Let’s Work Together
If your book isn’t done yet, maybe it’s not because you’re doing something wrong.
Maybe it’s because
you’re doing something better.
These days anyone can write and publish books.
And everyone is.
Book farmers are pumping out quick-and-dirty insta-books right and left, as sources of so-called passive income or just so they can claim they’re authors.
That’s not the kind of book you want.
That’s not the kind of author you want to be.
Because you have a mission.
For you, writing and publishing book is more than just a personal dream or a revenue stream.
Your book will be a milestone and cornerstone in your larger body of work—your way of being of service.
You recognize that a book will help you reach more people than you currently can.
Reaching more people means you can help more people, which means your work will have an even bigger impact.
Your mission requires a certain kind of book.
You’ve decided a “quick-and-easy” little book won’t serve your mission or your people well.
It won’t serve you well, either.
Instead, you’re choosing to create a high-value book—one that that will provide your readers with substantive, trustworthy information and allow them to experience the full, unique value of your work.
You choosing to create a publisher-grade book—a book that’s either published by a traditional publisher or, if self-published or hybrid published, matches the quality standards of a traditionally published book.
You’re choosing to be a Thoughtful Author.
You care about your readers. You value their time, attention, and trust.
You practice careful thinking and due diligence.
You’re committed to accuracy, transparency, and intellectual integrity.
In a world of book farmers and insta-books,
Thoughtful Authors and their thoughtful books stand out.
Thoughtful Authors write better books.
Even the most motivated, mission-driven, writing-savvy Thoughtful Authors need some professional bookcraft help.
Your thoughtful book has lingered in Somedayville or Never-Done-Land long enough.
After all, an unpublished book doesn’t serve your mission or your people any more than a quick-and-dirty one would.
You’re willing to put in the time, energy, and thought required to make it the high-value, publisher-grade book you want.
But you don’t want to spend years working on it only to end up with a book that can’t get traction with publishers or readers.
Writing the book yourself doesn’t frighten you. You’re used to taking big action and getting big things done.
But figuring out all the bookcraft on your own is weighing you down.
What you need is a booksmith.
I’m your booksmith.
Like you, I’m driven by a mission.
My mission is to help those with genuine, earned authority and proven knowledge (e.g., you!) communicate that knowledge to the people who need it most, via the medium of books.
To do that, I share what I’ve learned in my 25+ years in book publishing with you, the Thoughtful Author who’s committed to creating a high-value, publisher-grade book.
What You Get When You Work with Me
A lot of firsthand bookcraft and publishing knowledge
With more than two decades and hundreds of books worth of nonfiction publishing experience, I can show you exactly what’s needed to write a book that satisfies readers and publishers.
Someone who cares about your book as much as you do
When I work with you, I become deeply interested and invested in what you’re sharing. I’ll be your most engaged student, your most attentive reader, and your second brain.
Someone in the trenches with you
You’ll have another person who knows the ins and outs of your book as well as you do—who can help you hold your big vision and keep track of the small details.
Someone who can help you think things through
What do you really want to say? And what’s the best way to say it? I’ll be your sounding board, co-thinker, brainstorming partner, reflective listener, and ideas taster.*
Someone who can see things you just can’t
I can call you back if you wander from your vision, point out gaps in your information, and spot connections you may not otherwise notice because you know your work so well.
Someone who will challenge you in the best ways
Think of me as your personal book-fitness trainer, pushing you to strengthen your book, stretch into your full author potential, and not give up.
And in the end, you’ll get a book you can be proud of.
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* The wonderful term ideas taster comes from The Fifth Elephant (A Novel of the Discworld) by Terry Pratchett.
Here’s How We Can Work Together
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Book Development Consultations
Get the publishing and bookcraft insights you need right now to take your next book step with confidence.
Tap into my deep professional experience for insights and strategy that can help you create a better quality, more marketable book.
Booksmithing
Craft your book from the idea up, with 1:1 professional support the whole way.
My three-stage book-development process will help you start, continue, and finish your book efficiently:
Stage 1: Book Visioning
Stage 2: Book Building
Stage 3: Book Finishing
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
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A book development consultation is your first step. You may schedule a consultation at any time.
In your initial consultation, we can the discuss the Booksmithing Process and what you need to be ready for Stage 1, Book Visioning.
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My expertise is in prescriptive and informational nonfiction—basically, nonfiction that is not memoir or personal essays.
My zone of genius is helping authors make complex subjects and information accessible to the general public.
My specialties are:
self-help/personal growth books
how-to books
books on physical, mental, and emotional health and wellbeing
books with a spiritual angle or on mind-body-spirit topics
informational books (such as histories and long-form investigative journalism)
photo- or art-centric books
I do not work on books that:
consist of channeled material
consist entirely or primarily of AI-generated material
are written for academics or students (textbooks)
deny the biases, harms, and challenges people with marginalized identities face in today’s world
endorse or condone discrimination against people because of their race, gender, sexual orientation, abilities, size, health, financial status, or religious or spiritual beliefs
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Maybe, but I can’t guarantee it. (And beware of anyone who says they can!)
Commercial trade publishing is highly competitive and, frankly, capricious.
Whether or not your book might appeal to publishers depends on a lot of different factors, including choices you make when planning, writing, and developing your book.
If you dream of having your book published by a commercial publisher (big or small), I can tell you what you’ll need to do and what to expect.
I can also help you evaluate your publishing options to see whether traditional, hybrid, or self-publishing is right for you.
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First, bestseller according to whose measure? The New York Times? Your publisher’s total list? A small sub-sub-category on Amazon? A local bookstore? Your family?
Second, no, I can’t guarantee your book will be a bestseller by any particular measure.
How well a book sells depends on a lot of variables, many of which I have no influence over, such as how you choose to market, promote, and sell it, as well as unpredictable world events and market forces.
What I can do is help you create the best possible book by:
looking closely at who you want to buy/read it, what their needs are, and what else they might be reading;
distinguishing your book from others on the same subject;
helping the unique benefits of your book shine;
making sure the quality of your book is as good or better than others in its category.
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My work is geared primarily for authors who haven’t finished writing their manuscripts.
I help you shape your book idea and then serve as your expert advisor while you’re writing. (For more on how I do that, see Booksmithing.)
If you believe you’re done writing, a book development consultation with me can help you answer the following questions:
What’s your best next step?
Is your manuscript is ready for editing?
If it is, what kind of editing is it ready for?
What are your publishing options?
I continue to do pre-publication editing for book publishers.
Only rarely do I edit books for independent authors who are self-publishing or looking for a publisher. Why? Because in my experience, most of these books need more than just editing. My booksmithing process is designed to meet those pre-editing needs.
The world doesn’t need more books. The world needs better books.
We don’t need more information. We need better information.
We need more books from mission-driven professionals like you.
We need authentic experts like you to counter the loud but ill-informed influencers peddling spurious claims, insta-answers, and feel-good wishful thinking we find online every day.
We need you, the real authority, with the real knowledge, experience, and understanding, to share what you know in a way we can understand.
We need you to make it make sense for us.
We need you to show us how to apply it to our lives.
Whatever your mission is—however you’re leveraging your gifts to help others and make the world a little better—we need it and we want it.
We want your thoughtful book.
Are you ready? Then let’s finish your book.
Love,
your booksmith and future reader,
Amy
