365 Days In A Year - Latest Comments

Re: Story Month: The Old Ship

Lee Pound — Wed, 02 May 2012 11:06:54 -0000

You're welcome! I'll be doing a lot more like it over the next month.

Re: Story Month: The Old Ship

Flora Brown, Ph.D. — Wed, 02 May 2012 05:13:19 -0000

Great story Lee. Thanks for sharing it.

Re: A Final Thought on Starting Your Book

Lee Pound — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 01:42:58 -0000

Hi Steve,
I agree that this is critical. I learned it many years ago and still pass it on to my clients. Great point.

Re: A Final Thought on Starting Your Book

Steve Amos — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 00:30:37 -0000

Good advice. The other point I learned was to give yourself permission to write ugly. That is right the first draft can be bad, not make sense or be horribly unreadable. But if you start to capture ideas and keep working on it you can create words that entertain, lead, teach or heal. Well worth the struggle of ugly writing.

Re: Writing and Marketing Messages

Lee Pound — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 12:29:17 -0000

Hi Marnie,
I'm glad you found teh blog and enjoy it. I agree that consistency is very important and will have to do a post on it. A advocate showing up with the same message and the same appearance everywhere so you get recognized everywhere. Thank you!!

Re: Writing and Marketing Messages

Marnie Hughes — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 09:33:48 -0000

Thanks for the post, Lee. Just discovering your blog now and delighted to have new reading material to inspire me! I think the idea of spreading your message widely where potential buyers are likely to be is terrific, but I think the point of CONSISTENCY is even more important! Look forward to reading through your sites and posts. Cheers!

Re: Top Ten Words That Weaken Your Writing

Lee Pound — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 02:42:08 -0000

Joan, thank you. The last two words are usually not mentioned as weakeners but in this case they belong. "Below" is a more general word and is better replaced with specifics. Weak is a weak word in the sense that it does not give us a strong clue to actual condition.

Re: Top Ten Words That Weaken Your Writing

Joan Friedlander — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 08:10:08 -0000

Lee, good list. I understand 8 you listed. 2 are not as apparent, below and weak. What are example replacement words for them?

Re: Stop! Do not make New Year’s resolutions. Here’s why:

Sheri — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 18:21:43 -0000

Good clear advice!

Re: Are People Really Reading Less?

Billy H — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 17:49:09 -0000

I have a book published but the publisher mislead me to believe they would handle all the marketing. Soon after it was published, they began to bombard me with offers to sell me my book at varying discounts, none adequate for me to purchase and raise the price to cover shipping to stay at or below their list price and make a profit. Then they offered to convert it to Kindle if I would pay them a rather handsome fee. I have a 7-year contract with five years to go before releasing them. How would you handle this?

Re: Simplifying Your Life

Lee Pound — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 19:45:50 -0000

Hi Steph,
Yes, we did have the same idea. I finished my 365 stories last August and then started doing more general articles about writing and writing skills. Some of the stories were short but all were written and posted just as you did, day by day. Most were thought up and written on the spot. It's quite a challenge but by now it has become a habit and I have written almost 500 posts in a row to date. Keep me posted on how you are doing!

Re: Simplifying Your Life

Steph — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 17:56:59 -0000

Hi there.. think we had the same idea! I'm on day 75 of mine at www.365stories.co.uk ! This is so much easier than you'd think, isn't it?

Re: How to Find Typographical Errors

Lee Pound — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 02:08:19 -0000

Thanks! So far you are the only one who caught it. I even toyed with the idea of adding a last line "See if you can find the type in this post." just in case one got through. But, alas, it wasn't intentional. Just makes my point even better.

Re: How to Find Typographical Errors

Peter Learoyd — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 02:45:54 -0000

Thanks for the post, Lee. I agree with everything you say.
Unfortunately, the inevitable has happened, as with so many articles on the subject of typos: one has managed to slip through your various safety nets.
Second sentence of the No 1 paragraph. 'Simple yet hand and of course...'
As you say, we don't even know it's there until someone else points it out. Don't you agree, though, it's nice when someone points it out politely rather than making a song and dance over it. These things happen. We're all human.
Certainly helps to highlight your point though!
All the best
Peter
http://www.mytypohumour.com

Re: The 10 scariest things that can happen to a writer

Steve Amos — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 07:30:01 -0000

Great ghoulish list. Who would want to be a .... celebrity!

Re: The Ten Top Reasons Marketers Fail

Lee Pound — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 02:06:44 -0000

Hi Susan,
There really is too much chasing. The best way to entice is to build an image that attracts people to you through social media, blogging, and your web site. I just finished a whole book on this subject called Profitable Social Media that goes into this in detail. People love to buy but they hate to be sold. Seems like a contradiction but it's the way it works.

Re: The Ten Top Reasons Marketers Fail

Susan_Saldibar — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 20:30:13 -0000

Wow, so true, Lee. I'd like to know more about enticing rather than chasing. We are all so good at chasing, often chasing our own tails!

Re: What are you interested in reading?

Lee Pound — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 02:25:11 -0000

Hi Rachael, I've seen some wonderful writing in those areas. I have always been interested in history and fiction is a great way to bring it alive.

Re: What are you interested in reading?

Rachael — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 10:29:34 -0000

I am really interested in reading fantasy, adventure, historic romance, modern romance, but mostly a historical adventure or romance.

Re: The Top Ten Reasons Most Writers Don’t Write

Lee Pound — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 02:57:20 -0000

You are absolutely right, there are many reasons to write and not to write. I had a bit of fun with it but I was serious as well. it sounds like you have written more than perhaps 90% of the people out there. From your comments in the past, I can tell you think carefully and have a sense of humor as well, all great ingredients for a writer. It's not so much a matter of whether more people will read a book as opposed to a blog. I think different people have different preferences and you will reach more people if you use both the book and the blog. Sounds like you need a good editor and coach to help you get your material organized and make sense of it, which is what I do.

Re: The Top Ten Reasons Most Writers Don’t Write

Oren Pardes — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 03:05:15 -0000

There as many reasons people don't write as there are that they do. I've never kept a journal and can't read most of the notes I've written by hand. I had my computer AND back-ups stolen (with all my personal information). Not only were photos, videos, and music lost forever, but so were years of ideas and information I had collected or created. What I have left is mainly what's posted online. I'm already on my third ream of paper trying to print out what I can find and access from various sites. I don't have the discipline or patience to just sit and write - but if the amount of paper I'm filling up with what I've already somehow managed to write is any indication, there could be enough for at least one book - if someone were willing to (help) organize and edit it (together). It's been a long time since I've read a lot of what I wrote, but starting to do so now has made me realize that not only had a lot to say, but often said it pretty well. Do you think more people would read something in a book than in a blog - or is anyone reading anything at all mainly a matter of marketing?

Re: The Truth About Writing

Lee Pound — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 03:09:35 -0000

Oren, this is a very good response and you make a lot of excellent points. I must say though, that reading of all kinds is still very much alive. It happens in different places than it used to and in different formats. It is interesting that electronic books, which are still books, are outselling paper books. It is also true that many of these books, of both kinds, are never read. I have quite a few books on my shelf that I have not read.

You mentioned that writers still have influence, which is true. The fact that you wrote and published a book often has more influence than the book itself. It is an entree to speaking engagements and radio appearances. The meeting planner may never read the book but its existence influences the planner. Many books are unread until they are made into movies or television series. Two of these are Soul Surfer and The Help, mostly unknown until the movie came out.

Like everything else, writing a book is a tool for a larger goal. Becoming influential is a long-term project that involves many pieces. The book is an important part of it but not the only part.

By the way, to be realistic, a book that sells one million copies reaches less than 3/1000 of the population of the United States and is considered to be a huge best seller. Influence is built on reputation, word of mouth, and hard work as well as a book and speaking.

Re: The Truth About Writing

Oren Pardes — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 03:47:35 -0000

There are far more books written by people who are NOT famous than by those who are. I'm not sure what percentage of famous people who have written books became so as a result of their book(s), but am pretty sure that a much higher percentage of their books are bought and read after they became famous - especially since quite of few them only wrote a book at all as a result of people's interest in them.

It often seems that although there is much more to read than ever before, many people don't seem to read much at all - in print or online. Many newspapers, bookstores, and publishing houses find themselves going out of business - due to reduced demand for what they offer. Even public libraries are closing and those that stay open are throwing away many books and refusing to accept book donations. Yet that has not reduced the influence of writers - of songs, screen plays, television scripts, and advertising.

I have more books than I know what to do with. Many of them I have never read - and am not sure I ever will. My now adult daughter (and everyone else in her class each) wrote a (hardcover) book (of original stories) in elementary school. Very few copies were printed and they went mainly to family members, but at least she can claim being a published author. My father has written several (technical) books (in the field of electrical engineering and computer science). My mother's mother wrote a book mainly about her experience working for UNICEF. The closest I've ever come to writing a book are various blog posts and comments on the internet. I doubt my very limited influence would increase by writing a "real" book - especially when so few people seem to read or respond to much of what I usually write about.

Re: Five Ways to Open Your Book

Lee — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 01:43:25 -0000

Doug, I suspect it takes one hand to hold the reader and the other to punch the buttons. Of course if it is on your computer it takes to hands to type in all the commands!!

Re: Five Ways to Open Your Book

Dgfeller — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 13:38:43 -0000

Grat tips but do you still use both hands if it is an e-book?