Pat Iyer’s Blog
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How Often Should You Send an Email Newsletter
I stared at boxes of printed newsletters and questioned my commitment to printed newsletters. Was this worth the expense? Should I send an email newsletter instead? And if so, how often? I'll share with you why I switched from a printed to a digital newsletter and how...
The Company Memo as a Reflection of Company Culture
Good writing skills plus a good attitude make a good memo. The tone of the company memo is key. An Imaginary Case History Sean must send out a memo to the people on his team about low productivity among employees. The nature of that memo will depend a lot on the kind...
How to Price Your Kindle Book
What is the best Kindle pricing range? To answer how to price your Kindle book, first ask yourself, "Am I more interested cash sales or gaining exposure/subscribers?" When to Offer Your Book for Free If your goal is to use your Kindle eBook to attract subscribers to...
The Power of Reverse Outlining
In school, I remember a lot of time being devoted to teaching the skill of outlining. Teachers recommended it as the best way to form the foundation for an essay or term paper. The essay style I learned was highly structured. First came the Roman numerals, then the...
Book Design: An Inside Job
Writing Your Book is Only the First Step I’ve published nearly 60 books and had a role in designing many books I’ve ghostwritten and/or edited. From this experience, I know that the interior design of a book plays a huge role. It can even determine whether a reader...
You Need More Than a Critique Group
You’re probably familiar with the phrase, “I’m not an expert, but I know what I like.” This idea works fine for personal choices, but it can be a disaster in a writing critique group. If you’re a new writer who joins one for new writers, the odds are that no one will...
Instruction manuals – helpful or useless?
If Your Company Uses Instruction Manuals for Its Products, You Must Read This. Too many businesses don’t give enough attention to what may be their most important documents. Entering Appliance Hell I recently bought an appliance. (I’m not naming either the specific...
Buyer Beware: Seller Take Care
The buyer beware thinking is yielding to the need for the seller to take care to avoid unhappy clients. If you are a Latin speaker (who is?) you'd say caveat emptor. The phrase describes the concept in contract law that places the burden of due diligence on the buyer...
How Often Do You Check Your Blog’s Stats?
As a blogger, you’re convinced of blogging’s value. You have lots of ideas, and you like to write. What could go wrong? You can get consumed by the desire for your blog to be (very) popular. How often do you check your blog's stats? One of the biggest mistake...
Is Your Writing Short Enough?
Know When To Stop No matter what you’re writing, if you get carried away by your own words, you’ll lose your audience. Mark Twain told a story about sitting in church one day. The preacher was giving an inspiring sermon on the subject of a worthy cause. He was asking...
Recent Posts
The 81% Who Want to Write—but Don’t
Have you ever said, “One day I’ll write a book”? If so, you’re in very good company. According to surveys, …Read More »
How to Write a Book Fast
For professionals who think writing a book takes years, Jan Spence’s story offers a surprising reality check. She wrote her …Read More »
Writer’s Block and Childhood Red Ink
Do you remember the first time you shared something you wrote? Maybe it was an elementary school assignment. Perhaps it …Read More »
Five-Minute Formula for Writing a Book
If you’re a busy professional—an LNC, physician, attorney, or speaker—you’ve likely considered writing a book. Maybe you’ve even started one. …Read More »
Are You a Highly Skilled Professional Struggling to Start Your Book?
Are you a highly skilled professional struggling to start your book? Attorneys, physicians, legal nurse consultants, and public speakers often operate …Read More »