Tag Archive for: deadlines

Use calendar invitations to keep your experts on schedule

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Do you ever struggle to get your authors and subject-matter experts to return their edits and comments on time? I’ve learned a new way to nudge them.

This year a new person took over coordinating an editing project that I’d worked on before. I was surprised that the project ran more or less on schedule, in contrast to my earlier experience.

Luckily for you, my contact told me her secret. Every time I gave an author a deadline, the coordinator sent a Microsoft Outlook calendar invitation for that deadline to the author.

That’s brilliant!

An electronic calendar invitation acts as a gentle reminder of a deadline, especially if the recipient monitors their calendar and sets reminders about items on the calendar.

Try this to see if it works for you!

Why hire a writer? Three powerful reasons

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You can write. You know your company, products, and services better than anyone else. You may even be a great writer. So why should you hire a freelance writer instead of writing your own article, white paper, or other piece?

1. Your project will be completed on time

You’ve got lots of work to do. Writing keeps getting pushed to the back of the line. A writer who understands the importance of deadlines will give you a realistic schedule and complete your project on time.

2. Your topic will be explained clearly

Experts like you often suffer from the curse of knowledge, a term I first encountered in Made to Stick by Chip and Dan Heath. It’s hard for you to explain things to outsiders because you know too much. You may get bogged down in details before you tell readers why they should care about your topic.

A writer can tackle your topic from the perspective of an outsider. Journalistic skills help the writer draw out the right information when they interview you.

3. Your piece will be easy to read

Writing isn’t your focus. Despite your talent, you lack the time to edit and proofread carefully. When you reserve your energy for editing and proofreading your professional writer, you’re bound to get better results.

 

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

How a blogging buddy can help your financial planning or investment blog

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Inseparable: 2 cats

photo: ljcybergal

Accountability works. You’re probably familiar with the benefits of the accountability imposed by a financial plan or investment policy statement. So, here are suggestions for how to make a blogging buddy work for you – and for your buddy, too. This is an idea I’ve discussed in “Blogging buddies: Financial bloggers’ secret weapons.” I see three potential areas of focus for blogging buddies:

  1. Deadlines
  2. Brainstorming
  3. Feedback

Deadlines

Sometimes simply telling someone else that you’ll post to your blog at regular intervals–for example, every other Tuesday–can make a difference. Scheduling a celebratory email saying “I did it!” can reinforce positive behavior. On the other hand, your buddy’s friendly “Where is it?” may stop you from getting too far behind.

Brainstorming

Every blogger feels stuck sometimes. Perhaps you can’t think of a topic for next week’s post. Or maybe you’re struggling with how to explain a complex topic.

Having a friendly person to act as your sounding board can help you break through. I suggest you identify your biggest challenge and talk it through with your buddy. That may inspire you with new ideas. Plus, your buddy can add her or his thoughts.

Feedback

It’s hard for writers to look objectively at their own drafts. Third-party feedback is valuable.

Here are some questions to help you give and solicit good feedback:

  1. What did you like about this blog post?
  2. What’s your sense of the audience this will appeal to and why it will appeal?
  3. Is there anything confusing or difficult in this draft?
  4. Is the vocabulary appropriate for my audience?
  5. Did you notice any typos or other mistakes?
  6. Does this make you think of other topics for future blog posts?

You can customize your question list based on your needs.

Has a blogging buddy worked for you?

If you’ve experimented with a blogging buddy, I’m curious to hear about your experience. Please share.

I have a goals buddy instead of a blogging buddy. Her perspective and support have helped me conquer many challenges. She is a writer in a noncompeting field. I hope you also find a great buddy.