And the Basic Business Writing Course Is Live!

I finally published the basic business writing course this weekend. Whew!! You have no idea what a relief it was to finally get that done!

It takes me a long time to get these online classes pulled together. And there’s always the doubt that they are as helpful as I want them to be.

Are you wondering why I even went to all the work to make this class happen? Yes, me too, if I’m honest. But I have a strong desire to share basic tips and advice to help people improve their writing at work.

The work behind the classes

Every online class I’ve published so far has involved countless hours of work. It took probably 100 hours to figure out the content for the basic business writing course. Then the slides must be put together and images added. The quizzes must be written. And then the filming, the filming! Introverts like me become freelance writers for a reason. Then when we want to share our knowledge with others, we have to videotape ourselves!

I’ve presented in person many times. That part is easy. I actually like being in front of a crowd watching people learn as my knowledge is shared and I see them absorbing it.

But videotaping myself? And then having to watch and listen to myself? That is torture.

I know I have insights and knowledge to share. I am of an age and I have 25 years of experience as a freelance writer and editor, and more than 30 if you include graduate school and my jobs at two different magazines.

If I could simply write down all my advice, as I do in this blog and my newsletter, I would be delighted. But not everyone learns by reading and not all lessons are easily conveyed in this format.

And that is why I had to make the decision to make the online classes. I was done with freelancing, and I didn’t want all of my knowledge to go to waste when I could see mistakes in business writing all around me.

If you’re an introvert who has had to videotape yourself, you probably feel my pain. (And if you have tips for dealing with it, please let me know!)

Oh, and then after the filming comes the editing, for both the video and the audio. Then there’s the uploading of files and making of thumbnails for images for each lesson.

And then creating the landing page and so much more. I’ll say it again now that it’s done: Whew!

Who is basic business writing course for?

OK, so I am going on and on about the work behind making this class. Why did I make it then?

I created the basic business writing course for three types of people: those newly graduated from college now entering the workforce, those who write in English at work but aren’t native English speakers, and anyone lacking confidence in their writing at work. In all three of those audiences, I see a need for this class.

My hope is the lessons on basics such as punctuation, word choice and sentence structure will go a long way toward helping people develop stronger writing skills at work. And then? My hope is these skills will lead to clear communication, improved teamwork, and even career advancement.

As confident as I am in the lessons in the class, it’s hard to put it out into the world for all to criticize. I absolutely hate disappointing people. And I tend to assume everyone knows everything I know. But then I see examples of writing that prove that assumption wrong. I see the punctuation errors, the weak words, and the confusing sentences, and I know someone somewhere will benefit from what I offer.

And I’ve seen other business writing classes that fail to address what I think are the basics people need to master, and I want to fix that.

Why is the basic business writing course short?

This class was years in the making. If you’re a subscriber to my newsletter, you might recall I had almost three years during which my life was taken over by two situations out of my control that I had to deal with. Yes, two situations happened within a couple of weeks of each other back in March 2022, and there went my office hours—and my other time too, like for the farm and the horses.

Then when I was finally able to get back to the class in January 2025, I realized I had way too much information. I’ve looked at a lot of online business writing courses and many of them are looooong…up to 18 hours long. In my own experience as someone who has taken online classes, I struggle to believe people will stick with those classes until the end. I wanted something shorter than 90 minutes because if people don’t take the whole class, I don’t do my job.

The good news is that I have plenty of content for getting start on an intermediate business writing class, after pulling so much content out of the basics class! I have a head start on that one for sure!

And what’s next?

Now that the basic business writing class is done, I am excited to start on the next one, despite the agony of the filming of myself. And what is the topic? The next class will teach persuasive writing skills.

Yes, I know I just said I have plenty of content for an intermediate business writing class. But that won’t be as fun as teaching people to write persuasively.

I’m not making this class to teach people how to be marketing writers or copywriters. I’m making this class because everyone can benefit from persuasive writing skills, whether they work in marketing or not. Why do I say that?

Because the fact is, we are all trying to persuade when we write. We have a goal when we write at work and it usually involves convincing someone of something.

Plus, writing persuasively makes our writing at work more engaging and more likely to be read and acted upon. I see this time and again in business writing: Just a few sales writing tips can make writing at work remarkably better!

If you know someone who could use some basic business writing tips, let them know about the class. It’s only $24.99 because I’m not in this to get rich. I’m in this to help people and to pass along my knowledge and experience.

And if there’s something you want to learn, let me know! I have classes to create! I’d love to include your ideas!!