Story Rebel
Learn how your story can help you grow your business, spread your message, and make an impact in the world.
Live on air
I let the call go to voicemail, like I almost always do. Because I’m a millennial, sure. But also, because c’mon. It’s almost always a scam: a fake marketing agency offering to represent my book at Famous International Book Festival, or a trademark lawyer telling me to call them immediately about my Story Rebel filing, or—my fave—the IRS warning me that they’ve put a warrant out for my arrest. Anyway, I was rolling my bike out the door on my way to dinner when my phone began to buzz. I was in...
Join us live for the next round of Story Rebel Masterclasses
Hey there! The longer I'm in business, the more incredible people I meet—and get to learn from. I can only speak to a small slice of nonfiction book writing and business, which is why I love bringing people in to my community who are experts in their own slices. I've lined up a handful of fantastic speakers over the next few months. Some I've known for years. Some I've met recently. All are absolutely incredible—so please mark your calendars! As a reminder, all of these calls are free to join...
I hit a nerve?
Hey there. Apparently I hit a nerve with a recent email when I talked about people using AI to write books. (Don't worry! This email is not about AI.) My argument was that it's not the product—"book"—that really matters in the end. It's what you learn about yourself and your subject matter as you go through the process and struggle of actually writing the book. A few of you asked me to talk a bit more about what that means, so here we go. I have written over 20 books since I started...
Let's take the pressure down a notch
Hey there. I talk a lot about how you have to make your own rules as a writer, because the way somebody else does things is never going to work for you. You can't just copy someone's process wholesale. Of course, that's the case in business as well. And fitness. And relationships. And—well, everything. It's never one size fits all. (Though it'd be a whole lot easier if it was.) This lesson has hit home hard for me over the past year as I have transitioned from being a work-for-hire freelancer...
Event Roundup Email
Hey there! Here's a short one—with so many great things happening in the next couple weeks I thought I'd update you with a quick reminder so you don't lose out on any of these fantastic opportunities. I've organized them by date so you can add them to your calendar! September 28 (Virtual) Memoir writers! Don't forget the Dirty Messy Alive: Embodied Memoir-Writing Workshop Series kicks off on Monday. It's free! And there will be more than 30 sessions on topics of: Craft Of Writing: writing...
"This guy's life is INSANE, holy ***."
For the past year, I've been working with a client on a wild ride of a project which I can *almost* share with you... Until this book has an official launch page, though, I still need to keep it under wraps. But I can tell you it's a memoir that's been a lifetime in the making. The author is a phenomenal storyteller with an amazing story, and it's been an honor to help him bring it to life. The book is touching, it's powerful, and it's captivating. It's also been a whole hell of a lot of fun...
She wants it bad enough to rip out the floors
Hey there, My sister is in the midst of starting a business. And this past weekend, as I helped her do dishes while standing in her ripped-apart kitchen, I finally saw how badly she actually wants this. Bad enough to tear out the kitchen floor and take the pantry down to studs. Bad enough to navigate stacks of bureaucracy and paperwork. Bad enough to start marketing herself even though she's a huge introvert. It's the coolest thing in the world. I've been in business full time for over 12...
A year from now, a book won't mean a thing. Unless...
Hi Reader, I'm going to make a prediction: in one year, having published a book won't mean anything. AI is making it easier than ever for people to take an idea, pump out 60,000 words on a topic, and call themselves an expert in it. So people who are building real authority—and attracting a real audience—are going to do something different. These days, anyone can "write" 60,000 words using AI. Those words may or may not make sense, but the point is that the "author" has a book-shaped object...
Make your book "unputdownable"
Hi Reader, I spent the last three months hanging out with the good folks at Indie Author Training, talking about one of my favorite things: how to write nonfiction that people actually can't put down. When I pitched IAT's training host Karen Guyler about doing a webinar for nonfiction authors, I presented three possible ideas. Her response? Let's do them all! This three-part series covered the reader promise, the book structure, and—my favorite part—stealing fiction techniques to make your...
But the voices in my head go... 🎶
Who are you to leave your little town? Who are you to get up on stage? Who are you to ask those questions, write those words, have those ambitions? I don’t know about you, but I’ve had voices in my head my whole life—like an owl, asking who? Who? Who do you think you are? Imposter syndrome. That obnoxious internal busybody with nothing better to do than point out your flaws. My approach to dealing with that voice has changed over the years. At first, I thought the goal was to make the voice...
Write this first!
Hi Reader, I was working on my book the other day, dictating with Wispr Flow as usual, when the Matrix glitched. Now, I love Wispr Flow and use it for everything because it's the most accurate voice-to-text program I've come across. But, like anything, even Wispr Flow can get haunted. So there I was. In the middle of a scene, in the middle of the book. I held down the Fn key to speak, rethought what I'd planned to say, and let the Fn key go without saying a word. Wispr Flow thought for a...
Learn how your story can help you grow your business, spread your message, and make an impact in the world.