The LAST Word

  Spring is a great time of year. The colors are as vibrant as those in the fall. The difference is they are buds and blooming instead of dying and preparing for hibernation. Plants, trees and animals are breaking free from a long cold winter to enjoy longer days, warmer weather and mating season. You will see purple, pinks, white, yellow, light green, blues, red, orange and lavender. Spring is a time of renewal on the Earth and in your soul.  But, with spring also comes the dreaded Daylight Savings Time. This is a system we do not need and should outlaw. First, the name is incorrect. We aren't "saving" daylight. We are moving it to be later in the day, but the number of hours that are bright is the same in EST or EDT. During June, it is about 12-14 hours of daylight whether that day starts at 4 a.m. or 5 a.m. Second, it was started for farmers and to save energy, but most of us live at our computers inside an office instead of on the farm. I would also argu...

Writers and business owners all have their wish lists.  Here are things I want this Christmas. I put it in the 12 days of Christmas song. On the first day of Christmas, my colleagues gave to me: a contract for editing On the second day of Christmas, my colleagues gave to me: two press releases On the third day of Christmas, my colleagues gave to me: three blogs to write On the fourth day of Christmas, my sports stars gave to me: four #Eagles wins On the fifth day of Christmas, my company gave to me: five thousand dollars On the sixth day of Christmas, my colleagues gave to me: six ways to market On the seventh day of Christmas, my customers gave to me: seven times the pay On the eighth day of Christmas, my dentist gave to me: no more procedures On the ninth day of Christmas, my family gave to me: nine days of laughter On the 10th day of Christmas, my customers gave to me: 10 book reviews On the 11th day of Christmas, my family gave to me: 11 hugs and kisses On the 12th day of Chris...

  I often hear first-time authors worry about the publishing process. Because it's Halloween, I want you to know that it doesn't have to be scary. Whether you write horror, fantasy, self-help or cookbooks, the process is not difficult. If you trust your abilities and your instincts, you could create the perfect book without being frightened. Here are tips on publishing. What to Say If you feel like you need to write a book, you also will know what to say. For example, you want to inform readers of a new technique and believe you need to write a short book about the technique. After you have done your research, your mind will help you organize your thoughts into the book. If you are writing fiction, you will hear the characters' voices in your head as you sit down to write. Your writing coach will guide you on what is important to say and what you should eliminate.  What Art to Use All books, fiction and nonfiction, print and electronic, must have ...

    When writing blogs , you can stick to business-related text that will give you the right keywords and focus on the right audience. You also can write themes because people are searching for those things. Writing these theme-related blogs will not alter your rankings in search engine optimization , but they could bring you new customers. Some people searching these themes might be your target audience, but you won't know if you stick to business-related blogs.  For example, if you want to write blogs about autumn themes, you can do that. I would recommend, though, that you connect the fall theme to your business in some way. Otherwise, it might not help you rank or be considered fresh relevant content by Google.   Here are some tips for writing content in the fall.   Relate to Fall Holidays. If you want people to search for your company, you can try writing blogs that connect a fall holiday to your business. For example, a home improvement company could w...

I am a firm believer that all business owners must take time away from their work and go on vacation. Many workaholics do not take time off from work, which usually leads to stress and heart problems. Getting away from stress and worries for a time allows you to recharge your batteries and refocus on work. Here are ways vacations can help business owners and writers. See New Things Going on vacation means you can see new things and eat different foods. In South Dakota, I ate bison burgers. They were not as fatty as regular burgers and had exceptional flavor. In Wyoming, I had yak burger from a local farm. In Montana, I ate bison lasagna. I enjoy trying new foods. My parents always wanted us to try something different. My mom loves to cook different foods when she entertains and likes to try new recipes regularly. On my trip, I saw several parks, mountains, tribal museums and history. I climbed areas that I thought I couldn't. I saw cultures, cities and vasts amounts of hills and pl...

  If you are in business, chances are great that you use content somewhere in your marketing. You might post regularly on social media. You might send press releases. You might submit articles for publication. You might create a video and need a description. Whatever you use for your marketing, you want to make sure a professional editor has seen it before it has been sent. Here are five reasons why editors will help your marketing . Time – As business owners, you have many items competing for your time. Why let content creation be one of them? If you hire a writer to produce content for you, this will give you back time . When you also have an editor review the writer’s work, you will know that everything you are posting or submitting are correct. You need to use your time wisely. Editors and writers help you do that.   Authority – Business owners want to be experts for their brand and authorities in their industry. When you post high-quality content, you build your reputa...