Posted by on Feb 10, 2012 in
Writing Skills Because most negative thoughts concern the past or the future, the author Mark Twain said “I have known a great many troubles, but most of them never happened.”
That could have come from a natural human ability to catastrophize which means worrying about something that hasn’t happened yet and might not happen at all. Worry, by its very nature, means thinking about the future and what may or may not happen.
On the flip side of worrying is ruminating, thinking bleakly about events in the past. What you wished had been different or what you could have done or said to get a different outcome than the one you got. This can be quite a time waster if very much time is spent on running the various different outcomes and then comparing them to the outcome you actually got.
You have the opportunity to take these two skills that are part of your everyday life and expand upon them to create some very convincing stories using the what if model in the story process. You can use these skills to the extreme or just to add some spice to your story line for your fiction characters.
That will leave you more able to remain in the present in your life savoring the things that you are experiencing and being able to do that without distraction. This is a space that will increase your happiness significantly as you are not able to add things that are not there and can give your full attention to what is there. That can change if need be to allow you to enjoy in the present more joy, happiness and other positive emotions which can also then be added to your story lines.
Using these techniques can quickly increase your writing skills and let you add to your story lines in a more believable way. It can take those real life skills and put them to better use than worry or ruminating and just the energy savings alone from these shifts can open the way for you to become a more effective and productive writer.
Tags: Increase, Life, Quickly, Real, Skills, Using, Writing
Posted by on Feb 10, 2012 in
Writing Books
There are two extremes of niche book writing. On one end of the spectrum are the could-be authors. They come up with idea, but procrastinate and make excuses for never completing (or usually even starting) their manuscript. On the other end of the spectrum are the have-to-be authors. These writers blindly rush into their book project without ever taking the proper steps to ensure their manuscript will be well received.
The most successful authors reside right in the middle of this scale. They actively research the viability of their book. They take the time to find out what resources are available, and how they can gain access to those assets. If these authors’ due diligence suggests their book ideas are not be practical, they move on and search for a better project. But if their idea is sound and they have the proper resources, they go for it.
Here are some suggestions for you to put to use when you put your ideas to the test:
Start thinking of chapters. Before you can start researching for your book, you need to know what you need to find. It’s a good idea to sit down and write out a list of chapters. This will help you get an idea for the amount of information your book will contain, and give you some structure as you move forward.
Find sources for research. Even if you are writing your own autobiography, you may not remember all of the details needed to fully describe your life. It’s very important for all authors to know early into their writing where they can go to gather any information they’re going to need. No one wants to get half done with their book and be unable to finish because they can’t find the information they need.
Know whom can/will help. No matter what your book is about, you’re going to need some help somewhere along the line. Even fiction writers must take the time to talk to people who can give them valuable information to improve their stories. It is worth taking some time to write out a list of the people who could help make your book successful. Contact these people as soon as possible to be certain they will help you.
Consider artwork. Think about whether or not your book needs photographs or illustrations that you are unable to provide on your own. Contact any libraries, museums, clubs, groups, artists, or whoever might be able to help. Respectfully ask what it would take to be allowed to use their art in your book. If you have to have the artwork, you need to know for sure you can get your hands on it and that you have permission to use it.
Ask around. Don’t be too shy to talk about your book. Ask your friends and family what they think about it. Ask local bookstores if they think the book will sell.
Research your competition. Visit area bookstores to find out what books you will be competing against. If your topic is very similar to one that has already been produced, start thinking about how you will make your book better.
Tags: Before, Books, Easy, Potential, Publishing, Test, Ways, Writing
Posted by on Feb 8, 2012 in
Writing Skills The reasons that people write articles and distribute them to article directories, to be put out into the internet, are numerous. But one of the main reasons, at the end of the day, is to get massive traffic to their website. But an important fact that most people fail to realize is the articles they write have to make an impact on their audience. Within this article are pointers that you will be able to use to make a huge impact on your audience to the point where you will began to see a sufficient amount of traffic directed toward your website.
1. Write about things that are of importance to you. You will most likely have gained much knowledge about your specific subject which will make you an expert at it. This will make your articles more credible if you are coming at it from a perspective of expertise. All it takes is a little research of the article directories and you can distinguish the well-written articles that come from the viewpoint of expertise as opposed to the articles that were written based on keyword research.
2. Keep your articles up-to-date with what is going on in the industry. Your writing should always be current and be relevant to what is happening now. Your reader will not be interested in outdated and old news. Always be constantly searching for new and informative ideas for new articles. Start keeping a swipe file of relevant topics that you can refer to when you are writing your articles.
3. Before you sit down to write your articles, spend a significant amount of time researching them. Your articles should be instructive and helpful and should lead your reader to the next step. That step should ultimately be to your resource box to click on your URL. The way to do this is with an article that is well researched as opposed to one that is of poor quality and thrown together. You can tell the difference between an article that has been thrown together versus one that is well researched. You will also find that the amount of time it takes to write an article goes down drastically when you take the time to research before writing.
4. I don’t see any point in using words that require a dictionary. You always want to present and exchange ideas that everyone can understand. For that reason, write using words that are easy to understand. You don’t have to use big words in your article to prove that you know big words. We’ve all read these types of articles. These words usually don’t flow well within the article. Your article will be valued more by your audience and easier to read if you would write like you talk and stick to words that are understandable.
5. Most people rarely read an article word for word. They usually scan the page, picking out words and sentences, and most of all, highlights. Give them the highlights by using numbered or bulleted articles. This makes it easier for them to scan and that way they can read the heading sentence to give them an idea what the paragraph is about and decide to read it in more depth, if they choose to.
With these tips on improving your article writing skills, you will see the results for your articles improve!
Tags: Article, Improve, Skills, these, Tips, Writing
Posted by on Feb 7, 2012 in
Writing Skills That’s at least according to Kathleen Blake Yancey, an author and Florida university English professor who delivered the presidential address at a November 2008 National College of Teachers of English convention in Texas. Yancey was speaking about English composition, and she was referring, of course, to President Barack Obama – text messager, multimedia e-mailer and the author of two books.
Students in English Comp courses learn to write so that they can better communicate their thoughts and ideas. Basic writing abilities are typically desired by employers these days. Beyond that, students in Composition courses, in the process of researching, drafting and revising according to a certain structure, might through their writing make discoveries that spur reflection and discussion.
As intimidating as English Composition might be to some, writing is something upon which many of us rely for communication. We have done so for years, Yancey noted – through wartime correspondence, for example, and through arts-related assignments that were part of the federal Works Progress Administration’s attempts to help lift the country from the Great Depression. More recently, we’ve begun communicating through blogs, Facebook, Twitter updates and, like President Barack Obama, through e-mails and text messages.
What English Comp teaches is the writing process. English students might, for example, learn about context – or writing for a specific purpose and audience in a certain genre. If you were trying to enlist support for Barack Obama’s Presidential campaign, for example, you might write a persuasive essay with backup for your cause for the newspaper’s Op Ed section. If you were writing a newspaper article about Obama, your report – an expository piece, as this genre is known – would likely be more objective.
Genres taught as part of English Composition also include descriptives, or using metaphors and arousing the senses. They include narratives, or creating or retelling stories that include characters, plots and more. Poetry is another genre that might be taught as part of Composition – sometimes, but not always, involving rhymes and known for being powerful and to the point.
English Comp teaches also about critical thinking – or the ability to analyze, criticize and obtain ideas. The reader, in separating fact from opinion and belief from knowledge should, with critical thinking, be able to form conclusions from what’s written. As part of this, perhaps, students in Composition learn also about writing structures and formats and about including information about sources.
Some English Composition courses these days might incorporate digital elements into the instruction, perhaps even provide digital storytelling assignments. According to Modern Age editor RV Young, English students also often are assigned contemporary readings. Young, in an interview that the John Locke Foundation has posted on You Tube, described pop culture readings as shallow and said that they can keep students in an extended childhood. Classics from the likes of Plato, Aristotle and John Locke, he noted, provide a foundation from which students might better assess information that comes at them at a “record pace.”
Yancey calls this the Age of Composition. It certainly seems a preferred means of communication. With text messages, e-mail messages, online chats and social network updates, there has, perhaps, been no other time in history when people have written as often. What students learn from composition class will not only help them with their writing abilities, but also prepare them for future careers given that having proper writing skills is necessary for just about any profession. If students are interested in English composition courses, they are able to take a free course on Test Drive College.
Tags: Composition, Courses, Employment, English, Help, Proper, Skills, Students, Teach, Writing
Posted by on Feb 6, 2012 in
Writing Skills Anyone involved in online marketing is always looking for ways to improve upon their copy writing skills. The ability to use the written word thereby influencing the reader to take certain desired actions is an invaluable skill.
It all starts with knowing what your readers really want and how to present it to them without making them feel uncomfortable or pressured.
Here are 6 tips to help increase the effectiveness of your copy writing skills.
1) Product Knowledge
Possessing first hand knowledge of whatever it is you’re promoting is a must. You need to know your product and its capabilities as to whether it can produce or accomplish what it advertises it can. Knowing this gives you the passion and confidence you need to endorse the product.
With knowing the product you are endorsing is legitimate and effective the task of copywriting becomes much easier. The enthusiasm you genuinely feel will be conveyed thru the copy you compose and readers will pick up on this.
2) Know Your Target Audience
Obviously any product you may promote is not suitable for all customer types.
Determining the product benefits along with the needs and wants it may fill will help you better identify the customer type you need to target.
Knowing your customer now makes it easier to decide what type language or slang would be best suited to communicate your message to them.
For instance if your customer type is well read or scholarly delving deeper into your vocabulary to speak to them would seem more appropriate. If however you’re targeting the younger generation the use of slang would be more applicable in this instance.
What you’re doing is just trying to relate better to your customer by addressing them more within their comfort zones.
3) Emphasize Benefits
To capture anybody’s attention you’ll always want to answer the unasked question they have which is ‘what’s in it for me’ or they’ll likely lose interest.
Be sure to address product benefits quickly within the body of your copy or readers will just as quickly leave your site!
Would you buy anything that didn’t benefit you in some way? Of course not!
Showing readers thru examples of how your product would make their lives better, easier, more profitable, healthier, enjoyable, etc. The idea here is that readers will then start to ‘realize’ how they can’t live without these benefits.
4) Develop Sense of Urgency
You want the reader to take some sort of action while on your site. By offering a ‘time limited or quantity limited’ bonus for their order you’ve now lit a bit of a fire under them to make a decision.
This aspect of your copy is important from the standpoint that once a reader leaves your site there’re gone so do your best to entice them to order. If nothing more offer them a free ‘thank you’ gift just for visiting your site so you can capture their contact info for future online marketing efforts.
5) Be Brief
When ever possible say more with fewer words. People are always in a hurry so get to the point but cover all the important bases.
6) Proofread Your Work
Check your work for spelling, formatting, or grammatical errors you likely missed during your initial composition.
Using these 6 tips as a guide should help you improve upon or maintain your current copy writing skills for any online marketing endeavor.
Tags: Copy, Improve, Skills, Tips, Writing
Posted by on Feb 5, 2012 in
Writing Books E-Books contain a set of structure which every reader enjoys to read. The consistency is what readers are looking for with the guidance of easy to read maps. It is unprofessional and disconcerting if there is an alteration in the format of the book.
A definite outline is required to structure the contents of the chapters. Repeating elements are also required in each element so that it creates a bonding between the chapters. The reader will get enthusiastic in each chapter and will recompense you by reading the book start to finish. Focused, themed copy and consistency will urge the reader to read it till the end.
Organizing the chapters is an important aspect of e-Book writing before writing the chapter titles, introduction, supporting points list, table of contents, brief summary and brief quote.
Choosing of topic is an important aspect of e-book writing as it will attract people reading it. It is necessary to know all the descriptive information of the topic you need before writing about it.
A general survey is a perfect example of knowing what people want. Online questions or interviews will help a lot in establishing the blend of what people want. You should begin writing the table of contents first. Create a list of major areas you need to cover in your e-book.
The most convenient way to look into your chapter’s topic is to list questions for your audience so that you get to know what your readers are expecting from you. These general survey questions will help you in creating an e-book which the reader wants and cover all the topics they are really interested in.
If you face any problems regarding the chapter topics, you can get support in discussion forums or any chat rooms. You need to specialize which market you need to target in your e-book. The discussion forums are always a great help for the writer because a lot of people thoughts are gathered at one place.
Now that you have started, you need to gain momentum first so try to write around 30 minutes to an hour maximum for better performance. It may surprise you that how quickly you will find your groove and begin to enjoy what you are writing. In this way you will have the opportunity to put your book into market faster to attain some profits.
Majority of the business professionals and writers are perfectionist, but if you need to complete your book in proper momentum, try to avoid over-editing and premature editing. Self-edit is also an important part after completing the book which will helps you in rectifying any errors in it and make it as simple and exciting can be for the readers.
Tags: Ebook, Organize, Writing
Posted by on Feb 5, 2012 in
Writing Skills Writing articles effectively can help to meet the objectives of a business. Effective article writing is not the cup of tea of every individual. However, article writing skills need to be learned.
People write the articles for many reasons. In world of online marketing, article writing is normally meant for advertising or marketing a product or a website and this is achieved by writing free articles and submitting to various article directory sites. You may be a good writer, but it is not at all an easy affair to write articles for Internet. In fact, online article writing is more than just putting the words together in sensible manner.
However, before thinking to make use of any article for trying to sell or promoting the products or attracting visitors to the sites, you need to stand back and just consider the things that you’re doing and what the article’s purpose are.
Before writing the article you need to have a clear idea about the objective. If the article is being written for submission to the ezines and article directories, you then generally won’t be permitted for promoting any of the specific product or provide any link to the site in the article’s body.
Therefore, your success depends on your capacity to persuade the readers to visit the site for which you give the link in author’s resource which usually appears at the article’s end. None will simply click on the link until and unless they consider that
- you know what you’re actually talking on and simply help out with their problems or
- they think that the website will really provide them great deal of extra information
It is important to know to write articles effectively. Article writing effectively do not come naturally. In fact, the best novelist even won’t have any idea about what is actually needed in article writing. Online article writing is very much different from newspaper article writing or magazine article writing. The language used needs to be different and semantic approach to the content is completely different from the writing styles of which Agatha Christie or Tom Calncy.
You need to learn the skils of article writing, how to write the artciles effectively for submitting to the article directories and for the website’s content. The articles that should be written must meet the needs of Google. In fact, this popular search engine has taken positive attitute towards article which are written well and used both as the website content and also published on nthe article directories. The duplicate contents submitted to the different article directories take long time by Google to be noticed.
Tags: Article, Importance, Skills, Writing
Posted by on Feb 4, 2012 in
Writing Books Is your book title the best it can be? Could it use some work to do its job effectively? Don’t let your book get lost in the sea of information streaming into your reader’s consciousness each day. Instead, write a sizzling title designed to hook your potential readers and draw them in for the read.
One of the most important skills to develop as a marketer of your book is the skill of creating attention-grabbing titles. When you master this skill you may use it in every aspect of your writing to attract more readers, more sales, improve your cash flow and increase your profits.
You will need title writing skill for your book titles, chapter titles, sub-heading. Even bullet points will have pulling power if they are developed correctly. Don’t forget your website. Your website will need passionate headings to capture the attention of your web visitors.
In fact, all marketing material from your 5 page sales letter, tri-fold brochure or email campaign to the 2 line classified ad needs the attention grabbing power of a great headline.
Titles set the stage for your potential audience. They either work to grab your potential reader by the collar and pull them in for the read or they don’t. Top titles create excitement, anticipation and enthusiasm for more. You want your titles to express the heart and passion of your message. Here are 7 top title templates to help create your grab-you-by-the-collar titles:
1. Command your book readers through your book title.
“Get Clients Now!”
Most will say they don’t like being told what to do. But our human psyche seems to respond in spite of what we like. The command has an immediate effect. Why? It connects with the “Yes, I want that” spot within us all. Commands reassure you that helpful advice will follow to help you get what you want from the advice. It tells the readers it’s possible to achieve the benefit the author is claiming.
2. Include a How to in your book title.
“How to Make Your Article Marketing Go the Extra Mile”
People love magic pills, miracle solutions or just plain old EASY. They love to learn with simple steps, easy ways and most of all fast. Combine it with a powerful benefit and you will reel your reader in every time. You decide. Does the title above, “How to Make Your Article Marketing Go the Extra Mile” or “8 Ways to Format Your Article”
3. Write a book title using a provocative statement.
“7 Book Writing Mistakes that Stamp Loser On Your Self Published Book”
Are you saying I could be making mistakes that stamp loser on my self published book? You would want to know especially, if you’ve been working hard to self publish in excellence. Provocative statements pull at our attention like an electric shock. They make us curious. They sometimes make us mad. They make us feel a lot of different things but most of all they make us read.
4. Ask a question in your book title.
“Are You Getting Enough Sex In Your Marriage?
Most times people unconsciously answer the question you pose in their minds. The key is to provide the answers in your copy including statistics. For example, “Have you felt afraid to buy online? Like it or not, many are still cautious of buying on the web. A Boston Consulting Group Consumer Survey found that 70% of respondents worry about making purchases online.”
5. Make a big promise in your book title.
“How to Increase Sales 400% by Using Article Marketing”
People will turn away from hype and never come back. But if you have a big gun promise, don’t be afraid to pull it out and use it. Consider carefully and use sparingly; then make your big promise and deliver. People will remember your promises and come back for more or purchase. Don’t forget to include the specific delivery or ‘how to’ in the content inside your big promise titled book.
6. Perplex your readers with a confusing book title.
“Eat the Book Writing Elephant One Bite at a Time”
Develop curiosity into your title. A seemingly opposite simile works like a charm. Use this one cautiously. Even so, sometimes the title that doesn’t make a lot of sense will pull your audience in for the read. Would the title above arouse your curiosity? The confusing title can capture the attention of your audience just to see what it’s about.
7. Offer your top benefit in the book’s title.
“Think and Grow Rich”
A winning non-fiction title immediately communicates the benefit readers will gain after reading your book. Benefit-oriented books often use the problem-solution approach. Master (A) this skill or technique and get (B) this benefit. Readers buy non-fiction books for a “benefit” for something that will help them, grow them, profit more, less expense, less trouble, gain more time, less stress, better relationships, better health, less drama, less trauma, more energy and vitality and less fatigue.
Develop the above valuable skill and you add magnetic pulling power and punch to all your marketing documents including your front book cover and chapter titles that will get your message read. Book titles set the stage for your potential audience. They either grab your potential reader by the collar or they don’t. Write a book title that gets your reader’s attention and make them want to read your important message. Title well and prosper!
Tags: Book, Collar, Grab, Readers, Templates, Title
Posted by on Feb 3, 2012 in
Writing Books Becoming a writer is not everyone’s cup of tea. Though we have our own story to tell, it’s not an easy task to write your own book. But if you aspire to become a renowned writer, you somehow ask yourself, “How much money can I make writing a book?”
Writing a book about you or about something interesting can be very rewarding if it is published and purchased by readers who took an interest in reading it. But if you are aiming for an enormous return of your investments in making a book, then you should be aware that only a few writers can make a fortune from it. But if you are too passionate in publishing your book or novel, then you must have the determination to excel in this kind of profession. It often takes a lifetime to finish a good book because of the revisions that often takes place. Then it will be published after you have concluded the last part. Only then you realized that you have spent years in completing it.
“How much money can I make writing a book”, you would often ask yourself before you start creating one. After you have completed your composition, then you could be thinking about the cost you will spend in publishing it and the distribution in the market. It is a reality that only a few writers can succeed in becoming famous in the literary world. And today, book readers have diminished in numbers due to the cyber dominance in the lifestyle of once a “book enthusiast”. It is very easy to acquire knowledge in just a click away in the internet websites. It became the conventional routine for someone who wants to acquire for facts and data instead of going to the bookstore and flip through the pages to search for answers. Browsing through the pages of the internet website is more convenient and time saving than buying a book that costs more than spending on internet cafes.
If you think that it is feasible to make money in making a book, then you should consider in shifting your attention to making articles for websites. You can make inquiries about this latest trend in writing blogs or article contents. A lot of writers have claimed to earn an enormous amount from this kind of venture. This is suggested for home based writers and could easily acquire clients that purchases content articles for their products or services. And pay outs are faster and negotiable, depending on your expertise and qualification. Generally, an article that consists of 400 to 500 words will cost for almost 10 dollars. But if you outsource it, you will pay your hired writers for 6 to 7 dollars and you can earn 3 dollars for yourself. If you make a study in starting this kind of business, then you will see that you can earn from it too without writing a single article.
Now you can distinguish the disparity between selling books the traditional way against selling your blogs or articles through the cyber marketing. Put an end to your question on “how much money can I make writing a book” and establish your own website as a freelance writer.
Tags: Answer, Book, Money, Much, Question, Writing
Posted by on Feb 2, 2012 in
Writing Books In recent past articles, I wrote about “Why Should I Write a Book or Ebook,” “What Should I Write About,” “Who Is My Ideal Reader?,” and “The Cure for a Common Case of Writer’s Block.” Next in this sequence, I wanted to offer some straight tips about how to write that book or ebook. Or basically how do you download your brain onto the page? This is a common issue I find with new writers; they either don’t have the confidence or know-how to tackle the overwhelming idea of writing a book! They have great ideas and they’re experts at what they do, but they’ve never written a book, and they look at it like some kind of scary monster.
Well, I’m here to tell you it’s not! It’s one of the most liberating feelings I know. To sit down at my computer and let my ideas spill out of my head, through my fingers, and onto the screen is exhilarating. If you follow some simple tips, and schedule the time to do this, your book or ebook could be done in less time than you imagine. Recently I held an interview on putting your ideas into an audio or video format. This could take the place of an ebook or book if you feel more comfortable talking into a recording device or filming yourself talking. Another interview I conducted showed you how to talk your book into a recording device and then have it transcribed. This is one of the quickest ways to get your book out of your head. And another interview I did talked about putting your expertise into the form of a tips booklet which could be anywhere from 12 to 24 pages. Your tips are approximately two sentences long, which I think would be pretty simple for most people to do. These are some of the quickest ways to get your ebook or book done.
Now, if you want to go the traditional route, my recipe is this: get your idea clear in your head as to why you want to write, what you want to write about, and who your ideal target is. Then create an outline/table of contents which takes the reader from where they are at the start of your book, to where you want them to be at the end. For example, if they have a problem that your book is a solution to, remind them of their problem at the start of the book, then take them through the steps to a solution as you share your expertise.
Once you have your outline, it’s just a matter of filling in the blanks with existing content you already have, or sitting down and pouring your knowledge onto the pages. Take your website content and past ezines, articles, and blogs and use that to get started. If you set aside two-hour blocks of time as often as you can, you’ll see your book quickly taking shape. Once you get over the initial feeling of overwhelm, you’ll find your rhythm and you’ll produce your book or ebook quickly. You just have to make sure to stay focused and know how to overcome your distractions or challenges. Plan ahead whatever you need—whether it’s an accountability partner or a ghostwriter/editor/coach like myself.
I encourage you to create your book or ebook as an info-product for passive profits! Happy writing!
HOMEWORK: Schedule a 2-hour time slot in the next 2 weeks to sit down and create your table of contents. Then send it to your accountability partner. Also, please contact me with “questions” in the subject line if you’d like me to send you my list of questions that are helpful to ask yourself upon venturing forth with your book writing.
Tags: Book, Ebook, Possible, Quickly, write