Category Archives: Publishing

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How New York Times Bestselling Author Chris Guillebeau Wrote His Latest Book

Several years back a colleague recommended Chris Guillebeau’s The Art of Nonconformity, which was a real eye-opener to me. The book challenges readers to think about unconventional ways of doing life and making a living, and honestly I’ve never been the same. I can draw a straight line from his book to the creation of Book Proposal Academy, […]

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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 […]

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What an Odd Little Man Taught Me about Reverence and Mystery

In Memory of Robin Williams As we entered his classroom, Professor Whipp grinned at us. Just as we finished settling in, placing our backpacks on the floor, our notebooks on our desks, he beckoned us to leave. “Come,” he said, “Follow me.” And out we went onto the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s wide campus one pleasant […]

I was honored to be on Jonathan Milligan’s “Blogging Your Passion” Podcast. We talked about what makes for a great book concept and how bloggers can use their blogs to create great books. This is a relatively short podcast, but we packed a lot in. Hope you enjoy it.

Date: July 17, 2014
Appearance: Jonathan Milligan’s “Blogging Your Passion” Podcast
Outlet: Link
Format: Podcast

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
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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 […]

I was honored to be interviewed on Tammy Helfrich’s “Right Where You Are” Podcast. Click here to listen.

Date: May 30, 2014
Time: Available now
Appearance: Tammy Helfrich’s “Right Where You Are” Podcast.
Outlet: Link
Format: Podcast
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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 […]