7 Formulas for Articles That GET READ!
August 25, 2006
Many of us have been asked to write an article at one time or another. Maybe it’s a contribution to the company newsletter. Or a promotional article to gain publicity for ourselves or our companies. Some of us write articles regularly for clients.
No matter why you’re writing an article, it’s your responsibility to make it be interesting - otherwise no one will read it. (Except you.)
So how can you make your article interesting and engage your reader? It’s all about the ANGLE. First pick your topic. For example, let’s say your topic is something boring … “car wax.” Now, here’s where many people start writing.
Stop! You need an angle! What aspect of car wax do you want to write about? Is there anything new or sexy in the world of car wax that people are interested in? Some ideas: how the new generation of car waxes helps protect your paint job for twice as long, OR, an overview of the best five brands of car wax on the market, OR what the best type of wax is for your particular car. Get it? These are all angles. (By the way, I’ve never even waxed my car, so please take these ideas with a grain of salt!)
Ways to Make Extra Income Using the Internet
August 24, 2006
To capitalize on ways to make extra income you can (and should) use the Internet for test marketing:
(a) To establish demand for your extra income idea.
(b) To prepare yourself to take advantage of other ways to make extra income i.e. developing a residual income stream.
Unless your first work is of outstanding merit and focused on an equally exceptional topic you will almost certainly require to cool your heels for a spell while your proposal for publication is being assessed for viability.
It could be several months before you receive a decision and with good reason; publishers assume 100% of the financial risk involved and so need to be 100% convinced that your writing-for-profit text is sellable before committing to the first round of expenditure.
Cooling your heels however does not mean to imply that you sit around doing nothing - not if you want to make money writing from the outset.
In this fallow period you ought to be concentrating your energies on some test marketing for your extra income idea book and there is no smarter or efficient way of accomplishing this than using the Internet. Do some engine searching (use google.com for fast results) to locate online publishers specializing in niche non-fiction.
21 Questions to Ask Any List Service Before You Sign on With Them
August 24, 2006
If you publish an e-mail newsletter, or “e-zine,” you’ll need to sign on with a list service (or “listserve”) to manage your subscriber list. There are many types of listserves out there, so here are some guidelines to help you choose one that’s right for you.
You’ll need this if you want to publish an HTML newsletter. Otherwise you’ll have to send out multiple versions for users who can read HTML, users who can’t read HTML, and users on AOL.
If you’re new to the game and/or technologically challenged then you’ll appreciate any type of help they offer for new clients.
Are they prompt to get back to you via e-mail? Can you call them if you have a problem? Are they available more than standard business hours? What about weekends? Contact them and see how long they take to get back to you — if it’s longer than 24 hours, definitely keep looking.
If so, how, and how quickly?
Writing For Dollars — A Freelancers Guide
August 24, 2006
If you have writing skills and want to use your skills to earn some income for yourself and families, we offer a few tips here. You can get some good opportunities from your local area and from Internet.
Your novel sits unfinished, waiting for a burst of inspiration to send it out to be typewriter and right to the top of the best seller lists, right? You are not alone. Thousands of would-be writers are waiting as well. But a few successes under your belt will make the possibility of seeing your picture on the dust jacket in the bookstore window seem less remote. Freelance writing can replace self-doubt with self-confidence and put money in your pocket at the same time.
Just as all doctors are not neurosurgeons, all writers are not novelists. A look into the field yields categories you might never have imagined. Magazine articles, greeting cards, business writing, newspaper reporting-these are areas in which freelance can add do make money. Writing provides an opportunity to earn with very little expenditure. A typewriter with accompanying supplies, a flair for writing and the discipline to stick with a schedule and meet deadlines can start you on your way.
Where to Look for Your Next Project when You?re Writing for Profit
August 23, 2006
When my first book "Starting Your Own Business" was published way back in 1995, I thought that was it. I reckoned I’d never write another one. But I was wrong. It has enjoyed many reprints, multiple editions, and proceeded over the years to generate another seven disparate titles from the same topic.
Towards the end of last year I completed the first draft manuscript for a commemorative fourth edition marking a decade in print. This has been accepted by the publisher and is due on world wide bookshelves in the autumn of 2005. The content has been updated, several topical new chapters have been added, and all in all it should start the ball rolling all over again by attracting a new breed of readers.
With that project out of the way, I was stumped where to look for the next.
I dug deep within myself and asked what else do I know about? I know how to start, manage and expand small businesses; I know about advising anyone on how to run an internet business from home, shop or office; I know how to instruct others on the subject of writing for profit, but what else do I know?
Top 10 Tips for Book Titles that Sell Well
August 23, 2006
A clever title is great if it is clear, but a clear title is always preferable. The best? A clear and clever title. A shorter title is better than a longer one. Your reader will spend only four seconds on the cover. While some long titles have succeeded, usually the shorter, the better.
A title is part of your book’s front cover. Busy buyers including
bookstore buyers, wholesalers, distributors and your audiences
buy mainly because of the cover. Dan Poynter, author of Writing
Nonfiction, says, “The package outside sells the product inside.”
Make your cover sizzle.
Start with a working title before you write your chapters. Include
your topic, your subject and use the book’s benefits in your sub
title if possible. Here’s your ten tips for titles that sell:
1. Create impact for your title-check out magizine print and radio ad headlines.
Check out other authors’ titles on the bookstore shelves. Your title must compel the reader to buy now.
Which title grabs you? Elder Rage or Caregiving for Dad?
2. Include your solution in your title.
Writing - Copyrights and Trademarks Protect You
August 23, 2006
When most people consider writing a book, they don’t think about Trademarks. However, I highly recommend that you leverage your writing for multiple purposes, and that’s why registering a Trademark for your concept is a good idea. If you use your writing as the basis for workshops and other products, it’s in your best interests to protect your concepts with a Trademark.
To paraphrase the definition of a Trademark given at the official web site www.uspto.gov, a Trademark is a symbol, a word, a phrase, or a design, (or any combination), used to identify and distinguish the unique source of goods. Note that a Service Mark has the same definition as a Trademark, except as related to services instead of products.
You are not required to register a Mark. Instead, you can establish your rights to the Mark with a record of legitimate use of it. However, there are several advantages to owning a Mark that is federally registered. The most notable is your premier position if anyone else should attempt to use your Mark after your official registration date.
Multiplying Sales As A Writer
August 22, 2006
Often, time is an enemy of writers. Sales seem slow and checks too small. How does one make the most of their effort? Here are some tips that will multiply your sales.
1. Companies accepting manuscripts from freelancers offer copies of their writing guidelines and sample copies. Assume there’s a reason for them. Study them. The Internet will save you much postage and time from when I started. Study their web sites as well. What do they tell you about the publication’s readers?
2. Think ahead. Lead times for publication are rarely short. Writers’ guidelines often teach Christmas is in July. Lead times can be shorter for the Internet. Learn what they are. Submit accordingly.
3. Take advantage of your research. Write more than one manuscript for the same effort. This adds to your productivity. Interviewing a camp director? Write a feature article on how to select a camp for more than one market. Write a filler article. Write an article on finding work at a camp.
4. Resell the same manuscript multiple times. My record for off-line publication with one manuscript is seventeen reprints. It is easy to surpass this on the web.
Its the Headline, Stupid! - Writing Powerful Headlines
August 22, 2006
“It’s the headline, stupid,” is the sign that hangs over my computer screen. It reminds me that to write effective articles, press releases, sales letters–whatever I want people to read–I need a powerful, grabber headline or title.
You are competing with a lot of others to get the attention of potential readers and customers, and you have only a few seconds to grab them. By using the tips and techniques here, you can stand out from the crowd with dynamite headlines.
Use alliteration. That means using words that begin with the same sound, such as “Peter’s Perfect Plan.”
Take a familiar saying and turn it around. Take a cliche and put a new spin on it. What does the early bird get (instead of the worm) in your headline?
Be timely. Reference something in the news, a holiday, or other happening that is on readers’ minds.
Use numbers. “7 Things You Need to Know Before You (Go to the Hospital, Buy a House, Use Your Credit Card, Get Married, whatever)” will get attention, because anyone contemplating the action will want the information.
Use “hot” words. Some words are powerful, and can be used effectively in headlines and titles. “Free,” “Secrets,” “Insider,” “New,” etc. are grabbers.
Write Articles That Get Results
August 22, 2006
It’s no secret that writing and publishing helpful articles is one of the best ways to promote your business. Writing articles can:
- Establish you as an expert in your field.
- Get your name and your company name in front of potential clients who you may never have been able to contact otherwise.
- Create valuable content for you to share with potential clients or convert into speeches and other marketing strategies.
Writing articles for local business publications, trade magazines, newsletters, and Web sites that reach your target audience can be a powerful piece of your marketing plan. But following through can be more difficult than it sounds, as many people hate writing or have a hard time just figuring out where to begin. Plenty of business owners and marketers hire outside firms or freelance writers (like The WriteShop, www.writeshoponline.com) to write articles for them, which can be a time-saving solution. But if you want to write your own articles, it can be tough to know where to begin. These five tips may help you stay focused and get the job done.