Wednesday Feb. 13, 2013
Ready to find an agent?
As you can see below, I'm not. Patient readers are still going through my novel and some are even sending it back like the copy in the photo, bristling with Post-it Notes.
Even when I've made the final point of view change and made the last thematic element as subtle or clear as I feel it needs to be, I know I won't be finished. There will be another step.
I've been working on this book for two years. I've lived with the story for many more. All my wonderful readers have read it at least once--some more often! Now it's time for someone new. Someone fresh and professional who will see what we have all missed.
I know some of it will make me smack my head it will be so obvious. I may have said the same things twice. Or described the same character as both short and tall--maybe he was a tall man in his dreams and a short man in his speech?
There will be more. Much more. I am never happy until my work sees a good editor. It helps me sleep better. I can't wait.
Tuesday Apr. 3, 2012
Is your website starved for content?
I can sympathize. Every site has an appetite that has to be fed—or else. No one wants their site looking dusty when visitors come to call. Can’t you see the cobwebs in the corners when the most recent post is a month old, or nothing has changed since the last time you visited? Do you go back?
I know I don’t. That’s why I’m offering a service for website owners who need content updates, articles and blog posts to keep their sites fresh.
Sitepolish—keeping your website shiny and new!
Here’s how Sitepolish works: we review your need for articles, content updates and editing, and set a very low monthly fee. Low, because it’s regular, so the start-up cost is spread over a longer term than a single payment. Your site is updated as needed with quality content, satisfaction guaranteed. Interested? Let’s talk.
Photo: Aesop
Tuesday Mar. 13, 2012
Today's media environment
Here's a very telling view of the way things work--from the inside, at the Guardian newspaper. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/video/2012/feb/29/open-journalism-three-little-pigs-advert.
Tuesday Jan. 10, 2012
Why hire an independent?
I'm borrowing shamelessly here--from my colleagues at the International Association of Business Communicators. They've made a little list of good reasons to call on people like me when your project needs a boost!
"Busy, effective communicators know how to delegate and when to ask for help. Knowing when to turn to independent practitioners can help keep projects on the right track as well as on time and on budget. Here are the reasons most often cited:
Time. When your plate is already overflowing, an independent practitioner can manage that project, do those interviews or write the piece for you.
Expertise. An independent may offer an ability or experience that’s not readily available internally. [Such as experience in].... speech writing, change management, marketing communications, investor and shareholder relations, internal communications, media relations, editorial and strategic planning.
Objectivity. Let an independent practitioner look at your project without biases. An objective indie can help distinguish between promoting corporate values and communicating the right message to the target audience. We all know what it’s like to get too close to a project. We can also relate to “having had enough” of an assignment that’s dragged on and on.
Availability. An independent practitioner can help a communicator handle fluctuating requirements. You get the help without increasing the overall head count.
Urgency. An independent practitioner would be happy to take on that huge project your boss didn’t tell you about. An indie will also fill in for the staff member who is on vacation, sabbatical or maternity leave, so deadline commitments can still be met.
Routine. A capable independent practitioner can handle the routine tasks such as the creation and production of press releases, news bulletins, newsletters or e-mail blasts. This allows the staff communicator to apply his or her intimate knowledge of the company and its needs to vital activities such as strategic planning and positioning.
Enthusiasm. To an independent, your assignment is new and exciting. They’ll get you fired up all over again.
Creativity. An independent may be more inclined to think outside the corporate box and may be less likely to say, “But we’ve always done it this way.”
Flexibility. If discussed at the outset, an independent practitioner may be able to accommodate your deadline by working before nine and after five or on weekends. Most indies are flexible and would be willing to negotiate terms and conditions.
Independence. As an external consultant/supplier, an indie is distanced from the internal politics and personality clashes that can adversely affect any project. This can be a great thing."
Compiled by Kara Kuryllowicz with input from Joan Endersby, Veronica Feihl, Sue Horner, Ginny Jones, David Magil and Jane Naczynski.http://toronto.iabc.com/about-iabc/pic-independents/hire-an-independent/