More than 20 years ago, my friend Kristel's cat got kittens. We lived in Curaçao, but I would go back to the Netherlands to take care of my 12 years younger brother Michael R. Jacobs. I had no experience as a 'mother' but wanted to give him (and maybe myself) the most homely experience possible, after all the divorce we'd been through. That's how I got the idea to take the two kittens with me as a surprise.
Publishing a book has long ceased to be the exclusive right of traditional publishers. As an author, you have more choices and that's a good thing. But how do you decide whether to approach a publisher or work with one of the many self-publishing platforms? With this handy choice matrix, you can make an informed decision.
I took this photo in Shoreditch, London last week. Graffiti and the artists that create it represent part of the feeling and culture of many cities around the world. However, this tunnel made me feel that the layers of paint also obscure what is beneath. They obscure the original essence of the place. We always have a choice to look at the surface or try to see things as they are, rather than dressing them up, covering them up, or exaggerating things. Let's be curious and explore what's underneath. And look at it objectively.
Storytelling, examples and personal stories help to involve your reader in your reasoning or story. Storytelling is not just for fiction books like thrillers or novels. It also makes non-fiction books such as business books and (auto)biographies much better. Anyone can explain a certain lesson or theory. What makes your book so special is YOUR take on it, YOUR experiences, personal stories and examples. So storytelling. But how? Here are five practical tips for better storytelling in your book.
Our patience has recently been tested in various ways, and extensively. One says that these can be instructive moments. I don't know about you, but I'm a rather impatient type and waiting is not my 'thing'. Yet I have experienced time and again that waiting can also lead to beautiful things. And that you can always hang in there just a little bit longer than you thought. Sounds familiar? I've been in Miami for the past month, with my father, where the phenomenon of 'time' takes on an entirely different dimension because of his Alzheimer's. That is why we'll take a look at various ways to deal with 'patience' in this Inspiration Shot
After working on your book for so long, it is sometimes difficult to complete the process. When is your book finished? And how do you deal with the feeling that you have so much more to say? That it can be even better? Many authors feel a kind of resistance to publishing their work. How can you overcome that? In this blog, you will find a number of things worth knowing and tips.
Net als veel andere creatievelingen deed en doe ik heel veel verschillende dingen. Ik vind dat leuk, ik ben er goed in en ik help er anderen mee. Maar steeds vaker kreeg ik de vraag: “Wat DOE je nu eigenlijk?” Er stond zoveel op mijn website, dat bezoekers door de bomen het bos niet meer zagen.
In the past, you could only publish your book through a publisher. Nowadays you can easily publish it yourself. It's easy, it's cheap and anyone can do it. There are many examples of books that were rejected by a publisher that ended up being a huge success. The self-publishing platforms offer many opportunities and ensure that you can simply offer your book at (online) bookstores. In this blog, some useful tips & tricks and functions of these self-publishing platforms that you probably didn't know about.
Sometimes you have no choice: the world around you changes whether you like it or not. How do you deal with that? Do you sulk, feel like a victim or do you look for a new way to take matters into your own hands? Corona is an example, but so is aging, loved ones who get sick, business models that change and much more. In this inspiration shot, I will take you on a journey through a number of examples.
On Liberation Day I traveled from Geneva via Amsterdam to Puglia. In the middle of the various lockdowns. That made me realize again that many boundaries and limitations are more in our heads than they really hold us back. In this inspiration shot, I don't necessarily want to glorify traveling, but I do want to make you think about what freedom means to you.
