Stepping Away From Your Writing

I read a quote saying something in regards to writing everyday. The exact wording I can't recollect, but it was something similar to, the writing you do not do today is lost forever. I've always been an advocate of writing regularly until I saw the quote, and maybe it was simply the rebellious nature in me but I felt a need to disagree.

I don't believe that going a day or two without writing will result in a loss of words or ideas. Writer's block is not the product of irregular writing. Instead, I feel it necessary to step away from your work and breathe. Allow yourself to gain inspiration from life itself and not just your regular writing habbit.

Sometimes you need that time to miss writing. You can easily take your talent for granted if you are constantly practicing it, but a few moments away to recharge can help you fall back in love with it and avoid tedium.

Now the quote I'm sure was trying to encourage writers to jot down the words they had in the present moment and this I agree with. But I don't believe that what you want to say today will be said in the best way, nor will you lose all your inspiration if you don't write it down. That sort of fear puts pressure on an already fragile and often stressful industry.

Sometimes not writing, and simply observing, feeling, thinking and living is the best way to become a great writer.

Write it down

If I had a dollar for every time I neglected to write down an idea I’d have a lot of money. When you're a freelance writer you constantly need to be coming up with new ideas. This comes easy to folks like me; our minds are a factory of ideas and suggestions, for others it may take you a little longer. These types of people are usually better at executing the idea. But however you are, when you come up with a new idea write it done right away.

Sure you may not have everything thought out in that moment, but you do have something that you can work with. Or at least something you can investigate further.

Who knows your research may lead you to decide to chuck the idea out the window. But as long as you have it, you can come back to it. Don’t think, “I can remember lots of things.” When you work at home you can easily forget even important tasks, if they're not written somewhere because you have so many things to do, so something like an unpolished idea is very vulnerable to getting axed out of your memory.

Don’t sit and ponder whether or not it’s a good idea, simply find some place to store it where it will be in your vision. Then decide how you plan to employ your new found idea.

Not writing down ideas is the fastest way to throw money out. So get yourself a notebook, create a computer file, or at least get some sticky notes and keep all your brilliance close at hand.

Too busy to write?

When we are anxious about writing, our lives suddenly become hyperactive. We fill our days with enough busyness that we can easily believe that there isn’t enough time left to write. This is simply a creative way to boycott writing.

Then, feeling guilty, we become too ambitious in our quest to make up for lost time, and try to force ourselves to dedicate hours to writing. However, this overzealousness simply brings us back to our anxious state and once again we are doing everything but writing.

To put writing in its place, you have to shrink it down to dimensions that allow you to fit it into your life. You can do this simply by giving yourself permission to write for 10-15min each day. The time slot does not matter, what matters is that you are writing.

The goal is to shift your response to writing from negative to positive. By limiting your writing time to a “brief interlude” you lower the threat of walking away and not returning for days.

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The writer’s office

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

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?

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.

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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.

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 "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.

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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.

1. Be consistent ex. If you hyphenate “full-time” on page one you shouldn’t spell it “full time” without a hyphen later.
   
2. You achieve an accurate and consistent finished product when you proofread in stages.
   
3. Print out what need to proofread if you are working on the computer.
   
4. Be comfortable when you proofread.
   
5. Ask someone else to look over your work when possible.
   
6. If you repeatedly read over sentences because it doesn’t sound correct, stop and read it out loud.
   
7. Create a style sheet.
   
8. Any word that causes you to wonder whether it is spelled correctly needs to be looked up.
   
9. Read each word out loud individually then read it out loud to be sure it fits in the sentence.
   
10. 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.

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

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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.

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.

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The Top Seven Mistakes eBook Authors Make
© By Jim Edwards and David Garfinkel
http://www.ebooksecretsexposed.com
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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/

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