Key Ideas & Big Takeaways:​
 

If you already have a blog, Twitter, or Facebook following, you can test various design options with your best prospects – the people who already want to hear what you have to say. That's exactly how this book ended up with the cover design it has. I allowed people to vote directly from my blog. It's also helpful if they can comment, because they will offer other opinions or see things you may have missed. This is crowdsourcing at its best. (pg. 28)

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Years ago, I discovered that certain kinds of music put me in my zone. I have a playlist of music in iTunes I call “background music for writing.” It consists of mostly soundtracks from movies. (pg. 89)

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Don't try to write an edit at the same time. If you do, you will drive yourself crazy. Worse, you won't make much progress. Writing is primarily a right brain function. Editing is the left brain function. Switching back and forth between these two hemispheres slows you down. You don't really get into the groove like you should. Instead, just write continuously without stopping. (pg. 89)

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The reality is, I blog in order to clarify my thinking and archive my best ideas. Thoughts disentangle themselves when they pass through the lips and fingertips. If you are writing, you are creating greater clarity about your life, your work, and what matters most. (pg. 123)

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Want to significantly grow your blog traffic? Write shorter posts, shorter paragraphs, and shorter sentences. Keep your post between 500 and 600 words. Each paragraph should include no more than three to four sentences. And I would avoid compound sentences whenever possible. (pg. 134)

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Since Twitter only allows you to post 280 characters at a time, you are forced to be concise. In my opinion, this is one of the hallmarks of good writing. Short messages. Short paragraphs. Short sentences. (pg. 155)

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It's amazing how someone's IQ seems to double as soon as you give them responsibility and indicate that you trust them. It's amazing what can happen when you empower front-line employees to solve problems immediately, without delay. (pg. 210)

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I didn't start blogging to make money from it. When someone suggested I start accepting advertising, I thought somehow it would compromise my integrity. Then I realized that all professionals charge for their work. In fact, this is what separates the professionals from the amateurs. Art and money aren't enemies. In fact, the former isn't possible without the latter. You can monetize your art without selling your soul. (pg. 214)