Book Reviews
Book review: Farnsworth’s Classical English Rhetoric
For years, I never knew that the process of building an argument has a name. And that name is rhetoric. And that every white paper I wrote was an exercise in rhetoric. As I slowly got a clue, I revisited Aristotle‘s three elements of persuasion. I find it very powerful to know which element to use…
Read MoreRecommended books on white papers (and everything else)
Here are the books I highly recommend for any B2B writer or marketer. My favorite books have given me so much: A quick reference as I worked Wise guidance on thorny issues of style or form A shot of inspiration when I needed it most I keep all these titles within easy reach on my bookshelves. And I…
Read MoreBook review: The Content Marketing Handbook
I have plenty of books by Bob Bly—the copywriter’s copywriter—on my shelves. And every so often, I add another. Bly is one of a small handful of writers who are equally at home writing both content and copy, writing to explain and writing to persuade. His recent book The Content Marketing Handbook is a treasure-trove…
Read MoreBook review: Writing White Papers
Fifteen years ago, Michael Stelzner was the world’s leading authority on white papers. Based in San Diego, he wrote well over 100 white papers for firms such as HP, Microsoft and SAP. He founded the biggest online forum ever devoted to white papers, called WhitePaperSource (now offline). He did groundbreaking work, including the biggest-ever survey of…
Read MoreA few of my favorite things; a look back at 2017
Here’s a few of my favorite things from 2017. After all, there’s more to life than white papers. One of the habits of highly effective people is to “sharpen the saw.” That means taking time off to refresh and renew yourself. [Tweet “Take time off to refresh and renew; you can start with some of…
Read MoreBook review: The Elements of Style
The earliest edition of The Elements of Style was set down more than 100 years ago in 1919. But it’s far from outdated. In fact, The Elements of Style remains the single most brief and practical guide to English writing that’s ever appeared. By far. Whether you write B2B, B2C, mysteries, or even the text…
Read More7 habits of highly effective white paper writers
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is an acknowledged self-help masterpiece. Written by Stephen Covey and published in 1989, this book has sold an estimated 25 million copies. And it’s been translated into 38 (?!) languages. These seven habits make a lot of sense to me. And I’ve been thinking about how well Covey’s…
Read More7 habits of highly effective white paper marketers
One of my favorite self-help books is 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey. First published in 1989, it has sold an estimated 25 million copies in 38 languages. I still try to follow its guidelines in my own life. With apologies, I’ve applied the 7 habits to the act of marketing with highly…
Read MoreBook review: Yahoo! Style Guide
No matter what you think of Yahoo! it’s been around a long time. Founded in 1995, the site remains one of the most popular destinations on the web. For many years, Yahoo! was one of the most popular sites on the web, with many services and a ton of content. The company’s writers and editors obviously have…
Read MoreBook review: The White Paper Marketing Handbook
White papers drive billions of dollars worth of technology sales every year. Yet few people can say for sure what a white paper really is. That’s why any new book devoted to building more understanding about white papers is welcome. In The White Paper Marketing Handbook, renowned copywriter Bob Bly covers a lot of territory. In fact,…
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