Most people would be thrilled to land a book on the New York Times Bestseller list. Every now and then, somebody actually commits to this goal. Here’s what I had to say to one of my writers who’s decided to aim for the world’s most prestigious list.

You’ve heard that writing a book is the next step to expanding your reach and thought leadership. It’s a way to build your reputation, and build out new business lines. All true. And now somebody’s brought you the data to back it all up.

Writing a book is THE master alignment move. Because whatever you’re saying, you’ll soon discover that in order for it to reach your audience in a way that’s powerful enough to create change, you need to stand behind it, fully. This is not an exercise for the faint of heart.

A good title and subtitle do a lot of heavy lifting when it comes to grabbing an agent’s or acquiring editor’s attention. Your subtitle should act as a clear directional arrow to what you’re offering inside the pages of your book.

I can’t say enough about the power of a strong content marketing plan for your book. It’s all on you! Your plan should be well underway long before your book hits the shelf, even if your business has a baked-in audience. And podcasts just keep winning.

I read writers’ pages, and mark comments and feedback. I write detailed editorial letters that give tips and next steps. I listen. I share market insights, position books for max appeal, and help writers untangle knots in their pages. I also lie around on my sofa most of the day.

Good storytelling ensures there’s no separation between the protagonist and the experiencer of the story. This post offers a critical examination of two approaches to interiority.

Today’s post is from the somatic coaching space. If you periodically experience worry, anxiety, panic or overwhelm, there’s a clean and easy tool you can use that doesn’t cost a penny and does a better job than CBT, meds or even meditation. [photo by Jurien Huggins on Unsplash]

Landing a publishing deal hinges on you being able to prove to a publisher that your book is a good business bet.

While there are no hard and fast rules for how to begin a query, journalism has taught me that a sticky lead...makes your letter stick OUT.

I no longer think I should go after the things I think I want with the concentrated energy of vision boards. Because they’re limited by what I believe is possible. They’re birthed out of my human desire to control, to dictate parameters, to set the stage for what I think would be nicest.

Book coaching has evolved to give writers the support that publishers used to provide. A book coach offers an end-to-end, walk-beside service to help you write a book that’s a strong contender in a fast-changing marketplace.

Dumping all your worries down on paper opens space for ideation. Over time, solutions will emerge to the things you’re wrestling with, either in your own life or in the lives of your characters.

Competition for agents is fierce right now, given all the Covid manuscripts flooding the market. In a few years’ time, your average writer won’t stand a chance unless they’ve got the focused support of a publishing expert.

The musician, the potter, the dancer, the swimmer—all these specialists understand that practice is part of mastery. They don’t come to the studio or the pool with the inward expectation that they’re going to nail it on the first pass.