I never compromise on price. Among editors or writers for hire, I am among the most costly. The number of leads I receive is low. The number who go forward with me is even lower. Still, I am busy doing work I love, and I get paid well for it. Much more important to me … Continued
The price is the price, and other principles for freelance work
Unfair
I was a math prodigy. But everything changed when I encountered an unfair problem more like the real world than mathematics. Math had always come easily to me. I majored in math at Penn State, and everyone in the department knew I was a student with special abilities. Math sort of shifts on you. In … Continued
S4 Capital and Sir Martin Sorrell embrace the vagueness challenge
Sir Martin Sorrell built WPP into an advertising powerhouse and then left under a cloud of allegations. Now he’s taking over a new venture called S4 Capital. It has something to do with advertising, but you’d never figure out what from the prospectus. Have a look at the cover. While it’s typical for a prospectus to … Continued
Crowds, wisdom, and becoming a Bitcoin blackmail authority
My knowledge of bitcoin is basic. I’m no expert on extortion, either. But Google is convinced I’m an authority on Bitcoin blackmail. This has made me wonder when crowds are, in fact, smarter than individuals. On April 10, I posted about the letter I received suggesting I should pay $8,350 in Bitcoin or have my secrets … Continued
Doing work that matters
The best life for a writer is to spend your days writing and editing prose that matters. This is not easy, but it is rewarding. And that attitude should apply to whatever work you do. This year I am getting to enjoy, shall we say, a wide variety of work. For example: The ghostwriting project … Continued
Needing help
Someone I love dearly is having surgery today. You were probably starting your day by thinking about what happened 17 years ago. I will be starting my day thinking about what will happen this afternoon. I am a very public person in my professional life, and a very private person in my family life. So … Continued
Straight talk about how to come up with a book title
It’s time to come up with a title for your book. “I want something iconic,” you’re thinking. “Like Lean In. Or The Tipping Point. Or Made to Stick.” You are deluded. And your delusion is leading you astray. These books sold because of huge promotion (Lean In) and incredible ideas and writing. You think they are great titles … Continued
About your book idea: do you need an editor, a ghostwriter, or therapy?
Last night, I was talking to an established author who is helping out a couple friends who want to write a book. “They have a great story but they aren’t sure if they need an editor or a ghostwriter,” he said. That’s a pretty good question. If you’re an emerging thought leader and think you … Continued