An Easy Way for Writers to Renew Their Energy
Recently I heard from a writer who said, “I feel like I get so bogged down with building a platform, I don’t have time to write!” That’s the cry of so many writers I’ve worked with. Here’s another one: “I feel like I’m just spinning my wheels. I forget why I got into this in […]
A Mindset Shift That Helps Writers Increase Their Brilliance and Creativity
As I’ve worked with writers over the years, I’ve come to believe about 95 percent of the work of any creative is cultivating the right mindset. If we get the mental game right, everything else tends to work itself out. Obviously there are multiple facets to the mental game. I want to talk about just […]
How You Really Can Achieve Your Goals (and Have Fun Doing It)
I’ve been writing down and pursuing goals for about five years and have seen some wonderful results, including: Running my first triathlon Losing 50 pounds Starting my own business and transitioning to fulltime self-employment Becoming someone who prays and meditates regularly The list goes on. But my list of goals achieved is, of course, not […]
10 Things Healthy, Successful Writers DON’T Do
In many ways we’re living in a golden age for writers. The path to a sizeable audience for your story or message has never been more accessible. But as I’ve worked with thousands of writers over the past twenty-plus years, I’ve become aware of ways writers can be their own worst enemies. Certain mindsets cut […]
How to Grow Your Audience Quickly
Recently I sent out a survey to writers in our BookCamp community and asked them, “When it comes to the whole process of writing, building an audience, and getting published, what’s the biggest challenge, frustration, or obstacle you are struggling with?” The top response by far: building an audience. Here’s what I posted in our […]
A “Choose Your Own Adventure” Guide to the Best Books on Writing
I could simply give you a list of my favorite books on writing, but where’s the fun in that?! I thought it would be more fun to guide you to the one that is most likely to help you based on what you’re looking for. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to what is likely the first […]
5 Simple and Effective Ways to Structure Your Book
Later this year my buddy Mike and I will go on our annual camping trip. It’s one of the highlights of my year. Sitting by the fire. Hot coffee in the morning chill. Long conversations. Man, I love it. Here’s a pic from last year’s trip to Wisconsin’s Kettle Moraine State Forest. Nice, right? But […]
How Big a Platform Do I Need to Land a Book Deal?
Blog reader Ryan Atkins from Flat on My Back recently emailed this question about platform: “In a recent post of yours, you mentioned having at least 1,000 email subscribers before moving forward with publishing. This was surprising to me as I had assumed differently after hearing much higher numbers from query rejections last year. After […]
How Writers Can Use Speaking to Build a Platform and Sell Books
Grant Baldwin is the founder of The Speaker Lab, a training company that helps public speakers learn how to find and book speaking gigs. Through his popular podcast The Speaker Lab and flagship coaching program Booked and Paid to Speak, he has coached and worked with thousands of speakers. His book, The Successful Speaker: Five […]
How a Writer Faced His Fear and Landed a Book Deal
Writing a book proposal and landing a book deal is hard work, but it can be done. I recently sat down for a video call with writer, spiritual director, and speaker Brian Plachta about his journey from a small platform to a landing a book deal. We talked about: how Brian pushed through his fear […]