One final note about my call with Janet Goldstein on developing killer ideas. I asked her just how many ‘new’ ideas really are floating around out there. Personally, I can’t believe there are. My mind jumps back to that old document by Socrates(?) about how there are only 9 possible plots to any play, for [...]

Here’s some more from my terrific call with publishing insider Janet Goldstein who’s vast mind I picked for insights on developing ideas publishers and media can’t resist.
We covered the essentials of What Is a Breakthrough Idea. What are its hallmarks?  That would be an idea no publisher can resist because it’s a money-maker and because [...]

This week I was thrilled to be able to interview publishing insider Janet Goldstein who is the brain behind many major book titles including Getting Things Done (David Allen) and The Dance of Anger (Harriet Lerner). Her other clients have included Wayne Dyer, and Barbara Kingsolver among others … suffice to say her 25+ years [...]

OK, this is scary. While I was away last month, I got a email touting a new book by Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey and a third author – a woman who was an unknown. It came with an email inviting me to take that third author position myself.
International Speakers Network and Insight Publishing are [...]

I recently got this question in regard to my Self Help Author’s Crash Course, which helps you develop the right proposal for a self-help book.
Q: How would you change your marketing strategy change if you were doing a spiritual book instead of something like self-help?
Actually, in the minds of publishers, I’d say that self help, [...]

Here are the rest of my tips on how to snag the perfect agent.
• Hand pick the agents you submit to. DO NOT SEND MASS MAILINGS TO AGENTS. It won’t work, and is a waste of time and money. Instead, research who to approach and pick the 5, 10, 20 or so who actually sell your [...]

If you’re interested in publishing a book and gaining a market presence and income from it, you’ll need a literary agent. Every day, they eat lunch or talk to editors and acquisition people in publishing houses all over the world, all the while pitching them on the new hot ‘properties’, as your manuscript will be [...]

If you’re interested in publishing a book and gaining a market presence and income from it, you’ll need a literary agent. Every day, they eat lunch or talk to editors and acquisition people in publishing houses all over the world, all the while pitching them on the new hot ‘properties’, as your manuscript will be [...]

I got this question from a recent call I did on publishing. The question refers to a bad experience I had with a small press that got my book well placed and published, but only paid me 10% of a pathetically small advance.
Q: “Given your position on going after a major publishing house, and your [...]

A reader wrote:
Please give us your opinion of eBooks. Is it worth it? Why not just do an e-book through Clickbank?
Ah …. Ebooks! So nice for the pocketbook but so ineffective for platform building.
Here’s the thing. In the world of Old media and platform building, only ‘real’ books count. That would be the kind you [...]