Blog | Men with Pens

It’s the End of an Era at Men with Pens

I have an important announcement to make: This website is coming down for good.

That’s not to say it’s the end of Men with Pens. Hell no – I didn’t come this far to give it all up now! It’s just time to take the business to the next level of success with a new website design, one that we feel is a much better fit for our personality, our services and our business philosophy.

It’s fun. It’s fresh. It’s not even black! (Yes, I know – finally, right?) And it’s much better geared towards the knockout business website design and copywriting services we offer all our clients.

Over the coming weeks, we’ll be working hard on polishing the final touches, getting everything prepared and sweeping up the shavings on the shop floor. During that time, we need to push pause here on the blog.

You’re always welcome to read through our archive of blog posts and benefit from the great advice we’ve shared in the past. We’d also love to hear your comments – we read each one because we care about your feedback and appreciate your thoughts.

You can also visit our sister site at Damn Fine Words and sign up for the newsletter, where you’ll get 30 weeks of writing tips designed to help you improve your skills – and get much better business results.…

Why You Should Join a Critique Group

Written by Kari - 17 Comments

Six years ago, I moved across the United States, from West Virginia to Colorado. I didn’t know anyone except my husband. And I was lonely for my friends back east. I needed to find a way to connect with new people – preferably ones who cared about the same interests I did.

I found a critique group for fiction authors. That critique group turned out to be exactly what I needed… and then some.

Writers typically have a love-hate relationship to having their work critiqued. But if you’re looking to improve your writing skills, or even get your book published, a critique group is a great first step on that road to becoming a professional writer.

But just what is a critique group? Is it a bunch of eccentric old harridans collected around a table? Cloistered recluses who rip books to shreds while rapping knuckles with a ruler? Will you sit there shamefully, red-faced and embarrassed, while others look down their nose at you clucking, “Tsk, tsk!”?

Not even close. (Thank God.)

My Top 3 Fiction Writing Books and Why You Should Read Them

Written by Kari - 12 Comments

[A note from James: "Wait - what?! Fiction?! On a blog for businesspeople?" You bet. In many interviews, I've mentioned that learning how to write fiction can definitely boost your copywriting skills - the two skill sets cross over more than you'd think. So when Kari pitched me the idea for this post, I was all for it. You don't need to go off and write a novel, but you should definitely pick up one of these books to learn better writing skills that help you sell. Take it away, Kari...]

As a fiction writer, I’m drawn to the writing section of bookstores. I have a huge collection of writing books that seems to get larger by the month.

Publishers like Writer’s Digest keep pumping out great titles like, “Where Do You Get Your Ideas?” or “Writing Your Way” – and I keep buying them, thinking they’ll have valuable information I could use.

What I end up with is a stack of writing books that cover the same topic with similar variations. Worse, I never read them.

So many books, so little time, right?

Here’s the biggest problem: The more time I spend reading, the less time I spend actually writing.…

How ‘Same Old, Same Old’ Can Make You a Successful Writer

Written by Diana Kightlinger - 21 Comments

In July, I moved into a farmhouse in Montana on 20 acres of land. It’s a dream I never seriously thought I’d realize – a home in the country. And in almost every way, the dream has met its promise.

I said almost: The dream didn’t provide much guidance on Internet access.

Turns out that there’s no cable or DSL at my new dream home. So I relied on my wireless hotspot and for about two weeks, life was good.

But the introduction of 4G confused my blinky little friend, and I began losing my connection.

I switched to a company that promised the latest radio technology. And when it was good, it was very good. And when it wasn’t good, I spent hours watching the death spiral on my computer screen.

I need the Internet to make a living. Without it, my dreams turned Dickensian, and I pictured bankruptcy, foreclosure and debtor’s prison. Out of desperation, I used my iPhone as a personal hotspot.

At least it worked.

Which brings me to my point: …

How to Get Over Your Public-Speaking Nerves

Written by James - 15 Comments

So you’ve decided to dip your toes in the public speaking world. You’re going to step on the stage and give a presentation or offer a workshop to people who want to learn from you, and you’re excited about this.

Awesome – you should be! You know your stuff. You’ve planned your speech. You’ve prepared the handouts. You’ve strategized the timing. You’ve put together an offer. You’ve booked the room.

You’re ready to go.

There’s only one problem: You’re sweating bullets because you’re absolutely terrified of speaking to a whole crowd of strangers.

Jerry Seinfeld said it best: “According to most studies, people’s number one fear is public speaking. Number two is death. Death is number two. Does that sound right? This means to the average person, if you go to a funeral, you’re better off in the casket than doing the eulogy.”

You’re thinking he’s absolutely right. You’d rather die than have to stand up and speak at the front of the room, with all eyes on you. What if you forget what you’re going to say? What if you fumble around and sound dumb? Or trip and fall off the stage?

And you’re thinking, “What have I gotten myself into? And how the hell can I get out of it?”

Before you start panicking, keep this in mind:

How to Make Your Ebook Workshop a Win

Written by James - 1 Comment

Last week, I wrote about a sure-fire way to maximize your business potential: Just turn your ebook into a workshop, and get ready to impress the socks off new prospects.

But exactly how should you set up that workshop? How can you make sure it’s a win? I’ll tell you that too. Keep reading…

No matter what type of freelancer, consultant or business owner you might be, and no matter what sort of product or service you sell, hosting a workshop is a great idea that could bring huge benefits to your business.

Think about it: A workshop lets you show off your expertise, in person. You get to demonstrate how you solve a specific problem. You have the opportunity to engage with fresh prospects. You can talk with people one-on-one, answer their questions directly, give them some personal attention and show them just how nice a person you are.

Oh yeah, and you get to promote something you sell. Bonus.

Here’s another bonus: Hosting a workshop lets you pick up some public-speaking experience, and that’s a very valuable skill to have in your back pocket. Your event could lead to other speaking opportunities in larger venues in cooler locations. You could meet new networking contacts who tell other people what a great speech you put on.

A workshop could bring you fame. Fortune. And greater confidence.

How to Create a Workshop From Your Ebook

Written by James - 36 Comments

So you wrote an ebook… now what?

Most people just slap their ebook up on their website and offer it to blog subscribers as a free download. A few others stick a price tag on their ebook and try to make a few bucks. And while there’s nothing wrong with that, passive action leaves potential on the table collecting dust.

Want an idea that turns your ebook into your best business asset ever?

Use your ebook to create a workshop.

Ebooks don’t have to stay online. There’s no reason they can’t be used outside the virtual world and work to engage new potential clients. In fact, using your ebook as a marketing tool in your workshop could light up your sales – and bring you plenty of credibility.

It’s easy to create a 3-hour workshop using your ebook content. You have workshop potential in the palm of your hand.

The Proven 3-Step Formula for Success

Written by Chris Nosal - 16 Comments

If there’s one thing that devastates us, that stops us from doing what we’re truly capable of and prevents us from achieving our dreams, it’s fear of failure.

Many of us go through our lives never knowing what we could have done… if we hadn’t given up our dreams.

What if you had given up on learning to talk, walk, read, ride a bike, or any other achievements before you were even 5 years old? How different would your life have turned out if you’d given up instead of sticking with them?

Now, how different has your life been because of the goals you gave up? Because you were afraid that you would fail? How many experiences and opportunities have you missed out on because you couldn’t get past that invisible barrier of fear?

The Key to Producing Outstanding Content

Written by James - 16 Comments

The other day, someone asked me this question: “What’s the key to produce outstanding content?”

My eyebrows rose, and I couldn’t resist a glib mental answer: A direct line to The Muse, the strength of Hercules, the cunning of Hades and a really nice magic wand.

You see, there’s a problem with “the key to whatever” advice – it implies there’s a single method of gaining entry into a place you’d love to get inside.

The truth is there’s no such thing, and even if there were, I’m not convinced this key would work consistently in the secret lock for everyone, every single time.

It’s an unfortunate fact, but as human beings, we’re chasing fool’s gold to think that we can ever find the key to the realm of Outstanding Content and enter this state of mind any time we so desired.

That’s just not realistic.

Want to know what is?

Why You Should Get Serious About Your Writing Schedule

Written by Kari - 14 Comments

I’m not a self-schedule-oriented person. It’s far easier to stick to someone else’s schedule than your own. Self-discipline can be HARD.

So when James told me that I need a daily writing schedule, I balked.

I don’t want a schedule! I can’t guarantee where I’ll be at any single time. What if something else comes up? What if my child is home sick from school one day and I can’t write at my scheduled time? What if I’m not inspired at that time but get inspired later on?

Every excuse imaginable went through my head. I set a schedule anyways, just to be dutiful – I kept it for two days and then I quit.

James can’t be right all the time. What works for her may not work for me. Everyone does things differently, right? I need to find my own writing path…

Three months later, how much had I written? Well, let’s not talk specifics, but it wasn’t nearly as much as I’d wanted to achieve.

In fact, I was really embarrassed — even though no one knew about this but me.