Seth Godin’s Keynote Address to the Nonfiction Writer’s Conference

The keynote address for the 2017 Nonfiction Writer’s Conference was a special presentation by permission marketing guru Seth Godin.

1,000 New Books a Day

His first point: there are 1,000 new books published every day. Every day. Two quotes you may find surprising:

“Your problem is not piracy. Your problem is obscurity. If everyone on the planet read your book for free, then what would happen? Would that be a bad thing or a good thing?”

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Better Writing: When to Use “Like” vs. “Such As”

Barbara McNichols WordtrippersThis is part of a series by editor Barbara McNichol to provide tips that help you write like a pro.

Have you ever wondered about the distinction between “like” or “such as” in your writing. Here are two phrases to consider:

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Writing Skills for Business

another set of eyesMany clients I’ve worked with want help with grammar, proofreading and editing. They ask me to pay attention to details. They are tired of working with virtual assistants who let correspondence and emails go out with spelling and grammar errors.

Make sure you proofread anything you do for clients for correct spelling and grammar. If writing is not your expertise, don’t market yourself as a writer. If at all possible, ask someone else to proofread for you. Another set of eyes never hurts.

 

Writing Inspiration

Pen and notebook

Have you wanted to write more blog posts or start article writing? Are you holding back because you can’t figure out what to write about? Are you looking for inspiration? Maybe this post can inspire some ideas.

Do you subscribe to business magazines or other periodicals? Check out the covers. The publishers go to a lot of work to create eye-catching covers and article titles. See what catches your eye. It might just inspire you. If a specific title catches your interest, perhaps the information in the article can be converted into a short blog post specific to your niche.

In addition to magazine covers, look around and see if something on a billboard, in a commercial or in a newspaper catches your interest and can be used to create an article for your niche market.

Of course you want to be careful not to just take the article and copy it. You want to create your own unique article or blog post. These are just ways to get ideas and inspiration.

When you write you want to educate. There are still many business owners unfamiliar with what a virtual assistant does. So don’t be afraid to start with the basics. Make a list of questions that your prospects or clients ask most frequently and create a blog post and/or article addressing each of those questions.

Where do you find your writing inspiration?

Local Author Appreciation Fair

Today I’m attending the local author appreciation fair in Folsom, California. My son James Ashman wrote a fiction book, The Lupine Prince, and he is one of the local authors who will be recognized at this fair.

Have you ever considered writing a book? There are good reasons as business persons to do so.