When you think of a writer, what do you envision? Do you picture someone struggling alone in an attic, surrounded by crumpled papers, overflowing ashtrays and empty whiskey bottles? Papa Hemingway, perhaps? Or maybe you envision a cozy writing retreat, with scenic views and solitude. No matter what you imagine, it’s probably one person, working in […]
Business writing
Killing Marketing: A Book Review
The title of the latest book by Joe Pulizzi and Robert Rose really grabbed my attention: Killing Marketing: How Innovative Businesses are Turning Marketing Cost into Profit. That sounds like a manifesto – and manifestos are fun. I’ve been known, on occasion, to rant about “death to the funnel” and other topics. Yet, as any student of history […]
Writers and the Planning Fallacy
You don’t want to hear this, but I need to say it anyway: Your writing project probably won’t go exactly as you plan. The book will take longer to draft than you think. You will be surprised by the length of the revision phase or magnitude of comments from editors or early readers. Your blog post […]
Don’t Buy Into the One-Step-Writing Myth
“Before they hire you, the client wants you to come in for a timed writing test. They’ll give you a topic, then see what you can do in fifteen minutes.” This request came from a technology company a few years ago. The founders probably thought that they were cleverly optimizing the hiring process by making sure […]
How to Find Your Unknown Audience
The other day, a company called Tenfold added me to its Top 40 Customer Success Influencers list. (You can download the list here.) I never set out to write and speak for the Customer Success industry; it happened by accident. I tell you this story not to brag, but to illustrate the importance of looking for […]
Three Reasons It’s Hard to Write for Your Audience
I’ve spent a couple weeks ranting about the importance of writing for an audience. (See One Question to Ask Before You Write.) But here’s the thing that I’ve neglected to mention: Writing for a specific audience can be really tough. Even when you’ve chosen an ideal audience, you may struggle to write stories or content that resonates […]
