I make my living in part by helping writers craft compelling book proposals to increase their chances of landing a book deal with a traditional publisher. So it might seem strange for me to devote a blog post to a method of impressing agents and publishers that does not center on the book proposal. Book […]
If making your art is adding net misery to the world,” writes Austin Kleon in his mighty little book Keep Going, “walk away and do something else. Find something else to do with your time, something that makes you and the people around you feel more alive.” Elizabeth Gilbert says something similar in her book on […]
I just saw General Magic, a documentary film about a company that was about fifteen years before its time. They imagined the smartphone before the technology was there to support its creation. What I left with after watching the film is the absolutely vital importance and world-changing power of vision. The people of General Magic […]
About a year ago I packed up my office at Baker Books and “went out on my own,” as they say. I’m pleased to say I’m still self-employed, although that’s a bit of a misnomer for reasons I’ll get to shortly. This is a significant milestone and bears reflection on what I’ve learned along the […]
She was about the coolest girl I’d ever met. And she’d invited me, still in high school, to hang out near her college campus about an hour away. That’s right, friends. This was the big leagues. I was relaxed, though; you would’ve been proud of me. In the days leading up to my big date, […]
Baby names are a multi-million dollar business. A quick Amazon search for “baby names” yields over 5,000 products that promise to help you name your newborn. And if you’re really concerned, you can hire a baby-naming consultant for a measly $29,000. Well, you may not drop that kind of cash on a moniker master. But […]
For a lot of people book proposals are intimidating and scary. I wonder how many books don’t happen just because the prospect of a book proposal is so daunting. Often writers don’t know what goes into a book proposal. What are the different pieces? How long should each section be? How should I organize the […]
I remember meeting with an unpublished writer in a Nashville coffee shop years ago.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 […]
Recently I went ice skating with my kids. This is an activity we do once or twice or year, so none of us is all that proficient at it. My seven-year-old daughter, in particular, is still learning the basics. A little wobbly. During our most recent outing I placed myself a few feet in front […]
