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Wanna know my favorite thing about ghostwriting? It's not the writing. I mean, I do love writing. Me likely words. But my favorite thing about ghostwriting is helping an author figure out what the fork they're trying to say. Ghostwriting involves that, but there's a bunch of other stuff going on. So it’s time to shift into more magic. Here’s how. Read more…
I met Nayla at a time when I was trying to stand up for myself more. I wanted to learn how to be more assertive in business and get what I felt was fair. I didn’t want to let people walk all over me. I was afraid that if I kept being NICE at the expense of standing up for myself, one day I’d explode all over the internet and say something knee-jerky and dumb. So when Nayla asked me to talk about something personal on her podcast, I said yes. Read more…
I was disappointed this week, and it really stung. I thought I was going to improve my writing process, and I didn’t. Instead, I had a really tough time. If your writing process isn’t working, if you feel stuck in a rut, like you’ll never get your book done, I feel you. This was me this week. Miraculously (and no thanks to my own brain), I didn’t stay stuck. Here’s what I did when my writing process wasn’t working, and what you can do too. Read more…
Can I get a book published? Yes. Yes, you can. Anyone can publish a book these days. There are many different paths to publishing, and they are all within reach if you are willing to learn. Publishing a book is absolutely possible for anyone with an internet connection and a manuscript to share. Read more…
Can writing a book really make someone change their behavior? Here’s a review of a book that persuaded me to change how I spend my money. The book was The Moment of Lift by Melinda Gates. And it changed my behavior by eliciting my first ever deliberate charitable donation. Here’s how Melinda Gates changed me forever. Read more…
Writing a book can bring up all sorts of mental gunk. It requires you put yourself out there and, in doing so, you might realize you’re afraid of judgement. You’re worried about being criticized for your ideas, your message, or the way you present yourself. It’s normal to feel afraid of what people will think when you write a book. And I recently experienced this in a different way. Read more…
Should you write your book right now? How do you know if you’re ready to write your book? What should you do if you are—or aren’t—going to get serious about this book thing? And how can you be totally cool with your decision, whatever it is? Here are three questions to help you know if you’re ready to write your book now, and some advice on what to do next. Read more…
Choosing a name for your non-fiction book is a big task. It can feel daunting. But names are fun, and you should really try your darnedest to lighten up and enjoy the process. If it deserves considerable time and energy (as naming your book does), you should enjoy the time and energy you give it. Here’s how to have fun naming your book. Read more…
At 10.44pm last night, I sent one of my clients her final, full, shiny and sparkly, ready-to-publish book manuscript. It felt pretty damn good, I’ll tell ya, because this project was a challenge. Here’s what happened when life tried to stop Emma from writing. Read more…
I just started working with a client to create a plan—an outline that will help her finally write her book. This client—we’ll call her Joanna—initially spoke to me about her book more than a year ago. She wasn’t ready to work together then, so she went off and did her thing. Last month, she reached out and told me it was time. Wanna know why she decided to get her shit together and write this book now? Someone asked about her bucket list. Read more…
What do you wonder about writing and publishing a book? I don't care how "dumb" you think your question is. Will you leave a comment and ask me? Here's why I wanna know... Read more…
In this post, we talked about what theme in non-fiction is and looked at examples from based-on-real-life TV, movies, and books. Today, we’re covering how to find the theme in your non-fiction book idea, because it can be as confusing as the nine dimensions of The Good Place. (When you need a laugh, please go watch that show!) First, remember that everyone approaches writing—and writing themes—differently. Read more…
As a graduate of Make It Work Online 2018, I get asked what it’s really like inside the program, so I’m sharing all the gritty details here in my completely honest review of Jenny Shih’s Make It Work Online business coaching program. There’s my review, some thoughts of who MIWO is right for, details of how much Make It Work Online costs, whether I think it’s worth it, a bunch of FAQs, aaaand… details of the bonus you’ll get if you sign up using my affiliate link! So if you want to know if Make It Work Online is right for you, keep reading. Read more…
I'm going to continue talking about theme in non-fiction, but today I feel called to interrupt that discussion so I can tell you one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned from running my online business: It matters who you surround yourself with. And I don’t just mean your friends and family. Read more…
I just finished reading Becoming, the new best selling memoir by Michelle Obama. (When I say reading, I mean listening. Audiobooks for life. Fist bump.) Being a memoir, it’s quite different from the self-help, how-to books I usually work on, but it taught me something about theme in non-fiction. Read more…
The first time I told a man to hide his knives in the freezer, I felt pretty stupid. The second time, I managed to say it with more confidence. By then, I knew it was a strangely helpful tactic to slow someone down when they’re considering slicing their wrists open. I learned many weird things working on my local suicide prevention hotline, including the power of asking questions. Here’s how you can use that power. Read more…
Life happens. Sometimes work gets busy, clients ask for more than expected, or wildfire evacuations are issued and you have to leave your home (ahem, last summer). It’s frustrating, especially when you’re self-employed. But this week, I had a great reminder of why the frustration is worth it. Plus, there’s a version of the writing tracking spreadsheet for your free download. Read more…
I suck at tracking my book writing goals. I know measuring my writing progress will help me write more, but this shit is hard, and I don’t care for hard stuff. I like easy. Ordering take-out is better than slaving over the stove. I watch Netflix because it doesn’t make you press “Next Episode” like a chump. I’m the fool who pays for pre-washed boxes of pre-chopped salad. But I still do hard things. Read more…
What is a ghostwriter? What does an editor do? Is developmental editing the same as structural editing? What does MS mean? What about MSS? How many words are in a page? These are all really common questions for new writers, so I’ve created a quick and dirty list of writing, editing, and publishing terms and their definitions. Read more…
There are a bazillion books in the world so, whatever you want to write about, the chances are good that there’s already a book (or two!) on that subject. But it doesn’t mean no one will be interested in your book. In this post, I’m going to tell you why we need your book in this world, and I’ll back it up with some extra resources from super-smart, entrepreneur business folks. Read more…
