I used to hate book proposals. They felt like such a colossal waste of time—especially when all I wanted to do was write! But over the last year, I’ve had a complete change of heart. In the process of helping clients create strong book proposals, as well as developing four of my own, I’ve become a huge fan. What’s made the difference? I’ve finally figured out what a book proposal is really about. For decades, I thought a book proposal was all about me and my message. But I … [Read more...]

I could write the best book here. Bird calls break the sleepy silence as a golden sky heralds the rising sun. Right outside my window, trees burst with pink and white blossoms. Stirring chocolate creamer into my coffee, I smile with certainty. I could write the best book here. The Allure of a Cabin in the Woods It’s tempting to imagine the book we could write … would write … if only we had a  cabin in the woods to retreat to and just write. For most writers, this “cabin in … [Read more...]

“You write just like you speak!” It’s the Ultimate Compliment. And for over a decade, I’ve heard people say it to Kathi. They told her so often, and I agreed with them so completely, that I accepted it as fact. So when it came time to write our most recent co-authored book Overwhelmed, I was feeling pretty smug about my fail-proof plan for this book to “write itself.” Kathi and I would schedule multiple Skype sessions to talk through the content. We’d have the audio files … [Read more...]

It wasn’t Mary Lou’s fault that I snapped. She’d told me, “You know, Cheri, I’m a speaker, not a writer!” many times before. As had other speaker friends and coaching clients. Most notably (and most vociferously) the founder of Communicator Academy: Kathi Lipp, author of seventeen books. But at 9:42 AM on January 12, I’d had it up to here with hearing “I’m a speaker, not a writer” from smart, accomplished, connected people — people with strong, unique voices who kept talking themselves … [Read more...]

"What do you count as real writing?" I ask. My new client lowers his eyes and clears his throat. "Uh, I guess sitting alone and writing for several hours at one time?" His fidgeting reminds me of so many students I've had in my quarter-century in the classroom. "Have you ever sat alone and done anything for several hours at one time?" I ask playfully. His eyes widen and he laughs. "No." I nod. "And yet this is your primary definition of 'real writing' —  the standard by … [Read more...]