Write With Impact with Glenn Leibowitz

Find the notes to this episode at writewithimpact.com/episode44 Dustin McKissen and I met on LinkedIn nearly two years ago, when we were both starting to blog there. Since then, we’ve become friends - virtual friends, at least - since we’ve never actually met in person yet. In fact, this conversation is the very first time we’ve ever spoken to each other beyond email or LinkedIn messaging. I’m a huge fan of Dustin’s writing on LinkedIn. While the word “authenticity” is on the verge of becoming cliche, Dustin epitomizes what this word really means. In his posts, he draws heavily from his personal experiences, sometimes very painful ones, sometimes humorous ones, and in doing so connects with readers in a way few other writers on LinkedIn can. He’s also a prolific writer: he’s published nearly 200 posts that have been viewed over 2 million times, and which have generated tens of thousands of likes, comments, and social shares. Last December, LinkedIn recognized Dustin as one of 90 “Top Voices” from among the 1 million LinkedIn members who publish posts.  Earlier this year, he was invited to become a contributor to inc.com, where he writes a column called, “The Brand New Entrepreneur”. And while Dustin clearly enjoys writing on LinkedIn, he’s also managed to turn it into something more than just a personal passion project. Today, largely on the back of the reputation and professional network he’s established on LinkedIn, Dustin has built a profitable and growing business advising clients on their communication plans. In our conversation, Dustin shares some of the strategies he uses to write posts that touch readers around the world. He also talks about how to engage with readers and other writers on LinkedIn to grow your network. Follow Write With Impact on Twitter Like Write With Impact on Facebook Download a free ebook with writing tips  

Joan Dempsey is a writer and teacher who provides developmental editing advice to writers. She also offers several online courses that focus on teaching you how to revise your work. In this episode we talk about why the process of revising your writing is just as creative as the process of writing your first draft. Joan also shares some of the most common writing mistakes she sees many writers make, and offers insight into how to fix them.  Joan also talks about her writing shed, the place where she does her writing and teaching. It’s actually a renovated chicken coop! It’s a gorgeous writing space she designed herself, and it’s lined with ceiling to floor book shelves that will make any book lover envious.   I’ve included some photos of her writing shed in the show notes to this episode, along with links to Joan’s website, over at writewithimpact.com/episode43 . Before we get started, just a quick announcement: I’ve started to write a column for inc.com. My first article covers some of the most common writing mistakes I see people make. You can check out that article and other pieces I’m publishing there on my author page on inc.com.  Just go to writewithimpact.com/inc   

Read the complete show notes to this episode and pick up a free ebook with writing tips at writewithimpact.com/episode42 Today I’m talking once again to Chris Fox. Chris was on episode 29 of this podcast last year, when we talked about his new book at the time, 5,000 Words Per Hour, which has gone on to be a major bestseller on Amazon. This time, we talk about his latest book, Write to Market: Deliver a Book That Sells.   In our conversation, Chris walks us through the strategies that he shares in his book for conducting the kind of thorough market research you need to do before you even start writing your first draft. He offers very practical advice around identifying profitable but currently underserved genres on Amazon, understanding what your readers are really looking for, and why you need to be reading much more in your target genre if you want to write books that appeal to your target readers. And he shows how he has successfully applied his “Write to Market” methodology to his own fiction and nonfiction books. In this podcast, Chris also shares two major announcements regarding his writing career. First, Chris has committed publicly to writing a 70,000-word novel over the next 21 days. And he’s not just writing his first draft, which is what National Novel Writing Month is all about. No, Chris intends to write and publish a complete novel on Amazon in just 21 days. It’s a gutsy challenge and I look forward to following him throughout the process to see how he works his magic. To find out about his other major announcement, you’ll have to listen to our conversation! It’s a very big milestone for Chris, and I’m sure it’ll inspire many of you part-time writers out there when you hear about it. Subscribe to Write With Impact on iTunes   Links Chris Fox Writes 21 Day Novel Writing Challenge Chris Fox on Amazon Chris Fox on Facebook Chris Fox on Twitter  

Maggie James is a novelist who writes psychological suspense thrillers that are usually set in her hometown of Bristol, England.  In our conversation, Maggie shares her very inspiring story about how she finally published her first novel once she left her job as an accountant, and she offers practical advice for aspiring novelists who are trying to write and publish their first book.  You can find links to Maggie’s gripping novels, as well as a link to the excellent book she published last year about how to write your first novel, over at writewithimpact.com/episode41. Follow Write With Impact on Twitter @impactfulwriter Like Write With Impact on Facebook

In this brief episode, I’ll be talking about a topic that I think all writers can relate to, and one that has fascinated me for some time now.  It’s about the power of books to inspire a person to pick up a pen and start writing.  Since launching my podcast last Spring, I’ve interviewed over 30 authors of fiction and non-fiction. If you’ve been listening to some of the earlier episodes, you’ll know that I like to ask my guests if they can name a book or author that at some point in their life inspired them to become a writer, or otherwise had an outsized influence on their writing career. Some of them reach back to their childhood and recall the literary classics that awakened them to the power of great storytelling and the beauty of finely crafted sentences.  Others point to books that gave them the inspiration, confidence, and practical guidance they needed to break free from their 9-to-5 jobs so they could pursue their lifelong dream of becoming a full-time writer. I’m going to quote what some of my guests have said about the books that helped them become the writers they are today.  But before I get started: you can check out links to all of the episodes from which these clips are taken in this podcast by heading to my website at writewithimpact.com/episode40.  While you’re there be sure to sign-up for my newsletter and grab a free ebook with some of my writing tips.  Follow Write With Impact on Twitter @impactfulwriter Like Write With Impact on Facebook at Facebook.com/writewithimpact  

Voice is one of the most important aspects of writing well, whether you’re writing fiction or non-fiction. Yet it’s also one of the most elusive things for a writer. What does it mean exactly, when you talk about “voice”? And what can you do to cultivate a voice that will grab readers and not let them go until they’ve hit the end of your story? This is exactly the topic that James Scott Bell tackles in his latest book, Voice: The Secret Power of Great Writing. In his book, James reveals the true source of voice, and what any writer in any genre can do to capture it for their own work. I had the privilege of speaking with James about the methodology he’s developed over the years as a novelist to create a distinctive voice. In our conversation, James breaks down the steps he goes through as he develops his characters, and shares the process and techniques he uses as he writes. He also talks about the writers who had the biggest influence on his career. James is an award-winning author of bestselling thriller novels, and he’s published more than half a dozen bestselling books on the craft of writing. He’s also a frequent contributor to Writer’s Digest and Kill Zone, a popular writing blog. James is also known as one of America’s most acclaimed writing coaches. Read the show notes and find links to James' website and books at writewithimpact.com/episode39 Follow Write With Impact on Twitter @impactfulwriter Like Write With Impact on Facebook Download a free ebook with writing tips at writewithimpact.com/gift

Joe Pulizzi is the founder of the Content Marketing Institute, the leading content marketing educational resource for large enterprises. CMI was recognized by Inc. magazine as the fastest growing business media company in 2014. CMI produces Content Marketing World, the largest content marketing event in the world, and they publish Chief Content Officer magazine. I invited him to the show because I had the chance to read his latest book, Content Inc., and I thought it might be relevant to those of you writers out there who produce content for a living, and are interested in how to use content marketing more strategically to build an audience and, eventually, to monetize that audience. In our conversation, Joe goes through his six-part framework that he presents in his book, all the way from identifying what he calls your “sweet spot” — the area where your skills intersect with your personal passion — to converting one-time visitors into long-term subscribers —  to eventually charging money for your products or services. Joe also shares why he’s so obsessed with the color orange!  And he reveals ones of his biggest personal goals of 2016. Find links to Joe's websites, podcasts, and books over at writewithimpact.com/episode38

First of all, I just wanted to wish all of my listeners a happy new year! I also wanted to thank everyone who has read, liked, or shared one of my blog posts on LinkedIn over the past year. In early December, LinkedIn’s editors named me as one of 90 top writers of the year, an honor that took me completely by surprise.  So thanks for reading my work on LinkedIn. You can check out some of my writing by going to writewithimpact.com/linkedin. That’ll take you to my LinkedIn profile where you can read my posts. And while you’re there, send me a request to connect! So today’s episode is all about video. You’re a writer, so why should you care about video?  Isn’t video expensive and difficult to produce? What kind of equipment should you buy? Should you script it out in advance, or just shoot and edit?  These are some of the questions I discuss with my guest today, Caleb Wojcik. Caleb is a video producer who spent several years filming games for major national level sports leagues before setting up his own business teaching video production, marketing, and strategy for the web, which he calls DIY Video Guy.  He also runs Caleb Wojcik Films, a video production studio. Caleb produces videos for some of the biggest names in the online entrepreneurial space, like Pat Flynn of Smart Passive Income. Through his web TV show and podcast, Caleb shares incredibly useful tips for making great videos by yourself, without having to hire a large and expensive crew. I’ve been following Caleb for a number of years now and I’ve learned a lot from him about video production. And if you ever need to go deeper on the topics that he covers, you can check out one of the excellent online courses he offers. You can find links to Caleb’s website, podcasts, and courses in the show notes to this episode over at writewithimpact.com/episode37. While you're there, pick up a free ebook with some of my writing tips. Follow Write With Impact on Twitter Like Write With Impact on Facebook  

Justin Bariso is the founder of Insight, a consultancy that helps organizations to think differently and communicate with impact. He’s also a columnist for Inc.com where he writes about leadership, communications, technology, and more. Justin also writes a lot on LinkedIn, which is where I connected with him. In our conversation, Justin shares some of the strategies he uses to pick topics, plan and write posts, and engage with readers.  If you’re interested in writing on LinkedIn, or you’ve already published a few posts but you’re looking for practical tips on how to attract more views and engagement, then you’ll get a lot out of this conversation. Read the show notes and download a free ebook with writing tips at writewithimpact.com/episode36 Follow Write With Impact on Twitter Like Write With Impact on Facebook  

Discover 9 effective tips from various writers on starting and maintaining writing momentum. Learn about Morning Pages, scheduling writing time, outlining, and writing in short bursts to combat distractions and boost productivity.