Category Archives: Writing and Editing
Character, Conflict, Resolution…
November 30, 2009
According to the Chronicle of Philanthropy, the country’s 400 most successful fundraising organizations expect to raise a median of 9 percent less in 2009 than 2008. That means that half will do even worse, and the picture isn’t expected to improve in 2010.
Given this grim reality, nonprofit organizations need messages that stick in the heads [...]
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It Lives! Reviving the Press Release.
November 23, 2009
Abridged with the author’s permission from a post on my 2 cents.
A research brief from MediaPost this week brings up, yet again, the issue of the press release — is it a dying dinosaur? Nearly half — 49% — of the professional communicators polled said releases are “as useful as ever.”
I’ve [...]
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Copywriting and Lead Generation: An Interview with Miller McMillan
November 21, 2009
This interview has been abridged with the author’s permission from Mac McIntosh’s Sales Lead Insight™ blog.
Miller McMillan is a copywriter who worked on high-profile accounts at ad agencies in Atlanta and Boston before establishing his copywriting boutique agency in Los Angeles. Miller has worked with such clients as CNN, Hughes, Nestlé, Avery and Microsoft. His [...]
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Be Opinionated, Dammit!
November 13, 2009
Reprinted with the author’s permission from Post Advertising.
In September, The Huffington Post surpassed the Washington Post in terms of unique visitors. “The Huff Post was up 26% year-over-year to 9.4 million uniques, while uniques at the Washingtonpost.com dropped almost 30% to 9.2 million,” reports Jennifer Saba at Editor & Publisher. Look out, media giants. You [...]
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The Truth About Writing and Rewriting
November 11, 2009
“How to Write a Great Novel” in Friday’s Wall Street Journal quotes noted literary figures on their work habits, many of them idiosyncratic but all supportive of the maxim: Writing well is hard work.
Few of us mortals aspire to be short-listed for the National Book Award, but one element of hard work—rewriting—should be familiar to [...]
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Content and Its Discontents
September 24, 2009
Several admired colleagues write intelligently about online content. This post is for the others who need a gentle reminder: think first, repurpose second.
My inbox is filling up with tips from marketing companies that treat content as if it were a commodity, like baking soda or apple juice. There is no such thing as “content,” just [...]
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Is Editorial Productivity Measurable? Yes
April 27, 2009
The writer, who received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Society of Business Publications Editors (ASBPE), contributes frequently to the ASBPE blog on techniques for improving editorial quality. This post is abridged with his permission.
Given the staff cutbacks that face almost every type of publications enterprise, it has become more important than ever for [...]
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Beyond Google: Search Tools for Pros
April 20, 2009
Abridged with permission from Henry Stimpson’s PR and Marketing Tips
It’s easy to just Google whatever you’re researching and stop there. Well, don’t just Google! You’re likely to miss invaluable information that isn’t anywhere on the Web. Trust me—I was a research librarian before I went into PR and marketing many years ago.
Here [...]
Also posted in Audience research and strategic planning 1 Comment
9 Writing Resolutions for 2009
January 8, 2009
In thinking about the resolutions I have made over the years, I have concluded that incremental changes have a better chance of adoption.
In this spirit, I would not venture to suggest something like “write a novel” or “get published in The New Yorker.” Instead, here are a few, do-able things that will not take long [...]
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Seven Reasons to Start a Blog