it alone when tackling a book project. Or that a big publishing house should supply you with all sorts of writing help as part of the deal....I mean, if they insist. But I'd like to tell you about Maxwell...

Effort vs. Results

It's math. Simple math. Everybody knows that the more effort you put into something, the better the results you should see. Up to a point, this assumption holds true. Yet, for the kind of results you'd die for, a ton more effort than you'd think will be required. That...

Getting laid, getting paid, looking fab

Years ago, and I mean yearssssss ago, Walt and I attended a Brendan Bruchard conference. That's where we recognized that we could create a business out of just about anything we pulled out of our backends. I mean, we met people who were making money doing the most...

So you think you can help everybody

I'm going to share with you some important concepts I walk my clients through before they start in on a project. In fact, just the other day, I had this conversation nearly word for word. If you're an entrepreneur or a service professional, these ideas are going to be...

I’m a coward

I have a problem. This problem has gotten big enough that I’ve decided I need a solution. Oh, sure, I’ve been aware of this issue for a good long while, but recently I recognized that it’s costing me big time, so it’s taken on some urgency. You see, I avoid conflict....

When the bloom comes off the rose

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...

Those of us who tell the stories rule society

Over the upcoming holiday season, Walt and I will be trekking in Nepal. Oh, sure, some people choose the Bahamas when they want to unwind, us, not so much. We're all about yaks and tents and pooping in a bucket because, well, that's just how we roll. Nothing says...

Picture The Kite Runner without the Taliban

Not long ago, I had a conversation with a lovely woman about her book, the one that sold all of three copies in as many years. Now, this woman is no slouch in the writing department. In fact, she makes a good living as a copyeditor. BUT, there's one thing she really...

The pluses and minuses of being hazy AF

I've got lots of unpopular opinions, many of them formed the hard way. As a writer, then a writing workshop leader, then a book coach, then a book doctor, then a publisher......oh the journey....I can tell you EXACTLY where the trains tend to come off the track during...

With truth comes peace

I received this beautiful note a while back in response to one of my newsletters. I'd like to share it and my response with you.  It's relevant to you writers out there, AND to people-pleasers. Thank you for your raw honesty. Your courage inspires me, seriously. Each...

Sexy formatting tricks to stir envy

There’s something wonderful about writing a non-fiction book—how-to, self-help, or motivational, just to name a few of the business-building genres. You get to use all sorts of formatting tricks a memoirist or novelist would kill for. What do I mean by formatting...

How to write a book when you’re nutty

I wanted to share with you a 10-minute Masterclass I ran a month or two back for those who registered for one of my book-writing webinars. I got tons of comments about just how helpful it was, thus me finally getting around to presenting it to you here. I would have...

Can I charge more if I have a book?

The other day, I was talking to a student enrolled in the Influential Author Formula. She asked, “Can I charge more money if I have a book?” God, I love this question, which is why I’m going to share my answer right here. Let’s come at this from two angles. If you’re...

When you just don’t feel like it…

I thought I'd bring this post back because it's even more relevant than ever, thanks to pandemic fatigue. You know what I'm talking about, that sense that doing ANYTHING seems so...utterly pointless. And yet, we need to keep forging ahead because the alternative is...

Some Books I’m Horribly Excited About

I love it when my clients, after months of writing and revising and doubting themselves and the whole value of their projects, break through to the other side and begin the process of publishing their books. So, I just wanted to pause long enough to celebrate some...

The brilliance of Jeff Walker and his book, Launch

I'm a huge fan of internet marketing expert, Jeff Walker. So much so, that I'm part of his inner-circle community. Guy opens his mouth, and I learn something new. Every time. If you've ever enrolled in my super digestible course, Turn Your Book Into a Money Machine,...

That time Oprah called about your book

I want to write a book so good, so meaningful, that it lands me on Oprah. I want to sit beneath her shade tree in that lovely wicker chair and talk about, not just my book, but our shared philosophy of life. Tell me, do you think I have a shot? That's a question I...

That ugly thing they’re going to find out

I’m always fascinated by people who have a love/hate relationship with attention. Maybe because I do, too. Turn a video camera on me when I haven’t spent hours primping and preparing, and I choke. Like I've got a 6-oz ribeye lodged in my throat. Take my friend, who...

Nothing good comes easy

I grew up with ZERO understanding of process. I chalk this up to the alcoholic dynamic that played out in our household. One minute--OK, this would go on for hours, but who's counting-- my father would be drinking and raging, tearing into my mother, sending the family...

What are the steps in publishing a book?

You’ve finished your manuscript, now what? You’ve done all that hard work, all that revision, and now it’s time to publish your book. What comes next? Where do you go? Who do you call? I mean, beyond Ghostbusters? The fewer questions you have, the easier it will be to...

Give your narrative some structure

Hey, successful entrepreneur writing a non-fiction book for your business. Here’s another way to turn your readers into clients and/or fans: Have a solid structure with a clear transformation path As opposed to  taking your reader on a wild goose chase over hill and...

Narrow your scope

Hey, successful entrepreneur writing a non-fiction book for your business. Want to know what to include in a book? Want to turn your readers into clients and/or fans? Well then, spell out a CLEAR SOLUTION to AN urgent problem. Don't try to solve every problem known to...

Give your readers stories, not more facts and figures

Hey, successful entrepreneur writing a non-fiction book for your business. Here’s the the best way to turn your readers into clients and/or fans: Give them stories, lots of stories As opposed to saddling them with a dry textbook chuck full of concepts, facts, figures,...

Small minded and petty

When I came out of Harvard, I had visions of becoming the next literary superstar. That's what we all talked about in grad school. I wanted to sit along the Grand Canal like Hemmingway and work on my writing all day. (You know, wine, seagulls, and interesting friends...

How to lose friends

Writers worry a lot. Worry is what feeds our procrastination; why we’d rather clean that disgusting barbecue grill than sit in front of our nice, clean computers. We worry that we’re hacks; that we have nothing new to say on a subject, that we’re frittering away our...

It all starts with your clever title…

Writing a book to attract ideal clients and expand your reach? Well, you're going to want to consider the big promise you make to your reader, the first indication of which is your title. That's how we ALL decide if a book is worth our time. Will the eight+ hours we...

The male version of getting bangs

Twin Lakes, Colorado, that’s where we were. A small frontier town surrounded by mountains and lakes. An old West feel with a tight-knit community serving tourists in order to keep food on the table. Trail runners, hikers, fishermen, outdoors people mostly, that’s who...

I’ll admit it…

Walt and I have a bunch of decorative pots sitting on either side of our front door. After over 8 years here in Ireland, we've decided it's high time we pull the weeds out of them and plant something attractive. You know, just to make it look as though we care....

I hesitate to tell you this…

Basically because everyone who wants a good content developer for free—OK, a barter arrangement isn’t free, but close enough for government work— will come pouring out of the woodwork into my already clogged inbox. Edit my writing, help me develop my book’s concept,...

Death and other motivators

Over the weekend, while I calculated author royalties for Summit Press, the publishing house I run, I came across an anomaly. A.J. Wasserstein’s book, written and published 4 years ago, had sold over 100 copies. This is eyebrow raising for one big reason: A.J. does...

5 things every expert-positioning book should include

This week, I've had my nose in a couple of manuscripts that have landed on my desk for doctoring. There are gems within each of these manuscripts, but the overall thing doesn't work because in each, there's a lack of a few key elements. My job is to slip these in,...

How do you know when your book is done?

That's the question all of us writers ask, not just my clients. In fact, I brought this post back because I've fielded this question twice this week, and it's only Monday. And there's a short and sweet answer--when you've done everything you can do, everything you can...

Your readers want to feel

Many of my clients want to include personal stories in their book, often because they've had to overcome certain challenges shared by their clients.  Their story, their journey is relevant to their target audience. All successful stories have one thing in common:...

The very definition of a mission-driven book

I talk to a lot of folks looking to write and publish expert positioning books. Sometimes they're driven by the desire to tell their personal story; sometimes, to share their unique process for fixing a particular problem, or to carve out a place in an overcrowded...

3 things I learned climbing mountains

I climb high mountains. I’d like to offer you three lessons I’ve learned in the mountains; climbing lessons if you will. I’ve discovered over the years that there are many “mountains” in life. These lessons can be applied liberally. Each is entirely relevant to...

Built like a brick sh*t house

Writing a book involves the creation of one small chunk of material at a time, because to contemplate the project in its entirety is a set up for insanity and failure. Thus the elephant-eating metaphor I like to use: How do you eat an elephant? Yes, one bite at a...

Why I need a seeing eye dog

I wouldn’t last a minute in battle if I had to depend on my powers of observation, mostly because I walk the planet with my head up my ass. I mean, it’s a wonder I’ve not been hit by a bus while crossing the street. Get into an interesting conversation and forget...

An assortment of testimonials

       Michelle Cully-- I’ve always felt the need to tell my story, but fear, insecurity and the daunting process held me back for years. Then I met Ann. Her ability to find and project my voice, help me organize my stories and handle sensitive content...

On running, writing, and getting over my bad self

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,...

20 things I believe

Here are twenty things that I believe, particularly about business and writing:   Burning bridges and boats is for fools Good things take time The shiny object syndrome will keep you small Don’t quit your day job until you’ve got money rolling in You don’t get to...

You’re here for a reason

I have this really wise friend who also happens to be a clinical psychologist specializing in the science of change.  Sometime last year, she started sending out these short videos to her mailing list. I find myself watching them while I eat lunch because they calm me...

Why, you CAN tell a book by its cover

I don't care what my mother said. You CAN tell a book by its cover, particularly if it's been designed well. Years ago, I tripped over this video (below) about cover design. I don't know what got me thinking about it again, maybe an unveiling snapshot of Summit Press...

How to know if you’ve written a memoir or something else…

A good memoir: Has a razor-sharp focus on one element of life. Does not have filler. Every detail has to connect to the focus/theme. Is not a record, a report, or a list. It is a combination of active scenes. Has a vivid concrete setting. A Where. Every scene must...

The devil is in the details

Years ago, I used to run multi-day memoir-writing workshops. I'm telling you, I totally miss those experiences. I often find myself sharing bits of those lessons with my private clients as they build out their manuscripts. Particularly when they've got a...

Which comes first: the blog content or the book?

I talk to a lot of strategic entrepreneurs. They already produce written content--mainly blog posts or newsletters--and they're wondering if they should be focused on writing posts with the sole intention of  creating book content. I love people who are into...

I was 45-years-old the first time I voted

The first time I voted for an American president, I was 45-years old. It was 2008-- McCain vs. Obama-- and I can’t remember whom I chose. I’d registered and cast my vote only because my writing group had marveled at my willingness to dismiss a right others had given...

How to deal with trolls

I finished off a big Masterclass promotion at the beginning of the month. ( I probably don't have to tell you this because you no doubt received 250 emails from me and wanted very much for me to cut the shit.) I'm amazed at all of the emotions that come up for me...

Why we need your story more than ever

One of the biggest fears my clients have is that by telling their personal stories they will appear grandiose, self-absorbed, or narcissistic. “Who am I to tell this story,” they ask. “Really, who cares?” Or, “It’s all been written about before, so why bother?” “There...

Think Random House might be interested in your story?

In my line of work, I talk to a lot of fascinating people who consider their stories worthy of Big House publishing. They've done the whole rags-to-riches thing, or overcome outrageous abuse, or performed the most amazing feats of courage. I mean, I'm awed by the...

You’ve got to be bad to be good

I received a great question the other day that I’d like to address here: Should someone blog without professional edits to begin engagement about a potential book? (They’re concerned about credibility if they post poorly. Thoughts?)   Here’s the thing. I usually...

How to go about writing a business parable

In the last few years, I've had a number of clients who chose to write a  parable instead of the usual business-in-a-box tome. (For instance, check out Josh Patrick's Sustainable--his second parable is due out soon--and Vicki Suiter's The Profit Bleed.) The parable is...

Squirrel attacks, elk mauling, and sunstroke

One Saturday a few years back, Walt and I hiked the Grand Canyon. We went down the South Kaibab trail to the bottom, meandered along the banks of the Colorado River, then headed back up to the top along the Bright Angel trail. It’s a pretty big day: roughly 17 miles...

A literary agent’s advice for book-writing entrepreneurs

This is a guest post by my friend Lucinda Halpern, head of Lucinda Literary. Lucinda is a literary agent. That means she gets writers book deals with traditional publishing houses. Trust me, she's no slouch. She's gotten some pretty amazing deals for some friends of...

This should be considered a cardinal sin !!!

If you write sales copy, you're particularly susceptible to this crime. If you're a sixteen-year-old female or highly emotive male, you're probably guilty as well. If you were raised in the valley during the late 80's,  you're probably making this mistake way more...

Mean people on Amazon

I got this note from one of my clients recently: I was reading some reviews on Amazon associated with books on my topic and I would have to look at my browsing history to see which ones they were but some reviews were awful. People complained that just because some...

I found this email to be totally bizarre

I received this email in response to last week's newsletter. I thought I'd share it with you because, if you put stuff out there on a regular basis, you're going to receive interesting responses. Sometimes people will thank you for your message, other times, you'll be...

10 books you need to read if you were raised by alcoholics

If I were to teach a course about overcoming the emotional damage and the misconceptions picked up from alcoholic parents, this would be the semester's  assigned reading. You'll see me quote from these books from time to time because some of these issues refuse to die...

How To Use Personal Story To Sell Your Mission, Ideas, Products, or Services

Whenever we create content—be it a book, or a sales page, a blog post, or a speech—we need to consider the outcome we’re after.  For coaches, speakers, and other service professionals, that outcome is usually one, or a combination of several things. We’re looking to...

How to turn bits of content into a book

Turtle Bunbury was fixated on 1847. In fact, he wrote over 40 stories about people and events that made the news in that fascinating year. But when it came time to turn his collection of stories into a book, he had a conundrum: How on earth was he going to organize...

The problem, as I saw it

I'm going to share with you some important concepts I walk my clients through before they start in on a project. In fact, just the other day, I had this conversation nearly word for word. If you're an entrepreneur or a service professional, these ideas are going to be...

Our man, Barry

Barry, our caretaker, stopped by one day last summer. He’s a really lovely dude who cuts our grass and looks after the place whenever we’re gone. Anyway, Barry was giving out about some Americans who were due to arrive at another property he looks after. They’d paid...

Getting laid, getting paid, looking fab

Years ago, Walt and I attended a Brendan Bruchard conference. It didn’t take us long to recognize that we could create a business out of just about anything we pulled out of our asses. I mean, we met people who were making money doing the most outlandish...

Five things your expert-positioning book should include

You may be really excited about the prospect of writing a book for your business, but let's take some time to strategize before you go sinking all that time and effort into such a project. First, you'll need to pause long enough to consider the outcome you’re after....

How to work when you seriously don’t feel like it

As a content developer; I’ve got my nose in a dozen projects at any given time, not just my own. I can’t afford to be precious. I’ve had to come up with a few tricks to get shit done or I don’t get paid. Let’s be clear here: writers need structure. This was a hard...

When you were raised by wolves

Some time back, Walt and I conducted a mastermind call around yearly planning. One of our members raised her hand and talked about her resistance to setting any kind of goals for the year ahead.  She wasn't sure what was getting in the way. As I listened to her...

Those of us who tell the stories rule society

There we were, trapped in deepest, darkest Papua New Guinea. For nearly two weeks, Walt and I waited for a helicopter ride to base camp with our team members. Each of us had arrived to climb Carstensz Pyramid, the tallest mountain on the Austro-New Zealand continent,...

How do you know if your writing is any good?

It’s helpful to know that obstacles are part of the writing process, but how are you supposed to deal with them when they raise their ugly heads? What can you do if you’re confused, say, about setting, or plot, or the relevance of that stuff for your chosen genre? And...

Just be bothered

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...

Beautiful language that says jack shit

Lately, I’ve had my head in manuscripts just rife with purple prose. Purple prose, for those of you unfamiliar with the term, is writing that’s so extravagant, ornate, or flowery, it breaks the flow and draws excessive attention to itself. Purple prose is...

Talent will get you only so far

While I was in the States a few years back, I had dinner with my buddy Tim Vandehey, another ghostwriter who lives in Kansas City. Tim knows the publishing industry inside and out. He writes for celebrities and industry leaders and has had a number of his projects hit...

Oh, I could SO do that

Not long ago, I overheard a group of young women discussing Gal Gadot of Wonder Woman fame. One of the women read aloud from an article on her I-phone, a basic summary of how the actress had turned herself into a jaw-dropping, sword-wielding Amazon over the course of...

Brick by Brick

Writing a book involves the creation of one small chunk of material at a time, because to contemplate the project in its entirety is a set up for insanity and failure. Thus the elephant-eating metaphor I like to use: How do you eat an elephant? Yes, one bite at a...

The arrogance of belonging

I caught sight of myself on video last week during a group coaching session. There were about 10 other entrepreneurs on the call as well, their faces appearing whenever they spoke or made noise. Of course, I didn’t really pay attention to them, so fixated was I on my...

What’s the problemo?

I'm going to share with you some important concepts I walk my clients through before they start in on a project. If you're an entrepreneur or a service professional, these ideas are going to be super useful even if you aren't looking to write a client-attracting book,...

Books: the only gift worth giving or receiving

Long ago, the private high school my daughter attended had a wonderful yearly tradition. At the beginning of summer, they'd mail a reading list--a compilation of each teacher's favorite books--to the house. Now, I'm sure the design was to encourage students to read...

Now, now, now

When I was a kid, we’d sit as a family at the dining room table for Thanksgiving and my heart would sink at the sight of the kitchen I’d be expected to clean. Potatoes dripping from the mixer blades onto the floor; the cast iron skillet on the stove top, both of them...

Please don’t ask me this ridiculous question

Imagonna throw out a list of questions beginning writers ask all the time, particularly if they’re writing a book that involves stories about their own life. See if you have any of these yourself: • Who the hell cares about my story? I’m no Snookie. • How can I write...

Never trust a Christian who isn’t trying to convert you

The problem with us co-dependent types--and I'm speaking from experience--is that we need to hook into someone or something else because we're not sure who we are. We lack an identity and the ability to trust ourselves, which, as you can imagine, creates a lot of...

See if you recognize your sorry excuse

Any time you switch up your routine or form new habits–which is pretty much what you’ve got to do if you want to have something you don’t have now–you’ve got to overcome all sorts of obstacles that spring up in your path. It’s all well and good when you’re pumped up...

To see and to be seen

Walt and I were talking about the performance artist, Marina Abramovic, this morning. I don't know if you've ever caught sight of this video clip of her sitting across the table from strangers at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. People stood in line...

This little thing called process

Have you ever watched a professional runner run? Looks so easy, doesn’t it? They’ve all got that half smile playing across their face, that healthy sheen, those long, fluid strides that make the act seem so fun. From the couch, you can practically feel the endorphins...

What you’re buying isn’t the cheese

Humans crave story, with faces they can attach to, and sensory details. According to scientific studies, our brains light up like the fourth of July when we read about smells, sounds, tastes, touch, and sights. It’s what our minds want. It’s these details that keep us...

That time Walt got totally chest-puffy

Walt and I were chatting over dinner at a fancy restaurant in VT. This was shortly after he’d published his first book, Journeys on the Edge: Living a Life That Matters, so much of our conversation revolved around getting the book placed in local stores. (We’re sexy...

Show me

If you’ve ever read a book on the craft of writing, or taken a writing class or workshop, you’ve likely heard the expression, "Show, don’t tell." Well, what, precisely, does this show, don’t tell stuff actually mean? In the interest of slipping in a little craft...

I hesitate to tell you this story…

Basically because everyone who wants a good content developer for free—OK, a barter arrangement isn’t free, but close enough for government work— will come pouring out of the woodwork into my already clogged inbox. Edit my writing, help me develop my book’s concept,...

Why we need your story so desperately

One of the biggest fears my clients have is that by telling their personal stories they will appear grandiose, self-absorbed, or narcissistic. “Who am I to tell this story,” they ask. “Really, who cares?” Or, “It’s all been written about before, so why bother?” “There...

My love of vegetable-peel cookbooks

On Saturday, I caught sight of a book about cooking with food scraps at my friends’ vegan café in town. Surrounded by The China Study, How Not To Die, and Rich Roll’s Finding Ultra, all fascinating reads, that’s the one I latched onto as I tucked into my stew. Before...

On running, writing, and getting over my bad self

Several years back, I had the huge privilege of being interviewed by Denise Brown for a column she writes in the North Star Monthly, a northern New Hampshire publication.  I thought I might share an excerpt of it with you here. It'll give you some of my...

Genocide, romance, and other irrelevant topics

Over the weekend, I attended a copywriting workshop in Florence, Italy. If you don’t know Laura Belgray, the woman who conducted the workshop, you really should. Her emails and sales content are the bomb.  Her subject lines are so sexy I click on them each and...

False summits and flipping your shit

Walt and I were climbing in the Rockies when we decided to stop and shoot this video. We'd just spent a few hours battling despair because we'd come across yet another one of those false summits that makes you want to kill yourself. There's just nothing worse than...

Even Mother Teresa cared about this

I'm guilty of binary thinking: you can either have this or that, but you can't have both. Except when it comes to writing a book for your business. Do the job right, and you can have both income and impact. The two can go hand in hand. Contrary to popular belief, most...

Get others to paint your fence

For a lot of entrepreneurs, sitting down to write an entire book on their own seems ridiculously daunting. They have no idea how they’d ever come up with that much content. But imagine getting others to do the writing for you. Even better, imagine attracting ten...

Killing birds with one stone

I think about my arch nemesis--efficiency--a lot when I'm on a mountain.  Day in and day out, carrying one load up to a higher camp, going back down for another.  Breaking camp in the morning, setting it back up all over again at night.  Going up an...

The Anxiety Series: Part III

Last we met, I was telling you about the client manuscripts I was reading, all of which deal with anxiety. I thought these three different authors and their three different approaches will demonstrate that you can take a common topic and come at it with a (valuable)...

The Anxiety Series: Part II

If you remember, I had my nose in a number of client manuscripts, all of which deal with anxiety. I thought these three different authors and their three different approaches will demonstrate that you can take a common topic and come at it with a (valuable) unique...

The Anxiety Series: Part 1

I've had my nose in a number of client manuscripts lately, all of which deal with anxiety. One is the work of a doctor who specializes in the treatment of anxiety, who views the subject from the perspective of a trained psychologist. Another is that of a doctor who...

The trolls WILL come

I'm smack dab in the middle of a big Masterclass promotion. ( I probably don't have to tell you this because, at this writing, you've no doubt received 250 emails from me and would very much like for me to cut the shit.) And I'm amazed at all of the emotions that are...

You can always spot the newbies

Walt and I flew to the highlands of Scotland for a long weekend.  (Not a big deal if you live in Ireland, by the way, so don’t be too impressed.) Our goal was to climb Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the British Isles. Being experienced mountain climbers, we...

Dad was right about this

My mother loved to paint. I’m not talking art, I’m talking rooms. She’d head on over to the local Benjamin Moore store and buy three gallons of whatever shade of yellow was on special, and cart them home in our station wagon. Next, she’d set up the step stool, even...

Oh, I could SO do that

Not long ago, I overheard a group of young women discussing Gal Gadot of Wonder Woman fame. One of the women read aloud from an article on her I-phone, a basic summary of how the actress had turned herself into a jaw-dropping, sword-wielding Amazon over the course of...

With Truth Comes Peace

I received this beautiful note a while back in response to one of my newsletters. I'd like to share it and my response with you.  It's relevant to you writers out there, AND to people-pleasers. Thank you for your raw honesty. Your courage inspires me, seriously....

Track the things that matter

Here's the the thing about elite warriors like Jeff Orr, one of my most favoritest clients: They know how to handle stress, manage lots of vital data coming at them fast, and pick out high-yield targets from the blur. One of the keys to their success is the ability...

How To Work When You Don’t Want To

As a content developer; I’ve got my nose in a dozen projects at any given time, not just my own. I can’t afford to be precious. I’ve had to come up with a few tricks to get shit done or I don’t get paid. Let’s be clear here: writers need structure. This was a hard...

R.I.P.

This is a guest post from my friend, Patrick Combs. Patrick Combs. He was one of those chance encounters that changed the course of our lives. Walt had crossed paths with him on Facebook, bought an extra conference ticket from him, and off the relationship went, down...

Writing talent will only get you so far

While I was in the States last fall, I had dinner with my buddy Tim Vandehey, a ghostwriter who lives in Kansas City. I often refer to Tim those folks who'd like to have a book, but aren’t the least bit interested in doing the associated work. Tim knows the publishing...

I’m a disaster at cocktail parties

Here’s the question I get all the time, the minute I identify myself as a book coach. (Not that there aren't, like, 1,634 definitions of that job title alone. Me, I'm what you'd call a developmental editor.) Can a person write a book in a weekend? The person asking...

A Title That Promises The One Big Thing Your Readers Want

Writing a client-attracting book? Well, you're going to want to consider the big promise you're making to your reader, the first indication of which is your title. Eben Pagan and other online marketing gurus claim that people will only give you their hard earned money...

Present Tense vs. Past Tense

Lately, I've been having the same conversation with my coaching clients, which makes me think I should share this lesson with you nice people, too. (If you're not a writer, start paying attention to this stuff I'm going to share as a reader.  It will really open up...

Oh, the lure of research

It was Dennis Lehane, author of  Mystic River who admonished us fledgling writers to knock off all the research when working on our books. He'd just gotten a huge movie deal, Clint Eastwood was directing, so there he was at Harvard telling us all how he got to that...

What happens when your work is read by total strangers

This is precisely what will happen to you once you have a polished book out in the world. I'm telling you, it'll blow your mind. I received an email from one of my writing clients the other day. I adore Alex because her mind is so expansive, so fascinating, so...

Beautiful Language That Says Jack Shit

Lately, I've had my head in manuscripts just rife with purple prose. Purple prose, for those of you unfamiliar with the term, is writing that's so extravagant, ornate, or flowery, it breaks the flow and draws excessive attention to itself. Purple prose is...

It’s been one of those weeks

It's been one of those weeks. And by one of those weeks, I mean, the kind of week that makes you want to dance like a fool, throw back a few green smoothies, crow from the rooftop, whatever one does to celebrate. Because a number of wonderful projects have seemingly...

The best revenge, EVER!

Several months ago, I was presented with the opportunity to doctor a book manuscript. Michelle Cully, the author, is this high-powered chick who owns a courier company in the metro-Boston area. If you saw her, you'd laugh, because she looks more like a pint-sized...

5 Things Your Client-Attracting Book Should Include For Maximum Impact

You may be really excited about the prospect of writing a book for your business, but let's take some time to strategize before you go sinking all that time and effort into such a project. First, you'll need to pause long enough to consider the outcome you’re after....

Resistance And The Universal Law of Sacrifice

Resistance. Getting yourself to do the shit you claim you want to do. We all struggle with it. Which is why I asked Kyrsten Barrett if I could share this piece as a guest post. It's not only beautiful and clear but also relevant to anyone who wants to write a book but...

Should You Insert Personal Story Into The Mix?

I got this note from one of my clients this week: I was reading some reviews on Amazon associated with books on my topic and I would have to look at my browsing history to see which ones they were but some reviews were awful. People complained that just because some...

5 Expectations Every Reader Has

Note: Much of this has been taken from a Writer Unboxed post written by Lisa Cron. Though the article is addressed to novelists, the information she shares is relevant to writers of all genres, particularly the client-attracting kind. Here is a reader’s manifesto –...

Write a book in 30 minutes or less

Bet that got your attention. And why wouldn't it? We all want what we want now, now, now, sans effort. We're a culture of instant gratification. The media plays off that fact, as do the snake-oil salesmen out there on the internet. There's nothing that gets my goat...

This Is Why We Need Your Story So Desperately

I’ve been thinking about what I might add to this piece that I share with you below. I think it speaks so powerfully for itself that I hesitate to insert anything that will reduce its impact. I will say this, though. One of the biggest fears my clients have is that by...

What A Music Video Can Teach You About Writing

I broke my ankle a number of years ago. I ended up in the gym after six weeks of going crazy at home, which is precisely what happens when I don't run.  I don’t tend to watch TV or music videos, but I happened to be on the stair-master one morning when this video...

Your Story, A Chocolate Mess

So, here’s the thing. Most of us become coaches, speakers, or service professionals if you will, because we’ve had to solve a particular problem for ourselves. Through trial and error, we figured out the process required to get the desired outcome. Somewhere along the...

Why I loved wearing a headscarf

Whenever I tell someone I used to live in Iran, he or she asks me a few standard questions, the most common one being, "Did you have to wear a burqa?" In short, no, but I did have to wear hijab, in my case, a trench coat and a headscarf, which I loved. And here's...

24 Questions You’ll Need To Answer Before Writing That Book

Before I take on a new project with someone who wants to write a client-attracting book, I ask him or her a series of clarifying questions. Often, I’ll ask the same question in different ways, not unlike a psychological test, allowing me to get to the heart of the...

What if I get this wrong?

My girlfriend is planning her first trip to Ireland.  She’s bringing her teenaged kids along with her. She’s purchased the plane tickets, reserved the rental car, now it’s dawning on her that she’s going to have to shell out a lot more money than she’d planned on....

What The New York Times Book Review Can Teach You

I've got two points I'd like to make. Think of this as the CliffsNotes version of this post. 1. Read The New York Times Book Review to educate yourself on the craft of writing. 2. Don't try to be everything to everyone because you'll lose every time. Here's the longer...

How to turn random bits of content into a book

Turtle Bunbury was fixated on 1847. In fact, he wrote over 40 stories about people and events that made the news in that fascinating year. But when it came time to turn his collection of stories into a book, he had a conundrum: How on earth was he going to organize...

The Arrogance of Belonging

I caught sight of myself on video last week during a group coaching session. There were about 10 other entrepreneurs on the call as well, their faces appearing whenever they spoke or made noise. Of course, I didn’t really pay attention to them, so fixated was I on my...

The Trouble With Beavers

Bear with me for a moment. I'm going to begin with a sidebar simply because I must. As I was browsing for pictures of beavers on Google, something you probably shouldn't do if you don't want to get whacked for copyright infringement, I ran into this adorable photo,...

How To Write A Parable

If you’d like to outline your message and be seen as an expert in your field, you’d be silly to write a novel. If you’re not keen to write a non-fiction business book, then perhaps you’d like to pen a parable. The parable is a particularly appealing genre for business...

Forced To Eat Cat Food When You’re Old

David Treece, who wrote the following piece, is a financial advisor down in Miami, the kind that has a fiduciary responsibility to clients, who doesn't get paid on commission, which allows him to give sound advice. This is from a draft of his upcoming book, which is...

Don’t Make These Book Writing Mistakes

There's nothing that excites me more than seeing a client project come to fruition. It takes a major investment of time and focus to write a good book, the sort that's not only going to attract clients, but also read beautifully. Next week, February 6th to be exact,...

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, then with who I was/am as a person. Such an epiphany should have freed me up; unfortunately it didn't. When I’d first moved to Iran, I wanted two things more than anything. ...

You’ve Got To Be Bad To Be Good

I received a great question the other day that I’d like to address here: Should someone blog without professional edits to begin engagement about a potential book? (They’re concerned about credibility if they post poorly. Thoughts?) Here’s the thing. I usually catch...

5 Ways To Sharpen That Dialogue

As much as we'd like them to, our readers don't tend to remember strings of concepts, statistics, or cold, hard facts. Especially page after page of them. The best way to make information sticky is to tell them a story, to deliver the necessary points, at least the...

What’s Your Problem?!

I'm going to share with you some important concepts I walk my clients through before they start in on a project. If you're an entrepreneur or a service professional, these ideas are going to be super useful even if you aren't looking to write a client-attracting book,...

What I’m Reading Now

I need to write about this book, and I need to write about it now. For a couple of reasons. First, if I don’t get to it PDQ, Walt is going to beat me to the punch. The last time the two of us were smitten with an idea or a book, he went and wrote this. Even though I’d...

Clean Up On Aisle Nine: Revision For Simple Genres

Have you written a complete draft of a book, one with tons of bugs still in it? Are you wondering what comes next; what you’re supposed to do, specifically, during revision? If you’ve written a book that doesn’t require a narrative arc—motivational, self-help, or...

An Object Is Worth A Thousand Words

I was driving along the highway in Connecticut when I fell behind a mini Cooper with one of those vanity plates that made me want to hit the brakes. It had two words on it: Xin Loi. It’s a long story how I know this, and neither of us has time to get into it, but Xin...

Another Reason to Nix the Egocentric Bullshit

A few weeks back I sat at a conference in Dallas and listened to a young man speak on stage. He was raising money for a charity. I was blown away, as was everyone in that room, not just by his mission--bringing clean water to third world villages to prevent...

Do NOT Write A Book Until You Hear This!

Look, writing a book requires a big investment from you, not just in money, but also in time and focus. If you're flirting with the idea of writing a book for your business, you'll want to be able to answer the following questions, otherwise you'll wind up chasing...

Do You Need New Friends?

I’m sitting in Dallas as I type this. I’m at a conference for online marketers. I’ve got to say, I love conferences like this, even though I’m an introvert, even though I always wind up back in my room at the end of the day in a fetal position, what with all the...

Run, Fat Bitch, Run

I’m going to break out my Book Yourself Solid coaching hat and introduce you to some associated philosophy: There are people we are meant to serve, and others not so much. And our job is to do everything in our power to reach those we are meant to serve. This...

The Mt. Everest of Personal Development & Self Acceptance

When I was young, I had no idea what I thought, felt, or wanted.  Pressed for my opinion, I’d make an evasive or sarcastic comment instead of deciding what it was that I thought. I didn’t want to say anything that could be construed the wrong way, or held against me...

Where To Go When You’re Blind

At last, your book manuscript is done. Or so you think. And hope. Please, God, let it be so, you whisper to no one in particular. Unfortunately, you’ve been looking at the same arrangement of words for so long, you don’t know if you’ve created a best seller, or a...

Essential, The Book

I'm often aghast at some of the thumbnail images that come up in Youtube. I know you can change these things, but I like to think it takes real strength of character to put these things up the way they come. All that being said, you want to pull books off of your self...

That Ever-Present Tension

What if uncertainty and tension and confrontation were good things?  How might your life improve if you used them as tools?  If you stopped running away from them and recognized them as fantabulous forces for change? I was giving a creative writing lecture last month...

Make Your Bed

In 2014, Naval Admiral William H. McRaven gave the University of Texas Austin commencement address. It was a twenty-minute speech that outlined ten principles he’d learned during Naval SEAL training. These principles helped him overcome challenges, not only in his...

The Masses Are Not Your Audience

Walt and I were tooling around in New Hampshire this weekend when we came upon a group of millennials expounding upon this three-year-old Cadillac commercial. Basically, they were disgusted by the mindset, by the whole way of life it seemed to promote, and they...

The Best Recommended Reading List EVER

Here's a note I sent to several of my book writing clients, past and present. I'm putting together a unique reading list: book recommendations from folks who know what a good book looks like, what beautiful/effective writing is, what inspires and impacts.   1. What...

Mystery Vs. Clarity

My new BFF. Love the thought process behind this man's book designs. How he sees the world. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nI65jgHG9o

One Brick At A Time

Writing a book involves the creation of one small chunk of material at a time, because to contemplate the project in its entirety is a set up for insanity and failure. Thus the elephant-eating metaphor I like to use—How do you eat an elephant? Yes, one bite at a time....

Gorillas, But Not In The Mist

As my clients finish up their manuscripts, we often have a conversation about what comes next. "Do I self-publish?" they ask. "Do I enter into a contract with a partnership press?" "Do I pursue an agent so I can get a contract with a traditional house?" "Regardless of...

The Problem With Trying To Kill Two Birds With One Stone

I think about my arch nemesis--efficiency--a lot when I'm on a mountain.  Day in and day out, carrying one load up to a higher camp, going back down for another.  Breaking camp in the morning, setting it back up all over again at night.  Going up an unpleasantly steep...

The Multitasking Monster

I've said this before--so often in fact that I cringe when I hear these words come out of my yap yet again-- but I love my job. I learn so much from my clients. I suppose it can't be helped, what with me being up to my eyebrows in multiple versions of their...

Top Ten Reasons You Should Rewrite That Scene

When I was conducting writing workshops at East Hill, each year I would share this craft lesson with the students working on not just novels, but memoirs and short stories. I found this post on line years ago, written by a young woman known then as The Intern, and I...

Awkward!

On occasion, I'll take on a complete manuscript and work with the author to identify what ails it, suggest a better structure (or even genre), pinpoint what's missing, what generic tidbits need to be cut. Often, I have to sit with it a bit before the center of the...

Railing Against The Man

I was browsing LinkedIn this morning when I came across a Steve Chandler quote. (If you don't know Steve, you really should.) It went something like this: Discipline has nothing to do with personality, it has to do with practice. In other words self-discipline is...

Beautiful Language That Says Jack Shit

Lately, I've had my head in manuscripts just rife with purple prose. Purple prose, for those of you unfamiliar with the term, is writing that's so extravagant, ornate, or flowery, it breaks the flow and draws excessive attention to itself. Purple prose is...

Advice To Writers

ADVICE TO WRITERS by Billy Collins from Sailing Alone Around the Room  (Random House) Even if it keeps you up all night, wash down the walls and scrub the floor of your study before composing a syllable. Clean the place as if the Pope were on his way. Spotlessness is...

What I’m Reading Now: Tools Of Titans

I’m a huge fan of re-purposing. The question I always ask, lazy git that I am? How can I turn something I’ve spent eons creating into ten other things with next to no additional work? If you’re a podcaster or someone who otherwise interviews folks on a regular basis,...

Oh, The Lure Of Research

It was Dennis Lehane, author of  Mystic River who admonished us fledgling writers to knock off all the research when working on our books. He'd just gotten a huge movie deal, Clint Eastwood was directing, so there he was at Harvard telling us all how he got to that...

Not The Mailroom, I Beg You

As part of a series of posts showcasing the different subjects, styles, and voices of my clients, I'd like to introduce you to Janice Dean, ‎who teaches folks how to bypass fear and create a powerful  speaking presence in six seconds. (Seriously, I would have taken...

John Aardvark Has A Problem

As part of a series of posts showcasing the different subjects, styles, and voices of my clients, I'd like to introduce you to Josh Patrick, ‎who helps successful businesses become sustainable. This is an excerpt from his upcoming book, a parable that speaks to the...

Heads Or Tails

As part of a series of posts showcasing the different subjects, styles, and voices of my clients, I'd like to introduce you to Christine Khetarpal, ‎who helps women contemplating divorce make clear choices with confidence. This is an excerpt from her upcoming book, a...

Who You Are, Not What You Do

As part of a series of posts showcasing the different subjects, styles, and voices of my clients, I'd like to introduce you to A.J. Wasserstein. This is an excerpt from his upcoming book, one that he's chosen to write for his son, a gift of life advice on the eve of ...

Africa Bound

I'm really proud of the work my clients do. It takes grit to muscle through the shitty first draft, the revisions, and the doubt. These people, they don't quit. As part of an upcoming series of posts showcasing the different subjects, styles, and voices of these...

Readers Want Faces

I often get questions from folks participating in my  Build A Book Bootcamp, a take-it-at-your-own-pace online course I developed quite some time ago. I thought I'd share this question, couched in the very reason for writing a book in the first place, and my response...

How To Sell A Crapload Of Books

While I was in the States this last go round, I had dinner with my friend Tim Vandehey, a ghostwriter who lives in Kansas City. I refer to Tim those folks who'd like to have a book, but aren’t the least bit interested in doing the associated work. Tim knows the...

Promise Me You Won’t Be Lazy

With the popularity of podcasts and YouTube channels, many tech-savvy entrepreneurs have created a series of interviews to promote their business. Now, if you want a book to further establish yourself as the go to expert, a collection of your transcribed interviews...

Secret Agent Man

If, after writing your no-doubt best-selling book, you want to go the traditional publishing route, you’ll need to hire an agent to represent you. Manuscripts sent directly to a publisher are called unsolicited submissions. They’re usually thrown away; unceremoniously...

How To Avoid Embarrassment And Shame

If you’d like to avoid the embarrassment and shame associated with publishing ca-ca, I can’t recommend the editing process highly enough. Editing professionals get paid to study your manuscript, point out problems, and, sometimes, offer corrective suggestions. Unlike...

Get Others To Paint Your Fence

For lots of entrepreneurs, sitting down to write an entire book on their own seems ridiculously daunting. They have no idea how they’d ever come up with that much content. But imagine getting others to do the writing for you. Even better, imagine attracting ten times...

How To Write A Parable

If you’d like to outline your message and be seen as an expert in your field, you’d be silly to write a novel. If you’re not keen to write a non-fiction business book, then perhaps you’d like to pen a parable. The parable is a particularly appealing genre for business...

A Little Writing Lesson

If you’ve ever read a book on the craft of writing, or taken a writing class or workshop, you’ve likely heard the expression, "Show, don’t tell." Well, what, precisely, does this show, don’t tell stuff actually mean? In the interest of slipping in a little craft...

Clean Up On Aisle Nine: Revision For Simple Genres

Have you written a complete draft of a book, one with tons of bugs still in it? Are you wondering what comes next; what you’re supposed to do, specifically, during revision? If you’ve written a book that doesn’t require a narrative arc—motivational, self-help, or...

Just Another Book About Cancer, NOT

For years I was part of a writers' group that met each Tuesday evening in the author Anne Batterson's living room. Two or three of the members (we were never more than four at any given time) would read what they'd been working on, and the rest of us would listen...

A Few Things You Should Know About Jane Austen

For some strange reason, whenever I conduct a beginners’ writing workshop, one of my students invariably raises her hand and gushes on about her desire to write novels just like Jane Austen’s. Jane Austen, I insist on mentioning, did not roll out of bed one morning at...

Look Who’s Contributing To The HuffPost

Sniff.  I'm so proud.  One of my gorgeous writing clients, who is working on the final edits of her SOON-TO-BE-PUBLISHED book, is now a contributor to the Huffington Post.  Look, that's a pretty big deal.  You have to know how to string more than a few words together...

Adult Pacifiers

I can't tell you how proud I am of Alexandra Desbrow, the author of this piece.  This is a chapter from her book in progress.  It's so terrific, I just have to share it with you, with her permission of course. This is how you stay in a very unpleasant moment, make it...

What I’m Reading Now

OMG, OMG, OMG, I so love this book. I mean, I love it so much, I tried to make the image really, really big so you wouldn't forget what it looks like. Listen.  Here's the other reason we read.  We want to feel stuff.  We want to experience joy and sadness and loss and...

What Happens When Your Work Is Read By Those You Don’t Know

I received an email from one of my writing clients the other day. She's one of the people I most adore because her mind is so expansive, so fascinating, so different from mine, and yet so familiar at the same time. The whole book writing process has allowed me to know...

Why Vulnerability Is The Antidote To Shame

Sometime back, I listened to a Brene Brown interview in which she described herself as a child. An introverted 13-year-old, she saw Grease 25 times,  a movie I paid to see four weeks in a row at the very same age. See, like me, Brene wanted desperately to shed her...

Help Me, Rhonda

It’s helpful to know that obstacles are part of the writing process, but how are you supposed to deal with them when they raise their ugly heads? What can you do if you’re confused, say, about setting, or plot, or the relevance of that stuff for your chosen genre? And...

Run, Fat B!tch, Run

I’m going to break out my Book Yourself Solid coaching hat and introduce you to some associated philosophy: There are people we are meant to serve, and others not so much. And our job is to do everything in our power to reach those we are meant to serve. This...

Why You Need To Grab Your Readers By The Short Hairs

Are you a thought leader or an expert? Have you decided to write a book to showcase your unique process for fixing a specific problem? Do you want to inspire people, to offer them your perspective, your hard-won experience, so they can live a better life? Might the...

Now vs.Then

I've had the same conversation with a number of my coaching clients this week, so I think it's high time I  share this lesson with you nice people. (If you're not a writer, start paying attention to this stuff as a reader.  It will really open up your appreciation for...

The 411 On Writing Dialogue

I was digging through my East Hill Writing Workshop materials the other day when I chanced up this little lesson on dialogue. I'm pretty sure that one of my partners wrote this up, but I can't remember which.  I thought I'd break it out for you today because I think...

An Object Is Worth A Thousand Words

I was driving along the highway in Connecticut when I fell behind a mini Cooper with one of those vanity plates that made me want to hit the brakes. It had two words on it: Xin Loi. It’s a long story how I know this, and neither of us has time to get into it, but Xin...

Big, Fat Book-Writing Obstacles

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhMlFyjzFm4 Go to any cocktail party and you’ll overhear someone yammering on about their desire to write a book. From all appearances, writing a book is on more bucket lists than running a marathon, or wearing size 2 jeans, or visiting...

To Be, Or Not To Be

I bet you thought this post was going to be about Hamlet, or my existential malaise, but it's not. It's a tiny little writing lesson about the use of the verb to be and its many variations--is, are, am, was, were, be, being, been. So, I've just spent the last five...

How To Avoid Soiling Your Family Name

Self-publishing, also known as indie (short for independent) publishing, is currently the most common way for new authors to bring their books to market. Because this is the “easiest” method of publication, I’d like to offer you a word of warning: Without publishing...

A Few Of My All Time Favorite Essays

When I was in grad school, I took an essay writing course. We were assigned an anthology called The Best American Essays, which still sits, all marked up with black ink, on my bookshelf. (If I could find a link, I'd put it here, but I can't.)  In it, I discovered the...

4 Cold, Hard Facts

I had the opportunity to interview Ryan Sprenger last week about his publishing company, Book Rally.  If you missed it, you can listen to it by clicking here. Book Rally--a one-stop shop for book design, printing, publishing, and promotion using a crowd sourcing...

I Refuse To Eat Cat Food

I just got back from Los Angeles, LA for those of you in the know.  I was attending AWP, a monster of a conference for writers, teachers, editors, and publishers. It's sort of a big deal because there are over 12,000 people who attend, and you get to rub elbows with...

Where To Go When You’re Blind

After months and months of working on a book, it’s easy to go blind to what you’ve got in hand. Especially if you've been going it alone without the guidance of a book coach like me. (Blatant PLUG!) You’ve been looking at the same arrangement of words for so long, you...

A Puritan In Iran

I'm just back from a big writer's conference in LA, where I spoke on a panel.  Let me tell you, there's nothing more fun than hanging around 5,000 other people who love to talk about writing and words and books and tricks of the trade. That being said, I thought I'd...

A Devious, Cruel App For Writers

A writing prompt is a sentence designed to open the creative floodgates. Sometimes an image, or a picture, can serve to get the juices flowing, too. Get something down on the page, anything, and more words are guaranteed to follow. That’s the purpose of the thing. The...

Track The Things That Matter

Have I mentioned how much I love my job? Seriously, there are days where I feel like I should be paying my clients, not the other way around. So, I'm working with an F-16 fighter pilot I just adore. He's writing a book about goal achievement, about putting systems and...

A Simple Story About My Dad

I’m going to walk you through my story writing process, and model it for you. I’ll explain how I come up with an idea for a story, then how I construct the thing. I’ll be composing a scene for my memoir, but you’ll want to follow along even if you’re writing a case...

Stevie

The first time his owner spotted him, a gang of young kids was tossing him back and forth like a football. She’d shouted at them to stop abusing the puppy, but they’d ignored the tiny, white-haired American lady. A week went by. She saw the puppy again. This time, one...

The Trouble With Beavers

Once upon a time, Walt and I were out for a morning run. It so happens that our running route takes us past a river. Because it was springtime, we began to spot signs of heightened animal activity. The beavers in particular had been very busy. We trotted past a very...

Today Is A Perfect Unfolding, And We’re Not Talking Laundry

I love my job. I'm sure I've mentioned this fact before. I love the opportunity to get to know people deeply, to know how they think, what they believe, the message they mean to impart. I love that moment when my clients discover their unique writing voice, when it...

Constructive Criticism, My Ass

Listen, I dole out constructive criticism all the live long day.  It's part of my job as a content developer. I'm SUPPOSED to read what's on the page and point out all the pesky problems: what's missing, unclear, and totally irrelevant. Sometimes I forget to mention...

Perfectionism: The Kiss Of Death

Here’s a fear-based obstacle I want to take a whip and a chair to. It’s a nasty critter. In fact, this might be the biggest challenge you’ll face when writing your book, regardless of genre. It’s at the very core of why I encourage you to write the shittiest first...

The One Draft Mentality

I want to tell you a little story about my daughter, Iman, and her One Draft Mentality in order to anchor in a point. I’m going to paint a scene, because, as we’ll discuss at some point in time, scenes are what readers remember. A few years back, Iman came home for...

Be The Flawed Hero Of Your Own Tale

When I first began writing and presenting my short stories about Iran, people in my workshop class looked nervous.  No doubt remembering the fatwa placed on Salmon Rushdie's head for his Satanic Verses, they asked me, "Don't you think Iranians might take offense at...

Welcome To Pain Island

Here's the thing.  If you're a coach or a speaker looking to write a book, your readers (a.k.a. potential clients) want to know that you’ve overcome the same challenges that they’re currently facing. They want to know that you’ve had your own on-your-knees moment—that...

My New Best Friend, Marie Kondo

Just for fun, we’re going to pretend you’d like to write a client-attracting book. I’m going to lead you through an exercise to get you started thinking about that one big result you give your clients, and the associated benefits. Here are some questions I’d like you...

Why Waiting For Motivation Is Futile

Do you need to be motivated to take action? Nope. In fact, there are lots of times you’ll absolutely NOT feel like taking action when you promised yourself you would sit down and write. These very moments, I’m here to tell you, are the moments you’ll need to take...

What A Music Video Can Teach You About Writing

I broke my ankle a year or so ago, so I ended up in the gym after six weeks of going crazy at home. I don’t tend to watch TV or music videos, but I happened to be on the stair-master one morning when this video caught my eye. Now music videos are directed like movies,...

This Is How I Grow My Business

I get a lot of business through referrals. My current clients are my biggest source of referrals because they know precisely what I do for them, and they recognize immediately the sort of person who could benefit from the work I do. They know who and what to look...

More On Blogging

I got a few great questions after my  last post on blogging. Looks like it's time to do another webinar on the process, but for now, I thought I'd share my answers here. How did you attract people to your blog when you were in the early stages? Each time I posted a...

Tea With God

I learn so much from my writing clients. Sometimes I think I should be paying them.  After reading this segment from Kyrsten Barrett's soon to be published book, well, I realized she was speaking to me. That's why I pulled my memoir out of the drawer after four years,...

You’ve Got To Be Bad To Be Good

I received a great question the other day that I’d like to address here: Should someone blog without professional edits to begin engagement about a potential book? (They’re concerned about credibility if they post poorly. Thoughts?) Here’s the thing. I usually catch...

I’m Going To Save You $30,000

All writers learn and do at the same time. Don’t think for a minute that you need to put your book-writing dreams on hold until you’ve earned an MFA. To save you the $30,000, I’d like to share with you what I learned at Harvard; the very thing each writing teacher...

Honesty

Eat Like You Give A Fuck

The more bold and authentic your voice, the more easily you'll attract those you're meant to work with. Because readers need to know what you fucking stand for. Thug Kitchen: Eat Like You Give A Fuck is just a perfect example of how to accomplish this in writing....

The Courage To Downsize

This is a guest post by Veronica Sommer Mollica.  It's an example of honest and powerful writing.  See if you don't appreciate the message as well. What do your things represent to you? Who are you without them?   I guess it was inevitable that I’d buy the...

The Life-Altering Magic Of Making One’s Bed

I'd like to share an excerpt from a manuscript I'm currently working on. It's written by a soulful young man whose journey through addiction has had me thinking about my own life, my own habits and vices.  For an all or nothing girl like me, the notion of one small,...

Railing Against The Man

I was browsing LinkedIn this morning when I came across a Steve Chandler quote. (If you don't know Steve, you really should.) It went something like this: Discipline has nothing to do with personality, it has to do with practice. In other words self-discipline is...

Stripping Off The Bulletproof Vest

Here’s what I learned TOTALLY by accident.  Personal story sells. When I came out of Harvard, I began to compile some of the personal essays I’d produced in grad workshops. These essays eventually turned into a memoir about my years living in Iran with a staunch...

The Cure For Dissociation

I talk about this stuff all the time.  Two things changed my life: running and writing. From these two activities, man, did I learn to get in touch with myself. And that's the key: connecting with who you really are and what you think and feel. Not easy for...

The Kind of Girl You’d Warn Your Sons Off

One of the benefits of writing a book is the visibility it buys you.  Know that saying, build it and they will come?  Well, that's bullshit. After all that hard work, you've actually got to get out there and promote the thing if you want readers, and/or any kind...

Truth Heals

I received this beautiful note last week in response to my newsletter, and I'd like to share it and my response with you.  It's relevant to you writers out there, AND to people-pleasers. Thank you for your raw honesty. Your courage inspires me, seriously. Each time I...

It’s Not The Critic Who Counts

It takes guts to have an opinion.  It takes guts to share them with others. To open yourself up to criticism.  I don’t care what you say, how innocuous it may seem to you; someone will decide that your opinion makes you a member of Al Qaeda. That’s just how it goes....

Some Light Reading About Death And Sex

Years and years ago, I decided that the best way to keep myself writing was to hang out with other writers. So I set out to find other writers in the area and eventually joined a tight-knit writers' group who met once a week in the author Anne Batterson's living room....

Haters Are Gonna Hate

I was 26 the first time I realized that what people thought about me had more to do with them, then with who I was/am as a person. Such an epiphany should have freed me up; unfortunately it didn't. When I’d first moved to Iran, I wanted two things more than anything. ...

Climbing Mt. Everest With a Pen

When I was young, I had no idea what I thought, felt, or wanted.  Pressed for my opinion, I’d make an evasive or sarcastic comment instead of deciding what it was that I thought. I didn’t want to say anything that could be construed the wrong way, or held against me...

Make Your Mess Your Message

I'm a big proponent of turning your mess into your message.  And I think Monica Lewinsky's recent Ted Talk is a wonderful example of turning one's most shameful moment into a powerful call to action. Think about it.  What are you hiding?  What story could you tell...

I’ve Got Some Nerve Publishing This Book

The thing about being a writer is that I tend to associate with a lot of other writers. Writers who publish books as often as they change their underwear. Besides my writing buddies, and my students, and my coaching clients, people who talk about books and writing and...

Remind Me

This is a guest post by the author Beth Jannery, a woman I'm grateful to call my friend. I’ve posted it today because, being an accomplishment whore who wants nothing more than to control ALL of the chess pieces, I needed these reminders. Life is not to be endured. It...

From a Young Slam Poet on Voice

This is my reminder that I have a voice. That sounds silly, huh? Considering I am a poet and I have a daily habit of peeling back layers of skin, exposing the rawest parts of myself on the internet. A place notorious for how it responds to vulnerability and honesty,...

Lose Friends And Alienate People

You know what writers and people-pleasers have in common? They're both terrified of telling the truth.  They worry that if they reveal what they truly think and feel, they're going to be abandoned, roundly criticized, or worse.  One of my goals this year was to...

It’s Braver to be Clark Kent Than Superman

As many of you may know, I teach writing workshops—locally and online—and coach those who want to write and publish a book. I also coach nice girls (and guys) who are sick of feeling trapped by their inability to tell the truth. Who want to learn how to draw healthy...

There Will Be Blood, And Obstacles

I started working on a blog this morning while overlooking the pasture.  Halfway in, I realized I'd written the very same piece a year ago. Which reminded me of something I once read:  photographers have only one picture, writers have only one story. Have you put your...

50 Things, You, My Friend, Get to Do.

You get to change your mind You get to make mistakes You get to vacillate You get to take your own sweet time You get to be angry, or hurt, or sad You get to say no You get to take care of your needs You get to disagree You get to speak your mind You get to be direct...

Some Dead Guy’s Formula For Self-Esteem

Chemists like equations. Chemist that I am, I’m going to give you an equation I learned very late in life. Listen up, because this one affects every aspect of your life. Self-esteem= Success/pretensions William James, the father of psychology, came up with this...

Paparazzi Can Be SOOOO Annoying

I had the huge privilege of being interviewed by Denise Brown for a column she writes in the North Star Monthly, a northern New Hampshire publication.  I thought I might share it with you here. I think I sound horribly impressive.Unfortunately, the paparazzi just...

Are You Hiding in Your Closet?

So, imagine my surprise when I came across this TedX Talk by Ash Beckman, a lovely woman I met at the Breadloaf Writers' Conference a few years back.  At the time, she was working on composing this very story. At the time, I didn't understand her militancy, why she'd...

Shock and Awe

This week I was asked an interview question that really got me thinking: “Much of your writing is deeply personal and provocative; some of it seems almost intended to shock. Is there a cost for being so forthright?” A lot of us who choose to write memoir or personal...

Act Out

This is a guest post by none other than Walt Hampton.   One of my fondest memories from my early years as a young single dad is of watching my boy, clad in his yellow slicker and red rubber boots, stomping in the puddles, standing in the rain. He always liked...

Let’s Stop Lying, Shall We?

As many of you may know, I ran two businesses before I took up coaching writers. I taught/teach writing workshops—locally and online—and I also coached nice girls (and guys) who were sick of feeling trapped by their inability to tell the truth. Who wanted to learn how...

Waiting For Motivation Is Like Waiting For Godot

Do you need to be motivated to take action? Hell No. In fact, there are lots of times you’ll absolutely NOT feel like taking action when you promised yourself you would.  These very moments, I’m here to tell you, are the moments you’ll need to take action anyway....

Elect Yourself; No One Else Is Going To

I ran this post a year or two back.  I decided it was time to bring it back after seeing this "issue" come up in a number of coaching sessions.  Listen, people, you will never feel ready.  There will always be more work to do.  Preparation is great, it's absolutely...

Stop Screwing Yourself Over

Walt and I are busy preparing for our weekly webinar:  How to Make 2014 Your Best Year Ever.  This week's topic? Taking Action.  It promises to be a rather short class because the whole secret to getting what you want can be summed up in two words:  Do it.  I know...

It’s Not The Critic Who Counts

It takes guts to have an opinion.  It takes guts to share them with others. To open yourself up to criticism.  I don’t care what you say, how innocuous it may seem to you; someone will decide that your opinion makes you a member of Al Qaeda. That’s just how it goes....

What I Learned In Ireland

Do you remember coming home for break while you were in college?  You’d have a pile of heavy textbooks in your backpack, along with the intention to catch up, or get a jump-start, on various assignments. And do you remember how, invariably, just as day follows night,...

50 Things You, My Friend, Get To Do

You get to change your mind You get to make mistakes You get to vacillate You get to take your own sweet time You get to be angry, or hurt, or sad You get to say no You get to take care of your needs You get to disagree You get to speak your mind You get to be direct...

An Interview with Dr. Bridget Cooper: Writing a Book

If you are an expert looking to create a book for back of the room sales and/or as a way to buttress your credibility, you may want to listen in to my interview with Dr. Bridget Cooper, Author of Feed the Need.  She'll tell you all about the creation process, the time...

Why You Should Do Dan Brown

What if uncertainty and tension and confrontation were good things?  How might your life improve if you used them as tools?  If you stopped running away from them and recognized them as a fantabulous forces for change? I was giving a creative writing lecture last...

Why I Need More Therapy

One 15-minute conversation with my mother, and I know how I got this crazy. She’s why I wake up in a cold sweat convinced that I have to organize my garage—right this second, at 2AM—even though it’s been an absolute shit show for the last six years. Why I need to...

Who The Hell Do You Think You Are?

Do you think people are chosen for awards and recognition because they shine so brightly the world can’t possibly ignore them? That they get plucked, in all of their magnificence, from total obscurity and dropped center stage? Do you think the golden few that get the...

Be a Better Bear

One day, when my daughter was seventeen, I asked her to vacuum the living room carpet.  She looked up from the magazine she was flipping through, thought about my request for a moment, and said, I shit you not, “I don’t feel like it.” Now, like you, I spend a good...

Zero Shades of Grey

I suppose I’d always admired my former husband's unshakable confidence, his ability to see the world in straight black and white, right and wrong. For someone like me— a bit of a floater, unsure of her own opinions or goals— he was like the North Star.  It didn’t take...

The Problem With Killing Two Birds With One Stone

My mother used to complain whenever I trotted up to my bedroom without taking the items she'd left for me on the stairs.  She'd complain again if I came back down without bringing the trash can she'd asked for, or the jacket I needed for school. Two trips were a...