Category Archives: Editing

SPECIAL OFFER: complimentary strategy session to propel your ‘inner writer’

Leave a reply

phoneYou may know that I offer interactive training and presentations to groups and conferences (in person and online). You may know that as an editor, I add a professional polish to grant proposals, website content, strategic plans, speeches, and even books and e-books.

But did you know that I am also a writing coach for social sector executives and staff?

You may be frustrated that, despite your best efforts, you’re stuck in old writing habits that hold you back. You may feel like your documents are full of great ideas, but they often get ignored or sidelined. Are those the results you want?

I didn’t think so.

Let’s schedule a complimentary strategy session to discuss where you are now as a writer, and what it would take to get you where you want to go. A little supportive personal attention and expert feedback might be all you need. Of course, our conversations are confidential.

A few recent coaching clients had this to say: Continue reading →

Help for Your Inner Editor

Leave a reply

editing

Have you been working on your piece for a while, but your creative juices seem to have dried up lately? It may be a good time to do a bit of editing. It can help you clear the deck to figure out what to augment and what to diminish. Then you can fix the newfound problems and move forward. But how do you get started?

Editing will require you to separate from your initial, creative self: the part that knows what you meant to say when you crafted the early drafts of your piece. You must now pretend you are seeing the piece for the first time.

Wearing your new hat, your first job is to scrutinize the big picture—from the perspective of one of your intended readers.

If you have trouble getting that hat to fit, recall other times in your life when you have adopted another person’s point of view. If you have ever acted in a play, done character imitations for your friends, or read lines of dialogue to a child from a storybook, you have some experience pretending to be someone else.

Follow these three steps to get your inner editor going: Continue reading →

How to Write a Book that Influences Social Change

Leave a reply

communityI was pleased to contribute to the Author Learning Center, an online learning community for book authors.

Check out the 4 video interviews and 1 webinar!

In the first interview, I discuss the three secrets of authors who use their books to influence social change. You can see this 2 1/2-minute video for free here:


The other 3 brief videos cover:

1) Making YouTube Work for You

2) Independent Publishing for Nonprofits

Now Available: New Independent Publishing Resources for Changemakers

Leave a reply

ebookLooking for a new way to attract and engage prospective donors, clients, or customers? Today’s audiences often bypass traditional fundraising or advertising. Instead, they want relevant and useful content that they can act on right away. Are you offering them that?

A book or e-book (maybe even a “free-mium”) is a great way to share your experience and insights, bring more visibility to your cause or organization, and establish yourself as a passionate and credible “author”-ity in your field.

Vital components of your overall marketing strategy, books and e-books can be recycled across many communication and fundraising channels (online and offline). You’ll make a winning impression when you can say: “We wrote the book on that topic!”

With e-books and books so easy to create these days, what’s holding you back? And how can you make them work for your organization?

My website now houses lots of great new resources for current and emerging self-publishers—especially leaders of social sector organizations:

Conference call: Independent Publishing for the Changemaker: Advice on how to use this ultimate marketing technique: what’s involved and how to get started (handout plus recording)

Webinar slides:

  • Publishing Your Ebook for Greater Business Impact
  • Thinking About Hiring an Independent Editor? Start Here!

Detailed handouts:

  • The right team for the indie publishing process
  • Where to find an independent editor: professional associations
  • Websites of interest to the indie writer/publisher

Download your copies HERE.

“Ask Dalya”: Using Stories in Grant Proposals (Part 2 of 2)

Leave a reply

This “Ask Dalya” series covers 17 of your grantwriting questions. Get lots more Q & A, individual feedback, materials, etc. in the Grantwriter’s FastTrack Coaching Program.

(Note: You can see Part I of this article HERE.)

personally speaking  Q: Where in a grant proposal would you include a story?

A:  You can improve your proposals by using stories whenever possible. A few good places include:

  1. The problem/opportunity description
  2. Definition of your community of clients
  3. The evaluation section (see my upcoming webinar on this topic)
  4.  The history or track record of your organization
  5. The people behind your work (staff, volunteers, etc.)

Q: Can you give suggestions of what to do about telling stories when the project is new?

A: Storytelling can be a bit challenging in this instance. But you will find stories lurking in the problem you are addressing and the clients you are attracting. What is going on in your community that has inspired your project? How can you illustrate the reality of what people are facing and the challenges they are dealing with? Continue reading →