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The Skinny on Book Forewords
Common questions and answers about whether or not pursuing one makes sense.
How Much Research Do You Need to Do Before You Begin Writing Your Book?
Answering a simple but essential question.
Be Wary of Bestseller Claims
Overly generic ones engender the same suspicions as their overly specific counterparts.
How Much Text Should You Put on the Back of Your Book?
Eager first-time authors often make the same mistake I did. Don't.
Do Ghostwriters and Clients Need to Vibe With Each Other?
Thoughts on whether a spark between the two is necessary.
Writing Lessons From Whiplash
Thoughts on when to cut text from your manuscript.
The Mystery of the Bulk Book Sale
Why did your title suddenly sell dozens of books? Ask a better question.
A Simple Tip to Make Your Sentences Come Alive
Avoid this weak verb in your prose.
More Shaving With the AI Razor
If regularly you're not using GenAI to assist with your writing, you're wasting valuable time.
Make Your Designer's Life Easier
You needn't be a professional these days to jumpstart the process of creating figures for your book.
Unpacking the Reasons for a Successful Book Project
Why did Amanda Wick stick the landing on her new book?
On Ghostwriters, Selectivity, and Unicorns
Are the requirements for your writing partner unreasonable?
The Case for a Concierge
Whether your visiting a city or writing a book for the first time, you will benefit from personalized, sage advice.
Every Book Project Is Different
The precise path to publication is never the same—and it shouldn't be.
Revisiting My Unifying Theory of Business
A post on authors' willingness to embrace contemporary tools—or lack thereof.
Parallels Between Books and Databases
It turns out that the two aren't all that dissimilar.
On Gates, Books, and Priorities
Thoughts on a monumental personal and professional decision.
Legacy Publishers' Shrinking List of Responsibilities
Authors have to increasingly pick up the slack.
Tech Questions to Ask Your Potential Ghostwriter
When vetting potential writing partners, it's worth considering their choice of tools.
Simon's First Law of Case Studies
When telling stories, striking a balance is essential.
Key Questions to Ask Your Potential Ghostwriter
Tips on selecting your future writing partner.
The Benefit of Boutiques
Why growth isn't the priority at Racket Publishing.
Six Ways to Write a Book Today
Some are much more likely to make the desired impact than others.
What Authors Can Learn From an Iconic Hockey Announcer
A quick post about the death of a legend.
On AI, Workout Apps, and Generic Books
Thanks to AI, it's never been easier to write a book, but churning out a good one still requires more than entering a series of prompts.
The 46 Non-Writing Hats Skilled Non-Fiction Ghostwriters Wear
Thoughts on one of the most diverse, interesting, challenging, and rewarding jobs on the planet.
The Dangers of Disparate Documents
A short post on organization and writing.
The Wow Test
A simple way to vet potential ghostwriters.
On Books, Success, and Ego
Thoughts on successful folks determined to write a book—not necessarily a good one.
On Quickie Book Services
A post about paint-by-numbers approaches to book publishing.
On Buildings and Books
A post on the parallels between the two.
The Algebra of Ghostwriting
A simple equation to figure out how much you'll spend with your writing partner.
Why Writers Abandon Their Books
For a bevy of reasons, they often don't finish what they start.
On GenAI and Mislabeled Receipts
A quick yarn to illustrate a key limitation of the technology du jour.
Footnotes, Endnotes, and Other Publishing Gaffes
Time to pick some reference-related nits.
Why You Should Start Small With Your Ghostwriter
A post on the benefits of dating before getting married.
On Tennis Rackets and Publishing Tech
Parallels between legacy publishers and a '70s legend who tried to pretend that the world remained stagnant.
Now Available: New Speaking Gig Task Database
Need a failsafe way to ensure that you never forget a thing on your speaking gig? You're in luck.
Author Mistake #1: Superfluous Word Repetition
Why repeatedly using the same word or phrase will irk readers.
The Case for a Data-Oriented Approach to Research and Writing
Making the case to quantify your book-related efforts as quickly as possible.
The Overlooked Benefit of Hybrid Publishing
Something to think about if you're unsure of your dates.
The Charlatans of Hybrid Publishing
An encounter at the gym a few years ago offers a valuable lesson for impressionable scribes.
Solving the Publicity Tracking Mess
Tired of scrambling to answer simple questions about guest posts, interviews, and articles? Enter a neat Notion template.
Can You Write Your Manuscript in Notion?
Is the increasingly popular magnet app up to this massive task?
PopClip
Every author should embrace this gem of an app.
Lessons From Helping 50 Non-Fiction Authors
Reflections on a dozen years of answering similar questions.
The Next Book Format
It doesn't take a rocket surgeon to read the tea leaves.
The Unreasonably Hospitable Publisher
How Racket embraces a book ostensibly about the restaurant industry.
On Books and Wicked Environments
Over the months or years required to write one, stability should rule the day. If chaos is your modus operandi, you're in trouble.
The AI Razor
Thanks to today's über-powerful tools, it's not at all hard to shave off a few hours of manual work.
The Author as Gatekeeper
Just because you can circumvent traditional publishers and write that book doesn't mean you should.
On Rookie Authors and Criminals
A fantastic scene from the iconic show offers a key lesson for new scribes.
The Ten-Copy Rule
A simple litmus test on whether your book's focus was sufficiently specific.
AI-Generated Amazon Book Review Summaries Have Arrived
The inevitable has happened.
The Discerning Author Revisited
Revisiting my recent decision to pass on an offer to write a new For Dummies book. Did I make the right call? And what can you learn from my decision-making process?
The Myth of One
Authors who think writing a quality book means doing it all themselves are sorely mistaken.
The Blurring Lines Between Publishing Methods
Not that long ago, a clear demarcation existed between traditional and hybrid publishing. These days, not so much.
Book Coach or Ghostwriter?
Which one makes the most sense? A quick post on one of the factors to consider.
The AI-Driven Author Time Shift
Some musings about what to do now that anyone can write a passable book about anything.
Author Marketing Lessons From The Wire
A short post on the promise and peril of each interaction.
Why You Shouldn't Need a Developmental Edit
Books and houses aren't all that different. There are lots of ways to build them—and you shouldn't do either without an experienced hand.
Does Your Book Need a Subtitle?
A few thoughts on some of the most important words you'll write.
Books and Viruses
Thoughts on how authors can maximize word of mouth.
Author Horror Story #6: Sticker Shock
A scribe's enthusiasm disappears the minute he sees what his publisher will charge for his book.
A Parable
Sometimes you need to stay in your lane.
Author Horror Story #5: The Typo
Non-existent quality control bites an author and college professor in the ass.
Books and Regrets
As usual, Dank Pink got me thinking.
Author Horror Story #4: Courier
Disbelief befalls two first-time scribes when they see their publisher's wretched cover options.
Building a Better Research Ingestion Engine
The right mindset and tool can help authors increase efficiency, organize their content better, save time, and yield superior results.
Author Horror Story #3: The Moving Target
What happens when the pub date keeps shifting?
Eliminating Grunt Work One Automation at a Time
Ten minutes of learning and setting up new shortcuts can pay major dividends over the course of a project.
What Authors Can Learn From Accountants and Payroll Managers
Scribes would do well to take a page from these folks' books.
Author Horror Story #2: Errors Galore
When joy turns to disapointment and anger.
The Traditional Publisher's Conundrum
Explaining the current catch-22 of the hits-driven publishing world.
Author Horror Story #1: The Case of the Missing Books
What happens when a traditional publisher drops the ball?
The Wrong Kind of Workout
Even large corporations bungle words. Remember that when you decide that you can edit your own book.
Author Lessons From a Historic Emmy Snub
Looking for fairness in artistic fields? Look elsewhere.
Control
Hybrid and self-publishing can be empowering, but a pure DIY approach is bound to result in expensive gaffes.
What's Your Writing Style?
Grammarly confirms what I already know.
Two Simple Rules for Authors
Regardless of their specific genres, aspiring scribes can learn a great deal from Neil Peart and Voltaire.
A 2024 Amazon Prediction
I suspect that The Everything Store will limit low-quality knockoffs this year.
Bumps
A few thoughts about long-form writing projects.
The Ghostwriter as a Chef
Thoughts on the striking parallels between the two professions.
The Folly of Mental Project Management
Tools matter when writing a book. Run if someone tells you otherwise.
On Writing, AI, and Xerox Machines
Get under the hood, and you'll be surprised at how generative-AI tools write.
Reading the McGraw Hill Tea Leaves
Thoughts on the announcement rocking publishers of business books.
Blind Spots
Thoughts on one of the many perils of true self-publishing.
The Author as a Chief Product Officer
Think that others will shepherd your book through the process? Think again.
The Non-Fiction Advantage (and Disadvantage)
Thoughts on timing and sales for the two different genres.
For Whom? The Importance of Writer Personas
Why non-fiction authors should rely upon a popular tool in the software-development world.
Should Authors Leave Twitter?
It sucks, but complete disengagement from the embattled social network isn't wise.
Complimentarity
Thoughts on follow-up books or—better yet—conceiving of a series.
The Case for Advance Review Copies
Thoughts on the benefits of going old school.
On Books and Oceans
Thoughts on similarities between the two.
Thoughts on Books, Co-Authors, and Babies
Before embarking on a book with a co-author, ask yourself if the two of you are on the same page.
Rhea Seahorn, Better Call Saul, and Planning
Don't be surprised if your words morph as you proceed towards your ultimate goal. In fact, expect it.
The Importance of Book Covers
As a matter of fact, people do judge books in part by their covers.
The Case for Author Experiments
Stuck on a title, subtitle, and cover for your book? Let data show you the way. Oh, and I compare myself to Brad Pitt.
How Author Indecision Leads to Missed Opportunities
Thoughts on the downsides of dithering while writing a topical business book—or paying someone to do it for you.