When one of our early readers, Emily Troiano, SHRM-SCP, marked a quotation we attributed to Henry Ford: “If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.” She asked a simple question that made my heart race: Did he really say this?
A quick check revealed that the attribution was dubious at best. After researching the origins of the sentiment, we decided to keep the quotation but added the note “(dubiously attributed)” and cited an article explaining where the sentiment came from.
That small moment was the start of a realization: publishing a book has a permanence that blog posts and workshop content don’t have. With publishing, you need to be far more precise, exacting, and rigorous.
On an effort scale of 1 to 10, if citing responsibly in a blog is a 1, and doing the legwork for training materials is a 4, then the rigor of writing a book is an 11.
Why Permissions Matter
When writing a book, attribution alone often isn’t enough. Both you and your publisher need protection from legal risk, which means securing explicit permission for certain content elements:
- Quotations (lengthy or distinctive excerpts)
- Images (photos, figures, infographics, illustrations)
- Frameworks and Models (from other thought leaders)
Wiley, our publisher, has an entire department that reviewed our notes and came back when our sources weren’t clear or when permissions needed tightening. It was humbling and a lot of work.
The Process in Practice
1. Images
The easiest case is when you took the picture yourself, though you still have to sign a permission form. Both of our wives had to sign permission forms for their photos. Public domain sources are the next best, but verifying what’s genuinely in the public domain can still be a rabbit hole. Using stock image sources is great, but it costs money, and you have to read the fine print (permission to use a picture isn’t always permission to put it in a book). Our publisher has agreements with several stock photo sources where they prearranged permission.
2. Frameworks & Models
We reached out to authors whose ideas have shaped our work:
- Barbara Minto (The Pyramid Principle). It was surreal and exciting to email back and forth with someone whose framework we’ve taught for years.
- Chip and Dan Heath (Made to Stick). They were generous, encouraging, though wary of legal paperwork. They even seemed excited to have us include their framework in our book!
- Matt Abrahams (Think Faster, Talk Smarter). A big name in the communications field, he was wonderfully giving and flexible.
- Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic (Storytelling with Data). Cole taught us the concept of preattentive attributes. We modified her preattentive attributes illustration which was a modification of Stephen Few’s illustration in Show Me the Numbers.
- Alexander Osterwalder (Business Model Generation). We sought permission to use his Value Proposition “(M)AD-LIB” as is.
Every outreach was a blend of professional respect, admiration, and negotiation. Most were easier because of the networking we had been doing for years.
3. Networking
Along the way, we leaned on mentors, like John Chen, author of Engaging Virtual Meetings, for advice on both writing and marketing. Building these networks doesn’t just help with one project. It makes every future project smoother.
The Challenges
- It’s time-consuming: Tracking down rights holders, exchanging emails, waiting weeks for responses.
- It can be costly: Some permissions come with licensing fees, others with restrictions.
- You must be detail-oriented: Every image, every quote, every adapted table needs documentation.
- You must be persistent: AI wasn’t particularly helpful in tracking down permissions or sources. Old-fashioned research and persistence were more effective. You end up writing a bunch of emails and then reminding people to make sure all of the paperwork gets completed.
Lessons Learned
- Raise your standards: We’ve upped our game for attribution and sourcing not just in book writing, but in all our work.
- Build relationships: The more you know and respect other thought leaders, the easier it becomes to collaborate and gain permission in the future.
- Document everything: Track every source, permission, and license as you go. Retroactive cleanup is painful.
Bottom Line
Attribution, sourcing, and permissions aren’t the glamorous part of writing a book, but they are the foundation of doing it ethically, legally, and professionally. It’s painstaking work, but it builds credibility, protects you and your publisher, and creates a book you can be proud of.
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Bonus Excerpt: Squinting for Clarity
Chapter 7, “The Lipstick on a Pig Trap,” shows how to design slides that look professional without drowning strong content in overdone design. Too many presenters waste time polishing slides with flashy effects that add noise instead of clarity. The goal is to create simple, elegant slides where design supports the message and never overshadows it. This chapter provides practical strategies to keep your message sharp.
- Make intentional design choices tied to audience and purpose.
- Strip away “chart junk” and distracting features like clashing colors or shadows.
- Use eye flow and whitespace to guide attention.
- Build a consistent design baseline with smart use of colors, fonts, and templates, applying contrast with purpose, and ensuring accessibility for every audience.
Here’s an excerpt, “Squinting for clarity,” that describes a trick artists and designers use to spot balance, contrast, and flow issues. It’s the fastest way to check if your design highlights your message or hides it.
