New Year’s Resolutions for Writers
December 28, 2007
New Year’s Resolutions for Writers
by: Amber McNaught
Whether you’re an experienced writer looking to boost your career or a complete novice desperate to break into the world of freelance writing, there’s a good chance that you’ll be using the New Year as the excuse you need to start a whole new writing regime.
New year is a good time for freelance writers. It’s a time of chance, when staff writers start looking for new jobs (leaving editors desperate for freelance contributions), and editors start thinking about new directions for their publications (and hence need new freelance writers to help them out).
If you’re determined to make this year the year that your writing career really takes off, here are some of the resolutions you should be making.
1. I will write every day
Freelance writing is a job, just like any other, and that means you have to do it every day (weekends and holidays excepted). Make writing a habit by sitting down at your keyboard at the same time every day, and don’t allow yourself to leave until you’ve got some words down on paper. Start taking your writing seriously, and other people will take it seriously too.
Battling Internet ADD: Ten Tips for Writing for the Web
December 28, 2007
Battling Internet ADD: Ten Tips for Writing for the Web
by: David Beveridge
1. Write for a reason
Get to the point. One of the basic references for Web design is Steve Krug’s, Don’t Make Me Think. My book for Web writers (not yet available in stores) will be called, Don’t Make Me Yawn. The Great Democracy that is the Web has spawned far more spam and yammer than thoughtful prose. Don’t fall in love with your own voice. Make sure every word supports the message.
2. Write for “scanners”
The five-second rule applies, only make it shorter.
Visitors look at a Web page, then they read it. Think of your page as the cover of a magazine. A visitor will first absorb the total picture, then kick into reading mode and skip tra-la from headline to headline until they find, a) what they’re looking for, or, b) something better. Don’t lose the scanners with deathless prose.
3. Get engaged
Lively writing will draw visitors to your message.
I know you’re trying to be precise. I know you’re trying to be complete. I know you need to get the whole message across. I know. Believe me. I’m reading it and trying to…zzzz.
Newsletter Names - Creative Ideas for Newsletter Titles
December 27, 2007
Your newsletter name has a big effect on your readership, so it’s essential you choose a good name right from the start. Here are some ideas to help you come up with creative newsletter names…
#1. Your Niche
You can include the name of your niche in your newsletter title to explain what the content is about. This is one of the most common naming techniques people use. Here are some sample newsletter names…
* Affiliate Marketing Facts
* Search Engine Optimization Advice
* Email Marketing Insider Tips
* Easy Gardening Guide
* Free Golf Tips
#2. Your Target Market
Your newsletter targets a certain audience, right? How about that you use their name in your newsletter title to attract their attention? This will tell them you offer the information that they want. Here are some good newsletter names…
* Affiliate Marketers Weekly
* Work at Home Moms
* Pet Lovers Tips & Trends
#3. Catchy Newsletter Names
Depending on your target market, this type of name can work for you. The benefit to these kind of names is that they’re catchy and easy to remember. They’re just creative names out of no where.
How to Use Articles to Increase Web Site Traffic!
December 27, 2007
A simple technique to increase web site traffic is using articles.
Just imagine? Hundreds, even thousands, of theme-related sites having one-way links to your site! What would that do for your web site? Would your page rank increase? How much of an increase in web site traffic do you think you would see?
I can tell you from experience that it will blow your mind away. It is truly an amazing and simple strategy for increasing web site traffic, but very few site owners are doing it! Quality articles are in big demand on the web from article directories, webmasters looking for great content, and e-zine publishers. Just one article can spread across the web like wildfire taking your website URL and name along with it!
I am going to provide you with a simple 4-step process that will show you how to use articles to increase web site traffic and explode your online sales. I know many of you are saying, “I can’t write and really don’t have the time”. It is O.K., no one is asking you to become the next Ernest Hemingway, so don’t worry, just relax and follow these simple steps.
How To Market A Suspense Novel In An Online Multimedia Format
December 27, 2007
If you haven’t heard of the author C.F. Jackson or the novel Won’t Be Denied, you soon will. This author has taken marketing to a new multimedia level with the release of an online commercial.
The three minute commercial is an innovative way to walk in the world of Maré Alexander, the main character, who greets the viewer and provides the viewer a synopsis of her story.
Filtered in the commercial are a few reviews from readers. The movement and the music demand one’s attention immediately.
In its brief runtime, Won’t Be Denied the commercial has captured many viewers on a daily bases, just like the novel itself.
Author, C. F. Jackson has taken a path of developing a media format that is a first of its kind, when it comes to bringing readers to this new, true suspense, without any obvious twists.
To captivate the avid reader, Organized Thoughts Publishing produced a commercial just for those who are intrigued with suspense stories and to capture those who are not, as of yet.
Marketing and promoting is to be a fun, adventurous, and out-of-the-box mindset. That is something C.F. Jackson has truthfully achieved.
Writing A Book - Tips From An Author #4
December 26, 2007
Writing A Book - Tips From An Author #4
by: GetPlotted.com
Style is one of the most important considerations when writing a bestseller, and as we mentioned in previous articles, they key is consistency. It’s almost a hallmark of a top 10 best seller to have a strong, consistent style. Therefore, hit on a style, and stick to it throughout the novel. Here’s a quick checklist for you that should help ensure you keep a consistent style as you write a book. You can save yourself an awful lot of time if you try and avoid the need for editing any copy you use in your plotting stafge. For example, if you create a useful plot card for one of your chapters, write it properly, in the style you intend to use within the actual text of the book. That way you can cut and paste it simply and start expanding WITHOUT having to rewrite it from scratch. The Plot Card system on www.GetPlotted.com is excellent for this - when you swap over to manuscript format to actually start writing your chapter, the plot card is right there alongside, so if you want to cut and paste, you can.
Your Article Headlines will Make or Break Your Business
December 26, 2007
Most people with an online presence will have to regularly deal with the issue of coming up with an appropriate headline. The problem is that most people do not take it seriously enough. Many do not realize that the headline is so important that no matter how good the content is, it will never get read if the headline does not beckon surfers to it.
The power of a headline In the offline world of the tabloid press, one headline can sell a few hundred copies while another in the same publication, can sell several million copies. Online headlines are even more important as quite often somebody will not have an opportunity to leaf through, like they do in a print publication. Quite often, even a summary will not be available and all the prospective reader has to go on, is the headline.
Most of us forget that we are motivated to read almost everything that we read online through the headline. Open any news page and you will only click on the headlines that you find interesting. Even on a page of search engine results, you will tend to go for a lower ranked page with a better headline.
Can You Afford To Publish Your Book?
December 26, 2007
Can You Afford To Publish Your Book?
by: Sophfronia Scott
Money blinds. It’s as simple as that. Aspiring authors ask about the money issue all the time, in varying forms, (How much does it cost to publish? How much will I get paid in royalties?, etc.) but they can’t see beyond that issue to think about the thing that will truly decide the money question. And here it is:
What Do You Want From Your Book?
That is the real question! Once you are clear about what you want out of the publishing process, you can decide what route would be the most satisfying–and profitable–for you. When it comes right down it it, you can spend as much or as little as you want on your book. But how much are you willing to spend to get what you want?
Ezine Article Writing In 10 Easy Steps
December 25, 2007
1. Choose A Topic.
You need to choose either a hot topic or a topic about which you are passionate. If you can find a topic which is both these things, you have a winning combination. Think about what people are talking about on forums and in ezine articles that you have read recently. Check with Google to find recent popular search topics. Your task will be easier if your article covers a subject people currently find interesting. If you are interested in the subject, this will show in your writing and enthusiasm can be infectious.
2. Research Your Subject.
Remember that people will read your article to obtain information. The type and extent of your research will depend upon the type of article you intend to write. If you are writing an article about your own experience or viewpoint, you probably won’t need to do much in the way of research unless you want to add in references to some contrasting views which have been published by other people. Obviously, if you are writing an article which includes statistical information, you need to make sure your facts and figures are correct.
3. Invent a Title.
The Bible - The Source Of All Copywriting Secrets
December 25, 2007
The Bible - The Source Of All Copywriting Secrets
by: Ray L. Edwards
I’ve been a student of the Bible for practically all my life. There is a lot of reason why this book remains the number one best-seller year after year. I think that it is the source of ALL wisdom, yes, including successful copywriting!
What do I mean by this?
Simply put, every copywriting strategy can be found FIRST in the Bible. This may appear to be a strong statement but I challenge the reader to prove otherwise. As I did the research for my latest ebook “77 Ways to Skyrocket Your Website’s Conversion”, I kept saying to myself “but that’s in the Bible that’s in the Bible.”
I would like to take a look at FIVE copywriting principles and show you that they are as old as the Scriptures. This article is not meant to ‘convert’ you so read with an open mind … ready? Let’s go!
1. Stress benefits not features.
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