Hi, Reader,

We had a funny week here in Portugal, with a power outage that swept across Spain, Portugal, and France. One minute, I was replying to an email; the next minute, I was texting my neighborhood WhatsApp chat to see if anyone else had lost power. Spoiler: everyone had.

The odd thing about the outage is that it wasn’t just the power that went out—cell signal and internet access did too. I’ve lived in three developing countries, so a power cut is no big deal. But losing access to information? Well, that’s a whole different level of “what the heck is going on here?”

Pretty quickly, the grocery stores filled with people panic-buying supplies, including grocery carts full of water, and rumors started spreading about the cause. We heard rumors of a Russian missile launched into the power grid, and that it could take up to three days to get power back. Neighbors sat in their cars listening to the radio, which was of course in Portuguese and too rapid for me to understand.

So, we waited. I didn’t think about my email inbox, because what was the point, and we had fun with candles and flashlights. And we used the opportunity of a dark city to gaze at the stars, rolling out yoga mats on our upper patio and bringing out pillows and blankets and pointing out constellations, satellites—and even a shooting star!

The power came on after we were all settled in bed, our bedroom abruptly flooding with light. And then, suddenly, life was back to normal, as though nothing happened.

Is there a lesson in this? Maybe that I need to buy a radio and have a few days’ rations, because I was woefully unprepared.

But also: it’s nice to be disconnected, just for a bit. Even when you’re a tiny bit worried WWIII just started.

Happening soon: The Nonfiction Writers Conference, May 7–9, 2025​

Join us May 7–9 for the fifteenth annual Nonfiction Writers Conference, a content-rich event held entirely online. Featuring educational learning sessions delivered LIVE, QA with the speakers, literary agent pitches, online networking, consultations with industry pros, and so much more. Ready to accelerate your author career? Don’t miss this popular event!

We dive into how shifting your sales mindset from “selling to win” to “selling to serve” can transform your business. Nikki shares how her background in neurolinguistic programming helps clients authentically connect with their audience, navigate sales conversations with confidence, and overcome the common mistakes that keep entrepreneurs from closing with impact.

Whether you’re growing your business, launching a book, or learning to trust your voice, this conversation will leave you feeling equipped and inspired. If you’ve ever felt that sales isn’t your thing—this episode will change your mind.

​Listen here.​

Latest read: “5 Tips to Inspire Your Writing,” by Kim Foster

This week’s post comes from Kim Foster, a writer and editor on our team. In this piece, she shares five tips to inspire your writing.

There are many ways to approach writing, and sometimes it’s a struggle to come up with a topic. One of my favorite places to look for inspiration is personal experience: that funny conversation with a cashier, the way nuthatches hang upside down on a bird feeder, what my husband thinks I said when his hearing aids aren’t in. I used to think that I had nothing interesting to say. But no one sees life from my angle better than I do.

C. S. Lewis said in The Magician’s Nephew, “What you see and what you hear depends a great deal on where you are standing. It also depends on what sort of person you are.” This quote is packed with wisdom and a common sense view that we often see the same thing a little differently.

It’s all about perspective, and this comes into play in your writing. You are unique and so is your voice. Discovering your voice quickens your creativity—and you learn more about yourself. You may even look back at what you’ve written and think, Wow. Did I really write that?

​[Continue reading on the blog . . .]​

​“Sticky Note Outlining: Write Your Book Right (the First Time!)”​

I had the honor of joining Tanya Hall, CEO of Greenleaf Book Group and host of Published by Greenleaf Book Group, for a wonderful conversation about outlining your book—and so much more. Tanya is a smart and thoughtful host, and we had a great conversation that I know will be useful to aspiring authors.

In this conversation, I share my sensory-driven method for helping authors create the outline they need to write their book right the first time. We discuss why it’s important to take your time, figure out who your “one reader” is to keep your audience and market demand top of mind, and clear out the noise of conflicting ideas. By doing so, you will build a defined road map that takes the uncertainty out of writing and allows your creativity to blossom as you draft your book.

In this conversation, I break down exactly how to approach outlining with clarity and confidence, share common pitfalls to avoid, and give practical advice you can start using today.

​Listen to the full conversation here.​

Writing tip: The tools all authors need!​

In today’s world, being a successful author requires more than just great writing. From managing your workload to growing a loyal audience and automating tasks, the right technology can make all the difference.

Using the right tools for authors can help you stay organized, grow your readership, and automate tasks, allowing you to focus on what truly matters—writing and sharing your work. Whether you’re looking to improve project management, engage your audience, or streamline your business, these tools will set you up for success.

That’s it for this week! Have suggestions? Want to say hey? Hit reply—I love hearing from you!

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