Newsletter Week 12: Delving into the “content” debate, the record spread of book banning, plus 3 people to follow, 3 books to read, and plugging yourself in. The difference between creative work and “content” There is none. OK. Put down the pitchforks, people. You and I work in the content industry, whether we admit it…
Self-help is a huge genre of business books. They mostly leave me flat. I admit I’m biased. I started with advantages both economic and talentwise. I’ve always believed I could do things — at least academic and career-type things — so doubt was rarely a problem. But put my biases aside for a moment. I…
Week 7: Prepare to quit, blurb ethically, op-ed opportunity, three people to follow, three books to read, and plugging away. Change your job? Maybe. Change your mind? Definitely. The US unemployment rate is 3.5%. And it’s been that low for months. So it’s time for you to start looking. If you love everything about your…
Jeevan Sivasubramaniam, managing director of editorial at Berrett-Koehler Publishers, recently posted on LinkedIn that he doesn’t see much promise in “big idea” books. I was shocked, because Berrett-Koehler is a significant publisher of great business books, and from where I sit, big ideas are central to the success of many important books. Here’s what Sivasubramaniam…
How to grow a great career by not following your passion, private equity and AI roil publishing, plus 3 people to follow, 3 great reads, and plug nuts Don’t follow your passion “Follow your passion” is terrible advice. Your career develops over years and decades. As you live through it, you have to make a living. People…
Last week I started a LinkedIn newsletter for authors. From now on I’ll be posting it every Wednesday here as well. The format is: short essay, snarky news takes, people to follow, books to read, and an obligatory but lovable plug. This week I cover bullshit, McGraw-Hill’s exit from the business book market, a thief…
I’m grateful to the hardworking podcasters and video creators who’ve been interested enough in my book to interview me. These are some of the most creative and best-prepared thinkers out there, working hard to come up with new perspectives that will benefit their listeners and viewers. Here’s a short list of unique interviews I’ve just…
The name of the store in Inverness, Scotland, UK was Leakey’s Bookshop. As soon as I walked in the door I knew I would be there a while. I’ve been in a lot of used bookstores in my day. I’m drawn magnetically to the classic science fiction, the history books written from a decades-old perspective,…
If you don’t love your book, it’s going to suck. What do I mean by love? People write books for all sorts of reasons. Some are self-serving (“This will make me famous!”). Some are mundane (“This will get me tenure.”). And some, of course, are written for love. Without the love, the book is unlikely…