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 […]
If You Stop Writing Now, You’ll Hate Yourself Later [Guest Post Notification]
I’m delighted to be have a guest post up over at Jeff Goins’ blog today. Here’s how it begins . . . When I was younger I played the trombone, but I didn’t really get it. I had friends who got it. You could tell orchestral music did something for them. But as I get […]
3 Questions Publishers Will Ask about Your Next Book Project
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 […]
How Coming Up with a Power Statement Can Help You Do Your Art
Many of us are pursuing our dreams in the margins of life. We have work commitments, family commitments, volunteer commitments, the list goes on. So if we’re going to get after our dreams, we need a way to spur ourselves to action. In this video I share about how coming up with a “power statement” has […]
Which of These 2 Ways Do You View the Future?
Sometimes our anxieties about the future negatively impact the present. We anticipate 1-star Amazon reviews before we’ve written a chapter. We dread how little our new business venture will make before we’ve designed the product. But is all thinking about the future bad for productivity and creativity? Of course not. Natasha Crain commented, “I like to […]
How You Can Get Closer to Your Dream Today (Not Tomorrow)
Like most, I do my art in the margins. I have a day job, one I like very much, and so my writing and product making and speaking and platform building have to happen on the side. Some have called this a “side hustle.” I’m supposed to tell you that if you work hard enough, […]
22 Clever Ways to Find Time to Write
When writing is your dream job but not your day job, fitting it in the margins of life can be tough. Following are 22 ways to find more writing time: 1. When driving, speak into a voice recorder app. Transcribe it later when you have time. Or you could try a speech-to-text app.
The Best Books Ever Written on Creativity, Writing, Platform, and Pursuing Your Dreams
Good books and the authors who write them make for some of the most helpful companions on the creative journey. Below is a categorized list of what I consider the best books out there on creativity, writing, platform, and pursuing your dreams. I commented on books I’ve read and loved. Others made the list either […]
How to Blog Your Way to a Bestselling Book [Podcast]
If you’re a blogger and haven’t discovered the Blogging Your Passion podcast by Jonathan Milligan, you’re in for a treat. Jonathan, a pro blogger himself, has a deep passion for helping bloggers take their blogs to the next level. He’s “been there, done that,” and he’ll show you how he did. Jonathan has become a […]
Interview with Literary Agent, Author, and Blogger Rachelle Gardner, a Living Legend
I’m so pleased to bring you this Living Legends interview with Rachelle Gardner, a literary agent with Books & Such. Rachelle started blogging back before it was cool (I started after that) and has served thousands and thousands of writers over the years. She also has written her first ebook, with more to come. I […]