Guest Faculty - MANUSCRIPTS

The Early Drafts Will Embarrass You (That’s Normal)

Kepnes reminds authors that early work is supposed to be imperfect. The Modern Author doesn’t wait until they’re “ready,” they write through evolution. Craft is built through iteration, not protection.

Guest

Caroline Kepnes

Key Lesson

Publishing something doesn’t mean it’s perfect, growth comes from seeing what you’d do differently.

Key Quote

“Some I’m happy when the site shuts down… I’m like, that’s not out there anymore.”

Modern Author Persona Tag

Guide

Modern Author OS Pillar

Voice & Story

Action Step

Revisit an old piece of writing and write down what you’d improve today.

Books Can Be a Multi-Million Dollar Business

Vishen frames the book as a leverage asset. Modern Authors don’t publish for royalties, they publish to create enterprise value, platform income, and opportunity expansion.

Guest

Vishen Lakhiani

Key Lesson

A nonfiction book can become a serious revenue engine, not just a credential.

Key Quote

“I could make two, three million a year just writing books.”

Modern Author Persona Tag

Coach

Modern Author OS Pillar

Monetization & Speaking

Action Step

List the 3 revenue streams your book could unlock beyond royalties.

Write With an Editor Behind You

Gabby describes the Manuscripts model exactly: draft freely, refine with editorial partnership. Modern Authors finish because they don’t carry the full burden alone.

Guest

Gabby Bernstein

Key Lesson

The best authors plan for disruption before it happens.

Key Quote

“It’s like making a mess knowing somebody will come clean up after you leave.”

Modern Author Persona Tag

Builder

Modern Author OS Pillar

Writing Architecture

Action Step

Find an editor or accountability partner who reviews as you write, not after.

Preparedness Is the Hidden Launch Strategy

Miri teaches that modern publishing requires contingency thinking. Launches shift, tours cancel, life intervenes. The Modern Author wins by building resilience into the plan from day one.

Guest

Miri Rodriguez

Key Lesson

The best authors plan for disruption before it happens.

Key Quote

“My entire tour could be canceled… what if that happens?”

Modern Author Persona Tag

Builder

Modern Author OS Pillar

Launch & Longevity

Action Step

Write a backup launch plan for your book announcement if your main plan falls apart.

The Palate Cleanser Rule

Maysoon teaches a simple creative survival tactic: break the loop. Modern Authors protect momentum by alternating immersion with distance, so revision doesn’t become self-punishment.

Guest

Maysoon Zayid

Key Lesson

Don’t stay trapped inside your own draft, step away to reset your mind.

Key Quote

“Don’t read your own stuff twice in a row.”

Modern Author Persona Tag

Guide

Modern Author OS Pillar

Writing Architecture

Action Step

After each writing session, read something you love before returning to your manuscript.

The Olympics Are the Launch, Not the Work

Apolo reframes success as preparation. Modern Authors don’t confuse the launch with the work, they earn the launch through months of invisible drafting, refining, and commitment.

Guest

Apolo Ohno

Key Lesson

The public moment is just the curtain reveal of years of effort.

Key Quote

“Being at the games is when you rip open the curtain.”

Modern Author Persona Tag

Guide

Modern Author OS Pillar

Launch & Longevity

Action Step

Stop obsessing over publishing day, focus on building the book behind the curtain.

The Choice: Responding Instead of Reacting

Eger teaches that great books begin with lived experience, not theory. The Modern Author doesn’t write from abstraction, they write from discovery, the internal shift that turns pain into meaning.

Guest

Dr. Edith Eger

Key Lesson

The deepest authorship comes from learning to respond, not react.

Key Quote

“I discovered the difference between reacting or responding.”

Modern Author Persona Tag

Storyteller

Modern Author OS Pillar

Voice & Story

Action Step

Write one paragraph about a moment that changed how you see life, not just what happened.

Just Because It’s Unique Doesn’t Mean It’s Valuable

Berger warns against writing something simply because it hasn’t been done. Lack of competition is not proof of demand. Modern Authors validate category appetite before investing years into a manuscript.

Guest

Jonah Berger

Key Lesson

Novelty alone is not a strategy if no one wants what you’re building.

Key Quote

“No one may have written a book about X because no one wants to buy a book about X.”

Modern Author Persona Tag

Catalyst

Modern Author OS Pillar

Positioning & Category Design

Action Step

Test your concept with five target readers before committing to the manuscript.

Humor as a Tool for Darkness

Arianna explains that great books aren’t heavy monologues, they’re emotionally alive. Humor and contrast make serious stories readable, memorable, and deeply human.

Guest

Austin Kleon

Key Lesson

The strongest writing often holds both darkness and light, using humor to create connection.

Key Quote

“Finding the humor in the darkness often helps us.”

Modern Author Persona Tag

Guide

Modern Author OS Pillar

Voice & Story

Action Step

Identify the hardest chapter in your book, then write the lighter human moment inside it.

Mess Creates Collisions That Produce New Ideas

Kleon reframes mess as generative. Modern Authors don’t need sterile perfection, they need environments where ideas collide, recombine, and form new frameworks.

Guest

Austin Kleon

Key Lesson

A creative workspace works like a collage, ideas collide and create something new

Key Quote

Something will butt up against something else and it’ll make a third thing.

Modern Author Persona Tag

Builder

Modern Author OS Pillar

Writing Architecture

Action Step

Keep a “creative pile” on your desk with notes, quotes, and artifacts that can spark unexpected connections.