Ann Handley - Everybody Writes: Your Go-To Guide to Creating Ridiculously Good Content

Where was this book when I first started writing? Too many people think writing is easy: just put your thoughts down. Nope. Writing is much more dynamic in a world where content is everything and everywhere. In Everybody Writes, Ann Handley does the impossible: she teaches you (and me) how to not only tell better stories, but how to get those stories to connect with an audience. As usual, Handley does what she does best: she overdelivers. If you create content, buy this. If you run a team that creates content, buy everyone a copy. This is one of those books that will always sit within arm's reach of anyone who must come up with ideas.

Mitch Joel
President, Twist Image;
Author of Six Pixels of Separation and CTRL ALT Delete

This book provides marketers from all functions with a deeper understanding of this new era of storytelling and content, and it empowers them to contribute as a creative.

Tim Washer
Senior Marketing Manager, Cisco

Many people talk about the need to create great content, and to tell better stories in order to win new business in this social and digital age. So after cowriting the definitive Content Rules, Ann Handley is back to help us all understand how to get it done. Ann shatters the myth that writing is only for trained journalists, and provides amazingly insightful tips on how everyone can tell great stories.

Michael Brenner
Head of Strategy, Newscred

Handley gets to the core of why most content doesn't work. More important, she offers real-world, pragmatic advice for fixing it. Everyone who creates content for the Webtext, audio, or videoshould read this book.

Sonia Simone
Chief Content Officer, Copyblogger Media

In our newly connected world, who would have thought that writing skills would be critical to an individual's future success? Everybody Writes gives you all the tools you need to make writing a core part of your life (and it needs to be). Plus, Ann's stories are incredibly engaging, she makes complex themes simple to understand, and she's just one really nice person (if you needed another reason).

Joe Pulizzi
Founder, Content Marketing Institute;
Author of Epic Content Marketing

Great content marketing can't happen without great writing. But way too many marketing teams settle for good enough. In this terrific book, Ann Handley shows why that's a fatal mistake and how to avoid making it. A fun, fast read that makes you want to run to your keyboard and tap out a masterpiece. But it's not just for writers, it's for anyone who commissions, edits, or works with writers.

Doug Kessler
Cofounder and Creative Director, Velocity UK

Everybody Writes is your guide to creating content you can be proud of and that customers will love you for. No one is going to win the content game with average, that's why Everybody Writes is a must-have guide for anyone that creates content.

Lee Odden
CEO, Top Rank Marketing;
Author of Optimize

Writing is one of the most important skills in marketing today. We all nod along while secretly wondering, How DO we get better at writing?

Everybody Writes addresses this in an accessible way that no other book has. As always, Ann does this with equal parts humor and heart. You'll laugh as you learn.

Nick Westergaard
Chief Brand Strategist, Brand Driven Digital

Writing is not an easy task. Writing a book about writing is near impossible, but Ann has done it as only she can. Filled with valuable information, techniques, examples, and smilesthis is the book for anyone who wants their words to have more success.

C. C. Chapman
Author and storyteller

Throw the others away because this is the only guide you need to elevate your content to the level of awesomeness! With wisdom and an infective wittiness, Ann shows you how to take your writing from awkward or awful to electric or elegant. She's your favorite teacher, cracking you up while her tough love gets you to do the work to improve. Even though I've written 10 books, I still learned a great deal in these pages and now I'm eager to flex my newfound content creation muscles.

David Meerman Scott
Best-selling author of The New Rules of Marketing and PR

The alternate click-bait title of Ann's great new book could have been 73 Ways to Improve Your Writing and Conquer the World!and it would have been an understatement. We're all publishers now, and the better writers connect, persuade, and win. Be one of them with this book.

Brian Clark
Founder and CEO, Copyblogger Media

All your shiny new channels, properties, and platforms are a waste of space without smart, useful content. Ann Handley's new book helps make every bit of content countfor your customers and your bottom line.

Kristina Halvorson
President, Brain Traffic

I just glanced at the table of contents and I'm already a better writer. Ann Handley might just single-handedly save the world from content mediocrity. Really, really ridiculously good-looking content just got an owner's manual.

Jason Miller
Senior Content Marketing Manager, LinkedIn

Let's face it, writing is not optional for today's marketer. Ann's witty take on what works and what doesn't will help you master business writing andmore importantlyhave fun while you're doing it!

Ardath Albee
B2B Marketing Strategist;
Author, eMarketing Strategies for the Complex Sale and Digital Relevance (coming in 2015)

Useful to the extreme, Everybody Writes is the first must-read book on the subject since Stephen King's On Writing. Bursting with ways to improve your short and long-form content, it's too good to be skimmed. This book should be included with every keyboard sold, like a combo pack of communication clarity. You'll be a better writer by page 15. By the end of this book, you're thinking about giving Steinbeck a run for his money. I passionately recommend Everybody Writes.

Jay Baer
President, Convince & Convert;Author, Youtility

Finally, a sensible writing guide for a digital age! Everybody Writes is a unique blend of how-to-write rules and what-to-write revelations. Whether you are overhauling your everyday communication or sitting down to write a book, Ann Handley's irreverent style and inspirational wisdom will transform the way you write. Move over Strunk & White, Everybody Writes is the creative resource for a new generation.

Andrew M. Davis
Author, Brandscaping

Cover image: Evan WH Price (www.evanwhprice.com)

Cover design: Wiley

Copyright 2014 by Ann Handley. All rights reserved

Portions of Part 5: 13 Things Marketers Write contain excerpts of content authored by Ann Handley and originally published in Entrepreneur magazine and are being reproduced with permission of Entrepreneur Media, Inc. 2013-2014 by Entrepreneur Media, Inc. All rights reserved.

Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey.

Published simultaneously in Canada.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) 750-8400, fax (978) 646-8600, or on the Web at www.copyright.com. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, (201) 748-6011, fax (201) 748-6008, or online at www.wiley.com/go/permissions.