Get unstuck in thought leadership

Why Your Manuscript Stays Stuck in Draft Mode

You have a manuscript sitting on your computer. You open it every few weeks, read through what you’ve written, maybe add a paragraph or two, then close it again. Months pass. Sometimes years. You tell yourself it’s because you’re busy. Or that you need more research. Or that you’re waiting for the right time to finish it properly. But here’s what’s actually happening: you’re going round and round in circles because there’s no clear thread. The Expert’s Curse When I was writing Power Marketing, I had tips everywhere. Brand advice here, content marketing strategies there, offline tactics scattered throughout. So much valuable knowledge, and absolutely no structure to hold it together. I kept adding more. Every time I sat down to write, I’d think of another important point that readers needed to know. The manuscript became a jumble. This is…
Read more
Beta Reading app Shimerith
Book Marketing

I Was Paying for a Whole Promotion Platform Just to Use the Beta Reader Feature

That frustration led to Shimerith.   Today’s article is brought to you by an indie fiction author – I hope you enjoy it. I’m Emma, an indie author since 2019 with six novels and one novella published. For years I’ve relied on a newsletter promotion platform that also includes a beta reader function. Even though I didn’t use the newsletter swaps, I kept paying a fairly expensive annual subscription just to access the beta reader feature. The problem with that is I only publish about one book a year. So, I was paying a large yearly fee… and using the feature only once. One day I mentioned this to my husband or, to be honest, I grumbled to my husband. My wonderful husband is a senior product engineer. He builds systems that solve problems and organise complex information into something…
Read more
writing books - actor-observer bias
Book Writing

Brilliance in Writing and the Actor-Observer Bias

Do you ever think to yourself: my writing is just so-so, it’s not like ….(famous writer you admire)…. they’re brilliant? Welcome to the critical path of being a novice. Novice writers often judge their own writing very differently from how they judge other people’s work. This happens because of a psychological pattern called the Actor–Observer Bias. (Attributing our own behaviour to situational factors/moods/struggle but attributing those observed to personality traits.) Internally, you see every part of your own writing process — the messy draft, the awkward sentences, the second-guessing, the struggles to find the right word. Because you see all this, you tend to explain your “not-so-great” paragraphs as something born not made: “I’m not naturally good at this” “This is not the right time for writing a book as I’m struggling” Attributing initial writing problems to your own abilities…
Read more
Digital Marketers can be catastrophic for business
Book Marketing

Digital Marketers can be Catastrophic for Business

I was reading ‘Inside Small Business’ on Sunday 🤓 and it said, “One in three small business owners who outsourced marketing ended up in a dispute with their provider.” Even more worrying, “Only three in ten small business owners are sticking with a digital marketer for more than a year.” (70% change, in other words) This is disastrous for business momentum and ROI. If you’re a micro business or launching author, it can spell catastrophe. The study was conducted by the University of the Sunshine Coast and supported by the Australian Family & Small Business Ombudsman. The article made comment that one of the reasons is due to a lack of fit between business needs and the agency’s skillset. Some might be great at digital ads but not have a storyteller and brand expert on board, so the ads don’t…
Read more
newsletter writing for financial advisors

Why Your Newsletter Stays in Your Mind

You know you’ve got to expand into newsletters if you’re writing a topical book or self-help guide. So why does your online newsletter sit unwritten? I believe it’s not about writing ability or finding the time. It’s about overcoming perfectionism. Most of us have the expertise or life experience. But translating that knowledge into newsletter content exhausts both your mental capacity—and hits the wall of wanting to be perfect. While my newsletters are not perfect either, I think research can help us overcome these barriers. The Research Gap Nobody Talks About Expert authors say “Just share about how your wrote your book”. Specialists say “Just share your expertise and stories” That’s not where to start. Before you write a word, you need to understand what your audience is actively searching for. Not what you assume they want. What they’re actually…
Read more
best writers retreats 2023
Writers Mindset

Best Writers Retreats 2026 to Inspire You to Write!

If you get inspired by being around writing teachers and other writers, and you have some savings for self-development, then a writers’ retreat could be great for you. I believe writing retreats are more in the personal development bucket than calling it a return on investment. Talks, creativity or speed writing workshops are usually included. Manuscript critiques (readings) are also included in some writing retreats. Then there are hybrid book writing and walking (or music) retreats and my first very own Writers Retreat, in the snow. Here I will go into some good value writing retreats, about half of which include accommodation. First, ask yourself some reflection questions: What new technique or new creativity practice do you want to get out of the retreat? Or is your main motivation to be around supportive writers and learn from those further ahead?…
Read more
Filters
Reset