Newsletter 42: Make an effort or fade away, labelling killer foods, don’t trust NPS braggarts, plus three people to follow and three books to read. The effort is the point Everything about our modern world — at least in the prosperous part of it where you probably live — is designed to make things easier….
I’ve changed the way I approach meeting people. Accomplishing my stated objectives is secondary. My primary goal is to answer this question: What can I learn? I’ve always been curious. But it took a long time to get to this point. It has made me a different kind of person. Better, I think. The smartest…
When considering possible book titles, two qualities matter: is it catchy, and does it describe the book? Catchy matters most. Why catchy? Consider your potential reader’s first encounter with your book. They may hear about it from a friend. They may read about in a news source, or see it in a television interview. They…
A lot has been written about collaboration. But at its base, it depends on two sometimes opposed attitudes: honesty and respect. I’ve been considering this as I work on several highly collaborative projects right now, including a ghostwriting project with four contributors on the client end, and a survey and white paper project with more…
Two regulatory rulings yesterday revealed just what happens when companies go too far in self-serving policies — specifically, employers with non-competes and airlines cancelling flights. The FTC cancels employer noncompete agreements After a review period, the Federal Trade Commission has now banned companies from enforcing noncompete agreements (gift link). Noncompetes prevent employees from working for…
Newsletter 41: When you subtract AI from writing, what’s left is creativity; ending garbage books; remembering Daniel Dennett; surprising truths about book sales; plus three people to follow and three books to read. Soon, only creative writers will remain. Huzzah! There are things AI excels at. Summarizing long documents. Finding patterns. Turning formulaic content into…
I hear it so often, it’s almost a cliché. “Wow, writing a book was way more work than I expected it to be.” I’ve almost given up on explaining why this is. Almost . . . but not quite. So if you want to know what unexpected work you really should have expected — and…
The Editorial Freelancers Association has published the results of a survey of 1,000 respondents, 30% of its membership. My main takeaway: these rates are pathetically low. That’s not good news for editors, writers, or the quality of books. The EFA’s rate estimator based on the survey is here. Here are some highlights from the survey:…
Writers need to grow, or else the work gets boring. You’ll be more versatile, more employable, and happier if your always looking for ways to expand your capabilities. Seek opportunities to grow your experience in these four dimensions: Pivot and grow based on what you’re comfortable with Work can be simpler if you hold one…