BOOK REVIEW: "How to Make a Living with Your Writing" by Joanna Penn

 

by Tony Thomas

Joanna Penn well known and prolific writer and YouTuber.  I have enjoyed watching videos on her YouTube channel “The Creative Penn” for several years.  She is entertaining, funny, personable, and very knowledgeable.

Her book "How to Make a Living with your Writing" details all of her principles of becoming a successful, self-published, author. 

Can You Really Make a Living as a Writer?

According to the first chapter of Penn's book: “Yes, it is possible!”  Of course, that does not mean it easy.  As with any career, achieving success requires a lot of hard work.  Penn claims that she makes a six-figure income with her writing through a combination of ethical marketing, blogging, and writing books for a global audience.  

She began by totally immersing herself in info about writing, publishing, social media marketing, podcasting, and more.  In the book, she offers solid advice about entrepreneurship, developing multiple income streams, building a scalable business, and much more.

Takeaways

One of the takeaways that I received from this book is that you don't just write one book.  To be successful, you must write many books.  That is the way that you grow in popularity.  You must build a name and a brand.

She also discusses different publishing options, changes in the industry, audiobooks, ebooks, how to self-publish, and how to make money with content marketing, affiliate marketing, freelance writing, consulting and coaching, product sales and professional speaking. 

This is a great book to get you started in the world of professional writing and self-publishing.  I highly recommend it!

Buy it on Amazon: https://amzn.to/30CjwZI

"As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases."

The Writing Productivity Bundle - Book Review

by Tony Thomas

This is actually a set of three books penned by author, Monica Leonelle.  The books included are:

“Write Better, Faster”

“The 8 Minute Writing Habit”

“Dictate Your Book”

“Write Better, Faster” actually started off as a blog post that detailed Monica’s experience in trying hit her writing goals by using the “Pomodoro method”, dictation and meticulously  tracking her progress.  It is an easy read and a book worth revisiting from time to time.  The book ends with a very long appendix which is essentially a diary of her progress.  

“The 8 Minute Writing Habit” covers the five “author blocks that are keeping you from your writing” and provides nine strategies for success.  The last part of the book is the “8 x 8 challenge” that encompasses trying different techniques for 8 days that only take 8 minutes per day.

“Dictating Your Book” is about learning how to dictate to improve your productivity.  It primarily focuses on using “Dragon Naturally Speaking”.  

What I found refreshing about this set is that is written in a first-person, conversational tone.  She imparts a lot of wisdom that has been produced by her writing experiences.  I think it is a useful set for any writer.

Click link below to buy it on Amazon:  

https://amzn.to/3i4aX0g

Full disclosure:  As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

My Favorite Writing Tools

 

by Tony Thomas

One of my biggest writing obstacles is finding and using writing tools that I am both comfortable with and improve my workflow.  Here are some that I have found that help:

RedDragon Keyboard: I recently purchased a Red Dragon Kumara keyboard.  It has real switches that are pretty quiet and have excellent tactile response. Its back-lit keys also allow me to work easily when the lights are off.  I find that I can type very fast and accurately with this keyboard (after trying many others) so it is a keeper.

Evernote:  After taking a few years off, I renewed my Evernote subscription.  I tried to replace it with Google Keep but was not impressed with its overall dependability. I also missed having a dedicated Windows app with word count capability that would sync with all of my other devices while offering a web app.  I find the web clipper extension invaluable for organization and research.  And, as I often forget things and can become disorganized at times, Evernote functions as an extension of my brain.

Dragon Naturally Speaking:  I am regularly using dictation again.  While I often type when outlining or drafting, dictation definitely comes in handy when I am "in the flow".  As I can talk a lot faster than I can I can type, it definitely increases my productivity and word count without much effort. Dragon NaturallySpeaking is my favorite tool for dictation, although I also use Google dictation and Siri at times.

Scrivener: For writing books, I have not found a better solution than Scrivener.  While I often draft in other apps or programs, the content always ends up in Scrivener for final formatting and book production.  I also love its tools for tracking project stats and targets.

Google Docs:  When I work on my Chromebook or PC, I usually just use Google Docs.  It has all of the basic functions I need like built-in dictation, word count, formatting, plus grammar and spell checking.  What's not to like?

iPad: While I use the iPad primarily for content consumption, believe it or not, I really like typing on the iPad screen. I have been experimenting with a variety of text editors on the iPad and use them quite a bit to come up with ideas and for light drafting. I also like using various outlining and mind mapping apps on the iPad.  And having other tools like Evernote and Scrivener on the iPad is a huge plus.

What writing tools do you like to use?

The Book That Changed How I Approach Writing

by Tony Thomas

On Writing Well. Those three words say it all.

William Zinsser's book on non-fiction writing is a true gem and is must-read for any writer. It certainly revolutionized the way that I approach writing.

Zinsser taught me that "less is more" and that I need to simplify. He taught me to write to an individual and not to an audience. He also taught me to think clearly.

One of my favorite quotes from On Writing Well:

“But the secret of good writing is to strip every sentence to its cleanest components. Every word that serves no function, every long word that could be a short word, every adverb that carries the same meaning that's already in the verb, every passive construction that leaves the reader unsure of who is doing what--these are the thousand and one adulterants that weaken the strength of a sentence. And they usually occur in proportion to education and rank...” (1)

Word economy is the key to clear communication. When I read older works, I often labor to dissect a sentence to determine exactly what a writer meant to say.  This is unfortunate and a lot of us are similarly guilty of unnecessary embellishment. We use several paragraphs to convey information that can be summarized in one sentence. Sometimes this is due to arrogance.  Sometimes it is just plain laziness.

As Zinsser says, "Writing is hard work". I would add that editing is even harder work.

(1) On Writing Well, William Zinsser

You can buy a copy of On Writing Well here:

https://amzn.to/2nZKmHm

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Why I Write

by Tony Thomas

Why do I write? I write because I love words. I write because I can sculpt my sentences into the messages that I want to convey. I write because writing is the ultimate form of communication.

I have been writing professionally for over 40 years. I've written articles, ad copy, radio commercials, collateral material, white papers, and books. I have loved every project and every moment that I have spent writing.

Sometimes words don't come easy. I have to stop, reflect, and think hard to coax them out. Eventually, they exit my mind and appear on the page. I am not a voluminous writer. I am stingy with my words. I believe in word economy. I mercilessly excise every superfluous sentence and word. Each word in the sentence has to work harder to perfectly render the correct shade of meaning.

I am a writer.  That is why I write.