7 Ways Freelancers Can Avoid Procrastination

When I first had children, I thought that they’d slow down my writing career.  And so they have. But in some respects, they’ve done wonders for it.  

Having kids has made me a far more efficient writer. I used to be a big-time procrastinator. But when you only have 2 or 3 hours a day to work, you tend to get to the heart of things fast. There’s no time to waste staring at a blank page or revising the same sentence twenty times or checking the refrigerator to see if some new, interesting food has miraculously appeared.  It’s Butt in Chair, fingers flying, until someone starts crying. 

But as my children grew older and started school, things started to change.  I had more time on my hands and guess what? I didn’t always use them wisely.  Now, my youngest son just started school full-time, and so for the first time in more than five years, I have about 6 (count ‘em! 6!) consecutive hours a day that I can devote to work.  

Those extra three hours a day seem like an ocean of time...and oh, I see the dangers already. So, to keep myself on-track, I’ve set out here certain anti-procrastination techniques that have been effective in the past.

Care to give these a try? 

1. Make the 15-minute promise. Pick the highest priority task on your list - especially the one you most dread doing - and vow that you’ll work on it for 15 minutes.  Promise yourself that you can stop after 15 minutes have passed you can stop, but until then you’ll give it your all. Most of the time,  once you get started, you’ll keep going.  That 15 minute bump is all that’s needed to get you over the hump of procrastination.  (This is also a great trick for house-cleaning.)

2. Make a To-Do List.  It may seem obvious but making a daily to-do list every single morning can help prevent procrastination.  Seeing all the things you need to do written down can be a great motivator, as is the satisfaction gained from crossing each item off your list. Remember to always put the most important items on your list first - maybe even bold them or put them in a different color.  

3. Eliminate Distractors.  Oh, it’s hard to stay away from that wicked temptress known as the Internet.  So, when I do need the internet for a particular project and want to make sure I’m concentrating, I seek out a location where the Internet simply isn’t available.  Yes, I know great internet blocking software is available but getting out is a good excuse to work in a different environment. (In other words, not Starbucks.)  If Wifi isn’t your biggest distractor, figure out what it is and eliminate it.  Ringing phone? Put it on silent.  Tempted by what’s on the tube? Put a large note on your TV screen saying something like “how does surfing the channels cost?” or place the remotes somewhere so inconvenient, you feel ridiculous seeking them out.  

4. Avoid Taking On Hateful Projects.  I learned this lesson the hard way.  Last spring, responding to an editor’s request, I pitched an idea that I wasn’t enthusiastic about at all.  The editor accepted the pitch (that figures) and gave me an open deadline. Oh how I struggled to write the piece. Not because it was difficult but because it just wasn’t that interesting to me. I must have wasted several hours dragging my feet on the research and writing – hours that could have been used on other paying assignments.  While I don’t have the financial luxury to be wild about every single project that comes my way, I did vow never to inflict such pain on myself again. Well, unless the financial or career rewards are simply too good to resist.

5. Get an Anti-Procrastination Buddy.  Do you have a friend or colleague to whom you can faithfully swear that you’ll get X, Y,  and Z done within a particular amount of time and will hold you accountable if you don’t? Or who’s can give you an firm but inspiring pep talk when you find yourself wandering off-track?  I have a buddy like this and she’s priceless. 

6. Bribe yourself.  It’s an old standby but it works.  I have often promised myself some culinary reward (usually almond ice cream) for finishing a project or task.  It’s effective, though - the way I do it - not too healthy.  Maybe it’s a better idea to reward yourself with a long, hot bath...a good run...20 minutes on Wii...whatever will spur you to get the job done.  You don’t even have to wait until the completion of a project. Try setting up mini-rewards for finishing difficult paragraph or sending an email that you’ve been putting off. 

7. Declutter.  Maintaining a messy desk or computer is an especially insidious way of promoting procrastination.  There’s always the temptation to clean it up, which seems like it’s not procrastination because it feels like you’re doing something productive.  And even if you don’t clean it up, there’s often something on a cluttered desk or computer to distract you. Just declutter.  Take an hour to clean all that extra crap of your desk or computer once and for all, and watch your productivity increase.  

What techniques do you use to stop procrastinating?

Photo credit:©Stuart Mills (fotalia.com)

My Top Freelance Writing Resolutions for 2013

Happy New Year writers!  I hope we all have a happy, healthy productive year in which many of our freelance writing dreams come true!

I was thinking of what New Year’s Writing Resolutions I should make this year and decided to take a look at last year’s resolutions to get some insight. In short, this is what I resolved:

• To keep my freelancing fears in perspective
• To stare my technophobia in the far
• To invest in my business as needed
• To network more
• To firmly believe that I will meet every goal on my New Year’s list.

Overall, I think I did pretty well. I was very good about confronting my fears, and I definitely didn’t hesitate to invest in my business.  I was okay about networking, though I’d have done more if I had more time.  And even though I didn’t meet every goal on my New Year’s list, I remained confident that I could had I tried.  Sadly, I am as technophobic and illiterate as ever, but, well, you can’t do everything in one year.  It’s definitely on the list again for this year. 

In terms of resolutions, all of these are keepers (though perhaps I should be more selective about how I invest in my business - some investments were worth it, but a few I should have skipped.)  But there’s certainly new resolutions I should make.  And so here’s what I resolve this year:

1. To specialize.   Last year, as part of my investments, I hired a copywriting coach, Chris Marlow, who has convinced me of the need to specialize.  As she points out, just because you specialize doesn’t mean that you only have to do that one kind of work -- or that you can’t change your specialty later.  

But specializing makes sense: it establishes you as an expert in particular area and, when you do it right, makes it easier for your target audience to find you  

This year, I will work on developing a specialty in copywriting for law firms, lawyers and the legal industry. 

2. To be a faster writer.  Since I’ve become a freelancer, it’s never been more clear to me that time is money.  I don’t dither and sweat over my writing nearly as much as I used to (it’s embarrassing to admit but early in my freelance career, I was such a perfectionist freak it sometimes took 2-3 hours to write a simple 100-word piece), but I know can still do better. 

This year, I will not let perfectionism or, more accurately, fear, slow down production.

3. To write every single day.  How often have you spent the entire day working, only to realize, as you step away from the computer, that you haven’t actually written a thing, save an email or three?  Happens to me far too often.

Naturally we freelance writers must do all those non-writing activities that it takes to sustain our business, but we mustn’t let these things overshadow our true passion.  

Only writing (and reading) improves our writing. From good writing comes more interesting gigs, better pay, and greater self-confidence and pride.  There’s really no excuse for not making this, career-wise, a number one priority.

This year, I will write every single day, even if it’s a short blog post or private journal entry. 

What freelancing resolutions did you make this year? How’d you do last year? 

** (Photo courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net)

Want to write a nonfiction book in one month?

Today marks the start of NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), a month in which fiction writers double-down and attempt to write a  50,000 word (or more) novel during the 30 days of November.  Participates officially sign up on the NaNoWriMo website and submit their manuscript at the end of November to get the word-count checked.

As a non-fiction writer, I've always been a wistful witnessing the enthusiasm and community spirit of the would-be novelists participating in NaNoWriMo.  I mean - I love it!  Trying to complete a novel in one month?  That's inspired! 

But there's no need for envy.

Yesterday, while reading the Writer’s Sherpa blog, I was excited to learn that there is also a NaNonFiWriMo challenge going on.  Anyone who accepts this challenge will do his or her best to complete any work of non-fiction by the end of this month. 

Unlike our novelist counterparts, we non-fiction writers don’t have to meet a word count or officially enter a competition. And it doesn’t matter if you already started writing the piece prior to November.  This a personal writing challenge, pure and simple.  The only prize is the deep satisfaction of having completed a non-fiction writing goal. 

As a bonus, Nina Amir, the author who started NaNonFiWriMo, is offering 30 days of blog posts from top writing experts offering tips on writing non-fiction and how to get that work published. You can read more about the NaNonFiWriMo challenge on Nina’s blog.  

I definitely need this kind of fire under my butt to finish my “Kids in Paris” ebook, so count me in! 

Any expat freelancers out there with me?  Let’s help each other to get some serious work done this month!!  Please leave a comment if you are taking up the challenge!

5 Essential Freelance Writing Resolutions

(© fuzzbones - Fotolia.com)

Happy New Year!  I love this time of year.  We’ve got all the lovely blank pages of the calendar to fulfill our freelance dreams.  I’m imagining them filled with new clients, exciting projects, and fantastic surprises that I haven’t dared to imagine but that I’m secretly longing for.   

I’ve just returned from vacation, refreshed and excited to start consciously living my new year’s resolutions.  I say ‘consciously’ because these aren’t really new resolutions for me.  Over the past year, I’ve thought about these principles and tried to abide by them, but I never wrote them down.   

Which was dumb.

Writing down your resolutions and goals is as important as defining them in the first place.  Writing not only helps to shape your aims, but solidify them. It gives them body and weight. It gives them power.  They become both engrained in your subconscious and inscribed in the stars.  Even if you later forget about them, I believe that written words will continue to work for you.

(Example: last year, one of my goals was to have two editors contact me with assignments. I had no particular editors in mind.  I didn’t even have any solid relationships with magazine editors at the time. But it was something that I wanted to happen, so I wrote it down. I completely forgot about it until last August when an editor contacted me with a story idea.  And it happened again with a different editor just a few weeks ago in December.  Goal met.) 

Anyway, the point of this post isn’t just to discuss the importance of writing down your resolutions and goals, but to share my resolutions with you.  Resolutions and goals are words that are often used interchangeably but they have different meanings.  A goal is a specific objective to be attained. A resolution is the expression of your determination to do something. As freelancers, I think it’s important to write out both goals and resolutions.  I have captured my goals for this year in the business plan I’ve written for myself, but I am recording my resolutions here with you now:

In 2012, I resolve to:

            1.  Be Fearless

It is impossible to get anywhere as a freelance writer without breaking through your fear.  A week or so ago, I was dithering over a query that I wanted to send to a very high profile publication. I kept postponing hitting send because, well, I was afraid.  Afraid that it wasn’t good enough.  That it was too long.  That I didn’t have the right editor, blah, blah, blah.  Then I read an article in the New York Times about film director Dee Rees’s breakout hit “Pariah,” an amazing coming-of-age story about young black lesbian.

And I thought: Wow.

The director, herself a black lesbian, must have crashed through unimaginable fears, mental barriers and community disapproval to bring herself to write and create this film. What are my fears about sending out this simple pitch in comparison? Nothing.  I hit send without delay. 

This year, I resolve to keep my freelancing fears in perspective.

              2.  Learn

 No one’s ever called me a tech genius, nor is anyone likely to.  I’ve managed to set up simple blogs and have a very basic understanding of HMTL, and know how to apply SEO principles in my writing. Anything more tech-y than that, and I pretend that I don’t really need it or I pay someone to take care of it.  But as a writer today, I need to have more than a fleeting knowledge of technology.  

This year, I resolve to stare my technophobia in the face. 

            3.  Invest

I’m always surprised when small businesses balk at paying professional rates for copywriting services.  From my perspective it seems like such a sensible investment.  And yet, how many times have I glanced at some intriguing course, book, or seminar on writing or freelancing and thought: nah, too expensive?  Just as any entrepreneur must, we freelancers need to spend what it takes to stay on top of our game, market our services, and offer our clients first-rate work.  

This year, I won’t hesitate to invest in my business as needed.  

            4.  Press Some Flesh

How easy it is to sit in my little hidey hole (otherwise known as Starbucks) and conduct all my business networking via email or social media!  I use the fact that I’m an expat – and a mother – as an excuse to stay glued to my computer instead of picking up the phone or going out to meet real people. Totally lame.  Sure, I’m going to have to drink a lot of Red Bull (the energy drink, not the vodka) before hitting an evening networking event here in Paris, but why not?  It’s high time that I spent more effort getting to know the faces of my online communities – wherever they may be. Really, there’s nothing stopping me from attending a writer’s conference in NYC if I plan it well.  

This year, I resolve that people are going to see the face of the Expat Freelancer.

5. Believe 
Is there a freelancer out there who hasn't yet read "The Wealthy Freelancer"?   If you haven't, get thee to Amazon tout de suite.  I've read this book literally to tatters and one of my favorite chapters is the very first, which is called: “Master the Mental Game.”  Here the authors discuss developing the mental toughness every freelancer needs to survive the crests and valleys of our business. While they offer several practical tips and techniques, their number one message is this: Believe in yourself.  Believe in your business.  Believe in your success. You’ll never become a wealthy freelancer if you don’t believe that you can be.  

I love this.  It sounds new age and flighty, but it’s true.  How can anyone live out a dream without first believing the dream to be achievable? 

This year, I resolve to firmly believe that I will meet every goal on my New Year's list.

How about you? What resolutions would you add to this list?

Are These Habits Sabotaging Your Freelance Career?

(Photo credit: Michal Marcol; freeditigalphotos.net)

The last time I was at “home” (in the U.S.), a book at Barnes & Noble caught my eye. It was called “Why Nice Girls Don’t Get the Corner Office: 101 Unconscious Mistakes Women make that Sabotage Their Careers,” by Lois P. Frankel, PhD.

Even though I do have a corner office, a nice little one in the corner of my dining room, I couldn’t help but pick up the book. After flipping through it for a few minutes, I knew I had to buy it. Because even though my corporate days are long behind me, I saw some terribly, familiar habits listed in that book – habits that could be dragging down my freelance career.

Ladies (and maybe some gents), I ask you: are you guilty of any of the following five career mistakes? 

Mistake # 1 – Pretending it isn’t a Game.

Lois Frankel writes: “The workplace is exactly that – a game. It has rules, boundaries, winners and losers. Women tend to approach work more like an event (picnic, concert, fundraiser) where everyone comes together for the day to play nicely...Playing the game of business doesn’t mean you’re out to cause others to fail, but it is competitive. It means you are aware of the rules and develop strategies for making them work to your advantage.”

Does this “game” mentality apply to freelancing? It should. The game is different than in a corporate environment, but still it exists. Just because our workplace is our home and we’re working alone doesn’t mean that we’re not in the midst a giant, invisible chessboard.  All those organizations and people who want us to work for free or a pittance while they're pulling down cash from our words...believe me, they know it's a game. (Let's just say that homegirl Ariana Huffington has not made this mistake.)  Magazines, small businesses, corporations, newspapers: they're all in the game.  And when you freelance for any of them, so are you.  Better make sure you're not just a pawn.

And let's not forget our competitors.  They're out there, sending queries to the same editor, bidding on the same projects. If we want to get the freelancing equivalent of the corner office (whatever that may be), we have to keep an eye on what our competitors/peers are doing, spot what we can do better or differently, and then do it, moving as quickly and skillfully as we can.

The great thing about freelancing is that pretty much all of us can get a "corner office."  As freelancers, a corner office can be whatever we want it to be. But that doesn't mean there's no game involved.  Play it, ladies.

Mistake #2 – Playing the Game Safely and Within Bounds.

Frankel writes: “Even when a woman knows the workplace is a game, she has the tendency to play safe rather than play smart. She obeys all the rules to the letter and expects others to as well.” As an analogy, she refers to her style of tennis play, how she always feared the ball going out of bounds, and so artificially narrowed her field of play. But once she started hitting the ball outside of her comfort zone, she says, she started to win more games.

I love this “mistake” and analogy. In the corporate world, I was forever seeing men play fast and loose with the rules…and moving swiftly ahead. Meanwhile, I only dared to follow the rules and hope that someone would appreciate it. (Ha! Why would they? It was the least I could do). In my freelance career, I try not to be such a “good little girl,” though it’s a struggle.

My role model is Linda Formichelli, co-author of the fabulous and inspirational book, “The Renegade Writer.” She, along with co-author Diana Burrell offer scores of valuable tips on how you can be a rule-breaker and still have a successful freelancing career. If playing the freelancing game too safely is a mistake you think you're making, definitely read this book.

Mistake # 13 – Failing to Capitalize on Relationships.

In this section, Frankel tells the story of a woman who was having trouble selling her idea for a new book to a publisher. It turns out that the woman’s father has a good relationship with an editor who could play an instrumental role in getting her idea before the right publisher. When Frankel asked the woman why in the world she didn’t ask her father for an introduction, she responded that she didn’t want to capitalize on her father’s name.

How many of you ladies out there see yourselves here? I know I do. I have an acquaintance who is an editor of a highly prestigious newspaper. I have another friend who used to be the deputy editor of a well-known women’s glossy. Have I ever tried to pitch an idea to either them? Nope. Why? Because I was afraid of being perceived as a “user” or complicating our relationship. Dumb, right?

Men use relationships to advance their interests and careers all. the. time. Frankel advises women to be unafraid to ask for introduction, referrals, or permission to use a colleague’s name when trying to get the attention of someone. Amen, sister.

(** Note- As a pat on the back to myself, let me just say that I recently asked my acquaintance at the newspaper to be a source for me on a buzz piece I’m writing. She answered my questions cheerfully and promptly. No sweat. And now I’m working on a pitch to throw her way. Yay me.)

Mistake #50 Being Modest.

Frankel writes: “Both boys and girls are taught in childhood to be modest – but women take the lesson way too far….When people fail to notice major accomplishments, it’s your job to illuminate them…Completely, totally and permanently erase the words, “Oh, it was nothing” from your vocabulary.

Sigh. Right again, Dr. Frankel. Ladies: are you downplaying your accomplishments? When you’ve done amazing back-flips for an editor or client, are you letting him or her know? Are you asking for testimonials? Are you displaying these testimonials in a prominent way? You don’t have to become a braggart or start boring people by endlessly recounting your successes, but when you have accomplished something brilliant, don’t be afraid to take credit for it – and let others know what you’ve done.

Mistake #59- Asking Permission.

Frankel writes: “Have you ever noticed that men don’t ask for permission? They ask for forgiveness. My hunch is that women ask permission more out of habit than from really needing someone to give them the green light….by seeking permission before acting, we are less likely to be accused of making a mistake – but we’re also less likely to be viewed as confident risk-takers.”

This is a variation or natural consequence of mistake #2 – playing the rules safely and within bounds. We women, I think, are particularly afraid of making a mistake. We often worry that any error we make could be attributed to our gender and reflect badly on others in that group.  Time to get over this fear.

When you have the urge to ask permission of a client or editor, take a look at your motivations. Are you playing it safe? Or would you be genuinely acting out of bounds? Frankel advises women to inform others of your intentions, not ask. In other words, say, “I just wanted to let you know that….” instead of  “Would it be all right with you if….” -- an important distinction.

***

I could just keep going here. Mistakes #36 “Ignoring Quid Pro Quo,” #39 “Letting People Waste Your Time,” and #55 “Being Invisible,” are other important mistakes I'd like to draw attention to.  But I'll stop now.  If this post speaks to you, I highly recommend buying the book. After all, with 101 tips, there’s bound to be several that will make you squirm uncomfortably, even if these don’t.

Readers: what mistakes/habits might be hindering your freelance career? 

Finding Balance in Life

 (Photo credit: Michelle Meiklejohn, freeditigalphotos.net)

I couldn't decide where to put this post because I think the advice is useful for both moms and freelancers.  So, I'm doing something I've never done before and cross-posting it at my other blog, International Mama.  Wherever you're reading it, I hope you find it helpful! 

Last week, the Urban Muse posed the question: what is your biggest challenge as a freelance writer? Many of the responses, including my own, concerned finding a suitable work-life balance.  Because we freelancers don’t have to punch the clock, it’s all too easy to allow one aspect of our life – usually work –to dominate the other.

  

But you know what?  One day, last September, I did it.   For about, oh, four hours, I understood my life to be in perfect balance. Don’t laugh!  As far as I'm concerned feeling that the world is perfectly aligned for four hours is an amazing achievement.  As an expat, I am perpetually seeking – consciously or not – to find a balance between my own culture with that of my adopted country.  Because I’m married to someone of a different nationality, I have to do the same in my marriage.  Throw a couple of young kids and a new career into the mix and you’ve got one off-kilter lady.

But last September, for that brief period, it all worked.  More than worked – it flowed.   

That day was no less busy than any other.  I had to drop my three-year old off at school and then pick him up three hours later.  I had two big assignments due that I hadn’t yet begun.  The baby had a doctor’s appointment later.  My husband was out of town for the week, so, I’d have to handle the exhausting evening rituals (dinner, bath, bed) by myself and then pray that the kids would stay asleep so that I could work as late as I could, then get some sleep myself.  Normally on days such as this, my mind is constantly abuzz, skipping ahead to the next task on my list before I’ve completed the first one.  But  on this day, as I picked up my son from school, my mind grew quiet.  

As we walked down the street, I noticed that the sky was a deep, pure blue and that the leaves on the trees were beginning to turn yellow-brown. I became aware of the pressure of my son’s hand in mine, of the sweet, singing quality of his voice, and of the rush of pleasure these things gave me.  I enjoyed the way the autumn breeze made my open trench coat flap slightly as we walked, and the tapping sound my boots made on the pavement.  With every step we took, I grew more and more connected with everything around me, as if I were beginning to see my place in part of an enormous, smoothly functioning machine. For once, I wasn’t borrowing time from the future or the past. Every moment belonged to itself. I was wholly – in New Age parlance – “in the moment.”  

This sense of connectedness lasted until we got on the metro, and then slowly began to dissipate. But I didn’t feel any panic or depression as the feeling left me.  Instead, I felt both relaxed and empowered. I suddenly understood the key to having a balanced life: being truly present. 

Riding the metro home, I had no urge to check my cell phone, check my to-do list, make notes on an article, send out a tweet,  dwell on my crammed schedule or engage in any of my usual multi-tasking habits.  I was simply happy to sit and listen to my son tell me how he “drew a picture of my belly” at school (no, I wasn’t pregnant – thanks kid.)  

When I got home and turned my son over to the babysitter, I sat down to work without guilt and without anxiety for the tasks ahead.  Time felt different to me; both more precious and more plentiful. It occurred to me that we generally view time as something that is forever slipping away from us, not as something that we always have.  But we do always have time.  Maybe not time enough to achieve every task on our list, but time enough to fully appreciate the things we can accomplish. 

Since this revelation, can I now claim to always have a perfectly balanced life?  God, no!  But now, whenever I feel overwhelmed with work or life, I take a moment to recognize that it’s not necessarily my work-life balance that needs adjusting – but my attitude.  Multi-tasking, letting my mind wander, worrying about anything except the matters in front of me can make my whole world spin.  

Taking a good look at the advantages, opportunities and beauty of the moment helps to set it right again.

How about you? What helps you to find balance?

Are you being bold enough in your freelance career?

So busy was I last month, that I forgot to link my post:"Cultivating Boldness: How to Be a Bold Freelancer" on FreelanceSwitch.com. Check it out!

The Only Book I Feel Like Reading

Man, it’s been forever since I updated, but September was a crazy month. My three-year old started school, my husband was all over the world, I had lots of freelancing work to do (yay!), and I had to adjust (am still adjusting) to a completely different work schedule.

Perhaps because September was so stressful, I experienced a sensation that I have only felt once or twice before in my life: I didn’t feel like reading.

For those who know me, this is a huge deal – perhaps even unthinkable. I’m someone who won’t buy a purse, no matter how fashionable, if I can’t fit a small paperback into it. I panic if I go on holiday and I think I haven’t brought along enough books. My husband says, not entirely with admiration, that I’m addicted to books.

I’m beginning to think he’s right because even though I didn’t feel like reading last month, I still craved it. I didn’t want to but I had to read. It was weird. I would climb into bed at night, wanting nothing more than to go to sleep, but instead of punching my pillow and turning the lights off, I’d find myself looking through the books on my nightstand (which is actually a full-sized bookcase), feeling distressed because absolutely nothing appealed to me and yet I knew I needed something.

The book that finally appeased my soul was this: Harry Potter. Any of ‘em. All of ‘em. (Well, except the last).

Why Harry Potter? After giving it some thought, here’s what I figured out: the reason I didn’t feel like reading was because reading had become work. I couldn’t read a magazine without thinking of topics that I might pitch. I couldn’t read a non-fiction book without thinking about my own non-fiction WIP that so desperately needs my attention. I couldn’t read a fiction book without analyzing sentence structure, character development, the author’s word choice, or fretting about when I will ever have time for fiction again.

But when reading Harry Potter, all of that fell away. Not only is Harry Potter’s world a wonderful place in which to spend time, the JK Rowling story is one that warms the heart of any writer. I’m sure you know the tale: a depressed single-mom, down on her luck, comes up with an idea about a boy wizard while stuck on a train, writes the book, is rejected 12 times, but eventually finds and publisher and goes on to become the first writer billionaire. I love it! Reading the books with this in mind, all I felt was pleasure and inspiration. Just the thing a tired mom needs.

October is shaping up to be just as busy as September and I’m probably going to finish re-re-re-reading the Harry Potter series in the next week or so. Does anyone have another suggestion for a good book to read when you really don’t feel like reading?

It's not for myself that I'm asking. It's for a....friend.