You’re a businessperson. You may not think of yourself as a writer, but you know that writing well can boost your results and your career. Naturally, you want to do better. Every week I point you to articles and blog posts that I think will teach you something or spark an idea or two. The posts are about the intertwined tasks of reading and writing. Some weeks there are more pointers than others.
This week I’m pointing you to posts on targeting your book’s audience, five words to leave out of your corporate values statement, and what 41 successful writers wish they knew earlier.
From Brian Jud: Tips on How to Target Your Book’s Audience
“You could sell more of your books if you’d answer two questions honestly. First, how often do people think about your book? Second, how often do people think about their own problems? You will probably agree that people think more about how they can solve their own problems, learn something, improve themselves or be entertained than they do about your book. However, if you can show them how reading your book helps them achieve these things, you are likely to increase your book sales and revenue, so let’s cover how to target your book’s audience.”
From Denise Lee Yohn: Ban These 5 Words From Your Corporate Values Statement
“Practically every organization today has a set of core values that ideally function as the ‘operating instructions’ of the company. The goal of articulating the essential and enduring principles of your organization is to inform, inspire, and instruct the day-to-day behaviors of everyone who works at your company. But this rarely happens, because most core values statements don’t get at what’s unique about the firm.”
From Jerry Jenkins: Writing Tips 41 Experts Wish They Knew As Beginners
“The thought of being able to tell my younger self what I know now prompted me to ask 40 of the best authors, writing coaches, and publishing experts I know: ‘If you could go back to the beginning of your writing career and give yourself one piece of advice, what would it be?'”
Sources I Check Regularly
I find the posts and articles that I share with you on The Writing Edge in many places. But there are a few that provide insightful pieces again and again. Here they are.