How Do I Finish My Book? 7 Writing Productivity Tips
Susan MacDonald had already written and published one book when she emailed me for support to answer the question, “How do I finish my book?” Susan needed to complete her second book by the December deadline set by her publisher, Gryphon House (an imprint of Kaplan), which had published her first book, Inspiring Early Childhood Leadership, which she had worked on in my Bring Your Book to Life(R) Program. Beyond “How do I finish my book?” Susan wanted help with strategies, to “create a clear focused plan to get the writing done by December.” She knew that she tends to “dive into the… Read more
“Struggling: Should I Work with an Agent? Pitch Publishers? Do I Write the Whole Book First?”
Are you struggling with questions like, “Should I work with an agent or contact publishers directly?” and, “Do I write the whole book first?” I recently received an email from Sue, who felt stuck, partly due to these looming questions. With these questions answered, she expected a breakthrough, and she’s likely correct. Not knowing what steps to take can feel overwhelming. Clarifying direction and steps can be just the thing to open the door to the muse. Since Sue’s questions are fairly common, I figured I’d share my answers with you, too. In addition, I unfortunately seem to have accidentally… Read more
Ghostwriting Advice: What to charge?
This is an updated version of a 2009 post, with updated pricing/fees and other advice. I’m happy to add to the post, so send your feedback and ask more questions! In a comment responding to one of last week’s posts, Jeannie asked several questions that I thought might be of interest to many followers of this blog: 1. I’ve been asked to ghostwrite a memoir. How much can I reasonably ask to be paid? 2. Can I expect royalties if the book is made into a movie (the author is already in talks with a producer) 3. Would you advise… Read more
Advice from Literary Agents and Publishers
It’s become a tradition that I publish a post about the advice from literary agents and acquisitions editors, shared at Harvard Medical School’s CME Publishing Course each year. I could apologize for how long it languished in my drafts folder, but instead I’ll turn it into a teaching moment. By giving the post some time to stew, I realized I could add some examples to make it even more useful. You may find that with your writing as well. If it’s not jelling, let it go and return to it later. And, without further ado, here’s the post inspired by… Read more
A Writing-Friendly Diet
After working with Micaela Karlsen on her book, A Plant Based Life, I switched to a largely plant-based diet, almost no meat and very little dairy, and the results were dramatic – for my health, vitality and even my writing! You could call it a “writer-friendly diet.” In this guest post, Micaela Karlsen shares how this writer-friendly diet affects her life and writing. “Mama!” It was 1am, and my 20 month-old daughter barreled into the room to join us for the rest of the night. As a researcher, my work is very mental. I write almost every day, a lot of it creative… Read more
The Power of Sharing Writing, Even in Draft Form
Are you reluctant when it comes to sharing your writing? Sharing Writing to Get Feedback We have a ritual in book writing class. At the end of the call, people are free to leave or to stay on the line to listen to one classmate read a page or so from their rough draft and offer feedback to the writer—sharing what drew them in, phrases that moved them, writing techniques, observations about what works well in the piece, etc. I often use the opportunity to point out how the author employed certain techniques we learned about in class. Sometimes I… Read more
Writing a Book Proposal: The Long Game
Yes, writing a book proposal takes fortitude. I’ve been eating, breathing and dreaming book proposals lately. Do You Have the Perseverence for Writing a Book Proposal? In the thick of it, this week, it kept my spirits up to hear from one client who just signed with Hachette (congratulations Dr. Lynelle Schneeberg!) and one who won the Silver Nautilus Award in the Multicultural category (Yay to Karin Esterhammer, author of So Happiness to Meet You: Foolishly, Blissfully Stranded in Vietnam). The publishing process takes time and patience. We started on Karin’s proposal in October of 2014. We worked on her… Read more
Independent Bookstores: Our Favorites, Past and Present
Let’s Celebrate Independent Bookstores! April 28 is National Independent Bookstore Day. How will you honor the day? Cambridge, MA, where I attended both college and grad school, had to be one of the most independent bookstore-rich towns in the 80’s and 90’s. You could find the independent bookstore that fed your particular craving, solved your specific problem or could help you conquer your current challenge—all in that uniquely book-scented environment, each store with its singular decor, texture and ambiance. All The Bookstores I Have Loved Before I bought my first volume of Mary Oliver’s poetry at the Grolier Poetry Book Shop in… Read more
“Which Book Should I Write?”: Writing Advice from a Book Coach
“Which book should I write?” I hear this question often and happen to have just received an email asking for advice on the topic. In today’s post I offer several ways to examine and explore the question of which book to write. A Markets View of “Which Book Should I Write?” In the case of the author who wrote me this morning, the three books were for three very different audiences. I advised the aspiring author to think about the future with each book. Imagine yourself connecting with each of those audiences (so answer these questions for each separate audience): How… Read more
Should I Edit as I Write? Plow Ahead? Help!
“Should I edit as I write?” “Should I really write a crummy first draft? It feels so raw and uncomfortable.” “I keep finding myself wordsmithing and then I get so little writing done. Is that okay?” The short answer is that everyone finds what works for them, and you’ll need to experiment and see what works for you. Generally, I do encourage emerging authors to write a rough first draft and edit later. There’s a freedom and power to getting it all down and then working with the raw material. However, not always. Here are my… You’re not sure whether… Read more
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