Category Archives for Articles

How Writing Practice Can Improve Mental Health

There are a lot of benefits associated with writing, such as improving productivity, communication, and so on. However, research carried out by Dr. James W. Pennebaker, an American social psychologist, found that students who wrote about traumatic events in their life used pain relievers less often and visited the health center in the campus less often.

Writing in detail about your emotions has proven to be a great way to relieve stress, manage anxiety, and cope with certain mental health issues. Expressive writing is an excellent channel through which the writer can purge out your thoughts, sort out emotions with some clarity, and bring peace to your mind.

Although the benefits of writing are numerous, it requires practice in order for you to express your emotions in writing clearly. You might be confused about what to write, when you should write, how you should write, and even where you should write.

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Traditional vs Self Publishing: Pros and Cons

You finished writing a book. Awesome! You then went through the editing process and now you’re exploring your publishing options. At this point, you may be asking yourself, “Should I choose traditional or self publishing?”

Just to make sure we are all on the same page, let’s quickly define both publishing methods. 

Traditional publishing refers to having your book published through a company (a publishing house) that deals with all aspects of the process, from preparing the book for publication to dealing with marketing and promotion.

On the other hand, self publishing is when you, the author, arrange everything, from formatting to marketing. You might still hire a freelancer—for instance, to design a cover—but you basically control the entire process.

Now, many people might think that the question “traditional or self publishing?” is not a true dilemma, for two reasons: Firstly, these people assume everyone should opt for traditional publishing because it’s just “better,” in some undefined way; secondly, because they assume that since publishing houses are so picky about accepting manuscripts, you’d be mad not to publish your book traditionally, if you have the chance.

However, it’s not quite that simple—few things in life are!

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Why You Should Keep Writing (Even If No One Is Reading)

Finally, you hit “publish.”

The blog post you’ve spent hours polishing, making sure everything is perfect, is complete.

Now you wait. One day. Then two. A week goes by, but only one or two people have seen your post. You poured your heart and soul into that post, but the result is disappointing.

It can be disheartening when no one pays attention to your work. A few views can make you doubt your ability to write.

But you know what? Every great blogger started out like that. 

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Simple Style Tweaks Your Readers Will Love You For

You’ve done it. You’ve written that killer story, or the zingy product copy to send to your client that will skyrocket their brand into the stratosphere. It’s spell-checked, proofread, and edited to perfection, with an eye-catching hero image in place. You’re quite rightly proud of your work.

Just attach and send, right?

Stop!

Pulitzer Prize-winning content it may be, but take a moment to consider the recipient’s reaction. That first impression when they open the document. It’s in your best interest to make it easy for them to read. Your extra attention to detail might help a client turn your work around faster or even be the difference between acceptance and rejection.

Sure, the content will be reformatted for publication by the client later, but your finished copy should shine in its own right. Considerate formatting is also beneficial for readers with additional needs, such as dyslexia.

To improve its impact, don’t look at your work with a writer’s or editor’s eye, but a designer’s. See if it delivers the right message and visually matches the story you’re telling. The design and layout should reinforce the style and tone you’ve used in the piece, as it affects the perception of your work.

If you don’t consider yourself a designer or know much about layout and fonts, don’t worry. These few simple tips will enable you to add visual punch to your copy.

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