The Life-Changing Magic of Showing Up
A woman I had known for a matter of hours invited me to stay at her house in LA for a week. She wanted to throw a dual birthday party for her and me. Sounds like an odd situation, right? I mean, she was friendly enough, but I wouldn’t exactly call us close. Especially not […]
Why Literary Agents Reject Queries (And What to Do About It)
If you’ve ever sent a query to a literary agent who rejected your proposal, you might have been tempted to tell yourself that the agent was “mean” or “just didn’t get it.” And while that point of view makes a soothing balm for the ego, it will not get you a different result with the […]
Greg Fernandes to Put Book Concept to Work Mentoring Kids
As a young Black man growing up in Brockton, Massachusetts, Greg Fernandes faced an identity crisis. From fourth to eighth grade, he had attended private schools, and as a classically trained violinist, he was a star. But when he transferred to Brockton’s public high school, the students treated him differently. “I was literally bullied and […]
Awards Season for Dr. Donna Marks
When Dr. Donna Marks, an educator, concierge psychotherapist, and addiction counselor, started submitting her book, Exit the Maze: One Addiction, One Cause, One Cure, for awards in the summer of 2020, little did she expect to be inundated with letters of congratulations just a few months later. Fueled by her own struggle with addiction, Dr. […]
Dealing with Imposter Syndrome
Imposter syndrome. We all can get it. Yeah, I said it. All of us. No one is immune to imposter syndrome. It’s a natural human response to doing something new. I think one of the greatest misconceptions people have around imposter syndrome is that once you reach a certain level of competency, you will somehow […]
Why 100% Creative Control is Overrated
When explaining why they chose self-publishing , authors often cite the fact that they got to keep 100% creative control as a valued benefit, when more often, it’s a liability. The idea that an author retaining 100% creative control is an advantage is one of the self-publishing industry’s biggest lies. The theory behind the myth […]
Publishing Process Breakdown: The 5 Steps to Getting a Book Published
For many aspiring authors, the steps of getting a book published and going through the publishing process can appear daunting. Many would-be authors haven’t a clue where to begin. Once you know the basics of how the publishing industry works, the myths, the realities, and what motivates agents and publishers, the process becomes way less […]