I work for myself and because of that, my schedule (i.e., time) is pretty much my own. I seldom set an alarm. The first hour or two of my day is spent sipping coffee on my lanai, looking at the water, and thinking. Sometimes I write or make a to-do list, but it’s all very…
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Fame Many people dream of becoming an author, writing best-selling books (usually novels), chatting about their book with Oprah, and generally living a life of elegant leisure, dining with friends in Paris or fly fishing like Papa Hemingway. When we picture the life of an author, those kinds of images pop into our heads. (What?…
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I was reading the Sunday paper (yes, some of us still read the paper) and there was an article about a woman who had played in the women’s baseball league back in 1942. There was a picture of her team, with the women all named and I thought to myself, “There was a lady from…
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Branding your business is probably not your first priority as a solopreneur or small business owner. That spot is usually reserved for scrambling to create positive cash flow. But branding your business is a powerful tool that can help create that positive cash flow. How? First, let’s look at what brand is. Brand is the…
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A compilation book is one in which many authors each contribute a chapter. In general, each author’s chapter covers a different aspect within the same broad topic. Usually there is a “name” author – someone with a following whose name will go first on the cover. Then each person who contributed a chapter gets their…
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Did you know Voltaire wrote Candide in three days? IN FRENCH?? Now that’s talent. (And for the record, it’s also not true. But a great story, yeah?) You can write your own book in three days. It probably won’t be the Great American Novel. It probably won’t be your Signature Book. (I sincerely hope you…
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Baby Boomers and every generation after them have a hard time settling on just one thing. We want it all. “Life is a banquet and most poor suckers are starving to death.” Americans want to experience as much as possible and have as much as possible. Shiny object syndrome was invented just for us. I…
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Setting the scene, whether you’re writing fiction or nonfiction, works to draw the reader in. When people refer to books as boring or dry, it’s because the author didn’t set the scene properly, if at all. We learn best through stories. Whenever I find myself trying to haul too much stuff in one load, my…
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I am doing the third editing pass on a client’s book and yes, I found two more typos (much to my chagrin). I tell my clients that editing is like sweeping a dirt floor. No matter how many times you sweep, you’re still going to pick up dirt. But too many books today are riddled…
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A business, for better or worse, reflects the personality of its leader and that is why it is so important to understand and shape your personal brand. Your personal brand is an extension of your own personality, your principles and philosophies, and, as long as I’m on an alliterative P kick here, your passions. Mike…
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