Should I Self-Publish or Traditionally Publish? A Look at the Advantages of Both
Self publish? Traditionally publish? Don’t expect a black and white answer. I often help emerging authors grapple with the answer to this question near the beginning of the book-writing process. Why so early? The choice you make will affect whether you write a book proposal (traditionally publish) or the whole book (self-publish). And the decision is never “cookie cutter.” There are nuances to consider. Memoirist Seamus Kirst contacted me while writing his excellent article that appeared today in VICE about why he chose to self-publish his memoir, Shitfaced: Musings of a Former Drunk, and why he’s happy with that decision…. Read more
Embracing Your New Identity as a Writer
“I’ve made some progress with my outline until about two weeks ago and I’ve read hundreds of articles on writing in the past two months.” “Hundreds?” “Yes. Hundreds.” As an attorney who fights for environmental justice against the biggest polluters (you can probably guess some of the names of these companies), Janna was winding down her casework and planning to turn full time to writing books about her dramatic battles with some of our country’s most powerful companies against the backdrop of a court system consistently manipulated by corporate interests. While she found herself still wrapping up cases, she felt… Read more
Why You Haven’t Written Your Book Yet: 5 Tips to Start Writing (+Finish!)
The two biggest challenges of writing a book are to start writing and to finish your book. The other day I heard from someone who’d been working on her book for 15 years. 15 years! Have you been struggling to start writing your book or finish it? Here are the 5 main reasons I see people get stuck, along with tips to get unstuck and start writing: “I don’t know where to start.” Hard to start writing if you don’t know where you’re going. A road map will help. Sit tight. It’s coming. “Who am I to write a book?”… Read more
In Memory of Martin J. Tener
My dad passed away a week and a few hours ago. I’m still processing the loss of his body and my continued connection to his soul. There’s so much to share about my dad, a remarkable man from humble beginnings who remained intellectually curious until the day he died at 82. My brother and sister and I touched on different aspects of my father during our eulogies. Here, I share a few of my memories and thoughts from the eulogy I wrote and shared on Monday at his funeral: Many a Sunday morning, Dad led us in a rousing round… Read more
35 Superb Reasons to Write a Book Now
Thinking of writing a self-help book, how-to book or memoir? A few years ago, I began the new year on this blog with 25 reasons to write a book now. Readers loved the inspiring examples and the opportunity to add some new motivation to their book-writing dreams. Some even used this motivation to write and publish their book. Woot! Ready to find your mojo? You want to leave your legacy: After Dr. Eric Pfeiffer retired from practicing medicine, Yale University Press published Winning Strategies for Successful Aging and Caregiving in Alzheimers and Other Dementias. You’re finally ready to leave your corporate job behind, take… Read more
