Write Nonfiction NOW!

Creating Flow in Your Memoir

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I’m almost done doing a developmental edit on a memoir. The feedback the writer had received from readers and agents was that the manuscript didn’t “flow.” I read the manuscript and sent it back to the writer with my suggestions, and she then sent it back to me corrected for a second read through. Wow! What a difference. She implemented…
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The Last Chance to Prevent a Googleopoly?

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Today agent and author Mike Larsen provides a guest post on an important topic: How to prevent Google from scanning and making available via the Internet all 130 million unique books in the world by the end of the decade. Michael proposes and interesting prevention plan. The Last Chance to Prevent Googleopology? By Michael Larsen   “Google will do what…
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Amanda Hocking and Barry Eisler Chat about Publishing

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Literary agent Ted Weinstein, who I have the pleasure of seeing each year at the San Francisco Writers Conference, has done us all a favor and gotten Amanda Hocking and Barry Eisler together to chat about publishing and their recent decision about how to publish their own books. They’ve compared indie publishing to traditional publishing–of course, discussing e-book publishing. For…
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Successful Indie Author Offers “New Rules for Success”

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It’s always best to learn from those who have done something successfully. Here’s some great advice from an indie author who has not gone the e-book way but has achieved great success. Penelope Trunk is the founder of three startups—most recently, Brazen Careerist, a career management tool for next-generation professionals. Her career advice appears in more than 200 newspapers. Inc….
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Never Stop Chasing Coverage for Your Book

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If you think publicity, promotion and marketing for book stops three months after it comes out, your wrong. These jobs continue forever…at least if you want to continue seeing sales. And you can’t expect your traditional publisher to do this work for you. If you’re an indie publisher, of course, this job falls solely to you as well. Today, my…
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How to Turn a Research Paper Into a Book

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A lot of people write long research papers for masters or doctorate programs. They come to me with the same question: “Can my research paper be turned into a nonfiction book?” I don’t have a pat answer; it depends upon their paper. However, in general, a major difference exists between a research paper and a nonfiction book: A research paper…
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Hocking signs 4-book deal so she can be a writer

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After I published this post yesterday, today I saw this article announcing that Amanda Hocking had, indeed, signed a four-book deal with St. Martin’s Press in New York, reportedly for $2 million. As she said in her blog, she’s a writer: “I do not want to spend 40 hours a week handling emails, formatting covers, finding editors, etc. Right now,…
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Will you pick yourself or wait to be picked?

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In a recent blog post, best-selling author and marketing expert made this statement:”No one is going to pick you. Pick yourself.” He was talking about the fact that authors and musicians are making millions without so-called “gatekeepers.”  and that the gatekeepers–“the pickers,” as Godin called them–are losing power. He stressed that most of us want to get picked; it’s inherent…
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Self-Publishing E-books Takes Time Away from Writing

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I said it yesterday, unless you have a huge platform, are paying someone to do your promotion for you, have hired a design team (an editorial team is assumed), and use some sort of support service for your publishing process, as an indie publisher–e-books or print books–you will not necessarily have more time to write. You likely will have less…
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NEW RELEASE!

Change the World One Book at a Time: How to Make a Positive and Meaningful Difference with Your Words, will teach those who want to write for change how to produce books that serve as potent tools for transformation.

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