Publishing Advice From The LinkedIn Top Voices Community.
1. CHANGING THE WORLD: “Write with the intention to change the world, even if it is through the butterfly effect of a laugh or a snort that changes someone’s emotional climate and triggers a hurricane of happiness. Writing is hard. Good writing is excruciating. Changing the world is your reward, and the world is in need of a lot of changing the world.” – Lynne Everatt, Management & Culture
2. MAKING IT A HABIT: “Start one sentence at a time. Make it a habit. It’s easy to get in your head wondering what you could possibly say that hasn’t already been said better. I start with a sentence and then keep going. Sometimes, I keep writing sentences that have nothing to do with each other until there’s one that I like. That sparks a series of related thoughts, that ultimately turns into a real piece of writing that I’m proud of. And being disciplined about working this process into my weekly schedule keeps me focused.” – Mina Radhakrishnan, VC & Entrepreneurship
3. INFUSING NEW IDEAS: “Good writing requires a constant infusion of new ideas. Push yourself to come face-to-face with concepts that shake your worldview and turn your values upside down. Try it all: books, online content, podcasts, conversations, theater, movies, music, nature, museums—especially stuff you think you’ll hate. Being a fearless observer of life will add real texture and resonance to your writing.” – Marianne Griebler, Marketing & Social
4. TELLING YOUR STORY: “A commonly asked question about publishing is ‘What do I write about on LinkedIn? Does my voice matter?’ My response: start by writing about your personal experience. You own your experience. No one can tell your story better than you can. Build your writing confidence with these personal stories then expand on your subject matter expertise. Discover, practice, and define your unique voice. Your voice is unique. Never doubt that.” – Tai Tran, Marketing & Social
5. INCLUDING YOURSELF: “If you’re trying to distinguish yourself and your writing, find ways to include yourself in it. Write about topics that you interacted with in the past week, and write about how they affected you, or someone you know. Readers love that personal element. Also, keep a journal (maybe on your phone or in a Google Doc) where you can add quotes, random sitting-on-the-toilet inspirations, or tidbits from conversations that you think you can use in your next essay. It helps a lot.” – Olivia Barrow, Media
6. RE-WRITING AND EDITING: “A wise man once said: ‘There is no great writing. Only great re-writing.’ And that’s the key to capturing the authenticity that makes you, you–through good editing. The great strength of the written word is that you can hone it and shape it until you feel it’s ready. You have the power to form your words into exactly what you want, like a master sculptor creating a work of art.” – Justin Bariso, Management & Culture
7. CREATING VIBRATIONS: “Think of writing as rhythms and melodies rather than words and letters. You create vibrations when you write. Own this. Cultivate your flow by getting into the habit of writing down your thoughts as they emerge in their rawest form. Develop them later. Incorporate into writing rituals, the act of writing off the grid—no tech—just pen & paper, pad & pencil, napkin & marker.” – Kaia Shivers, Education
8. TAKING CHANCES: “I don’t think the question is “what or how” to write, but “why” write at all. We need writers to do more than report or fill an imaginary gap in the status quo echo chamber. A writer should take chances, should speak from the heart and nowhere else. Value is derived from the transactional, material economy. In the same way, great writing engages the reader in the transpersonal economy; the greater archetypal realm of humanity.” – Louis D. LoPraeste, Management & Culture
8. ADJUSTING WITH FEEDBACK: “Start by making sure you know what you want the reader to take away. Then write as much as you can. Walk away for a day then come back and edit & restructure. Edit to the point of thinking you may have edited it too much. Add back in if needed. Lastly, share with others to get their feedback and gut check whether you’ve accomplished your goal or not. Adjust as needed and publish.” – Barry Enderwick, Marketing & Advertising
9. BEING VULNERABLE: “As writers, we often focus more on how people will perceive our writing than on what we actually want to say. My advice is to be organic–be vulnerable and authentic in your communication. Honest communication is necessary to make genuine human connections, and human connection is what ties readers and writers together.” – Kiara Imani Williams, Media
What are some of your tips