What Self-Help Experts Know: Lead with Need

Self-help books exist to solve readers’ needs. Here’s a vital strategy to ensure yours is irresistible.

Writing Advice, How to Write a BookPatrick PriceJuly 17, 2024Ask an Editor, How to Write Better, Book Coach, Freelance Book Editor, Patrick Price, Self-Help

Train for Writing like an Athlete

Athletes expect to practice to sharpen and grow their gifts. Here's why writers need to adapt the same mindset.

Ask a Book Editor, Writing Advice, Writing InspirationPatrick PriceMarch 29, 2023Ask an Editor, How to Write Better, Book Coach, Writing Advice, Patrick Price, Freelance Book Editor

Ask a Book Editor: How to Title Your Book

Whether you write fiction or nonfiction, titling your book can feel:

Easy (“I’ve known the perfect title since Day One.”)
Challenging (“There’s a working title but it doesn’t feel quite right yet.”)
SUPER HARD (“Kill me now—this is impossible.”)

For most, it falls between challenging and hands-up despair. Why do these few words create such turmoil when you’re able to otherwise craft entire books? It’s because a title is the work’s most hardworking calling card.

And while a bad cover may turn off a prospective buyer/reader, a bad title can bury your book.

No wonder it feels like a lot of pressure.