Writer’s Resources
DID YOU KNOW ERNEST HEMINGWAY WORKS FOR US?
Ok, I don’t know who did these guys’ mailing list, but this actually came to The Writers For Hire address. Of course, yes, we ARE that great. But, to quell the rumor before it runs rampant: No Hemingway does not work for us.
MISUSED QUOTATION MARKS ARE “BAD”
When it comes to writing, there are dozens of rules just begging to be broken. Some are flexible and give you a little wiggle room — like hyphenation or deciding whether to use the comma before the “and” in lists. But there are other grammar rules that you just don’t break. You don’t tweak them; […]
RECESSION, ADVERTISING, AND OPPORTUNITY: FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Seems like when the going gets tough, the marketing budget is the first thing to get the axe. And, at first glance, the logic makes sense – after all, when money’s tight, isn’t it more important to keep the business you already have instead of dropping buckets of cash chasing new clients? Well, yes and […]
KILLER TIPS FOR STREAMLINING YOUR COPY, PART 1
As any writer knows, getting that first draft down on paper is only half the battle. Whether you’re writing web copy, a sales email, or a journalistic article, chances are, you and your editing team will go through a few rounds of tweaking and fine-tuning before your work is really done. So, I’ve decided to […]
LEVERAGING THE P.S. — WHY POSTSCRIPTS ARE IMPORTANT
I’ve been working on a direct mail marketing letter and wanted to share a little pearl of wisdom with everyone: how and why the P.S. or postscripts line is so important. Research shows that almost 80 percent of people will open a letter, scan the return address to see who sent it, then skip straight […]
GOT LEGS? CREATING AN AD CAMPAIGN WITH STAYING POWER
Quiz time: What’s the key to crafting an advertising concept that works? A.) Finding a hot celebrity to endorse your product or service B.) Changing your tagline and logo every six months so consumers won’t get bored C.) Coming up with a basic concept and tagline that’s flexible, memorable, and can be used for the […]
COOL STUFF FOR EVERY WRITER
There’s tons of cool stuff available for writers on the web these days – some of which you may not even know existed. Listed below are a few of my favorites to help you think, organize, create, manage, and most importantly, write. Photo by deglispiriti Buzzword: This is a free online word processor from Adobe. […]
INSPIRATION FROM ANYWHERE
As I missed my international flight home to Houston from Trinidad today, I was suddenly struck with an inspiration. Writers can find their muse anywhere at any time. Now, you may be wondering why being stuck at a foreign airport alone with absolutely no money and no lay of the land could inspire this thought […]
MAKE YOUR OWN KIND OF MUSIC
This week we have some advice passed on to me from best-selling author Karleen Koen. Your assignment: Write something, anything, every morning. No need for prompts like those we gave you in a recent post. No, this exercise is completely freestyle. Keep Your Mind and Fingers Nimble Every Day As a writer, even if you […]
GOOD WRITER TACTICS
Being a writer is NOT easy. You know that. Whether you are a freelancer or a Pulitzer-prize winning novelist, an immense amount of work goes into each word you put on paper. And even the most renowned writers have to work at it. Sure, every writer has his own personal tricks to keep the content […]