Veteran Book Publicist Reveals How to Attract Media Attention

An Interview with Heather Adams, Cofounder of Choice Media and Communications 

Book publishers often think of publicity as the Holy Grail of marketing and for good reason: Media attention has the potential to skyrocket sales. So how does it all work and what do writers need to know about attracting media attention? To find out I turned to 20-year book publicist Heather Adams of Choice Media […]

5 Scientifically Verified Reasons You’ll Hate Yourself if You Stop Writing

The Surprising Health Benefits of Continuing in the Craft

So much of winning at the writing game can be summarized succinctly by the immemorial words of Dory in Finding Nemo: Just keep swimming. Easier said than done, for sure. But it’s important because really the only way to lose is to stop writing. To give up. To abandon your dream of that book or that […]

See How Easily You Can Structure Your Book with This Method

One Question Will Reveal How to Organize Your Content

While it’s true a thousand-mile journey begins with a single step, this is also true: If that first step is in the wrong direction, you’ll end up in the wrong place! Like this Air Asia flight, you could end up in Melbourne instead of Malaysia! When it comes to structuring a book, writers can go […]

5 Literary Agents Tell You Exactly How to Secure Representation for Your Book

Exploring 5 Different Methods

I travel a bit for work, and one part of the process that always causes me a bit of anxiety is getting into my hotel room. The process is rarely without incident. Often I feel like a complete doofus as I swipe my key card a dozen times waiting for the green light to flash […]

My Problem with “Platform”

3 Reasons the Term Needs Nuance

Publishing professionals have been using the term “platform” for a long time. And once my friend and Baker author Michael Hyatt wrote his New York Times bestseller Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World, the term became ensconced forever in publishing parlance. These days we can’t review a book proposal without using the term multiple […]

3 Ways to an Acquisitions Editor’s Heart

What I've Learned from Up-and-Coming Authors

I recently had conversations with two first-time authors, and I feel very hopeful about both of them. Whether the publisher I work for pursues them or some other publisher, I’m quite certain these authors will be offered contracts. And as long as the publisher doesn’t overpay, chances are good these books will be successful for […]

How to Get a Bigger Audience for Your Writing [Free Video]

Recently I asked readers of my blog this question: “What’s the biggest creative challenge or obstacle you are facing?” As I read through the responses, I noticed one particular theme came up again and again: the desire for a bigger audience. Listen to some of these responses; these are direct quotes: “I feel stuck in a […]

How One Writer Went from Blogging to Book Contracts in 5 Years

An Interview with Natasha Crain

If you’re a writer with a book inside you, a platform builder, or someone who simply wants to have an impact in the world, this interview is for you. Join me today for a conversation with author and blogger Natasha Crain. Over the past five years Natasha has steadily grown her blog traffic and subscriber […]

What Book Should I Write?

5 Steps from Rough Idea to Market-Tested Concept

Deciding what book to write can be tough. Writers often have a lot of different ideas, and we know that writing a book requires a significant amount of time and energy. Even if you have a direction in mind, establishing a particular angle or hook can be difficult. How to choose? This problem can be frustrating […]