Writing Inrochester

You’ve been there before. You’re at a conference or meeting and the speaker is droning on giving detail after detail and not connecting thoughts or ideas. After 15 minutes of this minutia your eyes start to glaze over as you ask yourself two questions: “Why am I here?” and “What the is the Point?”

Unfortunately, this scenario is too often the case in the workplace. This trance-inducing ennui causes the audience, to tune out, drop out, and disengage. Like Nero fiddling while Rome was burning the speaker is now talking in a vacuum. Valuable ideas will be lost and buy-in will be non-existent.

The number one reason a point is lost is because the speaker lacks focus.
The first step in preparing a presentation is to determine your outcome. To clarify the outcome complete this fill-in. At the end of the presentation the audience will _____________. The answer is your outcome. Once you have a clear focus, develop your points around that purpose. Without a crystal clear outcome you’ll lose focus during the speech. Here are some tips to stay on message and to get to the point.

Set it up. One of the biggest speaking mistakes is starting with details. Technical speakers often fall into this trap. Begin with a purpose statement.

Point of View Plus Two. Give them a roadmap by providing a 3 point agenda. Why 3 points? They′re easier to remember. An agenda is a road map. It tells them where you’re taking them.

Spell it out clearly and concisely. Flesh our each agenda item with examples and statistics but keep it brief.

Bring it home. Summarize your main points. Don’t leave the listeners hanging. Review where you’ve been. Bring back your three points and end an inspiring statement with a call to action.

When you follow these steps your listeners will enjoy the destination AND the journey.

Diane DiResta, president of DiResta Communications is an international speaker, trainer, and coach. She’s the author of Knockout Presentations.

New Media, web content, Google AdSense, SEO articles, Elance, ebooks, ecourses, I thank you all. Without these editorial introductions of the 1990s and beyond, some writers might still be starving. (Thanks to the new McDonalds dollar menu, we starve no more.) As a writer, small business owner, and Cubs fan I’ve noticed that there seem to be three inalienable facts in the profession of online article writing: good writers will have their content stolen, and new writers will be offered absurd and many times unethical jobs.

Carnivorous Clients

First let’s talk about absurd jobs. You have to love these, because they certainly add humor to the day and give writers something to talk about (like now.) These jobs are always presented on a silver platter by the buyer as if he/she is doing an angelic service by selecting you out of alllllll the interested parties, to pen 10,000 original articles in three days for a total price of $2. The buyer promises euphoric after results, like a stellar reputation thanks to five star feedback, or repeat business, but, oh goodie, next time it will be 40,000 articles in one day for $4. These are usually the same buyers who state that if you don’t take the job, someone in India will (will laugh is more like it.) There are several reasons why you should not take these jobs. First, you’re setting yourself up for failure. Second, some buyers want everything, right now, and for free. They aren’t happy no matter what, how much, or for how inexpensive a price you deliver it. And thirdly, if you don’t deliver this in the unrealistic deadline you agreed to, be assured the buyer will leave you the worst feedback known in the history of words. These buyers prey on writers with no confidence. Don’t take jobs for pennies per article because you feel you need the feedback to become established. You won’t have time to be established because you’ll be dead from article writing overload. A lot of good the buyer’s feedback will do you then. To avoid this, know your hourly rate and your limits and hold out for the thousands of excellent and well-paying buyers out there.

Have a Heart

Not every job is on the up and up. While working as a freelancer, I was contacted by a third-party who wanted me to create fake profiles for their client, a dating site. The goal was to regularly email members with “chit chat” to keep them interested in the site and continue paying a subscription fee. I was presented with a “formula” used to create quick and fun five sentence emails. Of course I turned down the job–I never accept jobs with “chit chat” in the description—no good can come of that.

A year later, I signed up for a popular dating site to do research for an article (doh, that’s what they all say.) After not accessing the site for a while, and a week or so before the subscription expiration date, I received an email alert that I had a message and—woo hoo—the guy looked exactly like Joseph Fiennes (probably because he used a picture of Joseph Fiennes.) It was no surprise that the email (heck yes I read it) was the “formula” I had seen a year earlier. And that’s the sad truth about these jobs–there is always a taker. The point is, if a lack of ethics continues to dominate online business practices, then how long before the Internet defines ethics?

(Don’t) Take it From Me

As an online writer, you definitely receive a crash course in ethics and intellectual property rights—usually because yours have been violated. This may be cynical, but it seems that some people review and scrutinize intellectual property laws to see what they can get away with. And if that scrutinizing eye likes your content, and lives in another country, they may very well get away with the evil scheme. The issue online with intellectual property is that while content you create is protected by laws in your country, that doesn’t necessarily mean a person in another country has to obey them. And if said person from said other country copies your content, you must hire lawyers and pursue the matter in the offender’s location. Which is why it is so easy for people to steal online—they assume you won’t have the know-how, money, or inclination to pursue the matter because they live in a land far far away. My only advice here is to code your site to disengage the left-click/copy option and always use trademark/copyright symbols.

That’s All Folks

Love it or hate it, the Internet has provided an extraordinary amount of jobs for writers–be it good or bad or somewhere in between. In a profession of financial highs and starving lows, the line between good and bad can be blurry. I wonder what George Orwell would think about the state of online business? I bet Abraham Lincoln would vote that we cut the Internet from the Union and let it float away. It would bang up against the coast of England like an old tin can before it sank to the bottom. Thousands of years later explorers might search to uncover the “Lost Internet” once rumored to be an unsinkable metropolis. They could make a movie about it, “Tin-Can-It.” Mark Twain would probably just light a cigar, cough, and scream, “Shut up, and write the 10,000 damn articles for the client, and when no one is looking, sell them in another country.” Of course if asked if he thinks the Internet will ever return to its non-money hungry, or non-search engine obsessed, information/resource roots Hemmingway may say, “Yes, isn’t it pretty to think so.”

Christina Bultinck is a professional writer with ten years experience.

By writing articles and distributing them with free reprint rights, you can widen the exposure of your business, no matter what market you are in.
There is a great demand of content rich material by the website owners, bloggers etc as good and vital content increases traffic to their website, there by increasing the revenue from the website. Article marketing trades proficiency for publicity, content for acclaim, ability for search engine rankings. Article marketing makes a stable and ever increasing flow of valuable link-backs. It is an advertising engine that constructs its own impetus. It is a trade power that promotes you the world of web, 24/7, while you are engaged in doing other activities.

Writing articles is an important method to generate links to your web site. To take full benefit of the viral nature of article marketing, it is desirable that you submit your articles that have links back to your web site to as many article directories as you can. By article marketing you can include a bit of information of your product as well as your business in each of your article. This is one of the best ways o create an awareness of your brand. This will not only promote your brand but also drift more and more traffic to your web site. The articles are the best place to put your links to your web site. If your articles are appropriately optimized than it is the major source of pouring the visitors to your company web site.

Do you want to learn more about how I do it? I have just completed my brand new guide to article marketing success, ‘Your Article Writing and Promotion Guide‘

Download it free here:

At one time or another, it will be helpful (if not essential) that every individual knows how to write. The ability to develop a message and present it to others in an understandable fashion is one of the most important skills to be had in our media rich culture. Anyone can write, and write well. It’s simply a matter of knowing how, knowing the processes involved. Here, in a step-by-step format, that process is explained, from start to finish.

This process tends to be a cycle, one of gathering and refining until a finished product is created. Brainstorming gathers many ideas and these ideas are then refined into one single topic. Information is gathered about the topic, then reviewed and put in a sensible order. The first draft gathers your own thoughts and words, which are refined through edits and rewrites. Finally, you gather outside input by sharing your article for review, further refining your article to create a finished product.

Brainstorming

In one way or another, every author needs to find and develop ideas to base their writing upon. These ideas may come to you naturally, without any prompting. Many times, however, these ideas need to be sought out, through a process known as brainstorming.

Selecting a topic

Once you have developed a list of possible topics, you’ll need to select one to work on. Evaluate each idea according to what you want to achieve. Are you writing to inform? Perhaps the aim is to entertain. Whatever the purpose of the article, some topics will be more suitable than others. It’s important to select the topic that works. A few questions to ask yourself:

- Is this topic going to yield enough material?
- Will the topic interest readers?
- Will the topic accomplish the article’s purpose?
- Is there enough information available about the topic?

Information Gathering

Having selected your topic, you must now begin gathering information about it. In non-fiction writing, information is the basic building block of any article or piece of writing. Gathering this information will be crucial to the success of your article.

To begin your information search, you’ll need to ask questions about your topic. These questions will correspond to the 6 basic questions of research, known as the 5 W’s and an H. They are as follows:

- Who
- What
- When
- Where
- Why
- How

These very questions will be had by your readers. Only in answering these questions can you satisfy them. This will be the best place to start your research.

Once you know the questions to ask, you can begin your search for answers. There are many sources you can look to for this information. The internet makes wide ranging research a simple matter, but don’t limit your search to the internet. There are still several sources of information that can’t be accessed online, such as archived documents, eyewitness or expert accounts, and other materials. Though much can be found online, it’s usually not enough by itself. Seek out every applicable source of information you can and be sure to take detailed notes, not only about the information they provide, but when, where and how this information was found.

Thinking and Planning

When you have gathered enough information, review it in light of your topic and the desired effect of your article. What information is important? What will interest your readers? You will need to determine how to approach this information in a manner that will be appropriate and effective.

Listing

Once all of this information has been collected, you must give it some sort of sequence. Taking your research material, make a list of each important point, in order. This may be a simple list of keywords or a detailed outline. Often, this listing will let you see where your research was lacking, showing you where further research is needed. Review and revise as necessary until you have all of the needed elements to convey your message.

Drafting the Message

This list will provide you with a guide or a blueprint to follow when actually writing your article. At first, you shouldn’t be overly concerned with things like grammar and punctuation. Don’t get wrapped up in neat phrases and tight prose. Just get the basics all out and in writing. This draft will be perfected and polished later. Think of this draft as a lump of unformed clay. It’s the raw substance that is important; the finer details can be worked out later.

Rewriting

Having collected your thoughts and ideas on the information already gathered, you can now perfect it. Read it and reread it, finding areas that should be fixed and things that were done well. This is more than fixing grammatical problems and punctuation errors. The rewriting process may require entire paragraphs to be cut, rewritten from scratch or moved to another part of the article. It’s not unusual for an author to rewrite a piece multiple times during this stage. Generally, this stage is the most time consuming, requiring more hard work and thought than any other. As a result, this stage is also the most important. It is during the rewriting process that an article goes from good to great. It is the rewriting process that distinguishes a piece by an unskilled amateur or a solid professional in the writing craft.

Sharing

After all of your research, writing, editing and rewriting, you will finally have a completed article that you feel is complete. Your work is not done, at this point. It is now ready to share with someone else, be it an editor, a spouse or a friend. After so much thought and work, you’ll need a pair of eyes other than your own to find any rough patches or problems in your article. Find someone to critique your work, and they’ll help you find the weak spots. Some authors avoid this stage for fear of needing to rewrite their article yet again. Don’t be afraid be grateful. Anything that your reviewer noticed your readers would notice. It’s better to catch these problems before they are noticed by your readers.

Polishing

After you’ve had your piece looked over by a friend or two, it’s time for the final changes. If you have the time, set it all aside for a day so that you can review it with fresh eyes. Even if you can’t do this, take the time and care to look over it again. Don’t just look at the words; look at the theme, the impressions left afterwards, the format. Pay attention to the white spaces between paragraphs, to the size of the font, to the overall readability. Look at anything and everything, because this is your last chance to fix it. Change anything you need to, and once you’re satisfied, it’s done.

Brian Westover is a freelance writer. In addition to writing articles for publication in standard print venues (such as magazines and newspapers), he is also a skilled copywriter, offering a variety of services to anyone who needs great online content, polished business writing in a professional format and editing and coaching to improve your own writing. In addition to his freewebs.com/brianwestover professional site, Brian also runs freewebs.com/writerspot/ WriterSpot, a website dedicated to finding and organizing online resources for either the beginning writer or experienced writing professional.

FORWARD

The 188 stage Hero’s Journey (Monomyth) is the template upon which the vast majority of successful stories and Hollywood blockbusters are based upon. In fact, ALL of the hundreds of Hollywood movies we have deconstructed (see URL below) are based on this 188 stage template.

Understanding this template is a priority for story or screenwriters. This is the template you must master if you are to succeed in the craft.

[The terminology is most often metaphoric and applies to all successful stories and screenplays, from The Godfather (1972) to Brokeback Mountain (2006) to Annie Hall (1977) to Lord of the Rings (2003) to Drugstore Cowboy (1989) to Thelma and Louise (1991) to Apocaplyse Now (1979)].

THERE IS ONLY ONE STORY

THE 188 STAGE HERO’S JOURNEY:

a) Attempts to tap into unconscious expectations the audience has regarding what a story is and how it should be told.

b) Gives the writer more structural elements than simply three or four acts, plot points, mid point and so on.

c) Gives you a tangible process for building and releasing dissonance (establishing and achieving catharses, of which there are usually four).

d) Tells you what to write. For example, at a certain stage of the story, the focus should be on the Call to Adventure and the micro elements within.

ABRIDGED TIPS, EXCERPTS AND EXAMPLES:

(simply go to heros-journey.info/ heros-journey.info/ for full details)

*****Anti-Hero*****

There are various types of Hero: a) the good, willing Hero (Star Wars, 1977), b) the good, unwilling Hero (Shawshank Redemption, 1994), c) the Anti-Hero (Raging Bull, 1980; Goodfellas, 1990; Scarface, 1983) etc. Nevertheless, their stories all mirror the Hero’s Journey template. The difference between hero, anti-hero and other variations simply lies in situation, motivation and result (Hero’s evolve, Ant-Hero’s regress). The different hero-types are simply alternate archetypes.

*****Trial 3 Reward*****

Post Trial 3, the Hero is often given a reward. In Brokeback Mountain (2005), Jack meets and marries Lureen.

Learn more…

WRITE THAT SCREENPLAY!

The Complete 188 stage Hero’s Journey and other story structure templates can be found at monomyth.info/ monomyth.info/

188 stages of the Hero’s Journey can also be reached from story-structure.org/ story-structure.org/

You can also receive a regular, free newsletter by entering your email address at this site.

You are free to reproduce this article as long as no changes are made, the author’s name is retained and the link to our site URL remains active.

**********************************

Kal Bishop, MBA

Do you know how to write a really bad resource box for your articles? Well you will after reading and using this article.

Bad resource box tips

As an article writing and marketing coach I’ve seen some pretty bad resource boxes. Here are a few tips so you too can write a really bad resource box.

Tip 1 — no resource box — believe it or not I′ve seen people leave the resource box blank. Nothing. Nada. Zip.

Solution — at least get something in there.

Tip 2 — your virtual ego wall — write down every accomplishment you’ve ever made. List your degrees, books written, and how much your parents really like you.

Solution — the resource box is not about you. A great resource box is all about the reader and what’s in it for them.

Tip 3 — convince the reader you are an expert — talk about all your years experience and how you are in the expert in this area.

Solution — if you have not convinced the reader that you are an expert in your article, it’s way too late to do it now. Again, resource box is not about you it’s about your reader.

Tip 4 — do not ask the reader to do anything. I fail to take someone who has just read information from you and invite them to do anything else at all.

Solution — create compelling call to action that takes the reader by the hand and not only asks them shows them what to do next.

Tip 5 — do not include any active links back to your website or blog. Treat the reader like someone watching the final episode of the Sopranos and just leave them hanging.

Solution — include at least one active link back to your website or blog so the reader can engage you further.

Follow these tips and you too can create bad resource box is when writing your articles.

Thanks for playing with me in this article. Would you like free access to two of my Article Writing Templates? You can download them by going to TheArticleGuy.com/bonustemplates.htm TheArticleGuy.com/bonustemplates.htm

Would you like to get in on our free weekly Article Guy TeleSeminars? Visit TheArticleGuyTeleSeminars.com TheArticleGuyTeleSeminars.com to get started today!

From Jeff Herring - The Article Guy

The Shortest Distance to Your Home Town Enterprise is Over the Internet

Combine two dynamite online methods for bringing your business to the attention of buyers - Local Search and widely posted articles you write. Doing both gives you a jump on your local competition, plus additional credibility and exposure to your market.

Local Search occurs by adding a geographic term is added to a search engine query. Instead of results comprising millions of pages, only businesses within your specific area are included. For example, entering Florists Boston only returns Boston florists - a small pool of available choices.

Geographic terms can be town, state, region, zip code, etc. Results appear on both a list and map, so the most convenient stand out. Today, nearly 40% of search engine queries ask for Local Search information - with that number increasing rapidly. 70% of buyers go online to conduct research before they buy, even from local merchants. So the impact is considerable.

Articles Deliver Credibility and Links

When you write articles and post them widely to Internet directories and ezines, your knowledge is spread to thousands of readers. Sites displaying your articles link back to your website. That encourages readers to seek you out. Links also increase search engine rankings, which push you higher on the results lists. Capture all the benefits promotewitharticles.com/benefits.html that come with writing articles.

You’re Not Competing Against the Whole World

The widespread assumption dictates shooting to be on first page results if you can (most searchers don’t look past the first page). That all depends. If you’re competing against every other business and website out there, that’s true. And your odds are slim. But you don’t need to - only the ones competing for the same customers you are.

Besides, sophisticated search-engine optimization strategies or tracking methods are beyond the needs or skills of most small businesses. There’s a danger that SEO demands can easily pull an owner away from their brick-and-mortar priorities.

There’s a well-known joke about two men being lost in the wilderness, who come to the attention of a bear. One man stops long enough to put on his running shoes. His friend scoffs, “You really think you can outrun a bear?” He replied, “I only have to outrun you.”

When it comes to Local Search, you don’t have to outrun all the other enterprises that do what you do. You only have to outrun the ones in your local market. Those likely to show up in the same Local Search results you do.

Consider all the plumbers who could show up in a Local Search for:
Plumber “your town”. Visualize three groups:

1. Those who won’t appear in the search because they’re not listed in the search engine data bases. See if your business is included in those databases at localsearchresources.com/listed.html

2. Those who appear in the results, but who have done nothing further. They won’t show up in all the search results they could have.

3. Those adding specific information for search engines, website visitors, and their local customers: a) enhance their website, b) provide search-engine-relevant information on their pages, c) provide easy-to-find information that Internet users are looking for.

#3 lets you outrun the other guy. Your articles help you to do that, too. Of those who show up in your search results list, how many are likely to have such additional information (and keywords) for the search engines to draw upon? Your information seems more complete and relevant—leap-frogging you to the front.

Adapt Your Articles for Your Neck of the Woods

The usual method for getting better search engine rankings is to post articles widely to article directory sites and ezines interested in your topic. That’s how the game’s played for e-commerce topics, or products and services with a national reach.

But that’s not primarily what you’re after as a small business operator. Certainly, you’ll benefit from links from other posting sites and links to your website. But you’re interested in reaching the people who live in your area. They’re the ones you want to read your articles and be moved to come to your place of business. Your priority is to build relationships on the local level.

So also post your articles to websites or portals in your community. They may not have high page rank, but they have access to your local customers. And links among local enterprises help to support each other and the local economy. Aso, print off a stack of your articles for handouts in your storefront.

Write your articles differently. Mention your town in your title or keywords. Make sure your signature file (sig) says your town and state. Use examples that are specific to your town or region. “Choosing roses that can thrive above the tree line.” Refer to landmarks or make geographic references that the locals will recognize. The search engines will pick up some of those references, and they’ll boost your Local Search prominence.

Learn to Make the Most of Local Search Exposure

The easier you can be found online, the more ways you appear in Local Search results. It’s here for the long term, bringing customers to your door who don’t respond to your other marketing methods. Articles and Local Search awareness will build on each other, and you’ll gain a tangible edge in your local market.

Copyright 2005 Off the Page

–Dr. Lynella Grant An expert in Yellow Page ads and Local Search. Stand out online and offline, so you capture more Internet-savvy buyers for your brick and mortar business. Free resources localsearchresources.com localsearchresources.com 719-395-9450

Have you ever thought why another college term paper causes your distress? You just saw its confusing title and it seems to make no sense to you. Or you can’t decide what topic to choose from a countless number of options spinning in your mind. Yes, I will agree with you that sometimes the choice and misunderstanding of the topic are the main hindrances in producing a good writing. But we should overcome this barrier. We will see how to get the meaning of the assigned topic and to choose a winning topic. Your paper suggests a complete exposure of the topic. Sometimes you need just to understand it and that is all.

Try reading the topic several times and find key word in it, that is the nucleus of your topic. Relate the key word to a specific academic discipline. As you see, careful thinking over the topic helps you to understand that it is not that difficult. Before the main stage of the writing process you should memorize the title of your topic. While working on your paper repeat it constantly and that way you will not get off the point. In many cases teachers give you an opportunity to select the topic on your own. It is difficult to say what is better: to work on the assigned topic or to hesitate which to choose? It depends. We are sure you will determine which variant suits you best. Our aim is to provide you with information that will facilitate your writing procedure.

As you are choosing the topic take into consideration the following ideas:

1) You will never produce a good paper if you don’t feel enthusiastic about the topic. Your choice should be based on the area of your personal interests, preferences and the subjects that appeal to you.

2) Don’t choose the complicated topic. You will waste a lot of precious time in search of necessary information and even more time to make some sense of it. Besides there is a risk of finding nothing and then all you have to is to order custom term paper (www.bestessays.com/customtermpaper.php).

3) Narrow your topic. It is impossible to cover a general topic in your paper. Extract more specific and particular issue from a general topic. That way you will have an opportunity to give a deeper and more detailed discussion of the question.

4) Your topic should give opportunities for doing your independent research, in which you will demonstrate your skills and abilities to collect, assemble, generalize and analyze facts and documents. We want to wish you inspiration, concentration and not so much perspiration with your college term paper (www.bestessays.com/college_term_paper.php). Remember, when you make a choice it must be the best!

Francis Dower is a senior writer of BestEssays.com BestEssays.com. For more than five years, Tyler Benson has written the number of projects on History, History of Migration, Ancient and Asian History. He has 17 years of experience as the professor at several universities.

You can find out more information about bestessays.com/college_term_paper.php college term papers and bestessays.com/customtermpaper.php custom term papers at this site.

Do looks matter to you? If you’re like most people — including your customers and prospects — the answer is “Yes.” Particularly in sales, appearance is important. For example, in a competitive situation, all else being equal, the appearance of the salesperson may well be the deciding factor in who gets the business.

Appearance is also an important factor in the success of your sales letter. Case in point: The marketer with a highly targeted mailing list, a compelling offer, effective copy — and who pays careful attention to how his letter looks — will enjoy better results than the person who focuses solely on content, with no regard to how it’s presented. Because when your prospects glance down at your letter, if it “catches their eye,” chances are they’ll give it a longer look. And this longer look can mean a stronger response and more profitable results.

So today I offer you 5 tips for making your sales letter more attractive. Put them to work and you’ll have a better looking letter. One that’s more likely to catch the eye of your reader, get the once over, and earn your marketing effort a positive response.

Tip Number 1: Always use a reader-friendly font.

Almost all newspapers and news magazines such as Time and NewsWeek use mostly serifed fonts for their editorial content. (Serifs are the little knobs you see on the ascenders and descenders of individual letters.) That’s because studies have shown that for printed text, serifed fonts (Times Roman, Courier, Century) are more readable than sans-serif fonts (Arial, Helvetica).

Tip Number 2: Make your first sentence a short sentence and your first paragraph a short paragraph.

If your letter doesn’t have a headline your opening line is the first verbiage your reader is going to look at (after their name). So don’t blow your chances for success by opening with a 20 - 30 word sentence. For instance, here are a few openers from my own files: “I know you’re busy so I’ll get right to the point.” “Has this ever happened to you?” “You hate it don’t you?” You’ll also want to keep your opening paragraph to between one and three lines. By starting off with a short, bite-size chunk of copy you’re much more likely to get your prospect to start reading.

Tip Number 3: Limit the length of all paragraphs to between 5 and 7 lines.

You want your letter to have an inviting, easy-to-read look. And the last thing your prospect wants to see are fat, 9 - 11-sentence paragraphs. Because there are probably at least 12 things she has to do that are more important than reading your letter. And long paragraphs look time-consuming.

Even though your copy may be very well written and full of specific and relevant benefits, the way it looks will be a turn-off. I usually never go over 6 lines in any paragraph and I try to keep most to between 1 and 5 lines.

Tip Number 4: Vary the length of your paragraphs.

You don’t want the layout of your letter to have a boring sameness about it. That’s why I encourage you to often use the “print preview” mode on your word processor with an eye toward the overall look of your letter.

Think in terms of visual variety. You don’t want every paragraph to have 5 sentences. Neither do you want your sales letter to consist of predominantly 3-sentence paragraphs. Mix it up. Write a two-sentence paragraph followed by one with four sentences followed by a one sentence paragraph. This will make your letter more interesting to look at and your prospect more interested in reading it. (Assuming you have something interesting to say.)

Tip Number 5: Set the body copy of your letter in 11-12 point type and use sub-heads, bullets and other call-out devices.

Keep in mind the audience you are writing to. If you’re writing for the 20-something crowd you can probably even use 10-point type. On the other hand if you’re targeting the “mature” market you may want to consider using a 14-point type.

Remember also that many people will scan your letter. That’s why centered, bold-faced sub-heads and other call-out devices can increase readership. Here are a couple of sub-head examples from a client letter I recently completed:

Customer service so good you’ll have to pinch yourself to be sure you’re not dreaming.

A special no-risk, no-obligation offer.

On another note, if you have the budget for a second color, consider using one for your headline and sub-heads. The extra response it can generate will often more than compensate for the additional investment.

Sub-heads, bulleted lists, underlining and other devices will give your letter added eye appeal and increase response. But take care to use these devices sparingly. Overuse can negate their overall effectiveness.

Yes, like it or not, looks matter. Attractive people get more looks and longer looks. The same holds true for your sales letters and for that matter all your marketing collateral. Apply these 5 tips and you’ll make your sales letters more attractive, attract more readers, and, generate more leads and sales.

About the author
Ernest Nicastro, a direct marketing consultant, copywriter and lead-generation specialist, heads up Positive Response, an award-winning marketing firm specializing in B-to-B marketing and lead-generation. He also publishes a free monthly newsletter, AIM For Positive Response. For more information visit positiveresponse.com/ positiveresponse.com Contact Ernie directly at mailto:ENicastro@positiveresponse.com ENicastro@positiveresponse.com or by phone at 614.747.2256.

© 2006 Ernest Nicastro
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Analyzing the Subject. When from many available subjects you are about to choose one, you should pause to consider its possibilities before beginning to write. It is not enough to say, “This is a good subject; I believe that I can write an article on it.” You needs to look at the topic from every angle. You ought to ask yourself, “How widespread is the interest in my subject? How much will it appeal to the average individual? What phases of it are likely to have the greatest interest for the greatest number of persons?” To answer these questions you must review the basic sources of pleasure and satisfaction.

What Interests Readers. To interest readers is obviously the prime object in all popular writing. The basis of interest in the news story, the special feature article, and the short story is essentially the same. Whatever the average person likes to hear and see, whatever gives him pleasure and satisfaction, is what he wants to read about. In order to test all phases of a given subject from this point of view, you needs to keep in mind the fundamental sources of satisfaction.

Subjects and phases of subjects that attract readers may, for convenience, be divided into the following classes, which, however, are not mutually exclusive: (1) timely topics, (2) unique, novel, and extraordinary persons, things, and events, (3) mysteries, (4) romance, (5) adventure, (6) contests for supremacy, (7) children, (8) animals, (9) hobbies and amusements, (10) familiar persons, places, and objects, (11) prominent persons, places, and objects, (12) matters involving the life, property, and welfare of others, (13) matters that affect the reader’s own success and well-being.

Timeliness. Though not absolutely essential, timeliness is a valuable attribute of any subject. Readers like to feel that they are getting the latest facts and the newest ideas, in special feature articles as well as in the news. A subject need not be discarded, however, because it does not make a timely appeal. It may have interest in other respects sufficiently great to compensate for its lack of timeliness.

Many topics that at first glance seem quite unrelated to current activities are found on closer examination to have some aspects that may be brought into connection with timely interests. To a writer keenly alive to everything that is going on in the world, most subjects will be found to have some bearing on what is uppermost in men′s minds. Emphasis on that point of contact with current ideas will give to the article the desired timeliness.

Novelty. When a person, object, or circumstance is unique, it arouses an unusual degree of interest. The first person to accomplish something out of the ordinary, the first event of its kind, the first of anything, arrests attention.

Closely associated with the unique is the extraordinary, the curious. If not absolutely the only one of its kind, a thing may still be sufficiently unusual to excite an uncommon degree of interest. Novelty has a perennial charm. Careful study of a subject is often necessary to reveal the novel and extraordinary phase of it that can best be emphasized.

Mysteries. The fascination for the human mind of whatever baffles it is so well known that it scarcely needs elaboration. Mysteries, whether real or fictitious, pique curiosity. Even the scholar and the practical man of affairs find relaxation in the mystery of the detective story. Real life often furnishes events sufficiently mysterious to make a special feature story that rivals fiction. Unexplained crimes and accidents; strange psychical phenomena, such as ghosts, presentiments, spiritism, and telepathy; baffling problems of the scientist and the inventor - all have elements of mystery that fascinate the average reader.

Romance. The romance of real life is quite as interesting as that of fiction. As all the world loves a lover, almost all the world loves a love story. The course of true love may run smooth or it may not; in either case there is the romantic appeal. To find the romantic element in a top is to discover a perennial source of attraction for all classes of readers.

Adventure. Few in number are the persons who will not gladly escape from humdrum routine by losing themselves in an exciting tale of adventure. The thrilling exploits in real life of the engineer, the explorer, the soldier of fortune, the pioneer in any field, hold us spellbound. Even more commonplace experiences are not without an element of the adventurous, for life itself is a great adventure. Many special feature stories in narrative form have much the same interest that is created by the fictitious tale of adventure.

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