Author: Ulrike Hill

Storyteller, mentor and innovator. I aim to change the world with stories.

You Can Submit a Better Manuscript

Post author By Ulrike Hill
Post date 11/03/2016

Ulrike Hill, Writer's Support CEO — Ulrike Hill, Writer’s Support CEO

Becoming a best-selling author is the driving force behind every aspiring writer. Only the most determined make it.

Writer’s Support offers an advisory service to help bring your manuscript to the required standard for submission to a literary agent or publisher. Once you have completed your book, company CEO, Ulrike Hill advises you to follow these three steps.

Step 1: Manuscript Appraisals

The first step is getting advice. Many writers feel feedback from family and friends is enough. It isn’t. Neither is the opinion of another published author. Writers should engage the services of a writing professional who is experienced in appraisals.

A comprehensive 9 to 15-page report highlights the best parts of your manuscript. It also draws attention to weaknesses. The appraiser assesses quality. This saves you time and money. Writers, whether experienced or novice, can benefit from a critical reading of their work.

Step 2: Editing

Editing is about looking at the bigger picture. It is about reviewing your manuscript as a whole. There are two levels of editing:

The first level will focus merely on the content, structure, language and style of the manuscript.

The next level of editing is more complicated and requires skill and diplomacy. The editor advises on storyline and character development and makes recommendations. Often these recommendations include deleting characters, part of a story or even changing the story. The insecure writer may not understand the recommendations and see this as a sign of weakness. You, the writer, reserve the right to listen to these recommendations.

Another dimension of the editing process is the manuscript restructure. The editor will organise your storyline and important story points in a logical sequence. Chapters will be structured in a way to grab the reader’s attention.

Step 3: Proof reading

The proof-reader scans and highlights spelling, sentence structure and grammar. The proof-reader looks at the correctness of the text with a magnifying glass. This should be the final step once editing, formatting and manuscript layout is complete.

Typos and misplaced punctuation creep into manuscripts. Submitting a polished, error-free manuscript puts you one-step ahead of the pack. It shows publishers you respect them. It also shows you are serious about becoming a writer.

Ulrike Hill Writing Projects

Tackling the Brickwall, Overcoming Adversity in Schoolboy Rugby (Crink)

Debbie Calitz: 20 Years of Hostage Hell (Penguin)

Against All Odds with Wayne and Rebecka Smith (Austin Macauley Publishers)

Ulrike has ghost-written for celebrities who have chosen to write under a pseudonym.

Need help with your manuscript? Email your manuscript to writer@ulrikehill.co.za.

Tags author support, creative writing, editing, manuscript appraisal, manuscript restructure, proof reading, Publishing, writer support

Business Writers

Find your Creative Voice in the Workplace

Post author By Ulrike Hill
Post date 10/03/2016

source: www.qlaconsulting.com — Explore creativity in the workplace

I love my job. When I talk to people about what I do to earn money, they often respond with a sigh and then a dismal, “I wish I could do something I love”. I am in a creative environment and my creative voice is part of my company brand. My present way of earning money is deliberate and the result of many years of learning and making mistakes.

The world is changing. The rules for happiness are changing. People realise that making money is not the key to happiness. Today’s fast-paced, commercialised life, people are searching for meaning. Surely there must be more to life than driving to work, doing the work, driving home and then repeating the process all over again the next day. Again and again until retirement.

How can the corporate worker create meaning? By exploring their creativity.

Think about this:

Childhood is about creativity. The imagination is filled with expression and make-believe worlds. Far too soon, the creativity is stifled at school. Children are told to ‘colour in the lines and colour the sky blue and the grass green’. Consider this: have you noticed the sky being consistently blue? The winter sky becomes moody. Sometimes it changes from a depressing grey to a threatening black. Creativity is not about stereotyping. It is about experiences and using your senses to create meaning experiences.

Business is about meeting deadlines, reaching sales targets and keeping a wary eye on budgets. Then it is report writing, emails, agendas, maybe a marketing piece or two. People are consumed in the world of balancing salaries and monthly expenses. No wonder creativity flies out of the window.

I worked in the corporate world and I often felt as if each day was a fight for survival: get that promotion and make more money, meet tight deadlines, get on the good side of the tea lady so that she made my coffee the way I like it. Sure, I made more money. I was promoted but was I happy? Not really. I had to find my creative voice before I died.

I started a social newsletter for the company. The company was not big and obviously budget was tight so I asked one of the staff members with some design knowledge to compile an electronic newsletter. The outcome was wonderful. Another person was an amateur photographer so he was responsible for taking photos at our socials. This soon extended to sporting events and even everyday fun moments in the office. A few people created interesting tags and captions for the photos. Slowly people started contributing interesting news and facts and the social newsletter became a collaborative affair. It also did wonders for company morale.

Finding creativity in your business needs some out-of-the-box thinking. If creativity does not seem to be a viable option for your workplace, then explore your own creativity. Start a hobby that requires creative thinking or action. Perhaps what you need to do is slow down and get back to basics: use your five senses to experience the beauty that surrounds you and then translate that into something creative.

As a writer, I find that writing is not only a great way to explore your creative voice, it is also cathartic. Bad day at the office? Write about it. Keep a journal. Who knows? Perhaps one day that journal will keep you.

Need to pump some creativity into your office. Book a space on our the Writer’s Voice breakfast workshop. For more information contact: writer@ulrikehill.co.za or call 071 636 8028.

Tags business writing, creative voice

Business Writers

Whose line is it anyway?

Post author By Ulrike Hill
Post date 03/03/2016

I received a phone call from a cellular company congratulating me because I would receive a cell phone. Another cell phone? Surely, the caller would notice that I already had a cell phone seeing that she dialled my number to speak to me. Intrigued I wanted to see what this particular company was going to offer.

I told her I was interested and wanted to know how to claim my prize. The telesales person warms to my enthusiasm. Let us face facts here. Telemarketing and cold calling is a thankless job.

She tells me that the company she is representing would deliver it to me. If I were not the jaded person I was, I would be delighted with this. What a terrific company. Free phone and delivery. And all it took was one lucky cell phone number.

Sound familiar?

There is a huge problem with this call. It is misleading. I know that there is no free lunch and that I will be paying for this lunch somewhere down the line. But the lunch may turn out to be more expensive than I imagined. And it often has something to do with the contract that I will be expected to sign at the end of it.

The telesales person did not specifically mention the word ‘free’ or that the delivery was free, but her sales pitch was constructed in such a way that I was led to believe that the product was for free.

The call happened a few years ago despite the fact that the Consumer Protection Act (CPA) had been launched. The CPA has been in force for five years and I still receive calls similar to this one.

The telephone is a painful marketing tool

Companies need to promote their products. The point of marketing is to inform the consumer about products available to them. Marketing budgets do not come with a blank cheque and marketers have to find cost-effective ways to reach and to expand their target market.

The telephone is a useful but very intrusive tool. Often these calls are made during suicide hour. You know, that time when kids are miserable, mom and dad have arrived home from work and the geyser has burst once again.

Cold calling is a difficult way to promote a product. It is much easier for a person to put the phone down and the reason why marketers use the ‘giveaway’ option. This is the hook to keep the person on the phone and to maintain their attention which will eventually lead to the sale. But this is also known as ambush or bait marketing and it contravenes section 30 and 40 of the CPA.

Plain language and understanding

South Africa is a diverse country with literacy problems. Consumers who do not have the language capacity or adequate educational background to understand the conditions there could be serious repercussions for accepting this ‘free’ gift. Before they know it, they have signed a contract which they may think they understand but then discover that they cannot afford the ‘terms and conditions’.

If the consumer happens to be on the breadline then this contract could make a difference between putting food on the table and trying to avoid legal action because they are unable to meet their monthly payments.

Don’t eat your ummm … words

It is for this reason that the CPA and plain language has been introduced. It is to bring back the ethics into marketing.

It is no longer possible for companies to hide behind clever words to sell products. The person on the other end of the line needs to understand what they are buying. This means that communication should be effective and in plain language. When a company offers something for free then it must be free. The consumer must be aware of any conditions attached.

If corporate communications do not conform to this legislation then companies may find that the marketing budget may extend to defending themselves in the commissioner’s office.

This could be destructive for company reputation and ultimately sales. It is important that companies ensure that all communicators are familiar with the language used in the company and that it is communicated transparently. In other words, there should be no ambiguity to get that sale at all costs.

If plain Language is a problem in your corporate communication or you are unsure that your documents comply with the Consumer Protection Act then Writer’s Support can provide guidance.

Contact: writer@ulrikehill.co.za or 0711 636 8026

Tags business writing, cold calling, Consumer Protection Act, CPA, free, Plain language

Creative Writers

Do you need to believe in love to be able to write romance?

Post author By Ulrike Hill
Post date 12/02/2016

Guest Blog by Suzanne Jefferies

You can write romance source: wwwtabletmag.com — You can write romance
wwwtabletmag.com

Love is a many splendoured thing. All you need is love. Love to love you baby. All the great lyricists know that there’s no more abused word in the entire lexicon than ‘love’. Not only can it heal wounds, but it can also perpetuate them, “But I love him/her, even though he treats me badly, kicked my dog, ran off with my best friend/mother/extraterrestrial neighbour.” Love bites. Why don’t you love me? Love me, love me, say that you love me. See, any good writer knows that the fortunes of love can run from overflowing then end up in the red within moments. And any great writer knows that ‘love’ can and does happen to everyone – it’s our universal glue.

I know what you’re thinking though…you’re thinking boy/girl, girl/girl, boy/boy lurve. Wrong, wrong, absolutely wrong.

All protagonists have some sort of love affair that moves them to do the things they do. To go on an adventure across a shire, to solve a crime that seems impossible, to protect their family, to get that date with the hot chick, to make the soccer team, whatever. Are you going to tell me that your hero/heroine is kinda lukewarm about their romance? Nu-uh. They’re usually fiercely passionate about it, even if they seem reluctant to move at first. Of course, they’re reluctant, who wouldn’t be reluctant? Embarking on any kind of romance runs the risk of having your precious heart absolutely shattered against the rocks of fate, fortune and chance. Hands up to the writer who has not experienced this kind of romance, the kind that has you slaving away, year after year, rejection after rejection, as you refine your craft? Is it love? Abso-frigging-lutely. Do you need to believe in it? Hell, no. It just is.

And we haven’t even got on to the topic of the ‘love interest’. What do they do? Provide complications? Naturally. The course of…, and so on and so forth.

All novels are romance novels at their heart (oy vey, bad pun). They’re a romance between writer and novel, reader and novel, reader and writer, protagonist and goal, protagonist and love interest. You don’t need to believe in love to write it, you just have to need to know how to keep someone hooked. Isn’t that what romance is all about?

About the Author

Suzanne Jefferies is the author of The Joy of Comfort Eating, a contemporary romance novel set in cosmopolitan Johannesburg. The book is currently available at Amazon. Check out Writer’s Support 5-minute interview: Suzanne Jefferies Interview .

Connect with Suzanne

Twitter: @suzannejefferies

Website: www.suzannejefferies.com

Facebook: suzanne.jefferies7

Tags author, creative writing, romance, Suzanne Jefferies, The Joy of Comfort Eating

Business Writers

The Language of Meaningful Content

Post author By Ulrike Hill
Post date 10/02/2016

Create an emotional connection with your customer. Image source: www.enetworks.co.za

“I don’t know the rules of grammar. If you’re trying to persuade people to do something, or buy something, it seems to me you should use their language.” David Ogilvy

Writers use words with intent. They understand that the language needs to support the purpose of the document: informing, entertaining, persuading or educating. Ad people realise that certain words have an emotional connection and will use it when they communicate with their target market. Using these words in your company communication will go a long way to connecting with your customers.

According to many websites and writers who position themselves as language specialists, there are top words that you should use to persuade people to buy your product or service.

These words are (in descending order of importance or popularity):

You
Money
Save
New
Results
Health
Easy
Safety
Love
Discovery
Proven
Guarantee

I have seen these words on many blogs and training manuals. The list has been accredited to a Yale University research. (FYI: I am not sure where these people received their information. Yale did not conduct any research and the origins of this list is unclear.) However, looking through this list, it is obvious that they are relevant in creating an emotional connection.

Top of the list, YOU, is an important word to keep in mind when trying to persuade people to use your product or service. For example, FNB’s “How can we help YOU” is direct and answers the question to the problem many people have with banking.

David Ogilvy, well-known advertising executive, put together a list of words used in persuasive language in his book Confessions of an Advertising Man (1963). These words still have relevance in today’s world of competitive wordsmithing.

Suddenly now announcing
introducing improvement amazing
sensational remarkable revolutionary
startling miracle magic
offer quick easy
wanted challenge compare
bargain hurry

According to Ogilvy, ‘The two most powerful words you can use in a headline are FREE and NEW. You can seldom use FREE but you can almost always use NEW – if you try hard enough’.

Unfortunately, the modern customer knows that there is no such thing as FREE so this word will have limited influence unless used in the correct context. And even then, I wonder how many people will connect with the word with anything other than scepticism.

Although both lists contain different words (except for NEW and EASY), the words all have positive connections and persuasive qualities.

Although you have a list of persuasive words, this does not mean that they will always be effective. It is important to follow Ogilvy’s advice given in the quote at the beginning of this post: ‘use your customer’s language’.

Ask the following questions to determine which words will work for your copy:

What are the benefits of your product or service?
How will your customer connect emotionally to your value offering (that is, how will they feel using your product or service)?
Does your value offering deliver on your promise (that is, if your product is EASY to use it must be EASY to use)?

With practise, you should discover which words will work for your business and which will connect emotionally with your customers.

Ulrike Hill is a business and creative facilitator. She also helps companies inject creativity into their business documents.
Contact writer@ulrikehill or call +27 71 636 8028.

Tags business writing, David Ogilvy, emotional, persuasion, power words, ulrike hill

Creative Writers

The Pen is Mightier than the Sword

Post author By Ulrike Hill
Post date 05/02/2016

“I am writing a story about my ex-husband who was a real bastard,” the attractive read-head tells me. I am facilitating a memoirs workshop and I ask each delegate why they are writing their story. “Really?” I respond to the redhead. I am curious about her story especially as this is nothing new to me. I tell her that many divorced people think their exes are bastards.

“Well not many people have gone through the traumatic experience of the husband sleeping with her best friend on their wedding day,” she tells me. I can see the memory is still painful.

I suggest she rather turns her story into fiction. Not only could it cause problems for people in the story but she faces the probability of legal actions if she publishes the book. Unfortunately, the scorned red-head is not interested in my advice and proceeds to write the story. A few months later I receive her manuscript for a critique. I turned her down. The book displayed the names of her ex-husband (who incidentally is now married with kids) as well as her ex-best friend. Obviously, publishers will never accept this book (unless she was a famous person).

I see the reason for this type of story as narcissistic.

The narcissistic writer’s reason for writing is a selfish one; she wants the world to know how she was rejected, despite the fact that innocent people may be affected by the story. It has nothing to do with the desire to become a published writer.

Narcissism is a personality disorder, loosely defined as ‘extreme selfishness, with a grandiose view of one’s own talents and a craving for admiration’.

If a pre-published writer has this personality disorder it can spell disaster in the current self-publishing trend that is sweeping through the book-world. No longer does this type of manuscript need to go through a gatekeeping process. Just write your story, upload it onto any e-book platform and the world has access to your world.

The breaking up of a long term relationship or a messy divorce are painful life events. Many published romance

writers incorporate this as themes into their fiction. Obviously the story will have a happy ending and is far more beneficial for the reader who may have experienced similar life experiences as the protagonist.

Don’t misunderstand. Writing about the experience can be a cathartic experience for the wounded soul. In fact, I encourage it.

Here is one piece of advice I give out free of charge to any person writing about an ex. When you type in the words THE END, the manuscript should be shelved in a dark place – never to see daylight again. Hopefully by writing your story, you will gain some perspective about the break-up and will be ready to face the world and open yourself to new relationships. Perhaps one day you can use your story as inspiration for a scene or character if you are serious about becoming a published writer. You could adapt it as a work of fiction, something based on real life events but changed enough so that details and characters are not recognisable should someone from your past read the story.

The sword inflicts a wound that heals quickly and may leave a superficial scar. The pen creates a wound that is much deeper. Although it is not visible it does manifest itself through intentions and behaviour.

Self-publishing provides the stage for the narcissistic writer to make a statement to the world. The problem is that the only people who will read the book are the people connected to the narcissist. The rest will avoid this type of writer like the plague.

Serious about becoming a published writer? Send in your manuscript for an appraisal. Contact: writer@ulrikehill.co.za or call 071 636 8026.

Tags author, memoirs, narcisstic, romance, self-publish, ulrike hill

Business Writers

Make Your Point

Post author By Ulrike Hill
Post date 03/02/2016

Lynne Truss’s book Eats Shoots & Leaves is an entertaining book about punctuation. The blurb of the book provides a humorous anecdote about the misuse of punctuation.

It explains that a panda walks into a café, orders a sandwich, eats it, draws a gun and fires shots in the air. The waiter is confused and asks why. The panda gives him a badly punctuated wildlife manual and asks him to look up panda in the manual.

The waiter does and this is what he reads:

Panda. Large black-and-white bear-like mammal, native to China. Eats, shoots and leaves. Obviously, the manual was explaining the culinary habits of the panda. The comma got in the way. Shoots and leaves became verbs in this context instead of nouns.

Many communicators may understand the basic punctuation rule: start a sentence with a capital letter and end with a full stop, question or exclamation mark. Somehow, business writers seem to have forgotten how and when to use the end-of-sentence punctuation mark correctly and effectively.

This is especially true with the exclamation mark.

For the more creative mind, the exclamation mark is the mark for self-expression. Rule number one: exclamation marks should be used after true exclamations (What a show!) or imperatives (Stop!). One exclamation mark is sufficient and not to be overused like this!!! Or this?! Your writing will sound more like a squeaky cheerleader.

In creative writing the full stop can be used effectively to show excitement. Consider the following sentence: Oh. My. God. He. Looked. At. Me. Reserve this style for storytelling. It has no value in the business world. This style will capture the attention of teenagers who are rebellious and hate their English teachers. Business readers want credibility. They need to feel secure that the company they are investing their money with has the ability to understand simple things like when to use a full stop or not depend on the exclamation mark to express urgency.

Many communicators seem to have forgotten the uses of the comma and the difference between a colon and a semi colon. The best advice? Register for a grammar refresher course. Invest in books that explain the principles of punctuation in a clear and concise manner. (Ed: or keep reading these posts.)

The last thought: if you are not sure, keep it simple. Stick to the basics. Short sentences make more sense. If it does not sound right, then rewrite.

Punctuation giving you headaches? Don’t know your commas from your semi-colon?
Writer’s Support provides a consulting service and business writing workshops.
Contact writer@ulrikehill or call +27 71 636 8028.
This article was first published on inov8t online magazine.

Tags business writing, Eats shoots and leaves, exclamation mark, Lynn Truss, panda, puncutation, ulrike hill

Business Writers

The Business Writer’s Guide to Great Style

Post author By Ulrike Hill
Post date 26/01/2016

Stop for a minute and examine your company’s written communication.

Notice the spelling of words such as organisation/organization. How do the people in your company write numbers when communicating with clients? Do they know that acronyms can cause confusion? For example, BA can have different meanings in different industries. Try these for size: business analyst, British Airways, Bachelor of Art (degree) or even bad attitude.

This is the perfect time to create a style guide for your company.

How can a style guide improve communication?

A style guide creates consistency. This important business document provides a roadmap for internal and external written communications.

If everyone is on the same page (pun intended), there is less chance for misunderstandings to creep in. This includes standardising spelling conventions (American versus British), formatting of documents (headers, paragraphs, document length) and how to write acronyms and numbers.

A good style guide should also include brand principles. It is important that people in the company understand how they should write and stylise the company name. The use of logos, colour and symbols is an area often neglected in written communication and the reason for the marketing department’s headaches.

The style guide is crucial business tool to help people in the company, as well as freelancers, to follow the company’s style of business language.

Getting started

Many companies are unsure about the guidelines that should be included in the style guide.

The first tip is to examine the current documents in the company. Make a list of the types of errors that are made consistently. People who are writing in the company may use jargon, complicated terms, passive voice. Language usage may vary from department to department. Make a list. This list will form the foundation for the company style guide.

Suggestions for style guide content

We have compiled a basic list of the things that should be included in your company’s style guide. Please note these are merely suggestions. You need to define the literacy level of your client base, what information is important to your company and the industry your company services.

Spelling
- Decide which spelling convention your company needs to implement. There are two kinds: British English (UK) and American English (US). The international trend is British English
- Choose a dictionary as the company’s base for spelling references. We recommend Oxford Dictionary (online reference: oed.com and www.oxforddictionaries.com)
- List common spelling errors to differentiate between US and UK spelling. Example: specialise (UK) vs. specialize (US)
Punctuation
- The apostrophe is the most misunderstood punctuation. Ensure that people understand the usage
- Include bullet point usage in the guide and the use of full stops and capital letters
- Highlight the difference between hyphens and dashes and usage. Example: hyphens are used in compound nouns and adjectives
- Use of ellipses (…)
- Square brackets and parenthesis (additional information)
- Capitalisation is interesting because writers tend to become lazy and forget the rules of capitalisation. Include a section about capitalising job titles
- AbbreviationsThe rules of the following forms of abbreviations should be explained and examples provided:
  - Acronyms and Initialisms
  - Ampersand (&) and Symbols (%)
  - Abbreviations allowed in the company and punctuation rules. Examples: etc., Mr

Numbers
- Explain when numbers should be written in words or numerically
- Date, time, decimals and measurement standardisation
- The use of terms like “more than” and “fewer”
Active vs. Passive voice
- Explain the difference between active and passive. Provide suitable business examples to explain the differences
Pronouns
- Standardise viewpoint appropriate documents. Example: Marketing and sales communication can make use of “you” but technical documents may only use third person or neutral viewpoints
Jargon and Technical Terms
- Acronyms often fall under this list as they become habits when they are used on a daily basis in written and spoken forms
- Jargon is industry specific and creates miscommunication so should be avoided in business writing
- Create rules for the use of technical terms
Readability Statistics
- This is a useful electronic tool to use in the organisation and should be activated in MS Word
- Create standards for passive voice and sentence length
- Ensure that the spell checker is activated for MS Word documents and email and language is set to check UK English
Document Format
- Create a standard for the look and feel of all business documents. The formatting of written communication can be department specific or one rule for the entire company.
- The following conventions should be specified:
  - Headings and levels of headings
  - Body text layout
  - Page numbering
  - Italics, bold face, capitalisation and underlining
  - Referencing
  - Company specific type face and font size

Trademarks
- This is often left out of style guides as many companies prefer to include this in their brand or communication guides
- Trademarks refers to any words, symbols or designs that the company uses to identify their products or services
- Do not use trademarks as verbs

Need help? Let Writer’s Support assess your current style guide. We can also compile a style guide for your company to ensure that your company complies with best business communication practice.

Want to do it on your own? Email writer@ulrikehill.co.za for a style guide template.

This article was published on Writers Write blog 14 September 2013. This is an edited version of the original article.

Tags business writing, communication, miscommunication, reference, spelling, style guide

Business Writers

Yawn Phrases in Business Emails

Post author By Ulrike Hill
Post date 18/01/2016

According to a study conducted by The Radicati Group Inc, the typical corporate email user sends and receives about 105 email messages per day. That is a lot of ‘commercial noise’ in a user’s inbox.

How does a business ensure that important emails are read and not deleted?

By applying the rule, keep it short and simple. This means pruning out the many useless phrases that thrive in business emails.

Emails have become an extension of our thoughts and communication. The modern email user will write an email and press the ‘send’ button before checking if the contents are correct. This is understandable in a world of I-have-no-time. The problem with this approach is that there is no ‘face’ to the email and the email could create a negative perception about your company. Spelling errors and overused phrases can spell commercial disaster. It conveys the perception that your business is unprofessional, rushes through everything and that the use of correct language is not important.

It is time to examine your emails. Do your emails let you and your business down?

The top five useless phrases in emails

I think … When a sentence begins with this phrase, it tells the recipient that you are unsure about yourself. Your tone must be assertive and confident.
Please be advised… People often use this lawyer-type phrase. It is unnecessary. Be direct. If you are informing a debtor that payment is overdue then state the obvious. ‘Your cheque is overdue’ is to the point and unpretentious.
Please do not hesitate to contact me … People will contact you if they are interested in your product or have a query. This is an irritating cliché used in emails. The message you are sending out is that you are not an original thinker.
Kindly … ‘Please’ works better than this old-fashioned word.
Enclosed please find … People tend to use this phrase because it is neutral and the user avoids using the personal pronoun ‘I’. The word ‘find’ shows a lack of understanding about the use of language. It suggests that the reader should look for the document. Rather write ‘ Document X is attached to this email’.

Do not allow unnecessary words to taint your clients’ view of you or your business. Phrases are useless communication ‘fillers’, rather like small talk. And, who has time for that?

Having email problems?
Writer’s Support provides a consulting service and business writing workshops.
Contact writer@ulrikehill or +27 71 636 8028.
This article was first published on Writers Write’s blog 9th September 2013.

Tags business writing, communication, email, useless phrases, writing tips

Interviews

The 5-minute Interview: Per Ostberg

Post author By Ulrike Hill
Post date 12/01/2016

This week we introduce you to Swedish author, Per Ostberg.

Book Title: PERspective: Pros and Cons of Expat Life – Experiences from 25 years and 84 countries

Genre: Business Self-Help, Intercultural Management, Travel

What was your inspiration for writing this book?

Seeing so many fellow expats struggling with culture crash, loneliness, alcoholism, drugs and conflicting demands without asking for help or talking to other expats. I felt that if talking about one’s problems, exposed weakness rather than strength. I wanted to share my ups and downs, highlight that most expats are not alone in feeling at odds and give current and budding expats a little guidance.

What difficulties did you face when writing this book?

Combining my experiences with conveying a message that is meaningful for readers while making the book entertaining. No one wants to read “and then I did, and then I said, and and and…”.

What is your favourite part of this book?

Do I need to choose one? There has been so many hilarious happenings and some quite bad ones. Probably the part describing the evacuation from Sierra Leone during the civil war: it displays so much of the extreme situations an expat can face.

If you could give your readers one advice, what would that be and why?

Be open-minded! Working in different cultures can be stressful and sometimes frustrating. Without an open mind you will get into a negative spiral that could get out of control.

What makes your book different from other books in this genre?

It looks at the expat life from real life experiences, draws on some theoretical framework but tries to communicate my personal learnings in a humble way. It does not focus on “do this”, “don’t do that” like so many other books but tries to explain the mindset you need to have to succeed.

###

Per’s business career has taken him to 84 countries in 25 years. In his debut book, PERspective, Per provides the reader with insights into his life as an expat. His account of cultural differences and life away from home positions is the perfect book for any global business person.

Per attended a writing course and it was there that the idea for this book developed. Writing support and publishing guidance helped Per to realise his dream of becoming a published author.

We are proud to be associated with Per Ostberg and his book, PERspective.