Category Archives: Communication

New year, old challenges

Well, here we are, another year older. Hopefully I’ve left enough time for all the ‘new year, new start’ posts to have subsided! That’s not to say there’s anything wrong about being positive, it’s just that sometimes I think it’s important to share when we haven’t had the bustling year of writing and self-publishing that we’d hoped for and talk about some realistic goals for the year ahead.

That’s why I wanted to get a bit more real in this post. I began 2025 with the best of writing intentions but as it does for so many of us, work and life got in the way. There was lots going on for me last year, lots of it positive, but some challenging too. As a result, my writing took a back seat. When I did write though, I was building what I hope will be the compelling, um, world for Whisper World, the final book in the Whisper trilogy. 

For those days when I made myself some time to put finger to key, I was there with Eddie Bleakledge trying to make sense of it all and this year, I’m going to get right back there with him! Does that mean I’ll have Whisper World out this year? Hopefully! It’s certainly a goal to aim for.

Sometimes, it’s important to share that we  are not all goal-driven success machines with multiple projects on the go.

Sometimes, life gets in the way, which means sometimes, we’ve got to find our way to do things.

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Filed under Editing, Authors, Writing, Books, Communication, self-publishing

On Communication

man wearing brown suit jacket mocking on white telephone

Photo by Moose Photos on Pexels.com

Communication is at the heart of what we do. I’m communicating with you right now, and you’ll probably communicate in several ways today without even thinking about it. Whether you’re replying to that email, accepting a LinkedIn invitation from someone that you’re desperately trying to remember, or making a call to organise an appointment, you’re communicating.

It’s ironic that in today’s age of multiple communication platforms, where news is immediate and everyone can share their opinions in an instant, poor communication is still a massive problem. Ask any employee, middle manager or company executive and they’ll likely agree that poor communication is always high up on the list of gripes. It sounds completely obvious, but communication is a two-way street.

If you’re not interested in using that article I pitched to you, just tell me. Communicate with me. I won’t be offended, because I know you get loads of submissions. Just let me know where I am, so I can ask someone else. And if you can’t get round to doing that job on my house, communicate with me – I understand that work can get on top of you. If you’ve decided you’d rather edit your book  yourself, I get it. Money’s tight – just let me know. OK, so you can’t meet up next week, just communicate with me. I won’t be angry (for long, anyway). We can do it another time. Just let me know a little earlier than the night before.

You get the idea. It’s really nothing more than common sense and the same logic can apply to everything from a simple get-together with friends to a make-or-break meeting. So, whether you’re wading through a sea of freelance submissions or really don’t think a job’s worth taking on, communicate. Everyone will be better off for it.

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Filed under Communication, Editing, Life, Uncategorized, Writing