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UPDATED FOR 2020! 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, and a bunch of FAQs. 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…
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…
What do I want to write about? What books do I want to work on? What excites me? I spend most of my time talking about you, the entrepreneur and budding author reading this blog. I want to focus on your goals and how we can make them a reality. But people always ask about me. So in this video, I’m going to answer those questions, and tell you what I love to write! Read more…
Should you tell that really personal story in your book? Should you write about that incident, even though people might judge you for it? This is a question writers ask all the time. We know readers connect best when you share your message by telling your own story. But sometimes writers get scared of sharing too much. We worry a certain story will make people think we’re [insert really crappy thing here]. Read more…
The two most common paths to book publication, self-publishing and traditional publishing, each have both pros and cons. As a writer, you need to know the ins and outs of both so you can decide which to pursue. No matter what you decide, always remember this: There is no one right path to book publication. Read more…
If you’re struggling to write your book, if it feels like your beating your head against a brick wall, if the blank screen on your laptop is staring at you, judging you, this video will tell you the three types of help available to get you moving so you can finally write your book. Read more…
If you want to write a book about your business, you might not have given thought much to publishing yet. You’ve got to write the book before you choose between self-publishing and traditional publishing, right?! Wrong. That’s the one mistake most new non-fiction authors make. We’re going to talk about why you should decide how to publish your non-fiction book before you write. Read more….
A book on its own will probably not make you much money. I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news. So why bother doing one? Because it can be the catalyst that bolts your business to the next level and makes a lot of money in other ways. In this video, we’ll talk about what those ways are so you can make money from your book, even if it’s not through direct sales. Read more….
Will anyone buy your book? Are other people interested in your subject? Is your book idea any good? Will anyone like it? These questions go through every new author’s mind and in this video, we’re talking about how to answer them before you write a single word of your non-fiction book. Read more….
Last week I was interviewed on The Story Guide Podcast about storytelling in non-fiction and not having to write all alone. I talked with show host Alysia about getting unstuck and getting your words out to the world. Read more….
Books are big projects so, before you start, you need to be sure you're interested enough in your book idea to make it worthwhile. How do you figure out if your book idea is good enough to keep you going? That's what we're talking about today. Read more….
... so you don't waste your time and money. If you’re thinking about writing a book but are worried about wasting your time and money, here are five questions to ask yourself before you start to write. Read more….
If you’ve ever had trouble speaking up and telling someone that you didn’t love something they did or said, then this post is for you! We’re talking about what you have to take responsibility for when you work with a ghostwriter. But it’s not all doom and gloom, because the writer has responsibilities too. Understanding what the ghostwriter is responsible for will help if you’ve ever struggled to say what you really think. Read more….
Tony Robbins, one of the world’s biggest life and business coaches, says that one of the shortcuts to success is modelling others who are already doing what you want to do. So if you want to write a book that sells millions, inspires countless people to improve their lives, and catapults your career, let’s model an author who’s done just that: Tony Robbins. Today I’m looking at the writing lessons we can learn from his awesome book, Unshakeable. Read more….
Think again. More publishers want non-fiction books! That’s the latest trend being reported this month by the bigwig industry commentators. If you’re sitting there thinking no one would be interested in your non-fiction book idea, I’m going to tell you what this news means for you. Read more….
