Recently I tried removing a screw using the wrong kind of screwdriver. The project I was working on was in the house, and the right kind of screwdriver was in the garage. I didn’t want to take the time to walk there, so I struggled until finally giving up. Once I had the right tool, […]
Last week I asked, “Which book should I write?” and received a slew of great responses. Thank you! Interestingly, the book concept that rose to the top was that of how to come up with a book concept! The irony is not lost on me. I thought I would start by writing some posts on […]
Every time I have taken a risk to engage this blog’s community, I have been pleased with the results. It always feels like leaping from a high dive and hoping for the best, but I’m doing that again today. So here’s my question for you: Which book should I write? For a while now I’ve […]
Once upon a time a man carved a block of wood into a butterfly for his sister. His sister loved the butterfly. “You should make one for Mother,” she said, “she’ll be so happy.” The man made another butterfly, and his mother held it close to her heart. “Everybody I know would love one of […]
Macguyver was the all-time master of double use. Watch what he does with this paperclip, for example: I can’t promise writing a book proposal will save you from certain death, but doing so definitely has more uses than pitching an idea to traditional publishers. Writing a book proposal will help you: Clarify your vision for […]
A while back two commenters asked how big a platform was big enough. “How many Twitter followers, Facebook fans, email subscriptions should I be shooting for? What’s the goal I should have in mind?” In a guest post over at that Books and Such blog, I address these questions. The post is called 5 Questions […]
Recently I participated in a Q & A session for writers at Baker Book House—a very fine Christian book store in Grand Rapids, Michigan. (By the way, if you don’t already subscribe to Louis McBride’s “Baker Book House Connection,” it’s worth your time. While you’re at it, check out the blog of Josh Mosey, the […]
For those who have been following along as Gary Neal Hansen and I work through a book proposal together, I wanted to give you an update. For those who don’t know what I’m talking about, here’s a brief setup: In December 2012 I started a series of posts on how to create a book proposal. I […]
Guest Blogger: Natasha Crain (www.christianmomthoughts.com) We all know Facebook is the largest social media network in the world. Our intuition tells us it can be a powerful tool for book marketing, but how do you use it effectively? In a word, it all starts with fans. The more fans you have, the more effective Facebook […]
It’s an iconic line from an iconic movie. Maverick and Ice Man break the chill between them whilst maneuvering their F-14 fighter jets in a dogfight against a group of Russian MiGs. Each of them helps the other with life-saving aeronautical stunts. Back on the ground, mission accomplished, Ice Man expresses his newfound appreciation for […]
