The Writing Edge for Business Writers: 8/5/16

Aug 5, 2016 | Resource Lists

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. Some weeks there are more pointers than others.

This week I’m pointing you to pieces on giving away free books, descriptive writing exercises, and the increasing popularity of audiobooks.

From Joanna Penn: How To Give Away Free Books And Why You Should With Damon Courtney From BookFunnel

“Indie authors are a lot like tech start-ups, bootstrapping and pivoting and trying new things. In today’s show, I go full-on geek with Damon Courtney as we discuss how mobile reading impacts publishing, piracy, direct sales and much more.”

Wally’s Comment: The late Dan Poynter once told me that the surest way to make your book sell was to give away 500 copies.

From Melissa G. Wilson: 7 Descriptive Writing Exercises

“Descriptive writing is the art of painting pictures through the use of words. Without key descriptions, it is virtually impossible for a reader to imagine the worlds a writer has created in the way it was intended. Scenes, characters, experiences – descriptive writing turns these things into reality, even if they are completely fictional. If you’re looking to improve this skill in your own work, then here are some descriptive writing exercises which are proven to help you improve in this area.”

From Jennifer Maloney: The Fastest-Growing Format in Publishing: Audiobooks

“Smartphones and multitasking have stoked an explosion in audiobooks. Publishers, spotting a juggernaut, are expanding their offerings and enlisting star narrators.”

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.

Frances Caballo

Jane Friedman

jeffbullas.com

Joel Friedlander

Joanna Penn

Men with Pens

Merce Cardus

Problogger

Becky Robinson’s Weaving Influence