Daphne Hayden, DNS News Anchor, interviews Dan Ronco in 2012 regarding Unholy Domain, his visionary novel. Ms. Hayden appears as herself in both PeaceMaker and Unholy Domain.
DAPHNE HAYDEN: I've found your biography online at Dan Ronco, and I know you have not one, but three degrees: Chemical Engineering, Nuclear Engineering and Computer Science. Why so many?
DAN RONCO: It's my nature. I'm never satisfied, always looking for the next challenge. My career has been like that, too. First I designed nuclear reactors, next I became a Partner in a huge accounting and IT consulting firm, then President of a small software company and finally a General Manager with Microsoft.
DAPHNE HAYDEN: So how did you go from technology guru to writing a novel?
DAN RONCO: After more than two decades in the IT business, I felt that it was time to do something else. Although I loved working at Microsoft, 70 hour weeks and heavy travel take a toll. Besides, I had been thinking about writing a novel for years, but hadn't made much progress. It was time to choose. So I left my job and concentrated on writing.
DAPHNE HAYDEN: You're much better looking in person. Trash that photo on the cover of Unholy Domain.
DAN RONCO: Well, I was trying to look author-ish. Guess it didn't work.
DAPHNE HAYDEN: In your first novel, set in 2012, PeaceMaker a Windows-like operating system is infected with an intelligent virus, leading to a shutdown of computers across the globe. With Windows computers so widely used, could this really happen?
DAN RONCO: Software terrorism is already a threat, and it will grow over time. Every time a new virus attacks Windows, someone has to detect and report the problem, programmers have to develop and distribute a fix, and millions of users have to apply the fix. A relatively slow process, but it works as long as the virus isn't too destructive, doesn't spread too fast (or secretly) and doesn't evolve too rapidly (the fix won't work if the virus can change tactics). In PeaceMaker, I envisioned a fictional virus attack that exceeded these parameters. At some point within the next decade, a terrorist may be capable of launching such a sophisticated attack.
DAPHNE HAYDEN: PeaceMaker and Unholy Domain have been touted as the first two books of an anti-technology trilogy. Is that true? What are the books about?
DAN RONCO: My stories dramatize the question: how much technology is too much? The first novel, as you know, illustrates the consequences of a runaway, lethal computer virus. My new novel, Unholy Domain, set in 2022, considers the meaning of being human as artificial intelligence begins to approach human intelligence. It takes a hard look at what I believe will be accelerating conflict between science and religion. The last book of the trilogy, set in 2025 and tentatively titled Tomorrow's Children, considers the risks and benefits of genetic engineering.
DAPHNE HAYDEN: You didn't really answer my question. Don't your books warn against the continuing growth of technology?
DAN RONCO: It's clear to me that the exponential growth in technology over the next two, three decades will bring incredible change to our society, possibly beyond our ability to cope. Whether that's anti-technology, well, I'll leave it for the reader to decide.
DAPHNE HAYDEN: Scientists and the clergy are already in conflict over issues such as evolution, homosexuality and abortion. You believe it will get worse?
DAN RONCO: Without a doubt. Consider a few emerging issues. Should we enhance capabilities such as intelligence, athletic ability, beauty or health through gene manipulation or artificial components? If so, who gets the enhancements? Should human cloning be permitted? Should an intelligent robot have the same rights as a human? Does God care if we evolve into a new species? Should we allow artificial intelligence to approach and possibly surpass human intelligence? These issues will shake the foundation of organized religion as never before.
DAPHNE HAYDEN: I see what you mean. Complex issues, no easy solutions. Must the novels be read in chronological sequence? Do you have to be an engineer to understand the technology in the novels?
DAN RONCO: First and foremost, I wrote the novels to entertain a reader who enjoys thrillers or science fiction. If you can use a computer, you will have no problem with the technology in my stories. Although the novels are all consistent with each other, each is a self-contained story. You can read them in any sequence, so just start with the one that most appeals to you.
DAPHNE HAYDEN: How long did it take to write your novels?
DAN RONCO: Including research, I have been working on the trilogy for about eight years. Not full-time, but I try to write three to four hours per day on average. Tomorrow's Children will be complete in a few months, so I have dedicated a big chunk of my life to this work.
DAPHNE HAYDEN: What lessons have you learned as a writer, and what changes would you make if you could start over?
DAN RONCO: When I started, I had no idea how difficult it is to write well. I thought that once you had the concept for the story, the words would just tumble out of your mind onto the page. Man, was I wrong. Every word in your story must have a reason to be present, and it must convey the right shade of meaning. Extremely difficult, but what a feeling of satisfaction when you get it right.
DAPHNE HAYDEN: The women in your novels are highly unusual to say the least.
DAN RONCO: I knew we were going to get into this.
DAPHNE HAYDEN: Don't get alarmed, I think it's a good thing. Your female characters are beautiful, smart, tough and physically strong. I particularly like Darlene Duboski, DoubleD as you call her. How did you come up with this amazing woman?
DAN RONCO: DoubleD isn't really that unusual, if you think about it. She's the culmination of a long-term evolution. Today's females are bigger and more athletic than previous generations. Go to any workout facility and what do you see? Plenty of women. And not just doing aerobics, either. Pumping iron, pushups, building their strength against all manner of exercise machines. They're dropping baby fat and showing off lean, hard muscles. Not that they are becoming bodybuilders (although some do), but they are not the women of your mother's generation either.
Drive around town and you'll certainly come across a jogger. What's the gender most of the time? And she's probably setting a fast pace, too.
Muscles are no longer solely a masculine domain. Check out the ladies playing basketball or tennis, let alone the boxers. Not a wimp in the bunch. Title IX has opened the door for women to excel at sports, and they are succeeding. You want to see Serena Williams or Mary Pierce getting ready to serve a cannonball at you? I don't. That doesn't mean today's women aren't as beautiful or sexy as previous generations. I think they look better, actually, with their lean, athletic figures.
DoubleD — and many of my female characters — are based upon this new model of femininity. They are just as tough and smart as the men, and they don't take a backseat to anyone. Damn sexy, too.
DAPHNE HAYDEN: Kudos to you! I couldn't agree more.
About the Author:
Dan Ronco's expertise in engineering and computer science infuses his fast-paced techno-thriller Unholy Domain with detail and authenticity. His second novel, it warns of the looming clash between religion and advanced science. Visit http://danronco.com.
Keyword tags: thriller, science fiction, authors, books, technology, Windows virus, novels
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Friday, May 30, 2008
Writer\s Block - Recover From The Writing Disease
Among writers, there are often arguments about writer's block and whether it even exists. However, all writers will experience it at some stage. Here's how to handle it.
Writer's block manifests itself on a continuum which ranges from mild resistance to writing at one end, to the complete inability to even think about writing at the other end.
If you're experiencing resistance to writing, it's the mild form of writer's block. It often happens when you're missing a step in the writing process. For example, you may not know enough about a subject to be able to write about it with authority. Do more research, and you'll become enthusiastic and your block vanishes.
At the extreme of the continuum, when you're completely unable to write, it's because your life has changed in a fundamental way and you're highly stressed. You need to accommodate the changes, and get yourself mentally healthy enough so that you can write. With this debilitating form of writer's block, therapy can help, because such a block is often part of depression.
We can't deal with extreme writer's block in a short article, but there's a method to manage milder forms of writer's block.
Writing Resistance - Managing your Writer's Block
If you're not writing, it's important that you don't try to confront your resistance head-on. Chances are you've tried that, and the more you try to write, the more you sit staring at the computer screen wondering what's wrong with you.
Here's a four step process which I've used, and have recommended to other writers. It's worked for us, and it should work for you.
1. Don't Write at All for a Week
The first step is acceptance. Just accept that at the moment, you can't write, and give yourself a break from writing for a week. Put off deadlines. Write email messages, but let all your other writing go.
Think of your writer's block as a form of writing flu. You're sick, but you're healing, and you'll feel better in a week.
2. Go on a Trip, Take Your Pen
The old saying, "a change is as good as a rest" is true. On the weekend, take a trip. It can be a short trip, but go somewhere you've been meaning to go. If possible, go alone. Take a camera, and a notebook. You don't have to write, but take some pictures.
3. Accept Your Fear
During this self-imposed writing drought, you'll experience many emotions: fear, guilt, anger, and apathy. Although they're unpleasant, these emotions are good for you - they're a sign that you're releasing your resistance. So don't resist the negative emotions: allow yourself to feel them. Breathe deeply, and the surges of emotion will pass.
4. Get out of Your Head and Into Your Body
Emotions arise in your body, and trigger thoughts. Try to stay with the sensations in your body: the feeling of the emotion in your body - the tightness in your chest, the hollow pit in your stomach, the heaviness on your shoulders.
Take deep breaths, and allow the feelings to pass - don't get caught up in your thoughts about the feelings.
When you begin to experience the surges of emotion in your body, your writer's block is almost over. These surges are what you've been repressing: they form your writer's block. There's no way to release them except by feeling them fully, and letting them go.
At some time during the week, after the strong emotions subside, you'll feel like writing again - you've recovered from the writing disease.
About the Author:
Want to write more? Angela Booth's writing class, "Write More And Make More Money From Your Writing: Develop A Fast, Fun Productive Writing Process" at http://www.angelaswritingclasses.com/Class/writemore.html is based on lessons she developed for her private coaching students.
Keyword tags: writing,write more,writing process,writing tips,writing skills,creativity,ideas,writer\\\'s block
Writer's block manifests itself on a continuum which ranges from mild resistance to writing at one end, to the complete inability to even think about writing at the other end.
If you're experiencing resistance to writing, it's the mild form of writer's block. It often happens when you're missing a step in the writing process. For example, you may not know enough about a subject to be able to write about it with authority. Do more research, and you'll become enthusiastic and your block vanishes.
At the extreme of the continuum, when you're completely unable to write, it's because your life has changed in a fundamental way and you're highly stressed. You need to accommodate the changes, and get yourself mentally healthy enough so that you can write. With this debilitating form of writer's block, therapy can help, because such a block is often part of depression.
We can't deal with extreme writer's block in a short article, but there's a method to manage milder forms of writer's block.
Writing Resistance - Managing your Writer's Block
If you're not writing, it's important that you don't try to confront your resistance head-on. Chances are you've tried that, and the more you try to write, the more you sit staring at the computer screen wondering what's wrong with you.
Here's a four step process which I've used, and have recommended to other writers. It's worked for us, and it should work for you.
1. Don't Write at All for a Week
The first step is acceptance. Just accept that at the moment, you can't write, and give yourself a break from writing for a week. Put off deadlines. Write email messages, but let all your other writing go.
Think of your writer's block as a form of writing flu. You're sick, but you're healing, and you'll feel better in a week.
2. Go on a Trip, Take Your Pen
The old saying, "a change is as good as a rest" is true. On the weekend, take a trip. It can be a short trip, but go somewhere you've been meaning to go. If possible, go alone. Take a camera, and a notebook. You don't have to write, but take some pictures.
3. Accept Your Fear
During this self-imposed writing drought, you'll experience many emotions: fear, guilt, anger, and apathy. Although they're unpleasant, these emotions are good for you - they're a sign that you're releasing your resistance. So don't resist the negative emotions: allow yourself to feel them. Breathe deeply, and the surges of emotion will pass.
4. Get out of Your Head and Into Your Body
Emotions arise in your body, and trigger thoughts. Try to stay with the sensations in your body: the feeling of the emotion in your body - the tightness in your chest, the hollow pit in your stomach, the heaviness on your shoulders.
Take deep breaths, and allow the feelings to pass - don't get caught up in your thoughts about the feelings.
When you begin to experience the surges of emotion in your body, your writer's block is almost over. These surges are what you've been repressing: they form your writer's block. There's no way to release them except by feeling them fully, and letting them go.
At some time during the week, after the strong emotions subside, you'll feel like writing again - you've recovered from the writing disease.
About the Author:
Want to write more? Angela Booth's writing class, "Write More And Make More Money From Your Writing: Develop A Fast, Fun Productive Writing Process" at http://www.angelaswritingclasses.com/Class/writemore.html is based on lessons she developed for her private coaching students.
Keyword tags: writing,write more,writing process,writing tips,writing skills,creativity,ideas,writer\\\'s block
Writing A Research Proposal Step By Step
A research proposal is a bit similar to a project proposal. Most students and researchers themselves do not know what the meaning of a research proposal is but they do know everything about its importance.
A research proposal is a document written to convince others that you have a research project and you have the work plan to complete that particular project Leaving aside the area where you are researching, the proposal must fulfill some of the questions which are unique for that proposal: Here are some of the basic components of a research proposal.
(1)What are you planning?
(2)Why do you want it to be done?
(3)Which technique will you be using?
(4)Why that specific technique?
One should take notice of the fact that the proposal that you are writing should be done in such a manner that the one who is reading that proposal should be able to understand it completely. There should be enough knowledge and information presented of the general issues taking place. The writer must step forward and take command over his or her own literature. The research thesis should only be approximately 300 words. One should also know how to frame their research question as it is one of the most difficult tasks in research
Proposal: To write a good and unique proposal you should have unique ideas and have a great level of understanding of that field. An introduction should also be written that will grab the attention of the researcher .One very important step is literature review. There are also good chances that you are writing this for a person who may already be a specialist.
Now here are some common problems that could arise while writing a Research proposal. Before writing the proposal you should think in advance about the different kinds of problems you may face while writing the proposal. Most people are caught off guard! For example, texts might be unavailable, internet sites might be down or no longer available, books may be checked out etc. The description of the proposal-is very important. The project that is being completed by us should have the details of what kind of research you will conduct to complete this project.
For example: reading, newspapers, internet engines, personal interviews, etc. Also state the significance of the proposal. You should put up in your proposal why it is worth considering and for this you will have to answer a number of questions.
What do you hope to learn from it? Who might you decide to share your findings? Will it be published some day also, the background of the proposal? .etc. You should also share your background about any previous researcher that's been done and how did you generated interest in it.
They may ask what has led you to do more research then them. A proposal is a qualitative research A research proposal normally has a few aspects (researches) i.e., qualitative and naturalistic .etc, But here under research proposal one is the qualitative research aspect.
The purpose of this section is to introduce you to the idea of qualitative research. How it is related to quantitative research and give you some major types of qualitative research data, approaches and methods. Things to be avoided in a proposals: broad topic areas, vague descriptions and so on. These are just some of the steps to research proposal writing if one keeps in his/her mind he can prepare a winning proposal.
About the Author:
http://www.essaytown.com - Research Proposal http://www.essaytown.com/subjects_t.html - Research Paper Topics
Keyword tags: term papers,research papers,essay writing,dissertations,college term papers,college essays
A research proposal is a document written to convince others that you have a research project and you have the work plan to complete that particular project Leaving aside the area where you are researching, the proposal must fulfill some of the questions which are unique for that proposal: Here are some of the basic components of a research proposal.
(1)What are you planning?
(2)Why do you want it to be done?
(3)Which technique will you be using?
(4)Why that specific technique?
One should take notice of the fact that the proposal that you are writing should be done in such a manner that the one who is reading that proposal should be able to understand it completely. There should be enough knowledge and information presented of the general issues taking place. The writer must step forward and take command over his or her own literature. The research thesis should only be approximately 300 words. One should also know how to frame their research question as it is one of the most difficult tasks in research
Proposal: To write a good and unique proposal you should have unique ideas and have a great level of understanding of that field. An introduction should also be written that will grab the attention of the researcher .One very important step is literature review. There are also good chances that you are writing this for a person who may already be a specialist.
Now here are some common problems that could arise while writing a Research proposal. Before writing the proposal you should think in advance about the different kinds of problems you may face while writing the proposal. Most people are caught off guard! For example, texts might be unavailable, internet sites might be down or no longer available, books may be checked out etc. The description of the proposal-is very important. The project that is being completed by us should have the details of what kind of research you will conduct to complete this project.
For example: reading, newspapers, internet engines, personal interviews, etc. Also state the significance of the proposal. You should put up in your proposal why it is worth considering and for this you will have to answer a number of questions.
What do you hope to learn from it? Who might you decide to share your findings? Will it be published some day also, the background of the proposal? .etc. You should also share your background about any previous researcher that's been done and how did you generated interest in it.
They may ask what has led you to do more research then them. A proposal is a qualitative research A research proposal normally has a few aspects (researches) i.e., qualitative and naturalistic .etc, But here under research proposal one is the qualitative research aspect.
The purpose of this section is to introduce you to the idea of qualitative research. How it is related to quantitative research and give you some major types of qualitative research data, approaches and methods. Things to be avoided in a proposals: broad topic areas, vague descriptions and so on. These are just some of the steps to research proposal writing if one keeps in his/her mind he can prepare a winning proposal.
About the Author:
http://www.essaytown.com - Research Proposal http://www.essaytown.com/subjects_t.html - Research Paper Topics
Keyword tags: term papers,research papers,essay writing,dissertations,college term papers,college essays
The Correct Method Of Writing A Research Paper
Here is a quick how to guide on the research writing process. I will break it up into parts using a standard research writing method. This may not be for everyone. Certain subjects require specific information that may not be covered in this article. Overall though I think the knowledge found here will prove itself useful.
Topic: If you needed to do a research paper about stars specifically, you may also need to include information throughout about outer space in general. You're going to have to research gravity, solar systems, planets, constellations, star types, solar systems and galaxies just to have a basic understanding of astronomy. Dealing with what has been observed opposed to theories is the best option when writing about scientific research. However, you may be asked to write about both.
Research: Now that we have decided on a topic it's now time to do some research. A few places you can research are the library, internet, magazines, television and professionals. Now, when I say professionals I simply mean people who have hands on experience in dealing with that particular topic.
There may be a professor at your local college who may be willing to sit down and have a discussion with you. If the opportunity presents itself to speak with someone, remember to take notes. They may even be open to you recording the conversation(s). In any event make sure you document your findings so you can verify them later. If you don't do the research about the topic you are writing about, it will show in the final draft.
Compiling Data: Assuming you have gathered all of the research required for your paper, it's now time to review and compile it all. The best thing to do is to put everything in order for easier access. Lay everything out and review each piece to determine what you want to keep and what you want to discard of. Take notes and quote each source along the way. If you obtained a certain point out of an encyclopedia for example, make sure you have the volume and page number to go along with it.
This will make writing your draft easier and take up less time. Double check everything to make sure your sources are legitimate. You may want to go the extra mile and places some phone calls or e-mails with the sources to verify them. That way you can be confident in what you are writing is actually accurate.
Writing: We have covered choosing a topic, research and compiling our data, now it's time to begin writing. Have a few snacks close by if you know you will be writing for a few hours. Consider this your rough draft but write it as if it were the final draft. When you write a point that requires a source, make sure you find them in your notes and list them.
The more documentation you can provide in the paper, the better it will appear. After you have completed the rough draft take some time off and relax. Once you have proofread it, make the areas of your document that you can approve upon. Make any and all revisions and proofread it again. Check for spelling, punctuation and grammatical errors and revise it once more.
When you feel you have the paper the way you want it, have others read it for feedback. You may need to revise it several times until it is complete. After all of this has been completed then you will be done with your well written research paper.
About the Author:
http://www.essaytown.com - Research paper writing http://www.essaytown.com/free_paper.html - Free research paper
Keyword tags: term papers,research papers,essay writing,dissertations,college term papers,college essays
Topic: If you needed to do a research paper about stars specifically, you may also need to include information throughout about outer space in general. You're going to have to research gravity, solar systems, planets, constellations, star types, solar systems and galaxies just to have a basic understanding of astronomy. Dealing with what has been observed opposed to theories is the best option when writing about scientific research. However, you may be asked to write about both.
Research: Now that we have decided on a topic it's now time to do some research. A few places you can research are the library, internet, magazines, television and professionals. Now, when I say professionals I simply mean people who have hands on experience in dealing with that particular topic.
There may be a professor at your local college who may be willing to sit down and have a discussion with you. If the opportunity presents itself to speak with someone, remember to take notes. They may even be open to you recording the conversation(s). In any event make sure you document your findings so you can verify them later. If you don't do the research about the topic you are writing about, it will show in the final draft.
Compiling Data: Assuming you have gathered all of the research required for your paper, it's now time to review and compile it all. The best thing to do is to put everything in order for easier access. Lay everything out and review each piece to determine what you want to keep and what you want to discard of. Take notes and quote each source along the way. If you obtained a certain point out of an encyclopedia for example, make sure you have the volume and page number to go along with it.
This will make writing your draft easier and take up less time. Double check everything to make sure your sources are legitimate. You may want to go the extra mile and places some phone calls or e-mails with the sources to verify them. That way you can be confident in what you are writing is actually accurate.
Writing: We have covered choosing a topic, research and compiling our data, now it's time to begin writing. Have a few snacks close by if you know you will be writing for a few hours. Consider this your rough draft but write it as if it were the final draft. When you write a point that requires a source, make sure you find them in your notes and list them.
The more documentation you can provide in the paper, the better it will appear. After you have completed the rough draft take some time off and relax. Once you have proofread it, make the areas of your document that you can approve upon. Make any and all revisions and proofread it again. Check for spelling, punctuation and grammatical errors and revise it once more.
When you feel you have the paper the way you want it, have others read it for feedback. You may need to revise it several times until it is complete. After all of this has been completed then you will be done with your well written research paper.
About the Author:
http://www.essaytown.com - Research paper writing http://www.essaytown.com/free_paper.html - Free research paper
Keyword tags: term papers,research papers,essay writing,dissertations,college term papers,college essays
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Book Review: Lifetime Loser By James Ross
This is James Ross' first exploration into the literary world, and he should pat himself on the back for producing a very well designed and executed story. I like my heroes heroic and my villains villainous, and Ross delivers.
Being a book reviewer, I maybe treat reading a little different from most people. I pick up a book, check the number of pages, the typeface, and font size. Lifetime Loser based on my reading criteria looked like a two, or at most 3 day adventure. How wrong I was, it took me over a week to read this book. The plot lines are intricate, and the character development intricately and cleverly handled. I knew I was in trouble when at the end of my first day of reading I had barely scratched the first 50 pages. I took some time out to think about this shocking statistic. It wasn't that I had lost my touch at the art of reading, it was just that there was so much detail that was so well written, it took time to assemble and file the information.
OK, I suppose you want to know what the book is about?
Our hero is J. W. Schroeder (aka J Dub), we meet him as a young man who has a flair for the game of golf, his father having taught him all he can about this gentleman's game. J Dub has a chance to make it to the big league, a player on the PGA. One momentary lapse of concentration wrenches defeat from the jaws of victory, and J Dub loses his opportunity. What next for this young man and his pregnant wife? A life giving golf lessons at the local driving range?
J Dub's angel comes in the form of one Lewford E. Zerrmann. Lew is a 'land man' and has recently purchased a rather run down golf course, he needs someone with a knowledge of the game to run it for him. Better still, because Lew is such a nice guy he will offer a partnership, J Dub can have have 20% of the business, and a first option to buy should J Dub wish to become a sole owner.
15 years elapse, and about the only thing J Dub knows for sure is that his partner is no gentleman, he has no people skills, and seems to be hell bent of driving customers away. The golf course on the other hand is a popular spot, cash flow is great, yet their never seems to be any money left in the bank after expenses have been paid.
As the relationship becomes increasing strained J Dub is forced to start looking around, and talking to people. What he hears and sees does not make for a pretty picture. He must know make a decision, to walk away from 15 years of sweat equity or stay and fight?
This is a great book, it has murder, swindles, forgery, tax evasion, pretty much everything you could want in a great read. Lew has all of the social skills of Rattle Snake, while naive J Dub plods gently along at his own pace. In a David Vs. Goliath battle who will win?
I will not give the intricacies of the plot away, and neither will I spoil the ending, but I will whet your appetite with the fact that the ending will come as a big surprise.
You can pick up your copy from Amazon.
About the Author:
Simon Barrett is an adult educator in Calgary, Alberta. With the 11 months a year of winter, he reads a lot of books! He is also a contributing editor for http://www.bloggernews.net and maintains a personal blog at http://zzsimonb.blogspot.com.
Keyword tags: books, authors, fiction, golf, suspense, heroes, villains, publishing
Being a book reviewer, I maybe treat reading a little different from most people. I pick up a book, check the number of pages, the typeface, and font size. Lifetime Loser based on my reading criteria looked like a two, or at most 3 day adventure. How wrong I was, it took me over a week to read this book. The plot lines are intricate, and the character development intricately and cleverly handled. I knew I was in trouble when at the end of my first day of reading I had barely scratched the first 50 pages. I took some time out to think about this shocking statistic. It wasn't that I had lost my touch at the art of reading, it was just that there was so much detail that was so well written, it took time to assemble and file the information.
OK, I suppose you want to know what the book is about?
Our hero is J. W. Schroeder (aka J Dub), we meet him as a young man who has a flair for the game of golf, his father having taught him all he can about this gentleman's game. J Dub has a chance to make it to the big league, a player on the PGA. One momentary lapse of concentration wrenches defeat from the jaws of victory, and J Dub loses his opportunity. What next for this young man and his pregnant wife? A life giving golf lessons at the local driving range?
J Dub's angel comes in the form of one Lewford E. Zerrmann. Lew is a 'land man' and has recently purchased a rather run down golf course, he needs someone with a knowledge of the game to run it for him. Better still, because Lew is such a nice guy he will offer a partnership, J Dub can have have 20% of the business, and a first option to buy should J Dub wish to become a sole owner.
15 years elapse, and about the only thing J Dub knows for sure is that his partner is no gentleman, he has no people skills, and seems to be hell bent of driving customers away. The golf course on the other hand is a popular spot, cash flow is great, yet their never seems to be any money left in the bank after expenses have been paid.
As the relationship becomes increasing strained J Dub is forced to start looking around, and talking to people. What he hears and sees does not make for a pretty picture. He must know make a decision, to walk away from 15 years of sweat equity or stay and fight?
This is a great book, it has murder, swindles, forgery, tax evasion, pretty much everything you could want in a great read. Lew has all of the social skills of Rattle Snake, while naive J Dub plods gently along at his own pace. In a David Vs. Goliath battle who will win?
I will not give the intricacies of the plot away, and neither will I spoil the ending, but I will whet your appetite with the fact that the ending will come as a big surprise.
You can pick up your copy from Amazon.
About the Author:
Simon Barrett is an adult educator in Calgary, Alberta. With the 11 months a year of winter, he reads a lot of books! He is also a contributing editor for http://www.bloggernews.net and maintains a personal blog at http://zzsimonb.blogspot.com.
Keyword tags: books, authors, fiction, golf, suspense, heroes, villains, publishing
Book Review: Dancing Above The Waves By Susan Walerstein
Jack 'Scooter' McAlister gives the world the impression that he has it all, this Bostonian businessman exudes wealth and success. But is it real? His magazine business is not doing as well as it could, and the problems of jiggling a wife and a mistress, are wearing thin on him. His favorite exit would be to sell the once popular magazine and run off with his mistress. Unfortunately one look at the financials are enough to scare off all but the most resilient of buyers.
Jack's problems are only just beginning. Following a tryst with his mistress he inadvertently hits a young lady with his classic Porsche while racing to catch the ferry back to Boston. The young lady dies. Hit and Run is a serious business, and one that the police take very seriously, and Judges mete out long vacations for it. But it was early morning, who could possibly have seen? Someone did. In fact more than one person saw the unfortunate event.
If Jack thought he had problems with a failing business and a grumpy wife, he was about to learn that these were the least of his worries.
Jack finds himself caught in a web of lies, each one compounding his problems and making it increasingly difficult to break the vicious circle.
Worse still, one of the witnesses to the Hit and Run decides that one way or another Jack is going to be made to pay. He may have escaped the clutches of the law, but not the clutches of a blackmailer. 'I want $500,000' the unknown voice at the other end of the phone explains. But when is enough, enough for a blackmailer? Should Jack pay and prey? Or should Jack try to discover the identity of the blackmailer? Even if he discovers who is behind the scheme what can he do? He can hardly call the police. We get to watch Jack slowly sink into the mire of despondency, and in some ways irrationality. What can he do?
This is a book that operates on different levels, is Jack victim or villain? Victim to some, villain to others. Author Susan Walerstein has created quite the punch with this book. Dancing Above The Waves is a pretty quick and easy read, but I will guarantee that afterwards you will want to spend some time and think long and hard about what you have just read.
In my opinion the sign of a great book is one that has a sting in the tail. and I loved the sting in this book. Often a book leaves it to the last page to 'explain' the plot line. This book leaves it to the very last sentence just to add fuel to the fire. Kudos to Susan Walerstein for penning this wonderful tale.
You can pick up your copy from Amazon.
About the Author:
Simon Barrett is an adult educator in Calgary, Alberta. With the 11 months a year of winter, he reads a lot of books! He is also a contributing editor for http://www.bloggernews.net and maintains a personal blog at http://zzsimonb.blogspot.com.
Keyword tags: books, authors, fiction, thriller, suspense, publishing, book reviews
Jack's problems are only just beginning. Following a tryst with his mistress he inadvertently hits a young lady with his classic Porsche while racing to catch the ferry back to Boston. The young lady dies. Hit and Run is a serious business, and one that the police take very seriously, and Judges mete out long vacations for it. But it was early morning, who could possibly have seen? Someone did. In fact more than one person saw the unfortunate event.
If Jack thought he had problems with a failing business and a grumpy wife, he was about to learn that these were the least of his worries.
Jack finds himself caught in a web of lies, each one compounding his problems and making it increasingly difficult to break the vicious circle.
Worse still, one of the witnesses to the Hit and Run decides that one way or another Jack is going to be made to pay. He may have escaped the clutches of the law, but not the clutches of a blackmailer. 'I want $500,000' the unknown voice at the other end of the phone explains. But when is enough, enough for a blackmailer? Should Jack pay and prey? Or should Jack try to discover the identity of the blackmailer? Even if he discovers who is behind the scheme what can he do? He can hardly call the police. We get to watch Jack slowly sink into the mire of despondency, and in some ways irrationality. What can he do?
This is a book that operates on different levels, is Jack victim or villain? Victim to some, villain to others. Author Susan Walerstein has created quite the punch with this book. Dancing Above The Waves is a pretty quick and easy read, but I will guarantee that afterwards you will want to spend some time and think long and hard about what you have just read.
In my opinion the sign of a great book is one that has a sting in the tail. and I loved the sting in this book. Often a book leaves it to the last page to 'explain' the plot line. This book leaves it to the very last sentence just to add fuel to the fire. Kudos to Susan Walerstein for penning this wonderful tale.
You can pick up your copy from Amazon.
About the Author:
Simon Barrett is an adult educator in Calgary, Alberta. With the 11 months a year of winter, he reads a lot of books! He is also a contributing editor for http://www.bloggernews.net and maintains a personal blog at http://zzsimonb.blogspot.com.
Keyword tags: books, authors, fiction, thriller, suspense, publishing, book reviews
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Writing An Article
Writing an article is more than just typing words on paper. It is much more than that. You have to capture the attention of the reader and give them a reason to keep reading your article. You have to pique their interest and keep them curious to the end of the article.
To write an article, you have to be able to let your creative juices flow. You have to be a good researcher. You have to have some knowledge about the topic that you are writing about. Some people are naturally creative, while some people are not.
Words can come alive on paper for a creative writer. This will add interest to the article and make the reader want to know more about whom you are and what you have to offer.
Writing block is the reason most writers get in trouble when writing an article. However, that can be overcome with a little ingenuity and relaxation. To be aided in writing articles, it would be helpful to keep an idea journal where you can gather your thoughts and write ideas that you may hear and see. Writing these down will help you to be more organized.
Relaxation or going to a quiet place can result in writing a better article. Noises can become a distraction in maintaining focus when writing an article. You can write articles from experience, opinion, knowledge, research and skills.
Working in a calm environment can heighten your creativeness. Your work area can be quite a hindrance if it doesn't make you feel calm and relaxed. Your creativity comes from being in the right state of mind and a disorganized work area will cause distraction that won't be conducive to releasing your creative flow.
Don't work with people around you who are holding conversations. This will let you lose your concentration and probably waste valuable time by participating in the conversation. Don't work in front of the television. It is one of the most distracting of all and a time waster. Writing an article requires concentration to put your paragraphs and sentence together.
When you start working on your article, make sure you are in the right mood. You cannot write an article if you are not feeling well nor can you write an article if you are not in the mood to finish it.
Music may help you to relax more or you can wait until you are ready to write the article. Go for a walk if you have to. However, when writing an article, you need to be in the right frame of mind. Research is involved, concentration is involved, organization is involved and making the article interesting is important. To get all these things accomplished means that you have to be focused.
Writing an article takes time if you are dealing with technical articles. If you are writing an article about a topic that you have experienced or familiar with, that should take you no time to write. Most writers usually stay in their desired niche, but some expand their knowledge using research to find information about different topics. In the process, they will be able to learn something about the topic that they are writing about.
About the Author:
Ben Heart is an Article Marketing specialists from ArticlesBase. ArticlesBase is a free articles directory, http://www.articlesbase.com answers all your article submission needs. Learn more about Article Marketing from The Entrepreneur's Guide to Article Marketing - http://www.articlesmarketing.info
Keyword tags: find articles, submit articles, article marketing, article submission, articles directory
To write an article, you have to be able to let your creative juices flow. You have to be a good researcher. You have to have some knowledge about the topic that you are writing about. Some people are naturally creative, while some people are not.
Words can come alive on paper for a creative writer. This will add interest to the article and make the reader want to know more about whom you are and what you have to offer.
Writing block is the reason most writers get in trouble when writing an article. However, that can be overcome with a little ingenuity and relaxation. To be aided in writing articles, it would be helpful to keep an idea journal where you can gather your thoughts and write ideas that you may hear and see. Writing these down will help you to be more organized.
Relaxation or going to a quiet place can result in writing a better article. Noises can become a distraction in maintaining focus when writing an article. You can write articles from experience, opinion, knowledge, research and skills.
Working in a calm environment can heighten your creativeness. Your work area can be quite a hindrance if it doesn't make you feel calm and relaxed. Your creativity comes from being in the right state of mind and a disorganized work area will cause distraction that won't be conducive to releasing your creative flow.
Don't work with people around you who are holding conversations. This will let you lose your concentration and probably waste valuable time by participating in the conversation. Don't work in front of the television. It is one of the most distracting of all and a time waster. Writing an article requires concentration to put your paragraphs and sentence together.
When you start working on your article, make sure you are in the right mood. You cannot write an article if you are not feeling well nor can you write an article if you are not in the mood to finish it.
Music may help you to relax more or you can wait until you are ready to write the article. Go for a walk if you have to. However, when writing an article, you need to be in the right frame of mind. Research is involved, concentration is involved, organization is involved and making the article interesting is important. To get all these things accomplished means that you have to be focused.
Writing an article takes time if you are dealing with technical articles. If you are writing an article about a topic that you have experienced or familiar with, that should take you no time to write. Most writers usually stay in their desired niche, but some expand their knowledge using research to find information about different topics. In the process, they will be able to learn something about the topic that they are writing about.
About the Author:
Ben Heart is an Article Marketing specialists from ArticlesBase. ArticlesBase is a free articles directory, http://www.articlesbase.com answers all your article submission needs. Learn more about Article Marketing from The Entrepreneur's Guide to Article Marketing - http://www.articlesmarketing.info
Keyword tags: find articles, submit articles, article marketing, article submission, articles directory
Writing Reviews For Article Marketing
There are several review sites on the Internet and for two years I regularly submitted reviews to two of them. Reviews are a writer's opinion of a product or service and writing and submitting them are in some ways similar but also different to writing for article marketing. In this article I'm going to make comparisons and show how I think that reviews can be used in article marketing.
Detail and Information
For me writing reviews was good grounding for article marketing. I had previously written articles for home business magazines but when I started to write reviews I soon found that I needed to add more detail and information to do well in the review site ratings and earnings, sometimes it could get a bit silly when over critical members would want to know every little detail about packaging when the site owners did not.
The more detail and information we add to an article the better. Some article marketers split their information into several articles instead of writing one information packed article. That may work better for getting quick back links but if I tried to do that I would feel as if I was selling myself and readers short. There is always the option of using part 1, 2, 3 etc in the article titles but if a site visitor looking for information found part 3 first would they bother to look for parts 1 and 2 when they can just click back to the search engine and find a full article on the subject that they are interested in?
As we are always hopeful that a publisher may use our articles as website or ezine content I suspect that if an article comes in several parts it would have to be really good to stand a chance of being chosen.
Warts And All
There is a difference between reviews written for sites like Ciao and Dooyoo and reviews written for article marketing. On the review sites you review a product warts and all. The reviews need to be honest because it is useful feedback for manufacturers and because the review sites are communities your credibility is at stake amongst other members. The rewards are not very high even for top writers, but I guess that would depend on which area of the world that you live in.
Most of the reviews that I've seen in article or Internet marketing are full of praise and no warts. You know that the authors are trying to sell a product or get readers to join the latest millionaire making affiliate programme. You also know that many of the reviews will be dishonest because the authors are trying to gain product or affiliate sales.
In article marketing the rewards are backlinks to your sites and hopefully syndication of your articles to get more backlinks. The money that can be earned through article marketing is greater and especially if an article goes viral, but as with review sites you don't earn anything if you don't get it right.
Getting Content Right
Getting the content right for reviews and article marketing is much the same. Quality, information, legibility, correct grammar and punctuation, advice, detail, layout and for me simplifying technical explanations to a level that most can understand. That last one was my idea! If a reviewer is writing about a particular model of mp3 player and that review is found in a search for information about mp3 players by somebody interested in buying one; and the reader can't understand the technical jargon then they are going to look elsewhere for advice.
The same applies to article marketing. If your article about mp3 players is linking back to your site or blog that incidentally has adverts for mp3 players you want the reader to go all the way down to the bottom and click on your link, not click away because you have lost their understanding part way through. As a publisher looking for website content I would be more likely to go for an article that is easy to understand rather than one giving the same information but full of technical jargon. That is unless you are aiming your article towards techie sites and that's a whole different ball game.
When you write product reviews for the review sites you don't need to think about key words and phrases as in article marketing, though if the review sites pay per visitor click it's not a bad idea to use them. In article marketing we learn to use key words and phrases in our article titles and article body, but when we use too many it can make an article harder to understand and read. If a publisher is looking for good content that will capture visitor's interest and keep them on their site longer they will be happy with key words and phrases used in context with an article but not if they are too many and placed where they don't fit.
Knowing Your Subject
When you review a product you are expected be familiar with and have used the product enough to be able to give a fair assessment of it. For instance a review about a washing machine that you have been using regularly for several months is far more credible and useful as feedback and for prospective buyer information than a review about a washing machine that you have only just bought and used twice.
The same should apply to article marketing and in many cases it happens, but there are also lots of contrived articles. The best writers can carry it off and make it seem as if they use a product or service but many writers can't fake it. It is pretty obvious that they have gleaned their information from sales spiel and the lack of user experience in an article lowers it's worth for readers looking for information and publishers looking for content.
My biggest bugbear is travel articles. I love reading about different places from a visitor's point of view. Contrived travel articles are generally boring and next to useless for readers who want to know what a place is really like and are looking for tips before they book their holiday. If I couldn't produce more information than can be found on a travel brochure I wouldn't write about a place.
Do Reviews Work In Article Marketing
I think that there is a place for reviews in article marketing and if they are well written and show user experience they are good for publishers to use as content. Reviews can be written about almost any product or service giving a wide range of subjects to write about – as long as that product or service isn't your own!
About the Author:
The author Patricia Jones writes for several websites including http://www.megamusicsite.com, http://www.articlesabroad.com which offers travel information and http://www.creativewriter.me.uk
Keyword tags: article marketing,article writing,writing reviews,writing,article directories
Detail and Information
For me writing reviews was good grounding for article marketing. I had previously written articles for home business magazines but when I started to write reviews I soon found that I needed to add more detail and information to do well in the review site ratings and earnings, sometimes it could get a bit silly when over critical members would want to know every little detail about packaging when the site owners did not.
The more detail and information we add to an article the better. Some article marketers split their information into several articles instead of writing one information packed article. That may work better for getting quick back links but if I tried to do that I would feel as if I was selling myself and readers short. There is always the option of using part 1, 2, 3 etc in the article titles but if a site visitor looking for information found part 3 first would they bother to look for parts 1 and 2 when they can just click back to the search engine and find a full article on the subject that they are interested in?
As we are always hopeful that a publisher may use our articles as website or ezine content I suspect that if an article comes in several parts it would have to be really good to stand a chance of being chosen.
Warts And All
There is a difference between reviews written for sites like Ciao and Dooyoo and reviews written for article marketing. On the review sites you review a product warts and all. The reviews need to be honest because it is useful feedback for manufacturers and because the review sites are communities your credibility is at stake amongst other members. The rewards are not very high even for top writers, but I guess that would depend on which area of the world that you live in.
Most of the reviews that I've seen in article or Internet marketing are full of praise and no warts. You know that the authors are trying to sell a product or get readers to join the latest millionaire making affiliate programme. You also know that many of the reviews will be dishonest because the authors are trying to gain product or affiliate sales.
In article marketing the rewards are backlinks to your sites and hopefully syndication of your articles to get more backlinks. The money that can be earned through article marketing is greater and especially if an article goes viral, but as with review sites you don't earn anything if you don't get it right.
Getting Content Right
Getting the content right for reviews and article marketing is much the same. Quality, information, legibility, correct grammar and punctuation, advice, detail, layout and for me simplifying technical explanations to a level that most can understand. That last one was my idea! If a reviewer is writing about a particular model of mp3 player and that review is found in a search for information about mp3 players by somebody interested in buying one; and the reader can't understand the technical jargon then they are going to look elsewhere for advice.
The same applies to article marketing. If your article about mp3 players is linking back to your site or blog that incidentally has adverts for mp3 players you want the reader to go all the way down to the bottom and click on your link, not click away because you have lost their understanding part way through. As a publisher looking for website content I would be more likely to go for an article that is easy to understand rather than one giving the same information but full of technical jargon. That is unless you are aiming your article towards techie sites and that's a whole different ball game.
When you write product reviews for the review sites you don't need to think about key words and phrases as in article marketing, though if the review sites pay per visitor click it's not a bad idea to use them. In article marketing we learn to use key words and phrases in our article titles and article body, but when we use too many it can make an article harder to understand and read. If a publisher is looking for good content that will capture visitor's interest and keep them on their site longer they will be happy with key words and phrases used in context with an article but not if they are too many and placed where they don't fit.
Knowing Your Subject
When you review a product you are expected be familiar with and have used the product enough to be able to give a fair assessment of it. For instance a review about a washing machine that you have been using regularly for several months is far more credible and useful as feedback and for prospective buyer information than a review about a washing machine that you have only just bought and used twice.
The same should apply to article marketing and in many cases it happens, but there are also lots of contrived articles. The best writers can carry it off and make it seem as if they use a product or service but many writers can't fake it. It is pretty obvious that they have gleaned their information from sales spiel and the lack of user experience in an article lowers it's worth for readers looking for information and publishers looking for content.
My biggest bugbear is travel articles. I love reading about different places from a visitor's point of view. Contrived travel articles are generally boring and next to useless for readers who want to know what a place is really like and are looking for tips before they book their holiday. If I couldn't produce more information than can be found on a travel brochure I wouldn't write about a place.
Do Reviews Work In Article Marketing
I think that there is a place for reviews in article marketing and if they are well written and show user experience they are good for publishers to use as content. Reviews can be written about almost any product or service giving a wide range of subjects to write about – as long as that product or service isn't your own!
About the Author:
The author Patricia Jones writes for several websites including http://www.megamusicsite.com, http://www.articlesabroad.com which offers travel information and http://www.creativewriter.me.uk
Keyword tags: article marketing,article writing,writing reviews,writing,article directories
Is Duplicate Content Really A Big Deal?
The importance of unique content is talked about all the time. But is it really THAT important? And if we take that thinking further should you avoid mass distribution of your next article?
Unless you've been living under a shell or are only new to the internet you'll have heard about the problems of unique content on the internet.
If you haven't here's a quick catch up.
Once upon a time you used to be able to send your article to every corner of the internet and the search engines would spider it and allow you a link back to your site. For example if you send it to 100 different locations eventually, over time, the search engines would register it and give you 100 back links to your site.
But then the problem started, if your average Joe/Josephine Soap typed in "Dog Biscuits" into "Google" and your article was written on dog biscuits, there was the chance that your article would come up again and again in the search results. (While it may be a good article nobody wants to read your article over and over again.)
So, Google came up with the idea to clamp down on duplicate copies of content and only give you credit for one or maybe two times that it came up.
And so the problem with duplicate content came up and why everybody should be using unique content.
So this brings us back to the question, should you pay or use software to mass distribute your article anymore? Is it a waste of time and money?
I don't believe so, and for these 3 reasons.
• Are you really writing articles for back links or for free traffic?
As we now know you mightn't get as many back links as you used to but if you're looking for free traffic to your website writing article is still the best way. Your article on all of those other sites might not show up in the search engines but you still have a working link that's leading traffic back to your site. Plus all the ezine authors that use your article and send traffic to you.
• The experts are still doing it.
I run an article directory myself and I still see articles coming in from mass distribution sites with some of the "guru's" names attached to them. If the experts are still doing it there must still be a good reason for it.
• Duplicate content doesn't see to matter with the big stories online.
If we look at the tragedy of the earthquake in China or the latest dress that J-Lo bought you can find them coming up again and again on numerous sites. Why hasn't "Google" clamped down on this? Could it have something to do with the content? Personally I think if your content is good and worthwhile it's going to be used a lot on the net and gain you a lot of back links.
Finally
Yes, the problem of duplicate content is here for good and for good reason it's not because of nasty ole Google spoiling our party but to give the average surfer the best choice of information.
But, do I think we should all start panicking and running around like "chicken little" screaming the skies falling down.
Nope! But there are going to be people that play it all up and say we're going to need to spend money on this software or that tool to get the best results, but who are they really serving "you" or "themselves."
Remember the "Millennium Bug" where all the planes were going to drop out of the sky at a sec past midnight 1999? Look what happened there and how much was made by those people scaring us.
Will I be mass submitting this article? What do you think?
About the Author:
We don't care at http://www.ItWasSoEasy.com if you article is unique or not. If it's good we want it. Give us a copy now and we'll do our very best to get as much FREE traffic to your site as possible...its what we're here for!
Keyword tags: article,article writing,article directory
Unless you've been living under a shell or are only new to the internet you'll have heard about the problems of unique content on the internet.
If you haven't here's a quick catch up.
Once upon a time you used to be able to send your article to every corner of the internet and the search engines would spider it and allow you a link back to your site. For example if you send it to 100 different locations eventually, over time, the search engines would register it and give you 100 back links to your site.
But then the problem started, if your average Joe/Josephine Soap typed in "Dog Biscuits" into "Google" and your article was written on dog biscuits, there was the chance that your article would come up again and again in the search results. (While it may be a good article nobody wants to read your article over and over again.)
So, Google came up with the idea to clamp down on duplicate copies of content and only give you credit for one or maybe two times that it came up.
And so the problem with duplicate content came up and why everybody should be using unique content.
So this brings us back to the question, should you pay or use software to mass distribute your article anymore? Is it a waste of time and money?
I don't believe so, and for these 3 reasons.
• Are you really writing articles for back links or for free traffic?
As we now know you mightn't get as many back links as you used to but if you're looking for free traffic to your website writing article is still the best way. Your article on all of those other sites might not show up in the search engines but you still have a working link that's leading traffic back to your site. Plus all the ezine authors that use your article and send traffic to you.
• The experts are still doing it.
I run an article directory myself and I still see articles coming in from mass distribution sites with some of the "guru's" names attached to them. If the experts are still doing it there must still be a good reason for it.
• Duplicate content doesn't see to matter with the big stories online.
If we look at the tragedy of the earthquake in China or the latest dress that J-Lo bought you can find them coming up again and again on numerous sites. Why hasn't "Google" clamped down on this? Could it have something to do with the content? Personally I think if your content is good and worthwhile it's going to be used a lot on the net and gain you a lot of back links.
Finally
Yes, the problem of duplicate content is here for good and for good reason it's not because of nasty ole Google spoiling our party but to give the average surfer the best choice of information.
But, do I think we should all start panicking and running around like "chicken little" screaming the skies falling down.
Nope! But there are going to be people that play it all up and say we're going to need to spend money on this software or that tool to get the best results, but who are they really serving "you" or "themselves."
Remember the "Millennium Bug" where all the planes were going to drop out of the sky at a sec past midnight 1999? Look what happened there and how much was made by those people scaring us.
Will I be mass submitting this article? What do you think?
About the Author:
We don't care at http://www.ItWasSoEasy.com if you article is unique or not. If it's good we want it. Give us a copy now and we'll do our very best to get as much FREE traffic to your site as possible...its what we're here for!
Keyword tags: article,article writing,article directory
What Questions Should You Be Asking A Copywriter Before Hiring Them?
A good copywriter can help your business flourish but with the myriad copywriters all competing for your business, just how do you know who you should or shouldn't hire?
In such a situation, knowing the right questions to ask is not only extremely useful, it's absolutely essential.
1. Do you have examples of successful copy?
Every copywriter has to start somewhere and therefore some won't have any successful campaign samples to refer you to. While these people obviously need a break, can you really afford to take the chance on somebody who may or may not be good at their trade? Your business is relying on the person you hire to produce copy that will draw buyers in and get your products or services moving. With this in mind, hire somebody who can show you successful copy for the medium you require and, preferably, provide you with references.
2. How long do you require before project completion?
Every project is different and only after giving your copywriter a full and thorough brief will he or she be able to provide a delivery date. However, it's important that a deadline is agreed upon and that it falls within your requirements. There's no point, after all, in receiving copy after the launch of a new product.
Always insist on:
A) A date for the first draft to be delivered, and
B) A delivery date for the final copy.
3. How much do you charge and what are your payment terms?
Some copywriters charge by the hour, others by word count and yet others by each individual project. In my experience it's best to aim for an agreement on a "per project" basis although this does entail your giving the writer a thorough brief of the job before he or she can be expected to quote you. Always remember that you get what you pay for.
It's also important that you agree on payment terms. Some copywriters require a percentage of the fee "up front", others after delivery of the first draft and yet others require nothing until project completion. You should also agree on how and when payment should be transferred.
4. Are any necessary revisions included in the price?
Because a copywriter can't possibly know your products or services as well as you do, there's little chance of your receiving a perfect first draft. Of course, it's your job to ensure that your copywriter has enough information to be able to put together copy that's in keeping with your requirements but some editing will undoubtedly be necessary. Ensure that the fee quoted includes at least two revisions although expect your copywriter to set a deadline for such revisions; nobody wants to leave a project hanging open indefinitely. However, should you change your brief then it's only fair that your copywriter bills you for any extra time spent working on the copy.
5. What information do you need in order to produce my copy?
For a copywriter to be able to produce his or her best work it's important that all necessary information is provided beforehand. Your copywriter should be able to tell you exactly what he or she needs before the assignment begins, thus saving you the time and hassle of answering numerous questions "along the way".
6. Will you be doing the work yourself?
Project managers often assume that the person they're dealing with is the person who will write the copy but this isn't always the case. If your copywriter is sub-contracting work you should ask to see copy previously written by the person producing your copy. A middle man generally tends to mean that some information is also more likely to be misunderstood (think Chinese whispers).
Other questions to ask are:
Have you handled this type of assignment before?
What size and type of business do you specialise in writing for?
What type of assignments do you handle? (e.g. web writing, press releases, brochures, speeches, etc)
Do you provide design work and/or graphics?
Of course, good old-fashioned "gut feeling" also come into play. A good working relationship is important - if you don't feel comfortable with your copywriter then it's probably best to look elsewhere.
About the Author:
Don't try and re-invent the wheel, Let me show you how to start your own http://www.ukentrepreneur.com business and be successful...The UK http://www.ukentrepreneur.com Entrepreneurs Success Training Site...take a look today, you wont regret it :-)
Keyword tags: writing,copywriting,business,training,success
In such a situation, knowing the right questions to ask is not only extremely useful, it's absolutely essential.
1. Do you have examples of successful copy?
Every copywriter has to start somewhere and therefore some won't have any successful campaign samples to refer you to. While these people obviously need a break, can you really afford to take the chance on somebody who may or may not be good at their trade? Your business is relying on the person you hire to produce copy that will draw buyers in and get your products or services moving. With this in mind, hire somebody who can show you successful copy for the medium you require and, preferably, provide you with references.
2. How long do you require before project completion?
Every project is different and only after giving your copywriter a full and thorough brief will he or she be able to provide a delivery date. However, it's important that a deadline is agreed upon and that it falls within your requirements. There's no point, after all, in receiving copy after the launch of a new product.
Always insist on:
A) A date for the first draft to be delivered, and
B) A delivery date for the final copy.
3. How much do you charge and what are your payment terms?
Some copywriters charge by the hour, others by word count and yet others by each individual project. In my experience it's best to aim for an agreement on a "per project" basis although this does entail your giving the writer a thorough brief of the job before he or she can be expected to quote you. Always remember that you get what you pay for.
It's also important that you agree on payment terms. Some copywriters require a percentage of the fee "up front", others after delivery of the first draft and yet others require nothing until project completion. You should also agree on how and when payment should be transferred.
4. Are any necessary revisions included in the price?
Because a copywriter can't possibly know your products or services as well as you do, there's little chance of your receiving a perfect first draft. Of course, it's your job to ensure that your copywriter has enough information to be able to put together copy that's in keeping with your requirements but some editing will undoubtedly be necessary. Ensure that the fee quoted includes at least two revisions although expect your copywriter to set a deadline for such revisions; nobody wants to leave a project hanging open indefinitely. However, should you change your brief then it's only fair that your copywriter bills you for any extra time spent working on the copy.
5. What information do you need in order to produce my copy?
For a copywriter to be able to produce his or her best work it's important that all necessary information is provided beforehand. Your copywriter should be able to tell you exactly what he or she needs before the assignment begins, thus saving you the time and hassle of answering numerous questions "along the way".
6. Will you be doing the work yourself?
Project managers often assume that the person they're dealing with is the person who will write the copy but this isn't always the case. If your copywriter is sub-contracting work you should ask to see copy previously written by the person producing your copy. A middle man generally tends to mean that some information is also more likely to be misunderstood (think Chinese whispers).
Other questions to ask are:
Have you handled this type of assignment before?
What size and type of business do you specialise in writing for?
What type of assignments do you handle? (e.g. web writing, press releases, brochures, speeches, etc)
Do you provide design work and/or graphics?
Of course, good old-fashioned "gut feeling" also come into play. A good working relationship is important - if you don't feel comfortable with your copywriter then it's probably best to look elsewhere.
About the Author:
Don't try and re-invent the wheel, Let me show you how to start your own http://www.ukentrepreneur.com business and be successful...The UK http://www.ukentrepreneur.com Entrepreneurs Success Training Site...take a look today, you wont regret it :-)
Keyword tags: writing,copywriting,business,training,success
Article Writing Tip: How To Use Amazon To Build High Quality Articles Quick
To really benefit from article marketing, you need to submit lots of quality articles with targeted keywords to the article directories. This way the search engines will pick up your articles, and expose them to people who are looking for your keywords.
Article marketing is a numbers game. The more articles you submit, the bigger chance publishers will use them and bring visitors to your website.
Now, a problem that you may face when you want to write lots of articles is finding a unique article idea.
There are a few ways to get inspiration. You can do your research online by using Google, or other search engines, to find new topics that you can write about. But did you know that Amazon is also a great place to find topics for a new article?
Picture yourself, standing in a gigantic bookstore. Now imagine that you had all the books on the subject you were researching, open at the same time right in front of you. How would you like to be able to flick through all the books, and instantly find the pages with your subject's keywords on them?
This is exactly what Amazon has done for you. They have created a brilliant tool that is perfect for researching content, called Search Inside.
It's an article writer's dream; laser-targeted pages of content that you can read, digest and rewrite, and best of all, delivered to your computer in seconds.
Here's how to do it.
Log in to Amazon. In the search box at the top, select Books and enter your search term or keywords in the box beside it. It is like a Google search but only 100 times better.
Example: if you want to do research on vegetable gardening, enter the exact term in the search box.
A whole list with books that cover your niche will appear. When you click the Search Inside link on top of the book cover that interests you, you can peek inside the book.
When you open the book, the table of contents appears. You can take notes of the book contents, and use them later to create your new article. If you have an Amazon account, you can even read whole chapters of the book for free.
Another great way to use Amazon for your research is the option to see all the keywords that are being used to bring up the book. You can place these keywords strategically in your own article, to get the search engines happy, and attract more visitors.
Amazon is an incredible and free to use resource tool. You can use it to do unlimited searches on any topic that you can think of. All of the books listed are written by professional writers, who know what they write about.
Every time you need inspiration for an article, you can go back to Amazon. It's a great and fun place to find unlimited article topics and ideas.
About the Author:
If you would like to find out how to boost your traffic and sales with articles, get your free copy of "A Quick-Start Guide To Writing Profitable Articles" at: http://www.articlequickstartguide.com
Keyword tags: article marketing, writing tips, online publishing, search engine marketing, bum marketing
Article marketing is a numbers game. The more articles you submit, the bigger chance publishers will use them and bring visitors to your website.
Now, a problem that you may face when you want to write lots of articles is finding a unique article idea.
There are a few ways to get inspiration. You can do your research online by using Google, or other search engines, to find new topics that you can write about. But did you know that Amazon is also a great place to find topics for a new article?
Picture yourself, standing in a gigantic bookstore. Now imagine that you had all the books on the subject you were researching, open at the same time right in front of you. How would you like to be able to flick through all the books, and instantly find the pages with your subject's keywords on them?
This is exactly what Amazon has done for you. They have created a brilliant tool that is perfect for researching content, called Search Inside.
It's an article writer's dream; laser-targeted pages of content that you can read, digest and rewrite, and best of all, delivered to your computer in seconds.
Here's how to do it.
Log in to Amazon. In the search box at the top, select Books and enter your search term or keywords in the box beside it. It is like a Google search but only 100 times better.
Example: if you want to do research on vegetable gardening, enter the exact term in the search box.
A whole list with books that cover your niche will appear. When you click the Search Inside link on top of the book cover that interests you, you can peek inside the book.
When you open the book, the table of contents appears. You can take notes of the book contents, and use them later to create your new article. If you have an Amazon account, you can even read whole chapters of the book for free.
Another great way to use Amazon for your research is the option to see all the keywords that are being used to bring up the book. You can place these keywords strategically in your own article, to get the search engines happy, and attract more visitors.
Amazon is an incredible and free to use resource tool. You can use it to do unlimited searches on any topic that you can think of. All of the books listed are written by professional writers, who know what they write about.
Every time you need inspiration for an article, you can go back to Amazon. It's a great and fun place to find unlimited article topics and ideas.
About the Author:
If you would like to find out how to boost your traffic and sales with articles, get your free copy of "A Quick-Start Guide To Writing Profitable Articles" at: http://www.articlequickstartguide.com
Keyword tags: article marketing, writing tips, online publishing, search engine marketing, bum marketing
Beginner Tips For Writing Profitable And Traffic Generating Articles
It is a fact that writing your own articles can bring in hundreds of new visitors/customers to your website.
The Internet is nothing else than a huge information database, explored by millions of people who are looking for information on specific topics.
When people come across your article and read your information, they will consider you as an expert. As someone who is experienced in your niche. In return for sharing your knowledge with them, they will come to your website, and see what else you have to offer.
Another reason that articles can generate a lot of traffic, is that search engines love great content. Search engine spiders constantly crawl all over the web, looking for quality information to offer to their users.
If you can provide great content to the search engines, their users will be happy. And to reward you for delivering what people are looking for, they will give you a high listing. As a result, hurdles of traffic (read potential buyers) will find your website.
An informative article, filled with lots of keywords and an attractive title, is the best guarantee to getting a lot of traffic, and this without paying for it.
One thing you need to understand, and that is that, everybody can write. Many people totally freeze up when they hear about writing. They believe that writing is an art. Well, if you believe that, then I have good news for you.
The key to getting that first article out comes down to knowing what you are going to write about.
The following tips will help you get started:
- A good article tells the reader something that he/she did not know before. People reading articles expect to either learn something, or to be entertained, and in the ideal case, both. So, always try to keep the readers attention. You can be funny, or add a special comment. An article is also not a grammatical masterpiece. You don't have to show off how good you are with word. On the contrary; If you write like you speak to a real human, your readers will feel comfortable with you and your style.
- You should always write about something that you have a passion for. You may love playing golf, or have a passion for gardening. Whatever it is, if you have a strong feeling for your subject (or niche), and you know something that other people may not know, then you have taken the first step to your new article.
- Once you know where to write about, you can use the search engines to do more research. The search engines are a great place to find inspiration. Take notes. These notes will help you if you lack inspiration.
The more articles you write, the more likely it is that you will receive traffic to your website, and traffic means sales.
And the great thing is that, once you've written an article, it becomes a viral marketing tool for years to come. It is really that simple. You just need to get yourself started.
About the Author:
If you would like to find out how to boost your traffic and sales with articles, get your free copy of "A Quick-Start Guide To Writing Profitable Articles" at: http://www.articlequickstartguide.com
Keyword tags: article marketing, writing tips, online publishing, search engine marketing
The Internet is nothing else than a huge information database, explored by millions of people who are looking for information on specific topics.
When people come across your article and read your information, they will consider you as an expert. As someone who is experienced in your niche. In return for sharing your knowledge with them, they will come to your website, and see what else you have to offer.
Another reason that articles can generate a lot of traffic, is that search engines love great content. Search engine spiders constantly crawl all over the web, looking for quality information to offer to their users.
If you can provide great content to the search engines, their users will be happy. And to reward you for delivering what people are looking for, they will give you a high listing. As a result, hurdles of traffic (read potential buyers) will find your website.
An informative article, filled with lots of keywords and an attractive title, is the best guarantee to getting a lot of traffic, and this without paying for it.
One thing you need to understand, and that is that, everybody can write. Many people totally freeze up when they hear about writing. They believe that writing is an art. Well, if you believe that, then I have good news for you.
The key to getting that first article out comes down to knowing what you are going to write about.
The following tips will help you get started:
- A good article tells the reader something that he/she did not know before. People reading articles expect to either learn something, or to be entertained, and in the ideal case, both. So, always try to keep the readers attention. You can be funny, or add a special comment. An article is also not a grammatical masterpiece. You don't have to show off how good you are with word. On the contrary; If you write like you speak to a real human, your readers will feel comfortable with you and your style.
- You should always write about something that you have a passion for. You may love playing golf, or have a passion for gardening. Whatever it is, if you have a strong feeling for your subject (or niche), and you know something that other people may not know, then you have taken the first step to your new article.
- Once you know where to write about, you can use the search engines to do more research. The search engines are a great place to find inspiration. Take notes. These notes will help you if you lack inspiration.
The more articles you write, the more likely it is that you will receive traffic to your website, and traffic means sales.
And the great thing is that, once you've written an article, it becomes a viral marketing tool for years to come. It is really that simple. You just need to get yourself started.
About the Author:
If you would like to find out how to boost your traffic and sales with articles, get your free copy of "A Quick-Start Guide To Writing Profitable Articles" at: http://www.articlequickstartguide.com
Keyword tags: article marketing, writing tips, online publishing, search engine marketing
Article Marketing Tip - An Easy Way To Get Started Writing Your Own Articles
It is a well know fact that article marketers bring in hundreds of new visitors/customers to their websites just from writing a few articles each week that specifically relate to various niches.
And the great thing is that, once you have written an article, it becomes a viral marketing tool for years to come.
One thing you need to understand, and that is... everybody can write.
Many people totally freeze up when they hear about writing. They believe that writing is an art that can only be mastered by a select group of individuals.
How wrong they are.
Let me explain first what an article is. An article is a short, informative piece of writing that reveals an idea or concept in an interesting, entertaining way.
A good article tells the reader something that he/she did not know before. People reading articles expect to either learn something or be entertained...and in the ideal case, both.
To write an article, you do not have to be born with a special talent. There is no need to study all the classics, or bring up high brow words from the English dictionary, just to show off how educated you are.
You just have to enjoy talking and communicating with your reader. If you write like you speak to a real person, and do not use complicated words and terms, you will be rewarded by your readers with a click to your website.
The key to getting your first article out comes down to knowing what you are going to write about.
It helps to write about something that you have a passion for. If you have a strong feeling for your niche, then it is much easier to come up with a good article idea.
Here is how I do it.
Before I start writing, I like to plan about what I will write. You should do the same.
Are you going to write a 5 tip article?
Or maybe share your opinion about a hot topic?
Or do a review of a product that you used and that may benefit others?
These are all great ideas for writing a new article that will get the attention.
It is also good practice to just start typing what comes up in your mind first. Just let if flow. Never mind grammar or spelling mistakes. It is important to get the first sentences out. From there on, you can build your story.
I like to bring up a statement at the beginning of each article, like the fact that articles can bring in a lot of traffic to your website.
Then I write about an existing problem, like why most people freeze up when they think about writing an article.
And finally, at the end of the article, I offer a solution, like how to get yourself into the writing flow by researching other articles, and taking notes until you have enough lines to start writing your article.
This simple, but highly effective, 3-step method makes a great article.
Remember, there is no rule that says you have to be an artist to write a decent short article.
In fact, you better forget being an author at all. Consider yourself as someone who likes to share his/her experience with others.
And the more articles you write, the more likely it is that you will receive traffic to your website, and traffic means sales. It is really that simple.
About the Author:
If you would like to find out how to boost your traffic and sales with articles, get your free copy of "A Quick-Start Guide To Writing Profitable Articles" at: http://www.articlequickstartguide.com
Keyword tags: article marketing tips, writing lesson, online publishing, bum marketing
And the great thing is that, once you have written an article, it becomes a viral marketing tool for years to come.
One thing you need to understand, and that is... everybody can write.
Many people totally freeze up when they hear about writing. They believe that writing is an art that can only be mastered by a select group of individuals.
How wrong they are.
Let me explain first what an article is. An article is a short, informative piece of writing that reveals an idea or concept in an interesting, entertaining way.
A good article tells the reader something that he/she did not know before. People reading articles expect to either learn something or be entertained...and in the ideal case, both.
To write an article, you do not have to be born with a special talent. There is no need to study all the classics, or bring up high brow words from the English dictionary, just to show off how educated you are.
You just have to enjoy talking and communicating with your reader. If you write like you speak to a real person, and do not use complicated words and terms, you will be rewarded by your readers with a click to your website.
The key to getting your first article out comes down to knowing what you are going to write about.
It helps to write about something that you have a passion for. If you have a strong feeling for your niche, then it is much easier to come up with a good article idea.
Here is how I do it.
Before I start writing, I like to plan about what I will write. You should do the same.
Are you going to write a 5 tip article?
Or maybe share your opinion about a hot topic?
Or do a review of a product that you used and that may benefit others?
These are all great ideas for writing a new article that will get the attention.
It is also good practice to just start typing what comes up in your mind first. Just let if flow. Never mind grammar or spelling mistakes. It is important to get the first sentences out. From there on, you can build your story.
I like to bring up a statement at the beginning of each article, like the fact that articles can bring in a lot of traffic to your website.
Then I write about an existing problem, like why most people freeze up when they think about writing an article.
And finally, at the end of the article, I offer a solution, like how to get yourself into the writing flow by researching other articles, and taking notes until you have enough lines to start writing your article.
This simple, but highly effective, 3-step method makes a great article.
Remember, there is no rule that says you have to be an artist to write a decent short article.
In fact, you better forget being an author at all. Consider yourself as someone who likes to share his/her experience with others.
And the more articles you write, the more likely it is that you will receive traffic to your website, and traffic means sales. It is really that simple.
About the Author:
If you would like to find out how to boost your traffic and sales with articles, get your free copy of "A Quick-Start Guide To Writing Profitable Articles" at: http://www.articlequickstartguide.com
Keyword tags: article marketing tips, writing lesson, online publishing, bum marketing
Monday, May 26, 2008
How To Get Greater Results From Your Article Writing
There must be some reason why some articles out perform others. For example you've got two articles side by side in an article directory and one gets download fifty times and one only twice. Was it the luck of the Gods or is there something more to it than that?
Firstly, I'm sure by now you are well aware that a headline is important when you're working on a sales letter. What you may not be aware of is how important a headline is also to your article.
Do a quick scan through any article directory and you'll find that some articles stand out more than others. All the articles may contain the same great content but if they've got a poor headline they're never going to get read.
Anyone scanning through the titles may have remarked, (maybe not consciously but they may have remarked to themselves) "Wow if the headline of this article is that drab surely the article can't be much better?"
So you're probably wondering "How can you turn around the pulling power of my articles today?"
Well, I'm about to show you and no I'm not about to try to sell you a copywriting course but something that's freely available on the internet.
If you go to http://www.aminstitute.com/headline/ you'll find a great tool that can actually analyze your headlines and give you a percentage out of 100% of how strong it is (the closer to 100% the better the headline).
When you type in the headline you'd like to use and click the analyze button. The software checks it against 3 different things
1. Intellectual - Words that require reasoning or careful evaluation.
2. Empathetic - Words that bring out profound and strong positive emotional reactions in people.
3. Spiritual - Words which that appeal to us at a very deep emotional level.
After the software has done it's analysis it will give you your score plus how your headline breaks down whether it has more of an Intellectual leaning or a spiritual one, etc.
For example the headline for this very article scored 33.33% out of 100% and has a perfect balance of all three things Intellectual, Empathetic and Spiritual.
Now while you might think the score is a bit on the low side on the 0-100% scale, but you'll be surprised to discover that the majority of copywriters only fall into the 30 -40% and only the really great ones have hit 75%.
So, does it this tool work or is it just something to keep you amused and have some fun with?
Let me just say that I've used it on my blogs from time to time and the posts that I've tested with the stronger headlines (percentage scores) have always make it to the top of the popularity list.
Also, you'll be amazed how the simple changing of ONE word in a headline can make a difference to your percentages and the potential pulling power of your article.
Finally
Look at it this way you've spend a lot of time writing out your articles and giving away great content so why not take that extra 5-10 minutes to give it the strongest chance of getting read and sending even more free traffic to your website.
About the Author:
Plus when you're finished writing your article head straight to over to http://www.ItWasSoEasy.com and give us a copy of it and we'll do our very best to get as much FREE traffic to your site as possible...Hey it's the least we can do for you!
Keyword tags: article writing,articles,article directory
Firstly, I'm sure by now you are well aware that a headline is important when you're working on a sales letter. What you may not be aware of is how important a headline is also to your article.
Do a quick scan through any article directory and you'll find that some articles stand out more than others. All the articles may contain the same great content but if they've got a poor headline they're never going to get read.
Anyone scanning through the titles may have remarked, (maybe not consciously but they may have remarked to themselves) "Wow if the headline of this article is that drab surely the article can't be much better?"
So you're probably wondering "How can you turn around the pulling power of my articles today?"
Well, I'm about to show you and no I'm not about to try to sell you a copywriting course but something that's freely available on the internet.
If you go to http://www.aminstitute.com/headline/ you'll find a great tool that can actually analyze your headlines and give you a percentage out of 100% of how strong it is (the closer to 100% the better the headline).
When you type in the headline you'd like to use and click the analyze button. The software checks it against 3 different things
1. Intellectual - Words that require reasoning or careful evaluation.
2. Empathetic - Words that bring out profound and strong positive emotional reactions in people.
3. Spiritual - Words which that appeal to us at a very deep emotional level.
After the software has done it's analysis it will give you your score plus how your headline breaks down whether it has more of an Intellectual leaning or a spiritual one, etc.
For example the headline for this very article scored 33.33% out of 100% and has a perfect balance of all three things Intellectual, Empathetic and Spiritual.
Now while you might think the score is a bit on the low side on the 0-100% scale, but you'll be surprised to discover that the majority of copywriters only fall into the 30 -40% and only the really great ones have hit 75%.
So, does it this tool work or is it just something to keep you amused and have some fun with?
Let me just say that I've used it on my blogs from time to time and the posts that I've tested with the stronger headlines (percentage scores) have always make it to the top of the popularity list.
Also, you'll be amazed how the simple changing of ONE word in a headline can make a difference to your percentages and the potential pulling power of your article.
Finally
Look at it this way you've spend a lot of time writing out your articles and giving away great content so why not take that extra 5-10 minutes to give it the strongest chance of getting read and sending even more free traffic to your website.
About the Author:
Plus when you're finished writing your article head straight to over to http://www.ItWasSoEasy.com and give us a copy of it and we'll do our very best to get as much FREE traffic to your site as possible...Hey it's the least we can do for you!
Keyword tags: article writing,articles,article directory
Write Articles Fast - Plan And Write More
Want to write articles fast? The major secret is simple: it's planning. Let's discover how to plan your articles.
Your ability to write quickly is essential because content is king online - and offline too. As the Web becomes more competitive, site owners and businesses realize that the more content on their site, the better. Additional pages provide additional access points for site visitors.
Those additional pages are often in the form of articles, so if you can provide articles fast on demand, you're golden.
I separate the planning stage of writing from from the drafting and straight writing stages, not only for speed, but also because each stage of the writing process demands a different mind state. Since it takes around ten to 15 minutes or switch from one mind state to another, separating planning from the other stages makes sense, speed-wise.
Writers often worry that quality will suffer when they write faster. Paradoxically, the opposite is true. When you separate the writing stages, and write FAST at EVERY stage your article quality improves. Try it and see.
Please realize that all writing is experiential - you learn by doing. You'll need to follow the process below at least four times to get accustomed to it. By the fifth time you use it, the process will be part of you, and will help you to speed up all the writing you do, no matter what you're writing.
Here we go:
1. Fill in Who, What, etc
Rudyard Kipling's Six Honest Serving men are the writer's best friend. Kipling wrote: "I keep six honest serving men: They taught me all I knew: Their names are What and Why and When and How and Where and Who".
So write down the page, in a list: What, Why, When, How, Where, Who.
Let's see how this works. I'll use this article as an example.
What - write articles fast.
Why - speed is essential for Web and other writers too.
When - every day.
How - planning, one of the elements of fast writing.
Where - Web and print.
Who - Writers.
Using the Six Honest Serving gives you something useful: your article's title. You can see that I created this article's title from "What", and "How" above. It also gives you pegs on which you can hang the entire article.
2. Create a mind map or cluster diagram
Next, I create a mind map or cluster diagram on an index card. I date the card, and keep it - old cards often provide the seeds of new articles.
For this article, I created a cluster diagram with the "write articles fast" phrase centered and circled on the card. Around this central phrase, I wrote and circled other points: "fast", "Web writers", "speed", "every day", "planning", "writers", and "Web and print".
3. Write a rough draft
I actually created the cluster diagram for this article several weeks ago, so because I knew what I wanted to say, the writing of the article has taken around 15 minutes.
Your rough draft is fast. Don't worry about word choice, or even grammar. Just write whatever comes into your head, glancing at your mind map or cluster when you get stuck.
Write more than you need - you can cut later.
4. Final copy
A day or two later, look over your rough draft and revise it. Cut it down, add information, move paragraphs around and improve your word choice.
For a print article, you may want to do another fast draft or two - or not.
For the Web, your article should be in good shape by now. You're done.
About the Author:
Want to write more? Angela Booth's writing class, "Write More And Make More Money From Your Writing: Develop A Fast, Fun Productive Writing Process" at http://www.angelaswritingclasses.com/Class/writemore.html is based on lessons she developed for her private coaching students.
Keyword tags: writing,write more,writing process,writing tips,writing skills,creativity,ideas
Your ability to write quickly is essential because content is king online - and offline too. As the Web becomes more competitive, site owners and businesses realize that the more content on their site, the better. Additional pages provide additional access points for site visitors.
Those additional pages are often in the form of articles, so if you can provide articles fast on demand, you're golden.
I separate the planning stage of writing from from the drafting and straight writing stages, not only for speed, but also because each stage of the writing process demands a different mind state. Since it takes around ten to 15 minutes or switch from one mind state to another, separating planning from the other stages makes sense, speed-wise.
Writers often worry that quality will suffer when they write faster. Paradoxically, the opposite is true. When you separate the writing stages, and write FAST at EVERY stage your article quality improves. Try it and see.
Please realize that all writing is experiential - you learn by doing. You'll need to follow the process below at least four times to get accustomed to it. By the fifth time you use it, the process will be part of you, and will help you to speed up all the writing you do, no matter what you're writing.
Here we go:
1. Fill in Who, What, etc
Rudyard Kipling's Six Honest Serving men are the writer's best friend. Kipling wrote: "I keep six honest serving men: They taught me all I knew: Their names are What and Why and When and How and Where and Who".
So write down the page, in a list: What, Why, When, How, Where, Who.
Let's see how this works. I'll use this article as an example.
What - write articles fast.
Why - speed is essential for Web and other writers too.
When - every day.
How - planning, one of the elements of fast writing.
Where - Web and print.
Who - Writers.
Using the Six Honest Serving gives you something useful: your article's title. You can see that I created this article's title from "What", and "How" above. It also gives you pegs on which you can hang the entire article.
2. Create a mind map or cluster diagram
Next, I create a mind map or cluster diagram on an index card. I date the card, and keep it - old cards often provide the seeds of new articles.
For this article, I created a cluster diagram with the "write articles fast" phrase centered and circled on the card. Around this central phrase, I wrote and circled other points: "fast", "Web writers", "speed", "every day", "planning", "writers", and "Web and print".
3. Write a rough draft
I actually created the cluster diagram for this article several weeks ago, so because I knew what I wanted to say, the writing of the article has taken around 15 minutes.
Your rough draft is fast. Don't worry about word choice, or even grammar. Just write whatever comes into your head, glancing at your mind map or cluster when you get stuck.
Write more than you need - you can cut later.
4. Final copy
A day or two later, look over your rough draft and revise it. Cut it down, add information, move paragraphs around and improve your word choice.
For a print article, you may want to do another fast draft or two - or not.
For the Web, your article should be in good shape by now. You're done.
About the Author:
Want to write more? Angela Booth's writing class, "Write More And Make More Money From Your Writing: Develop A Fast, Fun Productive Writing Process" at http://www.angelaswritingclasses.com/Class/writemore.html is based on lessons she developed for her private coaching students.
Keyword tags: writing,write more,writing process,writing tips,writing skills,creativity,ideas
Sunday, May 25, 2008
What Does It Take To Get The Attention Of A New York Publisher?
To garner the attention of the big New York publishers your writing must: inform, entertain, or enlighten. If your writing doesn't cover at least one of those three areas, chances are you will not get their attention and they won't publish your work.
The big guys are constantly on the search for new product, not necessarily different, but new. There is a distinction. Big publishers rarely take chances on manuscripts that venture far from the beaten path. If you wander into a chain bookstore and cannot find a category for your writing, then chances are the big publisher won't either, and as far as they're concerned your writing is un-publishable.
They also avoid manuscripts that aren't editorially sound, meaning that the writing requires a major investment in time from their editors. They will work with you once you are under contract. However the idea that your story or content is so amazing that the publisher will spend countless hours to perfect it, is nonsense, they won't do that.
When an agent introduces a new writer to an editor, it has to pass the sniff test. In other words, the agent has to feel the writing, editorial content, and genre will be something the publisher is looking for. Since book sales are cyclical and if your category doesn't happen to be selling at the moment, it's doubtful an agent would pitch your book to a big house. That is not a reflection of your writing, just the timing of the business.
If an editor is interested, then he or she will take the time to read the manuscript front to back. This is necessary, because anytime an editor makes a pitch for a new manuscript to the editorial committee, their reputation is on the line. If an editor pitches too many dogs, before long that person is working at Starbucks. Bye, bye career. Editors have to be conscious of the fact that if their creative eye for attracting great stories fails them, they need to find a new line of work.
Let's say the editor has read the manuscript, feels it has what it takes in the high pressure world of big corporate publishing, and decides to make the pitch to the committee. Next step is to sit in front of a group of publishing people around a big oval conference room table and sell that manuscript to the company.
At this point the key to whether or not the company offers a contract to the author centers on three things: (1) Can the company distribute this book to a wide enough audience to make money? (2) Can the publisher cover their investment with the wider distribution? and finally (3) Will this manuscript inform, entertain, or enlighten an audience?
Even if everyone agrees the distribution potential is wide enough, and the financials work to make money, if the manuscript doesn't do at least one the three key points: inform, entertain, or enlighten, it dies a slow death right there at the table.
In the publishing business, a good story trumps great writing, and if the story carries on its back at least one of the three key points, you may find yourself a big-time published author.
About the Author:
Jerry D. Simmons is the author of WHAT WRITERS NEED TO KNOW ABOUT PUBLISHING. He is the creator of TIPS for WRITING from the PUBLISHING INSIDER an eNewsletter that can be found at http://WritersReaders.com. He is also the founder of the leading social networking website for writers, authors and readers http://www.NothingBinding.com. For comments or questions you can reach Jerry via email jerry@writersreaders.com.
Keyword tags: books, authors, publishing, writing advice, agents, queries, contracts, manuscript
The big guys are constantly on the search for new product, not necessarily different, but new. There is a distinction. Big publishers rarely take chances on manuscripts that venture far from the beaten path. If you wander into a chain bookstore and cannot find a category for your writing, then chances are the big publisher won't either, and as far as they're concerned your writing is un-publishable.
They also avoid manuscripts that aren't editorially sound, meaning that the writing requires a major investment in time from their editors. They will work with you once you are under contract. However the idea that your story or content is so amazing that the publisher will spend countless hours to perfect it, is nonsense, they won't do that.
When an agent introduces a new writer to an editor, it has to pass the sniff test. In other words, the agent has to feel the writing, editorial content, and genre will be something the publisher is looking for. Since book sales are cyclical and if your category doesn't happen to be selling at the moment, it's doubtful an agent would pitch your book to a big house. That is not a reflection of your writing, just the timing of the business.
If an editor is interested, then he or she will take the time to read the manuscript front to back. This is necessary, because anytime an editor makes a pitch for a new manuscript to the editorial committee, their reputation is on the line. If an editor pitches too many dogs, before long that person is working at Starbucks. Bye, bye career. Editors have to be conscious of the fact that if their creative eye for attracting great stories fails them, they need to find a new line of work.
Let's say the editor has read the manuscript, feels it has what it takes in the high pressure world of big corporate publishing, and decides to make the pitch to the committee. Next step is to sit in front of a group of publishing people around a big oval conference room table and sell that manuscript to the company.
At this point the key to whether or not the company offers a contract to the author centers on three things: (1) Can the company distribute this book to a wide enough audience to make money? (2) Can the publisher cover their investment with the wider distribution? and finally (3) Will this manuscript inform, entertain, or enlighten an audience?
Even if everyone agrees the distribution potential is wide enough, and the financials work to make money, if the manuscript doesn't do at least one the three key points: inform, entertain, or enlighten, it dies a slow death right there at the table.
In the publishing business, a good story trumps great writing, and if the story carries on its back at least one of the three key points, you may find yourself a big-time published author.
About the Author:
Jerry D. Simmons is the author of WHAT WRITERS NEED TO KNOW ABOUT PUBLISHING. He is the creator of TIPS for WRITING from the PUBLISHING INSIDER an eNewsletter that can be found at http://WritersReaders.com. He is also the founder of the leading social networking website for writers, authors and readers http://www.NothingBinding.com. For comments or questions you can reach Jerry via email jerry@writersreaders.com.
Keyword tags: books, authors, publishing, writing advice, agents, queries, contracts, manuscript
What Every Student Should Know About Writing College Essays
If you are at College or have spent any time at College, you will be aware of the importance of learning how to research, write and present a good essay. The ability to do this can be the difference between success and failure. If you are having problems writing a good essay and you want to achieve higher grades then try to follow the advice in this article.
The most important factor in writing a good essay is to start the project early. If you follow just one part of the advice in this article it is this. Always give yourself enough time to prepare for the essay, to carry out the necessary research and time to write and rewrite it. If you do not learn to start the essay early you are immediately reducing the possibility of achieving a good grade.
Everyone likes to tell themselves that they work well when put under pressure. In practice this is rarely true. A person who leaves the essay until the last minute will make more mistakes, will do little or no research, is more likely to plagiarize and more likely to hand in the essay late. Discipline yourself to start the essay early.
The best college essays are usually written by someone who has an interest or passion about the subject matter. In college it is not always possible to choose your essay title but if you are able to, you should write about something that interests you. When you do this you will find that the research is easier and the writing flows quicker. This can also positively influence your grade, as the lecturer is more likely to get pleasure from reading an essay that someone clearly has enjoyed writing.
Before you begin the essay, plan a basic structure that details the argument and the key points of the essay. Then try to write as much as possible without a break. If you can get into a state of flow then your productivity levels will soar. Do not worry about spelling or grammar at this stage. You can correct this during the proofreading stage.
At some point during your college days you will probably be tempted to copy a few good lines from a text or website. Students will often convince themselves that nobody will notice. Let me tell you now that the lecturer will notice. There are plenty of tools available for the modern teacher to check if material online is the same as the content of an essay. It is OK to reference somebody's work and to write about there viewpoint, but make sure it is in your own words.
Once you have written the essay, be sure to get a second opinion. You will be amazed at what one person sees that another does not, particular if you are the author. Be prepared to accept criticism. However remember that it is OK to stick to your point of view, provided you have argued the case logically and supported it with credible reasoning.
Before submission, you should leave yourself enough time to check your essay. Proof read the document for spelling and grammatical errors. Check that the argument flows coherently and ensure that the essay uses paragraphs correctly. Do not lose easy marks by ensuring that the essay meets the college guidelines for formatting.
Following the steps outlined above can make a big difference to your college essay grades. Next time you have a deadline remember to prepare early, write about something interesting to you and check the essay for errors. Do this and I am confident that your grades will soar.
About the Author:
http://www.essaytown.com - College Essays
http://www.essaytown.com/free_paper.html - Free Essays
Keyword tags: term papers,research papers,essay writing,dissertations,college term papers,college essays
The most important factor in writing a good essay is to start the project early. If you follow just one part of the advice in this article it is this. Always give yourself enough time to prepare for the essay, to carry out the necessary research and time to write and rewrite it. If you do not learn to start the essay early you are immediately reducing the possibility of achieving a good grade.
Everyone likes to tell themselves that they work well when put under pressure. In practice this is rarely true. A person who leaves the essay until the last minute will make more mistakes, will do little or no research, is more likely to plagiarize and more likely to hand in the essay late. Discipline yourself to start the essay early.
The best college essays are usually written by someone who has an interest or passion about the subject matter. In college it is not always possible to choose your essay title but if you are able to, you should write about something that interests you. When you do this you will find that the research is easier and the writing flows quicker. This can also positively influence your grade, as the lecturer is more likely to get pleasure from reading an essay that someone clearly has enjoyed writing.
Before you begin the essay, plan a basic structure that details the argument and the key points of the essay. Then try to write as much as possible without a break. If you can get into a state of flow then your productivity levels will soar. Do not worry about spelling or grammar at this stage. You can correct this during the proofreading stage.
At some point during your college days you will probably be tempted to copy a few good lines from a text or website. Students will often convince themselves that nobody will notice. Let me tell you now that the lecturer will notice. There are plenty of tools available for the modern teacher to check if material online is the same as the content of an essay. It is OK to reference somebody's work and to write about there viewpoint, but make sure it is in your own words.
Once you have written the essay, be sure to get a second opinion. You will be amazed at what one person sees that another does not, particular if you are the author. Be prepared to accept criticism. However remember that it is OK to stick to your point of view, provided you have argued the case logically and supported it with credible reasoning.
Before submission, you should leave yourself enough time to check your essay. Proof read the document for spelling and grammatical errors. Check that the argument flows coherently and ensure that the essay uses paragraphs correctly. Do not lose easy marks by ensuring that the essay meets the college guidelines for formatting.
Following the steps outlined above can make a big difference to your college essay grades. Next time you have a deadline remember to prepare early, write about something interesting to you and check the essay for errors. Do this and I am confident that your grades will soar.
About the Author:
http://www.essaytown.com - College Essays
http://www.essaytown.com/free_paper.html - Free Essays
Keyword tags: term papers,research papers,essay writing,dissertations,college term papers,college essays
Finding A Custom Essay Service
Have you ever considered a writer to write an essay for you? The idea may sound terrific to some and unethical to others but the custom essay service is currently booming. Years ago if you wanted to do basic arithmetic you had to know how to do it in order to come up with the correct answer.
After the advent of the calculator that was no longer the case. You could simply punch in the numbers and get the correct answer every time. This was a students dream but from the standpoint of parents and teachers it was a form of cheating that could never advance the student. Whether we liked it or not the calculator was here to stay.
Now let's fast forward to modern times with the internet. No longer are we confined to reading entire books, medical journals or even magazines for information. Just by typing in one word into any search engine we can quickly access thousands of pages worth of information on any particular subject. Would you consider a students bypassing studying for internet browsing for answers cheating?
How would you view a complete essay written by someone other than the student who will get credit for it? Like it or not this is the new calculator for this generation. I'm not going to hide my disdain for the process of custom essay services. However, it is up to you the reader to form your own conclusion. Here is the inside scoop on this growing trend of essay writers for pay.
To be quite honest, I am shocked by what my research has turned up. Not only is the custom essay service booming but it is also dressed up as a legitimate business practice. The only way this could be justified is if it were used as some sort of reference point used to understand the proper format of writing an essay. Aside from that I don't see this service as anything other than a way for a student to buy better grades. Let's take a look at what you can easily get for a few dollars online.
Most of the sites offer you a well researched and documented essay. No need to even read or do any type of studying at all on the part of the student. Simply tell them your education level, the subject matter, your writing style and you're all set. Some even have the audacity to promise a money back guarantee and confidentiality!
It's amazing to me that they can't see the irony in doing plagiarism checks so the customer can be sure that they didn't take the article from somewhere else. Due to the level of competition amongst other custom essay services the price for a fully written essay extremely low.
Let's think about this for just a moment. Would you go to a doctor who got through college by paying someone else to do their work? What's next, a custom grading service for teachers? Just pay someone and they will grade the students work for them?
This is no different than a baseball player who uses steroids to hit more home runs. No matter what you want to call it and how you dress it up, it's nothing more than a new way to cheat. My suggestion to teachers is to have students write their essays in class while they are present. This won't stop the process of custom essay services but it may be a way to force the student to study on their own.
About the Author:
http://www.essaytown.com - Custom Essay
http://www.essaytown.com/subjects_l.html - Essay Topics
Keyword tags: term papers,research papers,essay writing,dissertations,college term papers,college essays
After the advent of the calculator that was no longer the case. You could simply punch in the numbers and get the correct answer every time. This was a students dream but from the standpoint of parents and teachers it was a form of cheating that could never advance the student. Whether we liked it or not the calculator was here to stay.
Now let's fast forward to modern times with the internet. No longer are we confined to reading entire books, medical journals or even magazines for information. Just by typing in one word into any search engine we can quickly access thousands of pages worth of information on any particular subject. Would you consider a students bypassing studying for internet browsing for answers cheating?
How would you view a complete essay written by someone other than the student who will get credit for it? Like it or not this is the new calculator for this generation. I'm not going to hide my disdain for the process of custom essay services. However, it is up to you the reader to form your own conclusion. Here is the inside scoop on this growing trend of essay writers for pay.
To be quite honest, I am shocked by what my research has turned up. Not only is the custom essay service booming but it is also dressed up as a legitimate business practice. The only way this could be justified is if it were used as some sort of reference point used to understand the proper format of writing an essay. Aside from that I don't see this service as anything other than a way for a student to buy better grades. Let's take a look at what you can easily get for a few dollars online.
Most of the sites offer you a well researched and documented essay. No need to even read or do any type of studying at all on the part of the student. Simply tell them your education level, the subject matter, your writing style and you're all set. Some even have the audacity to promise a money back guarantee and confidentiality!
It's amazing to me that they can't see the irony in doing plagiarism checks so the customer can be sure that they didn't take the article from somewhere else. Due to the level of competition amongst other custom essay services the price for a fully written essay extremely low.
Let's think about this for just a moment. Would you go to a doctor who got through college by paying someone else to do their work? What's next, a custom grading service for teachers? Just pay someone and they will grade the students work for them?
This is no different than a baseball player who uses steroids to hit more home runs. No matter what you want to call it and how you dress it up, it's nothing more than a new way to cheat. My suggestion to teachers is to have students write their essays in class while they are present. This won't stop the process of custom essay services but it may be a way to force the student to study on their own.
About the Author:
http://www.essaytown.com - Custom Essay
http://www.essaytown.com/subjects_l.html - Essay Topics
Keyword tags: term papers,research papers,essay writing,dissertations,college term papers,college essays
A Common Mistake To Avoid When Submitting A Manuscript Is To Beware The Rogue Agent
Many aspiring authors rush into the process of finding an agent and overlook a common pitfall – the rogue agent. Agents work hard for their money – or at least good ones do. Bad ones find easier ways to make ends meet.
The industry tends to dictate what rates an agent can charge, so for a good agent, the fees are transparent. Usually it's a percentage of any money the writer earns plus many deduct some minor administration fees (copying, long-distance calls etc.) – but again, the good ones agree these up front and itemize them when they deduct.
Agents, on the whole, work on commission. They don't earn a penny until the writer does – although they tend to earn it slightly quicker as they get the royalty cheque and deduct their fee before turning the lion's share over to the author.
This means that if they can't sell your story, they don't get paid. This is arguably the main reason agents are so selective. They won't just post out any old manuscript in the hope of gaining a sale.
Instead they will work with the author, maximizing the manuscript by giving honest advice on any improvements. They'll not only send out your manuscript, but they'll pitch it to the editors and follow up to see if there's interest.
They'll ensure the writer gets the best deal possible (which in turn maximizes their percentage of course) but which writer will argue at that?
And finally, they'll act as mentor and supporter, advising the writer on trends in the industry etc.
The bad agents are typically the ones that can't sell the manuscript. So they have to find other ways of making money.
Before I list some of the poor practices that exist, the best bit of advice I've ever heard about agents is this:
Money flows in the direction of the author
Money should never, ever travel the other way. If it does, there is no incentive for the agent to make the effort to actually sell the book. There are always willing authors who are so delighted that an agent is interested in them, that they'll happily part with a little bit of hard-earned cash to realise their ultimate dream.
So how do you spot a bad one? Although many genuine agents use some of the practices below, any multiple would make me more than suspicious.
1. They ask for reading fees.
2. They ask for cash up front with a weak reason for doing so, perhaps a processing fee.
3. They can't/won't let you know who else they represent. Reputable agents are proud of their clientele and can't wait to tell you whom they represent. Bad agents don't sell and so have no names to give you.
4. They don't come from a literary background. The majority of agents used to work in publishing, or at least somewhere in the book world. They know the industry and they have good contacts.
5. New agencies aren't necessarily bad ones, but they should be treated with caution – especially if they ask for money.
6. They ask for administration costs up front. A good agent will believe in you and deduct any fees from your first royalty cheque.
7. They ask for a fee to recommend changes to make your manuscript more saleable. A good agent will realise that making your story better is in their interest and offer the advice for free – as long as you sign with them.
8. They refer you to a manuscript doctoring company (and typically receive a percentage of the fee for doing so).
Having said all of this, good agents are in the majority – it's just the bad ones are easier to convince to represent you. Most writers are so excited that an agent is interested, they forget the part about it being a partnership and being selective in whom they associate with.
A good agent becomes your best friend and is worth convincing to begin that relationship. Stick to the reputable names and it'll work out all right in the end.
About the Author:
Mark Walton is the author of 42 Ways to Improve Your Manuscript Submission, a self-help guide for writers. If you want to improve your chances of getting a story published then visit http://www.betternovelwriting.com/Submission.htm and see how quickly and easily your writing can advance.
Keyword tags: Writing, Novel, Story, Submitting a Manuscript, Short Story
The industry tends to dictate what rates an agent can charge, so for a good agent, the fees are transparent. Usually it's a percentage of any money the writer earns plus many deduct some minor administration fees (copying, long-distance calls etc.) – but again, the good ones agree these up front and itemize them when they deduct.
Agents, on the whole, work on commission. They don't earn a penny until the writer does – although they tend to earn it slightly quicker as they get the royalty cheque and deduct their fee before turning the lion's share over to the author.
This means that if they can't sell your story, they don't get paid. This is arguably the main reason agents are so selective. They won't just post out any old manuscript in the hope of gaining a sale.
Instead they will work with the author, maximizing the manuscript by giving honest advice on any improvements. They'll not only send out your manuscript, but they'll pitch it to the editors and follow up to see if there's interest.
They'll ensure the writer gets the best deal possible (which in turn maximizes their percentage of course) but which writer will argue at that?
And finally, they'll act as mentor and supporter, advising the writer on trends in the industry etc.
The bad agents are typically the ones that can't sell the manuscript. So they have to find other ways of making money.
Before I list some of the poor practices that exist, the best bit of advice I've ever heard about agents is this:
Money flows in the direction of the author
Money should never, ever travel the other way. If it does, there is no incentive for the agent to make the effort to actually sell the book. There are always willing authors who are so delighted that an agent is interested in them, that they'll happily part with a little bit of hard-earned cash to realise their ultimate dream.
So how do you spot a bad one? Although many genuine agents use some of the practices below, any multiple would make me more than suspicious.
1. They ask for reading fees.
2. They ask for cash up front with a weak reason for doing so, perhaps a processing fee.
3. They can't/won't let you know who else they represent. Reputable agents are proud of their clientele and can't wait to tell you whom they represent. Bad agents don't sell and so have no names to give you.
4. They don't come from a literary background. The majority of agents used to work in publishing, or at least somewhere in the book world. They know the industry and they have good contacts.
5. New agencies aren't necessarily bad ones, but they should be treated with caution – especially if they ask for money.
6. They ask for administration costs up front. A good agent will believe in you and deduct any fees from your first royalty cheque.
7. They ask for a fee to recommend changes to make your manuscript more saleable. A good agent will realise that making your story better is in their interest and offer the advice for free – as long as you sign with them.
8. They refer you to a manuscript doctoring company (and typically receive a percentage of the fee for doing so).
Having said all of this, good agents are in the majority – it's just the bad ones are easier to convince to represent you. Most writers are so excited that an agent is interested, they forget the part about it being a partnership and being selective in whom they associate with.
A good agent becomes your best friend and is worth convincing to begin that relationship. Stick to the reputable names and it'll work out all right in the end.
About the Author:
Mark Walton is the author of 42 Ways to Improve Your Manuscript Submission, a self-help guide for writers. If you want to improve your chances of getting a story published then visit http://www.betternovelwriting.com/Submission.htm and see how quickly and easily your writing can advance.
Keyword tags: Writing, Novel, Story, Submitting a Manuscript, Short Story
One Solution To Beating Writer’s Block
There are many tricks and tips to help writers either beat the block or to ensure that they keep in the groove. One of the tools that I use and I borrowed it from my day job – is music.
Yes, music.
Some like to have background noise – as it allows them to focus on the job in hand. It is common for people to need the act of filtering out music to focus the mind.
Some people can only write in absolute silence. I accept that. They might think that music is of no benefit to them – but they'd be wrong.
Music can help with writing in two ways.
Firstly consider how it can help you in the act of writing – and this applies to those that both like and dislike music when they're working.
If you don't like music as a rule, please at least try to listen to classical – or at least instrumental music while you write. Much classical music has been found to stimulate both the left and right side of the brain simultaneously (due to the number of beats per minute apparently) – and for a creative writer that needs to also focus on the business of typing and correct spelling and punctuation etc. this is a great benefit.
On the other hand, if you're the type that likes to hear music (or some sort of noise) – but find the music can overtake your writing then, as above, switch to instrumental music.
Training professionals (this is where the day job kicked in) know that music with lyrics is a competition for attention and the thought process and are taught to only play background music without words.
Similarly, they are encouraged to play music when groups are working, as silence creates a void that many people find uncomfortable – and therefore try to fill it by creating their own noise.
Movie scores are a good source if you find classical music isn't to your taste. Alternatively, put together a compilation of instrumentals – be it jazz or rock.
Your choice of music, or film score, can be linked to the type of book you are writing. Which neatly links to the next part. For many writers, music can be an inspiration. If you've not tried I before, give it a go – especially if you're struggling to write.
To demonstrate its effectiveness, watch a DVD with the subtitles on but with the sound turned down. Find a section without spoken dialogue. Watch it in silence. Now watch it normally and see how much the music can help set the scene.
As an example, if you're writing something dark, listen to Mars from Holst's Planet Suite (it's the basis of so many great movie scores since the 1970s).
Now if you can listen to the music whilst writing – and by choosing the appropriate mood, it can really help your inspiration.
I'd also recommend listening to music prior to writing. Think about the tone of the scenes you're about to write. What will get you into the mood? It doesn't have to be instrumental this time.
Think about the characters. What music or songs best sum them up? What sort of music would they listen to? Listen to it. Create a compilation. Even if you don't have an extensive music library, music videos are widely available to view on the Internet now.
Even the process of thinking about what sort of music is appropriate can help your creativity. Often, any activity that takes you forward will help you overcome a period of difficulty.
So music can help authors that are struggling to put pen to paper and can also aid in the creative writing process – and therefore improve the story. It's a useful tool to avoid writer's block that is too often overlooked.
About the Author:
Mark Walton is the author of 18 Easy Ways to Develop a Reliable Writing Schedule, a self-help guide for writers. If you want to improve your chances of getting a story published then visit http://www.betternovelwriting.com/Schedule.htm and see how quickly and easily your writing can advance.
Keyword tags: Writing, Novel, Story, Writer\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s Block, Short Story, How to Write a Novel
Yes, music.
Some like to have background noise – as it allows them to focus on the job in hand. It is common for people to need the act of filtering out music to focus the mind.
Some people can only write in absolute silence. I accept that. They might think that music is of no benefit to them – but they'd be wrong.
Music can help with writing in two ways.
Firstly consider how it can help you in the act of writing – and this applies to those that both like and dislike music when they're working.
If you don't like music as a rule, please at least try to listen to classical – or at least instrumental music while you write. Much classical music has been found to stimulate both the left and right side of the brain simultaneously (due to the number of beats per minute apparently) – and for a creative writer that needs to also focus on the business of typing and correct spelling and punctuation etc. this is a great benefit.
On the other hand, if you're the type that likes to hear music (or some sort of noise) – but find the music can overtake your writing then, as above, switch to instrumental music.
Training professionals (this is where the day job kicked in) know that music with lyrics is a competition for attention and the thought process and are taught to only play background music without words.
Similarly, they are encouraged to play music when groups are working, as silence creates a void that many people find uncomfortable – and therefore try to fill it by creating their own noise.
Movie scores are a good source if you find classical music isn't to your taste. Alternatively, put together a compilation of instrumentals – be it jazz or rock.
Your choice of music, or film score, can be linked to the type of book you are writing. Which neatly links to the next part. For many writers, music can be an inspiration. If you've not tried I before, give it a go – especially if you're struggling to write.
To demonstrate its effectiveness, watch a DVD with the subtitles on but with the sound turned down. Find a section without spoken dialogue. Watch it in silence. Now watch it normally and see how much the music can help set the scene.
As an example, if you're writing something dark, listen to Mars from Holst's Planet Suite (it's the basis of so many great movie scores since the 1970s).
Now if you can listen to the music whilst writing – and by choosing the appropriate mood, it can really help your inspiration.
I'd also recommend listening to music prior to writing. Think about the tone of the scenes you're about to write. What will get you into the mood? It doesn't have to be instrumental this time.
Think about the characters. What music or songs best sum them up? What sort of music would they listen to? Listen to it. Create a compilation. Even if you don't have an extensive music library, music videos are widely available to view on the Internet now.
Even the process of thinking about what sort of music is appropriate can help your creativity. Often, any activity that takes you forward will help you overcome a period of difficulty.
So music can help authors that are struggling to put pen to paper and can also aid in the creative writing process – and therefore improve the story. It's a useful tool to avoid writer's block that is too often overlooked.
About the Author:
Mark Walton is the author of 18 Easy Ways to Develop a Reliable Writing Schedule, a self-help guide for writers. If you want to improve your chances of getting a story published then visit http://www.betternovelwriting.com/Schedule.htm and see how quickly and easily your writing can advance.
Keyword tags: Writing, Novel, Story, Writer\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s Block, Short Story, How to Write a Novel
Streets And Streetcleaners
Between the twenty story buildings on Riverside Drive and West End Avenue, 88th street was lined with five story brownstones - most of them single family homes. The street in front of the houses was lined with sycamore trees protected by five foot high protectors made of vertical iron staves held together by horizontal iron bands. The staves ended in spear points at the top and were painted green. Later, after the War, most of the paint had worn off and we'd grab the top section of the staves and bend them toward us to show how strong we'd grown.
The brownstones had stoops leading up to the main entrance on the first floor where there was an unlocked door with glass panels and a vestibule leading into an inner door that was locked. After the War, they replaced the glass-paneled doors with solid doors and put lock on them as well. There was a service or basement entrance down three steps from street level. The basement door and windows had wrought iron bars in front of them. Many first floor windows had window boxes on the sills, with red geraniums in them.
There weren't many cars driving down 88th Street or parked along the sidewalks back in the 1930s and the streets were always clean. People didn't throw things down in the streets in those days, partly because everyone on the street knew everyone else and didn't want to be seen throwing things down, and partly because they were not the kind of people who throw things down.
There was also a man with a Kaiser Wilhelm moustache who wheeled a cart with an olive drab refuse can along the street. He wore gloves, a brown Department of Sanitation (DSNY) uniform and a drum cap like a French army officer's. He carried a stiff-bristled brush and a broad shovel stored handle-down in slots next to the refuse can. He'd sweep dog droppings, horse manure and other refuse into a pile next to the curbstone with the stiff bristled brush and then pick it up with his shovel and put it into his can. He also had a wooden tool about three feet long with a sharp metal point so that he didn't have to bend down to pick up paper or cigarette and cigar butts from grassy areas and one April morning just as he turned down 88th Street shortly after noon Oberstleutnant Wolfram von Richthofen of the Luftwaffe was leading the Condor Legion in one of the early experimental carpet bombing attacks over the town of Guernica.
When his refuse can was full he took it to one of the DSNY bins placed along the avenues. The bins contained several barrels and DSNY trucks with swinging hatches on each side would pick up garbage from the bins and cans left outside houses. Two uniformed men dumped the cans through the hatches until the truck was full and then one climbed on top, stood on the mound of garbage inside and the other man picked up the cans and either passed or tossed them up. The man on top caught the cans, dumped out the garbage and dropped the can back down for the man on the street to catch and leave on the sidewalk. (This was before the garbage trucks had scoops in the back and conveyor belts to carry the garbage up into the truck.)
(Originally published at AuthorsDen and reprinted with permission of the author, Herbert Lobsenz).
About the Author:
Herbert Lobsenz studied literature at Heights College, NYU, went into the army during the Korean War and, following Robert Jordan of For Whom The Bell Tolls, became an EOD specialist. His second novel, Vangel Griffin (1961), won the Harper Prize and appeared on the Times best seller list. His latest novel, Succession, will be published in May 2008. Visit http://www.oldtimewriter.com.
Keyword tags: nostalgia, New York City, literature, fiction, memories, memoir, books, authors
The brownstones had stoops leading up to the main entrance on the first floor where there was an unlocked door with glass panels and a vestibule leading into an inner door that was locked. After the War, they replaced the glass-paneled doors with solid doors and put lock on them as well. There was a service or basement entrance down three steps from street level. The basement door and windows had wrought iron bars in front of them. Many first floor windows had window boxes on the sills, with red geraniums in them.
There weren't many cars driving down 88th Street or parked along the sidewalks back in the 1930s and the streets were always clean. People didn't throw things down in the streets in those days, partly because everyone on the street knew everyone else and didn't want to be seen throwing things down, and partly because they were not the kind of people who throw things down.
There was also a man with a Kaiser Wilhelm moustache who wheeled a cart with an olive drab refuse can along the street. He wore gloves, a brown Department of Sanitation (DSNY) uniform and a drum cap like a French army officer's. He carried a stiff-bristled brush and a broad shovel stored handle-down in slots next to the refuse can. He'd sweep dog droppings, horse manure and other refuse into a pile next to the curbstone with the stiff bristled brush and then pick it up with his shovel and put it into his can. He also had a wooden tool about three feet long with a sharp metal point so that he didn't have to bend down to pick up paper or cigarette and cigar butts from grassy areas and one April morning just as he turned down 88th Street shortly after noon Oberstleutnant Wolfram von Richthofen of the Luftwaffe was leading the Condor Legion in one of the early experimental carpet bombing attacks over the town of Guernica.
When his refuse can was full he took it to one of the DSNY bins placed along the avenues. The bins contained several barrels and DSNY trucks with swinging hatches on each side would pick up garbage from the bins and cans left outside houses. Two uniformed men dumped the cans through the hatches until the truck was full and then one climbed on top, stood on the mound of garbage inside and the other man picked up the cans and either passed or tossed them up. The man on top caught the cans, dumped out the garbage and dropped the can back down for the man on the street to catch and leave on the sidewalk. (This was before the garbage trucks had scoops in the back and conveyor belts to carry the garbage up into the truck.)
(Originally published at AuthorsDen and reprinted with permission of the author, Herbert Lobsenz).
About the Author:
Herbert Lobsenz studied literature at Heights College, NYU, went into the army during the Korean War and, following Robert Jordan of For Whom The Bell Tolls, became an EOD specialist. His second novel, Vangel Griffin (1961), won the Harper Prize and appeared on the Times best seller list. His latest novel, Succession, will be published in May 2008. Visit http://www.oldtimewriter.com.
Keyword tags: nostalgia, New York City, literature, fiction, memories, memoir, books, authors
How To Maximize Book Expo America
Each year we get a lot of questions about Book Expo (BEA). Authors and publishers are wondering if they should go, how they will benefit from it and most importantly, how best to maximize BEA. This year I decided to ask AME's Publishing Consultant, Jerry D. Simmons for his take on BEA. Having spent countless hours at this event, I thought he would be a perfect candidate to share some valuable insight on this big publishing event!
1) For those who are reading this who don't know what BEA is, can you explain what it is?
Book Expo America is the annual showcase for the largest publishers in the world. It's a place where companies rent booth space to display their goods and services. The convention hall includes publishers and related businesses, both large and small, which offer products and services to industry professionals directly or indirectly related to the industry.
2) Someone reading this might wonder, why would I attend BEA? Do you think it benefits anyone in publishing to go to an event like this and if so, why?
If you've never attended, it is fun to attend at least once just to get a feel for what the bigger world of publishing is all about. Depending on your particular situation either as an author or business person, it is the one place where all related companies gather to display their offerings so if you want to see what the industry is all about and how you or your business might fit, it's worth the visit. Book Expo can be as much or as little as you want out of it, but if you derive your revenue from books, publishing, or anything related, you should attend at least once.
3) Can you explain the setup of BEA? It seems that the big 6 New York publishers are always taking center stage of this event, is that true? Is it a case of "whoever can throw the most money at this event gets the biggest booth?" Or is BEA generally a primary focus of corporate publishing?
BEA is focused around the six big publishers, no doubt, without them the BEA would hold little relevance to the general public. As it stands today, the media is interested simply because of the celebrity authors and future bestsellers that are on display. Each of these big companies may spend well in excess of $1 million on this show so it is a big deal for them and they spend a lot of time in New York preparing.
Booth placement is key for this show and the sponsors do the best they can to make everyone happy. Size of the booth is indicative of how much money the sponsors are receiving from the big publishers. Having attended more than 20, I would have to say that the BEA as it now stands is as much representative of corporate publishing as anything else.
4) So, let's say I'm a small publisher looking for more exposure for my books. How would I strategize BEA to my best advantage?
For small publishers BEA becomes a necessity to attract the kind of attention it takes to build your business and sell books. If you are small and do not attend, then industry wide you are not seen as a "player" in the publishing business. The best way to strategize if you are a small publisher is to make sure your booth reflects who you are or who you want to be as a publisher. You have to promote your company to the industry, such as agents, authors, and other publishers. It's important for you to put forth the perception that you publish quality product and are serious about your own development as a company. The BEA is the place where you have an opportunity to capture the attention of the bigger players regardless of their area of expertise. This is especially true if your books rarely get reviewed in the traditional media and if you are not based in Manhattan.
5) As a small publisher, what's my best plan of attack? How should I prepare for this event?
The first thing you have to do is make sure you have developed an image you want to portray to the industry. If your focus is quality fiction then you need to have large images of your covers, with free and review copies available, and complete marketing plans, including promotion, publicity and advertising. You have to mimic what the big publishers are doing which gives the impression you can compete even if you are on a smaller scale.
6) I'm a vendor looking to acquire more business. Let's say I'm a publicist or marketing person - why would I want to go to this event and how could it benefit me?
The first thing I would do is walk the halls and get the lay of the land, in other words, determine where the big publishers are located and what all the other booths are about. It's one thing to read the BEA catalog or read Publishers Weekly for the convention layout, it's quite another to walk the hall to see for yourself what each of these businesses are all about. The employees of all the big companies constantly walk the halls looking at their competition, and not just the big publisher booths, but the entire hall.
As a vendor trying to acquire more business, I'd gather as much free information in the form of handouts as you can possible carry, including catalogs from everyone. I would also gather as many business cards as you can and shake hands and speak with as many people as you can meet. Then at night in your hotel pour over all of this information looking for opportunities. I'd pick up as much competitive information as possible and then use this information in acquiring more business.
7) As an author, how could BEA impact my career? How could BEA help me?
Depending on where you are in your writing career attending a BEA for the first time should open your eyes to the possibilities. The books you see from the biggest publishers could easily have been written by you, it's all about understanding the market, positioning your manuscript, having knowledge of what the big guys are looking for, how they purchase rights to publish books, and then knowing how to market yourself as an author. As you walk the hall you will get a sense of just how big the industry, how serious you need to approach your writing, and how extremely important it is to know how the business operates. The authors of the books you see in the catalogs of the big publishers are no more talented than you, but they know something about the business and how to market themselves and their writing. If you're serious about a career as a writer, you can learn what you need to know to be successful by keeping your eyes open and developing your plan.
8) As someone who's attended many of these events, what are some insider tips you can share about event networking and attracting new business at an event of this magnitude?
The idea that you can walk into any booth and make a cold call on an editor, publisher or any business and accomplish something is the easiest way to be seen as an amateur. When that happens, no one will take you seriously. The BEA is not the place to try and transact business; it's the place to meet people that will hopefully allow you to transact business in the future. The only way for anything to get accomplished at BEA is to have established some contact prior to the show and then set an appointment to meet during the show. That is the only way. Dropping in on people and sticking your hand out with a business card is the quickest way to ruin what reputation you might have established.
9) Many people say that "deals are made at Book Expo" but is that true, are there deals made on the event floor?
The biggest deals the largest publishers make is international rights transactions. I can't say that deals are never done on the floor, but if there are, then BEA is the end point, not the beginning. Discussions are held that lead to business being conducted, but rarely do agents and authors, service and product vendors initiate contact at BEA that result in business being conducted at that moment. The atmosphere is more festive and most executives hate to have serious discussions on the floor. BEA is the place for introductions, exchanging of information, but not serious business.
10) As a service provider, publisher, or author – what are some things to look for in book placement, catalog placement, or promotional pieces that might clue me into new trends, or vendors one might want to connect with.
First of all depending on the product or service you provide, you need to scope out the competition. Who else is offering the same and how are they presenting themselves to the public? This is very important. If you are looking for opportunities from publishers' catalogs, look for books that are similar to ones you have worked on in the past. Particularly check out the marketing of these titles and make a mental note on those which you have something to offer that is new and exciting for the publisher.
If you are a small publisher again, take note of the competition. Publishing is about perception; compare your presentation to your competitive publishers. Does your catalog compare? What about your marketing plans? Prices? Page counts? What are they doing differently? The goal is to figure out how to compete effectively.
As an author, there are tons of free and review copies available on the floor of the big publishers at all times, these are the titles they are heavily promoting. Pick them up and read them, this is what is selling today, compare the story, not the writing and pay attention to what publishers are doing to promote their books. Regardless of how you publish, there are plenty of marketing ideas floating around, right in front of your eyes, pay attention because chances are you can take those ideas back home and use them.
11) What type of information gathering do you recommend someone does prior to the event? What's the best way to prepare for Book Expo?
Remember, the BEA is not the place to transact business; it's the place to meet people who you can eventually do business with. It's okay to have a plan of how you want to tour the hall, especially if your time is limited. But the best preparation is hunting and gathering as I've discussed before. The BEA has plenty of information to share, take advantage of the free offering in one location, and it happens only once per year.
The best way to prepare for a BEA is REST! Attending a BEA can be exhausting, go in with your eyes open and don't let the show overwhelm you. It can be daunting to walk in and see all the huge displays and walk away feeling like you're lost. This is the place to see what's going on in the world of publishing. I tell my clients that the bookstore is their laboratory, where they can find out what's being published and how books are being marketed. If the bookstore is your lab, the BEA is the PhD program for students of the business. There is a lot to learn and much you can gather at a BEA.
(Originally published on the AME blog and reprinted with permission of the author, Penny Sansevieri).
About the Author:
Penny C. Sansevieri, CEO and founder of Author Marketing Experts, Inc., is a book marketing and media relations expert whose company has developed some of the most cutting-edge book marketing campaigns. Visit http://www.amarketingexpert.com.
Keyword tags: books, publishing, Book Expo America, publishers, authors, writers
1) For those who are reading this who don't know what BEA is, can you explain what it is?
Book Expo America is the annual showcase for the largest publishers in the world. It's a place where companies rent booth space to display their goods and services. The convention hall includes publishers and related businesses, both large and small, which offer products and services to industry professionals directly or indirectly related to the industry.
2) Someone reading this might wonder, why would I attend BEA? Do you think it benefits anyone in publishing to go to an event like this and if so, why?
If you've never attended, it is fun to attend at least once just to get a feel for what the bigger world of publishing is all about. Depending on your particular situation either as an author or business person, it is the one place where all related companies gather to display their offerings so if you want to see what the industry is all about and how you or your business might fit, it's worth the visit. Book Expo can be as much or as little as you want out of it, but if you derive your revenue from books, publishing, or anything related, you should attend at least once.
3) Can you explain the setup of BEA? It seems that the big 6 New York publishers are always taking center stage of this event, is that true? Is it a case of "whoever can throw the most money at this event gets the biggest booth?" Or is BEA generally a primary focus of corporate publishing?
BEA is focused around the six big publishers, no doubt, without them the BEA would hold little relevance to the general public. As it stands today, the media is interested simply because of the celebrity authors and future bestsellers that are on display. Each of these big companies may spend well in excess of $1 million on this show so it is a big deal for them and they spend a lot of time in New York preparing.
Booth placement is key for this show and the sponsors do the best they can to make everyone happy. Size of the booth is indicative of how much money the sponsors are receiving from the big publishers. Having attended more than 20, I would have to say that the BEA as it now stands is as much representative of corporate publishing as anything else.
4) So, let's say I'm a small publisher looking for more exposure for my books. How would I strategize BEA to my best advantage?
For small publishers BEA becomes a necessity to attract the kind of attention it takes to build your business and sell books. If you are small and do not attend, then industry wide you are not seen as a "player" in the publishing business. The best way to strategize if you are a small publisher is to make sure your booth reflects who you are or who you want to be as a publisher. You have to promote your company to the industry, such as agents, authors, and other publishers. It's important for you to put forth the perception that you publish quality product and are serious about your own development as a company. The BEA is the place where you have an opportunity to capture the attention of the bigger players regardless of their area of expertise. This is especially true if your books rarely get reviewed in the traditional media and if you are not based in Manhattan.
5) As a small publisher, what's my best plan of attack? How should I prepare for this event?
The first thing you have to do is make sure you have developed an image you want to portray to the industry. If your focus is quality fiction then you need to have large images of your covers, with free and review copies available, and complete marketing plans, including promotion, publicity and advertising. You have to mimic what the big publishers are doing which gives the impression you can compete even if you are on a smaller scale.
6) I'm a vendor looking to acquire more business. Let's say I'm a publicist or marketing person - why would I want to go to this event and how could it benefit me?
The first thing I would do is walk the halls and get the lay of the land, in other words, determine where the big publishers are located and what all the other booths are about. It's one thing to read the BEA catalog or read Publishers Weekly for the convention layout, it's quite another to walk the hall to see for yourself what each of these businesses are all about. The employees of all the big companies constantly walk the halls looking at their competition, and not just the big publisher booths, but the entire hall.
As a vendor trying to acquire more business, I'd gather as much free information in the form of handouts as you can possible carry, including catalogs from everyone. I would also gather as many business cards as you can and shake hands and speak with as many people as you can meet. Then at night in your hotel pour over all of this information looking for opportunities. I'd pick up as much competitive information as possible and then use this information in acquiring more business.
7) As an author, how could BEA impact my career? How could BEA help me?
Depending on where you are in your writing career attending a BEA for the first time should open your eyes to the possibilities. The books you see from the biggest publishers could easily have been written by you, it's all about understanding the market, positioning your manuscript, having knowledge of what the big guys are looking for, how they purchase rights to publish books, and then knowing how to market yourself as an author. As you walk the hall you will get a sense of just how big the industry, how serious you need to approach your writing, and how extremely important it is to know how the business operates. The authors of the books you see in the catalogs of the big publishers are no more talented than you, but they know something about the business and how to market themselves and their writing. If you're serious about a career as a writer, you can learn what you need to know to be successful by keeping your eyes open and developing your plan.
8) As someone who's attended many of these events, what are some insider tips you can share about event networking and attracting new business at an event of this magnitude?
The idea that you can walk into any booth and make a cold call on an editor, publisher or any business and accomplish something is the easiest way to be seen as an amateur. When that happens, no one will take you seriously. The BEA is not the place to try and transact business; it's the place to meet people that will hopefully allow you to transact business in the future. The only way for anything to get accomplished at BEA is to have established some contact prior to the show and then set an appointment to meet during the show. That is the only way. Dropping in on people and sticking your hand out with a business card is the quickest way to ruin what reputation you might have established.
9) Many people say that "deals are made at Book Expo" but is that true, are there deals made on the event floor?
The biggest deals the largest publishers make is international rights transactions. I can't say that deals are never done on the floor, but if there are, then BEA is the end point, not the beginning. Discussions are held that lead to business being conducted, but rarely do agents and authors, service and product vendors initiate contact at BEA that result in business being conducted at that moment. The atmosphere is more festive and most executives hate to have serious discussions on the floor. BEA is the place for introductions, exchanging of information, but not serious business.
10) As a service provider, publisher, or author – what are some things to look for in book placement, catalog placement, or promotional pieces that might clue me into new trends, or vendors one might want to connect with.
First of all depending on the product or service you provide, you need to scope out the competition. Who else is offering the same and how are they presenting themselves to the public? This is very important. If you are looking for opportunities from publishers' catalogs, look for books that are similar to ones you have worked on in the past. Particularly check out the marketing of these titles and make a mental note on those which you have something to offer that is new and exciting for the publisher.
If you are a small publisher again, take note of the competition. Publishing is about perception; compare your presentation to your competitive publishers. Does your catalog compare? What about your marketing plans? Prices? Page counts? What are they doing differently? The goal is to figure out how to compete effectively.
As an author, there are tons of free and review copies available on the floor of the big publishers at all times, these are the titles they are heavily promoting. Pick them up and read them, this is what is selling today, compare the story, not the writing and pay attention to what publishers are doing to promote their books. Regardless of how you publish, there are plenty of marketing ideas floating around, right in front of your eyes, pay attention because chances are you can take those ideas back home and use them.
11) What type of information gathering do you recommend someone does prior to the event? What's the best way to prepare for Book Expo?
Remember, the BEA is not the place to transact business; it's the place to meet people who you can eventually do business with. It's okay to have a plan of how you want to tour the hall, especially if your time is limited. But the best preparation is hunting and gathering as I've discussed before. The BEA has plenty of information to share, take advantage of the free offering in one location, and it happens only once per year.
The best way to prepare for a BEA is REST! Attending a BEA can be exhausting, go in with your eyes open and don't let the show overwhelm you. It can be daunting to walk in and see all the huge displays and walk away feeling like you're lost. This is the place to see what's going on in the world of publishing. I tell my clients that the bookstore is their laboratory, where they can find out what's being published and how books are being marketed. If the bookstore is your lab, the BEA is the PhD program for students of the business. There is a lot to learn and much you can gather at a BEA.
(Originally published on the AME blog and reprinted with permission of the author, Penny Sansevieri).
About the Author:
Penny C. Sansevieri, CEO and founder of Author Marketing Experts, Inc., is a book marketing and media relations expert whose company has developed some of the most cutting-edge book marketing campaigns. Visit http://www.amarketingexpert.com.
Keyword tags: books, publishing, Book Expo America, publishers, authors, writers
Three Myths About New York Publishers
As I travel the country speaking to writer's groups in workshops and seminars, I'm struck by the amount of misinformation that is floating around. Having spent 25-years working for two of the largest publishers in the world, I thought it would be important to set the record straight and write about three of the most common myths.
It's not about who published your book, but will it make money
First, there seems to be this impression that if an author publishes with a print-on-demand company – or god forbid self-publish their own manuscript – the big publishers will never be interested in their book. This is wrong! The fact is that the biggest companies in the world are focused on making money. If they discover a title they feel has potential to gain widespread distribution and sell lots of copies, they don't care who published it, they want it. The big publishers rarely look at who published what, for them, it's about dollars and if they feel your writing has the potential, they'll publish it.
An agent is not required
Second, writers have the impression they absolutely have to have an agent to attract the attention of a big New York publisher. Again, this is wrong! If you have a book and a voice and a platform as an author, and a big company sees your potential, they will come to you without the need of an agent. Now, clearly more than 90% of the books the New York companies publish were bought with the assistance of an agent, but the truth is that the big guys are constantly looking for product. If your book, blog, or magazine article, attracts the attention of an editor or publisher, then you can save the 15% and sign without an agent. You do not have to have an agent to sign a publishing contract with a big company. But you're going to need plenty of patience, a whole bunch of perseverance, and lots of marketplace knowledge to make that happen, but it can happen without an agent.
The contract is only the beginning of your work
Third, most authors that I encounter through my consulting have the feeling that once they sign that big time publishing contract, they will be taken care of. In fact, this is the biggest wrong of all! The New York publishers are in the business of making money; if you can help them, terrific, but if not, you are as expendable as the next author. In fact once you sign a contract, your work is just starting. You must help your publisher market your book and that could many a number of things. So the contract is not the end, but the beginning. Your publisher is not in the business of taking care of authors.
The next time you hear something foolish at your writer's group meeting, or conference, send me an email. I answer them all personally and I'll be more than happy to pass along my 25-years of New York experience and give you the facts.
About the Author:
Jerry D. Simmons is the author of WHAT WRITERS NEED TO KNOW ABOUT PUBLISHING. He is the creator of TIPS for WRITING from the PUBLISHING INSIDER an eNewsletter that can be found at http://WritersReaders.com. He is also the founder of the leading social networking website for writers, authors and readers http://www.NothingBinding.com. For comments or questions you can reach Jerry via email jerry@writersreaders.com.
Keyword tags: publishing, books, authors, print on demand, writing tips, writing advice, book marketing
It's not about who published your book, but will it make money
First, there seems to be this impression that if an author publishes with a print-on-demand company – or god forbid self-publish their own manuscript – the big publishers will never be interested in their book. This is wrong! The fact is that the biggest companies in the world are focused on making money. If they discover a title they feel has potential to gain widespread distribution and sell lots of copies, they don't care who published it, they want it. The big publishers rarely look at who published what, for them, it's about dollars and if they feel your writing has the potential, they'll publish it.
An agent is not required
Second, writers have the impression they absolutely have to have an agent to attract the attention of a big New York publisher. Again, this is wrong! If you have a book and a voice and a platform as an author, and a big company sees your potential, they will come to you without the need of an agent. Now, clearly more than 90% of the books the New York companies publish were bought with the assistance of an agent, but the truth is that the big guys are constantly looking for product. If your book, blog, or magazine article, attracts the attention of an editor or publisher, then you can save the 15% and sign without an agent. You do not have to have an agent to sign a publishing contract with a big company. But you're going to need plenty of patience, a whole bunch of perseverance, and lots of marketplace knowledge to make that happen, but it can happen without an agent.
The contract is only the beginning of your work
Third, most authors that I encounter through my consulting have the feeling that once they sign that big time publishing contract, they will be taken care of. In fact, this is the biggest wrong of all! The New York publishers are in the business of making money; if you can help them, terrific, but if not, you are as expendable as the next author. In fact once you sign a contract, your work is just starting. You must help your publisher market your book and that could many a number of things. So the contract is not the end, but the beginning. Your publisher is not in the business of taking care of authors.
The next time you hear something foolish at your writer's group meeting, or conference, send me an email. I answer them all personally and I'll be more than happy to pass along my 25-years of New York experience and give you the facts.
About the Author:
Jerry D. Simmons is the author of WHAT WRITERS NEED TO KNOW ABOUT PUBLISHING. He is the creator of TIPS for WRITING from the PUBLISHING INSIDER an eNewsletter that can be found at http://WritersReaders.com. He is also the founder of the leading social networking website for writers, authors and readers http://www.NothingBinding.com. For comments or questions you can reach Jerry via email jerry@writersreaders.com.
Keyword tags: publishing, books, authors, print on demand, writing tips, writing advice, book marketing
Common Errors Writers Make
PART 1: WRITER'S BLOCK
From Rita Jamison's Freelance Writing Class; Adult Education, Los Altos, CA, 2005
At one time or another we all experience "writer's block." We have ideas. We know we have a good story to write. We just can't sit down to do it or we do sit down and just stare at the empty page — for hours on end. What's holding us up? Why does this happen? Like a doctor weaving a patient's history, physical examination and results of key laboratory results into a pattern to make a diagnosis or a detective sifting evidence to solve a crime, we must find the facts, the bits of observation and data and put them together like a jig-saw puzzle.
What are the behavioral facts and observations that add up to Writer's Block? What to do about it?
FEAR OF FAILURE: There is no room here for self-doubt, feelings of inferiority or pessimism. You are worthy and if you want to be a writer, simply write. Play and talk on your paper or computer. Write honestly. Thoughts and feelings about parts of your story won't make for great reading, but this is the heart that's taken charge. At this point you can trust it. After all, you are free and have nothing more than a sheet of paper or computer page to lose. Also important, if you just write, you'll save the bundle that you'd have paid the shrink and really start feeling good about yourself.!
TALKING YOUR STORY AWAY: You tell your story to everyone from your significant other to the homeless guy's mongrel dog. You get great feed-back. The kudos levitate you to the clouds. You love it. You are what is known as a ham. And if you are not getting the tale recorded, you are no more an author than a pig's butt. If you want to be a writer, sit down and write! But remember, until you do sit down and write you're just a story-teller of a yarn that will be altered in every retelling or forgotten completely.
IGNORING LIFE AROUND YOU: A writer must listen and observe. What people say and how they make choices reveal their character. Also, everyone reacts in some way or another to their surroundings. Pay attention. Make notes or record your observations on a pocket tape player. Then sit down and write it all! Incorporate reality into your story.
FORGETTING THE THEME: The theme is why you write. It is not the plot. The plot is how what you want to tell us (the theme) happened. Theme is what you want your reader to know when she is through reading. You should be able to define your theme in one sentence. It runs through the story from start to finish. It keeps your rewriting on track. Forgetting it will sidetrack you and slow your story, or stop it altogether. Forgetting your theme will take you by the hand and lead you into the trap that is writer's block.
About the Author:
Melvin M. Harter is a retired physician. He specialized in evaluation of the causes and extent of injury and disability. He has become a freelance writer and author of the novel, Some Kind of Angel. This sci-fi thriller explores the world of terrorism, weapons of mass destruction and genocide. For more, visit http://www.somekindofangel.com and view the video trailer.
Keyword tags: writer\\\'s block, writing workshop, books, theme, plot, books, authors
From Rita Jamison's Freelance Writing Class; Adult Education, Los Altos, CA, 2005
At one time or another we all experience "writer's block." We have ideas. We know we have a good story to write. We just can't sit down to do it or we do sit down and just stare at the empty page — for hours on end. What's holding us up? Why does this happen? Like a doctor weaving a patient's history, physical examination and results of key laboratory results into a pattern to make a diagnosis or a detective sifting evidence to solve a crime, we must find the facts, the bits of observation and data and put them together like a jig-saw puzzle.
What are the behavioral facts and observations that add up to Writer's Block? What to do about it?
FEAR OF FAILURE: There is no room here for self-doubt, feelings of inferiority or pessimism. You are worthy and if you want to be a writer, simply write. Play and talk on your paper or computer. Write honestly. Thoughts and feelings about parts of your story won't make for great reading, but this is the heart that's taken charge. At this point you can trust it. After all, you are free and have nothing more than a sheet of paper or computer page to lose. Also important, if you just write, you'll save the bundle that you'd have paid the shrink and really start feeling good about yourself.!
TALKING YOUR STORY AWAY: You tell your story to everyone from your significant other to the homeless guy's mongrel dog. You get great feed-back. The kudos levitate you to the clouds. You love it. You are what is known as a ham. And if you are not getting the tale recorded, you are no more an author than a pig's butt. If you want to be a writer, sit down and write! But remember, until you do sit down and write you're just a story-teller of a yarn that will be altered in every retelling or forgotten completely.
IGNORING LIFE AROUND YOU: A writer must listen and observe. What people say and how they make choices reveal their character. Also, everyone reacts in some way or another to their surroundings. Pay attention. Make notes or record your observations on a pocket tape player. Then sit down and write it all! Incorporate reality into your story.
FORGETTING THE THEME: The theme is why you write. It is not the plot. The plot is how what you want to tell us (the theme) happened. Theme is what you want your reader to know when she is through reading. You should be able to define your theme in one sentence. It runs through the story from start to finish. It keeps your rewriting on track. Forgetting it will sidetrack you and slow your story, or stop it altogether. Forgetting your theme will take you by the hand and lead you into the trap that is writer's block.
About the Author:
Melvin M. Harter is a retired physician. He specialized in evaluation of the causes and extent of injury and disability. He has become a freelance writer and author of the novel, Some Kind of Angel. This sci-fi thriller explores the world of terrorism, weapons of mass destruction and genocide. For more, visit http://www.somekindofangel.com and view the video trailer.
Keyword tags: writer\\\'s block, writing workshop, books, theme, plot, books, authors
Researching The Historical Novel, Part I
As I have intimated in previous offerings, the research that goes into writing a historical novel can be almost minimal, or can entail weeks and months of endeavor. If one wishes to write about something as remote as the caravans carrying silk in the ancient days over the Silk Road through China, Tibet and associated areas, the work required could be substantial. One of the best novels set in similar surroundings was Thomas Costain's The Black Rose that sold over six hundred thousand copies in its first printing. Costain had a long and varied career as an editor and for several years as director of 20th Century Fox's story development department. He retired at 57 years of age to devote his time to writing, and his fiction was notable for its reliance on historical facts, but always pertinent to his story.
My first novel, El Tigre, at times could be considered pretty much at the other end of the continuum. It is the saga of the growth and maturation of a young Prussian aristocrat from school days through his ensuing world-wide travels. The early material of Johann's school days was easy to write because my grandfather was a graduate of the Kriegsakademie, or government military school, and fought in the Franko-Prussian war. Listening at length to stories he would tell provided me with much basic information with respect to both the civilian and military customs of the times. Research on the political situation in Europe, and more especially Spain, preceding and during the 1st Carlist War, was another matter.
A number of factors were heavily influential in the particular period of Spanish history surrounding Carlos pretension to the throne. Napoleon and his brother had made numerous political as well as military moves affecting Spanish rule. There was the on-again, off- again ascendance to power by the Spanish monarch, and there was the Influence of England and Portugal lurking in the background. Offering additional overriding problems, were the King's personality traits.
The researcher must read all of this material, but he must then carefully select the most pertinent facts and weave them, and only them, into the story. The manner of including them also must be done in a manner that keeps intact the history, and yet, does not overpower the reader. The selection process is the toughest part. You will find so much of the material to be fascinating that it is most difficult to decide what to, and not to, include. As an interesting aside, in an area further along in the book, I was dealing with Santa Anna. I discovered he was the man who introduced chewing gum to the United States. Fascinating, but certainly the fact had nothing to do with the plot so it was, with reluctance, discarded.
In a manner similar to the problems of selection of material for the Carlist period, was an examination of the factors leading to Texas' fight for independence. The factors involved in this matter are so convoluted as to almost make Europe's problems simple. It is so involved that before researching El Tigre, I had read much about it, but never understood the roots of the confrontation. After several days of reading copious material, I finally understood the complexity of the situation. However, the next, and most important, step was to attempt to reduce it to a readable form that could retain the basic facts and still be included in the body of a novel without slowing down the pace of the story for the reader. Here, I can only say that you must write and rewrite, and constantly keep in mind what is pertinent to the plot and what is not. If you like history, and if you do not, I am not sure why you are writing historical fiction, there is so much material you feel important, that the decisions you must make may be some of the toughest you ever have to make.
So actually, there is no easy way to research a historical novel. If you are fortunate enough to have a grandfather, other relative, or a friend from the period, at least part of the job will be easy. The rest is plain hard work of finding the material. Fortunately, thanks to the web, this endeavor is a much easier task than in the days I still remember well. However, once you have gathered the material and assimilated it, the really difficult part of your job begins. You must then make the horrendous decisions as to what you can keep and what must be discarded. And you must remember above all else in these decisions, if you keep it, it must be pertinent to the plot.
About the Author:
John H. Manhold is a retired professor and scientific journal editor. He is an author of several textbooks, a lexicon in four languages and now novels that often require extensive research. He provides coaching on various types and phases of writing. Please see http://www.johnhmanhold.com/ for more information, and an address.
Keyword tags: research, novels, writers, books, authors, publishing, historical novels, fiction
My first novel, El Tigre, at times could be considered pretty much at the other end of the continuum. It is the saga of the growth and maturation of a young Prussian aristocrat from school days through his ensuing world-wide travels. The early material of Johann's school days was easy to write because my grandfather was a graduate of the Kriegsakademie, or government military school, and fought in the Franko-Prussian war. Listening at length to stories he would tell provided me with much basic information with respect to both the civilian and military customs of the times. Research on the political situation in Europe, and more especially Spain, preceding and during the 1st Carlist War, was another matter.
A number of factors were heavily influential in the particular period of Spanish history surrounding Carlos pretension to the throne. Napoleon and his brother had made numerous political as well as military moves affecting Spanish rule. There was the on-again, off- again ascendance to power by the Spanish monarch, and there was the Influence of England and Portugal lurking in the background. Offering additional overriding problems, were the King's personality traits.
The researcher must read all of this material, but he must then carefully select the most pertinent facts and weave them, and only them, into the story. The manner of including them also must be done in a manner that keeps intact the history, and yet, does not overpower the reader. The selection process is the toughest part. You will find so much of the material to be fascinating that it is most difficult to decide what to, and not to, include. As an interesting aside, in an area further along in the book, I was dealing with Santa Anna. I discovered he was the man who introduced chewing gum to the United States. Fascinating, but certainly the fact had nothing to do with the plot so it was, with reluctance, discarded.
In a manner similar to the problems of selection of material for the Carlist period, was an examination of the factors leading to Texas' fight for independence. The factors involved in this matter are so convoluted as to almost make Europe's problems simple. It is so involved that before researching El Tigre, I had read much about it, but never understood the roots of the confrontation. After several days of reading copious material, I finally understood the complexity of the situation. However, the next, and most important, step was to attempt to reduce it to a readable form that could retain the basic facts and still be included in the body of a novel without slowing down the pace of the story for the reader. Here, I can only say that you must write and rewrite, and constantly keep in mind what is pertinent to the plot and what is not. If you like history, and if you do not, I am not sure why you are writing historical fiction, there is so much material you feel important, that the decisions you must make may be some of the toughest you ever have to make.
So actually, there is no easy way to research a historical novel. If you are fortunate enough to have a grandfather, other relative, or a friend from the period, at least part of the job will be easy. The rest is plain hard work of finding the material. Fortunately, thanks to the web, this endeavor is a much easier task than in the days I still remember well. However, once you have gathered the material and assimilated it, the really difficult part of your job begins. You must then make the horrendous decisions as to what you can keep and what must be discarded. And you must remember above all else in these decisions, if you keep it, it must be pertinent to the plot.
About the Author:
John H. Manhold is a retired professor and scientific journal editor. He is an author of several textbooks, a lexicon in four languages and now novels that often require extensive research. He provides coaching on various types and phases of writing. Please see http://www.johnhmanhold.com/ for more information, and an address.
Keyword tags: research, novels, writers, books, authors, publishing, historical novels, fiction
Writer For Hire - Freelancing For Profit
Want to make a great income as a freelance writer? You can. I'm fond of saying that anyone who can write an email message can write for pay, and that's accurate.
Unfortunately, many new writers get in their own way. They want to make the process of writing for money more complicated than it is. It's very simple: as a writer for hire, you sell your writing services to people and businesses who need those services.
Let's look at the process involved, and then we'll discuss how you can put the process into action, even if you've never been paid a cent for your writing.
1. Decide what you'll write
The first step is to decide what you'll write. Most new writers have had this experience: you read something, and suddenly you realize "I could write that!" or "I could write that BETTER!"
This inspiration is a signal that yes indeed, you could write that, and be paid for it too. You may be inspired by anything - an advertisement, an article, a book, a movie...
Now write something similar. Yes, you need to write, to sell what you write. So go ahead and write your own version of the ad, or the article or book, or whatever it is. Use the same structure and format as the material that's inspired you, but feel free to be as creative as you like, using your own ideas and words.
2. Decide who you'll write it for
Go back to the material which first inspired you. Where was it published? Study the publication to see whether they use freelance writers. Many magazines do, book publishers do of course, and so do many Web sites.
3. Get in touch with the people who can hire you
At this stage, you may want to contact other writers on Web forums, or get a mentor so you can find out how to approach these markets.
Or you can just approach the publication directly; they may ignore you because they're busy, but on the other hand, some kind person at the publication may tell you where their writers' guidelines are, or may even send them to you.
My preference is to approach markets directly, because you'll learn more when you do.
4. Writing for money is experiential - you learn by writing and by selling
Read through the three steps above again. You now know enough to launch your freelance writing career.
Every freelance writer follows those three steps - he (or she) decides what to write, decides who to write it for, and approaches markets. However the professional freelancer is different from amateur writers in only one way - he or she performs the above process every single day, because he knows that writing for money is experiential. You can only learn how to do this by doing it.
And the more often you do it, the more you write and the more you earn.
Initially you'll be awkward. This is understandable. Whenever you learn anything new, you're clumsy. As you keep writing and approaching markets however, you'll become more confident. Each sale you make will increase your confidence and your abilities.
If you want to become a writer for hire, you now have a complete process to follow. Write out the steps, and follow them. You'll learn something new each day, and before you know it, you'll be freelancing for profit as a full time career.
About the Author:
Discover how easy it is to make money freelance writing with Angela Booth's "Sell Your Writing Online NOW" Training Program at http://sellwritingnow.com/Home/training.html The program is fun and profitable too. There's a full year of lessons and assignments.
Keyword tags: writing,writing jobs,writing tips,freelance writing,writer,Web writing,writing skills
Unfortunately, many new writers get in their own way. They want to make the process of writing for money more complicated than it is. It's very simple: as a writer for hire, you sell your writing services to people and businesses who need those services.
Let's look at the process involved, and then we'll discuss how you can put the process into action, even if you've never been paid a cent for your writing.
1. Decide what you'll write
The first step is to decide what you'll write. Most new writers have had this experience: you read something, and suddenly you realize "I could write that!" or "I could write that BETTER!"
This inspiration is a signal that yes indeed, you could write that, and be paid for it too. You may be inspired by anything - an advertisement, an article, a book, a movie...
Now write something similar. Yes, you need to write, to sell what you write. So go ahead and write your own version of the ad, or the article or book, or whatever it is. Use the same structure and format as the material that's inspired you, but feel free to be as creative as you like, using your own ideas and words.
2. Decide who you'll write it for
Go back to the material which first inspired you. Where was it published? Study the publication to see whether they use freelance writers. Many magazines do, book publishers do of course, and so do many Web sites.
3. Get in touch with the people who can hire you
At this stage, you may want to contact other writers on Web forums, or get a mentor so you can find out how to approach these markets.
Or you can just approach the publication directly; they may ignore you because they're busy, but on the other hand, some kind person at the publication may tell you where their writers' guidelines are, or may even send them to you.
My preference is to approach markets directly, because you'll learn more when you do.
4. Writing for money is experiential - you learn by writing and by selling
Read through the three steps above again. You now know enough to launch your freelance writing career.
Every freelance writer follows those three steps - he (or she) decides what to write, decides who to write it for, and approaches markets. However the professional freelancer is different from amateur writers in only one way - he or she performs the above process every single day, because he knows that writing for money is experiential. You can only learn how to do this by doing it.
And the more often you do it, the more you write and the more you earn.
Initially you'll be awkward. This is understandable. Whenever you learn anything new, you're clumsy. As you keep writing and approaching markets however, you'll become more confident. Each sale you make will increase your confidence and your abilities.
If you want to become a writer for hire, you now have a complete process to follow. Write out the steps, and follow them. You'll learn something new each day, and before you know it, you'll be freelancing for profit as a full time career.
About the Author:
Discover how easy it is to make money freelance writing with Angela Booth's "Sell Your Writing Online NOW" Training Program at http://sellwritingnow.com/Home/training.html The program is fun and profitable too. There's a full year of lessons and assignments.
Keyword tags: writing,writing jobs,writing tips,freelance writing,writer,Web writing,writing skills
Write More - Time Management For Writers
Want to write more? You can, even if you think you have "no time." Many writers write a book a year, in 20-minute sessions. Everyone has 20 minutes a day.
In this article, we'll discover how you can make every writing minute count, so you can write whatever you want to write. You may well be surprised that you have much more time than you think you do.
So let's assume that out of your busy life, you can carve 20 minutes a day for your writing. During those 20 minutes, you won't browse news or shopping sites, or read your email: you'll write.
Here are three tips to ensure that you do.
1. Set Process Goals, Because You Have Control of Them
You're in control of your own writing process, so if you set process goals, you're always assured of meeting them. A process goal may be to write an article a day, or 500 words of your novel, or a post on your blog.
You'll have other goals for your writing of course, like getting published in Magazine X, or whatever, and you'll need to map a path to achieving those goals.
However, unless you set and achieve your process goals, you won't have any product to send to an agent or publisher, so those other goals are moot.
For many years I had a process goal of writing 1000 words a day. That became a habit, and although it's no longer one of my process goals, I nevertheless scan my diary each evening and mentally tally up the number of words I've written that day.
So start today and set just one process goal, and decide that you'll achieve it every day. Before you know it, that goal will be as much a part of you as every other habit you have, and you'll be amazed at how much you write each week.
2. Writing Is a Process: Plan, Draft, Write
The best writing reads as a smooth mental transmission of ideas and images, but you can safely bet your nest egg on the fact that that the more easily a piece of writing reads, the more time went into its construction.
Writing is messy and chaotic; it's a process consisting of planning, drafting, and finally writing. Most of my writing starts off as a mind map or cluster diagram. Then I write a very fast and careless draft. Finally I chop the draft to pieces and write a "first draft." Depending on what the project is, that draft may be the first one of many.
So use strategies like mind maps and index cards to plan your writing, and write drafts quickly. All writing is a process of discovery. The more you think on the page, the more writing you'll do.
3. "Writing Time" Is Your Time - Close the Door, or Wear Headphones
If you write at home, close your office door. Make it clear to everyone in the house that your writing time is your time. If you don't have an office at home, wear headphones.
Alternatively, write in a coffee shop, or in your car before you get home. You'll find that your family, friends and colleagues will take your writing as seriously, if you do.
I hope I've inspired you to use just 20 minutes a day, and write. You can do it - start today.
About the Author:
Want to write more? Angela Booth's writing class, "Write More And Make More Money From Your Writing: Develop A Fast, Fun Productive Writing Process" at http://www.angelaswritingclasses.com/Class/writemore.html is based on lessons she developed for her private coaching students.
Keyword tags: writing,write more,writing process,writing tips,writing skills,creativity,ideas
In this article, we'll discover how you can make every writing minute count, so you can write whatever you want to write. You may well be surprised that you have much more time than you think you do.
So let's assume that out of your busy life, you can carve 20 minutes a day for your writing. During those 20 minutes, you won't browse news or shopping sites, or read your email: you'll write.
Here are three tips to ensure that you do.
1. Set Process Goals, Because You Have Control of Them
You're in control of your own writing process, so if you set process goals, you're always assured of meeting them. A process goal may be to write an article a day, or 500 words of your novel, or a post on your blog.
You'll have other goals for your writing of course, like getting published in Magazine X, or whatever, and you'll need to map a path to achieving those goals.
However, unless you set and achieve your process goals, you won't have any product to send to an agent or publisher, so those other goals are moot.
For many years I had a process goal of writing 1000 words a day. That became a habit, and although it's no longer one of my process goals, I nevertheless scan my diary each evening and mentally tally up the number of words I've written that day.
So start today and set just one process goal, and decide that you'll achieve it every day. Before you know it, that goal will be as much a part of you as every other habit you have, and you'll be amazed at how much you write each week.
2. Writing Is a Process: Plan, Draft, Write
The best writing reads as a smooth mental transmission of ideas and images, but you can safely bet your nest egg on the fact that that the more easily a piece of writing reads, the more time went into its construction.
Writing is messy and chaotic; it's a process consisting of planning, drafting, and finally writing. Most of my writing starts off as a mind map or cluster diagram. Then I write a very fast and careless draft. Finally I chop the draft to pieces and write a "first draft." Depending on what the project is, that draft may be the first one of many.
So use strategies like mind maps and index cards to plan your writing, and write drafts quickly. All writing is a process of discovery. The more you think on the page, the more writing you'll do.
3. "Writing Time" Is Your Time - Close the Door, or Wear Headphones
If you write at home, close your office door. Make it clear to everyone in the house that your writing time is your time. If you don't have an office at home, wear headphones.
Alternatively, write in a coffee shop, or in your car before you get home. You'll find that your family, friends and colleagues will take your writing as seriously, if you do.
I hope I've inspired you to use just 20 minutes a day, and write. You can do it - start today.
About the Author:
Want to write more? Angela Booth's writing class, "Write More And Make More Money From Your Writing: Develop A Fast, Fun Productive Writing Process" at http://www.angelaswritingclasses.com/Class/writemore.html is based on lessons she developed for her private coaching students.
Keyword tags: writing,write more,writing process,writing tips,writing skills,creativity,ideas
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Let Them Say It For You! The Secret To Grant Proposal Writing Success
In my position working in programming for one of the country's major foundations, I reviewed many many grant proposals. And, while I loved the opportunity to become acquainted with the regions many nonprofit organizations, I was also dismayed by how dry and tedious so many of the proposals seeking funding were. It was a rare proposal – perhaps one out of fifty – that reached out and grabbed you.
And, yet, the secret to writing a compelling, funded grant proposal – or indeed any nonprofit piece, including your membership appeal or your website copy – can be distilled into one simple sentence. Let THEM say it for you!
Nothing makes a proposal more compelling than testimonials from the people your organization serves. Testimonials show why your donors keep coming back, year after year, and why your staff is so dedicated to your mission. Telling the story of your program through testimonials lets you bring a diversity of voices to your proposal in a way that numbers can't and helps your application stand apart from the rest, long after the numbers have been forgotten.
Where do I find testimonials?
Testimonials are all around you. They are in the thank you cards your program receives, the messages on the machine in your office, in emails, conversations, and in speeches at recognition events. If your program isn't in the habit of collecting testimonials, make it a top priority! Actively seek them out by sending surveys to your clients and donors. Get in the habit of keeping a tape recorder handy, and set up a comment page on your website.
What makes a good testimonial?
A good testimonial tells a story and presents a slice of life – it's specific and real, alive and full of voice. Consider the following testimonial:
"The XYZ organization is truly wonderful. Their program really helped me get my family back on the right track." -- Mary Harper
The enthusiasm is clear here, but how did the XYZ organization help, and who is Mary Harper? See the difference here:
"XYZ's after school science program gave my son a safe place to go when I started my new job, and it gave me some valuable peace of mind."
– Mary Harper, single mother of three, was a pilot member of the XYZ program.
Even this brief, one sentence testimonial tells a story, and the byline adds to the story by providing useful context.
You can recruit stronger testimonials by asking specific questions in your surveys. Instead of asking questions like, "How was your experience in the program?" (– "It was great!"), ask: "What aspects of the program were most valuable to you? And why?" If you don't get the specific response you're looking for in a testimonial, don't hesitate to contact your client, colleague, donor or board member. Thank them for their response and tell them that you have a few follow up questions. Ask permission to record their response and share their testimonial. You will find most people enthusiastic to lend their voices, but it's a good idea to combine a thank you note with a simple permission form as well.
Lastly, don't ever try to polish the language in your testimonials. Outside of basic spelling and punctuation corrections, let your subject's voice remain authentic, true, and distinct.
Create a testimonial inventory
Make testimonial gathering an active, ongoing process, and encourage other members of your organization to keep an eye out for testimonial opportunities. Keeping a centralized inventory of testimonials will make each grant proposal process easier – and will allow you to use specific examples of your program's work to match the goals and missions of foundations. But why stop there? Use your testimonials to recruit individual donors and new staff, and to spread the word about the good work of your program.
About the Author:
Pamela has worked in the nonprofit arena since 1995. Since 2003 she has had her own private consultancy, assisting nonprofit organizations with proposal development, prospect research, annual appeal strategies and communication planning. Pamela is the author of "Five Days to Foundation Grants" and publishes a weekly blog, "Towards Effective Nonprofit Writing" - http://writegrantproposals.blogspot.com/.
Keyword tags: grant proposal, foundation grants, how to write a grant proposal
And, yet, the secret to writing a compelling, funded grant proposal – or indeed any nonprofit piece, including your membership appeal or your website copy – can be distilled into one simple sentence. Let THEM say it for you!
Nothing makes a proposal more compelling than testimonials from the people your organization serves. Testimonials show why your donors keep coming back, year after year, and why your staff is so dedicated to your mission. Telling the story of your program through testimonials lets you bring a diversity of voices to your proposal in a way that numbers can't and helps your application stand apart from the rest, long after the numbers have been forgotten.
Where do I find testimonials?
Testimonials are all around you. They are in the thank you cards your program receives, the messages on the machine in your office, in emails, conversations, and in speeches at recognition events. If your program isn't in the habit of collecting testimonials, make it a top priority! Actively seek them out by sending surveys to your clients and donors. Get in the habit of keeping a tape recorder handy, and set up a comment page on your website.
What makes a good testimonial?
A good testimonial tells a story and presents a slice of life – it's specific and real, alive and full of voice. Consider the following testimonial:
"The XYZ organization is truly wonderful. Their program really helped me get my family back on the right track." -- Mary Harper
The enthusiasm is clear here, but how did the XYZ organization help, and who is Mary Harper? See the difference here:
"XYZ's after school science program gave my son a safe place to go when I started my new job, and it gave me some valuable peace of mind."
– Mary Harper, single mother of three, was a pilot member of the XYZ program.
Even this brief, one sentence testimonial tells a story, and the byline adds to the story by providing useful context.
You can recruit stronger testimonials by asking specific questions in your surveys. Instead of asking questions like, "How was your experience in the program?" (– "It was great!"), ask: "What aspects of the program were most valuable to you? And why?" If you don't get the specific response you're looking for in a testimonial, don't hesitate to contact your client, colleague, donor or board member. Thank them for their response and tell them that you have a few follow up questions. Ask permission to record their response and share their testimonial. You will find most people enthusiastic to lend their voices, but it's a good idea to combine a thank you note with a simple permission form as well.
Lastly, don't ever try to polish the language in your testimonials. Outside of basic spelling and punctuation corrections, let your subject's voice remain authentic, true, and distinct.
Create a testimonial inventory
Make testimonial gathering an active, ongoing process, and encourage other members of your organization to keep an eye out for testimonial opportunities. Keeping a centralized inventory of testimonials will make each grant proposal process easier – and will allow you to use specific examples of your program's work to match the goals and missions of foundations. But why stop there? Use your testimonials to recruit individual donors and new staff, and to spread the word about the good work of your program.
About the Author:
Pamela has worked in the nonprofit arena since 1995. Since 2003 she has had her own private consultancy, assisting nonprofit organizations with proposal development, prospect research, annual appeal strategies and communication planning. Pamela is the author of "Five Days to Foundation Grants" and publishes a weekly blog, "Towards Effective Nonprofit Writing" - http://writegrantproposals.blogspot.com/.
Keyword tags: grant proposal, foundation grants, how to write a grant proposal
Copywriting: The Importance Of Connecting To Your Website Viewers Through Your Copywriting Skills
Statistic are showing that over 85% of all online buying decisions are emotional. That means your website copy should talk to your audience. Whenever you are trying to get customers to your website, you have to have great copywriting skills. Copywriting is the process of promoting a business or person. However, just any old form of copywriting is not going to get your website noticed or your business ranked high in the search engines.
You are going to have to make an emotional connection to people by way of writing. The best way to do this is to give the articles a sense of real emotion to them. Let the reader see that the person who is writing is a real person. People love to read things who are done by "real" people. Being able to connect to people on a personal level is the hardest form of writing, but it can easily be done with a little bit of work. Once you find in what emotional state visitors are in, you'll be able to create website copy that is highly effective and talk the right way to your audience.
The first thing that you have to be able to do is relate to the people that are going to be reading your website copy. To do this, you are going to have to know the niche that you are writing to. How old are they, and are they mostly male or female? Being able to relate to them shows the person that is reading it that you know where they are coming from and you have a true calling to help them.
Understanding your niche is very important, You won't talk the same way to a grandmother the way you will be talking to a teenager. Right? This is where your website copy must talk to the right person.
However, this is just one of the emotional connections that you can make to people through writing. Another one that you may want to touch on is the fact that you have to connect with them. This is easier to do when you are talking about them and not about yourself. This can be done in your writing by using words like you, you can, you should, and so on. Try to avoid talking about yourself too much, and do not use things like I, me, mine, etc.
If you are able to connect with people on a deeper level, you are not just gaining a one time buyer. You are gaining someone that is going to build up trust with you, your business, and become a long time customer. That is what you are looking for when you want a successful business. Try connecting to as many groups of people as you can without losing touch with your main niche. This way you are more likely to appeal to a wider range of people. Connecting to customers on a personal level is the best thing for your online business.
To Your Success!
About the Author:
I have just completed my brand new guide to Search Engine Marketing Success. Download it free here: http://affordable-search-engine-optimization-services.com/seo-course.html Best Regards, Serge Daudelin SEO Consultant http://affordable-search-engine-optimization-services.com/
Keyword tags: copywriting, writing copy, copywriter.
You are going to have to make an emotional connection to people by way of writing. The best way to do this is to give the articles a sense of real emotion to them. Let the reader see that the person who is writing is a real person. People love to read things who are done by "real" people. Being able to connect to people on a personal level is the hardest form of writing, but it can easily be done with a little bit of work. Once you find in what emotional state visitors are in, you'll be able to create website copy that is highly effective and talk the right way to your audience.
The first thing that you have to be able to do is relate to the people that are going to be reading your website copy. To do this, you are going to have to know the niche that you are writing to. How old are they, and are they mostly male or female? Being able to relate to them shows the person that is reading it that you know where they are coming from and you have a true calling to help them.
Understanding your niche is very important, You won't talk the same way to a grandmother the way you will be talking to a teenager. Right? This is where your website copy must talk to the right person.
However, this is just one of the emotional connections that you can make to people through writing. Another one that you may want to touch on is the fact that you have to connect with them. This is easier to do when you are talking about them and not about yourself. This can be done in your writing by using words like you, you can, you should, and so on. Try to avoid talking about yourself too much, and do not use things like I, me, mine, etc.
If you are able to connect with people on a deeper level, you are not just gaining a one time buyer. You are gaining someone that is going to build up trust with you, your business, and become a long time customer. That is what you are looking for when you want a successful business. Try connecting to as many groups of people as you can without losing touch with your main niche. This way you are more likely to appeal to a wider range of people. Connecting to customers on a personal level is the best thing for your online business.
To Your Success!
About the Author:
I have just completed my brand new guide to Search Engine Marketing Success. Download it free here: http://affordable-search-engine-optimization-services.com/seo-course.html Best Regards, Serge Daudelin SEO Consultant http://affordable-search-engine-optimization-services.com/
Keyword tags: copywriting, writing copy, copywriter.
An Alternative Solution For Anyone Who Wants To Write A Novel
The phrase is well worn, 'Everyone has one book in them.' Countless New Year resolutions fail because aspiring novelists fail to put pen to paper and too many conversations that start, "How's that book you've been planning to write," end in, "I haven't got round to it yet."
For many wannabe writers, the reasons for not putting pen to paper and at least starting the novel are legitimate. Time, inspiration, insufficient knowledge and lack of confidence are justifiable grounds for a lack of story – at least more often than not.
For the sizeable minority of less than exemplary reasons not to pen a new bestseller, I offer the following advice – don't write.
That's not the sort of advice you hear every day, but it's quite legitimate. Writers tend to write because they either have a drive to get a story down on paper or for the love of the craft.
In any other aspect of life, people who make excuses don't want to get their hands dirty. So why should writing be any different? Books on the subject come up with 1001 tips on how to overcome the inertia that so many would be authors suffer from. So let's consider 1002 in some more detail.
Writing for the newcomer should be pleasurable. That's regardless of how many pages have been committed to paper already. I expect there are a significant number of 'started but discarded' manuscripts out there to add to the 'yet to be written' stories. If you can't find the time or the inclination to write, then my advice is – don't. It's quite simple really.
Consider the person who knows they should go to the gym, but has a list of excuses why they can't go today. The simple truth is that they would prefer to watch TV or read the paper than to exercise. They know that they ought to work out, but the desire not to is stronger.
And so it is with the aspiring writer. They may have a great idea but something is stopping them from switching on the laptop and starting to type. Again it might be TV or reading, but the bottom line is that these pastimes are more engaging than writing.
I could give you 1001 tips on how to overcome the obstacles to writing, but the reticent writer could think of 1002 reasons why it won't work for them.
What I'm not saying is that these unforthcoming authors ought not to write. Nor am I saying they will never write. What I am saying is that, at this moment in time, they should listen to what their inner voice that is trying to tell them, in so many ways, that now is not a good time.
And if now is not a good time, then that's OK. If later turns out to be the right time, they can write then. And if later isn't right, then writing a novel just wasn't to be.
The entire writing process can be hard work – even for seasoned writers. Many find editing a chore but carry on for the love of the craft. They couldn't imagine doing anything other than writing. Until you find that point in your life, don't waste any more New Year's resolutions.
How will you know when the moment is right? As they say on all the best martial arts movies – you'll just know. In simple terms, the desire to write will outweigh the reasons not to.
About the Author:
Mark Walton is the author of 28 Step Guide to Writing a Novel From Scratch, a self-help guide for writers. If you want to improve your chances of getting a story published then visit http://www.betternovelwriting.com/Novel_from_Scratch.htm and see how quickly and easily your writing can advance.
Keyword tags: Writing, Novel, Story, Plotting, New Writer, Short Story, First Novel
For many wannabe writers, the reasons for not putting pen to paper and at least starting the novel are legitimate. Time, inspiration, insufficient knowledge and lack of confidence are justifiable grounds for a lack of story – at least more often than not.
For the sizeable minority of less than exemplary reasons not to pen a new bestseller, I offer the following advice – don't write.
That's not the sort of advice you hear every day, but it's quite legitimate. Writers tend to write because they either have a drive to get a story down on paper or for the love of the craft.
In any other aspect of life, people who make excuses don't want to get their hands dirty. So why should writing be any different? Books on the subject come up with 1001 tips on how to overcome the inertia that so many would be authors suffer from. So let's consider 1002 in some more detail.
Writing for the newcomer should be pleasurable. That's regardless of how many pages have been committed to paper already. I expect there are a significant number of 'started but discarded' manuscripts out there to add to the 'yet to be written' stories. If you can't find the time or the inclination to write, then my advice is – don't. It's quite simple really.
Consider the person who knows they should go to the gym, but has a list of excuses why they can't go today. The simple truth is that they would prefer to watch TV or read the paper than to exercise. They know that they ought to work out, but the desire not to is stronger.
And so it is with the aspiring writer. They may have a great idea but something is stopping them from switching on the laptop and starting to type. Again it might be TV or reading, but the bottom line is that these pastimes are more engaging than writing.
I could give you 1001 tips on how to overcome the obstacles to writing, but the reticent writer could think of 1002 reasons why it won't work for them.
What I'm not saying is that these unforthcoming authors ought not to write. Nor am I saying they will never write. What I am saying is that, at this moment in time, they should listen to what their inner voice that is trying to tell them, in so many ways, that now is not a good time.
And if now is not a good time, then that's OK. If later turns out to be the right time, they can write then. And if later isn't right, then writing a novel just wasn't to be.
The entire writing process can be hard work – even for seasoned writers. Many find editing a chore but carry on for the love of the craft. They couldn't imagine doing anything other than writing. Until you find that point in your life, don't waste any more New Year's resolutions.
How will you know when the moment is right? As they say on all the best martial arts movies – you'll just know. In simple terms, the desire to write will outweigh the reasons not to.
About the Author:
Mark Walton is the author of 28 Step Guide to Writing a Novel From Scratch, a self-help guide for writers. If you want to improve your chances of getting a story published then visit http://www.betternovelwriting.com/Novel_from_Scratch.htm and see how quickly and easily your writing can advance.
Keyword tags: Writing, Novel, Story, Plotting, New Writer, Short Story, First Novel
The Solution To Coming Up With A Unique Plot Is To Understand What That Actually Means
At the risk of spoiling the joke, I'll start with the punch line – there is no such thing as a unique plot.
There, that's got it out in the open.
Too many writers never put pen to paper because they can't think of a unique plot. They have plenty of excellent ideas, but when they sit down and analyse their creation, they see a strong similarity to this book or that movie and they wring their hands with despair.
There are a whole host of reasons why you'll never find a unique plot. Every reason makes sense but should never stop a writer penning that great idea just because it's similar to a recent bestseller. In fact, there's a good reason why it should encourage the author, but I'll save that surprise until the end.
I've been told by different sources that there are only one, three, seven, twenty or thirty-six different plots. I have no idea which version is true and I don't particularly care. It's an academic debate.
If you analyse a plot enough, you come across enough similarities to categorise is as one basic concept or another. So on a purely logical level, discarding a story because the plot is similar to lots of other books is quiet ludicrous. It's supposed to be similar – the academics tell us so – and that's why there are only 1/3/7/20/36 categories.
The next point is that we've been telling stories since we could talk. All the unique plots went thousands of years ago.
Now is a good time to pause and reflect on what I'm saying.
A lot of writers – the ones that get published – aren't really interested in this debate. They just get on and write. This discussion is for the rookie writer. I'll be more specific, this debate is of most interest to the wannabe writer. The one that yearns to write but feels what they have to offer isn't original enough.
The key word was in the last sentence. Original. Original is not the same as unique. Striving for a unique story is going to stop you ever putting pen to paper. Seeking out an original story is easy. Yet for some reason, despite their power with language, writers tend to get these two words muddled up.
If you listed your favourite books (or films) of all time and considered their plots, you'd be amazed a how many of them – if you broke them down into a simple form – were similar. Each is original, based upon the setting, the characters, the language etc. but none could be called unique.
Consider Walt Disney. He made a fortune recycling the works of the Brothers' Grimm. Did anyone mind? Hardly. His strength was in taking a standard story and making it original through the magic of setting, characters and dialogue.
Take William Shakespeare. Not exactly unique in his own right, yet his plays have spawned so many obvious remakes that were successful. Sometimes the story was copied in its entirety, other times an element was borrowed. Invariably the setting was changed – either to present day, the future or even using animals instead of people.
Think about the following:
Romeo and Juliet = West Side Story
Taming of the Shrew = Kiss Me Kate and 10 Things I Hate About You
The Tempest = Forbidden Planet
Othello = O
Henry IV Part I = My Own Private Idaho
Hamlet = Lion King
Twelfth Night = She's the Man
There are significantly more books out there that use one of Shakespeare's plays as a starting point. It's where they go from there that makes them original. Just setting Macbeth in the 21st century isn't enough. You need to make more changes to make it original.
I chose films rather than books, as the titles above ought to be familiar to all of you. The fact that they were based upon five hundred year old plays did not affect their box-office.
This brings me neatly to the promise I made earlier. I suggested that similarities to existing plots are actually a good thing (and I am in no way advocating plagiarism). As they say in all of the good washing powder adverts – here's the science.
Using a plot that's already been proven to be successful makes the story more saleable – not less. Think about it. The plot seems vaguely familiar but the characters, setting and actual reason for the conflict are new. This makes the story original yet familiar – a recipe for success. Agents and publishers will recognise this and will see it as a factor in your favour.
The only word of warning I would voice is to make sure that you don't imitate this week's bestseller. That's too familiar. Use the classics or at least something that was on the best-seller's list ten years ago. Make it original – take the element of the story you're basing it on that means the most to you and change as much as you need to make it your story.
You see, being original is easy once you know what to copy.
About the Author:
Mark Walton is the author of 46 Ways to Improve Your Plotting, a self-help guide for writers. If you want to improve your chances of getting a story published then visit http://www.betternovelwriting.com/Plotting.htm and see how quickly and easily your writing can advance.
Keyword tags: Writing, Novel, Story, Plotting, New Writer, Short Story, First Novel
There, that's got it out in the open.
Too many writers never put pen to paper because they can't think of a unique plot. They have plenty of excellent ideas, but when they sit down and analyse their creation, they see a strong similarity to this book or that movie and they wring their hands with despair.
There are a whole host of reasons why you'll never find a unique plot. Every reason makes sense but should never stop a writer penning that great idea just because it's similar to a recent bestseller. In fact, there's a good reason why it should encourage the author, but I'll save that surprise until the end.
I've been told by different sources that there are only one, three, seven, twenty or thirty-six different plots. I have no idea which version is true and I don't particularly care. It's an academic debate.
If you analyse a plot enough, you come across enough similarities to categorise is as one basic concept or another. So on a purely logical level, discarding a story because the plot is similar to lots of other books is quiet ludicrous. It's supposed to be similar – the academics tell us so – and that's why there are only 1/3/7/20/36 categories.
The next point is that we've been telling stories since we could talk. All the unique plots went thousands of years ago.
Now is a good time to pause and reflect on what I'm saying.
A lot of writers – the ones that get published – aren't really interested in this debate. They just get on and write. This discussion is for the rookie writer. I'll be more specific, this debate is of most interest to the wannabe writer. The one that yearns to write but feels what they have to offer isn't original enough.
The key word was in the last sentence. Original. Original is not the same as unique. Striving for a unique story is going to stop you ever putting pen to paper. Seeking out an original story is easy. Yet for some reason, despite their power with language, writers tend to get these two words muddled up.
If you listed your favourite books (or films) of all time and considered their plots, you'd be amazed a how many of them – if you broke them down into a simple form – were similar. Each is original, based upon the setting, the characters, the language etc. but none could be called unique.
Consider Walt Disney. He made a fortune recycling the works of the Brothers' Grimm. Did anyone mind? Hardly. His strength was in taking a standard story and making it original through the magic of setting, characters and dialogue.
Take William Shakespeare. Not exactly unique in his own right, yet his plays have spawned so many obvious remakes that were successful. Sometimes the story was copied in its entirety, other times an element was borrowed. Invariably the setting was changed – either to present day, the future or even using animals instead of people.
Think about the following:
Romeo and Juliet = West Side Story
Taming of the Shrew = Kiss Me Kate and 10 Things I Hate About You
The Tempest = Forbidden Planet
Othello = O
Henry IV Part I = My Own Private Idaho
Hamlet = Lion King
Twelfth Night = She's the Man
There are significantly more books out there that use one of Shakespeare's plays as a starting point. It's where they go from there that makes them original. Just setting Macbeth in the 21st century isn't enough. You need to make more changes to make it original.
I chose films rather than books, as the titles above ought to be familiar to all of you. The fact that they were based upon five hundred year old plays did not affect their box-office.
This brings me neatly to the promise I made earlier. I suggested that similarities to existing plots are actually a good thing (and I am in no way advocating plagiarism). As they say in all of the good washing powder adverts – here's the science.
Using a plot that's already been proven to be successful makes the story more saleable – not less. Think about it. The plot seems vaguely familiar but the characters, setting and actual reason for the conflict are new. This makes the story original yet familiar – a recipe for success. Agents and publishers will recognise this and will see it as a factor in your favour.
The only word of warning I would voice is to make sure that you don't imitate this week's bestseller. That's too familiar. Use the classics or at least something that was on the best-seller's list ten years ago. Make it original – take the element of the story you're basing it on that means the most to you and change as much as you need to make it your story.
You see, being original is easy once you know what to copy.
About the Author:
Mark Walton is the author of 46 Ways to Improve Your Plotting, a self-help guide for writers. If you want to improve your chances of getting a story published then visit http://www.betternovelwriting.com/Plotting.htm and see how quickly and easily your writing can advance.
Keyword tags: Writing, Novel, Story, Plotting, New Writer, Short Story, First Novel
Six Point Of View Mistakes To Avoid When Writing Your Novel
Writing offers an opportunity to do something that filmmakers and artists can't. You can allow your reader to get into the head of your characters.
Unlike TV, where you are a casual observer, writing permits you to weave a spell over the reader so that they become the character. They get to share their hopes and fears, experience the highs and lows - and at the very end of the book, walk away.
Despite this gift, too many writers throw it all away by committing basic point of view errors.
These errors can be obvious – and the reader winces when they see them. Or they can be subtle. The reader may not even recognise them as an error, but they jar anyway.
At the very best, a point of view error will pluck the reader out of the head of the character and put them in the narrator's viewpoint. At worst, they will be confused and be unsure as to what the character does and doesn't know.
Either way, the reader will be less able to identify with the character and that will ultimately weaken the story.
The following common errors are written from the point of view of John.
1. 'John stared at Jane. She was thinking about last night.'
This seems quite obvious. How does John know what Jane is thinking? There are no clues given and it isn't even speculative e.g. John hoped she was thinking about last night.
2. 'John stared at Jane. He didn't think he'd noticed how blue her eyes were before.'
How could you not know if you've noticed before? A narrator could speculate. You can speculate about a non-point of view character, but if you're inside John's head, you know if you've noticed something before.
3. 'John stared at Jane. He barely suppressed a smirk.'
For a start, we tend not to know if we're pulling faces. Smirks are something that we tend to do involuntarily. The second point is, how does he know he was a) going to smirk and b) that he suppressed it.
4. 'John stared at Jane. She stared back with an angry frown on her face.'
If we've established that John knows Jane really well, then there is some mileage in this sentence – but it would still be better to indicate that it is an assumption e.g. 'John knew that look…' If they do not know each other intimately, I would suggest that John might a frown, but he couldn't deduce it was an angry one. It could be from frustration, or she could be faking it.
As a side note, if you say someone is angry – they have to be angry. If you want to fool the reader into believing they are angry, you have to leave all the clues but let the reader deduce the 'fact' for themselves.
5. 'John stared at Jane. He marvelled at the platinum and topaz earrings she wore.'
This is one that could be fine or could be really wrong. If John is in the jewellery trade, he could possibly know exactly what the earrings are made of. Or he could have bought them of course. Otherwise, it's not something he should know. Giving a character knowledge outside his established frame of reference is sloppy writing – especially if the composition of the earrings is important later on. If it's necessary, give him a reason to know.
6. 'John stared at his wife Jane. She had short, blonde hair and was slim and athletic.'
When was the last time you looked at someone you know well and actually thought about their features? You just don't do it. Again, you've leapt out of John's head and become the narrator. If she'd died her hair, or lost lots of weight since he last saw her, he would notice. Otherwise, it's a cheap writing trick to describe a character.
This isn't a definitive list, but it represents the main ways that writers – even seasoned ones – make point of view errors.
Don't let your readers disengage with your characters. Point of view is a powerful writing tool. You have to work hard to get the reader inside the character's head. Once in there, make sure you keep them there.
About the Author:
Mark Walton is the author of 26 Tips to Write Perfect Point of View, a self-help guide for writers. If you want to improve your chances of getting a story published then visit http://www.betternovelwriting.com/Point_of_View.htm and see how quickly and easily your writing can advance.
Keyword tags: Writing, Novel, Story, Point of View, New Writer, Short Story, First Novel
Unlike TV, where you are a casual observer, writing permits you to weave a spell over the reader so that they become the character. They get to share their hopes and fears, experience the highs and lows - and at the very end of the book, walk away.
Despite this gift, too many writers throw it all away by committing basic point of view errors.
These errors can be obvious – and the reader winces when they see them. Or they can be subtle. The reader may not even recognise them as an error, but they jar anyway.
At the very best, a point of view error will pluck the reader out of the head of the character and put them in the narrator's viewpoint. At worst, they will be confused and be unsure as to what the character does and doesn't know.
Either way, the reader will be less able to identify with the character and that will ultimately weaken the story.
The following common errors are written from the point of view of John.
1. 'John stared at Jane. She was thinking about last night.'
This seems quite obvious. How does John know what Jane is thinking? There are no clues given and it isn't even speculative e.g. John hoped she was thinking about last night.
2. 'John stared at Jane. He didn't think he'd noticed how blue her eyes were before.'
How could you not know if you've noticed before? A narrator could speculate. You can speculate about a non-point of view character, but if you're inside John's head, you know if you've noticed something before.
3. 'John stared at Jane. He barely suppressed a smirk.'
For a start, we tend not to know if we're pulling faces. Smirks are something that we tend to do involuntarily. The second point is, how does he know he was a) going to smirk and b) that he suppressed it.
4. 'John stared at Jane. She stared back with an angry frown on her face.'
If we've established that John knows Jane really well, then there is some mileage in this sentence – but it would still be better to indicate that it is an assumption e.g. 'John knew that look…' If they do not know each other intimately, I would suggest that John might a frown, but he couldn't deduce it was an angry one. It could be from frustration, or she could be faking it.
As a side note, if you say someone is angry – they have to be angry. If you want to fool the reader into believing they are angry, you have to leave all the clues but let the reader deduce the 'fact' for themselves.
5. 'John stared at Jane. He marvelled at the platinum and topaz earrings she wore.'
This is one that could be fine or could be really wrong. If John is in the jewellery trade, he could possibly know exactly what the earrings are made of. Or he could have bought them of course. Otherwise, it's not something he should know. Giving a character knowledge outside his established frame of reference is sloppy writing – especially if the composition of the earrings is important later on. If it's necessary, give him a reason to know.
6. 'John stared at his wife Jane. She had short, blonde hair and was slim and athletic.'
When was the last time you looked at someone you know well and actually thought about their features? You just don't do it. Again, you've leapt out of John's head and become the narrator. If she'd died her hair, or lost lots of weight since he last saw her, he would notice. Otherwise, it's a cheap writing trick to describe a character.
This isn't a definitive list, but it represents the main ways that writers – even seasoned ones – make point of view errors.
Don't let your readers disengage with your characters. Point of view is a powerful writing tool. You have to work hard to get the reader inside the character's head. Once in there, make sure you keep them there.
About the Author:
Mark Walton is the author of 26 Tips to Write Perfect Point of View, a self-help guide for writers. If you want to improve your chances of getting a story published then visit http://www.betternovelwriting.com/Point_of_View.htm and see how quickly and easily your writing can advance.
Keyword tags: Writing, Novel, Story, Point of View, New Writer, Short Story, First Novel
One Problem That New Writers Face, Is Knowing Which Book To Write
Many writers will tell you that they are great at research. They can spend up to six months prior to putting pen to paper – yet few actually bother to study the market they're writing for.
Now it's an interesting aspect, as many books on the subject will give you similar advice – but it's not necessarily the guidance a marketing expert would give you.
The consensus advice from writing books is to go where the crowds are. On the face of it, it seems a sensible option. Lots of other books equates to lots of readers – and writing is a business like any other. No publisher would want to waste money printing for a market that doesn't exist.
But think of this from a marketing perspective. If your book has a lot of competition, that means two things.
Firstly there is definitely a market. If similar books are selling, then people want to buy them. This stand to reason. This is a positive message to take to an agent or publisher.
On the flip side, you are up against a lot of other writers for that segment of the market, so why should an agent or publisher choose your 'me-too' book?
This is especially true when it comes to finding an agent. Every book I have read suggests you find an agent that represents someone like you. That means they 'get' your kind of writing and know how to represent you.
I can agree with that logic, but it doesn't go far enough. If my agent represents famous Author 'X' and I'm like that author, I will immediately be seen as a pale imitation.
Secondly, if I'm submitting something at the same time as Author 'X,' which one of us do you think will get the lion's share of the agent's time?
Finally, the agent only has a finite amount of time. Do they want to spend that precious commodity trying to sell two similar books? Or would they rather have two dissimilar novels to pitch? I know what I'd do.
So let's consider the opposite scenario – no competition.
Broadly speaking, this is the reverse of the 'lots of competition' scenario. If there is no competition, how can you be sure there's a market?
On the plus side, an under-represented market means fewer competitors.
From an agent's perspective, it will be harder to pitch to one that doesn't usually represent authors like you. But if you do convince them, you'll be the only one in their stable who writes like you.
So, the marketing men will tell you, you have a dilemma. You can be like Richard Branson and Virgin – a well-known UK executive and his company. They always look to cream a small amount from a huge market. Virgin invariably go for the big, established markets – cola, transatlantic flights, mobile phones etc. Their philosophy is that there is always room for another player in these markets.
Some marketing people will tell you that being first in a unique category is better. If you can establish a market, you'll have people copying you and this will grow your sales for you.
Most writers will say that they can only write the books they can write. They have limited control over which market they go for. I can agree, up to a point, until it comes to the time where they intend to post their manuscript to an agent or publisher.
Do they present it as a me-too product (and risk the agent ignoring it as they think it's already overpopulated)? Or, do they try to create a niche within a larger market and suggest it's under-represented (and risk the publisher ignoring it as a niche sounds like fewer customers and therefore fewer sales)?
The honest response is to go back to the market research that you should have done in the first place. If the publisher represents mainstream, mass-market books, you'd be better off likening your manuscript to the crowd. On the other hand, if the agent has a list of original authors on their books, you are likely to be better off selling your niche market to them.
About the Author:
Mark Walton is the author of 22 Quick Win Ways to Improve Your Research, a self-help guide for writers. If you want to improve your chances of getting a story published then visit http://www.betternovelwriting.com/Research.htm and see how quickly and easily your writing can advance.
Keyword tags: Writing, Novel, Story, Research, New Writer, Short Story, First Novel
Now it's an interesting aspect, as many books on the subject will give you similar advice – but it's not necessarily the guidance a marketing expert would give you.
The consensus advice from writing books is to go where the crowds are. On the face of it, it seems a sensible option. Lots of other books equates to lots of readers – and writing is a business like any other. No publisher would want to waste money printing for a market that doesn't exist.
But think of this from a marketing perspective. If your book has a lot of competition, that means two things.
Firstly there is definitely a market. If similar books are selling, then people want to buy them. This stand to reason. This is a positive message to take to an agent or publisher.
On the flip side, you are up against a lot of other writers for that segment of the market, so why should an agent or publisher choose your 'me-too' book?
This is especially true when it comes to finding an agent. Every book I have read suggests you find an agent that represents someone like you. That means they 'get' your kind of writing and know how to represent you.
I can agree with that logic, but it doesn't go far enough. If my agent represents famous Author 'X' and I'm like that author, I will immediately be seen as a pale imitation.
Secondly, if I'm submitting something at the same time as Author 'X,' which one of us do you think will get the lion's share of the agent's time?
Finally, the agent only has a finite amount of time. Do they want to spend that precious commodity trying to sell two similar books? Or would they rather have two dissimilar novels to pitch? I know what I'd do.
So let's consider the opposite scenario – no competition.
Broadly speaking, this is the reverse of the 'lots of competition' scenario. If there is no competition, how can you be sure there's a market?
On the plus side, an under-represented market means fewer competitors.
From an agent's perspective, it will be harder to pitch to one that doesn't usually represent authors like you. But if you do convince them, you'll be the only one in their stable who writes like you.
So, the marketing men will tell you, you have a dilemma. You can be like Richard Branson and Virgin – a well-known UK executive and his company. They always look to cream a small amount from a huge market. Virgin invariably go for the big, established markets – cola, transatlantic flights, mobile phones etc. Their philosophy is that there is always room for another player in these markets.
Some marketing people will tell you that being first in a unique category is better. If you can establish a market, you'll have people copying you and this will grow your sales for you.
Most writers will say that they can only write the books they can write. They have limited control over which market they go for. I can agree, up to a point, until it comes to the time where they intend to post their manuscript to an agent or publisher.
Do they present it as a me-too product (and risk the agent ignoring it as they think it's already overpopulated)? Or, do they try to create a niche within a larger market and suggest it's under-represented (and risk the publisher ignoring it as a niche sounds like fewer customers and therefore fewer sales)?
The honest response is to go back to the market research that you should have done in the first place. If the publisher represents mainstream, mass-market books, you'd be better off likening your manuscript to the crowd. On the other hand, if the agent has a list of original authors on their books, you are likely to be better off selling your niche market to them.
About the Author:
Mark Walton is the author of 22 Quick Win Ways to Improve Your Research, a self-help guide for writers. If you want to improve your chances of getting a story published then visit http://www.betternovelwriting.com/Research.htm and see how quickly and easily your writing can advance.
Keyword tags: Writing, Novel, Story, Research, New Writer, Short Story, First Novel
One Mistake To Avoid In Setting The Scene In Your Novel, Is To Overlook The Weather
The weather is so much more than how wet you're getting. It's amazing how many writers overlook the weather as a useful tool in both setting and also in telling the story.
Many years ago, we relied on the weather and took it seriously. Poor weather affected crops and livestock. Bad weather would even affect health – be it through famine or disease.
Nowadays we have supermarkets that will fly in food from around the world and central heating and air conditioning to ensure that whatever is happening outside, we don't need to vary the climate inside our home.
But it's deeper than that. Seasons reflect aspects of life and weather can be a great barometer (pun intended) for emotions.
In reality, we all react slightly differently to the weather. Some love the heat and others despise it. Even considering these variances, the majority of people will react similarly to most climactic conditions.
The English language is littered with idioms that reference the season or the specific weather. They don't need explaining; we all understand exactly what people mean when they use one. That's because they are understood as a subconscious level.
Even the most basic of weather descriptions convey a mood:
Spring = hope, new birth
Summer = adulthood, happiness
Autumn = preparing for old age
Winter = death
Sunshine = happiness, goodness
Storm = trouble, a change
Calm before the storm = trouble or a change ahead
Rainbow = hope, a link between two extremes (sun and rain)
Cloudy = confused, muddled, unclear
Clouds on horizon = trouble ahead
No wind = no change
Windy = changes
Rough weather = problems
Fog = confusion, unaware
Rain = depressed, badness
Snow = coldness, cleansing
This makes weather an ideal setting tool to convey what's going on in the story or in a character's head.
You don't need to use the sledgehammer approach but I'd also exercise caution at being too clever. A few references, subtle ones, dropped in during a scene will convey the message.
As an example, if you used the rain as a portent for something bad about to happen, don't have the character thinking, 'It's starting to rain and rain is a bad thing.'
Instead, reference the changing light – from bright to muted grey tones. You could even describe the rain, or its effect as resembling something inherently evil. The use of metaphors and weather work well.
Mention the noise that the rain brings; reference something having to stop because of the weather. Consider how inanimate objects react to the weather – or even how the characters change.
How does the rain affect textures? How does it change how things sound? Does its own noise drown out something the character was listening to? Does it simply stop whatever was making a noise? Does it therefore bring silence?
How does it affect the character's senses? Does it affect what they're doing? And be subtle here – does it affect their mood?
Remember to build the mood; don't dunk the reader in it. Sometimes a sudden change in mood is necessary and an equally sudden change in weather is appropriate but this is likely to be the exception to the rule.
Sometimes the change, or even the manner of the change, is as important as the weather itself.
Let the reader join the dots. If you've positioned them well enough, they'll get the picture. You don't need to go over them with a wax crayon to convey the message.
Finally, never forget that setting is an integral part of writing a novel. Despite this, the use of weather is just one tool to set the scene – not your only one.
About the Author:
Mark Walton is the author of 23 Ways to Write Better Setting, a self-help guide for writers. If you want to improve your chances of getting a story published then visit http http://www.betternovelwriting.com/Setting.htm and see how quickly and easily your writing can advance.
Keyword tags: Writing, Novel, Story, Setting, New Writer, Short Story, First Novel
Many years ago, we relied on the weather and took it seriously. Poor weather affected crops and livestock. Bad weather would even affect health – be it through famine or disease.
Nowadays we have supermarkets that will fly in food from around the world and central heating and air conditioning to ensure that whatever is happening outside, we don't need to vary the climate inside our home.
But it's deeper than that. Seasons reflect aspects of life and weather can be a great barometer (pun intended) for emotions.
In reality, we all react slightly differently to the weather. Some love the heat and others despise it. Even considering these variances, the majority of people will react similarly to most climactic conditions.
The English language is littered with idioms that reference the season or the specific weather. They don't need explaining; we all understand exactly what people mean when they use one. That's because they are understood as a subconscious level.
Even the most basic of weather descriptions convey a mood:
Spring = hope, new birth
Summer = adulthood, happiness
Autumn = preparing for old age
Winter = death
Sunshine = happiness, goodness
Storm = trouble, a change
Calm before the storm = trouble or a change ahead
Rainbow = hope, a link between two extremes (sun and rain)
Cloudy = confused, muddled, unclear
Clouds on horizon = trouble ahead
No wind = no change
Windy = changes
Rough weather = problems
Fog = confusion, unaware
Rain = depressed, badness
Snow = coldness, cleansing
This makes weather an ideal setting tool to convey what's going on in the story or in a character's head.
You don't need to use the sledgehammer approach but I'd also exercise caution at being too clever. A few references, subtle ones, dropped in during a scene will convey the message.
As an example, if you used the rain as a portent for something bad about to happen, don't have the character thinking, 'It's starting to rain and rain is a bad thing.'
Instead, reference the changing light – from bright to muted grey tones. You could even describe the rain, or its effect as resembling something inherently evil. The use of metaphors and weather work well.
Mention the noise that the rain brings; reference something having to stop because of the weather. Consider how inanimate objects react to the weather – or even how the characters change.
How does the rain affect textures? How does it change how things sound? Does its own noise drown out something the character was listening to? Does it simply stop whatever was making a noise? Does it therefore bring silence?
How does it affect the character's senses? Does it affect what they're doing? And be subtle here – does it affect their mood?
Remember to build the mood; don't dunk the reader in it. Sometimes a sudden change in mood is necessary and an equally sudden change in weather is appropriate but this is likely to be the exception to the rule.
Sometimes the change, or even the manner of the change, is as important as the weather itself.
Let the reader join the dots. If you've positioned them well enough, they'll get the picture. You don't need to go over them with a wax crayon to convey the message.
Finally, never forget that setting is an integral part of writing a novel. Despite this, the use of weather is just one tool to set the scene – not your only one.
About the Author:
Mark Walton is the author of 23 Ways to Write Better Setting, a self-help guide for writers. If you want to improve your chances of getting a story published then visit http http://www.betternovelwriting.com/Setting.htm and see how quickly and easily your writing can advance.
Keyword tags: Writing, Novel, Story, Setting, New Writer, Short Story, First Novel
Friday, May 23, 2008
One Solution To Writing Better Dialogue Is To Focus On What’s Not Said
Depending on which expert you believe, up to 95% of communication is non-verbal.
So if just five per cent represents the words, why do so many writers rely on this single aspect to convey what their characters are 'saying?'
This article is not about the misuse of said-bookisms – the use of alternatives to 'said' used by rookie writers. I'll leave advice on how to demonstrate tone of voice for another time.
This is all about the major part of communication – body language. Up to 60% of what you communicate is conveyed this way – so why don't we use it as writers?
In my 'other life' I've recruited for twenty years and I use every trick in the book. I use Neuro Linguistic Programming like the best of them and yes, I spend a lot of time analysing body language.
In the hands of a willing amateur, a body language book is a dangerous tool – especially when recruitment decisions could be made on a single interpretation. But used prudently, it can help you understand someone's mood or even their true intentions.
If you've ever watched television without the sound, you'd be amazed how easily you can pick up on people's moods. It's a subconscious thing – and that fact helps the writer. You just need to drop a few references to body language into your dialogue and the reader should get the message.
I say 'should' as some body language is subtle and although we know instinctively what an action means, our conscious brain dominates and ignores the sign.
The problem for writers is that when they proofread their manuscript, they know what every character is thinking. Without making a conscious effort, they read each line with the appropriate emotion and mood – even if the dialogue doesn't make it obvious how the character is feeling.
It's particularly true in audio books. I listen to them when I'm travelling and you can hear the emotion in the narrator's voice, yet there are no words written (or spoken) that indicate it was the appropriate tone of voice.
The writer knew, and that's why they narrated that way. But if I were reading in print, I wouldn't have a clue.
So what does it all mean? It means stick to the obvious body language signs if possible – without stereotyping.
Here are some prime examples:
If someone's happy, they tend to smile. Obvious really. They tend to show open palms and will sit in an open manner – nothing is crossed. They will unbutton their coat for example.
If someone is confident, they tend to lean forward (leaning towards someone also suggests you like them). If moving, they will walk briskly and lengthen their stride.
If someone is nervous, they will fidget. They will clear their throat and play with anything in front of them. If standing, hands on hips denote that someone is wary of the people next to them. Just one hand on hip means that it's only the person on that side they have an issue with.
If someone is unsure, they tend to pull on an ear-lobe.
If someone is lying, they often put their hand in front of their mouth – subconsciously hiding their lie. They will also avoid eye contact.
If someone is being defensive, they will lean away. They will cross arms and legs.
If someone is aggressive, they will clench their fist. They will often grit their teeth. They will typically point with their finger – particularly with jabbing motions. They may chop one hand into the palm of another. If sitting, they often tap a foot or bounce one of their legs (this could also mean they are bored or just irritated).
This isn't meant to be a definitive list but it's a useful starting point. I'd recommend every author buys a copy of a body language book and spends some time in a public place, observing behaviour. Note facial expressions, body positioning and what people do with their hands. Consider how they handle a pen or a spoon. What does it all tell you about their mood?
So if you want to write better dialogue, you need to consider all the non-verbal signals that we take for granted every time we have a conversation. Now go ahead and use it. I hereby give you permission to use the 95% you've probably dismissed until now.
About the Author:
Mark Walton is the author of 24 Easy Ways to Make Your Dialogue Speak Volumes, a self-help guide for writers. If you want to improve your chances of getting a story published then visit http://www.betternovelwriting.com/Dialogue.htm and see how quickly and easily your writing can advance.
Keyword tags: Writing, Novel, Story, Dialogue, Short Story
So if just five per cent represents the words, why do so many writers rely on this single aspect to convey what their characters are 'saying?'
This article is not about the misuse of said-bookisms – the use of alternatives to 'said' used by rookie writers. I'll leave advice on how to demonstrate tone of voice for another time.
This is all about the major part of communication – body language. Up to 60% of what you communicate is conveyed this way – so why don't we use it as writers?
In my 'other life' I've recruited for twenty years and I use every trick in the book. I use Neuro Linguistic Programming like the best of them and yes, I spend a lot of time analysing body language.
In the hands of a willing amateur, a body language book is a dangerous tool – especially when recruitment decisions could be made on a single interpretation. But used prudently, it can help you understand someone's mood or even their true intentions.
If you've ever watched television without the sound, you'd be amazed how easily you can pick up on people's moods. It's a subconscious thing – and that fact helps the writer. You just need to drop a few references to body language into your dialogue and the reader should get the message.
I say 'should' as some body language is subtle and although we know instinctively what an action means, our conscious brain dominates and ignores the sign.
The problem for writers is that when they proofread their manuscript, they know what every character is thinking. Without making a conscious effort, they read each line with the appropriate emotion and mood – even if the dialogue doesn't make it obvious how the character is feeling.
It's particularly true in audio books. I listen to them when I'm travelling and you can hear the emotion in the narrator's voice, yet there are no words written (or spoken) that indicate it was the appropriate tone of voice.
The writer knew, and that's why they narrated that way. But if I were reading in print, I wouldn't have a clue.
So what does it all mean? It means stick to the obvious body language signs if possible – without stereotyping.
Here are some prime examples:
If someone's happy, they tend to smile. Obvious really. They tend to show open palms and will sit in an open manner – nothing is crossed. They will unbutton their coat for example.
If someone is confident, they tend to lean forward (leaning towards someone also suggests you like them). If moving, they will walk briskly and lengthen their stride.
If someone is nervous, they will fidget. They will clear their throat and play with anything in front of them. If standing, hands on hips denote that someone is wary of the people next to them. Just one hand on hip means that it's only the person on that side they have an issue with.
If someone is unsure, they tend to pull on an ear-lobe.
If someone is lying, they often put their hand in front of their mouth – subconsciously hiding their lie. They will also avoid eye contact.
If someone is being defensive, they will lean away. They will cross arms and legs.
If someone is aggressive, they will clench their fist. They will often grit their teeth. They will typically point with their finger – particularly with jabbing motions. They may chop one hand into the palm of another. If sitting, they often tap a foot or bounce one of their legs (this could also mean they are bored or just irritated).
This isn't meant to be a definitive list but it's a useful starting point. I'd recommend every author buys a copy of a body language book and spends some time in a public place, observing behaviour. Note facial expressions, body positioning and what people do with their hands. Consider how they handle a pen or a spoon. What does it all tell you about their mood?
So if you want to write better dialogue, you need to consider all the non-verbal signals that we take for granted every time we have a conversation. Now go ahead and use it. I hereby give you permission to use the 95% you've probably dismissed until now.
About the Author:
Mark Walton is the author of 24 Easy Ways to Make Your Dialogue Speak Volumes, a self-help guide for writers. If you want to improve your chances of getting a story published then visit http://www.betternovelwriting.com/Dialogue.htm and see how quickly and easily your writing can advance.
Keyword tags: Writing, Novel, Story, Dialogue, Short Story
A Common Mistake In Editing Is Only Thinking About What You Take Out
The best advice you'll get about editing is that you need to reduce the word count. Eliminating unnecessary dialogue or description is vital in keeping your novel punchy and maintaining the reader's interest.
So it comes as no surprise that many writers end up taking so many words out, they forget that editing can also be about putting words in.
As the author, you know the story backwards. You know what's happened, what's going on now and what's about to transpire. Your reader, hopefully, does not.
So when you edit, you are at risk of taking out some essential data that you don't see as necessary – but the reader absolutely needs to be able to link the story together. You remember the full plot, even when the passage that describes a key event is removed. Your reader does not have that luxury.
Removing plot elements is a basic editing mistake, and with a little effort, you can spot these mistakes quite easily.
A harder mistake to spot during editing is the lack of transition.
In the real world, we leap from subject to subject during a conversation. A pause here or a gesture there and the listener knows instinctively that we've changed track. Even simple body language can indicate that one topic is now closed and a new one is about to start.
In a similar way, a book has to jump from scene to scene but does not have the luxury of a few sentences in between, to set up the new passage.
Transition is about smoothly linking one scene to another. Sometimes, in editing, this means adding words, not simply taking them away.
An ideal transition would be one word – if it conveys the change. As with the rest of editing, the trick is to add as few words as possible that allow the reader to quickly see what's happened.
No transition means that it can take a reader quite a few lines to realize that the characters are no longer in the jungle but on an ocean liner. The reader will assume that whatever is happening, is happening in the jungle – and it will really confuse when the cry of a seagull is heard halfway through a conversation.
TV and film have such an advantage here. They can fade to black and show a new scene for a few seconds before the action restarts. The fade to black is easy to show in print – a chapter or scene break can be easily read. It's that opening shot that is so difficult to get right.
Too many words and you can lose the reader. If someone confronts the hero with a gun as an opener to the new scene, the reader will not expect a few paragraphs about the scenery to follow before we find out about the shooter.
Similarly, if we spend half a page talking about the landscape and then mention that someone has the hero at gunpoint; it won't sit right with the reader.
So please, when you're wielding the red pen in an effort to cut out unnecessary words, remember there are two common definitions of edit:
1. To eliminate; delete
2. To prepare (written material) for publication or presentation, as by correcting, revising, or adapting
Please keep in mind that in preparing a manuscript for submission, the process is best reflected by the second description. The first is simply a part of that wider definition. If you can remember that editing is as much about what you add as take away, then your final manuscript will benefit greatly.
About the Author:
Mark Walton is the author of 19 Ways to Dramatically Improve Your Manuscript Editing, a self-help guide for writers. If you want to improve your chances of getting a story published then visit http://www.betternovelwriting.com/Editing.htm and see how quickly and easily your writing can advance.
Keyword tags: Writing, Novel, Story, Editing, Short Story
So it comes as no surprise that many writers end up taking so many words out, they forget that editing can also be about putting words in.
As the author, you know the story backwards. You know what's happened, what's going on now and what's about to transpire. Your reader, hopefully, does not.
So when you edit, you are at risk of taking out some essential data that you don't see as necessary – but the reader absolutely needs to be able to link the story together. You remember the full plot, even when the passage that describes a key event is removed. Your reader does not have that luxury.
Removing plot elements is a basic editing mistake, and with a little effort, you can spot these mistakes quite easily.
A harder mistake to spot during editing is the lack of transition.
In the real world, we leap from subject to subject during a conversation. A pause here or a gesture there and the listener knows instinctively that we've changed track. Even simple body language can indicate that one topic is now closed and a new one is about to start.
In a similar way, a book has to jump from scene to scene but does not have the luxury of a few sentences in between, to set up the new passage.
Transition is about smoothly linking one scene to another. Sometimes, in editing, this means adding words, not simply taking them away.
An ideal transition would be one word – if it conveys the change. As with the rest of editing, the trick is to add as few words as possible that allow the reader to quickly see what's happened.
No transition means that it can take a reader quite a few lines to realize that the characters are no longer in the jungle but on an ocean liner. The reader will assume that whatever is happening, is happening in the jungle – and it will really confuse when the cry of a seagull is heard halfway through a conversation.
TV and film have such an advantage here. They can fade to black and show a new scene for a few seconds before the action restarts. The fade to black is easy to show in print – a chapter or scene break can be easily read. It's that opening shot that is so difficult to get right.
Too many words and you can lose the reader. If someone confronts the hero with a gun as an opener to the new scene, the reader will not expect a few paragraphs about the scenery to follow before we find out about the shooter.
Similarly, if we spend half a page talking about the landscape and then mention that someone has the hero at gunpoint; it won't sit right with the reader.
So please, when you're wielding the red pen in an effort to cut out unnecessary words, remember there are two common definitions of edit:
1. To eliminate; delete
2. To prepare (written material) for publication or presentation, as by correcting, revising, or adapting
Please keep in mind that in preparing a manuscript for submission, the process is best reflected by the second description. The first is simply a part of that wider definition. If you can remember that editing is as much about what you add as take away, then your final manuscript will benefit greatly.
About the Author:
Mark Walton is the author of 19 Ways to Dramatically Improve Your Manuscript Editing, a self-help guide for writers. If you want to improve your chances of getting a story published then visit http://www.betternovelwriting.com/Editing.htm and see how quickly and easily your writing can advance.
Keyword tags: Writing, Novel, Story, Editing, Short Story
One Tip To Help You Come Up With Ideas For Novels Is To Widen Your Horizons
When you're considering writing a new story, just where do you get your ideas from? I have met many published authors and read interviews with countless more. Most of them confirm that this is the question that they get asked more than any other.
Many aspiring writers no doubt hope that the famous author will provide them with a web address – or book title – that will mean never having to think up an idea again.
Of course, successful authors don't have a secret place they go to find new ideas. Most writers I've heard can't even tell you where they find inspiration – it just happens they say.
Coming up with the idea is only part of the battle, as giving two writers the same suggestion and they'll provide quite different books. Give a successful author the same idea and they'll produce a much better quality book.
So what magic ingredient separates mere mortals from the literary greats? At this point, I'll concede that I don't believe there is a writing course out there that can turn a poor writer into a great one. It's an inherent talent.
Having said that, I believe that with the proper guidance, most OK writers can become published writers – although I still can't agree on one magic ingredient. I think it's a potion and all the aspects of writing go into that potion.
I'm going to go off at a tangent now, but I'll get back on track on coming up with ideas before the end.
I listen to a lot of podiobooks and writing podcasts. It's a close community. I also frequent many of the forums. In addition, I am an avid reader of 'How to Write' books.
One piece of advice always comes through loud and clear – in order to be a decent writer, you must read. Every source I ever reference says this.
So I was looking at an aspiring author's blog the other day and there was a link to their Amazon® wish list. As I'm always looking for new authors to 'discover,' I clicked on it. I had read works by half of the writers and had heard of about a further quarter.
What struck me – and produced a genuine 'light bulb' moment – was that I thought to myself, "You sure can tell what types of book this author wants to write."
It was as simple as that.
When I've read blogs or interviews from successful authors, they say something quite distinct. For most of them, only a fraction of the books they read are within their genre. One even said they never read the competition. Many list non-fiction as their chief source of reading, and most follow the recommended 'good books' and classics, regardless of the section of literature it comes from.
So now I can finish the detour and bring us back on the original path. Poor writers don't read much. Decent writers read a lot – but tend to focus on their genre. The good writers are the ones that read widely.
Take a look at your book collection. A few will have a wide selection, but I'm guessing the majority tend to read within a much narrower range. It's understandable.
Many aspiring writers start out as readers and wanted to add to the body of work they enjoyed reading. And most readers tend to have favourite genres rather than an eclectic taste.
So, if you want to become a better writer, start acting like a published author and read outside your chosen genre – especially non-fiction.
Which brings me back to my original point. If you only read within your genre, your stimulation for new ideas is dampened. You'll find yourself reworking plots from the books you read and you'll discard them as being too like this novel or that short story.
If you read more widely, you'll pick up inspiration from plots (or factual topics) outside your genre – which in turn will allow your creative juices to ponder, 'what if…'
Now I'm not advocating plagiarism, but instead pointing out that reading non-fiction and new genres will inspire you in a way that your tried and trusted field never can.
And it will improve your writing ability too. As a good example, many aspiring novelists will want to include romance in their book at some point, but how many have read good novels from this specific genre? I'll not ask for a show of hands.
So try reading some books that you wouldn't usually read. It will seem strange at first, but you do want to come up with new ideas and be published, don't you?
About the Author:
Mark Walton is the author of 28 How to Create Ideas for a Story in 7 Easy Steps, a self-help guide for writers. If you want to improve your chances of getting a story published then visit http://www.betternovelwriting.com/Ideas.htm and see how quickly and easily your writing can advance.
Keyword tags: Writing, Novel, Story, Editing, Short Story
Many aspiring writers no doubt hope that the famous author will provide them with a web address – or book title – that will mean never having to think up an idea again.
Of course, successful authors don't have a secret place they go to find new ideas. Most writers I've heard can't even tell you where they find inspiration – it just happens they say.
Coming up with the idea is only part of the battle, as giving two writers the same suggestion and they'll provide quite different books. Give a successful author the same idea and they'll produce a much better quality book.
So what magic ingredient separates mere mortals from the literary greats? At this point, I'll concede that I don't believe there is a writing course out there that can turn a poor writer into a great one. It's an inherent talent.
Having said that, I believe that with the proper guidance, most OK writers can become published writers – although I still can't agree on one magic ingredient. I think it's a potion and all the aspects of writing go into that potion.
I'm going to go off at a tangent now, but I'll get back on track on coming up with ideas before the end.
I listen to a lot of podiobooks and writing podcasts. It's a close community. I also frequent many of the forums. In addition, I am an avid reader of 'How to Write' books.
One piece of advice always comes through loud and clear – in order to be a decent writer, you must read. Every source I ever reference says this.
So I was looking at an aspiring author's blog the other day and there was a link to their Amazon® wish list. As I'm always looking for new authors to 'discover,' I clicked on it. I had read works by half of the writers and had heard of about a further quarter.
What struck me – and produced a genuine 'light bulb' moment – was that I thought to myself, "You sure can tell what types of book this author wants to write."
It was as simple as that.
When I've read blogs or interviews from successful authors, they say something quite distinct. For most of them, only a fraction of the books they read are within their genre. One even said they never read the competition. Many list non-fiction as their chief source of reading, and most follow the recommended 'good books' and classics, regardless of the section of literature it comes from.
So now I can finish the detour and bring us back on the original path. Poor writers don't read much. Decent writers read a lot – but tend to focus on their genre. The good writers are the ones that read widely.
Take a look at your book collection. A few will have a wide selection, but I'm guessing the majority tend to read within a much narrower range. It's understandable.
Many aspiring writers start out as readers and wanted to add to the body of work they enjoyed reading. And most readers tend to have favourite genres rather than an eclectic taste.
So, if you want to become a better writer, start acting like a published author and read outside your chosen genre – especially non-fiction.
Which brings me back to my original point. If you only read within your genre, your stimulation for new ideas is dampened. You'll find yourself reworking plots from the books you read and you'll discard them as being too like this novel or that short story.
If you read more widely, you'll pick up inspiration from plots (or factual topics) outside your genre – which in turn will allow your creative juices to ponder, 'what if…'
Now I'm not advocating plagiarism, but instead pointing out that reading non-fiction and new genres will inspire you in a way that your tried and trusted field never can.
And it will improve your writing ability too. As a good example, many aspiring novelists will want to include romance in their book at some point, but how many have read good novels from this specific genre? I'll not ask for a show of hands.
So try reading some books that you wouldn't usually read. It will seem strange at first, but you do want to come up with new ideas and be published, don't you?
About the Author:
Mark Walton is the author of 28 How to Create Ideas for a Story in 7 Easy Steps, a self-help guide for writers. If you want to improve your chances of getting a story published then visit http://www.betternovelwriting.com/Ideas.htm and see how quickly and easily your writing can advance.
Keyword tags: Writing, Novel, Story, Editing, Short Story
How To Create Believable Characters In Your Novel
Actors - don't you just love 'em? Well you should, as you can learn a lot as a writer from the people who are always asking, 'What's my motivation?'
Method actors will research the role they're going to play. They'll consider the nuts and bolts of the character – be it a policeman or an archaeologist – and they'll also want to see what happens when the person goes home. What part of the job can't they let go of? What's it like to be married to someone in this profession?
When they act, the emotions and characteristics come naturally to them – such is their understanding of the role.
Other actors just turn up and read the lines. They need prompting as to what their motivation should be for a given scene.
Now consider your writing style. Are you a method author or one that turns up and needs to check the outline to be sure what the character's motivation is during this scene?
Please don't kid yourself that writers don't really research characters the way that actors do. They do.
Many wannabe writers will hide behind the props. They'll convince you that they've drawn up a character sheet and can tell you any fact about the character you want to know. Thy can tell you eye colour, date of birth and every distinguishing feature.
To these writers, creating a character is like taking part in a role-playing game. They've rolled the dice the prerequisite number of times and have filled in all of the boxes. Because they took this approach, the character ends up being one-dimensional. Just like in role-playing, the characteristics, skills and knowledge are all from the same school.
Real people just aren't like that. Real people are complex, hybrid monsters that would put Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde to shame. Good guys aren't all good and bad guys aren't all bad.
Role-playing games create classes of character and so do many writers. The author gets fixated on a single characteristic or iconic image and every aspect of that character is then moulded to fit the standard template for that type of personality.
So how does the writer progress from 'Third Man with Suitcase' to Oscar winning material? Well just like method acting, there are various schools.
The first step is to hold up your hand and admit you've got a problem. Yes, you. We've been talking third person until now, but you know this article is about you – even if it's just a little bit.
The most popular approach to solving the three-dimensional character problem is close to home. Think about your friends and family. They're real people aren't they? Most (or at least many) of the characters in your novels will be ordinary people thrust into extraordinary situations. Even superheroes have alter egos that have mundane lives.
So consider your friends, family and colleagues. Consider their strengths and weaknesses, their plusses and minuses. What are their emotional highs and lows? If your latest character is a highly trained government assassin, that's fine. Give her the skills to do the job and then overlay the personality of a close friend.
One word of warning before we go any further. If the individual comes across any less that spotless, it's best not to tell friends you based a character on them. Trust me, once you get published, every acquaintance will want to know if that brave and overworked police lieutenant was based on them.
Is it that simple? Well up to a point it is. You may have to exaggerate certain characteristics but believe me, when you really analyse your friends, family and work colleagues, there's enough there without tweaking it too much. Real people – the ones you've been studying – aren't one-dimensional. They have negative character traits, phobias and insecurities just as much as they have positive characteristics.
So the next time you are struggling to remember what a character's motivation is during a given scene, remember this article and base your characters from real people. Now, move over John Joseph Nicholson.
About the Author:
Mark Walton is the author of 28 Ways to Create Believable Characters, a self-help guide for writers. If you want to improve your chances of getting a story published then visit http://www.betternovelwriting.com/Characters.htm to see how quickly and easily your writing can advance.
Keyword tags: Writing, Novel, Story, Characters, Short Story
Method actors will research the role they're going to play. They'll consider the nuts and bolts of the character – be it a policeman or an archaeologist – and they'll also want to see what happens when the person goes home. What part of the job can't they let go of? What's it like to be married to someone in this profession?
When they act, the emotions and characteristics come naturally to them – such is their understanding of the role.
Other actors just turn up and read the lines. They need prompting as to what their motivation should be for a given scene.
Now consider your writing style. Are you a method author or one that turns up and needs to check the outline to be sure what the character's motivation is during this scene?
Please don't kid yourself that writers don't really research characters the way that actors do. They do.
Many wannabe writers will hide behind the props. They'll convince you that they've drawn up a character sheet and can tell you any fact about the character you want to know. Thy can tell you eye colour, date of birth and every distinguishing feature.
To these writers, creating a character is like taking part in a role-playing game. They've rolled the dice the prerequisite number of times and have filled in all of the boxes. Because they took this approach, the character ends up being one-dimensional. Just like in role-playing, the characteristics, skills and knowledge are all from the same school.
Real people just aren't like that. Real people are complex, hybrid monsters that would put Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde to shame. Good guys aren't all good and bad guys aren't all bad.
Role-playing games create classes of character and so do many writers. The author gets fixated on a single characteristic or iconic image and every aspect of that character is then moulded to fit the standard template for that type of personality.
So how does the writer progress from 'Third Man with Suitcase' to Oscar winning material? Well just like method acting, there are various schools.
The first step is to hold up your hand and admit you've got a problem. Yes, you. We've been talking third person until now, but you know this article is about you – even if it's just a little bit.
The most popular approach to solving the three-dimensional character problem is close to home. Think about your friends and family. They're real people aren't they? Most (or at least many) of the characters in your novels will be ordinary people thrust into extraordinary situations. Even superheroes have alter egos that have mundane lives.
So consider your friends, family and colleagues. Consider their strengths and weaknesses, their plusses and minuses. What are their emotional highs and lows? If your latest character is a highly trained government assassin, that's fine. Give her the skills to do the job and then overlay the personality of a close friend.
One word of warning before we go any further. If the individual comes across any less that spotless, it's best not to tell friends you based a character on them. Trust me, once you get published, every acquaintance will want to know if that brave and overworked police lieutenant was based on them.
Is it that simple? Well up to a point it is. You may have to exaggerate certain characteristics but believe me, when you really analyse your friends, family and work colleagues, there's enough there without tweaking it too much. Real people – the ones you've been studying – aren't one-dimensional. They have negative character traits, phobias and insecurities just as much as they have positive characteristics.
So the next time you are struggling to remember what a character's motivation is during a given scene, remember this article and base your characters from real people. Now, move over John Joseph Nicholson.
About the Author:
Mark Walton is the author of 28 Ways to Create Believable Characters, a self-help guide for writers. If you want to improve your chances of getting a story published then visit http://www.betternovelwriting.com/Characters.htm to see how quickly and easily your writing can advance.
Keyword tags: Writing, Novel, Story, Characters, Short Story
A Solution To The Problem Of Writing For Children
Many aspiring writers decide the way to start their career is to write for children. And they tend to have two very good reasons for deciding this:
1. The woman that wrote the stories about the boy wizard is doing very well for herself and I want some of that
2. It's much easier to write for children – there are fewer pages and the words don't need to be as long.
I will start by saying, in case you hadn't guessed, that I think these are the worst two reasons in the world to start writing for children.
If you were serious about entering the fray, I would start by asking if this is something you've dreamed about for a very long time? If it isn't, I question your dedication and your knowledge of the market.
You should write for children because you want to write for children. If you come in from the angle that it's either more lucrative, or easier, then you are doomed to failure.
So if you have chosen writing for children because you think it will be easier, let me put you straight on that score. It's actually harder. The skills in writing a story are broadly speaking as difficult to write any genre but with adult books, you have a strong link with the audience. After all, you're an adult too.
An adult that has the mindset to write at a child writes bad children's books. In this author's mind, the adult knows best what the child wants. Good children's books are written for the audience, not at them. However young they are, children can tell the difference.
Children want to read books they can relate to. In this respect, are they any different to adults? Most thirty-year olds can't relate to a child in any other way than as an adult. They need to be able to relate to them as a child – and that's easier said than done.
This is why writers with children will always have an advantage over non-parents. If you're around children 24/7, you get to know them. You know what's on their level and what's condescending. Children tend to let you know!
Children's books have different rules too. For example, children like things polarised. They don't like shades of grey. Give it to them straight but make sure it's at one end of the spectrum or the other.
When adults write for children, they often can't resist the opportunity to tell a strong moral tale. After all, adults know best. Children see this as preaching and will run the proverbial mile from it.
Another difference is that children expect the good guys to win – always. No exceptions whatsoever. If you hadn't considered these points and couldn't list at least a dozen more ways that children's books need to differ from adult ones, you need to do your homework.
The second aspect that is tougher for many children's books is that it can be a challenge to work out who your market actually is. The obvious answer is children, but depending on the age range, it quite often isn't the child that's buying – and in some cases not even reading the book. So the story needs to be good enough that the child reads it and wants more as well as pitched right so that the parent/gift-giver will choose it before all the others on the shelf.
Having said all of this, the fundamental reason that an adult book is successful is the same for a children's book – it's a good read. If you can write a good story and follow the rules, there's no reason why you can't be a successful children's author. Just remember that writing a novel for young adults is anything but child's play.
About the Author:
Mark Walton is the author of 17 Simple to Follow Ways to Improve Writing a Children's Book, a self-help guide. If you want to improve your chances of getting a story published then visit http://www.betternovelwriting.com/Childrens.htm to see how quickly and easily your writing can advance.
Keyword tags: Writing, Novel, Story, Children\\\'s Book, Short Story
1. The woman that wrote the stories about the boy wizard is doing very well for herself and I want some of that
2. It's much easier to write for children – there are fewer pages and the words don't need to be as long.
I will start by saying, in case you hadn't guessed, that I think these are the worst two reasons in the world to start writing for children.
If you were serious about entering the fray, I would start by asking if this is something you've dreamed about for a very long time? If it isn't, I question your dedication and your knowledge of the market.
You should write for children because you want to write for children. If you come in from the angle that it's either more lucrative, or easier, then you are doomed to failure.
So if you have chosen writing for children because you think it will be easier, let me put you straight on that score. It's actually harder. The skills in writing a story are broadly speaking as difficult to write any genre but with adult books, you have a strong link with the audience. After all, you're an adult too.
An adult that has the mindset to write at a child writes bad children's books. In this author's mind, the adult knows best what the child wants. Good children's books are written for the audience, not at them. However young they are, children can tell the difference.
Children want to read books they can relate to. In this respect, are they any different to adults? Most thirty-year olds can't relate to a child in any other way than as an adult. They need to be able to relate to them as a child – and that's easier said than done.
This is why writers with children will always have an advantage over non-parents. If you're around children 24/7, you get to know them. You know what's on their level and what's condescending. Children tend to let you know!
Children's books have different rules too. For example, children like things polarised. They don't like shades of grey. Give it to them straight but make sure it's at one end of the spectrum or the other.
When adults write for children, they often can't resist the opportunity to tell a strong moral tale. After all, adults know best. Children see this as preaching and will run the proverbial mile from it.
Another difference is that children expect the good guys to win – always. No exceptions whatsoever. If you hadn't considered these points and couldn't list at least a dozen more ways that children's books need to differ from adult ones, you need to do your homework.
The second aspect that is tougher for many children's books is that it can be a challenge to work out who your market actually is. The obvious answer is children, but depending on the age range, it quite often isn't the child that's buying – and in some cases not even reading the book. So the story needs to be good enough that the child reads it and wants more as well as pitched right so that the parent/gift-giver will choose it before all the others on the shelf.
Having said all of this, the fundamental reason that an adult book is successful is the same for a children's book – it's a good read. If you can write a good story and follow the rules, there's no reason why you can't be a successful children's author. Just remember that writing a novel for young adults is anything but child's play.
About the Author:
Mark Walton is the author of 17 Simple to Follow Ways to Improve Writing a Children's Book, a self-help guide. If you want to improve your chances of getting a story published then visit http://www.betternovelwriting.com/Childrens.htm to see how quickly and easily your writing can advance.
Keyword tags: Writing, Novel, Story, Children\\\'s Book, Short Story
Monday, May 19, 2008
Tips For Writing A Phd Dissertation
It seems that many of our college bound students these days are not satisfied with only getting their Bachelor's degree. Many are continuing on to get their Masters and then their PhD. I thought I would like to give a few tips when you come up against writing your PhD dissertation.
INTRODUCTION
Research is not only about discovery, but it is about the testing of hypotheses and ideas. Through inquiry and exploration, you lay down the establishment of facts. The outcome of the research is new knowledge. This leads to the improved understanding of mechanisms as well as the making of new and improved procedures. To make sure that the use of the research results is maximized, the results must be made known or disseminated in a proper manner.
There are a great many ways to circulate research results. You have guessed it! The production of a research dissertation is one of them. Even though a research dissertation is one of the usual criteria for an academic degree program that includes a research element, it is also used for student assessment. Don't make the mistake of making your dissertation into just a beefed-up laboratory report.
Its writing should be in such a way that the results presented can be validated and should be able to form the basis for additional investigations. You must justify any procedures that you adopt, claims and conclusions will have to be supported by experiments or by deductions or reasoned arguments. A research dissertation is unlike any other reports in that it is the culmination of either several months or even years of work. Writing a dissertation requires some planning, thought and organization.
Ideas, Guidelines and Tips
Layout refers to the kind of presentation format that you want your dissertation to follow. This is often dictated by regulations or institutional guidelines. There are many reasons why one should opt to have a standard layout.
1. You will be able to see copies of dissertations from institutional libraries. There is a standard look and feel to a layout wherein it maintains corporate identity.
2. You can be assured that when the publication is bound, the contents will not be destroyed or obscured because pages have to be trimmed.
Here are some important features that you will want to include in your layout.
Size of page margins and spacing between the lines
Formats of
- Title page
- Contents list
- Appendices
- Reference list
- Figures, illustrations and tables
Numbering system for
- Chapters as well as sections
- Pages
- Table captions and figures
- Equations
Font-styles for
- Chapters and section headings
- Other text
- Table captions and figures
- Equations
- Quotations
- Citations
How are your references going to be cited?
How are you going to cite tables, figures and equations?
The decision as to whether the dissertation should be written in a certain tense or �person�
Reference List
As was previously mentioned, the way you compile your Reference list depends upon the kind of citation style that you use. One of the most common things that confuse first-time writers of dissertations is how to cite references. These are basically the two most common methods as to how you cite published work.
The number system references are listed in the order in which they have been cited. The name-year system references are usually listed alphabetically. Consistency is the key so you should stick to one of these styles.
Hopefully, these tips will help you formulate your dissertation. Remember to allow yourself much time, thought and energy to this process and you will come out a winner.
http://www.essaytown.com Dissertation Writing http://www.essaytown.com/subjects_t.html Dissertation Topics
Keyword tags: term papers,research papers,essay writing,dissertations,college term papers,college essays
INTRODUCTION
Research is not only about discovery, but it is about the testing of hypotheses and ideas. Through inquiry and exploration, you lay down the establishment of facts. The outcome of the research is new knowledge. This leads to the improved understanding of mechanisms as well as the making of new and improved procedures. To make sure that the use of the research results is maximized, the results must be made known or disseminated in a proper manner.
There are a great many ways to circulate research results. You have guessed it! The production of a research dissertation is one of them. Even though a research dissertation is one of the usual criteria for an academic degree program that includes a research element, it is also used for student assessment. Don't make the mistake of making your dissertation into just a beefed-up laboratory report.
Its writing should be in such a way that the results presented can be validated and should be able to form the basis for additional investigations. You must justify any procedures that you adopt, claims and conclusions will have to be supported by experiments or by deductions or reasoned arguments. A research dissertation is unlike any other reports in that it is the culmination of either several months or even years of work. Writing a dissertation requires some planning, thought and organization.
Ideas, Guidelines and Tips
Layout refers to the kind of presentation format that you want your dissertation to follow. This is often dictated by regulations or institutional guidelines. There are many reasons why one should opt to have a standard layout.
1. You will be able to see copies of dissertations from institutional libraries. There is a standard look and feel to a layout wherein it maintains corporate identity.
2. You can be assured that when the publication is bound, the contents will not be destroyed or obscured because pages have to be trimmed.
Here are some important features that you will want to include in your layout.
Size of page margins and spacing between the lines
Formats of
- Title page
- Contents list
- Appendices
- Reference list
- Figures, illustrations and tables
Numbering system for
- Chapters as well as sections
- Pages
- Table captions and figures
- Equations
Font-styles for
- Chapters and section headings
- Other text
- Table captions and figures
- Equations
- Quotations
- Citations
How are your references going to be cited?
How are you going to cite tables, figures and equations?
The decision as to whether the dissertation should be written in a certain tense or �person�
Reference List
As was previously mentioned, the way you compile your Reference list depends upon the kind of citation style that you use. One of the most common things that confuse first-time writers of dissertations is how to cite references. These are basically the two most common methods as to how you cite published work.
The number system references are listed in the order in which they have been cited. The name-year system references are usually listed alphabetically. Consistency is the key so you should stick to one of these styles.
Hopefully, these tips will help you formulate your dissertation. Remember to allow yourself much time, thought and energy to this process and you will come out a winner.
http://www.essaytown.com Dissertation Writing http://www.essaytown.com/subjects_t.html Dissertation Topics
Keyword tags: term papers,research papers,essay writing,dissertations,college term papers,college essays
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Writing Articles
Writing articles is a good way to make money online and off-line. All you need is a computer, an internet connection, and a brain.
It's really pretty simple once you're taught what you're supposed to do. And it amazes me how what you're about to learn isn't taught all the time. Really all you need to write a great article is this.
You're about to find out it's a 4 step process. This goes for professional freelance articles too. You can't beat this formula.
For short I call it: HCLC
Which stands for... Headline/Opening, Credibility, Lesson, Close. Sounds simple right? It is.
Now, you're going to discover there are certain ways you need to write the 4 sections. Even though it's simple to learn too!
If you have the nerve to start off writing for peanuts then as you increase in demand, start charging more (and most importantly, if you enjoy doing it), then read this from beginning to end. Because I guarantee by the end you'll know the simple format for writing an awesome article. And you'll be ready to start raking in some cash.
First off, articles are written for different reasons. Sometimes to drive direct traffic to your website. Sometimes to build your links. And other reasons.
Whatever might be the case, the most important element will be your headline. Nothing with a poor headline gets read. Books have been written on writing headlines, but here's the number one thing you need to remember about them.
Here it is: make sure you state a benefit the reader is going to get. It might sound like common sense. As they say... common sense isn't that common!
Avoid writing headlines that do not sum up what the reader is going to get out of it. If you can't think of a headline, start with "How To" or "_ Ways To."
The next element your article needs is a good opening. In your opening, simply make a promise of what the person is going to get out of reading. Here you can go into more detail than in your headline, but same idea. You're just making a promise.
A benefit-oriented headline and opening will hook your reader in!
Next give a sentence or paragraph about your credibility if you have any. Or else your words won't be believed. You need to give a dose of credibility before they'll believe anything.
Now dive into the lesson. Here's where writing articles really begins. Don't try to warm your reader up. Fire away with instructions, facts, data, opinions.
At the end, simply conclude with what your reader should have gotten out of the article. ...That's really all there is to writing a great article.
1. Promise a benefit the person gets in your headline and expand on it in your opening paragraphs.
2. Give proof of credibility so that the reader will trust in your lesson.
3. Start teaching right away. Don't hold back and don't try to warm them up.
4. Wrap it all up with a summary of what they learned and what they're walking away with for reading your article.
Thanks for reading! If you want to be part of a community of aspiring and professional freelance writers who help each other rise to the top, then visit this link right away: http://goldenprose.com
Keyword tags: writing articles
It's really pretty simple once you're taught what you're supposed to do. And it amazes me how what you're about to learn isn't taught all the time. Really all you need to write a great article is this.
You're about to find out it's a 4 step process. This goes for professional freelance articles too. You can't beat this formula.
For short I call it: HCLC
Which stands for... Headline/Opening, Credibility, Lesson, Close. Sounds simple right? It is.
Now, you're going to discover there are certain ways you need to write the 4 sections. Even though it's simple to learn too!
If you have the nerve to start off writing for peanuts then as you increase in demand, start charging more (and most importantly, if you enjoy doing it), then read this from beginning to end. Because I guarantee by the end you'll know the simple format for writing an awesome article. And you'll be ready to start raking in some cash.
First off, articles are written for different reasons. Sometimes to drive direct traffic to your website. Sometimes to build your links. And other reasons.
Whatever might be the case, the most important element will be your headline. Nothing with a poor headline gets read. Books have been written on writing headlines, but here's the number one thing you need to remember about them.
Here it is: make sure you state a benefit the reader is going to get. It might sound like common sense. As they say... common sense isn't that common!
Avoid writing headlines that do not sum up what the reader is going to get out of it. If you can't think of a headline, start with "How To" or "_ Ways To."
The next element your article needs is a good opening. In your opening, simply make a promise of what the person is going to get out of reading. Here you can go into more detail than in your headline, but same idea. You're just making a promise.
A benefit-oriented headline and opening will hook your reader in!
Next give a sentence or paragraph about your credibility if you have any. Or else your words won't be believed. You need to give a dose of credibility before they'll believe anything.
Now dive into the lesson. Here's where writing articles really begins. Don't try to warm your reader up. Fire away with instructions, facts, data, opinions.
At the end, simply conclude with what your reader should have gotten out of the article. ...That's really all there is to writing a great article.
1. Promise a benefit the person gets in your headline and expand on it in your opening paragraphs.
2. Give proof of credibility so that the reader will trust in your lesson.
3. Start teaching right away. Don't hold back and don't try to warm them up.
4. Wrap it all up with a summary of what they learned and what they're walking away with for reading your article.
Thanks for reading! If you want to be part of a community of aspiring and professional freelance writers who help each other rise to the top, then visit this link right away: http://goldenprose.com
Keyword tags: writing articles
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Why A Copywriting Course Will Make You Lose Money
If you're looking to invest in a copywriting course, read this first. Because you're about to lose hundreds of dollars.
You want to get good at writing advertising. Here you are looking for a course that's supposed to do that. I don't know. Maybe you want to be taken by the hand and lead to greatness.
Here's the cold, harsh reality of copywriting courses. You can get the same education from the classic direct response advertising books you can get used for less than $10 on Amazon and 2/3 the original price at eBay.
Books like:
- Tested Advertising Methods by John Caples
- Scientific Advertising by Claude Hopkins
- Advertising Magic by Brian Keith Voiles
- The Adweek Copywriting Book by Joe Sugarman
- Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Dr. Robert Cialdini
- Cash Copy by Jefferey Lant
- How I Raised Myself From a Failure To Success In Selling by Frank Bettger
If you get all these books today, I guarantee you'll get much more quality information than if you took a copywriting course over the internet.
It's not that copywriting courses are bad... They're just bad investments.
Let's take AWAI. Sure this is what master print salesman Bob Bly says about it:
"This is the best correspondence course for copywriting I have ever seen – in fact, the best copywriting course I've seen anywhere, in any form. Anyone who wants to get into direct response copywriting would benefit enormously from taking it."
No doubt! You'll write an ad so hot that you'll be getting sales left and right. You'll get so cocky and on-top-of-the-world that your own spouse won't recognize you. Wrong...
Do you seriously need someone to take you by the hand and make you write so you can be graded? If so, that's the only reason why you would want to take a course. And the grading isn't all that strict (they want you to pass).
It's not the same stuff you learn from working in the trenches of direct response marketing. Not at all.
In the trenches you learn that writing and testing alone is only going to make you a good copywriter. You never really know what's going to work until you test.
In the trenches you learn that psychology plays a bigger role than a course might tell you.
You think applying exactly what you learned is going to make you rich. When it doesn't.
Besides the fact that you can get a better education from books (and it's cheaper) than taking a course, you don't learn much from being graded by instructors. The only grades that tell you how well you're doing are the ones that come in dollar signs. You either get an F or a $.
Copywriting courses can't give you experience. Only failing, figuring out why you're failing, and correcting it can teach you for real.
Take my advice. You don't need to take an online course on writing advertising. Just hit the books. And write and test.
That's my opinion.
Thanks for reading! If you want free copywriting tactics you can plug in instantly to rocket your response, then visit this link right away and scroll down: http://printsalesman.com
Keyword tags: copywriting course
You want to get good at writing advertising. Here you are looking for a course that's supposed to do that. I don't know. Maybe you want to be taken by the hand and lead to greatness.
Here's the cold, harsh reality of copywriting courses. You can get the same education from the classic direct response advertising books you can get used for less than $10 on Amazon and 2/3 the original price at eBay.
Books like:
- Tested Advertising Methods by John Caples
- Scientific Advertising by Claude Hopkins
- Advertising Magic by Brian Keith Voiles
- The Adweek Copywriting Book by Joe Sugarman
- Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Dr. Robert Cialdini
- Cash Copy by Jefferey Lant
- How I Raised Myself From a Failure To Success In Selling by Frank Bettger
If you get all these books today, I guarantee you'll get much more quality information than if you took a copywriting course over the internet.
It's not that copywriting courses are bad... They're just bad investments.
Let's take AWAI. Sure this is what master print salesman Bob Bly says about it:
"This is the best correspondence course for copywriting I have ever seen – in fact, the best copywriting course I've seen anywhere, in any form. Anyone who wants to get into direct response copywriting would benefit enormously from taking it."
No doubt! You'll write an ad so hot that you'll be getting sales left and right. You'll get so cocky and on-top-of-the-world that your own spouse won't recognize you. Wrong...
Do you seriously need someone to take you by the hand and make you write so you can be graded? If so, that's the only reason why you would want to take a course. And the grading isn't all that strict (they want you to pass).
It's not the same stuff you learn from working in the trenches of direct response marketing. Not at all.
In the trenches you learn that writing and testing alone is only going to make you a good copywriter. You never really know what's going to work until you test.
In the trenches you learn that psychology plays a bigger role than a course might tell you.
You think applying exactly what you learned is going to make you rich. When it doesn't.
Besides the fact that you can get a better education from books (and it's cheaper) than taking a course, you don't learn much from being graded by instructors. The only grades that tell you how well you're doing are the ones that come in dollar signs. You either get an F or a $.
Copywriting courses can't give you experience. Only failing, figuring out why you're failing, and correcting it can teach you for real.
Take my advice. You don't need to take an online course on writing advertising. Just hit the books. And write and test.
That's my opinion.
Thanks for reading! If you want free copywriting tactics you can plug in instantly to rocket your response, then visit this link right away and scroll down: http://printsalesman.com
Keyword tags: copywriting course
Your Income While You Can\t Find Freelance Writing Jobs...
If you're trying to figure out how to make money while you can't find freelance writing jobs, then read this entire article now. Because by the end you'll know just what you can do for income while you're lacking freelance work.
You know... It surprises me that to this day I don't always have clients for my freelance writing and copywriting service since I've been freelancing since 2003.
To tell you the truth, the only reason is I can't stand clients! Well, most of them at least. In fact, I'm to the point where I turn down most people who want to hire me. Reason is... I have some strict criteria.
1) I need respect from the potential client, 2) The subject matter needs to be something I'd enjoy writing about, 3) I only work for upper-middle level pay, 4) I'll only work if I get paid in full up front.
And you can imagine what most potential clients think about "my laws." (Buffoon!)
Don't get me wrong. Freelancing is a great way to make money and can be thrilling. That's why I still accept jobs from clients who pass my rigorous screening.
You, on the other hand, must be starting out if you're reading this. Maybe you're not starting out. Maybe you're just having a hard time getting your wheels rolling.
Well, here's a tip (the only tip you really need to grow your client base). Start by writing articles for $5 a piece for website owners. Just go to websites and contact the people. Send your standard e-mail offering articles for $5 a piece.
The more work and more in demand you get, the more you can increase your price. Over time you're working for $10 per article, $15 per article, $20 per article, $25 per article... and so on. Because now you have the freedom to turn down work.
Now to get to the real point of this article. What are some things you can do to make money without freelance writing jobs?
The best way I know how is to switch positions with your clients. Who are your clients? Publishers, internet marketers, bloggers, etc... When you don't have any money coming in and you have the skills of a freelance writer, you can quickly and easily start making money from the same angle your clients are in.
Do they not depend on your service for their business? They need you to succeed. This says a lot about your potential to thrive in a similar position they're in. All you have to do is become educated in internet marketing, blogging, or publishing and use your writing skills.
Here's exactly what I do when I have no freelance work. I sell digital information online. I sell ebooks (that really do sell like crazy), downloadable videos, mp3s, etc.
What's crazy is... It costs less than $200 to start an internet business selling digital information!
Thanks for reading! Hey, if you want to be part of a small community of freelance writers, both aspiring and professional, who help each other out and have a good time together, then visit this link now: http://goldenprose.com!
Keyword tags: freelance writing jobs
You know... It surprises me that to this day I don't always have clients for my freelance writing and copywriting service since I've been freelancing since 2003.
To tell you the truth, the only reason is I can't stand clients! Well, most of them at least. In fact, I'm to the point where I turn down most people who want to hire me. Reason is... I have some strict criteria.
1) I need respect from the potential client, 2) The subject matter needs to be something I'd enjoy writing about, 3) I only work for upper-middle level pay, 4) I'll only work if I get paid in full up front.
And you can imagine what most potential clients think about "my laws." (Buffoon!)
Don't get me wrong. Freelancing is a great way to make money and can be thrilling. That's why I still accept jobs from clients who pass my rigorous screening.
You, on the other hand, must be starting out if you're reading this. Maybe you're not starting out. Maybe you're just having a hard time getting your wheels rolling.
Well, here's a tip (the only tip you really need to grow your client base). Start by writing articles for $5 a piece for website owners. Just go to websites and contact the people. Send your standard e-mail offering articles for $5 a piece.
The more work and more in demand you get, the more you can increase your price. Over time you're working for $10 per article, $15 per article, $20 per article, $25 per article... and so on. Because now you have the freedom to turn down work.
Now to get to the real point of this article. What are some things you can do to make money without freelance writing jobs?
The best way I know how is to switch positions with your clients. Who are your clients? Publishers, internet marketers, bloggers, etc... When you don't have any money coming in and you have the skills of a freelance writer, you can quickly and easily start making money from the same angle your clients are in.
Do they not depend on your service for their business? They need you to succeed. This says a lot about your potential to thrive in a similar position they're in. All you have to do is become educated in internet marketing, blogging, or publishing and use your writing skills.
Here's exactly what I do when I have no freelance work. I sell digital information online. I sell ebooks (that really do sell like crazy), downloadable videos, mp3s, etc.
What's crazy is... It costs less than $200 to start an internet business selling digital information!
Thanks for reading! Hey, if you want to be part of a small community of freelance writers, both aspiring and professional, who help each other out and have a good time together, then visit this link now: http://goldenprose.com!
Keyword tags: freelance writing jobs
The Way Things Used To Be - Stoop Ball
Lucky Strike Green had come home from the War, as had Dubble Bubble gum and the pink Spaldeen — though at ten cents now instead of a nickel. But there weren't many new cars yet, so there was still plenty of room for street games.
Marbles had its short season. In fall and winter we played roller hockey and association football. Punch ball and stickball started in March and went through early fall, but stoop ball was year round. The only thing that stopped us playing stoop ball was too much snow on the ground.
We followed the usual rules: one infielder, one outfielder; nine inning games; if the ball hit the sidewalk you hit from, got caught before it bounced, or went outside the foul lines, you were out. One bounce was a single, two a double, etc. If you hit the wall of the building across the street on the fly and the ball didn't get caught before it hit the ground it was a home run. Imaginary base runners advanced one base on a single, two on a double.
Instead of a stoop, though, we hit off the S-shaped cornices that ran three feet above the sidewalk on the wall of the 88th Street side of 575 West End Avenue. They were perfect for hitting - white seven inch high S-curves that extended out from the face of the walls between the ground floor windows. If you hit the sweet spot on the convex part of the cornice, the ball shot out on a clothesline too high to catch before it hit 585 on the other side of 88th. Hit above the sweet spot and you either popped up or the ball hit above the third floor of 585 and was easy to catch as it bounced off. Hit the concave part of the S and the ball went to the infield. Just as 575 was perfect for hitting, 585 was perfect to have in the outfield. It had crenulations up to the third floor that made the ball bounce off in flukey ways outfielders couldn't predict.
Matt - tall, big hands, good jumper, stood with his back to 585 ready to jump, or turn, back away and catch the rebound. He was our best outfielder, but had a weak arm and couldn't hit.
The two hardest guys to get out were Blue Book and Esau. Blue Book hit with a submarine motion, and could usually drop in singles unless Nate was in the infield. Nate had been a soccer goalie in Switzerland and had the fastest hands on the block.
Esau was our hardest thrower and hit straight-down from so close to the wall he sometimes skinned his knuckles. Spaldeens were very lively balls. Bounce one on the sidewalk and it would go up to the third floor. When Esau hit the point at the bottom of the cornice that spaldeen rocketed off going ninety and bounced two inches past the edge of the sidewalk. Nate had to play back in the middle of the street to hold him to a single.
Neither Esau nor the rest of us had any idea that people all over the southern part of Korea were protesting and striking against the trustee government set up by the U.S. and that we had declared martial law and fired on the protesters.
When Blue Book and Esau were on the same team, they would sometimes load the bases with singles the first few times they got up, then either go for homers or keep singling runners in until they got fifteen runs ahead and won by the slaughter rule. If Esau had been taller and a better outfielder, he might have been Number One in Blue Book's Stoop Ball Hall of Fame. As it was, he only made it on his hitting.
(Originally published at AuthorsDen and reprinted with permission of the author, Herbert Lobsenz).
Herbert Lobsenz studied literature at Heights College, NYU, went into the army during the Korean War and, following Robert Jordan of For Whom The Bell Tolls, became an EOD specialist. His second novel, Vangel Griffin (1961), won the Harper Prize and appeared on the Times best seller list. His latest novel, Succession, will be published in May 2008. Visit http://www.oldtimewriter.com.
Keyword tags: nostalgia, stoop ball, New York City, literature, fiction, memories, memoir, children\\\'s games
Marbles had its short season. In fall and winter we played roller hockey and association football. Punch ball and stickball started in March and went through early fall, but stoop ball was year round. The only thing that stopped us playing stoop ball was too much snow on the ground.
We followed the usual rules: one infielder, one outfielder; nine inning games; if the ball hit the sidewalk you hit from, got caught before it bounced, or went outside the foul lines, you were out. One bounce was a single, two a double, etc. If you hit the wall of the building across the street on the fly and the ball didn't get caught before it hit the ground it was a home run. Imaginary base runners advanced one base on a single, two on a double.
Instead of a stoop, though, we hit off the S-shaped cornices that ran three feet above the sidewalk on the wall of the 88th Street side of 575 West End Avenue. They were perfect for hitting - white seven inch high S-curves that extended out from the face of the walls between the ground floor windows. If you hit the sweet spot on the convex part of the cornice, the ball shot out on a clothesline too high to catch before it hit 585 on the other side of 88th. Hit above the sweet spot and you either popped up or the ball hit above the third floor of 585 and was easy to catch as it bounced off. Hit the concave part of the S and the ball went to the infield. Just as 575 was perfect for hitting, 585 was perfect to have in the outfield. It had crenulations up to the third floor that made the ball bounce off in flukey ways outfielders couldn't predict.
Matt - tall, big hands, good jumper, stood with his back to 585 ready to jump, or turn, back away and catch the rebound. He was our best outfielder, but had a weak arm and couldn't hit.
The two hardest guys to get out were Blue Book and Esau. Blue Book hit with a submarine motion, and could usually drop in singles unless Nate was in the infield. Nate had been a soccer goalie in Switzerland and had the fastest hands on the block.
Esau was our hardest thrower and hit straight-down from so close to the wall he sometimes skinned his knuckles. Spaldeens were very lively balls. Bounce one on the sidewalk and it would go up to the third floor. When Esau hit the point at the bottom of the cornice that spaldeen rocketed off going ninety and bounced two inches past the edge of the sidewalk. Nate had to play back in the middle of the street to hold him to a single.
Neither Esau nor the rest of us had any idea that people all over the southern part of Korea were protesting and striking against the trustee government set up by the U.S. and that we had declared martial law and fired on the protesters.
When Blue Book and Esau were on the same team, they would sometimes load the bases with singles the first few times they got up, then either go for homers or keep singling runners in until they got fifteen runs ahead and won by the slaughter rule. If Esau had been taller and a better outfielder, he might have been Number One in Blue Book's Stoop Ball Hall of Fame. As it was, he only made it on his hitting.
(Originally published at AuthorsDen and reprinted with permission of the author, Herbert Lobsenz).
Herbert Lobsenz studied literature at Heights College, NYU, went into the army during the Korean War and, following Robert Jordan of For Whom The Bell Tolls, became an EOD specialist. His second novel, Vangel Griffin (1961), won the Harper Prize and appeared on the Times best seller list. His latest novel, Succession, will be published in May 2008. Visit http://www.oldtimewriter.com.
Keyword tags: nostalgia, stoop ball, New York City, literature, fiction, memories, memoir, children\\\'s games
More On The Way Things Used To Be
One day Barry Bogardus picked up a broken marble someone left lying on the street, went round the corner to West End and put it up against the curbstone.
"A hundred if you hit it!" he called out.
That got everyone's attention. West End was twice the width of 88th so the true amount should have been forty if you hit it, not a hundred. Everyone ran to West End, including Cedric who even holding his bulging pocket, got there first, expression blank, mouth hanging open.
Just as I never saw another guy bend at the waist, legs straight and reach down to tie his shoes the way Cedric did and I never saw another guy shoot marbles his way either.
Most guys stood legs spread and rolled the marble thumb first. But when Cedric sat down to shoot across West End Avenue, he folded his legs beneath him like a mermaid's tail, held the marble between his thumb and first finger and slid the side of his hand forward to release the marble. It didn't go as fast but it was more precise and he corrected his aim after every roll.
His first shot missed to the right by three inches. He shifted left and began getting closer shot by shot. On his eighth shot he missed to the left instead of to the right, and shifted back a couple of millimeters. His ninth shot hit Barry Bogardus's broken marble square. We all cheered and Cedric ran across to collect.
Coolly, Barry counted out the marbles Cedric had rolled and dropped them into Cedric's cupped gloves. "Seven, eight, nine," he said. "That's all I got right now. I owe you 91."
Then he picked up the broken marble he'd put up and dropped that into Cedric's gloves. "That makes it ninety and a half," he said.
Kenny Nails shoved his hands into his overcoat pockets and did his windshield wiper laugh, but the rest of us were stunned. For us, it was like the day they discovered fire or maybe the day Cain killed Abel. But then none of us knew that of the 376 four engine bombers that raided Schweinfurt and Regensburg without fighter support and "had ball bearings bouncing all over Germany," sixty of the bombers were shot down and another eighty seven damaged beyond repair.
The other kids shook their heads and walked away, but I stood there staring at Barry, trying to get up my nerve. I knew a snake had come into the neighborhood and that things weren't going to be the same anymore. But I kept thinking how big he was and how he'd beaten up two kids from Columbus Avenue and in the end, with Barry and Kenny Nails laughing at me behind my back, I walked away too.
The years went by; I went off to college; the Korean War started, I went into the army, got out, wandered around Europe for five years, got married, moved to Connecticut and one day in Grand Central Station, I heard someone call my name.
At first I didn't recognize him, but it was Blue Book. The last time I'd seen him he was a hatchet face. Now he was a moon face.
"Guess who died," he said.
"Who?" I was afraid to guess.
"Cedric. I went to his funeral last week."
That surprised me. "What happened?"
Blue Book shook his head. "I guess he just ran out of life."
"It was nice of you to go to his funeral."
"Hey," Blue Book said. "He was a punch ball Hall of Famer."
"Hell of a pass catcher too," I said.
Blue Book acted as if he hadn't heard that. "Best lead-off man in the history of 88th Street," he said. I think he still resented that I'd favored Cedric over him as a pass receiver.
"What was his batting average?" I asked.
Blue Book gave me an embarrassed smile.
"No, really," I said.
"Around .875," Blue Book said.
He knew the exact figure. He kept meticulous records on everything from pitching nickels to association football. That was how he got the name Blue Book.
"Lifetime?" I asked. "Or best season?"
"Lifetime," Blue Book said. "But his slugging average? It was under .900."
"He was a singles hitter," I said.
Blue Book shook his head again. "What an epitaph!" he said.
I hadn't meant it that way and a sudden picture of Barry Bogardus counting out the marbles Cedric had rolled, dropping them into Cedric's cupped gloves and saying, "That's all I got right now. I owe you 91," flashed through my mind. It made me feel sorry it took me so long to do anything about that and that Cedric never heard what I had done.
"A singles hitter was all he ever wanted to be," I said, probably a little too piously.
"Nothing against singles hitters," Blue Book quickly said. "He was a client."
Blue Book had gone into insurance and, excepting me, had sold one policy or another to every marble-shooting punch and stoop player from 79th up to 96th Street.
(Originally published at AuthorsDen and reprinted with permission of the author, Herbert Lobsenz).
Herbert Lobsenz studied literature at Heights College, NYU, went into the army during the Korean War and, following Robert Jordan of For Whom The Bell Tolls, became an EOD specialist. His second novel, Vangel Griffin (1961), won the Harper Prize and appeared on the Times best seller list. His latest novel, Succession, will be published in May 2008. Visit http://www.oldtimewriter.com.
Keyword tags: nostalgia, Marbles, New York City, literature, fiction, memories, memoir, children\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s games
"A hundred if you hit it!" he called out.
That got everyone's attention. West End was twice the width of 88th so the true amount should have been forty if you hit it, not a hundred. Everyone ran to West End, including Cedric who even holding his bulging pocket, got there first, expression blank, mouth hanging open.
Just as I never saw another guy bend at the waist, legs straight and reach down to tie his shoes the way Cedric did and I never saw another guy shoot marbles his way either.
Most guys stood legs spread and rolled the marble thumb first. But when Cedric sat down to shoot across West End Avenue, he folded his legs beneath him like a mermaid's tail, held the marble between his thumb and first finger and slid the side of his hand forward to release the marble. It didn't go as fast but it was more precise and he corrected his aim after every roll.
His first shot missed to the right by three inches. He shifted left and began getting closer shot by shot. On his eighth shot he missed to the left instead of to the right, and shifted back a couple of millimeters. His ninth shot hit Barry Bogardus's broken marble square. We all cheered and Cedric ran across to collect.
Coolly, Barry counted out the marbles Cedric had rolled and dropped them into Cedric's cupped gloves. "Seven, eight, nine," he said. "That's all I got right now. I owe you 91."
Then he picked up the broken marble he'd put up and dropped that into Cedric's gloves. "That makes it ninety and a half," he said.
Kenny Nails shoved his hands into his overcoat pockets and did his windshield wiper laugh, but the rest of us were stunned. For us, it was like the day they discovered fire or maybe the day Cain killed Abel. But then none of us knew that of the 376 four engine bombers that raided Schweinfurt and Regensburg without fighter support and "had ball bearings bouncing all over Germany," sixty of the bombers were shot down and another eighty seven damaged beyond repair.
The other kids shook their heads and walked away, but I stood there staring at Barry, trying to get up my nerve. I knew a snake had come into the neighborhood and that things weren't going to be the same anymore. But I kept thinking how big he was and how he'd beaten up two kids from Columbus Avenue and in the end, with Barry and Kenny Nails laughing at me behind my back, I walked away too.
The years went by; I went off to college; the Korean War started, I went into the army, got out, wandered around Europe for five years, got married, moved to Connecticut and one day in Grand Central Station, I heard someone call my name.
At first I didn't recognize him, but it was Blue Book. The last time I'd seen him he was a hatchet face. Now he was a moon face.
"Guess who died," he said.
"Who?" I was afraid to guess.
"Cedric. I went to his funeral last week."
That surprised me. "What happened?"
Blue Book shook his head. "I guess he just ran out of life."
"It was nice of you to go to his funeral."
"Hey," Blue Book said. "He was a punch ball Hall of Famer."
"Hell of a pass catcher too," I said.
Blue Book acted as if he hadn't heard that. "Best lead-off man in the history of 88th Street," he said. I think he still resented that I'd favored Cedric over him as a pass receiver.
"What was his batting average?" I asked.
Blue Book gave me an embarrassed smile.
"No, really," I said.
"Around .875," Blue Book said.
He knew the exact figure. He kept meticulous records on everything from pitching nickels to association football. That was how he got the name Blue Book.
"Lifetime?" I asked. "Or best season?"
"Lifetime," Blue Book said. "But his slugging average? It was under .900."
"He was a singles hitter," I said.
Blue Book shook his head again. "What an epitaph!" he said.
I hadn't meant it that way and a sudden picture of Barry Bogardus counting out the marbles Cedric had rolled, dropping them into Cedric's cupped gloves and saying, "That's all I got right now. I owe you 91," flashed through my mind. It made me feel sorry it took me so long to do anything about that and that Cedric never heard what I had done.
"A singles hitter was all he ever wanted to be," I said, probably a little too piously.
"Nothing against singles hitters," Blue Book quickly said. "He was a client."
Blue Book had gone into insurance and, excepting me, had sold one policy or another to every marble-shooting punch and stoop player from 79th up to 96th Street.
(Originally published at AuthorsDen and reprinted with permission of the author, Herbert Lobsenz).
Herbert Lobsenz studied literature at Heights College, NYU, went into the army during the Korean War and, following Robert Jordan of For Whom The Bell Tolls, became an EOD specialist. His second novel, Vangel Griffin (1961), won the Harper Prize and appeared on the Times best seller list. His latest novel, Succession, will be published in May 2008. Visit http://www.oldtimewriter.com.
Keyword tags: nostalgia, Marbles, New York City, literature, fiction, memories, memoir, children\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s games
Freelance Writing - Get Started As A Web Writer
Web writers are in high demand because Web sites' traffic and sales depend on a constant stream of fresh new content. This means that you can make money freelance writing for the Web, even if you've never been published before.
I know several bloggers who are making triple their former "day job" incomes just from blogging. Ghostwriters who write articles are doing well too. Neither of these writing jobs required any technical expertise, just the ability to write effectively and regularly.
Every week I receive several "How do I get started Web writing?" questions from new writers.
The answer is "Start anywhere, and keep writing." There's really no mystique. You need to write and publish what you write online to prove that you CAN write. No one will hire you on your say-so, you have to show that you can write for the Web, that you can follow instructions, and that you can deliver what you're asked to deliver ON TIME.
The upside of this is that when you are hired, you'll be paid a retainer of half your fee, with the remainder paid when you send in your material. This contrasts sharply with writing for print, when you're paid on acceptance or even on publication... which sometimes translates to "never." I'm still waiting for "on publication" payments for articles I wrote in the 1980s.
Writing for the Web is all about building your credibility.
If You Can Write, Just Build Your Credits Until You're Paid Well
Just as in the print world, there's a range of fees paid in Web writing. Payments depend on the success of the Web site or business which hires you. You can be paid $1 a word and more by high-traffic sites, but you need to develop your name and reputation first before such sites will hire you.
It's all about your NAME. Anyone who's thinking of hiring you online will Google your name. If your writing shows up, that's a large tick for you. People hiring a Web writer want to see your name on the Web. That's simply common sense.
So let's see how we can get your name out there so that people can find you and realize that you can help them by writing for them.
1. Create a blog
This is the easiest way. You can create a free blog in seconds. Just start posting to the blog.
You can blog about any topic you'd like to be hired to write about - parenting, tropical fish, bike riding, etc. Avoid blogging about yourself however, because no one will hire you to write about you, unless you're famous.
On your blog's sidebar, just add a link to your "Hire Me" page.
2. Promote your blog and your writing services
Keep posting to your blog, adding a few blog posts each week. Your blog will be indexed by the search engines, and you'll start to get traffic.
You can help the process along by promoting your blog, via the many online classifieds sites; by creating pages on sites like Squidoo pointing to your blog; by article marketing - there are dozens of ways you can promote your blog so that you start getting traffic and getting hired to write.
So there you have it: getting started as a Web writer just means writing and promoting yourself. The process I've outlined for you works. Just follow it - before you know it you'll get the first of many Web clients.
You can make great money writing on the Web. Angela Booth's amazing new membership program "Sell Your Writing Online NOW" Training Program at http://sellwritingnow.com/Home/training.html shows you how. The training gives you everything you need to develop a complete high-income home business.
Keyword tags: writing,writing jobs,writing tips,freelance writing,writer,Web writing,writing skills
I know several bloggers who are making triple their former "day job" incomes just from blogging. Ghostwriters who write articles are doing well too. Neither of these writing jobs required any technical expertise, just the ability to write effectively and regularly.
Every week I receive several "How do I get started Web writing?" questions from new writers.
The answer is "Start anywhere, and keep writing." There's really no mystique. You need to write and publish what you write online to prove that you CAN write. No one will hire you on your say-so, you have to show that you can write for the Web, that you can follow instructions, and that you can deliver what you're asked to deliver ON TIME.
The upside of this is that when you are hired, you'll be paid a retainer of half your fee, with the remainder paid when you send in your material. This contrasts sharply with writing for print, when you're paid on acceptance or even on publication... which sometimes translates to "never." I'm still waiting for "on publication" payments for articles I wrote in the 1980s.
Writing for the Web is all about building your credibility.
If You Can Write, Just Build Your Credits Until You're Paid Well
Just as in the print world, there's a range of fees paid in Web writing. Payments depend on the success of the Web site or business which hires you. You can be paid $1 a word and more by high-traffic sites, but you need to develop your name and reputation first before such sites will hire you.
It's all about your NAME. Anyone who's thinking of hiring you online will Google your name. If your writing shows up, that's a large tick for you. People hiring a Web writer want to see your name on the Web. That's simply common sense.
So let's see how we can get your name out there so that people can find you and realize that you can help them by writing for them.
1. Create a blog
This is the easiest way. You can create a free blog in seconds. Just start posting to the blog.
You can blog about any topic you'd like to be hired to write about - parenting, tropical fish, bike riding, etc. Avoid blogging about yourself however, because no one will hire you to write about you, unless you're famous.
On your blog's sidebar, just add a link to your "Hire Me" page.
2. Promote your blog and your writing services
Keep posting to your blog, adding a few blog posts each week. Your blog will be indexed by the search engines, and you'll start to get traffic.
You can help the process along by promoting your blog, via the many online classifieds sites; by creating pages on sites like Squidoo pointing to your blog; by article marketing - there are dozens of ways you can promote your blog so that you start getting traffic and getting hired to write.
So there you have it: getting started as a Web writer just means writing and promoting yourself. The process I've outlined for you works. Just follow it - before you know it you'll get the first of many Web clients.
You can make great money writing on the Web. Angela Booth's amazing new membership program "Sell Your Writing Online NOW" Training Program at http://sellwritingnow.com/Home/training.html shows you how. The training gives you everything you need to develop a complete high-income home business.
Keyword tags: writing,writing jobs,writing tips,freelance writing,writer,Web writing,writing skills
Friday, May 16, 2008
Writing An Essay For College
It seems that many students today not only do not know how to write an essay, but they have trouble constructing a basic paragraph. It seems that the school system seems to be failing our students in this area, and we should not take it that a student has a lack of intelligence or ability.
Here are some basic guidelines that you should follow when writing an essay. It may be that not every guideline will suit a writer's individual tastes, but before ignoring one of these steps completely, you should, at least, give each step a try.
Research: When writing an essay, the first thing you must do is some preliminary research. You do not have to go and read every book on the subject you are choosing, but just look and see what sort of materials are accessible on your topic. You should keep in mind the following points:
You know that your topic is too broad if you find an unlimited supply of sources. In order to find a suitable focus, you will have to dig deeply into the subject.
After doing a serious search and not finding any resources, your topic may either be too new or too narrow.
Use the Internet with a grain of salt. It can be a wonderful source of knowledge, but it can also be a source of complete nonsense. Make sure that all of your sources are NOT Internet based. In order to have a valid topic, your sources should come from different people or groups of people.
Now that you have done your preliminary research, you are ready to zero in on your topic and choose a focus for writing your essay.
Compiling your Notes: Now that the bulk of your research has been done, you should have several pages of notes. These can either be on paper, the computer or both. Don't try to sit down and stick random pieces of information into an essay. Have some highlighters or colored pens handy. In this way, you can decide what comes first, second and so on.
Writing your Essay: Once your outline has been solidified, you can begin to knit the pieces of information together into formal prose. As you write your essay, try to do so using an analytical mind so that you can bring your points together to make a coherent statement.
Assume that your reader knows nothing about your topic. This means that you should explain who different people are and what things do so that it will all fit together in the end. Develop clear and uncomplicated prose. Make sure you use words correctly. Do not make your sentences choppy or so long that they go beyond a single idea. You must make a concerted effort to be clear about every point in your essay.
Try not to wait until the last few days to do your research. You may find that all of your resources have already been checked out. Don't wait until the final hour and pull an all nighter to write your essay. You don't want to turn in a second-rate piece of work.
Schedule different parts of your essay so that you do not have to scramble at the last minute to finish all of its parts at once. The final product that you turn in will be much better if you make good use of your time.
If you follow the above pointers, you will be sure to turn out an essay that will be a credit to your hard work!
http://www.essaytown.com College Essay http://www.essaytown.com/subjects.html Essay Topic
Keyword tags: term papers,research papers,essay writing,dissertations,college term papers,college essays
Here are some basic guidelines that you should follow when writing an essay. It may be that not every guideline will suit a writer's individual tastes, but before ignoring one of these steps completely, you should, at least, give each step a try.
Research: When writing an essay, the first thing you must do is some preliminary research. You do not have to go and read every book on the subject you are choosing, but just look and see what sort of materials are accessible on your topic. You should keep in mind the following points:
You know that your topic is too broad if you find an unlimited supply of sources. In order to find a suitable focus, you will have to dig deeply into the subject.
After doing a serious search and not finding any resources, your topic may either be too new or too narrow.
Use the Internet with a grain of salt. It can be a wonderful source of knowledge, but it can also be a source of complete nonsense. Make sure that all of your sources are NOT Internet based. In order to have a valid topic, your sources should come from different people or groups of people.
Now that you have done your preliminary research, you are ready to zero in on your topic and choose a focus for writing your essay.
Compiling your Notes: Now that the bulk of your research has been done, you should have several pages of notes. These can either be on paper, the computer or both. Don't try to sit down and stick random pieces of information into an essay. Have some highlighters or colored pens handy. In this way, you can decide what comes first, second and so on.
Writing your Essay: Once your outline has been solidified, you can begin to knit the pieces of information together into formal prose. As you write your essay, try to do so using an analytical mind so that you can bring your points together to make a coherent statement.
Assume that your reader knows nothing about your topic. This means that you should explain who different people are and what things do so that it will all fit together in the end. Develop clear and uncomplicated prose. Make sure you use words correctly. Do not make your sentences choppy or so long that they go beyond a single idea. You must make a concerted effort to be clear about every point in your essay.
Try not to wait until the last few days to do your research. You may find that all of your resources have already been checked out. Don't wait until the final hour and pull an all nighter to write your essay. You don't want to turn in a second-rate piece of work.
Schedule different parts of your essay so that you do not have to scramble at the last minute to finish all of its parts at once. The final product that you turn in will be much better if you make good use of your time.
If you follow the above pointers, you will be sure to turn out an essay that will be a credit to your hard work!
http://www.essaytown.com College Essay http://www.essaytown.com/subjects.html Essay Topic
Keyword tags: term papers,research papers,essay writing,dissertations,college term papers,college essays
Avoid Writing Income Disasters With These Five Tips - Part One
There's never been a better time to be a writer. You've got the potential of earning an unlimited income. Writing jobs abound, on the Web and off it.
However, some writers manage to cripple their income, both by not understanding all the opportunities which are available, and by not understanding that their writing skills deserve to be well-recompensed.
So let's look at five writing income disasters, and how you can avoid them.
1. Not asking for a retainer
Sadly this disaster is very, very common, especially for writers who are used to writing for magazines and newspapers.
If you don't have a regular gig writing for them, magazines and newspapers are lousy markets. After they cherry pick your proposals and you get a commission, they take their time paying you. They pay on acceptance or on publication, but they don't pay a retainer.
They train writers to wait for their money, and it cripples writers when they write for businesses or for the Web. They fail to understand that they must get a retainer.
A retainer is standard, it's vital, and if you don't ask for it you have no way of knowing whether you're dealing with a genuine client, or with someone who's out to scam you.
So get a retainer of at least 50 per cent of your fee. On long projects, your writing services agreement should include payment milestones - weekly, monthly, or as the project progresses.
You send an invoice for your retainer when you send your writing services agreement. Don't start writing, until you've got the retainer payment.
2. No writing services agreement
This is the second most common writing disaster I see.
You must have a writing services agreement, and you must state your payment and delivery services clearly in the agreement.
The project as you understand it forms the main part of the agreement. Please don't copy and paste into the agreement from the project brief. Rewrite the brief in bullet points and in your own words, as YOU understand it.
Rewriting the brief in your own words will not only clarify your thinking about the project, it also means that you will ask more questions of the client so that you understand completely what's required of you.
3. Procrastination
The more you write, the more income you make. Procrastination is a writing income disaster - and it's easily avoided.
Here's how. Make a commitment to write when you're at your computer. Write! Don't "research" (surf the Web), or dither. Decide that when you're sitting at your computer, you'll write. You can Web surf after all your writing for the day is done.
When you commit to a writing project, and have received your retainer, your speed of delivery is paramount. Your clients expect speed, but 90 per cent of the time their expectations are dashed.
Therefore when you fail to meet a deadline, not only do you guarantee that your current client won't send you further projects, you also poison the pool for other writers he may consider hiring.
So please, meet your deadlines. All it takes it commitment.
Watch for Part Two of this article, in which we'll cover other writing income disasters. If you avoid all five disasters, your writing income will soar.
You can make great money on the Web. Angela Booth's amazing new membership program "Sell Your Writing Online NOW" Training Program at http://sellwritingnow.com/Home/training.html shows you how. The training gives you everything you need to develop a complete high-income home business.
Keyword tags: writing,writing jobs,writing tips,freelance writing,writer,Web writing,writing skills
However, some writers manage to cripple their income, both by not understanding all the opportunities which are available, and by not understanding that their writing skills deserve to be well-recompensed.
So let's look at five writing income disasters, and how you can avoid them.
1. Not asking for a retainer
Sadly this disaster is very, very common, especially for writers who are used to writing for magazines and newspapers.
If you don't have a regular gig writing for them, magazines and newspapers are lousy markets. After they cherry pick your proposals and you get a commission, they take their time paying you. They pay on acceptance or on publication, but they don't pay a retainer.
They train writers to wait for their money, and it cripples writers when they write for businesses or for the Web. They fail to understand that they must get a retainer.
A retainer is standard, it's vital, and if you don't ask for it you have no way of knowing whether you're dealing with a genuine client, or with someone who's out to scam you.
So get a retainer of at least 50 per cent of your fee. On long projects, your writing services agreement should include payment milestones - weekly, monthly, or as the project progresses.
You send an invoice for your retainer when you send your writing services agreement. Don't start writing, until you've got the retainer payment.
2. No writing services agreement
This is the second most common writing disaster I see.
You must have a writing services agreement, and you must state your payment and delivery services clearly in the agreement.
The project as you understand it forms the main part of the agreement. Please don't copy and paste into the agreement from the project brief. Rewrite the brief in bullet points and in your own words, as YOU understand it.
Rewriting the brief in your own words will not only clarify your thinking about the project, it also means that you will ask more questions of the client so that you understand completely what's required of you.
3. Procrastination
The more you write, the more income you make. Procrastination is a writing income disaster - and it's easily avoided.
Here's how. Make a commitment to write when you're at your computer. Write! Don't "research" (surf the Web), or dither. Decide that when you're sitting at your computer, you'll write. You can Web surf after all your writing for the day is done.
When you commit to a writing project, and have received your retainer, your speed of delivery is paramount. Your clients expect speed, but 90 per cent of the time their expectations are dashed.
Therefore when you fail to meet a deadline, not only do you guarantee that your current client won't send you further projects, you also poison the pool for other writers he may consider hiring.
So please, meet your deadlines. All it takes it commitment.
Watch for Part Two of this article, in which we'll cover other writing income disasters. If you avoid all five disasters, your writing income will soar.
You can make great money on the Web. Angela Booth's amazing new membership program "Sell Your Writing Online NOW" Training Program at http://sellwritingnow.com/Home/training.html shows you how. The training gives you everything you need to develop a complete high-income home business.
Keyword tags: writing,writing jobs,writing tips,freelance writing,writer,Web writing,writing skills
Avoid Writing Income Disasters With These Five Tips - Part Two
These days, writers can make an unlimited income. If you set your mind to it, you can make as much income as you choose. Many writers are earning six figures. You can too, as long as you avoid common writing income disasters.
In the first part of our article, we discussed three of the most common disasters:
1. Not asking for a retainer
If you don't ask for a retainer of at least 50 per cent, you have no way of knowing whether or not a client is genuine, or whether he's a scammer.
2. No writing services agreement
Without a writing services agreement, you're in a very bad place.
3. Procrastination
When it's time to write, write. The more you write, the more you earn.
You can read about the above three disasters in detail in Part One of this article.
Now let's focus on the other two most common disasters I see.
4. Writing for low pay
Assuming you have some writing credits (in other words, someone, somewhere, sometime has paid you for your writing), you can charge appropriately.
Writing for higher pay is actually easier than writing for low pay, and here's why: clients who pay you appropriately know their business and they know the value of writing. They're successful, so they want the best writers.
Many writers start their writing career on the out-sourcing sites. Now, while I have nothing against these sites, once you have a couple of writing credits it's time to get away from those sites, and FAST.
Why? Because of the "rush to the bottom" mentality that abounds on these sites. The writers on these sites use them inappropriately - they want to win projects by under-bidding each other. They've never learned any marketing skills.
Nobody wins when writers do this. Not the writers and definitely not the clients.
The writers don't win because they're forced into writing like battery hens are forced into laying eggs. They write so much the quality suffers. They have no time to get out of the writing ghetto and look for better writing jobs. They have no time for self-promotion, which would ensure that they get better writing jobs.
The clients don't win because sub-standard writing ensures that their projects are sub-standard.
Now let's look at the next writing disaster.
5. Forgetting to promote yourself
Writers need to learn self-promotion, and then they need to promote themselves.
Want to know the easiest way to spot a newbie writer? OK. Here it is: the newbie writer creates a name for their writing "business", like "The Write Standard", or "Writing Wonder Words" or "Just a Another Writer" or whatever... Please note that all these names are fictional, as far as I'm aware. I made them up; I certainly hope that no one's using them - if anyone is, I'm sorry, because I'm not referring to you specifically.
Big, big tip: a professional writer uses his or her own name ONLY. They realize that promoting anything is hard work, so they might as well turn their own name into a brand, rather than creating a ditzy name for their business.
Use your own name. It helps you to build your credits. Editors, publishers and clients will remember your name, so use it.
Please avoid all five writing disasters, now you know what they are. When you treat your writing with the respect it deserves, you will make an income beyond your dreams, and you'll richly deserve it too.
You can make great money on the Web. Angela Booth's amazing new membership program "Sell Your Writing Online NOW" Training Program at http://sellwritingnow.com/Home/training.html shows you how. The training gives you everything you need to develop a complete high-income home business.
Keyword tags: writing,writing jobs,writing tips,freelance writing,writer,Web writing,writing skills
In the first part of our article, we discussed three of the most common disasters:
1. Not asking for a retainer
If you don't ask for a retainer of at least 50 per cent, you have no way of knowing whether or not a client is genuine, or whether he's a scammer.
2. No writing services agreement
Without a writing services agreement, you're in a very bad place.
3. Procrastination
When it's time to write, write. The more you write, the more you earn.
You can read about the above three disasters in detail in Part One of this article.
Now let's focus on the other two most common disasters I see.
4. Writing for low pay
Assuming you have some writing credits (in other words, someone, somewhere, sometime has paid you for your writing), you can charge appropriately.
Writing for higher pay is actually easier than writing for low pay, and here's why: clients who pay you appropriately know their business and they know the value of writing. They're successful, so they want the best writers.
Many writers start their writing career on the out-sourcing sites. Now, while I have nothing against these sites, once you have a couple of writing credits it's time to get away from those sites, and FAST.
Why? Because of the "rush to the bottom" mentality that abounds on these sites. The writers on these sites use them inappropriately - they want to win projects by under-bidding each other. They've never learned any marketing skills.
Nobody wins when writers do this. Not the writers and definitely not the clients.
The writers don't win because they're forced into writing like battery hens are forced into laying eggs. They write so much the quality suffers. They have no time to get out of the writing ghetto and look for better writing jobs. They have no time for self-promotion, which would ensure that they get better writing jobs.
The clients don't win because sub-standard writing ensures that their projects are sub-standard.
Now let's look at the next writing disaster.
5. Forgetting to promote yourself
Writers need to learn self-promotion, and then they need to promote themselves.
Want to know the easiest way to spot a newbie writer? OK. Here it is: the newbie writer creates a name for their writing "business", like "The Write Standard", or "Writing Wonder Words" or "Just a Another Writer" or whatever... Please note that all these names are fictional, as far as I'm aware. I made them up; I certainly hope that no one's using them - if anyone is, I'm sorry, because I'm not referring to you specifically.
Big, big tip: a professional writer uses his or her own name ONLY. They realize that promoting anything is hard work, so they might as well turn their own name into a brand, rather than creating a ditzy name for their business.
Use your own name. It helps you to build your credits. Editors, publishers and clients will remember your name, so use it.
Please avoid all five writing disasters, now you know what they are. When you treat your writing with the respect it deserves, you will make an income beyond your dreams, and you'll richly deserve it too.
You can make great money on the Web. Angela Booth's amazing new membership program "Sell Your Writing Online NOW" Training Program at http://sellwritingnow.com/Home/training.html shows you how. The training gives you everything you need to develop a complete high-income home business.
Keyword tags: writing,writing jobs,writing tips,freelance writing,writer,Web writing,writing skills
Thursday, May 15, 2008
You’re Ripping Yourself Off
by Cynthia Morris
There are few things that strike fear in the heart of creative people more than finishing. Clients come to me and cite their biggest block is actually completing something. It makes sense. Finishing a project is like giving birth – the closer you get to the due date, the more things become restricted, the more you have to squeeze into the narrow confines of the birth canal to complete. You have to say no to distractions. You face the reality of your brilliant ideas, and it’s not always a pretty picture. Restrictions are much less sexy than the excitement of possibility at the beginning of the creative cycle. And creative types like the notion of lots of freedom and space to create and play. So it’s no wonder that creative people are known to harbor a closet full of abandoned projects.
Yet when we cycle through project after project and never bring any of them to completion, we rob ourselves of some very vital and powerful juju. Here are some of the gems that await you in the completion phase of any personal, professional or creative project.
You will gain confidence in your ability to stay with something. Staying with something, even when it is difficult, gives us extra karmic muscle. When we stay, we get to feel and experience our inner power. This confidence will extend to other areas of your life and will enhance all that you do.
Trust comes with the confidence of completing. As you lean into the final phase of creating, your trust in yourself builds. You learn to believe yourself when you say you are going to do something. With this trust comes self-respect and self-love.
You will glean enormous learning about your craft. What makes a completed piece is very different than what makes a fresh idea compelling. By completing, you delve into the very heart of what makes a piece good. And you want to be good at what you do, don’t you?
And, while you are there, in the heart of your craft, you will discover something else: yourself. The themes and questions of your life will emerge in the process. What you value and hold close to your heart will come forth in your work. I always knew that writing was an act of self-discovery, but it wasn’t until I was in the final laps of finishing my novel that I saw how true that platitude was.
These are some of the benefits that I have reaped from finishing. What might you get from completing? Ask yourself this question – What will be different for me when I finish ________? The answer might reveal a motivation and a reason for staying stuck. Don’t deny yourself the pleasures and benefits of completing. You and your great ideas deserve the joy and satisfaction that comes from crossing the finish line.
This article is excerpted from Cynthia’s e-book, Cross the Finish Line! Five Steps to Leap Over the Hurdles to Completion. Pick your copy up today and become a serial finisher.
Speaker, author and coach Cynthia Morris of Original Impulse helps writers and visionaries make their brilliant ideas a reality. Author of Create Your Writer’s Life and Cross the Finish Line! Five Steps to Leap Over the Hurdles to Completion, Cynthia and her clients have finished books, blogs, web sites, art pieces and more. Cynthia coaches from Europe. Follow her journey on her blog at Journey Juju.
Article Source: www.articlesite.info
There are few things that strike fear in the heart of creative people more than finishing. Clients come to me and cite their biggest block is actually completing something. It makes sense. Finishing a project is like giving birth – the closer you get to the due date, the more things become restricted, the more you have to squeeze into the narrow confines of the birth canal to complete. You have to say no to distractions. You face the reality of your brilliant ideas, and it’s not always a pretty picture. Restrictions are much less sexy than the excitement of possibility at the beginning of the creative cycle. And creative types like the notion of lots of freedom and space to create and play. So it’s no wonder that creative people are known to harbor a closet full of abandoned projects.
Yet when we cycle through project after project and never bring any of them to completion, we rob ourselves of some very vital and powerful juju. Here are some of the gems that await you in the completion phase of any personal, professional or creative project.
You will gain confidence in your ability to stay with something. Staying with something, even when it is difficult, gives us extra karmic muscle. When we stay, we get to feel and experience our inner power. This confidence will extend to other areas of your life and will enhance all that you do.
Trust comes with the confidence of completing. As you lean into the final phase of creating, your trust in yourself builds. You learn to believe yourself when you say you are going to do something. With this trust comes self-respect and self-love.
You will glean enormous learning about your craft. What makes a completed piece is very different than what makes a fresh idea compelling. By completing, you delve into the very heart of what makes a piece good. And you want to be good at what you do, don’t you?
And, while you are there, in the heart of your craft, you will discover something else: yourself. The themes and questions of your life will emerge in the process. What you value and hold close to your heart will come forth in your work. I always knew that writing was an act of self-discovery, but it wasn’t until I was in the final laps of finishing my novel that I saw how true that platitude was.
These are some of the benefits that I have reaped from finishing. What might you get from completing? Ask yourself this question – What will be different for me when I finish ________? The answer might reveal a motivation and a reason for staying stuck. Don’t deny yourself the pleasures and benefits of completing. You and your great ideas deserve the joy and satisfaction that comes from crossing the finish line.
This article is excerpted from Cynthia’s e-book, Cross the Finish Line! Five Steps to Leap Over the Hurdles to Completion. Pick your copy up today and become a serial finisher.
Speaker, author and coach Cynthia Morris of Original Impulse helps writers and visionaries make their brilliant ideas a reality. Author of Create Your Writer’s Life and Cross the Finish Line! Five Steps to Leap Over the Hurdles to Completion, Cynthia and her clients have finished books, blogs, web sites, art pieces and more. Cynthia coaches from Europe. Follow her journey on her blog at Journey Juju.
Article Source: www.articlesite.info
How To Write Truly Compelling Website Copy Like An Expert Copywriter
by Serge Dandelin
If you have been running an online business for any length of time, you should be aware that creating effective website copy is the single, most important factor that will make the difference between your success and failure online. You may have a flood of targeted traffic coming to your website but that won't change anything if you have a poor website copy. Most of all, all your advertising dollars will be totally and completely wasted.
There is a lot more to writing a compelling copy article than just what meets the eye. Unlike a book or other form of information, not everyone is going to start from the same place. Because of that, copywriting for the internet can actually be the hardest form of writing. Whenever you write an article for a web page you have to be aware that everyone is not going to start in the same place. In a book, everyone starts on page one, and works their way through.
However, on the internet, thanks to the search engines, sometimes people will be dropped into text that is halfway through the article. That means that you have to be able to restate some of your key points without having to repeat yourself over and over again. This does not mean that you have to keep saying the same thing or repeat what you said; it just means that you have to make sure you keep highlighting main ideas.
Next, you have to make the article jump out at people. You have to know that most of the people that use the internet are looking for fast answers, and most people only give a web site a few seconds to grab them and draw them in. Thus, you have to know that people are, for the most part, only going to scan your article to see if they like what you are saying. Then if they see something that they like they will start reading the whole thing. You have a matter of seconds to grab your readers' attention.
Last but not least, you have to know that the internet is open to everyone around the world. Not just people from your country are going to be looking at your web article. That means that sometimes it's a great idea to have the article written in different languages. The best way to do this is to put a link on the page that is in a different language so that people can read it.
Then that link can take them to another language. Just because people are from different parts of the world does not mean that we can not talk to them. We have to be able to get our points across to people all over the world. If you can not do that then you are cutting off half of your visitors, because they can not read what you are saying, and that is not something that you want to do.
To Your Success!
Do you want to learn more about Internet Marketing? I have just completed my brand new guide to Search Engine Marketing Success: ''How To Consistently Drive Thousands Of Targeted Visitors With Search Engine Optimization''. Download it free here: Search Engine Optimization Success. Serge Daudelin Affordable Search Engine Optimization Services.com. Serge Daudelin is a Search Engine Optimization specialist and consultant who has written over 300 articles in print and 5 published ebooks.
Article Source: www.articlesite.info
If you have been running an online business for any length of time, you should be aware that creating effective website copy is the single, most important factor that will make the difference between your success and failure online. You may have a flood of targeted traffic coming to your website but that won't change anything if you have a poor website copy. Most of all, all your advertising dollars will be totally and completely wasted.
There is a lot more to writing a compelling copy article than just what meets the eye. Unlike a book or other form of information, not everyone is going to start from the same place. Because of that, copywriting for the internet can actually be the hardest form of writing. Whenever you write an article for a web page you have to be aware that everyone is not going to start in the same place. In a book, everyone starts on page one, and works their way through.
However, on the internet, thanks to the search engines, sometimes people will be dropped into text that is halfway through the article. That means that you have to be able to restate some of your key points without having to repeat yourself over and over again. This does not mean that you have to keep saying the same thing or repeat what you said; it just means that you have to make sure you keep highlighting main ideas.
Next, you have to make the article jump out at people. You have to know that most of the people that use the internet are looking for fast answers, and most people only give a web site a few seconds to grab them and draw them in. Thus, you have to know that people are, for the most part, only going to scan your article to see if they like what you are saying. Then if they see something that they like they will start reading the whole thing. You have a matter of seconds to grab your readers' attention.
Last but not least, you have to know that the internet is open to everyone around the world. Not just people from your country are going to be looking at your web article. That means that sometimes it's a great idea to have the article written in different languages. The best way to do this is to put a link on the page that is in a different language so that people can read it.
Then that link can take them to another language. Just because people are from different parts of the world does not mean that we can not talk to them. We have to be able to get our points across to people all over the world. If you can not do that then you are cutting off half of your visitors, because they can not read what you are saying, and that is not something that you want to do.
To Your Success!
Do you want to learn more about Internet Marketing? I have just completed my brand new guide to Search Engine Marketing Success: ''How To Consistently Drive Thousands Of Targeted Visitors With Search Engine Optimization''. Download it free here: Search Engine Optimization Success. Serge Daudelin Affordable Search Engine Optimization Services.com. Serge Daudelin is a Search Engine Optimization specialist and consultant who has written over 300 articles in print and 5 published ebooks.
Article Source: www.articlesite.info
Public Domain Articles
by Ben Heart
There are still webmasters who don’t like to write articles and find it very tedious. There is a way around this and that is hiring a writer to do the job for you or using public domain articles, which is an easier process.
Public domain articles means that anyone can use them. These are works written by authors who have no copyright on their work. Anyone can use these works to do whatever they want to do with it.
These authors don’t mind sharing with others even though they will not get credit for it. The writers who contribute these articles have waived any rights to the articles and it is made public to those who wish to use it.
You can use public domain articles and rewrite them if you would like. You can also proofread and edit them to conform to your own writing style. The ideas are already there and all you have to do is to reorganize it.
You no longer have to write an article from scratch. Public domain articles save you time and money from doing so. However, the disadvantage is that other people may be using the same article, so rewriting it would be more effective to your article promotion campaign.
You can add keywords or keyword phrases to your public domain article to make it search engine friendly. This will allow you to get a higher search engine ranking. You don’t have to worry about plagiarism or copyright violation.
With public domain articles, you can save money from hiring a professional writer. Your savings will add up to a lot since article writers charge from $10 to $15 per article. Public domain articles will lessen that cost.
Ezine publishers use public domain articles in their monthly, weekly or biweekly ezines for providing valuable information to their subscribers. These publishers are not keen on rewriting or editing these articles. If the information is relevant, the publisher will have no reservations in publishing it in their ezine issue. They may go the extra mile to rewrite a public domain article that fits their theme, but need to be revised.
Public domain articles are a virtual untapped resource that many people fail to realize the true value. The power of articles, keywords and keyword phrases have been deemed invaluable these past few years for many internet based businesses and sites that want to rank high in search engine results.
Public domain articles have given a great alternative for those who are strapped for cash and cannot hire a writer and may not have time to write articles themselves.
Searching for public domain articles is an easy task. You can search for them in search engines and do searches in many directories for the topic or subject that you need. Use the keyword phrase, “public domain,” or “public domain articles,” and you should be able to find articles that suit the topic that you are trying to cover. Read them and simply copy and paste them to a word processing program and simply edit them to suit your needs.
Ben Heart is one of the leading Article Marketing specialists from ArticlesBase. ArticlesBase.com is a free articles directory, ArticlesBase.com answers all your article submission needs. Learn more about Article Marketing from our eBook - The Entrepreneur's Guide to Article Marketing - http://www.articlesmarketing.info/
Article Source: www.articlesite.info
There are still webmasters who don’t like to write articles and find it very tedious. There is a way around this and that is hiring a writer to do the job for you or using public domain articles, which is an easier process.
Public domain articles means that anyone can use them. These are works written by authors who have no copyright on their work. Anyone can use these works to do whatever they want to do with it.
These authors don’t mind sharing with others even though they will not get credit for it. The writers who contribute these articles have waived any rights to the articles and it is made public to those who wish to use it.
You can use public domain articles and rewrite them if you would like. You can also proofread and edit them to conform to your own writing style. The ideas are already there and all you have to do is to reorganize it.
You no longer have to write an article from scratch. Public domain articles save you time and money from doing so. However, the disadvantage is that other people may be using the same article, so rewriting it would be more effective to your article promotion campaign.
You can add keywords or keyword phrases to your public domain article to make it search engine friendly. This will allow you to get a higher search engine ranking. You don’t have to worry about plagiarism or copyright violation.
With public domain articles, you can save money from hiring a professional writer. Your savings will add up to a lot since article writers charge from $10 to $15 per article. Public domain articles will lessen that cost.
Ezine publishers use public domain articles in their monthly, weekly or biweekly ezines for providing valuable information to their subscribers. These publishers are not keen on rewriting or editing these articles. If the information is relevant, the publisher will have no reservations in publishing it in their ezine issue. They may go the extra mile to rewrite a public domain article that fits their theme, but need to be revised.
Public domain articles are a virtual untapped resource that many people fail to realize the true value. The power of articles, keywords and keyword phrases have been deemed invaluable these past few years for many internet based businesses and sites that want to rank high in search engine results.
Public domain articles have given a great alternative for those who are strapped for cash and cannot hire a writer and may not have time to write articles themselves.
Searching for public domain articles is an easy task. You can search for them in search engines and do searches in many directories for the topic or subject that you need. Use the keyword phrase, “public domain,” or “public domain articles,” and you should be able to find articles that suit the topic that you are trying to cover. Read them and simply copy and paste them to a word processing program and simply edit them to suit your needs.
Ben Heart is one of the leading Article Marketing specialists from ArticlesBase. ArticlesBase.com is a free articles directory, ArticlesBase.com answers all your article submission needs. Learn more about Article Marketing from our eBook - The Entrepreneur's Guide to Article Marketing - http://www.articlesmarketing.info/
Article Source: www.articlesite.info
Why Developing An Individual Writing Process Is Key To Your Writing Success
by Deanna Mascle
Developing an individual writing process is key to your success as a writer. Studies of struggling writers show that one of the reasons they struggle is that they focus on only one aspect of writing.
So what is the writing process? First it is important to note that there is no such thing as "the writing process". Yes, there is a writing process that embraces the notion that there are certain essential steps that successful writers employ when writing but that process varies greatly depending on the writer and then individual writers also vary their process according to the writing task at hand. That means that there is no such as "the writing process" but that a personal, individual writing process which you adjust to the varying circumstances of your writing can be tremendously helpful.
However, before you can begin to individualize your writing process and then adjust it to different tasks, you must learn more about the theory behind the writing process.
The theory of writing process begins with prewriting or invention stage. This is when you may need to do brainstorming, research, and planning to get started with your writing project. This is the stage that struggling writers spend the least time on and experienced writers spend much more time as they know that more attention and thought at this stage can save time and effort later. This stage may have a lot to show for it in terms of prewriting and research or it might take place primarily inside the writer's brain. This depends on the individual writer, the complexity of the task, and the familiarity of the writer with the task.
Only after spending time at the prewriting stage do writers move on to drafting. This is where the actual writing takes place but encompasses more than one draft and several sessions of writing spread over time. Drafting focuses on simply getting words on paper and emptying the brain of ideas for this project.
Writers move on to revision after those early drafts have filled out and developed some substance. It is during the multiple drafts of the revision stage that the writing project shapes into something resembling the intended final project. The paper is not yet done but it looks and feels like the intended genre, the ideas are fully developed and the organization is functional.
Then writers move on the editing stage where they attend to correctness issues including cleaning up spelling, grammar, word choice, and polishing the writing. This is the correct time to deal with these issues as concentrating on them earlier in the writing process will slow down the development of ideas.
After editing, writers should seek out feedback for the final stage of the writing process to determine what further revision or editing might be necessary to complete the writing project. Feedback should be sought from skilled readers familiar with either the subject matter or the type of writing project so they can offer more informed review.
While each individual writing process will include some general variation of these elements it is important for writers to recognize that an effective writing process reflects their own individual strengths, weaknesses, and work habits. The writing process should also vary according to the project as well. Obviously a new, complex project will demand much more during prewriting and invention than a familiar topic and comfortable project genre.
Deanna Mascle is a professional writer as well as a teacher of writing. Find more of her writing tips at http://renaissancewomanonline.com
Article Source: www.articlesite.info
Developing an individual writing process is key to your success as a writer. Studies of struggling writers show that one of the reasons they struggle is that they focus on only one aspect of writing.
So what is the writing process? First it is important to note that there is no such thing as "the writing process". Yes, there is a writing process that embraces the notion that there are certain essential steps that successful writers employ when writing but that process varies greatly depending on the writer and then individual writers also vary their process according to the writing task at hand. That means that there is no such as "the writing process" but that a personal, individual writing process which you adjust to the varying circumstances of your writing can be tremendously helpful.
However, before you can begin to individualize your writing process and then adjust it to different tasks, you must learn more about the theory behind the writing process.
The theory of writing process begins with prewriting or invention stage. This is when you may need to do brainstorming, research, and planning to get started with your writing project. This is the stage that struggling writers spend the least time on and experienced writers spend much more time as they know that more attention and thought at this stage can save time and effort later. This stage may have a lot to show for it in terms of prewriting and research or it might take place primarily inside the writer's brain. This depends on the individual writer, the complexity of the task, and the familiarity of the writer with the task.
Only after spending time at the prewriting stage do writers move on to drafting. This is where the actual writing takes place but encompasses more than one draft and several sessions of writing spread over time. Drafting focuses on simply getting words on paper and emptying the brain of ideas for this project.
Writers move on to revision after those early drafts have filled out and developed some substance. It is during the multiple drafts of the revision stage that the writing project shapes into something resembling the intended final project. The paper is not yet done but it looks and feels like the intended genre, the ideas are fully developed and the organization is functional.
Then writers move on the editing stage where they attend to correctness issues including cleaning up spelling, grammar, word choice, and polishing the writing. This is the correct time to deal with these issues as concentrating on them earlier in the writing process will slow down the development of ideas.
After editing, writers should seek out feedback for the final stage of the writing process to determine what further revision or editing might be necessary to complete the writing project. Feedback should be sought from skilled readers familiar with either the subject matter or the type of writing project so they can offer more informed review.
While each individual writing process will include some general variation of these elements it is important for writers to recognize that an effective writing process reflects their own individual strengths, weaknesses, and work habits. The writing process should also vary according to the project as well. Obviously a new, complex project will demand much more during prewriting and invention than a familiar topic and comfortable project genre.
Deanna Mascle is a professional writer as well as a teacher of writing. Find more of her writing tips at http://renaissancewomanonline.com
Article Source: www.articlesite.info
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Boosting Traffic With Articles
by Ben Heart
One of the easiest ways to get more traffic to your website is through article marketing. If you write articles that are related to your website and submit them to article directories and free article submission sites, you can increase your web traffic and sales.
When you write an article, you will be able to include a link in the resource box at the end of the article. This is what readers will see and when they click on the link for more information, they will be taken to your website. These articles also become available to webmasters, newsletter publishers and your target audience. Your article can get picked up and posted to other websites and in online newsletters, which is an additional way to increase and boost your web traffic.
If your article is picked up by other online business owners, this creates a link back to your website. This is called back linking. If someone reads your article from any other website, they can still click on the link and pay a visit to your website. All sales will still belong to you.
As your articles increase, so does the opportunity for more online coverage. The search engines will become your friend. Search engines pay attention to reciprocal links (exchanging links with webmasters) and back links. The search engines attach a lot of significance to websites that have a lot of links to them and increased your search engine ranking. So it is a domino effect. The more articles you can write and publish, the more exposure you will receive.
If you are selling a product or service online, then your links will pay off and give you more traffic and more traffic equals more sales. Even if your visitors come and browse around your website, they can potentially bookmark your page and come back later.
Search engines will also index your published articles and give you higher placement. If someone conducts a search using the keywords that you have in your article, then they can find your article and click on the link to get to your website. So make sure that your articles have the appropriate keywords that describe your product or service.
Many online business owners are catching on and seeing the potential in writing and publishing their articles. When someone finds an article that is packed with benefits and information that they are looking for, the chances that they will buy from you is much higher than just a regular reciprocal link from someone else’s website.
Your articles should be informative, unique and fresh. Make it professional, but humorous. The reader should be able to understand the point that you are trying to make. No sales pitch should be obvious in the article.
If you take a few minutes to write one article and submit it to article directories and check the search engines in a few days, you will be surprised to see the effect of one article and maybe, this will give you more zest to write other articles to increase your traffic.
Ben Heart is one of the leading Article Marketing specialists from ArticlesBase. ArticlesBase.com is a free articles directory, ArticlesBase.com answers all your article submission needs. Learn more about Article Marketing from our eBook - The Entrepreneur's Guide to Article Marketing - http://www.articlesmarketing.info/
Article Source: www.articlesite.info
One of the easiest ways to get more traffic to your website is through article marketing. If you write articles that are related to your website and submit them to article directories and free article submission sites, you can increase your web traffic and sales.
When you write an article, you will be able to include a link in the resource box at the end of the article. This is what readers will see and when they click on the link for more information, they will be taken to your website. These articles also become available to webmasters, newsletter publishers and your target audience. Your article can get picked up and posted to other websites and in online newsletters, which is an additional way to increase and boost your web traffic.
If your article is picked up by other online business owners, this creates a link back to your website. This is called back linking. If someone reads your article from any other website, they can still click on the link and pay a visit to your website. All sales will still belong to you.
As your articles increase, so does the opportunity for more online coverage. The search engines will become your friend. Search engines pay attention to reciprocal links (exchanging links with webmasters) and back links. The search engines attach a lot of significance to websites that have a lot of links to them and increased your search engine ranking. So it is a domino effect. The more articles you can write and publish, the more exposure you will receive.
If you are selling a product or service online, then your links will pay off and give you more traffic and more traffic equals more sales. Even if your visitors come and browse around your website, they can potentially bookmark your page and come back later.
Search engines will also index your published articles and give you higher placement. If someone conducts a search using the keywords that you have in your article, then they can find your article and click on the link to get to your website. So make sure that your articles have the appropriate keywords that describe your product or service.
Many online business owners are catching on and seeing the potential in writing and publishing their articles. When someone finds an article that is packed with benefits and information that they are looking for, the chances that they will buy from you is much higher than just a regular reciprocal link from someone else’s website.
Your articles should be informative, unique and fresh. Make it professional, but humorous. The reader should be able to understand the point that you are trying to make. No sales pitch should be obvious in the article.
If you take a few minutes to write one article and submit it to article directories and check the search engines in a few days, you will be surprised to see the effect of one article and maybe, this will give you more zest to write other articles to increase your traffic.
Ben Heart is one of the leading Article Marketing specialists from ArticlesBase. ArticlesBase.com is a free articles directory, ArticlesBase.com answers all your article submission needs. Learn more about Article Marketing from our eBook - The Entrepreneur's Guide to Article Marketing - http://www.articlesmarketing.info/
Article Source: www.articlesite.info
Article Marketing - How Many Articles Do You Need To Make Sales?
by Angela Booth
Article marketing is a fantastic low-cost way to get advertising for your business. Savvy online marketers have been long using this tool, and in the past couple of years it's become very popular. But how many articles do you need make sales?
All your articles have two functions: to educate, and to pre-sell. In some industries, education takes priority. Your customers may be completely unaware of the value of a service, or a product - indeed, they may be new to your field.
So education is vital. There's a danger here, however, and it's this. Your articles may perform brilliantly in their educational role, and once your prospect has time to think, he may turn elsewhere to make a purchase.
Therefore it's vital that you have some way of staying in touch with your prospects, so that they remain aware of you, and you get the sale. Getting an email address and/ or other contact details is vital. When you stay in touch, you'll be the one a prospect turns to when he's ready to buy.
This means that a prime function of your articles, whether you have two or hundreds, should be encourage the prospect to give you his contact details.
Your articles will pre-sell too; they act as your 24x7x365 sales people, and the more articles you have, the more sales people you have working for you.
Let's look at three ways you can get your articles working for you.
1. Investigate keywords
Your articles act as gateways to your site's sales pages. Therefore you need to write articles targeting the primary keywords your customers will type into the search engines' query boxes to find you.
In competitive industries, the competition for the first ten slots on the search engines' results pages is fierce. Articles will help you to achieve a spot in those top ten slots because of their authoritative nature: they're both informative and educational.
So investigate your referrer logs. Which keywords are winning traffic for you now? Write articles targeting those keywords. These are likely to be "long tail" keywords, which means that they're less competitive.
2. Write articles for those keywords which get traffic
In addition to targeting long tail keywords, target your industry's most competitive keywords directly. With a number of articles, all targeting those keywords, over time you'll get rankings for them, it's inevitable. However, because these keywords are competitive, realize that ranking for them will take longer.
Here's an additional weapon you can use. Once you've written an article and posted it to your site, write a press release announcing the article. A press release will get you onto the Web's news pages, and will provide healthy backlinks which will give your article a real boost in the search engines.
3. Keep track of your articles, and link to them from other pages on your Web site
Although articles are valuable, you can make them even more valuable by making them a real feature of your site. Link to your articles from other pages. I've seen many sites where articles are relegated to an "Articles" ghetto: they're cut off from the rest of the site. Please don't do this - your articles are gold. Treat them with the respect they deserve.
The answer to "How many articles do you need to make sales?" is another question: "How many sales do you want?" The more articles you have online, the more sales you will make. In that sense, article marketing is just like advertising - but unlike advertising, your articles will keep working faithfully for you for many years, providing an outstanding return on your initial investment.
Articles are easy, inexpensive and on-going advertising for your business. Top copywriter Angela Booth has been using article marketing to promote her copywriting business for years. Get the articles you need to promote your business today. Angela offers a complete article marketing service. Get quality articles written by a top copywriter.
Article Source: www.articlesite.info
Article marketing is a fantastic low-cost way to get advertising for your business. Savvy online marketers have been long using this tool, and in the past couple of years it's become very popular. But how many articles do you need make sales?
All your articles have two functions: to educate, and to pre-sell. In some industries, education takes priority. Your customers may be completely unaware of the value of a service, or a product - indeed, they may be new to your field.
So education is vital. There's a danger here, however, and it's this. Your articles may perform brilliantly in their educational role, and once your prospect has time to think, he may turn elsewhere to make a purchase.
Therefore it's vital that you have some way of staying in touch with your prospects, so that they remain aware of you, and you get the sale. Getting an email address and/ or other contact details is vital. When you stay in touch, you'll be the one a prospect turns to when he's ready to buy.
This means that a prime function of your articles, whether you have two or hundreds, should be encourage the prospect to give you his contact details.
Your articles will pre-sell too; they act as your 24x7x365 sales people, and the more articles you have, the more sales people you have working for you.
Let's look at three ways you can get your articles working for you.
1. Investigate keywords
Your articles act as gateways to your site's sales pages. Therefore you need to write articles targeting the primary keywords your customers will type into the search engines' query boxes to find you.
In competitive industries, the competition for the first ten slots on the search engines' results pages is fierce. Articles will help you to achieve a spot in those top ten slots because of their authoritative nature: they're both informative and educational.
So investigate your referrer logs. Which keywords are winning traffic for you now? Write articles targeting those keywords. These are likely to be "long tail" keywords, which means that they're less competitive.
2. Write articles for those keywords which get traffic
In addition to targeting long tail keywords, target your industry's most competitive keywords directly. With a number of articles, all targeting those keywords, over time you'll get rankings for them, it's inevitable. However, because these keywords are competitive, realize that ranking for them will take longer.
Here's an additional weapon you can use. Once you've written an article and posted it to your site, write a press release announcing the article. A press release will get you onto the Web's news pages, and will provide healthy backlinks which will give your article a real boost in the search engines.
3. Keep track of your articles, and link to them from other pages on your Web site
Although articles are valuable, you can make them even more valuable by making them a real feature of your site. Link to your articles from other pages. I've seen many sites where articles are relegated to an "Articles" ghetto: they're cut off from the rest of the site. Please don't do this - your articles are gold. Treat them with the respect they deserve.
The answer to "How many articles do you need to make sales?" is another question: "How many sales do you want?" The more articles you have online, the more sales you will make. In that sense, article marketing is just like advertising - but unlike advertising, your articles will keep working faithfully for you for many years, providing an outstanding return on your initial investment.
Articles are easy, inexpensive and on-going advertising for your business. Top copywriter Angela Booth has been using article marketing to promote her copywriting business for years. Get the articles you need to promote your business today. Angela offers a complete article marketing service. Get quality articles written by a top copywriter.
Article Source: www.articlesite.info
Marketing Your Article by Ben Heart
Let’s say you have an article written by you or by a ghostwriter, what do you do next? Marketing your article is the next step to getting exposure for your article and prompt people to read the article and click on your link in the resource box to come to our website. This is the ideal reason for writing the article in the first place.
There are different places to submit your article. Go to google.com and search for keyword phrases such as “article marketing,” “article submission,” submit articles,” or “market articles.” You will get results of article submission websites that are search engine friendly and get your article exposed in no time.
You want to make sure you have a catchy headline to get that click from someone who reads the headline. Be sure also that you have specific keywords in your title headline. Write a title headline that grabs the reader’s attention; something provocative, but simple. Your headline is the first thing that the reader will see.
Article marketing is one of the most important methods of getting your business at the top of the search engines. The search engines love good content and people love information, so it is a win-win situation for the reader looking for information, for you as the business owner and for the search engines.
Most people, who search online, use specific keywords to find what they are looking for. Make sure you have your keywords spread out in your articles and make them specific to how you want people to search and find you in the search engines. SEO keyword articles are the way to go. You have to let the article flow smoothly when you use keywords. You don’t want to stuff the keywords.
Be sure to include the appropriate keywords when you are submitting your article for marketing. You are allowed a certain amount of keywords. Use the maximum allowed. You also need a summary of the article. Write a summary that includes keywords and make it short and to the point. This is also one of the most important things to your article marketing because this is what your target audience will see in the search engines.
The body of the articles should be at least 500 words or more. It makes the article more interesting and allows you to include as much information as possible to help the reader. Keywords are also to be strategically placed in the body of the article. You should have 1% to 3% keyword density.
Your resource box should include your web address and contact information. If you are promoting an affiliate product, it would be best to get your own domain and forward it to the affiliate URL and use the domain name in the resource box of the article. Give the reader a reason to click on your link by challenging them to take action. Don’t assume that the reader will take action. Ask them to take action. For example, “Visit www.thisismywebsite.com today for more information,” is a call to action and will get you that click.
Ben Heart is one of the leading Article Marketing specialists from ArticlesBase. ArticlesBase.com is a free articles directory, ArticlesBase.com answers all your article submission needs. Learn more about Article Marketing from our eBook - The Entrepreneur's Guide to Article Marketing - http://www.articlesmarketing.info/
Article Source: http://articlesite.info
There are different places to submit your article. Go to google.com and search for keyword phrases such as “article marketing,” “article submission,” submit articles,” or “market articles.” You will get results of article submission websites that are search engine friendly and get your article exposed in no time.
You want to make sure you have a catchy headline to get that click from someone who reads the headline. Be sure also that you have specific keywords in your title headline. Write a title headline that grabs the reader’s attention; something provocative, but simple. Your headline is the first thing that the reader will see.
Article marketing is one of the most important methods of getting your business at the top of the search engines. The search engines love good content and people love information, so it is a win-win situation for the reader looking for information, for you as the business owner and for the search engines.
Most people, who search online, use specific keywords to find what they are looking for. Make sure you have your keywords spread out in your articles and make them specific to how you want people to search and find you in the search engines. SEO keyword articles are the way to go. You have to let the article flow smoothly when you use keywords. You don’t want to stuff the keywords.
Be sure to include the appropriate keywords when you are submitting your article for marketing. You are allowed a certain amount of keywords. Use the maximum allowed. You also need a summary of the article. Write a summary that includes keywords and make it short and to the point. This is also one of the most important things to your article marketing because this is what your target audience will see in the search engines.
The body of the articles should be at least 500 words or more. It makes the article more interesting and allows you to include as much information as possible to help the reader. Keywords are also to be strategically placed in the body of the article. You should have 1% to 3% keyword density.
Your resource box should include your web address and contact information. If you are promoting an affiliate product, it would be best to get your own domain and forward it to the affiliate URL and use the domain name in the resource box of the article. Give the reader a reason to click on your link by challenging them to take action. Don’t assume that the reader will take action. Ask them to take action. For example, “Visit www.thisismywebsite.com today for more information,” is a call to action and will get you that click.
Ben Heart is one of the leading Article Marketing specialists from ArticlesBase. ArticlesBase.com is a free articles directory, ArticlesBase.com answers all your article submission needs. Learn more about Article Marketing from our eBook - The Entrepreneur's Guide to Article Marketing - http://www.articlesmarketing.info/
Article Source: http://articlesite.info
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