Everybody Writes by Anne Handley – Book Review
This book opened my eyes to the fact that if you are in the world of creating any sort of content through the use of words, then you are a writer, and as such, you need to take it seriously.
Check it out on Amazon, or my personal favorite, Bookshop.org.
3 Main Takeaways From the Book
- The online world we live in now has shifted the mode of connection from in-person dialogue to how the content we produce is received, making writing an absolute necessity of skill.
- We are what we write; from blogs to IG post captions, it doesn’t matter what medium we are writing through, we will be judged by how it sounds and feels by the reader.
- Quality content results from the combination of ‘will it help the reader’, ‘is it well constructed’, and ‘will they like it’.
Personal Impact
In my search for books on how to develop my newly desired skill, writing, I came across ‘Everbody Writes’. In fact, I came across it while reading another book, ‘Content, Inc.’, which shows how important it is to pay attention to the books that inspired/were used in creating other books. The title itself immediately spoke to me, as I would be included in the word ‘everybody’ and if everybody writes, then shit, I guess I write too. But how so? Thus, I immediately dove into the book to find out how this former artillery captain who used to jump out of airplanes for a living was already a writer, or at the very least, could be.
What I soon discovered was that I wasn’t inherently a writer, but the fact that I entered the online world by starting a website and creating content for it as well as for social media, I became a writer. From the very first moment I published something with the purpose of conveying a message, I was now a writer. And as such, the author Ann Handley, immediately makes it clear that now that I’ve entered this world, that I must also take it seriously.
I have said for quite some time now that my goal in life is to directly, and personally help people in the most meaningful way possible. Well, as this book has shown to me, I’m now tapping into the realm of doing so, through my blog, my social media connections, and content. I can now directly interact with the people I’m curating content for. It’s solely me. I’m not working at the behest of someone else to help people indirectly anymore. I’m not at the mercy of some higher authority. But with freedom comes much responsibility, risk, and uncertainty. I am now at the mercy of the reader.
Who Should Read It?
If you are in the world of content creation, then this book is for you. It reminds us that even though we are not novelists or journalists, we are still writers and need to act that way. That said, you’ll like (and benefit the most) if you operate in the realms of business and marketing.
My Top 3 Quotes
- “There are no shortcuts to becoming a better writer. So show up at your desk and get to it. Daily.”
- “Empathy for the customer experience should be at the root of all of your content, because having a sense of the people you are writing for and a deep understanding of their problems is key to honing your skill.”
- “Relentlessly, unremittingly, obstinately focus on the reader.”
