Book Review: ‘You Are a Writer’ by Jeff Goins

YOU ARE A WRITER by Jeff GoinsWriting is mostly a mind game. It’s about tricking yourself into becoming who you are. If you do this long enough, you begin to believe it. And pretty soon, you start acting like it.” ~ Jeff Goins

I started sporadically reading GoinsWriter sometime last year. I liked Jeff’s guest posts on other blogs but wasn’t an avid follower of his work.

Around the first of this year, I did a little Google Reader clean up and decided to subscribe to Jeff’s blog when I ditched some old sites that no longer interested me. It soon became one of my daily favorites.

If you’re an artist who’s simultaneously bubbling with passion and grounded in reality, you’ll dig Jeff. He’s my kind of writer. [Read more...]

Should Your Blog Post Writing Style Stir Up Trouble?

Blog Post Writing. Photo Credit – Flickr: Martin CathraeLast week, I wrote a guest blog post for ProBlogger.

How to Write a Blog Post Like a Troublemaker with a Heart of Gold is the second article that I’ve written for the site.

Many thanks to Georgina and Darren for the opportunity!

If you haven’t read it yet, check out an excerpt below: [Read more...]

What’s the Connection Between Document Proofreading and Online Marketing?

Document Proofreading. Photo Credit – Flickr: krossbowContrary to the seemingly mundane activity of document proofreading, online marketing is a glamorous buzzword for both online and offline businesses.

Once you transcend the notion of shady Internet scams and vicious trolls, the idea of marketing a legitimate business online sounds exciting.

There are no paper cuts, awkward telephone conversations, or heavy objects to lift on the Web.

Whether you’re a small business looking for Facebook fans and Twitter followers, or a blogger developing an online writing portfolio, the Internet is a desirable place to appeal to customers.

But can you really market your product or service to an audience online and actually get new clients and customers?

The answer is yes, but you have an extremely limited time to solidify your reputation.

While an offline business may get more than one chance to make an impression, a quick page view may be all that you get in the online world. [Read more...]

9 Blog and Website Proofreading Tips to Retain Online Visitors with Simple Writing

Blog and Website Proofreading Tips. Photo Credit – Flickr: Joyce-RhiannonDo you proofread your blog and website content from the point of view of a reader?

Readers can quickly go elsewhere online for information, so you have to know exactly what your audience wants and cater to their interests.

Online visitors aren’t looking to read a book. They’re not even looking to read an entire Wikipedia entry.

They scan your writing for what they need. If your writing is too complicated or too vague, they leave your blog or website.

Simplify your online content while copy editing and proofreading to find the perfect balance that satisfies the reader.

Here are nine blog and website proofreading tips that help make online visitors realize that you have the information that they seek. [Read more...]

Free Ebook to Help Your Small Business: ‘The Art of Blogging Debunked’ (from E-Junkie.info)

Small Business Ebook: The Art of Blogging Debunked. Photo Credit – Flickr: wicckedE-junkie is a popular tool for selling products online, but did you know that the company also has a blog about small business, self-publishing, and eCommerce?

E-junkie.info provides helpful resources and announcements for both online and offline entrepreneurs, and I wrote a guest post about writing online content for the blog in June.

Since I often discuss the importance of small business blogs, I was pleased to discover that the articles in E-junkie’s new free ebook, The Art of Blogging Debunked, support my belief that a blog isn’t necessarily a site for breaking news or a place to rant about what you ate for breakfast.

Consistently maintaining a small business blog adds a new dimension to your organization and can help you attract customers. [Read more...]

Create a Custom Editorial Calendar for Your Small Business Blog in 3 Steps

Editorial Calendar, Small Business Blog. Photo Credit – Flickr: danaberlithWhat value does your small business blog offer potential customers?

It’s easy to create a blog for your small business, but its mere existence is not enough.

Your blog needs to be a regularly updated resource that gives insight into your business. Demonstrate that you have a solution that will help readers solve their problems.

The best way to manage your small business blog is to create an editorial calendar. WordPress has an Editorial Calendar plugin that can help you, but writing effective blog posts requires a special technique.

In three steps, you can transform your small business blog from a string of unfocused posts into a platform that will grow your business. [Read more...]