The Bard Press EssaysWeek 9 – March 30, 2021 “I want to change how publishing reaches out to authors.” That is how Yahdon Israel, newly hired senior editor at Simon & Schuster, described his approach in his Instagram Live last week. Editors using social media to talk directly to authors is not something you see much. […]
Essays
Marketing The Throughline
In the last few weeks, I’ve written a couple of essays about book throughlines. Creating a strong connection between the elements of the throughline makes your book a better product for readers. Today, I want to take it a step further and suggest that you extend the throughline beyond the book and into the marketing […]
Who Did You Write Your Book For?
Bard Press EssaysWeek 7 – March 17, 2021 1. Recently, I talked about the importance of picking the right problem. For an author, it is one of the most important decisions they can make. Books help readers solve problems. If you get the problem wrong, you are not going to connect with readers. What I […]
The Biggest Trend in Business Books
The Bard Press EssaysWeek 6 – March 10, 2021 There is one trend I talk about more with authors than any other: The books we read for business are not really about business anymore. Consider these classic titles: The One Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard In Search of Excellence by Tom Peters and Bob Waterman […]
Start With A Good Problem
The Bard Press EssaysWeek 5 – March 3, 2021 From Bloomburg TV, June 16, 2011… Reporter Emily Chang: Given how fast innovation seems to be happening across the country, what do startups these days need to do to have a successful exit, whether it’s an IPO or building a great business? Y Combinator founder Paul […]
Create A Great Throughline For Your Book
The Bard Press EssaysWeek 4 – February 25, 2021 I just got done reading Adam Davidson’s book The Passion Economy. The book focuses on innovative businesses who are defying the odds and making their businesses more relevant than ever in a competitive, global economy. In the book, there are some incredible examples and he describes […]
The Secrets To Great Book Titles
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 […]
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 […]
