There are plenty of good reasons to self-publish, but not all are profit-oriented or even rational. Before you invest in your book, take a look in the mirror and ask yourself some serious questions. Why did I write my book? …More ☛
Hyphens are an important contributor to elegant, easy-to-read typography, especially when text is fully justified as is the convention in book typography. This article explains how justified text works, and how proper hyphenation improves the legibility of your type. Text …More ☛
Few subjects arouse more passion among writers and designers than the debate over how many spaces should follow a period. If you adhere to a style manual, you’ll be hard-pressed to find one that doesn’t specify a single-space. Chicago and …More ☛
There are plenty of good reasons to self-publish, but not all are profit-oriented or even rational. Before you invest in your book, take a look in the mirror and ask yourself some serious questions. Understand what you’re getting into and define success at its proper place on the spectrum between retail sales and artistic satisfaction. With some clarity, planning and management of expectations, even a modest publishing venture can be rewarding and satisfying.
Peroration refers to the concluding part of a speech, designed to inspire enthusiasm and drive home the speaker’s key points with maximum impact. A famous example is Martin Luther King Jr.’s ending in ‘I Have a Dream,’ where he powerfully …More ☛
Especially if you’re in Toastmasters, you may wish to challenge yourself to compete in a speaking contest. Here are a few tips for winners. Read the ballot. The judges will score you based on a variety of factors. Why guess …More ☛
True story: Gayle’s connecting flight from Atlanta was canceled and she had to be on the stage at a conference the next morning in New York City — 850 miles away. Not only was her five-figure speaking fee on the …More ☛
Here’s a simple rule: If you bring your audience into darkness, bring them back into the light. Not every story has a happy ending, but it should at least offer a worthwhile lesson. If everybody in your story loses and …More ☛
The two most important parts of a speech are the beginning and the ending. We need to engage the audience during the first few seconds with a killer opening—an amazing fact, provocative questions, or an engaging story. And at the …More ☛
Often—usually—we’re asked to speak for a certain number of minutes. If we have ten minutes to speak, how can we avoid writing a 30-minute talk that has to be edited down? How can we steer clear of having to rush …More ☛