How to Get Published: A 3-Part Conversation with Author Michelle DeRusha and Me

Imagine you could pick up the phone when you needed writing or publishing advice and talk to two professionals with over 35 years of combined experience. These two have racked up a host of publishing/writing credits and have helped hundreds of other people get published and make progress toward their writing and publishing dreams. Do […]

The 2-Step Plan for Increasing Your Creativity

Includes a Free Self-Assessment and Action Guide

Stand up, everybody,” the perky lady said from up front. “We’re going to do a little stand-in-place yoga to get our blood moving.” Great, I thought to myself. Comfortably seated at a conference with two hundred strangers, I was not excited about getting up and moving my pudgy body in unusual ways for all to […]

The Best Thing to Do When You Don’t Know What to Do

I would have slammed into her if I hadn’t been looking. Luckily, at that particular moment anyway, I was, and so stopped within a few feet of her flashing hazards. The silver 1990s Corolla was bunching up the morning commute, and clearly the car was going nowhere. On another morning, a more hectic morning, no […]

Why You Must Not Ignore the Benefits of a Mastermind Group

A group of friends got together to ask some questions. They ended up changing the world. In 1727 Benjamin Franklin started a group of about twelve souls whose purpose was individual and community improvement. The “Junto,” as Franklin called it, met on Friday nights and went through a list of questions including: What new story have you […]

I was honored to be on Jeff Goins’ “The Portfolio Life” podcast. We talked about what it takes to get a traditional book contract. We had a lot of fun in this informative conversation. I hope it’s helpful to you.

Date: September 25, 2014
Appearance: Jeff Goins’ “The Portfolio Life” Podcast
Outlet: Link
Format: Podcast

5 Brilliant Things Writers Can Do to Overcome a Small Platform

As editorial director for a major trade publisher, I regularly receive questions like the following: How big a platform is big enough? Am I out of luck if I don’t have much of a platform? What should I do if my platform is still smallish? Do I really have to be a superstar to get […]

A Hawk, a Deck Chair, and What They Taught Me about Calling

Recently our family was getting settled around the dinner table when our seven-year-old son halted all his usual bounciness and pointed. “What’s that?” he asked, staring out the back door. We all looked to discover a young hawk perched on one of our deck chairs. I grabbed my phone and snapped this picture: We were floored. What was […]

It was a lot of fun being interviewed by my friend Dale Callahan on his “Company of One” Podcast. We talked about how publishers make publishing decisions, how to decide whether to publish or self-publish, and how books are like small businesses. I think you’ll enjoy it!

Date: July 15, 2014
Time: Available now
Appearance: Dale Callahan’s “Company of One” Podcast
Outlet: Link
Format: Podcast

I was honored to be interviewed on Rebecca Livermore’s “Professional Content Creation” Podcast. We talked about how to get started on a book project, the most important metric in platform building, and what publishers look for in any book they publish. Click here to listen.

Date: July 10, 2014
Time: Available now
Appearance: Rebecca Livermore’s “Professional Content Creation” Podcast
Outlet: Link
Format: Podcast

3 Questions Publishers Will Ask about Your Next Book Project

A Quick Primer on How Pub Boards Work

For aspiring writers the “pub board meeting,” where book contracts are won and lost, is mysterious and even unnerving. “What goes on in there?” writers wonder. “What’s the conversation like?” For over ten years I’ve been attending publishing board meetings in an acquisitions role for a large book publisher. I’ve learned to anticipate the most […]