8 Reasons to Outsource Your Copywriting
September 30, 2007
Thinking of hiring a staff writer? Think again. Below, I will give you eight geat reasons to reconsider and outsource instead.
1. Save Money
By hiring a professional writer to handle your project, you will save some money and, ultimately, increase your bottom line. A professional copywriter works to effectively convey your message to your target audience. By doing this, your business becomes more successful and, in turn, more profitable.
Now first let me tell you something if you don’t already know it. A good, professional copywriter is expensive. You are not going to get a good copywriter for nickels and dimes. That’s why so many otherwise smart people go the do-it-yourself route or have a poor secretary or office worker do their marketing copy. You won’t find Microsoft, Amazon or the President of the United States writing their own copy or having some ill equipped person doing it. They believe their businesses or positions are too important for that. Is your business less important to you than theirs is to them?
Query and Cover Letters: A Quick How-To
September 30, 2007
Query and Cover Letters: A Quick How-To
by: Nikola Marshall
Writing a good query or cover letter will demonstrate to an editor or publisher just how serious you are about your work and getting it published.
There is a small difference between query and cover letters. A query letter is used to show an editor that your work is different and fresh. It is an introduction of you and your writing. It is a selling tool. A cover letter is a reminder that the editor requested your work. It accompanies your piece and is essentially a revamp of your query letter. Both follow the same guidelines.
The format you should use is that of a business letter. Use a standard font size and type, such as 12 point Times New Roman. Your letter should be single spaced with double spaces between paragraphs. Leave a one-inch margin on all sides.
If possible, find out the name of the editor. Address your query or cover letter directly to them. This could keep your work out of the slush pile and it allows the editor see that you have done your research.
Writer’s Tool: A Treasure Chest
September 30, 2007
Writer’s Tool: A Treasure Chest
by: Nikola Marshall
While taking a creative writing course in college, my instructor introduced me to an invaluable tool—a Writer’s Treasure Chest. This tool is easy and fun to make and will come in handy time and again throughout your writing life.
First, you’ll need something to house your treasure. It could be a plastic tub or a cardboard box. Decorate it, if you wish. It can be as simple or elaborate as you like.
Now for the adventure! To fill this chest, your imagination is your only limit. Mine contains newspaper clippings that I feel will make for good stories, pictures clipped from magazines, travel brochures, tourist information guides and advertisements.
Let’s look at each of these:
Newspapers often run stories of a bizarre nature. These can be wonderful seeds for creative ideas! If you write crime stories, there is a wealth of information for that as well.
And don’t forget slice of life stories, there are invaluable resources for this genre, too.
How To Promote A Book
September 29, 2007
Nowadays it’s no longer a matter of whether or not an author should promote his or her book, but how aggressively one should go about it. The sad truth is that publishers often fail to promote books, and if we, the authors, don’t promote your own book then it may be destined to a lifespan between that of butter and yogurt, to paraphrase Calvin Trillan. The author’s extra efforts may make all the difference between a book becoming a long-lived seller, and being recycled so that some other author can take advantage of the paper.
What to do then? One cannot concoct a general rule for promoting books. This method obviously has drawbacks, because every book is different and requires its own special approach. So, the primary thing to do is consider your target audience.
And that’s a good place to start–your audience. Presumably, your book is aimed at a particular market or markets. Perhaps it is nutrition, parenting, health, travel, mystery fans, or nature. The first thing you should do is to track down the magazines that are read by the people who will be reading your book.
5 Critical Promotion Mistakes People Make With Articles
September 29, 2007
Did you realize that writing and publishing articles online represents one of the best-kept website traffic secrets?
It’s true! In fact, if you learn some basic principles, you can drive thousands of visitors to your website without spending any money on advertising. Publishing articles not only establishes you as an expert in your chosen field, but also allows you to fly under the natural “radar defenses” your prospects have against advertising.
But, beware! My experience as a syndicated newspaper columnist has shown me that people who would otherwise succeed massively promoting with articles actually fail because they consistently make one or more of these five critical mistakes!
Mistake #1 - NOT Defining Your Target Audience
Many article authors make the serious mistake of not clearly defining a niche audience before writing their article. Successful article authors always know the exact “niche” audience they want to reach before they write the first word.
When targeting your audience, remember this rule: Narrow and Deep! Always pick an audience with a specific, pressing, or major interest in a narrow topic!
Mistake #2 - Spamming Ezine Editors
Rewriting your Screenplay: The Road to your Audience
September 29, 2007
Rewriting your Screenplay: The Road to your Audience
by: Gordy Hoffman
The promise of the rewrite is very sweet. I have collected evidence that the more authentic the labor put into rewriting your screenplay, the greater the reward, and the reward is high, for whatever lovely, wonderful moments you might have discovered in the frightening process of plowing through the first draft, those moments, those seeds, are only seeds, and they only fulfill their destiny as giant, involving scenes in the movie that screens before people. So if I shortcut my revision, I will miss the prize, pure and simple.
The process of rewriting is recreating. I need to make a contract with myself to make room in every moment of my writing for the imaginative magic of inspiration, that flash of brilliance which some call talent, the muse, God, or desperation, to deliver something that did not exist just a second before, but now lives forever, like a huge white rabbit suddenly from a hat. This usually happens when my fingers are on the keyboard and there’s white below from where I’m typing, and I have no idea where I’m going. Or if I have some idea, I don’t have the answer, but I trust and that’s it.
Discovering the Great Movie Idea for Your Next Screenplay
September 28, 2007
Discovering the Great Movie Idea for Your Next Screenplay
by: Gordy Hoffman
I am lucky. I have no problems coming up with very good ideas for movies. If I never had another idea for the rest of my life, I would not make a sizable dent in the ones I already have. Screenwriters who struggle with coming up with an idea tend to be visibly annoyed when I tell them this. I think I’m comfortable sharing this with others because I know movie ideas really mean nothing and please nobody in and of themselves, so there’s not much to brag about. I guess you can get lucky and sell an idea, but in terms of what’s important, a motion picture screened in front of people, a great idea is simply a member of the orchestra that achieves that vision.
I’m not sure where all the ideas come from, but I can tell you where I was, and by telling you this, perhaps this will help you come up with your idea. First, you should know what you want to write. A feature? For the studios? For yourself to direct? Maybe a low budget script for someone else to direct. Will it be shot on film or digital video? Are you looking for an idea for a short film? Perhaps you have a particular genre in mind.
5 Rules for Effective Written Sales Communications
September 28, 2007
Most salespeople have great ideas, but when it comes to putting those ideas on paper for their prospects, they ramble on for pages and quickly lose their readers’ interest. Why do brilliant salespeople often have such a difficult time writing effective sales materials? Quite simply, these professionals haven’t mastered the 5 rules of effective written business communications.
Unfortunately, few salespeople receive formal training on how to write. While they may have taken a few writing courses in college, such courses don’t adequately prepare people for real-world business writing. But with the proliferation of e-mail and sales-oriented web sites, writing skills are of paramount importance in today’s business landscape. In fact, when your written documents get to the point quickly and effectively, you will turn more prospects into clients, thus increasing your bottom line.
Following are the 5 rules of written sales communications that all salespeople need to know. Master them and watch your sales figures soar.
1. Know the specifics of your audience.
Finding A Pot Of Gold In Article Writing
September 28, 2007
Finding A Pot Of Gold In Article Writing
by: Katie Smith
If you have a website, then you have probably been bombarded by people telling you that writing articles is the key to successful marketing. However, unless you are a professional writer, article writing probably seems as unachievable as obtaining that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
Well, you may not be able to find the end of the rainbow, but you can achieve the task of writing an article. Just follow these simple tips, and you will be well on your way to success!
First, choose a topic and stick with it. Whether you decide to write on marketing, business tips, or fashion advice, make sure that you know your topic well. Research your subject often so you are up-to-date on the most recent advice being given. After all, you do not want to appear unprofessional by being out of the loop!
Second, make a list. Many successful articles are Top 10, 5, 3 lists. Others, such as the one you are reading, are lists of successful tips. Most readers look at articles to increase their knowledge of the subject in a timely manner. Don’t drag on and on over your topic.
Write Your Ezine Article in 15 Minutes or Less!
September 27, 2007
Gasp! I can hear it from the purists now: Matt is advocating that writers really dumb down their writing styles to crank out more articles in less time. No, not really. Truthfully, writing for the internet, where the vast number of ezine articles can be found, shouldn’t be a laborious process. By following these simple rules you should be able to produce an interesting, persuasive, and concise article in fifteen minutes or less.
Have a familiar topic in mind. Writing on something you are not familiar with will require plenty of research. Plan on spending 1-3 hours of good, solid research on a “new” topic for every 500-600 word article you write. Thus, if getting published is your desire, emphasize those areas you are well acquainted with first. Save the “new” topics for another time.
Simplify your language style. No, you will not be contributing to the decline of the western civilization, however you must not publish college level material for ezine use on a regular basis. Why? Because the vast majority of the people who are on the internet do not have a college education and/or English is not their primary language. You want people to read what you wrote, correct? Aim for a less educated crowd and you will capture and educate your readers. Isn’t that the goal of your writing something in the first place — to tell someone something that they did not know?
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