The Bard Press EssaysWeek 3 – February 18, 2021 Last week, an author I know who is working on a book sent me the title and book description for his project: The Doer-Leader Dilemma: A Trail Guide Companies need their best people to grow into leaders. At the same time, no company can afford to lose […]
Essays
The Few, The Many, and the Reality of Power Laws
The Bard Press EssaysWeek 2 – February 10, 2021 Whenever I get excited about book publishing, I inevitably end up ranting about power laws. Of course, this is made worse by the fact that few have ever heard of the power laws. So, heads around me start to nod like a class full of students […]
What Can Bestselling Books Teach Authors and Their Publishers?
The Bard Press Essays Week 1 – Feb 3, 2021 I have been wondering for years what is different about bestselling books. There are so many factors that affect the overall success of a book. Many of those factors we can’t control, but there might be just as many factors that we decide upon early when […]
The Best Business Books of 2020
As we reach the year’s end, I wanted to share the best business books of 2020. I have been creating year end business book lists for over 15 years and I have used many different methods. Some years, it was just my favorites. When I worked at 800-CEO-READ (now Porchlight Books), we created an official […]
The Authors I Like
I like writers. They know how to work with words on the page. The real magic in most books isn’t what the author says, but rather, how they say it. Voice is one of those qualities that can make a book unique from others on a crowded bookstore shelf. Description of a scene can draw […]
Assorted Thoughts on Recommendations
The recommendation is ultimate currency. Sales at movie theaters, restaurants, hair salons and bookstores are all driven by one person telling another about something. The recommendation might be “Wow, doesn’t that look cool?” or “Oh my god, you have to try/see/read this?” Book publishers can help people who want to recommend their books. The best […]
The Long Arc of Successful Book Publishing
There are two very different activities involved in publishing a successful book. First, authors need to be artisans. They need to find the inspiration in the ether and manifest those ideas through words on the page. Artists listen to the world and work to express their truth and the truth of the moment. There is […]
Two Things Self-Publishing Can Teach Any Author
Two weeks ago, Craig Mod launched a campaign to publish his new book Kissa by Kissa. I think it is safe to call it a niche book. The book is about walking, pizza toast, and Japanese cafes. It cost $95. He was only selling 1000 copies. And you could only buy it through his retro-fitted […]
