Here are my posts about writing this week, along with some posts about writing from others. This week there are my posts on becoming a writer  the Firefighter Rule, advice from Fairfax Cone, and a writing productivity tool you may not have thought of. There are pointers to posts by others about using Getty Images and about Amazon and the future of (self)publishing.

My Posts on Writing

Are you a writer?

The dictionary has a simple definition of “writer.” Common usage has another. My clients usually think differently.

Writing Tip: The Firefighter Rule

Firefighters fight fires. What do they do when they’re done?

Advice from the Masters: Fairfax Cone

Fairfax Cone was one of the great 20th Century copywriters. Here’s some advice that’s good for you no matter what you’re writing.

Writing Tip: A writing productivity tool you may not have thought of

Here’s one simple thing you can do to increase your productivity.

Select Posts by Others on Writing

From Simon Schmid: Getty Images vs Creative Commons and Privacy: What Bloggers Need to Know

“Getty Images recently announced a new image embed feature that allows bloggers (and others) to access and use their vast library of images for non-commercial purposes. This rather remarkable change in policy by Getty Images shows that it’s ready to work with content creators and adapt to the times we live in.”

From Digital Book World: Amazon’s Vision for the Future of Self-Publishing

“The term ‘self-publishing’ may have outlived its usefulness, according to Jon Fine, director of author and publishing relations at Amazon, speaking at the Publishing for Digital Minds conference this week in London.”

From Digital Book World: Amazon Publishing: Authors Are Customers

“When book publishers consider their customers, historically, they were stores that retailed books. As of recently, with the distance between publisher and reader now measured in electrons, readers have entered the mix as customers publishers relate with regularly. And with the rise of self-publishing, giving the competition for content from authors a new dimension, publishers have intensified their efforts to woo new authors and retain old ones. Amazon Publishing, the relatively new house owned and operated by the world’s largest bookseller of the same name, is taking that last point to a whole new level.”