A few years ago, I attended a class on writing skills taught by John A. Wieland (Business/Professional Writing Skills). Mr. Wieland, the IUPUI Outstanding Distinguished Associate Faculty Member in 2010, shared a wealth of tips and ideas. One stood out for me — use smaller words. Short is often better. He discussed how conquerors of Britain changed the [...]
How important is proper grammar for a blog? My friend, Eric Deckers, a great writer I respect, who (or is it "whom?") has written for newspapers for more than 20 years, said he never learned when to use "who" or "whom," and didn't care. Another writer/editor friend, whose work I thoroughly enjoy, was uncertain about [...]
The other day someone asked me why I write books. I answered to help people. The person looked at me and said, “Of course but you want to make money, gain exposure, and find new clients don’t you?” That’s all good, but it’s not the reason I write books. Let me explain. My first book [...]
Someone's creating the content people are searching for, is it you? If you're creating content regularly, if you post new content on your blog (minimum once a week, but two to five is better, much better), if you share checklists, case studies, guidebooks, and video—then this post isn't for you. But if you think content [...]
How to drastically improve your blog in 24 hours may be easier than you think. There's so much to consider when creating a blog, layout, typography, topics, platforms, plugins, photos, promotion, and content. All are essential. The adage, "content is king," is more important than ever, as search engine algorithms separate "human" content from bots, [...]
How to create an eBook may be easier than you think. If you’ve published a series of blogs on one topic, you already have an eBook just waiting to be published. Here’s an example, The Fleet Managers Guide to Fleet Graphics. I compiled this eBook from 19 blog posts published the previous two years. Here's how [...]
I know, the title should be you’re, not your going to make grammar mistakes. I once published a blog with, “There ready to help you.” It should’ve been “They’re ready to help you.” A co-worker pointed out my poor grammar, and I changed it. I know the difference, but I missed it. I missed it [...]
So, 8 steps to improved writing. It's intimidating to write a how to (or should that be how-to) post about writing. I mean, readers are going to search for my mistakes. I know I would, and that's my first point. Your writing will never be perfect, so don't sweat it. 8 Steps to Improved Writing [...]
What makes a blog attractive to readers? What makes one blog attractive to readers while another bounces visitors at alarming rates? Is it content, layout, grammar, or images? The answer is yes. What Makes a Blog Attractive to Readers? Layout Layout and structure are critical to readability. A well-written post with compelling content that isn't [...]
I've been asked more than once how to create an eBook. If you’ve published a series of blogs on one topic you already have an eBook just waiting to be published. Here’s an example, The Fleet Managers Guide to Fleet Graphics. This eBook was compiled from 19 previously published blog posts. How to Create an [...]
