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Today I'm heading up to the San Francisco area to attend a workshop with Jill Lublin, author of Guerrilla Publicity. It's a one day crash course on PR. I'm looking forward to learning some new, effective tactics to get more and better PR exposure for my clients' projects as well as my own.
Since I'm not taking a computer, I won't be posting for a few days. I'll report back on juicy tidbits next week.
Yesterday I was sweltering in 100+ degrees that even my ancient air conditioners couldn't cool down. I realized in the late afternoon I had been pretty unproductive during the day and that I'd be better off getting out of my apartment and doing something, anything. So I headed over the hill to the cooler side of town since I had to pick up a book for a PR workshop I'm attending on Friday. While I was at Barnes and Noble, I noticed a small book called Robert's Rules of Writing: 101 Unconventional lessons every writer needs to know. I picked it up, now that I'm conscious of everything that has to do with writing, thumbed through it and bought it.
This little book is a gem. I decided to treat myself to a meal in an outdoor cafe and started reading the book. The author, Robert Masello, has published 15 books, a couple of which are about writing. Essentially his rules are about breaking the rules that you may have learned about writing. I read through the first 7 rules while I enjoyed my quiche and glass of chardonay. I could almost imagine I was at a sidewalk cafe in Paris.
Here's a sample:
Rule 3: Throw Out Your Thesaurus.
The voice you write in is the voice your reader hears and, ideally grows to trust.
Rule 7: Skip the Starbucks.
Starbucks is where writers go who want to be seen in the act of creation, who treat writing like some kind of performance art. Never mistake Starbucks for your office--and leave the laptop home.
Rule 18: Memo Yourself.
How much better would it have been to have simply jotted down a note or two at the time you had this breathtaking idea?
Rule 65: Show No Mercy.
Writing is a process-- of discovery, of refinement, of invention.
As I read through the Rules, it seemed to me that a lot of what Masello has to say can be applied to our Blog to Book Projects as well as to writing on blogs. The book is published by Writer's Digest Books and is around $10 on Amazon.com if you're curious about checking it out.
One of the challenges many independent service professionals face is articulating their service niche. This week's Conversation is with Milana Leshinsky, a serial entrepreneur who has mastered the art of defining and serving specific niches. Don't miss this Conversation!
"Does Your Niche Make You Rich?"
Wednesday, July 20, 8:30 p.m. ET - FREE
Guest Expert: Milana Leshinski, Founder & CEO of Association of Coaching & Consulting Professionals on the Web, and featured in the Build a Better Blog System
If you feel like getting clients is a struggle, I can almost guarantee it's because you're not working in any specific niche market. In this Conversation, you will discover what a niche is, how to find a lucrative niche market, and how to make well-paying clients seekYOU out!"
Milana Leshinsky is the founder & CEO of ACCPOW (Association of Coaching & Consulting Professionals on the Web), and is a business and marketing advisor helping coaches, consultants and other solo professionals attract clients, build passive revenue and enjoy a unique quality of life. Milana's web site is http://www.coachingniche.com
Register: www.ConversationsWithExperts.com
Conversations with Experts: How to Build Your Business On and Off-line
Hosted by Denise Wakeman and Patsi Krakoff.
Conversations with Experts is sponsored by Build a Better Blog System.
Andy Wibbels was the 14th guest on the Conversations with Experts TeleSeries. In this lively discussion, Andy gave us the lowdown on podcasting: how to find and listen to podcasts and how to get started creating your own podcasts. Plus how independent professionals and businesses can take full advantage of podcasting. The program is 47 minutes.
Some of the podcasting websites mentioned include:
Software to download podcasts:
Podcasting Directories:
Software to create podcasts:
Podcasts:
Andy's Podcasting Bootcamp starts on July 27. Details here.
The audio program is available for $4.95 at Conversation with Experts.
Conversations with Experts is sponsored by BuildaBetterBlogSystem.com.
