Research / 6 posts found
How AI Perceptions Have Changed in the Last Decade [Comparing New & Old Consumer Data]
AI may sound like a new tech trend, but it’s actually been around in the lives of business owners, marketers, and consumers for years. So, how has the perception of AI changed over time? To answer this question, we looked at the data HubSpot collected in the 2017 survey we conducted of 1,400+ consumers worldwide. We then compared that data to our 2023 State of AI Survey, in which we surveyed 1,350+ business professionals. How People Felt About AI in 2017 How People Perceive AI in 2023 How AI’s Perception Could Change How People Felt About AI in 2017 In […]
Topic Clusters: The Next Evolution of SEO
Written with contributions from Leslie Ye, Matthew Barby, Anum Hussain, and Cambria Davies TL;DR: Influential search engines like Google have changed their algorithm to favor topic-based content. As a result, websites are exploring a new way of linking related content under a “topic clusters” model. This report serves as a tactical primer for marketers responsible for SEO strategies. Table of Contents (8-minute read) Introduction Search Engines are Forcing Websites to Adapt Do Topic Clusters Actually Impact SERPs? What Does This Mean for my Website? How Do I Create a Topic Cluster? Tactical Tips to Get Started With Topic Clusters Help […]
6 Practical Tips for Writing Great Historical Fiction
In 2019, the New York Times Style Magazine declared that we are living in a “golden age” of historical fiction. Whatever the reason for this—be it our need to escape a horribly uncertain present or our fear of what the future might bring—as the author of six World War II-influenced novels, I am very happy that people want their fiction immersed in the past. (Entertaining With the Past: How To Write Engaging Historical Fiction) It is a genre, however, which can trip up the unwary writer: We are not, after all, describing times in which we have lived. With that […]
Top 5 Things To Know Before Doing Archival Research on Your Book
I have worked in archives for 20 years and have helped many authors navigate this complex and thrilling world to support their own stories. What’s more, every novel I’ve written has featured an archive in one form or another. I love writing about the archives and the mysteries they contain. (How To Do Writing Research During a Lockdown) I also love doing archival research, which can be as satisfying as solving a tough crossword puzzle or fitting in that final puzzle piece. If you’re intrigued by the idea of using archives in your writing, here are the top five things […]
How To Do Writing Research During a Lockdown
I’ve always been a great believer in hands-on research. This dates from when I was writing my first novel, Living Dangerously. My heroine was a potter, and I asked a friend who was one to help me. She was willing, and we set a time for me to visit her in her working environment. I had imagined I’d stand in the corner of her studio and take notes. She had different ideas. She gave me a lump of clay and told me what to do. (Writing Inspirational Novels With Flawed Characters) The feeling of having the clay in my hands […]
How Inspiration and Research Shape a Novel
As a writer of historical fiction, research forms an integral part of my work—and indeed is something I have always enjoyed. In my previous career as a theatre director, researching the time period of the play that I was directing was always one of the things I relished the most, and so it is no surprise that in my writing, I am drawn to stories from the past that allow me to lose myself in another time and place. My latest novel, The Widow’s Last Secret, is set in England in the early Victorian period; a time of amazing inventions […]