Entries by Matt Wright

Obituaries: 10 nuggets of wisdom from beyond the grave

Looking back at 2018, as with any other year, we lost a number of famous faces.

However, the legacies of celebrities endures after their death,  in their work, be it audio, visual, or the written word.

And, since this is a website devoted to the written word, what better way to remember those who died in 2018 than through their words…who knows, they may even teach us something?

1. Dream, Work. Love

“One, remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Two, never give up work. Work gives you meaning and purpose and life is empty without it. Three, if you are lucky enough to find love, remember it is there and don’t throw it away.”

– Professor Stephen Hawking

2. A little luck is the best gift of all

“Every time I go to a comic book convention, at least one fan will ask me: ‘What is the greatest superpower of all?’ I always say that luck is the greatest superpower, because if you have good luck then everything goes your way.” read more read more

January 3, 2019 /0 Comments/by
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Blogs: How to structure

 

The internet is great for communication – too bad then that we’re often not great communicators.

We are so accustomed to ‘instant’ communication via twitter, WhatsApp, emails..etc, that nowadays we now tend to write as we think.

Like any activity, most of the hard work is in the preparation – start with a decent plan and a sound structure, then the writing will flow and it can actually become quite enjoyable. 

Read on and try it!

So, here are my 5 tips for structuring your blogs.

1. Plan what you’re going to say.

I’m assuming that you’ve already got a few blogs idea in mind and are ready to write. If you’re not, then it’s worthwhile reading How to get started with blog writing before you begin.

  • 1 key point per blog is fine – I find a common mistake is that people try to say too much in their blogs; they make so many points (the majority of which are not properly developed) that it can be hard to decipher what the blog is actually about (note: see point 3. ‘Do not write as you speak’)
  • 5 W’s + How – journalists are taught to make sure they cover the ‘What, Where, Who, When, Why’  in every article they write. Write these down on a scrap of paper with your planning structure and tick them off. [See How to write great Case Studies].
  • Categorise for easy retrieval – how are you going to locate your blog afterwards? By now, assuming you’ve got your topic and your key points sorted, this should be self-explanatory…but it’s surprising how often it’s not!
  • Tag for SEO – whilst this blog isn’t about SEO [see SEO and the perils of keyword stuffing], whilst you’re writing, you might as well tag as you go along – think about what search terms you would use to find this article if you were interesting in the topic.
  • Internal & external hyperlinks – not from an SEO point of view (see point above), but to prevent you from repeating yourself [note: this is why a limited number of points per blog is a distinct advantage].

2. Make sure the crux of the story is in the introduction – not in paragraph five. 

In online writing, there isn’t time for the ‘big build-up’:

  • Include the keyword in the title and the introduction [See SEO scoring for blogs] – this helps keep your message on track and also helps you to identify, at a glance, what your blogs were about when looking back at them!
  • Use H2 headings for your introduction – include the keyword in your introduction.
  • Make your introduction a synopsis – then you can copy and paste it to your social media links [See How to write a modular LinkedIn profile].

3. Do NOT write as you speak.

Your speech is spontaneous, you flit around subjects, you repeat yourself, you use slang and expressions, you actively modify the manner and tone of your language to mirror the non-verbal feedback you are receiving from other people. read more read more

November 24, 2018 /0 Comments/by

Adverbs: the universal modifiers

I don’t why, but I’ve always had some difficulty getting my head around adverbs.

I mean, verbs are always ‘doing words’ (I’m going back to primary school-speak here!) so adverbs should merely be regarded as ‘ad (-ditional) verb’ information, shouldn’t they? 

Erm…not quite, adverbs can modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs, and since there are so many different forms of the little blighters that it can be hard to keep track of what is an adverb and what isn’t. 

The following list might be of some help:

1. Adverbs of manner  

Adverbs of manner are (almost) always formed from adjectives by adding -ly:

“She sang beautifully.”

HOWEVER, note that:
i) Some adjectives can also end in ‘ly’; e.g. “the lonely man”.

ii) If the adjective already ends in ‘-ly’ it is clumsy to add another ‘-ly’ to form the adverb (even though this is technically correct):

  • e.g. friendly – friendlily!
  • kindly / leisurely / lonely /lovely…etc

iii) Flat adverbs are when the adverb can take the same form as the adjective; e.g. “Work hard.”
• far/ fast / hard / slow/ quick / straight / clean/ close / deep / fine read more read more

November 20, 2018 /0 Comments/by
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UK book publishing industry 2017 statistics: The Power of the Write Wing

Physical ‘Good’ v Digital ‘Not-so-good’

First of all, for all the talk of printed books being ‘dead’, consider the following from the bookseller.com on the 2017 statistics for the UK publishing industry:

“Physical book sales continue to outpace digital, with revenue up 5% last year to £3.1bn, while total digital sales income including journals rose 3% to £1.8bn.”

Let’s just pause for a second there: physical book sales were almost 75% higher than total digital sales in 2017. That’s a fact. Actually, if we compare like-for-like – physical v digital book sales – then physical book sales were almost x6 higher (£3.1bn v £543m).

“However, stripping out journals, digital book sales are down by 2% to £543m and consumer e-book sales are down even further by 7% to £191m.”

So, if we just concentrate on consumer e-book sales (£191m) then these are dwarfed by physical book sales (£3.1bn).

In other words, published printed works are thriving whilst published digital works are shrinking. So much for digital taking over the world! read more read more

November 19, 2018 /0 Comments/by
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Ghostwriting – 5 things I’ve learned from trial and error

I’d previously copy-edited a number of books, but up until March 2017 I’d never actually written one myself. And, strictly speaking, according to the dust cover of Lead Yourself to Success (published in October 2018 by Wileys), I still haven’t.

Nevertheless, the numerous drafts in my Dropbox folder and the odd mental scar or two attest to the fact that I have now officially joined the lauded ranks of published writers.

Ghostwriting book

What is ghostwriting?

=&0=& is hired to write pieces of work that are officially credited to another person. 

Ghostwriting is somewhat different to “ordinary” writing, in that it involves trying to be creative and interesting whilst suppressing the ghostwriter’s own voice.”

Source: [edited from] Wikipedia

Pros

  • You already have your source material.
  • You work on a job-by-job basis which makes it easier to stick to a contract.
  • It doesn’t have to be books – it can be anything from articles to blogs.

Cons

  • You must put any thoughts of ego aside.
  • Clients tend to be more demanding – you’re the hired help, not a trusted partner.
  • Lots of research is required, both to verify what you’ve been told and to bring yourself up to speed.

Here are my 5 (unofficial) tips for ghostwriting

1. Flexibility – don’t just touch your toes but be prepared to bend over backwards!

Publishers have deadlines. People who employ ghostwriters tend to lead busy lives. Hence, taking the time to sit down to speak to somebody about a book isn’t always a top priority. Especially when the person in question is an explorer who is prone to disappear for weeks on end, seemingly on a whim. read more

November 16, 2018 /0 Comments/by

Grammar: All about (Y)

YGrammar: Which word to use (Y)

https://www.theguardian.com/guardian-observer-style-guide-y

1. CORRECT USAGE

1.1. Similar words mean different things…

1.2 Use the right word in context…

2. SPELLINGS

2.1 To hyphenate (or not)?

YES

yo-yo

EXCEPTIONS

2.2 One word or two?

One word

yoghurt

Two words

2.3 Frequently misspelt

2.4 Change with form or plural

y or ie?

As a general rule: -y is an English suffix, whose function is to create an adjective (usually from a noun, eg creamy); -ie was originally a Scottish suffix, whose function is to add the meaning of “diminutive” (usually from a noun, eg beastie).

So in most cases, where there is dispute over whether a noun takes a -y or an -ie ending, the correct answer is -ie: she’s a girly girl, but she’s no helpless girlie. Think also scrunchie, beanie, nightie, meanie … There are exceptions (a hippy, an indie band), but where specific examples are not given, use -ie for nouns and -y for adjectives read more read more

November 15, 2018 /0 Comments/by
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BLT discussion: Discounting – how has your attitude to pricing changed over the years? 

On the plus side, discounting (done well) will drive revenues, but on the downside, applied badly, discounting can harm your brand.

On which side of the fence do you sit?

DEFINITION: 

“Discount: a deduction from the usual cost of something.”

Thoughts from around the table 

Yes – reasons to discount

• Situation-specific – start up v ongoing business.
• Client-specific – flex prices depending on who you’re talking to, be it large corporate, SME, or agency.
• Loyalty – more accommodating to clients who pay on time or have longevity.
• Worthwhile causes – charities often receive discounts.
• Memorable headline price – e.g. the coaching company that charges £1,000 p/hour for its services will be perceived as a luxury good and remembered as such. Hence, the perceived intrinsic value will be higher than an equivalent coaching company charging only £200 p/hour…even though the more expensive company may offer substantial discounts. read more read more

November 9, 2018 /0 Comments/by