Good writing skills are no longer enough to make your business a go. It is nearly impossible to work in a professional manner without a well equipped and smartly designed office.
Without the right tools it’s tough to meet those tight deadlines or get inspired to produce high quality work. Take a look at your office.
Do you have an office or do you work wherever you can find space?
Do you make use of digital software to help manage data and research efficiently?
An environment that fosters creativity and allows you to produce high quality work generally results in a high paycheck.
Here are some things to consider.
1. Your computer can help you hold a wealth of data but that’s useless unless you can find everything seamlessly. Create spreadsheets and files for your clients and work.
2. You should always have a separate checking account and credit card for your business
3. You should have a budget for putting together and maintaining an office.
4. Don’t overlook attractive stationary and business cards
5. When putting together your office don’t put desks, tables, files and other equipment into the room in a hap hazardous fashion. Consider what works best, what’s most comfortable and efficient.
A freelancer is a professional thus maintaining a professional image, managing your business wisely and delivering a great product will help ensue a success writing career
Monday, December 10, 2007
Monday, December 03, 2007
Why write for the eyes?
If you look at magazines and even books today you’ll notice they have shorter paragraphs and fewer chapters. Some writing experts claim that this is due to the internet boom, where writers discovered that content was frequently read if it was visually digestive.
And this is true, but it’s not just web media that affects the way we read. Though if you write for the web you may want to change the way you write. Here’s why:
Our readers are television viewers first, skimmers second, and readers third. Telling a story or reporting an event is no longer just about captivating the imagination you have to draw the readers in visually.
You have to tell your story within a package as opposed to starting on page one and ending on page one hundred. Your piece needs more entry points, more exist points and more places for the reader to catch his breath than before.
Your job is not just to get your reader to read, but to help your reader read.
Think about it. Your reader has the challenging task of taking in hundreds of little marks that up make your document. They need as much help as you can offer to get them from one paragraph to another.
Writers now write for the eye as well as the brain.
You have to grab the eye first with the visual. If you can turn them into skimmers and then readers, they will sit down and read your lengthy article. But you have to get them excited to get them into that lengthy article to start.
You can achieve this first and foremost by breaking up your paragraphs. If your reader is overwhelmed by the layout of your piece you can almost be certain they won’t want to read it.
Take a look at the following paragraphs taken from an article I wrote
“Many people don’t take internet marketing seriously because they don’t regard work from home agents as professionals but rather dilettantes. And you can’t blame them. Starting a home business has never been easier. Anyone with sometime and a computer can start a business. It doesn’t even take hours out of your day. If you can spare a couple hours here and there then you can become an internet marketer. And there are plenty of net marketers who build successful businesses a few hours at a time.
However, those people are few because majority of net marketers see their business close within two years. The one’s that don’t are dedicated to making it work. They try, fail and try again. They spend less time looking for magic millionaire formulas and more time applying their creative intelligence and learned marketing techniques.”
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“Many people don’t take internet marketing seriously because they don’t regard work from home agents as professionals but rather dilettantes. And you can’t blame them. Starting a home business has never been easier. Anyone with sometime and a computer can start a business.
It doesn’t even take hours out of your day. If you can spare a couple hours here and there then you can become an internet marketer. And there are plenty of net marketers who build successful businesses a few hours at a time.
However, those people are few because majority of net marketers see their business close within two years. The one’s that don’t are dedicated to making it work. They try, fail and try again. They spend less time looking for magic millionaire formulas and more time applying their creative intelligence and learned marketing techniques.”
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I haven’t changed anything about the article except for the layout and the second example is much easier to take in. Some would say that I could have broken up those paragraphs even more.
Make sure your paragraphs are no more than four sentences. And leave enough white space for the eye. Also cut out confusing, wordy sentences. If you can make your statement with five words don’t use ten.
The fact is, your reader does not mind if your piece is long it just can’t look that way.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Why do you write?
I wanted to be an artist. But God didn’t give the gift of hand-eye coordination. And to be honest I’m not entirely sure he granted me the gift of enchanting people with words but that’s the tool I have chosen to take up.
I write to say the things that I can not verbally communicate.
I write to teach myself patience. Each sentence must be formed one word at a time and each word letter by letter.
I write because I need attention. And as you are reading this you are granting me my wish.
I write on the conceited notion that I, through my words, may be able to help someone.
I write because I can, because I have the freedom to do so. It’s how I show myself. My words may be angry though I’ll never shout, sad without revealing one tear and happy without echoing my laughter.
As long as there are no rules against it I will write. I suppose even if there were I would still do it.
Why do you write?
Do you sit there at your computer simply to hear the clicking of your keyboard? Or is it deeper than that?
Are you so in love with the idea and task of creating that you can do it anywhere, like two lovers who feel no shame in expressing their love even on a train platform?
Do you do it to understand yourself—to explore your psyche in a way that no psychiatrist could begin to understand?
Perhaps you do it to take a wild uninhibited ride through your imagination.
Or maybe you do it because it works, because you really couldn’t imagine yourself doing anything else. It’s part of your job, your lifestyle, who you’ve become.
Positive statement, ringing affirmation-- you are a writer.
I write to say the things that I can not verbally communicate.
I write to teach myself patience. Each sentence must be formed one word at a time and each word letter by letter.
I write because I need attention. And as you are reading this you are granting me my wish.
I write on the conceited notion that I, through my words, may be able to help someone.
I write because I can, because I have the freedom to do so. It’s how I show myself. My words may be angry though I’ll never shout, sad without revealing one tear and happy without echoing my laughter.
As long as there are no rules against it I will write. I suppose even if there were I would still do it.
Why do you write?
Do you sit there at your computer simply to hear the clicking of your keyboard? Or is it deeper than that?
Are you so in love with the idea and task of creating that you can do it anywhere, like two lovers who feel no shame in expressing their love even on a train platform?
Do you do it to understand yourself—to explore your psyche in a way that no psychiatrist could begin to understand?
Perhaps you do it to take a wild uninhibited ride through your imagination.
Or maybe you do it because it works, because you really couldn’t imagine yourself doing anything else. It’s part of your job, your lifestyle, who you’ve become.
Positive statement, ringing affirmation-- you are a writer.
Friday, November 02, 2007
Trouble Concentrating?
Did you know that your mental abilities vary by as much as 30 percent throughout the day? While we all have our natural daily rhythm and peak hours, for most, morning is when creativity, alertness and logic are at their peak.
According to Smolensky, a researcher at the University of Texas at Houston, “that makes morning the ideal time for writing, working creatively and discussing tough topics.”
However, what if your most demanding tasks hit late in the day? Don’t fret. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania say you can retrain your brain to peak when you need to in as little as two weeks by doing your toughest tasks at that time.
For instance,if you work as an online freelance writer but can only work in the evenings due to a day job start with your most difficult task at the same time each night. You’ll find that even though you may feel un-ambitious your brain is ready to work.
And in order to boost mental abilities at any time, “use relaxed deep abdominal breathing,” suggests Dr. Baker “It raises the amount of oxygen reaching your brain by 33% and it can boost alertness and productivity by 60%
Find more tips to improve concentration
http://smartsolutions-ezine.com/improveconcentration.html
According to Smolensky, a researcher at the University of Texas at Houston, “that makes morning the ideal time for writing, working creatively and discussing tough topics.”
However, what if your most demanding tasks hit late in the day? Don’t fret. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania say you can retrain your brain to peak when you need to in as little as two weeks by doing your toughest tasks at that time.
For instance,if you work as an online freelance writer but can only work in the evenings due to a day job start with your most difficult task at the same time each night. You’ll find that even though you may feel un-ambitious your brain is ready to work.
And in order to boost mental abilities at any time, “use relaxed deep abdominal breathing,” suggests Dr. Baker “It raises the amount of oxygen reaching your brain by 33% and it can boost alertness and productivity by 60%
Find more tips to improve concentration
http://smartsolutions-ezine.com/improveconcentration.html
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
Types of E-publishing
Basically there are five types of publication available to authors: house, subsidy, self cooperative and broker. This articles explains each along with their pros and cons.
1. House Publisher: A house publisher is based most closely on the model of a traditional, royalty-paying publishing company. An author submits a query or a partial submission to the publisher.
A complete manuscript is requested if the publisher is intrigued by the submission. Some electronic publishers in this category simply request that the full manuscript be sent most often as a file attached to an email as the initial submission.
If the publisher accepts the manuscript and the contract is agreed upon, the house publisher provides most, if not all, of the services normally associated with a traditional royalty-paying publisher.
The manuscript is carefully edited cover art and back covers are collected, advanced review copies or advanced ready copies are sent to reviewers and initial promotional marketing begins. Following publication the author and the publisher work together to promote the book.
The benefit for the author is that there is little risk involved. The publisher pays for the costs of production and distribution. While the author receives royalties ranging anywhere from 25% to 50%
The disadvantage is that as in the traditional, final editing and creative control is left with the publisher rather than the author.
2. Subsidy: Authors who contract with a subsidy e-publisher choose from a menu of services, each with a separate fee or contained within a “package” deal. The subsidy e-publisher prepares and converts the books as well as provides exposure for it on the publisher’s website.
The advantages of subsidy e-publishing are that the author who might not be computer savvy can obtain the services more easily without having to worry about obtaining a credit card server or a website from which to sell his book.
The disadvantages is that this form puts the author if financial risk if the book is not successful in sales
3. Self Publishing: Rather than visiting a traditional printing press to arrange for print runs the self published author either prepares the book himself and converts in into digital prepares the book himself and converts it into digital format or arranges with an independent contractor to perform the conversions.
The other facets of the publication--editing cover art, and promotion--are also left to the self-published author as well as the creation of a website for sales.
The benefits are that the author has complete control over the final presentation of the book and the author also receives all the proceeds from the sales.
The disadvantages of this form of publishing are that the author must promote and market the book without the benefit of the awareness already afforded to established e-publishers. The author is responsible for the publication costs, which varies with level of computer skills possessed by him.
4. Cooperative publishing: In this model, the publisher bases it’s operation on the traditional houses model, with the associated book preparation and royal payment. The cooperative publisher offers the basic editing cover art and website preparation, offers the book in its standard formats and markets the book.
However, if the author wishes to have the book presented in formats not normally offered by the publisher; the publisher will either convert the book, for a fee, or refer the author to a third party contractor for the conversion. The publisher will then also offer that format for the sale from its website. The same is true if the author desires to provide the cover art.
The advantage is the same as for house publishing.
However, the disadvantage is that the authors, if they choose, place some money at risk of they decide on obtaining conversions or original cover art.
5. Broker: A broker publisher simply offers the author the opportunity of displaying his book at the broker’s Website and takes care of the selling and distribution of the book.
The advantages of this sort of publishing lies in the fact that the author does not need to create a website to sell from or worry about selling and distribution.
The disadvantages are that the broker normally offers no services such as editing no service such as editing, or promotion. If the broker does offer these of services, it’s usually at a cost in either a fee or in royalty points. Otherwise, this is left to the author, which puts his funds at risk.
This type of publisher normally charges between 25% and 75% brokerage of an authors book.
As in any publishing endeavor, it’s very important for an author to thoroughly investigate every aspect of a publisher before signing a contract.
1. House Publisher: A house publisher is based most closely on the model of a traditional, royalty-paying publishing company. An author submits a query or a partial submission to the publisher.
A complete manuscript is requested if the publisher is intrigued by the submission. Some electronic publishers in this category simply request that the full manuscript be sent most often as a file attached to an email as the initial submission.
If the publisher accepts the manuscript and the contract is agreed upon, the house publisher provides most, if not all, of the services normally associated with a traditional royalty-paying publisher.
The manuscript is carefully edited cover art and back covers are collected, advanced review copies or advanced ready copies are sent to reviewers and initial promotional marketing begins. Following publication the author and the publisher work together to promote the book.
The benefit for the author is that there is little risk involved. The publisher pays for the costs of production and distribution. While the author receives royalties ranging anywhere from 25% to 50%
The disadvantage is that as in the traditional, final editing and creative control is left with the publisher rather than the author.
2. Subsidy: Authors who contract with a subsidy e-publisher choose from a menu of services, each with a separate fee or contained within a “package” deal. The subsidy e-publisher prepares and converts the books as well as provides exposure for it on the publisher’s website.
The advantages of subsidy e-publishing are that the author who might not be computer savvy can obtain the services more easily without having to worry about obtaining a credit card server or a website from which to sell his book.
The disadvantages is that this form puts the author if financial risk if the book is not successful in sales
3. Self Publishing: Rather than visiting a traditional printing press to arrange for print runs the self published author either prepares the book himself and converts in into digital prepares the book himself and converts it into digital format or arranges with an independent contractor to perform the conversions.
The other facets of the publication--editing cover art, and promotion--are also left to the self-published author as well as the creation of a website for sales.
The benefits are that the author has complete control over the final presentation of the book and the author also receives all the proceeds from the sales.
The disadvantages of this form of publishing are that the author must promote and market the book without the benefit of the awareness already afforded to established e-publishers. The author is responsible for the publication costs, which varies with level of computer skills possessed by him.
4. Cooperative publishing: In this model, the publisher bases it’s operation on the traditional houses model, with the associated book preparation and royal payment. The cooperative publisher offers the basic editing cover art and website preparation, offers the book in its standard formats and markets the book.
However, if the author wishes to have the book presented in formats not normally offered by the publisher; the publisher will either convert the book, for a fee, or refer the author to a third party contractor for the conversion. The publisher will then also offer that format for the sale from its website. The same is true if the author desires to provide the cover art.
The advantage is the same as for house publishing.
However, the disadvantage is that the authors, if they choose, place some money at risk of they decide on obtaining conversions or original cover art.
5. Broker: A broker publisher simply offers the author the opportunity of displaying his book at the broker’s Website and takes care of the selling and distribution of the book.
The advantages of this sort of publishing lies in the fact that the author does not need to create a website to sell from or worry about selling and distribution.
The disadvantages are that the broker normally offers no services such as editing no service such as editing, or promotion. If the broker does offer these of services, it’s usually at a cost in either a fee or in royalty points. Otherwise, this is left to the author, which puts his funds at risk.
This type of publisher normally charges between 25% and 75% brokerage of an authors book.
As in any publishing endeavor, it’s very important for an author to thoroughly investigate every aspect of a publisher before signing a contract.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Should I sell my writing myself, or through someone else?
The main advantage of selling directly, of course, is that you get to keep more of the profit. The main disadvantage are that you are likely limited in publication format and that you are completely responsible for your marketing, promotion as well as administration and transaction handling. 
Commercial e-publishers- one solution is to be published by a commercial e-publisher
Commercial e-publishers- one solution is to be published by a commercial e-publisher
Third party services- These are varied in nature from commercial e-publishers to pay-per-view to “display” services. Be wary of any third party that charges up front fees.
- Does the site attract a lot of traffic?
- Read the contract carefully. What rights are you giving away?
- Can you sell your price elsewhere?
- Can you remove it from the service anytime?
- Also be aware that some editors may consider your work already published if it’s posted online.
Next week I detail the five types of publication available to authors
Tuesday, September 04, 2007
What exactly are you trying to say
Have you ever read a sentence that sounded correct but when you looked at it again you realized that the word’s meaning didn’t fit the meaning of the sentence?
This is a common mistake among writers. They’ve chosen a word that is inexact in its meaning. In order to write clearly and effectively you will want to find the words that fit your meaning exactly and convey your attitude precisely.
It is important to help the reader along as much as possible; one key way to do this is to use words according to their established meaning. For starters always consult a dictionary, whenever you are unsure or a words meaning. Next, distinguish similar sounding words, called homonyms that have very different meanings.
For example a sentence such as “older people often suffer infirmaries” is inexact. What the sentence says is “older people suffer in place for the sick. The correct sentence should read “older people often suffer infirmities, which are disability or a lack or vitality. Notice how the sentence completely changes when a different word is used.
It is also important to distinguish between homonyms (like sounding words) for example rein, rain, reign, or their, there, they’re and words with related but distinct meanings
Example: Television commercials continuously [unceasingly] interrupt programming.
This is an inexact sentence. The exact one should read:
Television commercials continually [regularly] interrupt programming.
Also distinguish between words that have similar basic meaning but different emotional associations.
She was very upset (unhappy)
She was enraged (furiously angry)
Consult a dictionary if you are unsure. Many dictionaries list and distinguish such synonyms.
Be sure that your writing is clear and exact to convey the proper message to your reader.
The examples used in this article were taken from “The little brown essential handbook for writers” by Jane E. Aaron and Elaine Bander
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Has your writing evolved this summer?
My great apologies, I was recovering and thus haven’t been able to add to this blog in quite some time. To all my readers’ thank you for your patience, you can expect more frequent posts from here on in.
The beauty of the break was I was able to reflect on my writing, which I find is something that all writers must do from time to time. The creating game can be a bit trying and, often, we throw ourselves into our work without taking time to reflect on what our work does for us, who we are because of it, how to improve, and what makes us take up this art in the first place.
Have I find answers to all these questions, no. But I do have some great tips to improve your online presence.
If you haven’t already signed up for this blog please do so. As we enter September we sort of approach a mini new year. And I’m sure all of us want to accomplish more than we did last season. In order to stay current with the dealings of article marketing you will want to be part of this great resource. I offer my readers up to date information about article marketing but also great writing basics. Whether you write for an online newsletter or as an offline novelist, it’s important to know the fundamental elements to improve your writing.
Question of the week.
How has your writing experience shaped up this summer?
The beauty of the break was I was able to reflect on my writing, which I find is something that all writers must do from time to time. The creating game can be a bit trying and, often, we throw ourselves into our work without taking time to reflect on what our work does for us, who we are because of it, how to improve, and what makes us take up this art in the first place.
Have I find answers to all these questions, no. But I do have some great tips to improve your online presence.
If you haven’t already signed up for this blog please do so. As we enter September we sort of approach a mini new year. And I’m sure all of us want to accomplish more than we did last season. In order to stay current with the dealings of article marketing you will want to be part of this great resource. I offer my readers up to date information about article marketing but also great writing basics. Whether you write for an online newsletter or as an offline novelist, it’s important to know the fundamental elements to improve your writing.
Question of the week.
How has your writing experience shaped up this summer?
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Skills a content provider needs
Inorder to improve your chances of getting paid and the amount of pay recieved a web content provider should have the following skills under their belt
Understanding of rights issues
The more knowledgeable you are the better deal you may be able to cut for yourself.
Fast, dependable turnaround
Brag about your reporting and writing speed. Being able to put together in a day what other might labor weeks over is a plus in this industry. http://tinyurl.com/2w8u37/
Able to edit yourself
Point out that you are able to produce readable, respectable content so your client does not have to hire another layer of management. http://tinyurl.com/34jghl/
Solid business skills
Knowing how to negotiate an agreement, pay and the ods of getting paid. http://tinyurl.com/35rzyu/
Ability to suggest more work for yourself
Learn the entrepreneur’s bigger plans and suggest additional ways to contribute
Web friendly writing style
Short crisp paragraphs with relatively short sentences are required for web reading. Adopt the precept of clear organization with frequent subheads.
Inventory of material
When someone needs content fast, your back log of older yet still interesting material on a website site topic may get you a package deal of new and old material.
Ability to locate and negotiate reuse of resources
As a web savvy writer you can explain to your client that you are better able to solicit or negotiate the use of work from other writes that he/she is.
Branded name
If you have been writing regularly and visibly for a particular market, argue that you already have a liked or trusted name with that market.
The goal of every website is to become a valuable resource for internet users in their target market you can help them achieve that by point out your skills and how invaluable they are to the entreprenuer.
Sign up for more writing tips today!
Understanding of rights issues
The more knowledgeable you are the better deal you may be able to cut for yourself.
Fast, dependable turnaround
Brag about your reporting and writing speed. Being able to put together in a day what other might labor weeks over is a plus in this industry. http://tinyurl.com/2w8u37/
Able to edit yourself
Point out that you are able to produce readable, respectable content so your client does not have to hire another layer of management. http://tinyurl.com/34jghl/
Solid business skills
Knowing how to negotiate an agreement, pay and the ods of getting paid. http://tinyurl.com/35rzyu/
Ability to suggest more work for yourself
Learn the entrepreneur’s bigger plans and suggest additional ways to contribute
Web friendly writing style
Short crisp paragraphs with relatively short sentences are required for web reading. Adopt the precept of clear organization with frequent subheads.
Inventory of material
When someone needs content fast, your back log of older yet still interesting material on a website site topic may get you a package deal of new and old material.
Ability to locate and negotiate reuse of resources
As a web savvy writer you can explain to your client that you are better able to solicit or negotiate the use of work from other writes that he/she is.
Branded name
If you have been writing regularly and visibly for a particular market, argue that you already have a liked or trusted name with that market.
The goal of every website is to become a valuable resource for internet users in their target market you can help them achieve that by point out your skills and how invaluable they are to the entreprenuer.
Sign up for more writing tips today!
Thursday, June 07, 2007
Writing with topics and transitions
I know it's been a while since my last post but you can't blame a girl for being sick, that said lets get right into this weeks post.
As I have explained in a previous post all articles should have a thesis statement(http://writeprofits.blogspot.com/2006_10_01_archive.html). Once you have your thesis, you are ready to write your body paragraphs. There is a trick that writers use to write quickly no matter how long their article is. They will have a topic sentence at the start of each paragraph, and a transitional sentence at the end of each paragraph.
Let’s suppose you are writing about sleep remedies. A topic sentence might be, “Eating too close to bed time will disrupt your sleep.” This lets the reader know that the following paragraph will talk about eating before bed. It also makes it easy for the writer because they can concentrate on providing evidence as to why eating before bed is not recommended. You just need to provide five to nine sentences proving why or exploring the topic.
After you feel you have provided enough information on the topic, you would write a transitional sentence which may be something such as, “Another thing to avoid before bed is watching T.V.” A transitional sentence prepares the reader for what will be discussed in the next paragraph. You’ll find that you will write your article faster because rather than tackling the article as a massive whole, you are breaking it down into smaller parts. Each paragraph can be considered as a miniature article. If you get stuck just remember what your topic is, how you can explain it, and what you want to discuss next. Your final tasks will be to conclude and edit.
Conclusions can often be the hardest things to write. But they don’t have to be as long as you remember that you are writing a conclusion. Do not introduce any new topics instead briefly summarize the ones you already wrote about. The fastest way to write a conclusion is to reword your thesis.
Next week I'll be looking at skills a freelance writer needs to increase their profits. This information is great even if you are breaking into the business. To be sure that you don't miss this great information sign up for my blog.
As I have explained in a previous post all articles should have a thesis statement(http://writeprofits.blogspot.com/2006_10_01_archive.html). Once you have your thesis, you are ready to write your body paragraphs. There is a trick that writers use to write quickly no matter how long their article is. They will have a topic sentence at the start of each paragraph, and a transitional sentence at the end of each paragraph.
Let’s suppose you are writing about sleep remedies. A topic sentence might be, “Eating too close to bed time will disrupt your sleep.” This lets the reader know that the following paragraph will talk about eating before bed. It also makes it easy for the writer because they can concentrate on providing evidence as to why eating before bed is not recommended. You just need to provide five to nine sentences proving why or exploring the topic.
After you feel you have provided enough information on the topic, you would write a transitional sentence which may be something such as, “Another thing to avoid before bed is watching T.V.” A transitional sentence prepares the reader for what will be discussed in the next paragraph. You’ll find that you will write your article faster because rather than tackling the article as a massive whole, you are breaking it down into smaller parts. Each paragraph can be considered as a miniature article. If you get stuck just remember what your topic is, how you can explain it, and what you want to discuss next. Your final tasks will be to conclude and edit.
Conclusions can often be the hardest things to write. But they don’t have to be as long as you remember that you are writing a conclusion. Do not introduce any new topics instead briefly summarize the ones you already wrote about. The fastest way to write a conclusion is to reword your thesis.
Next week I'll be looking at skills a freelance writer needs to increase their profits. This information is great even if you are breaking into the business. To be sure that you don't miss this great information sign up for my blog.
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Where to find writer’s markets
There’s no better place to look for writers markets then The Writers Market, it’s the best to find paying markets. It is available from Writer’s Digest Books and the more current the version the better.
The number or paying online markets grows each year; there are over 1700 paying magazines that list their online submission guidelines or you can obtain guidelines by e-mail. And there are hundreds that don’t have websites or post their guidelines online. Many of those still offer guidelines by mail with a SASE.
You can get an idea of whether or not a site pays by taking a few minuets to examine the site. Here’s what you should look for:
Is the site a commercial site? Is the site sponsor trying to make money or is this a nonprofit organization run by volunteers
Are there advertisements? If there are ads what type of products and services are they promoting? Does the site look as if it was done by an amateur or a well paid web design company? Basically, the better funded the company the more likely it is that it can afford to pay writers.
If it is noncommercial, is there another source of income? For example, is the site supported by a well-funded organization?
Does most of the material appear to be produced by in-house staff? Look carefully at the content and the names of the writers. Do the names remain the same or do some change with every issue?
If you are looking to query a website or magazine about submission guidelines look for the Editor or the managing editor.
Below are two great job boards for freelance writers
http://www.indeed.com/jobs?q=freelance+writing&l=
http://www.craigslist.org/
The number or paying online markets grows each year; there are over 1700 paying magazines that list their online submission guidelines or you can obtain guidelines by e-mail. And there are hundreds that don’t have websites or post their guidelines online. Many of those still offer guidelines by mail with a SASE.
You can get an idea of whether or not a site pays by taking a few minuets to examine the site. Here’s what you should look for:
Is the site a commercial site? Is the site sponsor trying to make money or is this a nonprofit organization run by volunteers
Are there advertisements? If there are ads what type of products and services are they promoting? Does the site look as if it was done by an amateur or a well paid web design company? Basically, the better funded the company the more likely it is that it can afford to pay writers.
If it is noncommercial, is there another source of income? For example, is the site supported by a well-funded organization?
Does most of the material appear to be produced by in-house staff? Look carefully at the content and the names of the writers. Do the names remain the same or do some change with every issue?
If you are looking to query a website or magazine about submission guidelines look for the Editor or the managing editor.
Below are two great job boards for freelance writers
http://www.indeed.com/jobs?q=freelance+writing&l=
http://www.craigslist.org/
Friday, May 04, 2007
The "think small" secret to writing better
When you have a stack of articles or a brief to complete it can be overwhelming. Maybe you have a book that you constantly think about but never seem to get around to writing. Instead of thinking about all the writing you must do, or have not gotten done, think about just one small part.
For example, if you are working on a legal brief, focus on the first point you want to make. If you are working on a book, focus solely on the first chapter. If you feel that’s too ambitious for you and are still over whelmed shrink it even further think about he first page or the first paragraph.
Don’t forget to congratulate yourself once you have accomplished this goal. As writers we need to be kind to ourselves. Patience and forgiveness are a must. And treat yourself to little praises or rewards. It helps to keep you motivated.
Next plan your next weeks of writing by setting aside the same amount of time to write each day. 15min is the normally the maximum if you find you get distracted easily or have been blocked for a long time. Wait until you have accomplished a few good sessions before extending your writing period.
Writers often think too big. They think about everything that needs to get done and it overwhelms them, which in turn keeps them from writing. By narrowing your topics and shrinking your writing session to doable time frames you approach your work with more enthusiasm and calmness.
Sign up for write-profits for more writing tips
For example, if you are working on a legal brief, focus on the first point you want to make. If you are working on a book, focus solely on the first chapter. If you feel that’s too ambitious for you and are still over whelmed shrink it even further think about he first page or the first paragraph.
Don’t forget to congratulate yourself once you have accomplished this goal. As writers we need to be kind to ourselves. Patience and forgiveness are a must. And treat yourself to little praises or rewards. It helps to keep you motivated.
Next plan your next weeks of writing by setting aside the same amount of time to write each day. 15min is the normally the maximum if you find you get distracted easily or have been blocked for a long time. Wait until you have accomplished a few good sessions before extending your writing period.
Writers often think too big. They think about everything that needs to get done and it overwhelms them, which in turn keeps them from writing. By narrowing your topics and shrinking your writing session to doable time frames you approach your work with more enthusiasm and calmness.
Sign up for write-profits for more writing tips
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Ten proofreading tips
As I always preach, throwing words on a page is not enough; they have to be error free. Now, I’ll admit I make mistakes. The important thing is to keep these mistakes to a minimum. I’m not a proofreader, when I need my work to be checked I turn my pages over to http://tinyurl.com/34jghl/. They’re professionals and they provide error free pages to make your work more professional and credible. However, I believe that everyone should have some basic proofreading knowledge.
- Be consistent ex. If you hyphenate “full-time” on page one you shouldn’t spell it “full time” without a hyphen later.
- You achieve an accurate and consistent finished product when you proofread in stages.
- Print out what need to proofread if you are working on the computer.
- Be comfortable when you proofread.
- Ask someone else to look over your work when possible.
- If you repeatedly read over sentences because it doesn’t sound correct, stop and read it out loud.
- Create a style sheet.
- Any word that causes you to wonder whether it is spelled correctly needs to be looked up.
- Read each word out loud individually then read it out loud to be sure it fits in the sentence.
- Stick with one dictionary to insure a consistent model to follow.
Once again I recommend visiting Scribendi at http://tinyurl.com/34jghl/, when you need something proofread. They’re inexpensive and very professional.
Friday, April 20, 2007
Are you a blocked writer?
Think about when you have to write, it can be any form you choose, a term paper, an article, a short story, a report or an ebook. Make note of your thoughts, emotions and your physical response. Do you feel a sense of dread and anxiety? Do you quickly think of something else to do? Do think of any excuse (valid or not) to step away from your work.
If writing makes you tense, if you find yourself avoiding it ask yourself why? Ask yourself why you put off writing until the piece is due the next day.
How do you react when the topic of writing comes up? Do you engage, or do you try to change the subject?
What images arise when you think of sitting down to write?
Do you usually write to deadline? If so try writing in advanced. Notice how you feel starting your project ahead of time. What thoughts run through your head?
Here’s a resource to help blocked writers.
http://tinyurl.com/34jghl
Sign up for writeprofits to get notified with updates
If writing makes you tense, if you find yourself avoiding it ask yourself why? Ask yourself why you put off writing until the piece is due the next day.
How do you react when the topic of writing comes up? Do you engage, or do you try to change the subject?
What images arise when you think of sitting down to write?
Do you usually write to deadline? If so try writing in advanced. Notice how you feel starting your project ahead of time. What thoughts run through your head?
Here’s a resource to help blocked writers.
http://tinyurl.com/34jghl
Sign up for writeprofits to get notified with updates
Thursday, April 12, 2007
How to write a business plan
1. Your plan should be around 10-25 pages long, seperated into clearly marked sections with an introduction and an appendix for lengthy details like financial forcats.
2. Begin with a summary of the plan and the areas you aim to cover. Make sire your plan is neatly typed and well laid out.
3. Define your business and identify your goals. Your plan should contain a balance sheets and a predicted cash flow analysis for five years.
4. Highlight what you do and for whom. As well, explain the importance of your business. Explain why customers will pay for it, what they will get and why there is a gap in the market for it. Research your competion.
5. Don't gloss over problem areas. Instead identify them and provide solutions.
6. Go to http://tinyurl.com/35rzyu/ for more information on how to start a business plan.
2. Begin with a summary of the plan and the areas you aim to cover. Make sire your plan is neatly typed and well laid out.
3. Define your business and identify your goals. Your plan should contain a balance sheets and a predicted cash flow analysis for five years.
4. Highlight what you do and for whom. As well, explain the importance of your business. Explain why customers will pay for it, what they will get and why there is a gap in the market for it. Research your competion.
5. Don't gloss over problem areas. Instead identify them and provide solutions.
6. Go to http://tinyurl.com/35rzyu/ for more information on how to start a business plan.
Friday, April 06, 2007
7 critical mistakes e-book authors make
Jim Edwards author of How to write and publish your own ebook...in as little as 7 days has written a great article about the seven mistakes to avoid when creating an ebook.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
The Top Seven Mistakes eBook Authors Make
© By Jim Edwards and David Garfinkel
http://www.ebooksecretsexposed.com
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
eBooks are the hottest thing going on the Web right now!Authors with the entrepreneurial instinct are makinganywhere from a few hundred to tens of thousands of dollarsper month - that's right, per month - by selling ebooksonline.Why are some authors doing so much better than others?We've discovered seven key mistakes that most ebook authorsmake (and in doing so, hold themselves back from majorsuccess):
1. They don't write to a specific, target audience. The biggest mistake most ebook authors make is they don'tclearly define, identify and visualize who they are sellingtheir ebook to. On the Web, to be successful, you mustwrite to a specific group of people who have specificinterests. Make sure that you know exactly who is going tobuy your ebook, and where you can find them online.
2. They don't automate as many of their business activities as possible. Selling ebooks, though it is highly profitable, is not abusiness where you make hundreds of dollars per sale.Automate everything you can - credit card processing, ebookdelivery, as much technical support as possible. If youcan't automate a function, delegate it to someone else.
3. They don't have a compelling title for their ebook. Use words that convey the benefit of what's in the ebook, aswell as words your audience is familiar with.A bad title for an ebook: "Online Marketing for Newbies." Agood title for the same ebook: "97 Ways to Promote YourWebsite - No Experience Required."
4. They try to cover too much ground. Many ebook authors convey a lot of information but don'tcover anything in-depth. As a result, they never fullyexplain anything in enough detail to provide any usefulvalue to their readers. This is a very bad mistake to make,especially when it comes to how-to ebooks, which happen tobe the best type to write.
5. They are not proactive in their marketing. It would be nice if marketing for your ebook simply happenedon its own - but it doesn't. You have to do it yourself.After you've promoted your ebook to the people on your ownmailing list (if you have one), then you have to contactother Website owners and persuade them to be youraffiliates. You should do this continually.
6. They don't differentiate their ebook from its competitors. When you choose your topic, even if there are a hundredother ebooks out there on same general subject, choose anangle for yours that will make it easy for yours to bedistinguished from the others.For example, right now job-hunting ebooks are very popular. There are dozens that are big sellers. "Secrets of BreakingInto Pharmaceutical Sales" has a very specific title thatsets it apart from the competition, and is aimed at aclearly identified target audience. Incidentally, it'sselling very well itself.
7. They write ebooks that nobody will pay for. Many ebook authors write about information that eitherpeople can get for free, or that people are not actuallyinterested in enough to pay for the information. Before you invest weeks or months into the writing of yourebook, invest a little time investigating whether otherebooks in the same subject area are selling on the Web.
So, there you have it - the seven big mistakes to avoid.Remember, the opportunities are plentiful - and huge - rightnow for anyone who wants to become a best-selling ebookauthor. Simply use common sense, follow our advice, and letyour literary career flourish!
For more great advice about creating an information product go to http://tinyurl.com/yrvgru/
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
The Top Seven Mistakes eBook Authors Make
© By Jim Edwards and David Garfinkel
http://www.ebooksecretsexposed.com
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
eBooks are the hottest thing going on the Web right now!Authors with the entrepreneurial instinct are makinganywhere from a few hundred to tens of thousands of dollarsper month - that's right, per month - by selling ebooksonline.Why are some authors doing so much better than others?We've discovered seven key mistakes that most ebook authorsmake (and in doing so, hold themselves back from majorsuccess):
1. They don't write to a specific, target audience. The biggest mistake most ebook authors make is they don'tclearly define, identify and visualize who they are sellingtheir ebook to. On the Web, to be successful, you mustwrite to a specific group of people who have specificinterests. Make sure that you know exactly who is going tobuy your ebook, and where you can find them online.
2. They don't automate as many of their business activities as possible. Selling ebooks, though it is highly profitable, is not abusiness where you make hundreds of dollars per sale.Automate everything you can - credit card processing, ebookdelivery, as much technical support as possible. If youcan't automate a function, delegate it to someone else.
3. They don't have a compelling title for their ebook. Use words that convey the benefit of what's in the ebook, aswell as words your audience is familiar with.A bad title for an ebook: "Online Marketing for Newbies." Agood title for the same ebook: "97 Ways to Promote YourWebsite - No Experience Required."
4. They try to cover too much ground. Many ebook authors convey a lot of information but don'tcover anything in-depth. As a result, they never fullyexplain anything in enough detail to provide any usefulvalue to their readers. This is a very bad mistake to make,especially when it comes to how-to ebooks, which happen tobe the best type to write.
5. They are not proactive in their marketing. It would be nice if marketing for your ebook simply happenedon its own - but it doesn't. You have to do it yourself.After you've promoted your ebook to the people on your ownmailing list (if you have one), then you have to contactother Website owners and persuade them to be youraffiliates. You should do this continually.
6. They don't differentiate their ebook from its competitors. When you choose your topic, even if there are a hundredother ebooks out there on same general subject, choose anangle for yours that will make it easy for yours to bedistinguished from the others.For example, right now job-hunting ebooks are very popular. There are dozens that are big sellers. "Secrets of BreakingInto Pharmaceutical Sales" has a very specific title thatsets it apart from the competition, and is aimed at aclearly identified target audience. Incidentally, it'sselling very well itself.
7. They write ebooks that nobody will pay for. Many ebook authors write about information that eitherpeople can get for free, or that people are not actuallyinterested in enough to pay for the information. Before you invest weeks or months into the writing of yourebook, invest a little time investigating whether otherebooks in the same subject area are selling on the Web.
So, there you have it - the seven big mistakes to avoid.Remember, the opportunities are plentiful - and huge - rightnow for anyone who wants to become a best-selling ebookauthor. Simply use common sense, follow our advice, and letyour literary career flourish!
For more great advice about creating an information product go to http://tinyurl.com/yrvgru/
Thursday, March 29, 2007
What would you do if you had your own best selling e-book?
- Would you buy a new car?
- Would you go on vacation?
- Would you buy something for a loved one?
- Would you feel great about all the bragging rights thatcome from having a best-selling e-book?
Now here’s another question, why are you just daydreaming about it?
It surprises me how many people “think about” writing and publishing an e-book but never actually do it. If you’re waiting around for their “right” moment you are wasting your time. The right moment is the moment you decide to actualize your dream instead of just visualizing it.
Perhaps you are overwhelmed or confused about what it would take for you to create an e-book. If that's the case I recommend picking up How to write and publish your own e-book…in as little as 7 days by Jim Edwards and Joe Vitale. Their book is extremely easy to follow and it follows through on its promise, correctly using their guide will give you your own e-book in seven days.
Having your own e-book lets you create a passive income- that means you get paid over and over again for something that you did just once. You can write about anything so stop fantasizing about your best selling e-book and start writing it.
How to write and publish your own e-book…in as little as 7 days
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Are you "writing" or "writing well"?
Writing well is crucial to the success of any business. Online however, it’s even more critical because it is the dominate form of communication. You have to be able sales letters, ads, blogs and articles that are not only interesting but error free.
The internet produces many creative people. Those who were shy or not forward in their lives are finding new innovative ways to express themselves. But it is not enough to have a good idea; you have to be able to communicate in an intelligent manner. People judge others by the way they present their ideas. If you website and articles have mistakes you lose business credibility and customers. If you don’t care enough about your business to get your work proofread than why should anyone else care about your business? You must remember that your work will not be viewed by a hand full of select people who “get you”; you are exposing yourself to, potentially, thousands of people. Many people treat their online business as a race and although it is important to work efficiently, what good is it if your writing is unclear. Certainly you have gained attention but you have lost the respect of your reader.
Check out the following resource if you’re writing could use some help
http://tinyurl.com/34jghl/
http://tinyurl.com/3cjknn/
The internet produces many creative people. Those who were shy or not forward in their lives are finding new innovative ways to express themselves. But it is not enough to have a good idea; you have to be able to communicate in an intelligent manner. People judge others by the way they present their ideas. If you website and articles have mistakes you lose business credibility and customers. If you don’t care enough about your business to get your work proofread than why should anyone else care about your business? You must remember that your work will not be viewed by a hand full of select people who “get you”; you are exposing yourself to, potentially, thousands of people. Many people treat their online business as a race and although it is important to work efficiently, what good is it if your writing is unclear. Certainly you have gained attention but you have lost the respect of your reader.
Check out the following resource if you’re writing could use some help
http://tinyurl.com/34jghl/
http://tinyurl.com/3cjknn/
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Business writing tips
A number of writers focus a lot on their articles, books, poems and other written documents but never bother to learn how to communicate in the business world. It is the easiest way to chuck money out the window.
Writing is a business. If you are going to use your words to build a career or use it as a form of marketing then you should know some basic business writing tips
Use short sentences. You want to be as concise as possible
Use an Active voice. Active voice is more direct which is a must for business writing
Use short paragraphs. One idea for each paragraph
When writing a business letter, consider a friendly opening and then a statement of the main point in the first paragraph. The next paragraph should begin justifying the importance of the main point. In the next few paragraphs, continue justification with background information and supporting details. The closing paragraph should restate the purpose of the letter and, in some cases, request some type of action.
Avoid sounding cliché. It doesn’t make you sound professional.
Use plenty of anecdotes and quotations. Don't be afraid to use them.
Parallelism Creates Power. Organize thoughts in parallel and use parallel construction to state them: "Our company locates oil deposits, refines petroleum products, and sells gasoline."
Do not use mixed metaphors writing for business, they just confuse the reader
Eliminate the use adjectives and adverbs. These types of words do not make for a convincing business document
Show, don't tell. Follow a generalization with an example. When explaining a complex process, use everyday analogies.
Determine the appropriate tone for your message. Ask yourself:
Writing is a business. If you are going to use your words to build a career or use it as a form of marketing then you should know some basic business writing tips
Use short sentences. You want to be as concise as possible
Use an Active voice. Active voice is more direct which is a must for business writing
Use short paragraphs. One idea for each paragraph
When writing a business letter, consider a friendly opening and then a statement of the main point in the first paragraph. The next paragraph should begin justifying the importance of the main point. In the next few paragraphs, continue justification with background information and supporting details. The closing paragraph should restate the purpose of the letter and, in some cases, request some type of action.
Avoid sounding cliché. It doesn’t make you sound professional.
Use plenty of anecdotes and quotations. Don't be afraid to use them.
Parallelism Creates Power. Organize thoughts in parallel and use parallel construction to state them: "Our company locates oil deposits, refines petroleum products, and sells gasoline."
Do not use mixed metaphors writing for business, they just confuse the reader
Eliminate the use adjectives and adverbs. These types of words do not make for a convincing business document
Show, don't tell. Follow a generalization with an example. When explaining a complex process, use everyday analogies.
Determine the appropriate tone for your message. Ask yourself:
- Why am I writing this document?
- Who am I writing to and what do I want them to understand?
- What kind of tone should I use?
Here are some general guidelines to keep in mind when considering what kind of tone to use in your letters and how to present information in that tone:
- Be confident.
- Be courteous and sincere.
- Use appropriate emphasis and subordination.
- Use non-discriminatory language.
- Stress the benefits for the reader.
- Write at an appropriate level of difficulty.
To further your business writing skills checkout “Easy Writing: A Practical Guide for Business Professionals" By George Kirazian at http://tinyurl.com/34jghl/
Reference
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/pw/
http://www1.esc.edu/personalfac/hshapiro/writing_program/students/reference/main/commandments.htm
Monday, March 12, 2007
The Written Word
Writing articles requires a special talent. These types of documents can be related to any topic. This particular skill involves research proficiency along with a keen sense of language. The key to writing articles is a strong knowledge of different ideas and well thought out formats. The piece needs to flow well. A design is essential for every concept to emerge through the document. This method takes an exceptional ability to create a piece of writing to inform and enlighten the reader. The purpose of these guides are to teach an individual new views and different outlooks on various subjects. A person can review this type of material and learn how to use the information for their personal needs.
Article writing has various steps to complete a finished project. The first stage is to research the topic thoroughly. This stride is the most important aspect of article writing. The information inside a piece needs to be accurate, informative and authentic. After the research is obtained, then it is time to compose an opening paragraph. This part is ideal to let the reader understand what the document will inform them of. Then accomplish the body. Article writing needs to flow and make sense. After that piece of the project is done, it will be time for the closing paragraph. This phase of article writing will summarize the paper.
The written word is a powerful tool. Information can judge, explain and inform an individual. This type of document is extremely strong in their speech and presentation. The written word needs to find an audience to relate to as well as educate. When composing a piece of this nature the correct words need to be used to explain the point the writer is expressing to the reader. This is the most important goal of an article. The written word is the key to understanding and a voice.
Dal Hayer writes featured articles for http://www.thearticleblogs.com/
Article Source: http://www.thearticleblogs.com/
You may reprint this article in its entirety so long as you do not modify the content or resource box.
Article Source: Article Hub
Article writing has various steps to complete a finished project. The first stage is to research the topic thoroughly. This stride is the most important aspect of article writing. The information inside a piece needs to be accurate, informative and authentic. After the research is obtained, then it is time to compose an opening paragraph. This part is ideal to let the reader understand what the document will inform them of. Then accomplish the body. Article writing needs to flow and make sense. After that piece of the project is done, it will be time for the closing paragraph. This phase of article writing will summarize the paper.
The written word is a powerful tool. Information can judge, explain and inform an individual. This type of document is extremely strong in their speech and presentation. The written word needs to find an audience to relate to as well as educate. When composing a piece of this nature the correct words need to be used to explain the point the writer is expressing to the reader. This is the most important goal of an article. The written word is the key to understanding and a voice.
Dal Hayer writes featured articles for http://www.thearticleblogs.com/
Article Source: http://www.thearticleblogs.com/
You may reprint this article in its entirety so long as you do not modify the content or resource box.
Article Source: Article Hub
Monday, March 05, 2007
confidence boost for writers
There are 3 things you need to succeed in any aspect of life.
Passion
Technique/know how
Confidence
If you come here often you’ll see these words a lot because they are the key to success. Those 3 things, that’s it, that’s all you need. If you are here you either have a passion for writing or passion to learn and succeed. You are going to learn technique. Now all you need is confidence.
Confidence is probably the most important of the three. If you can’t believe in yourself how can anyone else? First let me start by saying that by learning how to write well you are saving yourself a lot of money. You will never have to pay for a ghost writer, or buy any articles because you’ll know how to do it yourself. There is a lot of money to be made out there if you are a writer. Ghost writer, ad writer, journalist this isn’t even the tip of the iceberg. Every job out there starts with writing. Wouldn’t you love to be the one who was at the root of it all? I thought so…so what’s holding you back?
Having the confidence to take the plunge is the only way to get what you want in life. I’m a risk taker but that doesn’t mean that I don’t get scared, or question my capability. But you can not let it stop you. You are going to learn more tips, I promise, but I want to focus on boosting your confidence for a bit. Without confidence nothing that you learn here or anywhere else will matter, because you will be too afraid to apply them.
Let me leave you with a something cheesy to think about: The opposite of success isn’t failure, it’s quitting.
Stop putting yourself down!
One of the great things about writing is that nobody is born a great writer. It is a process. You will write, rewrite and rewrite again. Why put so much pressure on your self? Tell yourself this… “I don’t have to get it right the first time” say to yourself over and over again. As writers we work with the most treacherous building blocks and it takes time to make sure that everything is just right.Writing is nerve racking, and emotionally trying because you are a lone solider and you will not always get the praise you deserve. Your reader doesn’t know the sweat and tears that went into preparing your sentences, characters, and plot. That is why as a writer it’s ok to “toot your own horn”, praise yourself! No one else could of thought of those ingenious sentences. You are doing what many people fear; you are exposing yourself and for that you deserve credit and even if your words only touch one person, negatively or positively, you have done what you set out to do.
Stop asking “why me”? Start asking “what next”?
Feeling sorry for yourself doesn’t get you anywhere. Instead of using all that energy to keep your self down why not use it to bring yourself up. There’s no excuse for not doing all you can to make things better for yourself. Accomplished people don’t spend time on counting all the things that are wrong with their lives. Instead, they take measures to improve them. You will have tragic moments in your life, you’ll make mistakes, and it’s ok to feel bad but at some point you are going to have to get over it. When you take steps to achieve something you feel better about yourself. You may not feel like you’re a great writer right now but you are willing to learn everything and try everything to make yourself better. And you will feel better because instead of whining about it you are doing something about. Action is a great confidence booster. You can either lie there getting screwed over by life or you can get on top of things.
The key thing to remember is to do all you can for YOU.
One of the biggest mistakes we make in life is to measure our success against someone else’s. This has been drilled into you since you were young. You must be better than that other person. Life is so competitive. Low self esteem often stems from not feeling like you are meeting the status quo.
Whenever you start to feel this just keep in mind that the main person you are competing against is your self. I go through this as well, and you can’t run away from competition, it’s everywhere. College applications, job applications, marketing, competition is everywhere. But everyone doesn’t have your life. They don’t know what you have been through or how much you’ve achieved. The only cause you should be concerned in is your own. Life is not a race and you will get where you need to be when you are ready. Don’t set your standards to someone else’s there isn’t a perfect blueprint for life that we can all follow. We can only do what works for us. Do not let the fear of competing stop you from doing what you want. Learn from the best take what works ignore what doesn’t and always try to outdo your self.
I will be plugging in some more confident writing tips soon but lets move on to what why you are really here, to learn to write well because after all practice makes perfect.
Stay in the know-sign up for write-profits now!
Passion
Technique/know how
Confidence
If you come here often you’ll see these words a lot because they are the key to success. Those 3 things, that’s it, that’s all you need. If you are here you either have a passion for writing or passion to learn and succeed. You are going to learn technique. Now all you need is confidence.
Confidence is probably the most important of the three. If you can’t believe in yourself how can anyone else? First let me start by saying that by learning how to write well you are saving yourself a lot of money. You will never have to pay for a ghost writer, or buy any articles because you’ll know how to do it yourself. There is a lot of money to be made out there if you are a writer. Ghost writer, ad writer, journalist this isn’t even the tip of the iceberg. Every job out there starts with writing. Wouldn’t you love to be the one who was at the root of it all? I thought so…so what’s holding you back?
Having the confidence to take the plunge is the only way to get what you want in life. I’m a risk taker but that doesn’t mean that I don’t get scared, or question my capability. But you can not let it stop you. You are going to learn more tips, I promise, but I want to focus on boosting your confidence for a bit. Without confidence nothing that you learn here or anywhere else will matter, because you will be too afraid to apply them.
Let me leave you with a something cheesy to think about: The opposite of success isn’t failure, it’s quitting.
Stop putting yourself down!
One of the great things about writing is that nobody is born a great writer. It is a process. You will write, rewrite and rewrite again. Why put so much pressure on your self? Tell yourself this… “I don’t have to get it right the first time” say to yourself over and over again. As writers we work with the most treacherous building blocks and it takes time to make sure that everything is just right.Writing is nerve racking, and emotionally trying because you are a lone solider and you will not always get the praise you deserve. Your reader doesn’t know the sweat and tears that went into preparing your sentences, characters, and plot. That is why as a writer it’s ok to “toot your own horn”, praise yourself! No one else could of thought of those ingenious sentences. You are doing what many people fear; you are exposing yourself and for that you deserve credit and even if your words only touch one person, negatively or positively, you have done what you set out to do.
Stop asking “why me”? Start asking “what next”?
Feeling sorry for yourself doesn’t get you anywhere. Instead of using all that energy to keep your self down why not use it to bring yourself up. There’s no excuse for not doing all you can to make things better for yourself. Accomplished people don’t spend time on counting all the things that are wrong with their lives. Instead, they take measures to improve them. You will have tragic moments in your life, you’ll make mistakes, and it’s ok to feel bad but at some point you are going to have to get over it. When you take steps to achieve something you feel better about yourself. You may not feel like you’re a great writer right now but you are willing to learn everything and try everything to make yourself better. And you will feel better because instead of whining about it you are doing something about. Action is a great confidence booster. You can either lie there getting screwed over by life or you can get on top of things.
The key thing to remember is to do all you can for YOU.
One of the biggest mistakes we make in life is to measure our success against someone else’s. This has been drilled into you since you were young. You must be better than that other person. Life is so competitive. Low self esteem often stems from not feeling like you are meeting the status quo.
Whenever you start to feel this just keep in mind that the main person you are competing against is your self. I go through this as well, and you can’t run away from competition, it’s everywhere. College applications, job applications, marketing, competition is everywhere. But everyone doesn’t have your life. They don’t know what you have been through or how much you’ve achieved. The only cause you should be concerned in is your own. Life is not a race and you will get where you need to be when you are ready. Don’t set your standards to someone else’s there isn’t a perfect blueprint for life that we can all follow. We can only do what works for us. Do not let the fear of competing stop you from doing what you want. Learn from the best take what works ignore what doesn’t and always try to outdo your self.
I will be plugging in some more confident writing tips soon but lets move on to what why you are really here, to learn to write well because after all practice makes perfect.
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Friday, February 23, 2007
Secrets to writing a super sexy sales copy
Internet marketing is more than throwing a few articles out. You have to be able to write a good sales copy too, that’s when the real profits come in. So how do you create a sexy sales copy? The kind that stops people in their tracks and has them looking at it up and down thinking “I want me some of that”…follow these tips.
1. Its all in the headline. Your headline sells your ad so put 80% of your time into creating a compelling headline. Below are some head tuners:
WARNING, Announcing,Who else wants, How to, 7 good reasons why
Internet marketing is more than throwing a few articles out. You have to be able to write a good sales copy too, that’s when the real profits come in. So how do you create a sexy sales copy? The kind that stops people in their tracks and has them looking at it up and down thinking “I want me some of that”…follow these tips.
1. Its all in the headline. Your headline sells your ad so put 80% of your time into creating a compelling headline. Below are some head tuners:
WARNING, Announcing,Who else wants, How to, 7 good reasons why
Make sure you integrate at least three of these magic words in all your ads. They can seduce just about anyone.
- You
- Save
- Health
- Love
- Results
- New
- Proven
- Money
- Easy
- Discovery
- Safety
- Guaranteed
You need to have a knockout offer.
You need to apply offers differently based on the type of business you operate.
1. A service business with a high value product (solicitor, accountant, real estate agent, consultant, copywriter) could offer a FREE REPORT of some sort.
A business which has products which customers keep buying over and over again (e.g. ice cream shop, grocer, restaurant, hairdresser etc) would approach things a little differently. A hairdresser may want to offer a free haircut to introduce you to their salon.
There’s nothing hotter than getting something for FREE
Lure them back in
People generally read sales copies in two ways
1.Word for word
2.Skim the text
Sometimes people are in a hurry so they just give your sales copy a quick look and then leave which is why you need to incorporate sub-heading into your sales copies. This is to insure that they find something to regain their interest and are lured back into the copy.
Suppose you had a headline like “The easiest way to make money online”
Your subheading could include
Grab profits in any city, anywhere, anytime!
Online success blueprint
Earn easy cash
Apply these simple techniques and you too can have a sexy sales copy that brings in a lot of profits.
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Intergrating Keywords
Online writing differs from offline writing in that online readers skim the text for keywords. A very important skill to learn, in order to have success for article promotion, is choosing and integrating keywords.
If you don't have the right keywords and the right keyword density your targeted reader may never find your article. Also web masters use articles as content on their websites in order to monetize with Google AdSense. ManyWebmasters will not use articles that don't effectively use keywords.
The first thing to do is to research keywords.
You can do this manually with Overture's Keyword Selector at: http://inventory.overture.com/d/searchinventory/suggestions
This type of research can be quite painstaking so many people use software such as Click Ad Equalizer to make this task faster and easier.
Once you've chosen your keyword, you'll want to integrate it into your article. Most experts claim that a 5% keyword density is best. Your keyword density should be high enough that a keyword is recognized as a main topic of a page and not an incidental, unimportant word. At the same time, keyword density should not be too high because search engines may red-flag you for "keyword stuffing".
Places to intergrate keywords
If you don't have the right keywords and the right keyword density your targeted reader may never find your article. Also web masters use articles as content on their websites in order to monetize with Google AdSense. ManyWebmasters will not use articles that don't effectively use keywords.
The first thing to do is to research keywords.
You can do this manually with Overture's Keyword Selector at: http://inventory.overture.com/d/searchinventory/suggestions
This type of research can be quite painstaking so many people use software such as Click Ad Equalizer to make this task faster and easier.
Once you've chosen your keyword, you'll want to integrate it into your article. Most experts claim that a 5% keyword density is best. Your keyword density should be high enough that a keyword is recognized as a main topic of a page and not an incidental, unimportant word. At the same time, keyword density should not be too high because search engines may red-flag you for "keyword stuffing".
Places to intergrate keywords
- Subheadings: they not only tell your reader what that paragraph is about but they help you keep you on track as well. By writing a subheading you remind yourself to sprinkle that keyword into the article.
- Your title
- Your thesis
- Your conclusion
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Check List For Clarity and Style
Emphasis
Do the beginning and ending of sentences stress main ideas and move from old information to new?
Are equally important ideas linked through coordination?
Are less important ideas deemphasized through subordination?
Parallelism
Have you used parallel constructions to show the equivalence of elements connected by and or not only, but, also ect?
Variety and details
Have you varied sentence lengths and structures to stress your main ideas and hold reader’s attention?
Are your sentences well detailed so your audience will find them interesting?
Exact words
Are your words suited to your meaning and also concrete and specific?
Appropriate words
Is your language appropriate for your writing situation?
Have you avoided biased or sexist language?
Conciseness
Have you used the active voice?
Have you cut empty words and unneeded repetition?
Your writing will be much improved if you use these techniques as part of your writing style.
More information about these techniques can found by visiting here: http://tinyurl.com/34jghl
Emphasis
Do the beginning and ending of sentences stress main ideas and move from old information to new?
Are equally important ideas linked through coordination?
Are less important ideas deemphasized through subordination?
Parallelism
Have you used parallel constructions to show the equivalence of elements connected by and or not only, but, also ect?
Variety and details
Have you varied sentence lengths and structures to stress your main ideas and hold reader’s attention?
Are your sentences well detailed so your audience will find them interesting?
Exact words
Are your words suited to your meaning and also concrete and specific?
Appropriate words
Is your language appropriate for your writing situation?
Have you avoided biased or sexist language?
Conciseness
Have you used the active voice?
Have you cut empty words and unneeded repetition?
Your writing will be much improved if you use these techniques as part of your writing style.
More information about these techniques can found by visiting here: http://tinyurl.com/34jghl
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Are you targeting your readers?
Targeted readers are the people who are most likely going to read your article and respond to your offer. They are the people who want what you've got.
If your using articles to promote a newsletter/ezine, blog, affliate program, seminar, service, product, or website you need to know who your audience is so you can reach them.
Following this rule will give you a big advantage over your competion because many writers do not consider their target market when they begin the writing process.
Articles will increase your traffic but it's not enough to have people stopping by at your site, they have to people who are really interested in what you have to offer so you can get the most bang for you buck.
So, who are your targeted readers?
Start by asking yourself some of these questions
If your using articles to promote a newsletter/ezine, blog, affliate program, seminar, service, product, or website you need to know who your audience is so you can reach them.
Following this rule will give you a big advantage over your competion because many writers do not consider their target market when they begin the writing process.
Articles will increase your traffic but it's not enough to have people stopping by at your site, they have to people who are really interested in what you have to offer so you can get the most bang for you buck.
So, who are your targeted readers?
Start by asking yourself some of these questions
- Who do you want to read your article?
- What are those people looking for when they go online?
- What kind of information are they searching for?
- Do they have any problems related to what you have to offer?
Knowing the answers to these questions will help you to write articles that go right to the heart of your targeted readers.
You shouldn't be trying to write articles that will appeal to everyone... know your target audience and write for them.
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Writer's Block Remedies
Don’t you just hate writer’s block? You sit there thinking, “any minuet now my muse will come to me.” Well, you don’t always have time to wait around for inspiration so here are a few tricks that will help kick start your creativity:
1. Listen to classical music.
Studies show that classical music with 60 beats per minuet such as Mozart, Beethoven, Handel and Vivaldi slow brain waves to the relaxed alpha frequency associated with calm and awareness so when you are listening you tap into your creativity.
2. Eat foods rich in vitamin B6 (pyridoxine).
B6 stimulates the cerebral cortex-that's the brain region responsible for solving problems and visual information. Eating foods such leafy greens, lean beef, and potatoes can help to get the creative juices flowing.
Next time you're having writer's block put on some Mozart and have a salad.
Don’t you just hate writer’s block? You sit there thinking, “any minuet now my muse will come to me.” Well, you don’t always have time to wait around for inspiration so here are a few tricks that will help kick start your creativity:
1. Listen to classical music.
Studies show that classical music with 60 beats per minuet such as Mozart, Beethoven, Handel and Vivaldi slow brain waves to the relaxed alpha frequency associated with calm and awareness so when you are listening you tap into your creativity.
2. Eat foods rich in vitamin B6 (pyridoxine).
B6 stimulates the cerebral cortex-that's the brain region responsible for solving problems and visual information. Eating foods such leafy greens, lean beef, and potatoes can help to get the creative juices flowing.
Next time you're having writer's block put on some Mozart and have a salad.
Friday, January 12, 2007
Yet another way to make money with articles
Have you ever considered creating a PLR package with your articles?
You can sell your articles as a PLR package
PLR stands for Private Label Rights
Basically what this means is you let other people use your articles. You give them the opportunity to edit your articles as they see fit and then put THEIR names on it.
This is a huge market. Many people are willing to pay you for your articles
Here's how it works
Have you ever considered creating a PLR package with your articles?
You can sell your articles as a PLR package
PLR stands for Private Label Rights
Basically what this means is you let other people use your articles. You give them the opportunity to edit your articles as they see fit and then put THEIR names on it.
This is a huge market. Many people are willing to pay you for your articles
Here's how it works
- You use the 30 minute Article Writing System to write 5 PLR articles on similar subject and sell it for about $10
- It only takes 30 minutes to write an article, so it will take you 2 1/2 hours to write 5.
- If you sell 100 PLR packs, that's $1000. Not bad for only 2 1/2 hours of work!
Thursday, January 04, 2007
Writing Your First Draft
Once you have devised a thesis statment and planned a strategy of development, writing your first draft is not difficult. Expand on each paragraph so that it explains, illustrates and defends the topic sentece. Be sure to add transitional expressions for coherence and logical clarity.
Good writing emerges from revisions. Read your draft over many times for logical order, unity, and consistency. You want to ensure that each paragraph supports your thesis and each sentence develops the paragraph topic. Critically read your work, ask yourself if statements are sufficiently supported with enough evidence
On a computer, save successive revisions in separate files, make backup copies. I can’t even begin to tell you how frustrating it is to lose a document that you’ve spent hours on. Make sure you make backup copies.
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