The Author Maker Newsletter
I help thought leaders and aspiring authors DO THE THING already--write the book that will exponentiate your reach and change the game.
Are you getting enough rejections? š¤
The other day, I got a rejection for a short story I submitted to an online journal. I have been getting rejections for 14 years, i.e., since I started writing seriously. Even after nearly a decade and a half, I still feel the sting of rejection each time one lands in my inbox. The quality/duration of the sting varies. Sometimes it rolls right off my back after a second. Sometimes it puts me out for a whole day. Here's what I thought when I saw the rejection on that story: Oof. And...
The advice I gave a coaching client--
The other day I was talking with a coaching client who said their writing required too much "prep time"-- Aka, the right playlist, a clean house, candle lit, writing mantras said, sound bowl tuned to the perfect frequency, etc. Does your writing routine require a three-hour "mood setting" ritual? They wanted advice on how to jump in already and make progress. Here's what I told them: Stay in conversation with your book, always. For example, if you wonāt have time to write, have your outline...
Hai sempre due scelte (you always have two choices):
Jennifer Locke Ghostwriter, Author This summer I'm doing something I've been dreaming of for at LEAST six years--more accurately, the last 19: I'm spending several weeks in Italy with my family. Even typing that sentence makes me go WHOA. This is a dream come true. I've got journals from 2018 in which I talk about wanting to do this very thing. The last time I was in Italy: as a college student in 2006. I've been wanting to get back ever since. Welp, it's happening. Plane tickets are bought,...
Pretend you want a traditional book deal (even if you don't) š¤
Most often, I work with people who choose to self or hybrid-publish their nonfiction books. I think this is a GREAT idea. You get to control the timing of your book launch and earn more money from book royalties. Of course, there are higher up-front costs with self-publishing. But there are opportunities to recoup those costs through: speaking fees, landing higher-paying clients, etc. Even so--pretend you want to traditionally publish your book. Just as a thought experiment. Here's why: When...
The rat was headed toward her open mouth š
I just finished Viola Davis's terrific memoir, Finding Me. I listened to the audiobook. Anything narrated by Viola Davis--you know it's gonna be fantastic. Finding Me won the Grammy for best audiobook, the 'G' in Ms. Davis's EGOT.(You can listen to it free on Spotify Premium! #themoreyouknow) There's an image from the book I can't get out of my head: Viola and her five siblings grew up in abject poverty. The family lived in freezing Rhode Island in a condemned apartment building. There was...
Start with 5 things
This tip from Jessica Brody is too good not to share: start with five things. Don't know Jessica Brody? Sheās the author of Save the Cat! Writes a Novel. (If youāre a fiction writer, I highly recommend it!) The 'Start with five things' method: brainstorm five things about the main character, five things about the plot, and five things about the setting. You can go BEYOND those five things. But according to Brody, you only need five things to start. You donāt even need an outlineā¦just plunge...
I help thought leaders and aspiring authors DO THE THING already--write the book that will exponentiate your reach and change the game.