Self-publishing and traditional publishing are both great options for getting your book out in the world, each with pros and cons. One option is not better than the other. It all depends on what you want and where you are at in your book journey. Many authors actually switch back and forth between self-publishing and … Read more
If you’re a first-time author, you may be surprised to learn that writing the book is only 20% of the work. The other 80% comes from selling it! Even if you’re published by a traditional company, these days the selling of actual copies of your actual book is actually…up to you. If you’re watching a … Read more
Ready to throw in the towel because you’ve received 3 rejections? 10? Kelly says not so fast. Take a listen to her conversation with teacher, coach, and lecturer Rob Kandell on his podcast Tuff Love. Kelly addresses the real reasons you should–or should not–write a book, how the publishing industry has changed since she got started 20+ … Read more
If you’re anything like, um, I don’t know, every writer I’ve ever met, then there will be times in your writing journey when you’ll wonder how, how, how you’ll ever get that book finished. Or even started. Sound familiar? Regardless the flavor of your particular writing crazy, the excuses reasons most writers have for not … Read more
What’s the hardest part about writing? DOING IT! You can have the greatest ideas in the world, but setting aside the time to sit down and put pen to paper (or fingertips to keyboard) is a whole different story. So how do I help my authors skirt the deadly territory of “writer who isn’t writing?” I … Read more
No matter how you slice it, writing a book is a big, long, complex job. Most first-time writers assume that once they finish their draft manuscript, the heavy lifting is complete. All they have to do is wait for their publisher to put a few things together, and they’ll have a beautiful book in their … Read more
So. You’ve put the finishing touches on your book proposal. You’ve taken your idea, fleshed it out into an outline, and concisely explained who will read it, what they’ll get from doing so, when they’ll need your book, where they’ll find it, and why you’re the best person to deliver the goods. This is a … Read more
About four years into my publishing career I had an author conversation that hurt my heart. At the time I was working at Plume, a paperback division of Penguin USA. Part of my job was to shepherd the repackaging of “backlist” books. A backlist book is one that was published years ago (as contrasted with … Read more
Lately I’ve been working closely with a client on a book proposal for a self-help book. A proposal, if you’re unfamiliar, is a marketing document used to sell your book. It includes everything a publisher will need to know about you and the book in order to acquire your project for their company—or not. One … Read more
This past weekend I had the pleasure of speaking at the Hay House Writer’s Workshop in Chicago with Reid Tracy and Nancy Levin. The headliner for the weekend was Mike Dooley, creator of “Notes from the Universe,” a daily email I’ve been loyally reading for several years. It was pure entertainment to hear him recount … Read more
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