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Do you ever feel like you don’t have your shizzle together enough to teach, write, set an example, or just be a grown-ass adult? I mean, if you can’t drag your ass out of your pajamas, how can you write a book? Or run a business? Or be a leader? This is how I feel right now. Here’s why. Read more…
I snuck a few changes onto this site recently. Did you spot them? They’re subtle things that signify a huge shift and, I’m excited to say, far more value for you. Want to know what they are? Read more…
This week, I heard two fellow book coaches talking about what you can earn from your book. And the differences in these conversations blew my mind. I don’t want to tell you the first woman’s real name, so let’s call her Agent Baddie. Read more…
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…
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…
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…
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…
