The hidden hand behind my writing

The hidden hand behind my writing

Behind everything I write is a hidden hand – that of my editor, Jaclyn McRae. Everything I write, I send to Jac before I unleash it on the world. Why? Because distributing content with mistakes – even small ones – damages my brand.

The editor (also called subeditor or copyeditor) is every content marketer’s friend. She will proofread your content for spelling mistakes and grammatical errors, question any words or phrases that don’t make sense, and even check the basic facts.

Is your content sparking conversations?

Is your content sparking conversations?

Have you ever said “Good morning” to someone who didn’t respond? It’s an unsettling feeling of sorrow, even indignance when a generous, warmly intended communiqué is ignored.

There’s a parallel on our content marketing program: we put time and effort into creating our content, and sending out our e-newsletters – and then we get little or no response.

How to win the attention of BRW deputy editor, Caitlin Fitzsimmons

How to win the attention of BRW deputy editor, Caitlin Fitzsimmons

There were a hundred or more email pitches sitting in Caitlin Fitzsimmons’ inbox this morning – and she’s going to read them.

As the associate editor of online business magazine, BRW, Fitzsimmons says many of the stories she writes start from email pitches.

But Fitzsimmons is quick on the trash trigger. “My job is what I deliver to our readers every day in our e-newsletter, rather than keeping on top of emails,” she says.

Quotes are like lovers: we don’t need them, but they make life interesting

Quotes are like lovers: we don’t need them, but they make life interesting

Great writing is based on great ideas, and these do not come out of our minds alone.

Research, in other words, is the basis of every great story. Quoting the sources who contributed to our stories brings depth and balance to them.

Unfortunately, quoting sources can also end up fragmenting your story, interrupting the flow, and distracting the reader. Not quoting sources, on the other hand, may result in plagiarism.