People write boring titles and subject lines. They can do better. Here’s how to draw the line between informative and clickbait. What is clickbait? You know it when you see it. It’s the headline designed to pull you in. “You won’t believe how Phyllis Diller looks now!” “Is your mortage underwater?” “Bernie Sanders wants to…
Is business writing just about bloodless logic? Or is there room for some poetry, some inspiration, some passion in it? This week I conducted my clear writing workshop with writers from a large technology-focused company in Silicon Valley. The participants provide their product managers with research-based information to help support smarter decisions. A typical document…
Collaboration on writing is hard enough. It can work only when there is a shared understanding of process and assumptions. Some rules and conventions regarding writing collaboration seem obvious to me — so obvious that I never mention them, because an experienced writer would find it insulting. Then a perfectly well-meaning collaborator will break such…
Do you know everything there is to know about the topic you’re writing about? If not, you’re not trying hard enough. I want you to be obsessed. This is not a recommendation to acquire a mental illness. Obsession is a strategy, and I want you to apply it strategically. Here’s how it works. You think…
When people find out I work with three monitors, they’re always curious. Here’s how that works for me and why I think it makes me a more productive writer and editor. The three-monitor setup First, the basics. I have a brand new MacBook Pro 16-inch, replacing one that I had used since 2013. (None of…
Repeat after me: When a book goes to copy edit, the content should basically be done. I can’t hear you in the back, there. Are you sure you believe it? Say it again: When a book goes to copy edit, the content should basically be done. Here’s the challenge. Your creative work on the book…
Some people report that I am a sweet, nice, and supportive person. Others would say I am a pain in the ass who never backs down. Both are true. Here’s how that works. I don’t take much on faith. When my new doctor recently prescribed a medication, I had many, many questions. I was argumentative…
No. Usually. I get these requests all the time. And I am generous with free advice. Even so, how I respond is based on on where you land on two separate scales. How specific are you? “Can you help me with x?” is a lot different from “Can I pick your brain?” The more specific…
Working freelance is like a dance. When your partner works with you, it can be glorious. If the partner is oblivious, it is painful and ugly. Here’s the thing: I love my clients. I really do. There is the bright and energetic woman whose book will deliver great advice about how to succeed at work….