Confessions of a self published author
Lisa James McKenzie, one of my kickstarter supporters, requested a behind the scenes summation of my experience self-publishing my new book,…
Latest Blog Posts
Can you say much in 500 Words? Essays vs. Blogs
At the book launch party last week for Mindfire, I gave a short talk. Someone asked about the new…
Why give a book away for free?
Last week I decided to give away my new book, Mindfire: Big Ideas for Curious Minds, for free from…
The age of the platform: lessons on self-publishing from 4 time author
My friend Phil Simon, author of Why New Systems Fail and The New Small, is about to self-publish his…
Will the E-Book Kill the Footnote?
I’m a fan of footnotes. Most of my books have 40 to 50 of them, and some fans have…
Even Jefferson had second drafts
After a writer is successful, and their works enter the canon, we quietly assume their work could not have been…
Live version: How to write 1000 words (time lapsed video)
Here’s the live version of my Ignite talk on writing, where I give voice commentary over 30x time-lapsed video…
Looking for a word for…
I posted on twitter yesterday looking for a word. Here’s what I wrote: I need a word for someone…
How to write 1000 words (time-lapsed video)
I spoke at Ignite 12 in Seattle and presented this for the first time. It’s time-lapsed video of me…
How to write 1000 words
[Watch a time lapse video of this essay being written]: All writing comprises three things: words, sentences and paragraphs.…
Need a new writing tool: help?
I’m a no frills guy. I can write with just about anything and don’t think the tool matters much.…
Poll: Write more or write better?
A question on my mind regarding this blog, is this: should I be writing more often? Or writing less,…
Is your book idea good? (Yes, I promise)
“If you write for yourself, you’ll always have an audience.” -Bruce Springsteen “We can secure other people’s approval if…
Why you fail at writing
People say they get stuck when they try to write, but being stuck really means you’re forced to think.…
The Future of WordPress: video
Here’s my talk at last months WordCamp SF. Thanks to everyone who offered thoughts on my request for ideas…
How do authors earn credibility?
From the mailbag, here’s a question from Emrah on reputation and writing: I just read the post titled How…
Quote of the week
It’s amazing how much you miss right in front of your face if you are paid to miss it.…
How great writers work
Nice little compilation article on 25 famous writers and their daily work rituals.
What should I write about? You decide!
If you haven’t noticed, I’ve been writing about a wider and wider range of things. This is no accident.…
What my office looks like right now
In a desperate fit of end of year holiday boredom, as I’m self employed and don’t quite long for…