When Discipline Fails, These Habits Can Save You

This work, the writing life, is a grind. I recently saw this Tolstoy quote and wanted to share it with you: “A man on a thousand-mile walk has to forget his goal and say to himself every morning, ‘Today I’m going to cover twenty-five miles and then rest up and sleep.' ”  

 
On the writing journey, it’s tough to wake up every day thinking about the pages of work ahead. That’s why you have to focus on today’s twenty-five miles. Then get some rest. Then repeat.

 
That’s how you reach the end — not by obsessing over the distance, but by mastering the discipline of showing up daily. 

 
The goal is important. 

 
But in the end, it’s the routine that gets you there. 

 
Another way to think about routine is through habits. If I focus too much on my routine, I get distracted because inevitably, something breaks my routine — a sick kid, a work deadline, etc. Life is excellent at doing that to us. So, what do I do when I’ve been knocked off cou...

Feeling Stuck? These Books Help Writers Get Unstuck

Is there anything better than book recommendations? I don’t think so. I’ll stop whatever I’m doing to read a good list. Always.

I’m often asked about the best books for writers—and I’ve got opinions. Here are a few of my go-to picks, organized by what you might need right now:

“I want my writing voice to stand out.”

Start with Dreyer’s English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style.


The English language is a hot mess—but this book (written with humor and insight by the former copy chief at Random House) brings order to the chaos. Most style books are dry. This one is delightful. You don’t have to be a grammar expert to benefit from this book—but the more you know, the better you write.

“I’m in a slump. I need motivation.”

You need The War of Art by Steven Pressfield.

Artists like Seth Godin and Ryan Holiday swear by it—and I do too. It’ll challenge you to ask: Are you working like an amateur or a professional? What ki...

How Writers Stay on Their Feet When the Day Goes Sideways

I woke up today with the best intentions.


A fresh to-do list. A full tank of motivation. I was ready to go after it.

After a long holiday weekend (with too much ice cream), I felt ready to reset and get back into the swing of things.

But the day had other plans.

The brakes went out on our car.

The laundry pile had doubled.

And—just to top it off—a bird made a nest in the wreath on our front door.

Not exactly the productive Tuesday I had envisioned.

It reminded me of that classic Mike Tyson quote:

“Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.”

As writers, our days can feel like that. We start with big plans, but then life takes a turn.

So, how do we stay standing?

It starts with priorities.

Not the rigid, corporate kind. I like to think of priorities more like bamboo—flexible, adaptable, strong.

Author Brad Stulberg offers a helpful concept called raising the floor. It means adjusting your expectations wh...

How to Finish 2025 Strong (Without Burning Out)

I ran track & field in college, where I competed in the 800-meter race. That race is a combination of speed, toughness, and doing your best to hang in there until the end. Too short to pace, too long to sprint. It’s brutal. The key to running a great half-mile is found in a racing strategy called the negative split.

 
A negative split is completing the second half of a race faster than the first half. It's a pacing strategy where a runner starts slower and gradually increases their pace, aiming to finish stronger than they started. 

I never thought to apply this mindset outside the track until Jon Acuff reminded me. Honestly, it made me a little mad at myself for not thinking of it first, given my experiences with it. Acuff takes it a step further and explains that whatever you’ve done in the first half of the year—times you’ve exercised, worked on a hobby, or written your book—you should double it.

 
On July 2nd, we will be halfw...

What a Query Letter Is (and What it Isn't)

Summer is in full swing here in Michigan—the Mitten State. I hope you’re enjoying being near water, the beach, or the lake with a great book. Today, let’s demystify the query letter. 

What makes a good query letter? I get this question a lot. To me, a query letter is like a cover letter for your book, and the book proposal is your resume. You’ll hear us say that a lot at Author Coaching. Many potential authors fumble their opportunity by not creating a simple, focused query letter.

 
Here’s what makes a good query letter: keep it simple and straight to the point. It’s okay to be direct; again, think cover letter. Your goal is to introduce me to your book - the title, the genre, and a brief one-liner about your book. 

As a nonfiction Christian literary agent, it matters if you personally address your email to me and send me a query letter for books that I represent. I love genre fiction, but as much as I love a good dystopian novel, that’...

The message God gave you is meant to be shared.

If you’ve been carrying a message you believe God placed on your heart—waiting for the “right” time to write or speak it—this is your gentle nudge: the time is now.

So often we see faithful, gifted people wait until they feel “ready.” They think they need a bigger audience, more clarity, or a perfect plan before they begin.

But what if the act of sharing is how the audience finds you? What if obedience opens the door?

You don’t need every answer to begin. You need faith to take the first step.

God didn’t give this message to just anyone—He gave it to you. No one else can share it quite like you can.

So start small. Start bold. Just start.

We have a course to walk with you in that first step:   How to Stand Out to Your Audience—a gentle guide to help you serve the people who need your message most. 👇

🎯 The people you’re meant to reach are already looking for you. Let us help you find them.

How to Stand Out to Your Audience is t...

The #1 Question Every Reader Is Asking

I hope you’ve been enjoying this email series on book messaging. I know here at Author Coaching, we love helping authors like you with this. If you are just joining us, you can check out the first two parts here and here.

This last one, Benefits, is where the magic happens. You’ve already set everything up with the felt need and the promise. Now it’s time to take it home with the most important question your book must answer: What’s in it for me?

Readers are selfish—and they should be. They want to know what’s in it for them. That’s where your benefits come in.

This is where your message becomes laser-sharp. In 3–4 bullets, explain exactly what your reader will walk away with after reading your book. For example:

• Learn a simple three-step process to find financial agreement in your marriage.
• Identify what kind of emotional reactor you are—and how to change it.
• Discover five common obstacles to intimacy with God—and how to overcome each on
...

The Bridge Between Their Problem and Your Book

Welcome to week two of this three-part series on book messaging. As a literary agent, I get really excited about the prospect of working with people who understand their audience. It tells me that they aren’t guessing, and that their book has the potential to make a huge difference to their audience. 

But, once you’ve named the problem, your book must make a Promise.

In our framework, the promise is a one- or two-sentence statement that tells readers how your book delivers relief, insight, or transformation. It’s the aspiration that hooks them—and keeps them reading.

Examples of powerful promises:

• “You can be as close to God as you choose to be.”
• “You can learn to make wise choices in the midst of raw emotions.”
• “You can finally get aligned with your spouse about every major money issue.”

If you are struggling to name a promise for your own book, do it for a book you love.

I told you about how I picked up Tiny Experiments, and...

Why Your Book Must Solve a Real Problem

I recently picked up a copy of Tiny Experiments: How to Live Freely in a Goal-Obsessed World. I know nothing about the author, but the book spoke to me. Lately, I’ve felt a bit tangled up in my goals and the endless treadmill that is productivity. I saw this book and thought, tell me more.

One of the biggest issues we help authors like you tackle is aligning your book’s message with your audience’s problem. That’s what Tiny Experiments did for me. A core fundamental belief I hold is that books are about problems and promises. To do that, you have to work on your book’s messaging. Over the next three weeks, we’re going to cover how to create strong book messaging.

Today, in part one, let’s talk about pain points.

How do you craft really great book messaging that helps your reader? You start by identifying the pain.

Here’s the hard truth: your book can’t be for everyone. If you try to reach everyone, you end up reaching no one. That’s why we a...

One of the most important things you can do for your book is craft a really great hook. When I look back at a project, I often think about how the hook worked or didn’t when measuring a book’s success. Taking the time to really think through this is a wise investment and can make a huge difference. Today, let’s discuss how to make the best one possible.

What’s the hook of your book?

It’s one of the most important questions your book has to answer—because your reader isn’t going to buy your book just because you wrote it. You have to earn their interest.

So let’s talk about your book hook: a sentence or two that teases the reader and gets them to lean in, ask questions, and ultimately—buy the book.

A great hook is:

• Intriguing
• Clear
• Curiosity-piquing
• Reader-focused

It answers two key questions:

1. Why THIS book?

With thousands of books to choose from, what makes yours stand out? Why should a reader invest their time and money in your message?

2. Why NOW?

Why is your book timely...