MOVING FORWARD 

On the season 7 premiere, I speak with three-peat guest, Angelo Spenillo, about his new book I am a Professional Metalhead and how music has influenced his career. We also chat about how we met, Cobra Kai, and more. www.bemovingforward.com. Moving Forward is also available on iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Google Play, iHeartRadio, and Spotify. Angelo Spenillo I first met Angelo in fall 1998. We were transfer students to Georgetown Law, lost in a sea of strange faces. In law school,

On this book writing mini-series wrap-up, I cover what to do with the mixed feelings you may have once it’s all said and done. More at www.bemovingforward.com. Moving Forward is also available on iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Google Play, iHeartRadio, and Spotify. Part 1: Parting thoughts on the book writing mini-series I’ve really enjoyed this series and sharing my process of writing a book. We’ve covered a lot of ground from April to now and I hope the tips and insights are helpf

The book writing mini-series wrap up with a roadmap of episodes to listen to with a recommended listening order. Note: some of the episodes repeat and the order is an alternative to following them chronologically. Part 1 covers getting started. Part 2 reviews tools and framework for writing a book. Part 3 is all about editors. Part 4 concludes with a deep dive into the self-publishing process and marketing. Moving Forward is also available on iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Google Pl

On this episode, I talk about why marketing your book isn’t a one and done. We’ll also cover some important post-launch considerations including KDP Select (what is it?), reviews and expectations. More at www.bemovingforward.com. Moving Forward is also available on iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Google Play, iHeartRadio, and Spotify. Part 1: Writing and publishing your book is just the first step Building off last week’s episode and episode 247, the earlier you start your pre-launch

We’re heading to the finish line. On this episode, we take a look at finalizing your cover (including dimensions and spine width), formatting your manuscript files and ordering proofs. More at www.bemovingforward.com. Moving Forward is also available on iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Google Play, iHeartRadio, and Spotify. Part 1: More on formatting your book cover We’re nearing the home stretch and over the next couple of weeks, we’re going to focus on the final stages to get your b

On this quick bonus episode, I talk about setting your self-publishing account on KDP and why you may want to get it out of the way early. More at www.bemovingforward.com. Moving Forward is also available on iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Google Play, iHeartRadio, and Spotify. Self-publishing housekeeping: set up your account early As an addendum to yesterday’s episode, in which we covered setting up your book website domain and social media accounts early, you may want to set up yo

On this episode, we talk about some of the basics on marketing your book and why you should start early. More at www.bemovingforward.com. Moving Forward is also available on iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Google Play, iHeartRadio, and Spotify. Part 1: Don’t put the cart before the horse when it comes to your book I probably should have said this at the outset of the book-writing mini-series but this is not meant to be followed in real-time. Unlike the Poshmark series, which allowed

On this episode, we take a look at self-publishing platforms outside of KDP and what the “smile test” is when it comes to your manuscript. More at www.bemovingforward.com. Moving Forward is also available on iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Google Play, iHeartRadio, and Spotify. Part 1: Moving forward past a crappy week Last week, I lost it. I don’t know what it is, but this summer has felt off-kilter and out of whack. I’m normally a pretty chill, laid back guy but last week I was sho

On this episode, we dive into taking the pieces of your manuscript and formatting it for publication. More at www.bemovingforward.com. Moving Forward is also available on iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Google Play, iHeartRadio, and Spotify. Part 1: Envy and perspective “If the grass is greener on the other side of the fence, you can bet the water bill is higher.” -Debbie Macomber (Mrs. Miracle) Last week, I was updating a friend on what I have going on in my life – a second book in

On this bonus episode, I demystify what an editor and does and does not do when it comes to self-publishing your book. More at www.bemovingforward.com. Moving Forward is also available on iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Google Play, iHeartRadio, and Spotify. An editor can do many things for your book but not that! Lately, I’ve had a number of people who listen to the podcast reach out to Megan for editing consultations, which is fantastic. However, a number of the questions she has r

On this episode, we do a midpoint check-in to see where you are with your book and areas to start working ahead towards. More at www.bemovingforward.com. Moving Forward is also available on iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Google Play, iHeartRadio, and Spotify. Part 1: Funky July, frayed Macbook power cord July was a funky month. One of the smaller but significant mishaps that occurred is that my Macbook power cord cable frayed. I’ve had my Macbook for almost 5 years and if you know m

On this episode, we take a look at photos what you need to consider if you decide to put in your book. More at www.bemovingforward.com. Moving Forward is also available on iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Google Play, iHeartRadio, and Spotify. Part 1: A communication conundrum Communication has become a weird conundrum. We’re connected 24-7 by our mobile devices, which sit right in our hip pockets, giving us access to others through any number of messaging and social media apps. And y

On this episode, we take a look at paperback dimensions and cover art. More at www.bemovingforward.com. Moving Forward is also available on iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Google Play, iHeartRadio, and Spotify. Part 1: To real, or not to real, that isn’t the question I’m going to take a moment to get on my soapbox and rant. Last week, a friend of mine who has been listening to this mini-series and is currently working on his book, texted me. He was feeling a deflated because he got i

On this episode, I cover the last building block of your book, the back matter. More at www.bemovingforward.com. Moving Forward is also available on iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Google Play, iHeartRadio, and Spotify. Part 1: The Tao of the three-act structure I’m jumping ahead a little into my mini-series on podcasting, which I’ll do sometime in the future. Recently, I was asked about podcasting and it got me thinking about another question and comment I got when I launched this s

On this episode, we take a look at the front matter of your book including title page, copyright statement, foreword and more. More at www.bemovingforward.com. Moving Forward is also available on iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Google Play, iHeartRadio, and Spotify. Part 1: So what do you do? “So what do you do?” I went on a date recently and this question inevitably came up. There was a time when I had a ready one word or phrase answer. At different points, it was “lawyer,” “account

On this episode, I cover the basics on book titles, subtitles, and social media branding. More at www.bemovingforward.com. Moving Forward is also available on iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Google Play, iHeartRadio, and Spotify. Part 1: Summer cleaning and pruning social media The past few weeks I’ve been doing a careful audit on my social media accounts as well as my professional and social commitments. Calling back to my 2019 goals that I set at the end of last year, I wanted to s

On this bonus episode, I share some important questions to ask potential editors before hiring one for your book. More at www.bemovingforward.com. Moving Forward is also available on iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Google Play, iHeartRadio, and Spotify. The editor-for-hire checklist When it comes to hiring or vetting editor candidates for your book, here are some questions that I found to be critical for a successful editor-writer relationship. Some of these I asked Megan, others she

On this episode, I cover the editor workflow that worked really well for Making Fake Star Trek and why it’s key for your editor to also be a good project manager. More at www.bemovingforward.com. Listen to the full interview by clicking the play button above. Moving Forward is also available on iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Google Play, iHeartRadio, and Spotify. Part 1: Happy 35th! This past weekend was the 35th anniversary of the original Karate Kid film. If you were on social me

On this episode, I go into more detail on finding a great editor and why it’s not just about fancy credentials. More at www.bemovingforward.com. Listen to the full interview by clicking the play button above. Moving Forward is also available on iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Google Play, iHeartRadio, and Spotify. Part 1: A smooth exit This past week was a definite calm after the storm from the week before. First, we were able to resolve the issue we had with a customer on Poshmark.

On this episode, I break down the structure of a book and why you should think of it as “building blocks.” More at www.bemovingforward.com. Listen to the full interview by clicking the play button above. Moving Forward is also available on iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Google Play, iHeartRadio, and Spotify. Part 1: Poshmark overweight shipping This week, I’m going to revisit Poshmark to share another first for us. Last week, we had our first big bundle sale. As a refresher, bundle