Why write an eBook?
You want ongoing, lifelong multiple streams of income. You want to raise your credibility and trust ratings with clients or customers. You want to get your message out so the world can be a better place.
Yet, you want to spend only a little time on it. (Would you be willing to spend 4 hours a week?) You want to get it out fast (Would 4-6 weeks be OK?) You want to market Online at a low-cost investment. And, for some of you, you are ready to be innovative and even take a small risk to get your eBook read by millions, rather than hundreds!
In order to finish your eBook fast you need to first, look at where you are now; second, where you want to be; and then you'll know how to get to your finish line.
Where are you now?
You have the idea for your eBook; you have a lot of ideas! Take a moment and decide which one you are most passionate about now and will be for the next year. Focus on one great idea, then add others you know will work.
You have your eBook well on its way, but aren't finished. You need advice on how to get it done, what's needed to publish (not much!), and how to distribute it.
Who Should Write an eBook?
- If you are ready to invest a little to reap a great deal.
- If you are a business person who want to serve a wider community
- If you have a unique message you want to share with the world
- If are willing to write, publish yourself, and sell 2 years ahead of traditional publishing
- If you want to create active, lifelong streams of income
- If you want to promote yourself, service or products
How to get there.
Build and Sell your eBook at the same time
Every part of your book can be a sales tool. When you include the essential "Seven Hot-Selling Points" before you write chapter one, you'll sell more books than you ever dreamed of!
1. Write for your one preferred audience. Not everyone wants your book. Find out what audience wants/needs your book? What problems does your book solve for them? Create an audience profile and keep your audience's picture in front of you as you write. Ask yourself, is my topic narrow enough? The Chicken Soup For The Teenager, For The Prisoner, and other specific groups sold far more copies than the original Chicken
Soup.
2. Write a sizzling book title including benefits. You have 8 seconds to hook your potential buyer. While an eBook cover doesn't need fancy graphics you will want to create one that can be printed both in color and black and white. It must be easy to see and read. Your title and cover should compel your audience to buy.
3. Write a thirty-sixty second "tell and sell." You only have a few seconds to impress your potential buyer. Include your title, a few benefits, and the audience. This billboard needs a sound bite to grab attention. "Write, Finish, and Publish your eBook Fast to Pull Online Sales" shows professionals how to shortcut each step of writing, publishing, and promoting a salable short eBook.
Add a sound bite to the above "tell and sell" something like this: Compare your book to someone who is famous. One client's title "Passion at Any Age" used the sound bite "this book is the 'Artist's Way' for seniors.
4. Write your sales letter before you write your book. Think about your potential buyer. What are his resistances? His problems or challenges? Be sure you address these. Your sales letter used to promote your book either by email or on your Web site needs to give the benefits your potential buyers want and need. Include compelling ad copy, features, testimonials, and a small blurb about you, the author. If your potential buyer likes it, they will buy on the spot.
5. Write your eBook's introduction. Include the problem your audience has, why you wrote the book, and its purpose. In a few paragraphs include more specific benefits, and how you will present it (format). Keep it under a page. Your introduction will help you write your sales letter.
6. Create a table of contents. Each chapter should have a title, preferably a catchy one. If your reader can't understand the chapter title, then annotate it. Add some benefits or a sub title. In my first chapter called "Why Write an eBook?" I added this partial list of benefits: Ongoing lifelong multiple streams of income, credibility as the expert, products sell easily online, buyers are more targeted and hence you create more profit.
7. Reach out to opinion molders. After an initial contact of asking for feedback, resend them the same chapter and the table of contents of your book. Ask for a testimonial then. These influential contacts' testimonials will help promote your eBook Online.
Design every part of your eBook to be a sales tool and a beacon that brings out your best: writing--compelling, easy to read, organized, and enjoyable. Your book can sell to thousands, even hundreds of thousands when you design it correctly.
About the author:
Judy Cullins, 20-year Book and Internet Marketing Coach works with small business people who want to make a difference in people's lives, build their credibility and clients, and make a consistent life-long income. Author of 10 eBooks including Write your eBook or Other Short Book Fast, Ten Non-Techie Ways to Market Your Book Online, The Fast and Cheap Way to Explode Your Targeted Web Traffic, and Power Writing for Web Sites That Sell, she offers free help through her 2 monthly ezines, "The BookCoach Says...," "Business Tip of the Month," and blog Q & A at http://www.bookcoaching.com/opt-in.shtmland over 170 free articles. Email her at Judy@bookcoaching.com
by: Judy Cullins
How to Build and Sell your eBook at the Same Time
How to Break In and Succeed as a Screenwriter
Screenwriting is a competitive trade. To distinguish yourself as a prize-winning writer you need to master organizational skills, take creative risks, and learn how best to present your final product. For the aspiring screenwriter, Tom Lazarus' book, "Secrets of Film Writing" is one of the best. An exceptional screenwriter with five produced screenplays, Lazarus developed this book for beginning writers enrolled in his classes at UCLA.
This article examines a few of the many techniques outlined in "Secrets of Film Writing" and provides examples of screenwriters who succeeded with Tom Lazarus' guidelines.
ORGANIZATION IS KEY
Master organization and you're closer to producing a stellar screenplay, not a mediocre one. Ask yourself these questions:
1) Does the screenplay have a clear beginning, middle and end?
2) Does the story drift aimlessly or does it make its point successfully?
These may seem like basic questions, yet many screenwriters grapple with organizational problems.
Lazarus addresses this issue in his book; he recommends writers use one of four organizational methods to ensure their screenplays flow smoothly: outlines, treatments, index cards, and scene lists. All four of these tools are equally effective. Writers need to be discreet to decide which organizational crutch best suits their needs.
In writing the screenplay for the Hollywood feature film "Stigmata," Lazarus chose to use a scene list for organizational support since he already had specific ideas about the chronology and action details of his story. To writers who have difficult organizing and prefer a different method, Lazarus says, "Go for it, because no one is going to see it. It's a process. There is no wrong way."
MAKE IT INTERESTING
Writing is a process. Great screenwriters take creative risks. Without an interesting story, even the most organized screenplay will be unmarketable. The goal should never be to copy another writer's style; instead exercise your own imagination and experiment with different ways to spark your story.
When Warner Brothers hired Tim McCanlies to adapt Ted Hughes' famous English novel "The Iron Man" for the screen, he struggled with whether he should remain true to Hughes' vision or develop a new story based loosely on the original book's events. McCanlies chose to do something risky and wildly creative; he Americanized "The Iron Man" by setting the story in the 1950s during the Cold War terror and renamed it "The Iron Giant." His calculated risk proved worthwhile. American audiences related to the film and appreciated its examination of an unusual time in their nation's history. Also, English audiences embraced "The Iron Giant" despite its variation from the original English text and awarded it the 2000 BAFTA Award for best feature film.
There is a valuable lesson for aspiring writers in McCanlies' success: when you risk nothing, you gain nothing. McCanlies, Lazarus, and other successful screenwriters embroil themselves in chances, write creatively, experiment with different ideas, and raise their characters' stakes.
SUBMIT YOUR SCRIPT LIKE A PRO
Once you have written an interesting, well-organized screenplay you need to submit your script neatly and according to studio standards. Lazarus warns his UCLA students about several technical errors in script presentation that annoy studio readers. Follow these guidelines:
1) A feature length screenplay should be longer than 95 pages and shorter than 125 pages when you submit it for studio consideration.
2) Don't include a synopsis or character biographies with your script as it gives studio readers an excuse not to review the whole screenplay.
3) Don't put scene numbers on your script until it is sold. This is a rule of the game; readers find scene numbers distracting and use them as an excuse to dub a screenplay "amateur" and unworthy of further consideration.
4) Studio readers prefer to receive scripts bound with circular metal brads. Using folders and binders hog office space and interns may discard scripts unintentionally during spring cleaning.
5) Finally, use one of the many screenwriting programs to help format your script, such as Movie Magic Screenwriter, Final Draft or Script Wizard. You can find discounted deals at MasterFreelancer.com (http://www.MasterFreelancer.com), StoryScribe.com (http://www.StoryScribe.com), and Wizards4Word.com (http://www.wizards4word.com).
Make sure you proofread your script several times before submitting a script for Hollywood review. Busy studio readers will not peruse screenplays riddled with basic errors like confusing "it's" with "its" and using "are" when you mean "our." Use a program like Style Writer (found at http://www.StyleWriter-USA.com) to remedy such embarrassing grammar mistakes. When you're ready to submit your script, grab a Hollywood Creative Directory (found at http://www.storyscribe.com/mgbooks.html) to find markets for your script.
THINK SUCCESS AND BE A SUCCESS
Remember to take risks with plot and character development, and follow studio standards for script submissions. Studying resources like "Secrets of Film Writing" by Tom Lazarus, "How Not to Write a Screenplay" by Denny Martin Flinn, "Crafty Screenwriting" by Alex Epstein, and "Alternative Scriptwriting" by Ken Dancyger and Jeff Rush can be helpful for aspiring writers. Developing strong writing skills takes time, a willingness to learn, and perseverance. Writers who constantly improve their skills and experiment with new ideas will succeed.
About the author:
Brian Konradt is a freelance writer and founder of FreelanceWriting.com (http://www.freelancewriting.com), a free web site to help writers master the business and creative sides of freelance writing; he also is founder of BookCatcher.com (http://www.bookcatcher.com), a free website to help authors promote their books.
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Publish Post
by: Brian Konradt
How New Authors Can Keep Their Manuscripts Coherent
In large publishing houses, many manuscripts penned by first-time authors, never make it past the "first reader" who for all practical purposes is a gatekeeper of sorts. This person's job is to weed out manuscripts that do not fit certain established submission criteria. However, many never make it to the editor's desk, simply because they are badly disorganized and downright incoherent.
But even if you are self-publishing, you owe it to yourself as well as your readers to develop a theme. Not only will a theme tell what your book is about, it also serves to hold your book together. Every other element — your chapters, for example — should support your theme. It is what keeps you from rambling all over the place, and if you should stray, it is what can bring you back — if you keep it in front of you.
That’s literally, as well as figuratively. I wouldn’t begin to write or give a talk without having a developed theme. Have you ever been to a banquet or meeting where the speaker went on and on with a speech that was all over the place, talking about everything under the sun, except the topic the audience was waiting to hear about? Most likely it wasn’t because the speaker didn’t have a topic, but rather it was because the speaker didn’t have or didn’t take the time to develop a theme. If you want your story to be just as disjointed —then don’t develop a theme for it.
Unlike a working title that may change to something else entirely different or even several times before a manuscript is finished, a theme shouldn’t change during the course of your writing. It may become more obvious during the writing process, but I advise writers to spend serious time developing their theme so that they are clear about the message they are trying to convey. If it is not clear to you, how can you write it in such a way that it is clear to your readers?
Unfortunately, you cannot find the answer to why you are writing your story in this article, or in any book for that matter. You cannot even find it in a classroom setting. Books and classes can only serve to help you bring the reason(s) to the surface, but the answer must come from you. How then, do you determine your book’s purpose? How can you be certain that it is more than a good story? Your book’s purpose is, to a great degree, intertwined with your purpose.
Mark Victor Hansen, co-creator of the Chicken Soup series suggests meditation, or deep, controlled, concentrated thought. He says, "Relax and tap into your mind, way back there in the deepest,
secret compartment of your mind, by asking yourself this
question: ‘If I knew my life purpose, what would it be?’ Don’t just ask it once. Keep asking this question until you get the answer. It may not come the first day, or even the first week. But it’s there, and it will show its face if you earnestly ask."
Hansen states that this should be repeated every morning and every night for 15 minutes until the answer comes to you, and then write it down. He continues, “Be open to the answer, no matter when it comes to you. Remember, it wants you just as much as you want it.”
A good theme does three things: 1) it describes the story or book; 2) it captures the uniqueness of the story or book; 3) it motivates the author. If it accomplishes these three things, it will also make your outline easier to create. In business-speak, an “elevator speech” is a brief description about your company that you should be able to give to someone in the time it would take to ride up an elevator. I hold that everyone writing a book needs an elevator speech, or theme, for it.
About the author:
Marvin D. Cloud is founder of mybestseller.com and author of "Get Off The
Pot: How to Stop Procrastinating and Write Your Personal Bestseller in 90 Days." Visit http.//www.mybestseller.com and grab a free copy of the "Get Off The Pot" newsletter, dedicated to motivating ordinary people to write, publish and sell their books faster, efficient, and more cost-effective.
by: Marvin D. Cloud
How I Made $1683.04 From Writing ONE Article
Yeah, $1683.04. One article. Here’s how:
You can’t just sit down and write an article that makes money. Most articles don’t ever make it past the directories they’re submitted to. Why? They don’t get reprinted because they are horribly written, or they’re advertorials, or flat-out spam. But there are a few - a select few - that make it to the big leagues. And those make money. Lets start by talking about how to write a good article.
How You SHOULD Start
Don’t just start writing. Start by thinking about your audience. Think about their wants, not their needs – people are much more likely to make a decision based on their wants, and put off their needs. Focus on their feelings, and accelerate them. Take advantage of them. How? Be your audience, take some time to step into their shoes, and feel what they feel. Now, what would you respond to? Take that, and run with it.
Put Your Plan Together And Write Your Outline
Still don’t start writing your article. Start by writing down those wants and feelings you thought about, in outline form. Go ahead and write them on paper, in Notepad, in Word, wherever you want to. Feel free to add to your list if you think of other good ideas.
Now Start Writing
Take your outline and turn it into paragraphs. Make sure you write in a conversational style - your readers hate to be lectured as much as you do - but make sure that you use proper grammar as much as possible. When you’re done writing, save your article and get away from it for a while.
Proofread, Proofread, And Proofread Again
I can’t stress this part enough. You MUST proofread your articles at least 2-3 times. And while you’re reading, try to think like the reader again. This will help you use the language that will be the most effective, and it will help ensure that your writing style isn’t confusing. If you’re not good at proofreading, or grammar in general, find someone who is, and have them do it for you. A poorly written article probably won’t make you a cent.
Now, Where Do You Submit It?
Easy - everywhere. You want to submit your article to as many places/people as possible. Find every article directory available and submit your article to them. Yes, this takes time, but it’s worth it. Why? Because you never know where a publisher will find your article. Submitting by hand can get very tedious and time consuming, though, so make sure you allot time to do it.
Or, if you’re willing to trade a little bit of money for your time, consider using a submission service. I personally use http://www.Article-Marketer.com, because they submit to roughly 30,000 publishers, sites and directories. I’m not even going to try to figure out how much time that would take me to do by hand, but I know the small price tag I pay to have my articles submitted is well worth it.
And How Will This Make Me Money?
I’m getting to that... Hold your pants on. Now that you know how to write and submit a great article, you can move on to how to profit from them. There are a few things to consider here –
1) Topic - You can’t write an article about how to make great spit wads and expect to make any money from it. Why? Well, not many people really care enough about how to make great spit wads to spend money on them.
2) Reason - You have to have a reason for the article. You can’t just write an overview of a program and expect it to be published, let alone sell anything for you. Your readers have to see a value in reading further, or they’ll leave. This means you have to give them great content, preferably something they haven’t heard before.
3) Trust - If your readers are going to do ANYTHING for you, you have to give them something first. You can’t write an article and only include stuff that’s common knowledge. Give them value, and they’ll repay you for it.
4) Means – Once you’ve picked a great topic, given your readers a reason to read it, and established trust by telling them things they didn’t know before, they’ll be primed to make you a profit, so give them a way to do it.
Now It’s Time For The Juicy Stuff
The article that made me $1700 had all of those things, and my means of profit was through a very subtle affiliate link in the middle of the article. I didn’t hype it up, I didn’t point it out, I simply mentioned it once and went on with the article. Looking back, I probably could have mentioned it subtly again at the end of the article and made more sales, but hindsight is always 20/20.
I do need to say that most article directories and publishers won’t reprint an article with an obvious affiliate link in it, so you have to disguise it. I purchased a domain name and had it forwarded to my affiliate hoplink (it is a Clickbank product), and when you type in my domain, it redirects so quickly, you can’t even tell there is a redirect. Check it out; it’s http://www.GetSEOElite.com - sly, eh? It just looks like I’m referring the reader to a great product, as opposed to including the link because I’m trying to make money.
Don’t Forget The Good Ol’ Resource Box
Affiliate links aren’t the only way to profit, you can also include a link in your resource box (aka About the Author area) back to your site, and direct people to where they can get more information about the article topic. You can direct them to another affiliate site, a name squeeze page, or just about anywhere you want. This is a great way to get a number of backlinks for your site, as well.
Jackpot!
SiteProNews.com picked up my article about 15 days after I had it submitted, and they sent it to their subscriber list of 500,000 people. I’m not sure how many people read it or how many followed the affiliate link, but do I know that in 2 days I racked up about 20 sales of SEO Elite and the link in my resource box almost tripled my traffic, as well.
Want To Write Your Own Article Now?
I feel like I should say something about how my results are probably not typical, and not everyone will be able to make $1700 off of one article. But I’ll also add that if you find that right topic, and produce a great article, you could blow my $1700 out of the water, and I hope you do! Just remember these things:
- Don’t just start writing, think about your reader first.
- Proofread
- Use an article submission site like http://www.Article-Marketer.com, it will prove invaluable in the time and effort it saves
Happy writing!
About the author:
Jason is the owner of http://www.Content-Articles.com,and an avid article writer. In case you wanted to see it, the article that made him $1683.04 can be found here: http://www.content-articles.com/article.aspx?i=24&t=Crash-Course-in-Getting-a-##1-Google-Ranking(You thought I was going to leave you hanging, didn’t you?)
by: Jason DeVelvis
How Compelling Is Your Title?
is Your Title Compelling?
Your title is your selling tool. It’s the first thing readers will scan and contemplate whether to read your story.
What your title’s job is, it has to lure the readers into your story – it has to be so compelling that they won’t even have a chance to ask themselves, ‘Will this story interest me?’
Their eyes will glide over the title and into the story before they realize it. The action will be instant.
What’s a compelling title? It’s one that instantly grabs our attention because it’s…
Intriguing
Interesting
Catchy
Provocative
Amusing
Your title may not be all these things but it will have to be at least one. There should be something about it that grabs your readers.
So how do you write compelling titles?
Start by learning from the masters.
Learn from those whose articles and stories are published in newspapers, magazines and, in particular, pay close attention how the writers of Readers Digest go about it. They have been luring readers into their written material for years. They know their stuff.
Here are a few examples of titles taken from Readers Digest….
• Did I really need to know that?
• Who is Jack Kevorkian, Really?
• Against the flames
• Who Killed Margaret Wilson?
Do you have any newspapers or magazines handy, or even better, a Readers Digest magazine? If you do, note down a few titles, then analyze why those particular titles grabbed you.
If you don’t have any magazines handy, take a look at: www.amazon.com (in the books section.) See what titles are listed there. Or look at your bookshelf.
Compare them to your title.
Is your title compelling?
If you find that it could be better, here’s an effective way that will ensure you find the best title for your story…
Read through your story and on a piece of paper jot down sentences and/or words that appealed to you as you read. Jot down as many as you come across – Don’t worry about editing them for now. Just note down all that grabbed you.
Then look at your characters. Is there something special about them, a word you could use in a title that will grab readers’ attention?
Now with the list you have gathered, think about what you are saying in your story. Start crossing out the words and sentences that aren’t directly relevant to it.
Select a few words and look through a thesaurus for a nicer sounding synonym.
Choose the most appropriate group of words for the title.
Remember… your title has to be one or a combination of the below…
Intriguing
Interesting
Catchy
Provocative
Amusing
______________
Have You Settled On First Choice When Choosing A Title?
We’ve established what a title should be and we’ve also established your title is your selling tool. So if it can make or break the sale of your story, then we’ll have to agree that it is extremely important. How much emphasis have you placed when selecting a title?
1) You can’t write a story before titling it, so you jotted down the first thing that came to mind.
2) You added it as an afterthought when you completed the story.
3) You put a lot of thought into it and selected the best one.
I hope it was the latter – and I hope you did this…
1) You noted down as many titles as you could think of
2) Then crossed out the titles you thought were ‘so-so’
3) And kept the most grabbing title of them all?
You did do this, didn’t you?
______________
Does The Title Reflect The Story?
We all have different tastes in what we like to read. Some have a particular taste for horror, while others prefer romance or fantasy or crime stories, etc. My favourite genre in short stories is horror, so once the title grabs my attention, I will enthusiastically read the story.
You may want to leave your readers in no doubt of the type of story you have written. That’s fine. You want to grab all the fans out there and/or recruit new readers into the genre you are so fond of writing.
So, how do you select a title that reflects your story?
Should the title always reflect the story?
Not always. But your title must have some sort of connection with your story.
_____________
Is There A Connection Between Your Title And Your Story?
If you choose not to have the title reflect the story that’s fine too. But there should be some relevance between them.
If, for instance, your story is about a man walking on the moon, then it wouldn’t make sense to title it, ‘Walking on Mars.’
If your story is an uplifting tale about two characters finding love, then your title isn’t going to mention death, unless of course one of the characters’ die.
At first your title may not give away the nature of your story. But once having read the story, the reader will understand the connection. Let me give you a few examples…
‘The Fire In The Sky’
This can be the title of a story in which an airplane explodes in midair or a story about a meteorite on its way to earth, etc.
‘An Angel Amongst Us’
Can be the title of a story about a person with extraordinary kindness or about an angel that leaves the heavenly realm to reside on earth, etc.
~~~~~~~~~~
You can be ambiguous in your title if you wish. Your title doesn’t always have to reflect your story. Having more than one possible meaning intrigues the reader but remember…
There has to be a connection between your title and your story.
About the author:
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Besides his passion for writing, Nick Vernon runs an online gift site where you will find gift information, articles and readers funny stories. Visit http://www.we-recommend.com
About Writing
In this free email course, I'll tell you everything I know about improving your writing, publishing it electronically and in print, and promoting it after the sale.
Two questions you should ask:
(1) What will it cost me?
(2) What does this Michael LaRocca guy know about it?
Answer #1 -- It won't cost you a thing. The single most important bit of advice I can give you, and I say it often, is don't pay for publication.
My successes have come from investing time. Some of it was well spent, but most of it was wasted. It costs me nothing to share what I've learned. It costs you nothing to read it except some of your time.
Answer #2 -- "Michael LaRocca has been researching the publishing field for over ten years."
This quote, from an ezine (electronic newsletter) called Authors Wordsmith, was a kind way of saying I've received a lot of rejections. Also, my "research" required 20 years.
But in my "breakout" year (2000), I finished writing four books and scheduled them all for publication in 2001. Then I spent almost a year as an editor and Author Development Specialist for one of my publishers.
After my first book was published, both my publishers closed. Two weeks and three publishers later, I was back on track. All four books were republished, and a fifth will be released in 2004. Written in 2003, no rejections.
See how much faster it was the second time around? That's because I learned a lot.
2004 EPPIE Award finalist. 2002 EPPIE Award finalist. Listed by Writers Digest as one of The Best 101 Websites For Writers in 2001 and 2002. Sime-Gen Readers Choice Awards for Favorite Author (Nonfiction & Writing) and Favorite Book (Nonfiction & Writing). 1982 Who's Who In American Writing.
Excuse me for bragging, but it beats having you think I'm unqualified.
Also, I found more editing jobs. That's what I do when I'm not writing, doing legal transcription, or teaching English in China (my new home). But the thing is, if I'd become an editor before learning how to write, I'd have stunk.
I'll tell you what's missing from this course. What to write about, where I get my ideas from, stuff like that. Maybe I don't answer this question because I think you should do it your way, not mine. Or maybe because I don't know how I do it. Or maybe both.
Once you've done your writing bit, this course will help you with all the other stuff involved in being a writer. Writing involves wearing at least four different hats. Writer, editor, publication seeker, post-sale self-promoter.
Here's what I can tell you about my writing.
Sometimes a story idea just comes to me out of nowhere and refuses to leave me alone until I write it. So, I do.
And, whenever I read a book that really fires me up, I find myself thinking, "I wish I could write like that." So, I just keep trying. I'll never write the best, but I'll always write my best. And get better every time. That's the "secret" of the writing "business," same as any other business. Always deliver the goods.
I read voraciously, a habit I recommend to any author who doesn't already have it. You'll subconsciously pick up on what does and doesn't work. Characterization, dialogue, pacing, plot, story, setting, description, etc. But more importantly, someone who doesn't enjoy reading will never write something that someone else will enjoy reading.
I don't write "for the market." I know I can't, so I just write for me and then try to find readers who like what I like. I'm not trying to whip up the next bestseller and get rich. Not that I'd complain. Nope, I have to write what's in my heart, then go find a market later. It makes marketing a challenge at times, but I wouldn't have it any other way.
When you write, be a dreamer. Go nuts. Know that you're writing pure gold. That fire is why we write.
An author who I truly admire, Kurt Vonnegut, sweats out each individual sentence. He writes it, rewrites it, and doesn't leave it alone until it's perfect. Then when he's done, he's done.
I doubt most of write like that. I don't. I let it fly as fast as my fingers can move across the paper or keyboard, rushing to capture my ideas before they get away. Later, I change and shuffle and slice.
James Michener claims that he writes the last sentence first, then has his goal before him as he writes his way to it.
Then there's me. No outline whatsoever. I create characters and conflict, spending days and weeks on that task, until the first chapter really leaves me wondering "How will this end?" Then my characters take over, and I'm as surprised as the reader when I finish my story.
Some authors set aside a certain number of hours every day for writing, or a certain number of words. In short, a writing schedule.
Then there's me. No writing for three or six months, then a flurry of activity where I forget to eat, sleep, bathe, change the cat's litter... I'm a walking stereotype. To assuage the guilt, I tell myself that my unconscious is hard at work. As Hemingway would say, long periods of thinking and short periods of writing.
I've shown you the extremes in writing styles. I think most authors fall in the middle somewhere. But my point is, find out what works for you. You can read about how other writers do it, and if that works for you, great. But in the end, find your own way. That's what writers do.
Just don't do it halfway.
If you're doing what I do, writing a story that entertains and moves you, then you will find readers who share your tastes. For some of us that means a niche market and for others it means regular appearances on the bestseller list.
Writing is a calling, but publishing is a business. Remember that AFTER you've written your manuscript. Not during.
I've told you how I write. For me.
The next step is self-editing. Fixing all the mistakes I made, that I can identify, in my rush to write it before my Muse took a holiday. Several rewrites. Running through it repeatedly with a fine-toothed comb.
Then what?
There are stories that get rejected because the potential publisher hates them, but far more are shot down for other reasons. Stilted dialogue. Boring descriptions. Weak characters. Underdeveloped story. Unbelievable or inconsistent plot. Sloppy writing.
That's what you have to fix.
After my fifteen-year hiatus from writing, I started by using Free Online Creative Writing Workshops. What I needed most was input from strangers. After all, once you're published, your readers will be strangers. Every publisher you submit to will be a stranger. What will they think? I was far too close to my writing to answer that.
Whenever I got some advice, I considered it. Some I just threw out as wrong, or because I couldn't make the changes without abandoning part of what made the story special to me. Some I embraced. But the point is, I decided. It was my writing.
After a time, I didn't feel the need for the workshops anymore. I'm fortunate enough to have a wife whose advice I will always treasure, and after a while that was all I needed. But early on, it would've been unfair to ask her to read my drivel. (Not that I didn't anyway.)
I don't know how far along you are in your writing, but if you've never used a workshop, I keep a list of them at http://freereads.topcities.com/creativewritingonline.html.
Your goal when you self-edit is to get your book as close to "ready to read" as you possibly can. You want your editor to find what you overlooked, not what you didn't know about.
To that end, I offer two resources.
http://freereads.topcities.com/usefullinksforauthors.html contains links to online quotations, grammar and style guides, dictionaries, encyclopedias, thesauruses, scam warnings, writer groups, copyright stuff, etc.
http://freereads.topcities.com/commonwritingmistakes.html contains a list of the most common mistakes I've seen in my years as an editor. I still reread it from time to time just so I don't forget.
Your story is your story. You write it from your heart, and when it looks like something you'd enjoy reading, you set out to find a publisher who shares your tastes. What you don't want is for that first reader to lose sight of what makes your story special because you've bogged it down with silly mistakes.
Authors don't pay to be published. They are paid for publication. Always. It's just that simple. And later, I'll tell you where to get some free editing.
But there's a limit to how much editing you can get without paying for it. Do you need more than that? I don't know because I've never seen your writing. But if you evaluate it honestly, I Think you'll know the answer.
As an editor, I've worked with some authors who simply couldn't self-edit. A non-native English speaker, a guy who slept through English class, whatever. To them, maybe paying for editing was an option. This isn't paying for publication. This is paying for a service, training. Just like paying to take a Creative Writing class at the local community college.
By the way, I don't believe creativity can be taught. Writing, certainly. I took my Creative Writing class in high school, free, and treasure it. But I already had the creativity, or else it would've been a waste of the teacher's time and mine.
If you hire an editor worthy of the name, you should learn from that editor how to self-edit in the future. In my case it took two tries, because the first editor was a rip-off artist charging over ten times market value for incomplete advice.
That editor, incidentally, is named Edit Ink, and they're listed on many of the "scam warning" sites mentioned at Useful Links For Authors. They took kickbacks from every fake agent who sent them a client. (I'll talk about fake agents later.)
If you choose to hire an editor, check price and reputation. And consider that you might never make enough selling your books to get back what you pay that editor. Do you care? That's your decision.
The first, most important step on the road to publication is to make your writing the best it can be.
** PUBLICATION **
My goal is to be published in both mediums, ebook and print. There are some readers who prefer ebooks, and some who prefer print books. The latter group is much larger, but those publishers are harder to sell your writing to. I want both, because I want all the readers I can get.
Thus, I advocate something of a stepping-stone approach. Publish electronically with a quality place, enjoy the benefits of free editing and almost instant gratification regarding publishing time.
Later, if you think you can sell your book to a traditional print publisher, you have a professionally edited manuscript to submit.
Before you epublish, check the contract to be sure you can publish the edited work in print later.
If you know your book just plain won't ever make it into traditional print, print-on-demand (POD) is an option. Some of my books fall into this category. The best epublishers will simultaneously publish your work electronically and in POD format, at no cost to you.
A lot of authors swear by self-publication, but the prospect just plain scares me. All that promo, all that self-editing, maybe driving around the countryside with a back seat full of books. I'm a writer, not a salesman. But, maybe you're different.
I self-published once, in the pre-POD days. Mom handled the sales. I had fun and broke even. With POD, at least it's cheaper to self-publish than it was in 1989.
If you're flying solo, POD can range anywhere from US$99 to over $1000. Don't pay the higher price! Price shop. Also, remember that POD places publish any author who pays, and do no marketing.
Print Publishing vs Electronic Publishing
http://freereads.topcities.com/printpublishing_electronicpublishing.html
This site provides a comparison of the two mediums. Each has plusses and minuses. Even if you already know what epublishing is, take a look.
Electronic Publishers
http://freereads.topcities.com/onlinefictionbooks.html
A list of the ones I believe are reputable and my criteria for selecting them. Plus, a link to award-winning author Piers Anthony's totally excellent in-depth analysis of many more epublishers than I'll ever list.
How To Break Into Print Publishing
http://freereads.topcities.com/printpublishing.html
If you're at the beginning of my stepping-stone approach, seeking an epublisher, you'll probably just want to bookmark this one for a year or two. That's fine, because it's not going anywhere. I plan to use it myself in a year or two. If, on the other hand, you're ready for traditional print, use it now and I wish you success!
Print-On-Demand Publishing
http://freereads.topcities.com/printondemand.html
What is it? Should you use it? If so, how? What to beware of if you do.
** PROMOTING YOUR PUBLISHED WRITING **
It doesn't matter how you publish your book. Self-published, epublished, POD, or traditional print publishing from an absolute powerhouse. Marketing falls largely on you, and the same things always work. Book signings, interviews in the local newspapers and on radio.
Start with http://www.kidon.com/media-link/index.shtml. It will allow you to look up all the local media outlets in your area that have websites.
If you write to them all, you're a spammer. Plus, it'll take ages. Look for the ones with a legitimate interest and fire away.
If you find a stale URL, and I think you will, look for the name of that media outlet at some place like Google. Spend some time looking for the right press contacts, spend some time writing your press release, and do what you can.
Most of these sites list email, snail mail, and phone calls. Since I live in China, I've only used email.
Book reviews, author interviews, book listing sites, and book contests are something we can all do, regardless of where we live. Again, I'm going to give you some web pages to visit. Pages where I keep my resources, so I don't lose them. Some of the sites I mention do ebooks, and some do not. The POD option can help e-authors here, but balance cost vs. likelihood of gaining enough readers to offset that.
Some are ezines and some are websites. Some are printed newsletters, some are printed magazines, and some are newspapers. This is just a starting point. If you visit them all, and you have time for more promotion, you can find many more.
Book Reviewers, Author Interviews, Book Listing Sites http://freereads.topcities.com/bookreview.html
Book Contests http://freereads.topcities.com/bookcontests.html
Okay, let's get back to my overseas angle. Aside from two radio interviews and a seminar in Hong Kong, and some emailed press releases to the LOCAL media back in the US which may or may not have succeeded in anything, my marketing has come from the Internet.
I have a website. I have a newsletter. I'm giving away a free ebook, the essence of which you're reading now. You found me somehow, right?
Here's the type of message I receive often in email. To be more precise, in spam.
If a million people see your ad, and you get 1% of them, that's 10,000 readers and therefore $15,000 profit and you only paid $1000 for those million addresses.
NO!! It doesn't work that way. Need I use the words dot-com bust?
My website is free. My newsletter is free. I don't buy mailing lists, I don't harvest email addresses, and I don't spam. I want interested traffic, not just sheer numbers.
Do you think the Phoenicians tried to sell sails to people a thousand miles from the water?
Internet marketing isn't a replacement for the methods mentioned above, but a complement to them. And by using it, I got you here.
Your goal in marketing is this. There are certainly people in the world who like what you like. And since you like your book, they probably will too.
But you have to find those readers and make them interested, without spamming them and without just "playing the numbers game."
If you're an e-author, let me state the obvious. Nobody buys ebooks who doesn't have Internet access. Do they? So you definitely need a website.
Traditional print authors need websites too. Even blockbuster authors like J.R. Rowling and Stephen King, who I doubt could garner any more name recognition, have websites. So does every long-established inescapable monstro-business like McDonalds and Coke.
Okay, those folks pay web designers. I'm not doing that. I can't generate those kinds of sales figures. And yes, I've formerly been employed as an HTML programmer. But you can write your own website without even learning HTML if you want. It's no harder than writing a manuscript with a word processor.
It won't be super-flashy like the big boys, but it'll communicate the information. Remember, you can communicate. You're an author! And that's what keeps people coming back to a website after the thrill of the flash wears off. Information. Content. Your specialty.
I consider my website and my newsletter to be successful, and I've created a free email course to analyze how they got that way. Yes, there are legitimate ways to bring traffic to your website and your newsletter. Not massive numbers overnight, but slow steady growth over the long term.
** CLOSING THOUGHTS **
We've been talking about soft sell.
Now, at the end of my free workshop, I'll tell you about 2 URLs that I think will help you and one that won't. You can decide if any are worth a visit.
After that, I'll get back to the lesson.
Books OnLine Directory
http://freereads.topcities.com/
You've been to parts of it already and seen that it delivers something you're looking for. (I hope.) Don't forget to go back from time to time.
Mad About Books
http://freereads.topcities.com/archive.html
My free weekly email newsletter will keep you up-to-date on the latest info as I find it. Plus, it has a certain goofy charm that the website lacks.
Both URLs mention my books, but in the background. I hope you'll look one day out of curiosity or because you really like my generous nature, but it's not mandatory. Soft sell.
From Watha, NC, USA to Shaoxing, Zhejiang, China
http://michaeljan.topcities.com
This site doesn't mention writing at all. I wrote it for my students. I teach English in China, and this is where I tell all about it. Along with a hefty helping of personal history and photos. How I got here, how I quit a job via email to marry a lovely Australian, dog and cat photos, stuff like that. Just for fun. It won't help you a bit.
Now let's get back to your writing. That's why you're here.
Here's something you've heard before. When your manuscript is rejected -- and it will be -- remember that you aren't being rejected. Your manuscript is.
One reader took me to task for that statement, claiming he'd never been rejected in his life. I'm very happy for him. But why, if I may be so bold as to ask, would he need advice on How To Get Published? I'd rather he write some advice so I can hang up my "helper guy" hat and learn from a master.
But I digress. You aren't being rejected, I was saying. Your manuscript is.
Did you ever hang up the phone on a telemarketer, delete spam, or close the door in the face of a salesman? Of course, and yet that salesman just moves on to the next potential customer. He knows you're rejecting his product, not him.
Okay, in my case I'm rejecting both, but I'd never do that to an author. Neither will a publisher or an agent. All authors tell other authors not to take rejection personally, and yet we all do. Consider it a target to shoot for, then. Just keep submitting, and just keep writing.
The best way to cope with waiting times is to "submit and forget," writing or editing other stuff while the time passes.
And finally, feel free to send an e-mail to me anytime. michaellarocca@yawweb.org. I'll gladly share what I know with you, and it won't cost you a cent.
I would wish you luck in your publishing endeavors, but I know there's no luck involved. It's all skill and diligence.
Congratulations on completing the course! No ceremonies, no degrees, and no diplomas. But on the bright side, no student loan to repay.
Best regards,
Michael LaRocca http://freereads.topcities.com/archive.html
by: Michael LaRocca
Article Writing: How To Use Your Chakra Energy To Write
The seven Chakras are the hidden energy centres in your body through which you receive, process and transmit life energies. They act as "energy transformers" and influencers of change.
Your thoughts, emotions or actions can either block or activate these hidden energy centres. In this article, I address ways to activate each of the Chakras to improve your article writing.
1. Base Chakra – the energy of existence
This energy source is associated with survival, self-preservation and security. The major blockages to activating the Base Chakra are "self-sabotage" or self-talk that is full of self-doubt. The real tragedy is that, unless you can manage these self-doubts, you cut yourself off from the other six sources of energy.
You can activate the Base Chakra by: * Confronting your doubts as self-sabotage and challenging them * Visualising your completed article and the sense of achievement you will experience with publication * Sharing your concerns with others who have been successful in article writing * Listening to your body and learning to release any tensions associated with article writing
2. Naval Chakra – the energy of activity
This source of energy is experienced as "excitement" and is associated with doing, movement, creativity and achievement. The major blockage to this energy source is inactivity brought on by procrastination and self-doubt.
You can activate the Naval Chakra by: * Checking out online forums and article directories for potential topics of interest to readers * Making notes on an article topic * Aiming for a rough first draft (do not let your perfectionist streak intervene!) * Trying "speed writing" - write what comes to mind without concern for grammar, sentence structure or spelling (helps to thwart perfectionism) * Taping your ideas - try using an audio tape to get ideas down
3. Solar Plexus Chakra – the energy of control
This energy is experienced as “clarity” and is associated with your sense of personal power and self control. The major blockage to this energy source is a lack of order through the absence of planning. You can tap into the energy of control by creating order, structure, form or guidance.
You can activate the Solar Plexus Chakra by: * Capturing potential article topics in a document or Excel file * Matching your task to your energy level – if you are a “morning person” do your creative writing in the morning and your related routine tasks at night * Capturing ideas on how to write articles and creating your own set of guidelines * Setting up documents on your computer with article headings and doing occasional “brain dumps” * Building your own list of preferred article directories for submission of articles (include submission URL and key requirements, eg. word length, format) * Establishing output targets and a routine for article writing
4. The Heart Chakra – the energy of community
This energy is experienced as “connection” - brought about by your relationships with others and by engaging them in collaborative activity. The major blockage to this energy source is “isolation” – cutting yourself off from supportive relationships.
You can engage the Heart Chakra by: * Participating in discussion forums focused on article writing * Developing a “learning partnership” with one other person for your mutual benefit * Connecting to other people through workshops and teleconferences * Sharing your article ideas with a “significant other” – your life partner, for example * Taking time out to be with your friends * Joining an action learning group devoted to article writing
5. The Throat Chakra – the energy of meaning
This energy is experienced as expression and is associated with metaphors, communication and beliefs. The blocks to this form of energy are unclear thinking and a lack of focus.
You can engage your Throat Chakra by: * Journaling to capture your thoughts and reflections * Drawing diagrams and flowcharts to clarify what you are trying to say in your writing * Developing concept maps to clarify the relationships amongst activities, ideas & principles * Using metaphors to create new perspectives and meanings
6. The Third Eye Chakra – the energy of integration
This energy is experienced as intuition and is associated with left and right brain, integration of male and female, wisdom and holistic approaches. One of the major blocks to this form of energy is “busyness” – incessant activity with no time for reflection.
You can engage your Third Eye Chakra by: * Undertaking creative activity – e.g. painting, drawing or writing poetry * Being still – getting in touch with nature and your own body * Taking a walk – physical activity provides a good balance for sitting and writing * Clearing the clutter from your desk and your life – a cluttered workspace can clutter your mind
7. The Crown Chakra – the energy of Spirit
This energy is experienced as transcendence and is associated with higher purpose, vision and higher consciousness. The major block to this energy is an obsession with Materialism.
You can embrace the Crown Chakra by: * Meditating – this helps you get in touch with your higher consciousness * Singing – helps you to find your deeper self * Revisiting your spiritual origins – this may be through prayer or participation in religious activities
The Chakras are interconnected and interdependent. They embrace the whole person – the irrational and rational, the intuitive and emotional, the pragmatic and the aesthetic and the material and spiritual.
You can activate your Chakras to improve your article writing and your daily living.
Copyright 2005 Ron Passfield
About The Author
This article is written by Ron Passfield, PhD, affiliate marketing coach, who is developing his affiliate business through the step-by-step coaching offered by the Affiliate Classroom: http://www.affiliate-marketing-coach.blogspot.com/.
Subscribe to Ron’s weekly “Emarkting Strategies” ezine and receive a bonus gift: http://www.emarktingstrategies.blogspot.com/.
by: Ron Passfield
Benefits of Journal Writing
The benefits of journal writing are fairly well established due to the long history of journal writing. From Anne Frank to Di Vinci, journal writing has proven itself.
Benefits of Journal Writing
When considering the benefits of journal writing, it is important to set a few parameters. First, there is no age limit to using journals
. There are distinct benefits for children of all ages, but journal writing is equally valuable to adults. The reason for this is journal writing is an act of personal reflection. Whether it is a teenager reflecting on the social nightmare of high school or an overworked parent taking twenty minutes a night to write is irrelevant. The point is, all age groups benefit from stepping back from their life for a few moments and reflecting on things.
Whether you recognize it or not, journal writing provides you with an anchor in your daily life. In the journal, you are free to write what you want without restrictions, to truly address the issues in your life without fear of criticism. Put another way, one of the benefits of journal writing is it acts as a self-help psychiatrist, but for MUCH cheaper!
As you write in your journal over time, you’ll also start to ascertain a second benefit to doing so. This benefit is one of self-criticism. Inevitably, you’ll read through past entries and review your life. Doing so will lead you to self-reflection as well as thoughts on how you might act differently should certain situations rise again.
Of equal importance, journal writing has health benefits. Before you click away from this article, consider a time in your life when you were extremely frustrated. Hopefully, you spoke to a friend to “get things off your chest.” Didn’t you feel a lot better afterwards? Getting things off your chest helps relieve stress, one of the biggest killers in our modern society. Journal writing acts in much the same way since you are able to write your thoughts without fear of criticism.
There are other benefits to journal writing, but all boil down to one simple fact. Writing in a journal allows you to express yourself without being judged. With the lack of privacy in our modern, digital world, that is hardly a small benefit.
Rick Chapo is with Nomad Journals - makers of writing journals.
This article is free for republishing
Rick Chapo is with Nomad Travel Journals - makers of writing journals and BusinessTaxRecovery.com - recoverying overpaid business taxes for small businesses.
by: Richard Chapo
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