23 Ways to Define Success as a Writer That Aren’t Being on a Bestseller List
In a recent post on LinkedIn, Jeevan Sivasubramaniam, Managing Director, Editorial at Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc., highlighted the recent decision by The Wall Street Journal to do away with their bestseller list. Sivasubramaniam explained why he...
The Value of Writing to Be, Not Do
As a business writer, most of the articles I produce have one rule: Give the reader one or more action points. The idea is to let them feel as though your advice is both accessible...
Editorial Requests: When to Say Yes and When to Push Back
Every writer knows the drill: You write your draft, polish it the best you can, and send it off to your editor. If all goes well, you might not have to do any extra work...
How to Punch Your Inner Critic in the Face When You Write
“You call yourself a writer? You just spent 20 minutes writing a trash heap!” “Like anybody’s going to read this.” “You need to stop imagining you’re J.K. Rowling and admit that your writing career doesn’t...
4 Myths That Deserve to Die About Writers
Some elements of the writing profession never change. The books or other pieces of content we write are always our babies. Tears are shed over lost files. Rejection letters hurt even when they're nice. These...
Rewriting: When Should You Stop?
Over the past few months, I've worked with a number of clients who, for one reason or another, needed the work I did for them rewritten. This often had nothing to do with the quality...
Time to Print: Traditional vs. Self-Publishing
Over the past few months, I've been scrambling to query two books (one fiction, one non-fiction). The plan for both is to give traditional querying a shot first. I'll self-publish if I can't get any...
The Mental Load of Writing
As I updated a yet-to-be-sent bill on Paypal for a writing client this afternoon, a thought flashed across my mind. "How much more would this paycheck have in it if I charged for my mental...
