Earlier this month I attended the Kennedy Center’s Leadership Exchange in Arts and Disability (LEAD) Conference, an event designed to build the capacity of arts and cultural organizations to fully engage people with disabilities. I was drinking from the proverbial firehose on the topic of accessibility, but it got me thinking specifically about accessibility in […]
Top 10 Blog Posts for 2020: People Are W...
In case you missed them the first time around, you might like to take a look at Clear Sight Books’ top 10 blog posts in 2020 (by page views). How Long Should Your Nonfiction Book Be? KDP vs. IngramSpark: Which Publishing Platform Is Right for You? KDP and IngramSpark Printing Options Tips for Using Emphasis […]
One Word Conversation: “Discover”
My friend William Brown (iamwilliambrown.com) does a regular series on disConnect to Connect called “One Word Conversations,” in which he spends 45 minutes talking with a friend or colleague about—as you might imagine—one word. Check out the lineup below for a sampling. When I got the word “discover,” my brain leaped into action. Yes! I […]
Proofreading Tips, Tricks & Tools
Having an editor for your book is critical. If you spend money for only one publishing-related item, editing is my recommendation. However, you can make your editor’s task easier and keep your editing expenditure down by doing an effective job of editing and proofreading your own work. Here are some of my favorite editing and […]
The Amazon Ecosystem for Authors: A Fiel...
Originally published August 16, 2018; most recently updated December 16, 2022. With an estimated half of the US print book market and three-quarters of the ebook market, Amazon is the behemoth in the indie book space. There are other self-publishing companies of course, but I so frequently get questions about Amazon that I thought it […]
Trouble Getting That First Draft on the ...
First published February 6, 2018; last updated January 17, 2023. When new acquaintances learn that I help business professionals write books, they often remark, “I have so many good ideas, but when I sit down to write, they just don’t come out the way I want them to!” After asking a few questions, I often […]
How to Generate and Organize Ideas with ...
So you have an idea for a book. You can see your title and your first paragraph AND NOTHING ELSE. The rest is an uncooperative snarl of shifting concepts that refuse to jump onto the screen and fall into a neat outline so you can begin. Enter affinity mapping, a quick way to brainstorm, categorize, […]
Avoiding the Oops: 7 Speaking Tips from ...
If you’ve ever blushed at a professional mistake, how much would you give to avoid a repeat performance? Whatever your profession, it helps to have colleagues you can consult and learn from. I have an editor for business writing and a small group of writers for poetry critique. For speaking, I attend a Toastmasters club […]
Book Project Support: What Do You Need?
The term “self-publishing” is a misnomer. Most of us lack the capacity—the entire range of necessary skills—to write and publish a book all on our own. Occasionally I come across a book where someone made the attempt, and the end result is almost always amateurish. Not what you want to send out into the world! […]
How Energy Rituals Can Help You Write: G...
Writers have long been told to create rituals around writing. Sit your butt in the chair at 9am daily and the muse will eventually show up. Commit to a specific wordcount per day, no more, no less. Before you begin to write, visualize your book on the bookstore shelf. There’s nothing wrong with that advice. […]