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
writing a bio about yourself
Personal Branding

How to Write a Bio about Yourself – A Template

If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably found that writing a bio about yourself (as an intending author) is tougher than it looks. We can spin a story or craft a useful business model, but when it comes to summing up our own lives in a few short paragraphs, we get stuck. We may stay too humble. It’s a common struggle for authors, however, your bio is too important to gloss over. The end result should create authority with new readers and is a crucial part of your author brand. You might think it’s all about listing your achievements, but it’s really about connecting with people. A well-crafted bio tells your story, builds trust and credibility, and invites readers to explore your work. Fortunately, writing one doesn’t have to be a nightmare. This guide will walk you through each step, helping…
Read more
Meet Zali Steggall
Mini Biography

Meet Zali Steggall – From Champion Skiier to Climate Campaigner

[Mini Biography: Zali Steggall] Today I want to write about someone I briefly encountered in about 1998, who springs to mind due to the Winter Olympics and current political “can’t get anywhere with Climate bills” catastrophe. Zali Steggall OAM is a member of Australian parliament who has successfully navigated two vastly different high-pressure careers: first as an elite world-champion athlete and later as a trailblazing independent politician. Early Life and the Manly Connection Jen at Manly, 1990 I loved my youthful time in Manly, often boogie boarding on the lovely waves. But as a self-sustaining person, I noticed the divide between us renters and homeowners with asset wealth – which since the ’90s has strayed even further from the strugglers. Our half house rent was $140 per week in 1990 on the hill in Fairlight, near Manly. Our joint budget…
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
Filters
Reset