Open Draft - with Fabio Cerpelloni

Jennifer Lawler is my guest today. She’s authored or coauthored more than 30 nonfiction books and nearly 20 novels, including the award-winning Dojo Wisdom series (Penguin). One of those titles — "Dojo Wisdom for Writers: 100 Simple Ways to Become a More Inspired, Successful, and Fearless Writer" — is now on my reading list.Jennifer is a prolific and versatile creative professional. She’s written everything from fantasy and paranormal romance to martial arts guides and career how-tos. She also holds a Ph.D. in medieval English literature and a black belt in Taekwondo — which, as she explains, taught her lessons she still applies to writing.She’s worked as a developmental editor for over 20 years, has been a literary agent, a magazine editor, and now runs Club Ed, an online school for editors. She’s also taught editing and writing at universities and through professional programs across the U.S.If you’re a writer or an editor who wants to grow, improve, and stay inspired, this conversation is for you.Here's what I asked her...00:00 – Intro03:10 – How did you start writing?05:56 – Where do your ideas come from?08:40 – Do you finish every project?11:28 – How do you write nonfiction?14:36 – Does a personal story make nonfiction unique?16:23 - Self-publishing or traditional publishing?19:59 – How did editing help you?23:18 – Do writers need editors?25:15 – Beta reader or editor?28:04 – When is a draft ready for an editor?31:13 – Have you ever worked with writers who were resistant to feedback? 36:10 – What should writers ask when hiring an editor?42:01 – Can AI replace editors?45:50 – Has book quality dropped?48:30 – Advice for aspiring writers?51:08 – What’s in Dojo Wisdom?55:01 – How do you handle criticism?01:00:00 – Last questions 01:01:05 – Join Better WritersLinks- Jennifer's website - www.jenniferlawler.com- ClubEd - www.clubedfreelancers.com- Better Writers - www.fabiocerpelloni.com/privateSearch words (ignore)writing, editing, non-fiction, fiction, self-publishing, traditional publishing, writing feedback, AI in writing, martial arts, author advice

Dr. Alexandra Rogers is a clinical psychologist from California. She recently published Your Journey to Successful Parenting, a project that took her two years to complete. In this conversation, she shares how she did it--what tools and services she used, how much she spent, what she learned along the way, and what she’d do differently next time.If you're planning to self-publish a book, hearing from someone who's been through the process might be well worth your time.Enjoy!***Resources, tools, and services Alexandra used to self-publish her book***Book cover design: 100 Covers https://100covers.com/Editors - Christine Grail - https://www.thescriptconsultant.com/- Kirkus Editing - https://www.kirkusreviews.com/editing-services/Professional reviewers - Kirkus Reviews, for independent publishers- Publishers Weekly, the arm for independent publishers is BookLife ReviewISBNs- BowkerLibrary of Congresshttps://www.loc.gov/programs/preassigned-control-number/about-this-program/Paid Book promotion companies- Fussy Librarian- Hello Books- EreaderIQ- FreebooksyVoice over actor for audiobooks- https://www.voices.com/Audiobook published through: Findaway Voices - https://my.findawayvoices.comAlexandra's website - https://arogersbooks.com/Your Journey to Successful Parenting - https://www.amazon.com/YOUR-JOURNEY-SUCCESSFUL-PARENTING-STRESS-FREE/dp/B0DZQRH5N1Alexandra also mentioned "How to Get Paid for What You Know" by Graham Cochrane ***Join Better Writers - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/private

What's the writer's most important skill? A few reflections and stories about that...Join Better Writers - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/private/Several Short Sentences About Writing - https://youtu.be/UEJmxMuKecg?si=Xl4BCXIFP_L2owIgWriting Tools: 50 Essential Strategies for Every Writer - https://youtu.be/_W90D4dTdhA?si=kBo6MXzxZuwQuUB8

Join the Tiny Book Writing Group - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/tiny-book-writing-group/Better Writers - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/private/The speeches we would watch at the end of each day. Don't be put off by the quality of the videos. They're great - https://youtu.be/cz7QHNvNFfA?si=aaQxfporzLNFRwMB

Book recommendation: "Writing Tools: 50 Essential Strategies for Every Writer" by Roy Peter Clark***Join Better Writers - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/private/

Use your stories and don't be afraid to get personal. You're doing it to help, not to show off. If you write with honesty, the reader will sense it and trust you -- just like you've trusted all your favourite authors. 🤩 Thanks for listening.Join Better Writers - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/private/

Do you ever wonder if you have enough skills to start writing and publishing? If so, here are a few thoughts that might help you.Join Better Writers - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/private/

There's so much wisdom and honesty in "The Letters of Vincent Van Gogh." Most of the sentences and passages I underlined relate to creativity, procrastination, making great art, and even writing. I still have 150 pages left to read, but I've recorded this video to ramble about 3 - 4 quotes from this gem. It helps me reflect on what I read, and I hope it somehow helps you too. Please share your comments below.***Join Better Writers - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/private/Time stamp00:00 Intro01:00 Admire09:40 Drafting12:27 Art and Money15:20 Conclusion

I've been writing my tiny book for the past two months. My 13,959-word draft is ready. Now what?***Join Better Writers - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/private/The interview with Adina Edelman - https://youtu.be/nY5lZ24tLHY?si=PgEQ41XFI-FZooYj

The episode I mentioned (funny how I'm also encouraging you to consume more content) -- Consume Less Content (the interview with Kerri Sackville) - https://youtu.be/8UFjWDJhCWE?si=napBZnmh78-XIQGP