Having our book rejected stings. Here are seven common reasons why this happens. 1) The Writing Isn’t Ready: Everyone is a new writer at some point. It takes time for our writing to mature, our voice to emerge, and our style to become consistent. Some say this takes 10,000 hours or requires 1,000,000 words before […]
While watching TV this week, I was shocked at a promo for a new show. Their hook was identical to a book series I’ve been contemplating. Though I’m sure the show will go in a different direction than what I planned for my books, the premise is the same. The similarity is so great that […]
By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD Since its beginning, every year brings changes to the telephone answering service (TAS) industry. And the scope of change seems to increase each year. However, not everything changes. Some things stay the same. Though these four keys may fluctuate in importance from year to year, they are always at the […]
How We Use Them is Key I’m not musically inclined, and that may be an understatement. I’ve always been in awe of composers and songwriters. They have so few notes to work with. It seems after a while, they would run out of combinations, that everything that could be created, would be created, with no […]
If you are a consultant, service provider, or business professional, having a book can become your best form of promotion. A book provides instant credibility, elevating you above the competition who has no book. It becomes a calling card, opening doors and providing opportunities you would otherwise miss. Your book is the ultimate business card. […]
By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD The last few days have been challenging at the DeHaan household. Too much rain in too short of a time produced localized flooding. Coupled with some unusual factors with our house and lot, the result was water gushing into our basement. It took four pumps, several hours of bailing, and […]
With more and more people viewing websites from mobile devices, it’s critical that our sites work well with smaller screens, that they are “responsive.” In simple terms, a responsive website is one that automatically resizes to fit the viewing area of the appliance accessing it. In the past this meant making a separate version of […]
Last week we looked at using writing tools and aids. Today we consider tapping human input to improve our work. While this is a great way to advance as a writer, a bit of caution is also in order. When we read books, we notice what other authors do and may adopt their writing idiosyncrasies, […]
When I first started writing, I was delighted to learn about a nifty book called a Thesaurus, which suggested new words to replace ones I grew tired of using. However, I assumed each of their suggestions would work in every situation. I didn’t know I had to understand the meaning of these words and determine […]
By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD A problem faced by telephone answering service owners (like all business owners) is addressing life cycle changes: dealing with shifting priorities as we age. While some people may have both the drive and ability to run a business for the remainder of their lives, most get to a point where […]