EVERY WORD TELL Writing and publishing insight from nonfiction collaborative writer Blake Atwood Some days, I wish I had graduated from college and gone directly into publishing. But then I read something like "The Three Jobs of the Modern Editor, or 36 Plates" by Sean deLone. If you want to know just how much is required of today's in-house editors, read that. I already respect what they do, but this behind-the-scenes look made me even more appreciative. Plus, deLone writes, "If you hear...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
EVERY WORD TELL Writing and publishing insight from nonfiction collaborative writer Blake Atwood Last week, my family and I took a four-day trip to New York City to do all the touristy things. My wife and son had never been. It's been at least twenty years since I've been. Despite persistent rain, we had an excellent trip. We saw Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Othello (just me), Wicked (my wife and son), and Hugh Jackman Live: From New York with Love. Bookwise, we visited the Strand ("18...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
EVERY WORD TELL Writing and publishing insight from nonfiction collaborative writer Blake Atwood In The Work of Art by Adam Moss, music producer Thomas Bartlett says, "We are blind to our own essence, you know? And one of the things I try to do as a producer is to get people to do what comes to them the most naturally, because people underestimate that thing about themselves. Like the thing that feels like breathing is not that interesting, you know?" In his latest (and highly recommended)...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
EVERY WORD TELL Writing and publishing insight from nonfiction collaborative writer Blake Atwood I recently began watching The Studio, a satirical AppleTV+ comedy series about the film industry. Seth Rogen plays Matt Remick, a studio exec who wants to make auteur-led, award-winning films. But when his boss (Bryan "Say My Name" Cranston) asks him to make a film based on Kool-Aid, Remick forgets his scruples, says "Ohhhhh yeaaaahhhhh," and gets promoted to studio head. In the third episode...
2 months ago • 1 min read
EVERY WORD TELL Writing and publishing insight from nonfiction collaborative writer Blake Atwood My literal to-be-read shelf currently holds twenty-three books.* I've started fourteen of them. And, yes, of course I keep buying more. For too long, I was a "finish the book out of respect for the author" kind of reader. A completionist. True story: I once re-read Bad Twin (a metafictional novel based on the TV show LOST) because I was sure I'd missed something. I didn't. For me, it just wasn't a...
3 months ago • 1 min read
EVERY WORD TELL Writing and publishing insight from nonfiction collaborative writer Blake Atwood What's the best way to start a prescriptive nonfiction book? As soon as possible, win your reader's trust and interest. If they don't trust your insight or expertise, they won't keep reading. And if you're not interesting, they have a billion other options. In Cues, Vanessa Van Edwards says that warmth plus competence equals charisma. She's talking about in-person and online communications, but of...
3 months ago • 1 min read
EVERY WORD TELL Writing and publishing insight from nonfiction collaborative writer Blake Atwood This past Saturday, I enjoyed another client's book release party. When I received Mike Congrove's invitation, I was surprised. I even replied, "It lives!" We'd last worked on the book in September 2024. I then suggested he look into the hybrid publisher Streamline Books to get him across the finish line. They did so quickly and capably. Eating with God's Fork has been available since February,...
3 months ago • 2 min read
EVERY WORD TELL Writing and publishing insight from nonfiction collaborative writer Blake Atwood Last week, a recent client and a former client had NYT Best Sellers in the "Advice, How-to and Miscellaneous" category. Jefferson Fisher's just-released The Next Conversation debuted at #2. James Clear's outlier of an outlier book, Atomic Habits, was at #4. (It's been in the Top 10 since its release more than five years ago!) At Jefferson's packed book signing in Dallas. Of course, I'm grateful to...
3 months ago • 2 min read
EVERY WORD TELL Writing and publishing insight from nonfiction collaborative writer Blake Atwood To make the time pass faster, we played Foilball in the basement of the Texas Capitol. Foilball is not a real sport, but you've probably played it. The four of us—all Texas Senate proofreaders—devised the game in the throes of boredom. Its one rule is simple: Don't let the ball of foil touch the ground. We once exceeded a hundred touches without it hitting the floor. (I could be exaggerating. This...
4 months ago • 2 min read