The “Smarter Not Harder” Way to Get a Literary Agent
How do I secure a literary agent?” This is an excellent question writers often ask me. Many publishers (including my employer, Baker Publishing Group) are explicit about not accepting submissions unless they come through an agent. So if you’re pursuing traditional publishing, getting an agent is essential. I asked this and some other questions in an […]
How to Get Your Book Written Once and for All
Do you have a nonfiction book idea? If you’re reading this, chances are you do. But here’s the thing. This idea you have is not guaranteed to become anything. If you don’t do something with it, in time your idea will fade away. And maybe that’s okay. Maybe it’s not an idea you care very much […]
10 Things I Learned from Hosting My First Webinar
Well, okay, it wasn’t quite my first. It was my second, but it was my first real shot at hosting a webinar by myself. I called it “3 Steps to Winning a Nonfiction Book Contract,” and here’s what I learned in no particular order. 1. Webinars are fun! I really enjoy the anticipation of the event […]
5 Terrifically Useful Tools for Writers
I’m so pleased to be guest-posting over at Sandi Krakowski’s blog today. Sandi is a social media expert and successful entrepreneur. We met recently at the ReWrite conference and became fast friends. My post describes 5 really useful tools that will help you write your book. Enjoy! Here’s the link: http://www.arealchange.com/blog/writing-book-hard-5-tools
3 Fatal Flaws of Rejected Book Proposals
In the world of nonfiction publishing, the book proposal is king. Writers, agents, and editors may have conversations before the book proposal. But all the real action takes place when the proposal hits publishers’ inboxes. If you’re a nonfiction writer who wants traditional publishing houses to take you seriously, a strong proposal is the place to invest […]
Interview with Professional Blogger Jonathan Milligan, a Living Legend
Jonathan Milligan is a professional blogger, entrepreneur, speaker, life coach, social media expert, and all around great guy! I met him via Michael Hyatt’s Platform University in the forum there. He threw out an invitation to join a mastermind group, and I jumped. So glad I did. Jonathan was in the “head hunter” recruitment world when […]
10 Things Every Public Speaker Should Know
I recently returned from a wonderful in-person meet-up with my mastermind group, which is comprised of Jonathan Milligan, Dennis McIntee, Rebecca Livermore, Dale Callahan, Jackie Ulmer, Fokke Kooistra, and Michael Nichols. I am beyond grateful to be in a group with these people! We were together one full day and two nights. During the day […]
Where Most People Go Wrong When Chasing a Dream
Chasing a dream can be tough. It takes perseverance–sometimes more perseverance than we’ve ever had to muster in the past. Chasing a dream stretches us in ways we’ve never been stretched. I tend to think we actually become different people when we pursue a goal to which we feel deeply called. Watch this video to […]
Is This Blocking Your Creativity?
My son and I recently learned about electric motors. In fact, thanks to our friends Gretchen and Bill, we were able to build one through a service called Tinker Crate, which I highly recommend. So we were working on this motor, trying to get the wheel to spin, and nothing was happening. Just before throwing […]
4 Proven Steps That Turn Writers into Tribal Marketers
We were all excited. An author we had just published was going to be on Oprah, and the subject of our author’s book would be front and center during the interview. We shipped thousands of books to make sure our accounts had plenty of inventory. The day came, and Oprah set her up beautifully. The author did a […]