Be sure to do this one thing when writing science fiction or fantasy
On one night in 2007 at 1:00 in the morning, I did something I never usually did. I began to read a book. Yes. At 1 in the morning, I began to read a book instead of, you know, going to bed. Of course, this was no ordinary book. Indeed, on that night, I had joined the...
The startlingly simple reason why your life may be worthy of a book
I was really excited to play King Louie in my fourth grade production of Jungle Book. This was a musical that was based on the Disney movie of the same name, and featured all of the songs that made that movie famous. Though King Louie wasn’t a big part, playing this...
The Mistake You’re Making With Your Synopsis
As a fiction author, you have heard it many times before: before an agent or publisher will look at your manuscript, you must send them a synopsis. And why shouldn’t they want that? It will take hours to look at your content. Doesn’t it make sense that they want to...
This happened on page 1 of a book that sold 50 million copies
At 50 million copies sold, one book is considered the second bestselling book of the 20th century. It’s a book that many people know, or at least have seen referenced in movies and other aspects of pop culture. And something happens on page 1 of this book that also...
The first thing a HarperCollins editor said after paying us a 6-figure advance
The first book proposal I helped a client put together earned a six-figure advance. At the time, this kind of result was consistent with what I had known during my days as an editor at Penguin. The non-fiction projects we acquired were typically for six figures – and...
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.