A literal implementation of omnichannel makes no sense and would not be cost-effective By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD When a new technology emerges it sometimes takes a while for the industry to converge on a singular label to describe it. Such is the case with the vision to fully integrate multiple communication channels in order […]
Young people are more apt to read books than older folks To listen to mainstream media about the state of book publishing leaves most people with an incorrect understanding of the industry. The press gives the impression that fewer people are reading and those who do are mostly older. The industry is dying, so why […]
People who say they will one day write seldom get around to it When I tell people I am a writer I get various responses. Aside from a blank look of incomprehension or the dreaded question of “Have you written anything I’ve heard of?” they usually tell me about their own writing aspirations. Here are […]
Having a firm due date provides authors with three essential benefits Few people enjoy being confronted by a deadline. And due dates apply to writers perhaps more than most others. Deadlines harass us; they make us write when we’d rather do something else, something fun, important, or beneficial. Due dates force us to make sacrifices, […]
By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD Many years ago in another industry, my boss shared his grand suggestion to save money and boost productivity. It was insightful but had a critical flaw that would render it unworkable. He was enough removed from the day-to-day workings of our operation that he was unaware of the hole in […]
By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD I have a love/hate attitude toward downloading monthly statements and invoices. I love receiving the information faster and storing it electronically. I hate the problems that come up, such as down websites, login frustrations, redesigned pages that seem to hide my information, and unavailable statements. And this doesn’t just apply […]
The amount of time required to rework a piece is often too great, and it’s best to let it go. I once read the debut novel by a YA author. I was quite taken by it. I loved her humor and writing style. I wanted more, but since it was her first published novel I […]
Maintain an idea repository to jumpstart your creativity every time you sit down to write Each week I create several posts for my blogs. I also compose posts for others (content marketing). In addition, I need to produce columns for my various publications. At a minimum, I write five new pieces a week, sometimes upwards […]
Be upfront with editors if you are sending the same piece to multiple publications When submitting an article to a magazine it’s a good practice to inform them if it’s a simultaneous submission, that is, if you’re sending it to others for consideration at the same time. Making simultaneous submissions is like dating multiple people […]
Common sense tips, that most people skip, to increase the chances of having your writing submission accepted in magazines and websites: As a magazine, newsletter, and website publisher, I’ve received thousands of article submissions over the years. Some of the writers are easy to work with and others are more of a chore. If you […]