Jennifer Lancaster's Blog

Do you ever think to yourself: my writing is just so-so, it’s not like ….(famous writer you admire)…. they’re brilliant? Welcome to the critical path of being a novice. Novice writers often judge their own writing very differently from how they judge other people’s work. This happens because of a psychological pattern called the Actor–Observer...

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Why Clever Writing Fails When I’m editing someone’s work and a sentence tries too hard, I spot it immediately. It’s about 10 words too long. Or it contains words like “synergistic” or “dynamic”: words that perform rather than communicate. The sentence loses power. Worse, it confuses readers. Here’s what most writers miss: authenticity creates authority,...

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We all start with marketing somewhere, and I was a floundering beginner for many years. My first attempt: digital printing to self-publish a book in 1996. Called The Total Image Manual, I sold it through flyers to business boxes and a very expensive print ad. Zero cachet. Thankfully, things have gotten less risky in the...

The post Where to Start with Marketing & Media Planning for How-To or Self-Growth Books appeared first on Jennifer Lancaster | Writer and Editor.

You know you’ve got to expand into newsletters if you’re writing a topical book or self-help guide. So why does your online newsletter sit unwritten?I believe it's not about writing ability or...

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You know your field inside out. You've helped dozens of clients solve complex problems. You understand what keeps your prospects awake at night.So why does your online newsletter sit unwritten?The...

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I was reading ‘Inside Small Business’ on Sunday 🤓 and it said, “One in three small business owners who outsourced marketing ended up in a dispute with their provider.” Even more worrying, “Only three in ten small business owners are sticking with a digital marketer for more than a year.” (70% change, in other words)...

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The post Best Writers Retreats 2026 to Inspire You to Write! appeared first on Jennifer Lancaster | Writer and Editor.

This post will utilise my knowledge of marketing to guide you to create a sustainable content marketing plan tailored for author-publishers. Are you experiencing the core challenges of running an indie/micro publisher:  limited time, limited budget, and the need for high-impact, long-lasting content? Some muck about on Instagram, even when they are not connecting at...

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1. The Evolving Role of the Online Training Leader   Niche training businesses are no longer headquartered and overhead-heavy. Zoom, Kajabi, Kartra, Thinkific and many other tools have allowed the rise of the online business coach and training-based consultant. These are not novices but established professionals with a proven track record of over three years...

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If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably found that writing a bio about yourself (as an intending author) is tougher than it looks. We can spin a story or craft a useful business model, but when it comes to summing up our own lives in a few short paragraphs, we get stuck. We may stay...

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