Are
you a reader?
You should be. It’s the single best way to become a better writer. Making the time to read the kind of writing you want to improve upon is a worthwhile investment. At the same time, there are also some outside resources to help your writing, your readership, and your sales.
Style/Grammar
Dictionary/Thesaurus—If you don’t have these, get them. Or bookmark online sources you trust.
The Elements of Style—It still stands the test of time. In a writing seminar, I sat next to an Iranian-born man (who was a U.S. citizen) with a better command of the English language than I had. At a break, he told me this book was the key for him.
The Confident Writer—I took a class from Dottie Withrow years ago. She’s a great lady and actually made eighth-grade grammar fun. Her book does, too.
Readership/Sales
I’m a big fan of Jeffrey Gitomer. His insights into better sales and deeper business relationships are aligned with my philosophies on reaching people through writing. His books are clear, easy to understand, real, and focused on guess who? Here are the ones I’ve read and recommend:
Little Black Book of Connections
Little Gold Book of YES! Attitude
Little Green Book of Getting Your Way
Little Platinum Book of Cha-Ching!
You can find any of these books online. But if you count on your local community to support your business, you might consider showing your local bookseller the same courtesy.
