It happens to everyone, writers and non-writers. We need to write something, but can’t produce content — at least, nothing of good quality. A couple of people I know (one is a writer and the other isn’t) ran into this problem as a result of personal challenges. One weathering a dangerous storm and the other … Read more
In the US, today is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. In spirit of celebrating our world’s uniqueness, we look at how people read or hear a word and understand it differently than originally intended. Many words contain multiple definitions, and sentences provide the context. A simple example: My daughter was watching a fashion reality show … Read more
Thanks to Web sites and email newsletters, white papers have become a great way to market a product or service. A visitor can get a free white paper in exchange for signing up for an email newsletter or basic information. People can’t resist a free offer and white papers — when done right — can … Read more
In 2000, I wrote an article about Internet and tech terms for Webreference and followed up with others. I revisited the capitalization of Internet, email vs. e-mail, and e-words. Reading WebMarketCentral Blog’s entry (including this one that’s mentioned) motivated me to visit the topic again. The No. 1 rule remains: consistency. No one will get … Read more
Paul has been saying that it would be a bad move for J.K. Rowling to kill Harry Potter in the last book. While it could make for an exciting and depressing ending, the publisher would lose out on potential sales as future readers won’t want to bother reading a whole series knowing the main character … Read more
The introduction says it well. “I wish there were no need for this book.” Unfortunately, there are enough scams and untrustworthy folks in the writing industry to warrant a book on the subject. I’d like to think I know better, but I got suckered when I was as a college student who loved the idea … Read more
This was a fascinating story to write — Judge Rules Internet Surfing at Work Is OK — as I had an opportunity to interview New York City’s Law Department chief of labor and employment law. She made it clear this was not a court case. Rather it was a case that went to the City’s … Read more
In “Full-time freelancing: 10 more things,” Cameron Moll provides a useful list of things he learned in his first year of freelancing full-time as a Web designer. Though it focuses on Web design, much of the advice if useful for other businesses. Here’s my commentary from a freelance writer’s perspective. Speed: I try to work … Read more
Lulu.com did a study of book titles and determined what makes a good title. The company looked at every title of nonfiction and fiction books from 1955 to 2004 and analyzed what works. But of course, the title doesn’t guarantee failure or success since the analysis says The DaVinci Code is considered less likely to … Read more
A Writer’s Paris proves inspirational, whether or not you’re planning to go to Paris or if you’ve already visited the city where many artists go to create. Not only does Maisel describe life as a writer on a Paris sojourn, but also the activities for a writer to do for inspiration. Substitute the places in … Read more