The last in a series of seven blog posts on #interviewing techniques for #nonfiction authors. Toward the end of every interview, I love asking at least one speculative question. The idea of asking speculative questions in a factual interview can seem outlandish and a bit crazy, especially when you’re interviewing professionals, experts, or people with a very pragmatic attitude. But if you’re getting rote responses, these kinds of questions are a great way to shake things up.

“It does not do to leave a live dragon out of your calculations, if you live near him.” —JRR Tolkien, The Hobbit Honestly? I’m not even writing about dragons today; I just really like that quote. There are, however, calculations to be made, if you are to write that book that has been on your mind for so long. But book-writing is a creative endeavor, right? The words simply well out of your fingers and flood across the page, while a celestial glow envelops your desk and the an

The word on the street is that in these times of Covid-19, #literary agents have more time to consider new projects, so it’s a great time to submit your #nonfiction #book #proposal. The other word is that #publishers are being ultra-cautious about what books they commission, and the amount they will pay authors as an advance. It’s a great time to take a good, hard look at your publishing options, and choose the one that fits you best. But it’s a mistake to think you have just

Today I want to tip you off to a couple of very timely webinars from the good folks at Gotham Ghostwriters. (Disclaimer: I’m one of Gotham’s stable of writers.) The first one is for those of us who have way more time to write now than ever, and yet are finding it SO HARD to string together a page, a paragraph, or even a sentence. It really is hard to be creative at times like these. First, cut yourself some slack. And second, watch this webinar. Gotham Ghostwriters' creative