Success Points Highlights

Prioritize Your Writing

Prioritize Your Writing

I am humbled to be a Guest of Honor at Bouchercon 2024 this week. So, in honor of all the wonderful authors I am meeting this weekend, I’ll share with you the common questions I’m getting from writers as I appear on panels, walk the halls, and generally interact with...

Inspire Yourself to Improve Your Skills

Inspire Yourself to Improve Your Skills

So, writer, you are your boss. And what is it that a boss might have that an employee who is told what to do every day might not have? Self-discipline. You must put your butt in the chair, as some say—every day. I'm getting asked many questions as we go through Killer...

Find Contentment in Your Creativity

Find Contentment in Your Creativity

We don’t have to know how the gas stove works. We use it. It has its function. But it is not the same with our mind and our life. We don’t want to use our life (and we certainly don’t want someone else to use it). We want to enjoy it. We want to experience it. We want...

Incorporating Business Practices into the Creative Writing Process

Incorporating Business Practices into the Creative Writing Process

I knew little about business when I started my first company at fourteen years old. Surprisingly, I made money at it. I had a camera, a sound recorder, a manual typewriter, and a heavy imagination. I traveled to businesses, telling them I’d like to make commercials...

Fundamental Principles for Effective Marketing and Publicity

Fundamental Principles for Effective Marketing and Publicity

As a former owner of a successful publicity and marketing company, I've accumulated a wealth of knowledge and experience. Recently, I've been reflecting on some fundamental principles that I used to guide my team. These principles are not only essential but also have...

Guarding Time and Building Relationships: The Essence of Modern Marketing

Guarding Time and Building Relationships: The Essence of Modern Marketing

We have two things we should guard: time and health. We are all super busy in a world where technology is supposed to make everything easier. Technology opens opportunities and bombards us with offers. It overwhelms our time, distracts our attention from important...