I remember meeting with an unpublished writer in a Nashville coffee shop years ago. She told me in no uncertain terms she was a writer and was going to be published. That writer was Rachel Held Evans, and she meant what she said. Evans worked hard on her craft and nurtured an audience. She honed […]
Two years ago I started a one-on-one coaching program for writers. A feature of the program clients rave about is their “Book of the Month.” Each month I send a book with a letter about why I think the book is a worthwhile read for their writing and platform-building. Below is a list of the […]
Publishing is legalized gambling.” That’s an aphorism I’ve heard several times from publishing professionals, and there’s some truth to it. Publishers place a bet on an author and her manuscript, meaning they pay an advance as well as all the costs of production (editorial, marketing, printing, paper, glue, etc) and marketing (advertising, mailings, publicity, exhibit […]
We all know Amazon is the biggest bookseller in the world by far, but marketing on Amazon is still a mystery to many authors. Most writers don’t understand what makes a book an Amazon bestseller. And they’re confused about how to work with the Amazon platform to market their books and increase sales. That’s why […]
Below are questions I received recently about how to build a writer platform followed by my responses. My hope is that these questions are broadly representative of those many writers have about this often vexing topic. Before I jump into the questions, let me first define what I mean by platform. An author’s platform is […]
Have you ever felt “stuck in a rut” creatively? Ever struggled with writer’s block? Do you ever feel like you’ve simply run out of content ideas? As writers we need to be at our best creatively, yet so often we hit a wall. It is the height of frustration to have the desire to serve […]
My wife and I recently watched the new documentary on Mr. Rogers, Who’s My Neighbor? I highly recommend it for several reasons, but the big takeaway for me was how Fred Rogers pushed through his self-doubt. The movie opens, for example, with Rogers questioning whether a certain metaphor makes sense. He doubts whether his PSAs […]
I published my first blog post back in August 2012, nearly six years ago. I have warm memories of waking up at 5am to go down to Common Ground Coffee House to do my art. Eventually I wrote a manifesto, Do Your Art, daring and equipping others to do the same. Click here to check it out. […]
After sixteen and a half wonderful years at Baker Publishing Group, I have decided to make a move. This blog, now six years old, has enabled me to start a small business, and I feel called to dedicate my energies to it full time. I plan to serve writers via BookCamp, Book Proposal Academy, coaching, […]
Last summer a friend and I went to an outdoor concert at Frederick Meijer Gardens here in Grand Rapids, Michigan. They have an amphitheater there, a large stage up front with a leaf-shaped canopy and terraced grass-covered seating for a thousand or more. A lovely venue. The local band was pretty good, but I don’t […]
