Open Book | TIPS FOR THE ASPIRING WRITER

Archive for the "Writing as a Small Business" Category

LinkedIn.com: Social Networking in a New Box

LinkedIn.com is a fast growing professional social networking site that allows members to create business contacts, search for jobs, and find potential clients.   Members can create a profile that can be viewed by others within their network.  LinkedIn is a free business social networking site that allows users who register to create a professional profile [...]

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Discovering Yourself as a Writer (4)

This is the fourth and final segment of SWOT  — threats.  Threats can stem from anywhere.  Threats materialize from environmental conditions, competitors, friends and family, and self. If you can identify threats upfront, most times you will be able to develop strategies to mitigate the threat or turn it around to your advantage.  However, even being proactive, [...]

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Discovering Who You Are as a Writer (3)

In case you are just joining us, I’m in the midst of of a four part series in discovering who you are as a writer.  We are using SWOT to identify our strengths, weaknesses,opportunities, and threats.  While this exercise is ridiculously simple, it can be challenging because it forces you to look at yourself honestly.  [...]

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Discovering Who You Are as a Writer (1)

In my last post, I invited everyone to join me as I begin the journey of crafting my writing talent into a business.  I discussed the definition of SWOT in fleshing out my strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.  We are going to take this information now and see how this information is useful. STRENGTHS:  Strengths are always easy to [...]

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Five Step Process to Assess and Plan Your Writing Career

You probably are wondering why I can’t get my act together and here I am giving advice.  Good question.   My career experience has been an integration of sales, marketing, writing, teaching, and observation.  For the past 15 years or so, I’ve listened to financial experts help launch small businesses; I’ve watched webinars on everything [...]

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What is Your Unique Value Position

You are the reader.  You are in a book store with a $20 bill.  Of course, whatever book you select, you want it to be compelling.  You want the best novel, let’s say, in the horror genre.  You want the writer to carry you into his/her world and make chills go up your spine.  You [...]

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Free Business Cards

I am always wary of things that advertise FREE.  However, the business cards from www.vistaprint.com are totally FREE.  Vistaprint sends you 250 business cards and all you have to pay for is the shipping.  There are a number of templates from which to choose.  Vistaprint has them arranged in categories.  You can change very little [...]

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Plagiarism Sites

This week has been tough. I’ve been on overdrive for the past few days, adjusting to changes at work, keeping up with whatever the family is doing, and packing for vacation. This is the first vacation that my husband and I have taken in years. I am so looking forward to it….Anyway, before I left [...]

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Is the Interconnectivity of Blogging a Legal Tightrope?

Blogging is fun.  It seems innocuous enough…that is, until one day you find a seething comment about your competitor on your blog.  At first glance, you might read the contribution as a gift, because you didn’t have the guts to be so brutally honest.  Maybe the information revealed feels like a relief because you realize others [...]

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How Legal is Your Blog?

Before I started this blog I was concerned about the legal aspects of the written word. Unlike journalism where the reporters’ code is to cross check the fact against at least two sources, this relatively new medium has no checks and balances and only loosely restricted.  Many years ago, my mom wrote what I consider [...]

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