Much of the work I do with writers, especially authors, is to help them understand that writing is a process. You don't just sit down and start writing Chapter 1, finish that chapter, and seamlessly move onto the next one. Before you can get to that place where you're writing full sentences, you ... Views: 553
Well, it's only evil if you look at it a certain way. If the word "marketing" scares you off, it might help you to know that my definition of marketing is any kind of communication and connection you make with your people... anything.
See, it doesn't have to be evil. Or what some people call ... Views: 431
Mark and I work from home, and since we're in a smallish, three-bedroom house, we share an office. However, after two-and-a-half years of sharing the office (which personally works just fine), we're finding that the physical arrangement of the furniture no longer serves us.
We have two big ... Views: 758
Writing isn't as easy as it seems. The perfect word doesn't just flow seamlessly out your fingers and onto the paper or keyboard. At least not 100% of the time. We struggle. It takes longer than we thought to finish a project. We get stuck. We spend dozens, even hundreds of hours on research, ... Views: 700
If you're an entrepreneur or online business owner, especially with a service-based product, then what you're selling is you and your system.
You may be thinking, "I don't have a system... I just do what I do."
Well, see, that "just do what you do" IS a big part of your system.
The ... Views: 587
A few years ago, I ran across a blog post where the author claimed that those who think that writing well is important sap the life out of creativity. She recounted how she was discouraged from sending a letter to Mad Magazine because her English teacher critiqued it too harshly.
I feel sorry ... Views: 489
I’ve had several coaching calls lately where my sweet little clients want everything to be perfect before they hit the “Go” button. They want “it” to be perfect. They want everything figured out. They want assurance that it’s all going to go to plan.
Yeah….. that whole planning thing…. see, ... Views: 973
If you work virtually or market your business online at all, your website is a crucial part of your business. It's one of the first things online people will see about you. Even offline people might go "check you out" after they've met you in person.
Think about your own website experience... ... Views: 356
For whatever reason, it's not as easy as one would think to sit down and write. I mean, all you need is a pen and paper or a keyboard, right?
You could get a lot of writing done if you add up all these extra bits of time (yes, they really do exist): The 10 minutes before your next client ... Views: 585
I'm a writer. I'm a writing and creativity coach. I see patterns. I'm good at the big picture and those itsy bitsy details that make up the big picture.
And I'm not perfect.
As much as I'm a good writer and good business woman, I don't do it all effortlessly. Like any good thing, it ... Views: 915
Some time ago, I went through an exercise from a great article online from Meredith Eisenberg, "The Reverse Funnel - How to Dream BIG and Start Small." It's basically a product development/marketing exercise to get you thinking differently about your products and programs flow.
Long story ... Views: 597
Grab 'em at the beginning and don't let 'em go.
Powerful beginnings - whether we're talking about short stories or sales pages - are crucial to capturing your reader's attention. If you don't grab her right away, she has no reason to keep reading. And you've lost her.
Conversely, if you've ... Views: 972
You need a great beginning in order to grab your readers' attention, but if you don't end just as powerfully, your reader could walk away with a bad taste in her mouth, your content forgotten.
You can take a so-so piece of writing and make it powerful with a good conclusion. If you start with ... Views: 868
As a writer, I find I'm always looking for new ways to flesh out my ideas. Not because I'm looking for an excuse to not delve into the words themselves, but because I don't want to get stuck in a rut. Outline only. Or mindmap only. Or writing down questions only ad nauseam.
But at some point ... Views: 654
When was the last time you sat at your desk, having to write up a report on your department's progress? A memo explaining corporate policy? An article? A difficult e-mail?
What do you do when you have to write something, and you're stuck?
Sometimes you just brainstorm. For me, today, ... Views: 784
E-mail has changed the way we do business and made us more efficient. Instead of endless memos and phone calls, we can e-mail a quick question, an invitation to a meeting, or a request.
As helpful as e-mail is, however, we need to follow certain rules:
1. Don't use all caps when writing. ... Views: 687
If you are a true entrepreneur (meaning that you have a vision for your business that is beyond just the day-to-day work that you do), then you want that business to move forward. You need to plan. You need to strategize.
But before you get to all that left-brained, nitty gritty stuff, you ... Views: 704
If you work virtually or market your business online at all, your website is a crucial part of your business. It’s one of the first things online people will see about you. Even offline people might go “check you out” after they’ve met you in person.
Recently, most of my coaching calls and ... Views: 751
What exactly is writing well? Is it writing with perfect grammar? Not necessarily.
Is it writing that's worthy of The New York Times bestseller list? Maybe, but I'm not sure how practical that is. Could it be as simple as writing so that your readers understand the meaning you're trying to ... Views: 678
As a business owner, your job is to meet the need of your target market. The problem comes into play when you have to deal with what your target market wants. And what your market wants and what they need may not be the same.
To be a smart business owner, what you want to do is to ... Views: 832
Business owners tend to be busy people. If your business is small, and even if you have a team (smart you!), you’re probably still pretty darn busy.
There’s always more to do. Another networking meeting to attend. Another prospective client to call. Another program to design. Another ... Views: 703
Michael Gerber in The E-Myth Revisited, talks about the importance of working ON your business, as opposed to working IN your business. The working in is the delivering of your business’s services or products: providing the service, fulfilling the product, writing the proposal, giving the class, ... Views: 676
Last week, I hosted the Writing Hour where I talked to writers at all various stages of the writing and publishing process.
One writer was frustrated with her progress (or lack of progress as it were) in her fiction story. She felt she'd been spending too much time on the character ... Views: 709
You've spent weeks, maybe even months, writing your new eBook or home study system. You brought on a graphics designer to make sure your product rocks the casbah. You're even ready with a fulfillment company to print the CDs, DVDs, and workbook.
You give a sigh of relief... you're ... Views: 405
Whatever we're writing, fiction or nonfiction, blogging or articles, sales letters or emails, we often find ourselves needing to convey an abstract concept. For example, in a marketing email, you are supposed to tap into your audience's pain. Whatever your audience's pain point, it's probably ... Views: 1973
As a business owner who works with other business owners, I see a lot of dreams. Sometimes these dreams take the form of little goals... I want to offer a new coaching program. Sometimes they take the form of medium goals... I want to facilitate a writing retreat. And then sometimes they take ... Views: 867
I have a checklist of over 70 types of content that business owners could be writing. That sounds overwhelming, but as a business owner, you probably don't need to write all 70+. And... to keep in front of your market and your community and to establish your credibility, you do need to be ... Views: 449
I've had my business since 2001, and it's been profitable since the very beginning (meaning I made more than I spent). Since 2008, I've had the sole support of me and my two daughters. My business has grown, and I'm thrilled to say I have a waiting list for people to work privately with ... Views: 717
Many writers, maybe all writers, have trouble being objective about their writing. As you're writing or immediately after you're writing, you're thinking, "God, what am I doing? This is pure drivel. It's awful. I should just stop."
Luckily, you don't stop; you keep going. And, with more luck, ... Views: 554
As I talk with my coaching clients and work with people in my programs, the self-criticisms and struggles of gotta write, "Just do it," and feeling not good enough abound.
As writers, it's what we all struggle with.
"Am I good enough?"
"I should just stop what I'm doing right now and ... Views: 607
Writing an E-zine is more than just a pretty packaging for words. Those words are the meat of your E-zine and your message. You have to think about content and your audience and writing it well and getting your readers' attention and keeping your readers' attention and.... The list goes on and ... Views: 773
Owning your own business is a gift and sometimes a challenge. Well, maybe more often a challenge than not. There are plenty of things that you have to work around, take into account, plan for, and adapt to.
And… there are many things for which entrepreneurs have to be grateful. Here are a ... Views: 739
As a small business owner, mother, and wife, I'm a busy gal. And as a creative entrepreneur, I have enough ideas to keep me going 24/7 for years to come. And I like to paint, draw, quilt, cross-stitch, write, run, hike...
Unfortunately in some ways, though, I seem to be wired to work, work, ... Views: 788
Communication. When you talk with people on the phone, there's tone, pitch, speed, and volume to convey meaning. When you talk with people face to face, add in body language, eye contact, and gestures. Just your words, though, account for only 7% of the meaning you're trying to convey. That ... Views: 747
A few months ago, I met with a former coaching client for a lovely dinner, and we spent some time catching up since it had been a couple of months since we had connected. We told each other our stories, including how some relationships, business and personal, had ended.
She said it's like ... Views: 479
At times, the creative process can almost look logical: "This is my purpose, and this is what I need to do." Other times the creativity just flows, and you do what you can to capture all the lovely ideas.
Occasionally, I'll do some of the same writing exercises I require of my students. ... Views: 550
As a writer, you might find yourself stuck - at the beginning (can't even get started), in the middle (where the heck do I go now), or at the end (is this really a good ending) of whatever you're writing. There are all sorts of techniques to get past writer's block, but it's even more than ... Views: 531
There are five steps to making your dreams come true. First, just play with your idea. Second, let it sit for a while. Third, take that seed of an idea out of the marinade and see how you feel about it. Fourth, get down to business... what do you need to actually make this dream a reality? What ... Views: 611
As a writer, you might find yourself stuck - at the beginning (can't even get started), in the middle (where the heck do I go now), or at the end (is this really a good ending) of whatever you're writing.
You might find as you're writing and creating content that everything seems as if it's ... Views: 770
Content creation is being bandied about nowadays, especially in the online marketing world. Each of us may have an idea of what "content" is, but you might be surprised at how many different things it is. It's about every single day when you sit down at your desk and put your fingers on the ... Views: 669
Writing looks like many different things (outlining, taking notes, recording our thoughts, stream of consciousness, to name a few), and we writers are all different, too.
The biggest problem I see would-be writers and even those who make the leap and proclaim themselves writers to the world ... Views: 583
After watching Gettysburg several months before, both Mark and I were champing at the bit to watch Gods and Generals. Mark's a huge Civil War buff, and while I'm not an aficionado, I really loved Gettysburg. Great characters, good writing, action that moved along...
An hour into Gods and ... Views: 518
Every year I’ve done somewhat of a review of my business for the last year. Usually, it’s revolved around revenue, including my most profitable service or program revenue streams and my highest grossing clients. I also plan what programs I’m going to offer in the next 6-12 months, and plan my ... Views: 1515
We all have those times when we are in the zone, when it’s all going well. We score the big client. We fill our programs. We get amazing feedback from an article we wrote that tells us we’re on the right path. The kids are good, the team won, the tea shop has your favorite tea in, and all the ... Views: 937
I run a business. I'm writing a collection of short stories. I'm working on a product for writers. I'm a mother of two amazing teenage daughters. I have deeply connected relationships with my friends and chosen family. I teach. I coach. I create and design new programs. I work with clients to ... Views: 763
"Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both... "
One of my clients was writing a novel, and she was extremely frustrated. She had two different tracks she could follow, and she just couldn't decide which one to take. So she was stuck... and wasn't writing a ... Views: 496
Whether you're a business owner or an employee, like it or not, there are thousands of people in your industry...
Notice I didn't say, "There are thousands of business owners/employees just like you" because that's not true. However, if you present yourself like everyone else or play it safe ... Views: 480
Words are powerful. The little ditty we heard and sometimes used as a mantra (See? Words ARE powerful) of "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me" just isn't true.
Here's an example. One of my favorite memorials in Washington, D.C. is the Franklin Delano Roosevelt ... Views: 484
A Real Writer sits down at his beautiful desk, and magic flies from his fingers. Beautiful words appear on the page or the screen, with very little effort from him.
And then WE sit down to write, hoping for the same magic to flow - to somehow make instant sense of the concept in our brains ... Views: 708
As a business owner, you're writing all the time, even if you don't think you are. Think about it: you're writing all the time... emails, responses to potential clients, ezine articles, blog posts, social media status updates, sales pages, campaign emails, product materials.
Business owner = ... Views: 664