![]() Amazing News: Leadership and Self Deception (4th Edition) by the Arbinger Institute has made the Hudson News Bestsellers List! 💯🥳🙌 🤓 Fun fact #1: Leadership and Self Deception is one of Berrett-Koehler Publishers top selling titles of all time with over THREE MILLION copies sold! I am so happy and proud to have edited this 4th edition, in addition to two other bestsellers by the Arbinger Institute: The Outward Mindset and The Anatomy of Peace. 🤓 Fun fact #2: I've edited 2️⃣ of @bkpub's 3️⃣ top selling books of all time: Leadership and Self Deception AND Confessions of an Economic Hitman by John Perkins BK is where I got my start in books almost 20 years ago. Yup, I've been in this game for a time ;) I remain ever grateful for BK, its wonderful editors—especially Steve Piersanti, Jeevan Sivasubramaniam, and Neal Maillet—and the amazing authors they have connected with me.
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![]() My authors come from all over the world, including Singapore, Malaysia, Uganda, Australia, Peru, Mexico, Ibiza, Germany, Uganda, and, of course the US. It’s one of the things I’m most proud of. I’ve worked hard to seek out authors from different backgrounds and cultures. In them, I see me. And in me, they often see themselves. 😍 I’m a 4th-generation Chinese-Trinidadian 🇹🇹 who grew up in a melting pot of cultures—Chinese, African, Creole, British, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Indian, Arab, Amerindian… and the list goes on. Because of this, I feel connected to so many different ways of living and experiencing the world. And now that I’ve spent most of my adult life in the U.S., married to an American and raising our mixed-race child here in San Francisco, I feel like I have a unique insider/outsider perspective when it comes to writing books—for both US and international audiences. Now, I’m a woman of Asian descent who has never lived in Asia. So it was fascinating to me to see the similarities—not only in culture but in experiences in the workplace—that I had with co-authors Ritu G. Mehrish, CSP and Rajita Saxena, and the 200 women they interviewed for their recently launched book: Rewrite the Rules: How Women Leaders in Asia are Changing the Leadership Paradigm (PenguinRandomHouse Singapore, October 2024). The differences were just as eye-opening. 😳 I am so proud of this book and the work Ritu and Rajita are doing to empower Asian women to “challenge the status quo and redefine success on their own terms.” I loved working with them, learning from them, and supporting this important mission. Happy Pub Week friends! 😍 Here’s what Ritu and Rajita had to say about working with me: Working with Danielle was an outstanding experience. She meticulously understood the essence of our project, our goals, intentions, and the target audience. 🤓 Contact me to learn how I supported Ritu and Rajita in writing their book together and how I might be able to help you (and your co-author!)
Learn about all my products and services here Sign up for upcoming promotions here ![]() Editing and writing are two totally different processes. Trying to do them both at the same time is not only frustrating, it's counterproductive. It's a recipe for getting stuck. Trust: The words will flow much more smoothly when you allow them to bypass your editing brain. Take the time to create a plan for your writing before you start. Then, write, write, write. Don't look back. Your only job is to get words on the page. Reviewing and editing will only break your momentum. Once you've completed your first draft—no matter how "incomplete" or crappy it may feel to you--take a much-needed break. Treat yourself! Do something else fun, creative, and restorative. And then, only then, start editing. You'll be coming at your work with fresh eyes and perspective and the mental and emotional energy to take your draft manuscript to final. ![]() So you've written the first draft of your non-fiction book. Congratulations! Getting to this point is no small feat. But now what? At this point, you have probably spent so much time thinking and writing that it's hard to have any perspective. You might be thinking: Is this even any good? How am I supposed to know? What do I do now? I can't even look at this book anymore much less start editing it. My brain hurts. HELP!!!! Here's my advice: Back off. The best thing that you can do for yourself and for your book at this point is to step away from it. Take a much-needed mental break for perspective and to recharge your batteries. But that doesn't mean that work on your book has to also take a break. While writing may feel like a solitary process, getting a book to the publication finish line is not. Right now is the time to (temporarily) place the book in an expert editor's hands. Below are the ways I keep up the momentum and move the book-writing process forward while you recharge. Assessing Your Manuscript For authors who want to know what their draft manuscript needs to be publication-ready, I offer an editorial assessment with a one-month turnaround. First, I ask you to fill out my Ultimate Book Planning Guide to give me a clear idea of your dreams and goals for the book. Then, I review the manuscript to identify areas of alignment and misalignment. I create a report that notes the areas for revision—structural, thematic, and writing—and provide practical, step-by-step advice on how to implement those revisions. The goal is that you will be able to address any structural, writing, and theme-related issues with the first draft on your own—after you take that well-deserved mental break, of course. But wait... What if you don't want to do the revisions on your own? What if you're at a point where you want an expert editor is to bring the manuscript home? I can help with that too. Finalizing Your Manuscript For authors who want to know what their draft manuscript needs to be publication-ready and want help in making the revisions, I assess the manuscript, create a revision plan, and work with you to implement it. As above, I ask you to fill out my Ultimate Book Planning Guide to understand what you are hoping to achieve with this book. I review the manuscript to identify areas of alignment and misalignment and I note the areas for revision. Then, I work with you to create a revision plan, dividing up the work according to both of our strengths. Usually, that means you work on content-related edits (you are the content expert, after all) and I take on the developmental, substantive, and Iine editing. The goal is that you will have a polished, final draft that reads beautifully, is structurally and thematically sound, and is ready for copy editing. ![]() So you have an idea for a book.... now what? Well, for one, you could just start writing. Block off some time in your day—5 minutes, 15 minutes, an hour—and just start writing everything you can think of that has to do with your idea. You could even dictate and use a service to transcribe your musings. That would be a phenomenal start. Try doing that every day for a week and get excited about what reveals itself on the page. If you're enjoying the process and feel like you have more to get out, keep on going! If only it were always that simple. No one needs an editor or a book coach to start writing, but for most people, especially first-time authors, it's easy to get stuck in the idea phase. Many authors feel more comfortable working within a structure that ensures their efforts are moving them in the right direction. That's where I come in. Idea to Outline Program One of the ways I support authors in getting past "I have an idea" to "I'm writing a book" is through my Idea to Outline program. It's particularly useful for authors who are looking to land a book deal, because it forces them to consider all of the business aspects of writing and publishing a book, in addition to their personal desires and goals for the endeavor. Over the four-week Idea to Outline program, I meet with authors weekly to brain-dump all of their thoughts, dreams, and goals for what their book might be. Then, I use that information to help them determine a publishing path and to create a book plan, outline, and process for moving forward. To learn more about the Idea to Outline Program, click here. Ultimate Book Planning Guide For authors who prefer a more self-directed approach, I offer my Ultimate Book planning guide, which includes 20 pages of critical questions, thoughtful prompts, and curated resources derived from my near two decades of publishing experience. The guide serves as the book's "North Star," keeping authors inspired and on track to write the book that's burning in their hearts. To purchase my planning guide, click here. Getting Unstuck Consulting For authors who fall somewhere in the middle—they're not ready for the full Idea to Outline program but would appreciate personalized support—consulting is the way to go. I offer 60-minute consulting sessions to help address author’s questions and concerns about where they are in the process and to determine their next step. Authors can send their questions and up to 10 pages of their work in advance, which I use to prepare for the call. To schedule a consulting call, click here. For all three options, the goal is that the author has a sound foundation from which they feel confident taking the next step in making their book a reality. If you're in the "I have an idea" stage and aren't sure what to do next, I'm here to help. Contact me and we can figure out the best way to work together for your needs. **** Learn about all my products and services here. Sign up for upcoming promotions here. Contact me here. ![]() There are three things that I look for to guide authors on taking a self publishing or a traditional book deal route:
Story: Is it unique? Is it interesting? Is it trending? Importantly, is it something that you’ve already tested and that people have already shown an interest in? That says to me that there's something there. This is usually the factor authors are most focused on, but, perhaps surprisingly, it’s the lowest hanging fruit of the three. The next one is the highest: Platform: Is your name already out there in the world in relation to the story you want to tell? Are you connected to people who can support you in promoting this book and establishing your credibility? Are you willing to do the ongoing work of building on that foundation? You see, the way that it works with traditional publishing is that publishers aren’t really looking for people who want to use the book to build their name. They want people who already have a name so they can use it to sell the book. So either you need to have a platform in place or you need to be willing to do the work to build that platform before you get a book deal in order to attract the interest of a publisher. And, of course, you will have to do the ongoing work of growing your reach to promote and sell the book once you have a deal. And then timing, that's the last one. Timing: The unknown factor if you’re seeking a traditional book deal. Let's say you had a a burning desire to get your book out in the next 12 months. I would tell you that the only way that you can guarantee that happening is if you self-publish. Because nobody can say for sure how long it's going to take to 1) get an agent and 2) for that agent to sell your book to a publisher. And then, once those two steps happen, with those big question marks as to how long they're gonna take, it's going to be generally 18 months to 2 years between signing a book contract and that book actually being published and put out into the world. So if you had a specific timeline you were looking for, that would be a reason for me to guide you towards self publishing. Thoughts? Given those three factors, what do you think is the best publishing route for you? When you're ready to take the next steps on whatever your publishing journey may be, I'm here to help. And if you're still not sure, contact me anyway! We can figure it out together! **** Learn more about my products and services here. Sign up for upcoming promotions here. Contact me here. Congratulations HeatherAsh Amara on an epic pub week! Wild, Willing, and Wise is the #1 release on Amazon in Shamanism and I know why. This modern reimagining of the Maiden (wild), Mother (willing), and Crone (wise) archetypes gets to the heart of the turmoil women like me often feel about how to move through a world without feeling, simultaneously, like too much and not enough. 🤪🙃🫠 ![]() When should I say yes? When should I say no? When should I say f-ck it and risk it all? How can I learn to pause and trust in my intuition? What are the energies I need to tap into to flow with life instead of resisting and inevitably getting tumbled by the waves? Receiving guidance on how to answer these questions for myself is what excited me the most about working with HeatherAsh, bestselling author of the Warrior Goddess Training Book, on this, her latest book. And that's why I ordered 10 copies to give out to friends. I know they will benefit from the gentle humor, profound wisdom, and fierce truths in every page of Wild, Willing, and Wise. I honestly cannot say enough good and expansive things about Danielle's work. She took my book manuscript for Wild, Willing, and Wise and immediately understood what I was trying to convey. With her keen eye and strong sense of what was possible, she helped me bring out the message of the book clearly. 📚 Order Wild, Willing, and Wise wherever books are sold.
🤓 Contact me to learn how I supported HeatherAsh and how I might be able to help you! I work with the best humans :) Our book is as good as it is primarily because of Danielle’s genius in bringing our two voices together as one. ![]() You may not know high-growth strategy specialist Rebecca Homkes’ name (yet), but you can thank her for coaching some of your favorite brands through the turbulence of the pandemic and its aftermath. In fact, CEOs asking Rebecca, “What do I do now?” in the midst of COVID-19 uncertainty was the catalyst for this book. A reassuring email to her clients asking for help became an article, which became a strategy package, which became a methodology, which was ultimately captured in Survive, Reset, Thrive, Rebecca’s playbook for leading breakthrough growth strategy in volatile times. (Actually, Survive, Reset, Thrive is Rebecca's proactive approach to high and sustained growth through ANY market condition. It’s that practical and that effective.) I personally loved working with Rebecca because of her vast VAST knowledge and experience on the topic and her dedication to getting this SRT playbook right. And here's what Rebecca had to say about working with me: Working with Danielle was a game changer for me towards the end of the process. I’ve never experienced such an instant fit in a work collaboration before! From her first read and our initial conversations, I felt not only did she ‘get’ what I was trying to say, she embraced the text as if it were here own. Are you craving publishing advice from one of the wisest (and kindest) editorial cranks I know?
Here's your chance. You may have seen Jeevan Sivasubramaniam's pearls of editorial wisdom on LinkedIn. Now he has a new blog, Notes From That Cranky Editorial Guy, so that an even wider audience of non-fiction authors can benefit from his decades of experience and sharp and un-sugarcoated insights. He is That Cranky Editorial Guy after all. Jeevan is the Managing Director of Editorial at Berrett-Koehler Publishers and has been a trusted friend and colleague of mine for almost two decades (we old). True story: Jeevan gave me my first break back in 2007 and has been a guiding force helping me stake out my editorial niche ever since. If you want the unvarnished truth about what it’s like to publish a non-fiction book today, look no further. I encourage all aspiring authors to subscribe to Jeevan's blog and heed his every word on how to pitch, write, and market yourself and your book. For my part, I'll be reposting frequently (and wishing I wrote about it first). Click here to read and subscribe. |
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