Megan Sharma's Blog: The Savvy Surgeon's Wife

On The Write Life: 34 Ways to Stay Busy (and Productive) While You Wait for Your Book Release

8/8/2017

This month on The Write Life, I'm serving up 34 tips and tricks to help anyone in the process of publishing a book.

Check it out: 34 Ways to Stay Busy (and Productive) While You Wait for Your Book Release

Authors and writers who are looking for literary agents and whose agents are submitting their work to publishers will find the recommendations especially relevant.

Even if your book has been sold and is pending release, or if you're a self-publisher, the article offers plenty of suggestions that will help grow your readership.

You can find all of my articles on The Write Life here.

Happy trails, my friends!

You may also like these blogs by Megan Sharma:
On The Write Life: 17 Incredible Possibilities if Writers Ran The World
On The Write Life: Get Inspired! 20 Writers to Follow on Twitter
Article on The Write Life: Think Like a Journalist to Improve Your Writing (Trench Coat Optional!)
Business Email Etiquette: 50 Things You Should Never Say in a Work Email
Free E-Book Preview: 100 of your Toughest Business Emails: Solved—Coming August 2017
How to be the perfect friend: a guide for the ladies
Vacation fun: 44 things you only do when you're on vacation or holiday
Writing tips: What I want to blog about vs. what I actually blog about
One year after my major career change from full-time mom to full-time writer: reflections and lessons learned
For writers: All your writing fears, squashed!
A real, imperfect day in the life of a writer: me
Your writing conference checklist: how to make it worth every minute and every penny (takeaways from the 2017 San Francisco Writers Conference)
The write stuff: An author’s favorite books and authors
Writing tips: Cutting down on word fat and other newsletter best practices
All about writing: writing 'til it hurts

By the way, have you checked out my new, FREE E-Book?

If you ever struggle with what to say in a business email, you need to get your hands on it, pronto. Get to clicking!

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Business Email Etiquette: 50 Things You Should Never Say in a Work Email

7/30/2017

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Business email etiquette has been on my mind as of late.

You see, I just wrote this cool e-book called 100 of Your Toughest Business Emails: Solved, available early to my awesome email subscribers, and coming soon to Amazon and other digital formats.

The e-book gives tons of examples for things you can or should say when you really feel like wringing your co-worker’s neck, but need to be diplomatic.

Oh, but the list of things you SHOULDN’T say in an email with any professional association is practically endless.

That’s where I thought I would have some fun.

Generally, it’s best to avoid the following in business emails:

Put-downs
Foul language
Inappropriate jokes (jokes of any kind, really)
Attempts to procure money from your colleagues in the form of fundraising or otherwise
Anything illegal
Highly confidential or personal information
Politics, religion. The stuff that works your family into a tizzy at Thanksgiving.
Anything you wouldn’t want to see plastered on the front page of the newspaper or your company’s intranet page
Romantic overtures
Conflicts of interest
Subjects not related to your work. Period.

Now that we’ve established those ground rules, let’s enjoy the best of the worst of them.

50 Things You Should Never, Ever Say in a Business Email

1. That outfit is heinous
2. Everyone knows that so-and-so and so-and-so are having an affair
3. I'm thinking of leaving to work for a competitor
4. I don't do much work. I mostly shop online all day.
5. OMG ROFL & LMAO

Photo credit: Jonas B via Visual hunt / CC BY

6. I can't stand working with Susie
7. A kindergartner could do a better job
8. Don't tell anyone, but I peed in the office coffee pot
9. Does Bob have a girlfriend?
10. I'm counting on you to support my Race for the (X Charitable Cause)

11. Holy F***ing s***!
12. Did you see last night's episode of "Game of Thrones"? Whoa.
13. My boss is slowly sucking the life from my soul
14. WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING???
15. I never have to buy pens anymore. They're free at the office!

16. What are you having for lunch today? I’m craving sushi.
17. Sorry, my ex-wife took every last penny
18. Do you even read your emails?
19. You really screwed this one up, didn't you?
20. Rachel looks super sexy today

Photo credit: Ms. Phoenix via Visual hunt / CC BY

21. Do you know where I can buy some weed?
22. I think I feel a cold coming on…cough, cough (HAHA!). Looks like I'll have to take a 'sick' day :)
23. Can I borrow $20?
24. You're going to hell
25. All the free donuts in the world could not make me happy in this job

26. I am beyond hungover
27. How much do they pay you here?
28. I couldn't care less
29. FOR YOUR EYES ONLY (Top Secret)
30. My dog is cuter than your kid

31. Let's hit the strip club after work
32. Are you in for online poker during our conference call?
33. I'm selling my old TV. Do you want it?
34. Anyone who votes for (X CANDIDATE) is an IDIOT!
35. I know you're Jewish, but Merry Christmas!

36. So a guy walks into a bar…
37. I'm supposed to meet with my parole officer at that time
38. Forward this email to 10 people or you'll have bad luck!
39. Macy's is having an awesome buy one, get one free online sale. You in?
40. I'd rather not sponsor a take your child to work day. I hate children.

41. WTF?
42. Remember, there is no I in team
43. I'm praying for your soul
44. I have a fantastic investment opportunity for you
45. It's obvious that she needs a makeover

46. Does this make sense?
47. That's not my fault
48. You're the only one to complain about this
49. No offense, but…
50. Anyone on the planet could do a better job than him

Photo credit: Hubble Space Telescope / ESA via Visualhunt / CC BY

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Free E-Book Preview: 100 of your Toughest Business Emails: Solved—Coming August 2017

7/20/2017

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Watch for my FREE e-book, coming August 2017!

This week I am super excited to share my latest project. I have written my first e-book, and I can’t wait to put it out into the digital world!

The best part: it will be completely free on all digital platforms. Woop!

I expect to release the book next month (August 2017), and will share updates on this blog and on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

So, what’s this e-book all about?

Here is a preview of what’s to come.

Free E-Book Preview
100 of your Toughest Business Emails: Solved
Plug and Play Ideas from a Seasoned Corporate Communications Manager

Introduction
Email. We live and breathe it at work. Most of us can’t get away from it. The average office worker receives 121 emails per day.

Our increasingly global economy also means that we work across time zones. When those time zones don’t match up, we often rely on email to get work done.

As a former Corporate Communications Manager for a fast-paced IT consulting company, I know firsthand the power of words to help or hinder.

I spent nearly six years ghost writing for executives and coming up with innumerable ways to say things that people might not like.

This experience bestowed upon me an unexpected gift: the ability to conjure up a tactful way of saying just about anything, usually on the fly.

Yet, most of us in the business world don’t have a Corporate Communications Manager we can run to when we’re not quite sure how to word an email.

That is why I have created this book.

I want to help you smooth over your email language while still making your point.

I want to provide you with an easy reference guide for whenever you’re stumped on what to say.

And, finally, I want to help you avoid some of the inevitable drama that goes hand in hand with business communications.

It’s important to note that much of the language found in this book relies on references and colloquialisms most familiar to American readers. When dealing with an international audience, please consider your reader’s likely familiarity with the language you choose.

With my plug and play templates, you, too, can master even the toughest of business emails.

Let’s dive in!

Photo credit: markus spiske via Visual Hunt / CC BY

A few juicy tidbits that you can look forward to in the book

That’s his/her job
He/she is the expert on…
He/she is the right person for…
He/she is best suited to…
He/she has firsthand knowledge of…
He/she is your go-to person for…
He/she is your best bet for...

I disagree
I disagree (sometimes it’s perfectly appropriate to say!)
I beg to differ
I don’t agree
I’m not so sure about that…
Not necessarily
I don’t see it that way
I see it differently
I have a different perspective
I have an opposing view

I don’t have time
I’m overcommitted
I don’t have the bandwidth
I’m stretched too thin
I’m afraid I’m not available to…
If I had more availability, I would be happy to…
My time is limited
I can’t dedicate the time
I’m pressed for time
I wish I could help
I wish I had more time
My schedule is full

Here is your 1,000th reminder
As I mentioned before…
As we discussed previously…
Per my previous email…
Per our recent conversation…
As you know…
Since our last discussion…
As previously agreed...

Over my dead body!
I’d prefer if we didn’t
Let’s think of some alternatives
Let’s brainstorm some ideas
I would rather not
It wouldn’t be my first choice
It’s not my favorite idea
I’m not a huge fan
Let’s take a different direction

Cheers to acing those business emails, and more to come very soon!