Why 99% of Book Proposals Are Rejected…and How to Make Sure Yours Doesn’t Suffer the Same Fate
A number of years ago, I read a book proposal written by a yoga teacher. It was so poorly done I was sure every publisher would reject it. But then I took the author of that proposal through three rounds of revisions, and the funniest thing happened… She didn’t...
3 words that got an internationally bestselling author her first agent
One of my clients struggled to get literary agents to take her seriously. She had put years into her novel, and yet when she queried agents she got polite but consistent rejections. But one day, she changed how she went about writing her query letter. And that’s when...
This marketing trick could earn you new followers for your book in minutes
Not too long ago, I invested in a marketing course that cost $10,000. Given that price, it’s probably not a surprise that there was quite a lot of information, tools, techniques, and tips to be learned from this experience. But one thing that was integral to the work...
If your potential literary agent asks you to do this, run screaming. Like, now.
Very early on in my time at Penguin, I wrote a rejection letter that changed everything. It was my job to ghostwrite rejection letters for my boss, who was the president and publisher of the division and wanted to keep those letters simple and direct. He wasn’t really...
He wanted to give up writing, but then this happened
A member of my Facebook group was stuck. We’ll call him “Sam,” to make sure he can protect his privacy. Sam is a long-time writer, having written pieces in the fantasy fiction genre for a number of years. But this past April, he posted a blog entry on his site...
Hi, I'm Neil
I help people find the words to express their unique value. For it is when we can set ourselves apart in a compelling way that others will flock to us and want to know more.