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About Tom Collins

Here at Master Book Builders, I'm known as the "Book Artisan" -- the guy who takes over to help with your book design and publishing steps, after you and Yvonne finish writing, editing, and polishing your book manuscript. As a writer myself, I usually chime in with a suggestion here or there. Since reading your book is inherent in my layout process, I bring that understanding of your message to your cover design, as well. And then I help with many of the tech and "author business" tasks in the publishing and marketing phases, constantly learning as the industry evolves. I try to share some of that learning in my blog posts, too.

An image of ancient cave paintings with the text "Cave Dweller to Counselor? Oh, the stories we tell!" This post discusses Yuval Noah Harari's book "Sapiens: A Brief History of Mankind"

Cave Dweller to Counsellor? Oh, the Stories We Tell!

In this edition of Marginalia, we’ll be digging into some of the lessons – and mysteries – from our earliest ancestors as they developed the ability to tell stories. And consider how that evolution may guide us in telling our own stories about ourselves and our businesses.

By Tom Collins January 6, 2023 Big Ideas, Creativity, Marginalia
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image of two dogs lying in the entries of two play tunnels that meet just a few feet inside

Which BIG DOG will you choose for your book?

[A version of this post first appeared in our weekly newsletter, which of course you should sign up for.] I called this entry “manufactured marginalia” […]

By Tom Collins December 17, 2022 Books, Business & Entrepreneurship, Indie Publishing, Marginalia, Writing
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blog post feature image for Throughline: The 'Wiring Diagram' for Your Book

Throughline: The “Wiring Diagram” for Building Your Book

No matter your genre, writing your book will be easier – and your book will be better – if you take the time to find your throughline.

By Tom Collins November 9, 2022 Books, Writing
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A room filled with clay pots of various sizes. Text over the image reads "Learning vs. Knowing: Is one of my favorite success stories a lie?" The article attached to the images discusses the "lots of pots" theory of creativity.

Learning vs. knowing: Is one of my favorite #Success stories a lie?

What happens when you find out one of your favorite stories about achieving success is wrong? The real story behind my success mantra: “lots of pots.”

By Tom Collins May 16, 2022 Creativity, Tips from Tom's inbox, Writing
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A close-up of an elderly person's hand holding a child's hand. Text over the image is a quote from Tom Collins that reads "Wisdom is built, not bestowed, as we age." The image is connected to an article on how to grow wiser as you age.

Wise up! How to grow wiser as you age

We’d all like to be known as wise, right? And deserve the label. So whether or not you’re thought of as wise right now, this post will show you how to recognize wisdom and how you can gain more of it over time.

By Tom Collins April 18, 2022 Aging Well, Marginalia, Tips from Tom's inbox
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A man in silhouette against a sunset jumps across a gap from one cliff to another. The word "CHANCE/CHANGE" is under the man. Over the image is the question "What on earth is revisioning?" This image is attached to a post defining "revisioning" and showing its similarities to the PIERS Whole-Self Model

On “revisioning” and the PIERS whole-self model

How a “revisioning” process can help you get unstuck, what inspired that name, and how it fits in with the PIERS Whole-Self Model.

By Tom Collins April 4, 2022 Business & Entrepreneurship, Health & Happiness, Tips from Tom's inbox
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featured image for blog post, A [TfTi] 2-fer: Love Your Local Bookstore & The Power of Play, by Tom Collins

A [TfTi] 2-fer: Love Your Local Bookstore & The Power of Play

Saving local bookstores from Amazon? I’ll start with the message from Bookshop.org that came in a few days ago, summarizing what this new player in […]

By Tom Collins February 4, 2022 Books, Business & Entrepreneurship, Learning, Marketing your book, Tips from Tom's inbox
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An image of a screen shot from Amazon KDP's interface with a red arrow pointing to "hardcover" and the words "Easy peasy!" over the image. This image is attached to an article on how to get your hardcover book published on Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP).

How to Publish Your Book in Hardcover on Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing

Until recently, if you wanted to publish your book in hardcover on KDP, that was not an option. That’s all changed, since the beta release of the KDP hardcover option. Here’s how it works and how to make it easy on yourself.

By Tom Collins October 28, 2021 Books, Copyright & Legal Stuff, Writing
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animate gif showing dots connecting

“MWe” knew it! Neuroscience confirms: learning is about connecting the dots

Tom here, to share my thinking behind this bit of marginalia. Here’s what I wrote aside a paragraph on “active learning” in the new book, Uncommon Sense Teaching: […]

By Tom Collins September 11, 2021 Books, Learning, Marginalia
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banner image for blog post, Kintsugi Mind: (re)Writing the Story of You

Kintsugi Mind: (re)Writing the Stories of You

We all feel broken, sometimes, or in some parts of our being. Or as if we’re showing cracks on the outside, hiding stress fractures within. […]

By Tom Collins June 29, 2021 Health & Happiness, Learning, Lifestyle, Writing
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Recent Blog Posts

  • A “Fan-Finder” AI Prompt and a “Recognize & Reward” Mindset
  • Authors on LinkedIn®: What You Need To Know
  • How Do Images Fit in Your Book?
  • Books have the Power to Change Lives
  • [Marginalia] When they come for your libraries . . .
Tom Collins and Yvonne DiVita - Master Book Builders
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