I’m affiliated with a ghostwriting agency. The way they work is simple: they send an opportunity to their mailing list every week or two, and anyone on that list can respond. I’ve snagged the opportunity every single time I’ve pitched them, but I recently communicated with a woman who’d failed every single time. Reviewing her … Continued
Donald Trump’s lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, doesn’t get how Twitter works. He thinks the technology is biased against him. Look: if you don’t know how to use a tool properly, own up to it and get help. Don’t flail around blaming technology for your own ignorance. Giuliani tweeted this: Mueller filed an indictment just as the … Continued
I write business books. Every chapter is a 5,000-word package full of stories, detail, statistics, insights, and recommendations. You don’t just sit down and write one of those at random. Here’s what it takes to create one. In the last 10 years I’ve written, cowritten, or ghostwritten six books. Five of them were case-study powered business … Continued
Starting on December 17, the social media site Tumblr will implement new rules to block adult content. But defining obscenity hasn’t gotten any easier . . . and this was one of the most nudity- and pornography-tolerant social networks out there. This odd choice will spectacularly destroy Tumblr, and reveal once again how platforms always … Continued
There was a time when the purpose of American politics was to get useful things done for the largest possible number of Americans. There was a shared understanding of the institutions of government and how it should work. President George H.W. Bush, who died on Friday, was the embodiment of that ideal, and his letter … Continued
Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony is the greatest single piece of music humanity has ever produced. I was, however, surprised to learn that this epochal work, rather than bursting successfully onto the world’s consciousness, had a problematic and stumbling debut and took years to be recognized. There is surely a lesson here for anyone attempting to create. … Continued
You ought to read Jay Acunzo’s first book, Break the Wheel: Question Best Practices, Hone Your Intuition, and Do Your Best Work. But only if you’re willing to think a bit. There is, in theory, a best way to do anything. There is a best way to change your oil, write a business letter, evaluate … Continued
On its face, this is an absurd question. But my friends are hearing this question and wondering about bias in the publishing industry. Today I’d like to explode those myths. The impetus for this post was the testimony of a female author I know who is trying to sell her next book. She has asked … Continued