How to Use Textpad to Write Articles Faster
July 28, 2006
It’s a good idea to use TextPad because all opt-in ezine publishers want your articles without any formatting. Also, for any email exchange, you need to put your article in the body of the email, not an attachment. Most Online readers who don’t know you will not open your email, and people who do know you want it this faster, easier way.
Textpad is a shareware download from http://www.textpad.com. Shareware means you can use it, fully functional, but you are expected to pay for it if you use it a lot.
The very first thing you should know about Textpad is that it is a PLAIN TEXT editor. That means there is absolutely no formatting like bold, underline, or italics. One of the benefits of this program is that it can wrap you articles at 65 chanters across fast and easily.
Textpad is straightforward and easy to understand and work with. Here’s how to set up the program to make your articles. At www.textpad.com
First, click on the “Configure” menu, then ‘Preferences….” then under the General page uncheck “Allow multiple instances to run.” Doing this makes it so that TextPad can’t be run twice at the same time. Check the box next to “Allow multiple files in command line.” This allows you to open multiple files at once.
The Top Five Writing Mistakes Professionals Make
July 28, 2006
Yes, you know your subject. You also need to think about entertaining your audience, and making your book or other writing easy to read. If your writing lacks organization and compelling, vital sentences that convince your readers to keep reading, they will leave your book or Web site immediately. There goes your “word-of-mouth” promotion.
Try my “Check and Correct” for These Top Five Mistakes
1. Stop passive sentence construction.
When you write in passive voice, your writing slides along into long sentences that slow your readers down, even bore them.
Before you put your final stamp of approval on your writing, circle all the “is,” “was” and other passive verbs like: begin, start to, seems, appears, have, and could. Use your grammar check to count your passives. Aim for 2-4% only.
Correct: “Make sure that your name is included on all your household accounts and investments.” “Make” and “is included” –the culprits. Create more clarity with this revision,” Include your name on all household accounts and investments to keep your own credit alive after your divorce.”
2. Stop all pompous language and phrases.
The Nitty-Gritty Of Ezine Publishing
July 27, 2006
I sat here this morning, and decided to work out exactly how much time I use on creating my weekly ezine, and I almost kinda shocked myself. I`m not the ONLY publisher who refuses to automate, so please, after reading my hours, spare a kind thought for all those other publishers out there that do everything manually, and who really take the time to get down to a personal level with their subscribers.
Typical daily hours for me as an ezine publisher
- Reading other ezines/newsletters: About 4 hours per day.
- Looking for the right content: 5-6 hours per day
- Checking email other than newsletters: 5 hours per day
- Getting rid of junkmail: 3 hours per day
- Staying in touch with other publishers, website owners etc.: 3 hours per day
- Working on learning html: 2-3 hours pr day
- Updating ezine, ads and slot-ads with Rich, my programmer: 6 hours per day (with about 10 hours “allsorts” chat too)
- Looking in forums for things of interest: 1-2 hours per day
- Reviewing articles for possible publication: 3-4 hours per day
- Chatting on msn and yahoo messengers, whilst looking for more ideas and helping people: 12 hours per day
- Promoting ezine: At LEAST 4 hours per day (including submitting my own articles)
Authors-Stop Expensive Mistakes Before you Spend on Professional Services
July 27, 2006
So many clients come to me as a book or marketing coach telling me how they spent and wasted a lot of money and time following different well-known gurus in the book and publicity fields.
Debbie’s Story
A recent client, Debbie, already got her books printed–over 900 left to sell from the 1000 at too much cost. She’s discouraged and now doesn’t have much money to promote her masterpiece. Too bad she didn’t consult with a professional book coach with 20 plus years experience who could save her mistakes learned from pros who don’t have the best interests of the unknown authors with limited resources at heart..
The traditional path is not the path for all of us.
Think self-publishing. Think Print on Demand, but be careful.
The Book Coach Says…If you are a new author looking for printing/publishing direction, check out the best Print on Demand Printer/Publisher at www.deharts.com.
Many of my clients who use them are happy with the results. They give the author total control over the book and only print what you need. They also don’t offer phony marketing promises. Many other POD companies who take only $600 up front, but over price your book. While they list your book on their site, they do not offer any promotion to it. The author still has to promote the book. .
3 Ways to Increase Conversion Rates
July 27, 2006
In a previous article I talked about a few similarities between writing direct mail packages and writing web sites. In short, I concluded that as online writers we could learn a lot from direct marketers.
In this article I’m going to take a look at just one of those similarities: both direct mail packages and web sites lose almost all of their readers before the ‘task’ is completed. Both media struggle with conversion rates that typically hover around the 2% rate.
Most of us throw out or recycle direct mail pieces almost every day. And most of us know how many of our site visitors leave before buying, signing up, registering or completing some other task.
Now for the difference. Direct mail copywriters work extremely hard to minimize the number of readers they lose, at every stage.
How hard do you work to keep and convert your readers?
Here are three tips taken from the world of direct marketing:
Make a promise
First, your homepage should make it very clear what you do. As in the statement, "We sell printer cartridges".
But also make a promise. As in, "You’ll never run out of printer cartridges again".
A Writers Glossary (Part Two)
July 26, 2006
Find definitions from H to P…
~~~~~~~~~~~ H ~~~~~~~~~~~
Haiku -
A three line, seventeen syllable poem, usually about nature.
Hardcover -
Hard cloth over cardboard bound book that includes a paper dust jacket.
Historical Fiction -
Fiction of any genre set in the past.
Home page -
First page of a document from the World Wide Web.
Hypertext -
Words in an electronic document that are linked to illustrations or other text, such as a related document or a definition.
~~~~~~~~~~~ I ~~~~~~~~~~~
Institutional Sales -
Trade and mass market books that are sold to libraries and schools.
Interactive Fiction -
Features multiple plots and endings. The reader determines the structure of the story by choosing from different alternatives at the end of each chapter.
Invasion of Privacy -
Writing about someone without their consent, even if it’s true.
~~~~~~~~~~~ K ~~~~~~~~~~~
Kicker -
Used in journalism for a short and snappy ending.
Kill Fee -
The amount of money a publication pays to a writer when an article they were assigned to write has been canceled. The amount is usually determined with the initial contract and varies depending upon factors like: the publisher’s guidelines; the length of the article; and the time spent researching the piece.
Top Ten Ways to Write a Book That Sells
July 26, 2006
Is there a book inside of you? Yes? Then why don’t you write it? Or, if you’ve already written a book, wouldn’t you like to sell more? So many of you have a great idea for a book, even a dynamite title, but much more is needed to write a book that sells. Here’s the top ten ways to write a book that sells:
Overcome Writers Block with Snake Dancing
July 26, 2006
Writer’s block! Even columnist Dave Berry has it. He admits that at least 30 times a day when writing his humor column, he gets up from his computer to sip his Pepsi to divert his attention when he can’t think of what to write. Recently, he reached for the cola and instead found a coiled snake. He tried barbecue tongs to carry it away, but when it landed in his pool, he kept the dance going trying to catch the thing.
As a writer you may think you are blocked because you think your book may not be significant enough, you don’t know how to format it, or since you aren’t famous, your book won’t sell. Or, like Dave you can’t think of something great to say.
Let the book coach encourage you beyond your doubts. Know that your book is unique and offers useful solutions to help your audience solve their challenge or problem. You don’t have to write like others, and yes, you can write a saleable book.
What is Writer’s Block?
To me it’s just that I’m distracted and don’t seem organized enough with what’s important to write for my particular audience. It’s a signal that my brain won’t focus temporarily. Like Dave Berry, I need a break.
Format Each eBook Chapter Before you Write It
July 25, 2006
Do you have a problem creating a focus in your chapters? Does your writing slip around, leaving a muddy path to the gold–your unique, useful message?
Format each chapter in your book. Your consistency, your organized, focused copy will compel your reader to want to read every chapter because they are easy to understand.
Most writers start writing before they are sure of their eBook’s main focus or thesis. The thesis is your book’s major answer for a problem your targeted audience has. “Five Ways to Market Your Book Online” has its thesis built into the title, a definite plus. You know by the title you’ll learn five online marketing techniques to overcome your problem of not selling enough eBooks.
Before you write any chapters except chapter one, make each chapter title a mini thesis that also answers a part of your whole book’s thesis. For the title “Five Ways to Market Your Book Online” you will have 5 chapters that all have to do with the title. Let’s say one chapter is titled “Market your Book Through Free Articles.”
In this chapter you need to sketch out what your format will be before you write a single word.
Grow Your Business with a Newsletter
July 25, 2006
You find a Web site or receive an email about an online store with cool products that you’d like to order, but not right now. Either you file the email or bookmark the Web site. How often do you proactively return to the email or Web site? For me, the percentage is miserably low and my bookmarks file is hey-uuuge.
If getting people to your Web site is a breeze, then you’re in good shape. The question is… how often do they return especially when they are ready to buy your product or service? By that time, they may have forgotten about your site and services.
Regularly connect with them through an email newsletter. It’s a great way to trigger their memories, give them something for nothing, and build relationships. The payoff will be new and more business, money in the bank account. A high quality newsletter demonstrates value, trust, and stability.
Value
How many newsletters and emails have you seen from companies that were all about “them?” They discuss their newest products. Their site redesign. Their receiving an award. Does this information help you? Maybe if you’re a shareholder; otherwise it useless information.
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