Writing Inrochester

After authoring 70 books, Robert Bly has announced he will write no more. He is getting out of the book writing business.

Publishers, he says, are wanting more for less from authors. Advances have gone down to the point he feels writing another book is simply no longer financially rewarding.

Additionally, book publishers are now extremely reluctant to buy a non-fiction book unless the author has a pre-existing “platform” which will help to sell the book.

A platform is the name recognition, built in customer base or “brand” an author has before a book is published. These things are now often required before many publishers will buy a book from a new author.

Robert Bly has much more experience than I have on the subject, and far be it from me to disagree with someone with Bob’s track record. However, I still plan to write the several books I have in the works right now. I don’t plan to give up too soon.

Part of my reasoning is I look at writing these books as a way to promote my career as a freelance copywriter. I expect the financial rewards to come, as much from the business a book will generate for me, as from the book’s sales.

But Robert Bly has made me start thinking about this idea of a platform. What if I could build my own platform which will build a demand for my non-fiction book before it is published?

I think the solution to building a platform is blogging. I started my blog, www.dynamiccopywriting.blogspot.com about two and a half months ago, and some interesting things have already begun to happen.

Almost without my realizing it, my regular blog posts have accumulated enough material that I have already outlined two complete books. In other words, my blog is writing my books for me.

I have also taken several of my posts and submitted them to several online article submission sites (“article banks”). This has caused my search engine ranking to rise to the point that I am now on page 3 of Google when the term “freelance copywriter” is entered.

Now suppose it takes me a year to write my two books using my blog posts as the rough draft building blocks? Suppose also that I aggressively promote my site while I am writing my two books?

What I hope will happen is this: By the time my first book is complete, I hope the blog will have created a built-in audience for it. After it is published, I will continue with my blog and finish my second book at the same time. I hope the blog traffic will promote book #1 and build a demand for book #2 before it is finished.

Will my idea work? I’ll have to see. But I do honestly believe a blog can create demand for a book before it even hits the bookstores. Further, I know that writing regular posts on my blog is creating my books day by day.

I have even found that the worst posts I’ve written are not without some value. I have gone back and taken these ideas, rewritten them, polished them and improved them. The main thing was to get the ideas in writing first. Improvement can come later.

Book publishing may be harder than ever for authors to crack. But that just means the author must be more creative and more proactive.

But using a blog as a marketing tool AND to generate the material, may be the way to go.

freelance copywriter, writing web content, copywriting tips

COPYRIGHT(C)2006, Charles Brown. All rights reserved.

Nothing drives more traffic to your website faster than online articles. Each article can create hundreds of inbound links pointing to your website. But what if you do not have the time or skill to write 10, 20, 50 or 100 articles on your own? Hire Platnum Member, Charles Brown, to ghost write your articles for you. Visit his site at dynamiccopywriting.blogspot.com dynamiccopywriting.blogspot.com or contact him at charbrow(at)gmail(dot)com.

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)

*****Outer Cave*****

The Outer Cave of the First Threshold is often a place where the Heroes, having established themselves as Fishes out of Water, begin their Changing. By the time they leave the First Threshold, they will be less Devolved. In Brokeback Mountain (2005), Jack and Ennis begin chopping wood, sawing, collecting water etc.

*****Physical Damage / the Beginning of the Transmogrification*****

It is somewhere in the First Threshold where the Transmogrification starts (often the Outer Cave). In Brokeback Mountain (2005), Ennis starts bleeding in the Middle Cave.

*****Final Conflict: Surrender*****

Post the Crossing of the Return Threshold and before the Master of Two Worlds and Selves, a hell of a lot happens that is rarely given mention. The Final Conflict (a metaphor for this stage) follows a distinct process. During the initial stages, the hero seems weak and the likelihood of victory is small. Allies (dark allies, doves etc) may push the hero to surrender. In Straw Dogs (1971), Amy wants David to give Henry to Tom et al.

*****New Self of the Road of Trials*****

The beginning of the Road of Trials often sees the Hero become a New Self. In Raging Bull (1980), Jake and Joey get married and gain weight. In Brokeback Mountain (2005), Ennis gets married and has children and gets a job paving roads (not a cowboy). Time Shifts here are not unusual - Ennis has a few children.

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.

Kal Bishop, MBA

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

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.

One of the most discomfiting occurrences when you’re speaking in public is to have your voice tighten up and come out as a high-pitched squeak or just give up and go away. It’s so off-putting that it makes a person want to jettison the entire business of speaking in public. Perhaps the thought of being a mime becomes very attractive indeed.

This is probably the most frequent question from my students:

What can I do to prepare myself so that when I’m nervous I can still breathe?

First it’s helpful to be aware of how you breathe normally. To ascertain this, sit on a straight chair.
1. Put one hand on your upper chest and the other hand on your belly.
2. Take a normal breath, and make these observations: Which hand moved? Did your belly go out or in?

You’re doing well if both hands moved OUT, or if your belly moved OUT. What you want to avoid is having your belly suck in and your chest move out. That’s probably the most common style of breathing, and it is something you definitely want to change, for the sake of your body’s health as well as the strength of your voice.

Although breathing is a natural body function, breathing for proper singing or speaking requires training and strengthening the muscles of your diaphragm, back, and belly. The following exercise should be done daily:

1. Sit on a straight chair. Feet flat on the floor. Spine absolutely straight, but not tense.(Feel as though you have a cord running straight up from your tailbone to the top of your head, gently and effortlessly keeping you in that straight position.)

2. Put your hands on your belly, fingers spread and just touching in the center slightly below your navel.

3. Take a great big breath right into your belly.

4. Let your lower jaw drop a bit and say a quiet “HA” as you pull in your belly with your hands, slowly as you can comfortably.

Do this several times, always being aware of any tension that might occur. (Allow your tongue to lie inert on the bottom of your mouth, tip barely touching the teeth.)

Now repeat the first three steps of the exercise, but substitute 4Aand later 4B, for #4.

4A. With your hands, pull your belly in pretty fast, and let out the air with a loud “sssss” sound. Then do the same thing, but with only one hand, and with your thumb on one side and your fingers on the other side of your throat, feel to be sure there’s no tension during the “sssss”.

As your control develops you’ll be able to sustain your breath for longer and longer periods. Try this next one.

4B. When you feel ready, release the breath with a soft hum. Any note in the middle of your register. Avoid the lowest notes.

Simple as they are, these little exercises can make your entire life easier. They feed your physical and mental body with health-giving oxygen. You′ll find you′re more relaxed and positive in your everyday activities.

Carole McMichaels, Author: “Fearless Public Speaking: How to Get Rid of Your Stage Fright and Prepare and Deliver a Winning Presentation”, invites you to join her free newsletter on speaking in public. You may also get your free report, “7 Valuable Tips on Writing a Mind-Gripping Speech”. getridofpublicspeakingfears.com getridofpublicspeakingfears.com

By giving the best presentation of your life you will expand your skills and abilities in public speaking. The expectations you have of yourself will be increased. Your progress towards greater confidence, a broader network base and a widened field of potential clients will be realized. Winners stand out from the pack. They are looked up to and people who are looked up to become leaders. You will be viewed as a leader. People follow leaders.

If you are reading this article then obviously you want to improve your presentation skills. You realize that these skills are important not only in business but in other walks of life as well. You’re not content with your present status quo; you seek improvement, growth and positive change. You are to be congratulated. Just be prepared to work for that improvement – hard work, and lots of it. Paradigms are not broken and reset by slackers.

Do you need to excel? To continually improve and develop? Would you relish change or do you harbor a certain uneasiness about it? Improvement means growth. Growth means change. Approaching change often triggers apprehension. Apprehension though, is not necessarily a bad thing. It can cause us to pause, think and reflect on a course of action we’re about to embark on. Jesus Christ himself said, “Who of you that wants to build a tower does not first sit down and calculate the expense, to see if he has enough to complete it?” (Luke 14: 28) That is, consider in advance the outcome(s) of what you’re planning. Embrace the positives. Minimize the negatives, if there are any. Then proceed.

America’s 16th president, Abraham Lincoln said, “Whatever you are, be a good one.” You should be proud that you aspire to be the best. But giving the best presentation of your life goes far beyond that. You want to exceed all now established limits – to break the mold so completely that a whole new standard is set. Your paradigms will be forever changed to a new and higher level. Be proud that you want to be skilled at such an important level. “Have you beheld a man skillful in his work? Before kings is where he will station himself, he will not station himself before common-place men.” (Proverbs 22:29) You’re now headed for higher ground. It’s time to get “gussied up”.

The challenge of giving the best presentation of your life will involve work and preparation on your part. How to speak in public and presenting well requires attention to aspects such as:

• Poise and grooming

• Natural use of relevant language

• Application of quotes, anecdotes and humor

• Overcoming any fear of public speaking

• Knowledge of presentation programs and techniques

• Mastery of your presentation topic material

With proper preparation and perseverance there is little you cannot accomplish in time. If you genuinely think you’ll succeed, you will. It’s up to you and you alone. In upcoming articles we will discuss things you can do and techniques you can apply to ultimately give the best presentation of your life – again and again and again. You have my backing and support.

Prof. Larry M. Lynch is a bi-lingual copywriter, expert author and photographer specializing in business, travel, food and education-related writing in South America. His work has appeared in Transitions Abroad, South American Explorer, Escape From America, Mexico News and Brazil magazines. He lives in Colombia and teaches at a university in Cali. Want lots more free tips and techniques to improve your presentations and become a better, more effective professional, speaker and presenter? Then go now to: bettereflteacher.blogspot.com bettereflteacher.blogspot.com

The headline, has achieved its part of your sales process. It has stopped your prospects in their tracks, and compelled them to read more. You must now persuade them why the have to take up your offer, irrespective of the offer made in the headline. Provide them with a list of benefits. Taking the golf slice as an example:

“You will learn how to cure your slice immediately if it happens to you on course the way Tiger does it, so that you can retain accuracy and length.”

“You will be able to teach your foursome buddies how to cure their slice: you won’t have to buy drinks all day!”

Etc, etc.

Add another half a dozen which you are sure to be able think about, since your offer is being made on your website about something you know a lot about. Make sure that you stress the benefits rather than the features of your product. “A super-dimpled hard covered golf ball that gives you more loft” is a feature, but “A golf ball guaranteed to add 40 yards to your drive” is a benefit. Same thing, but expressed in different ways. One gets the customer’s attention, the other doesn’t.

Finally, call them to action. “CLICK HERE, or this offer is almost over, so don’t miss it.” or “Click below or you may never get another chance. “

Don’t forget our great guarantee, “if this does not work for you, then you have 60 days to request your money back.” You have now met the promise offered in your headline. Not exactly as your prospect may have understood it, but it served its purpose by keeping them interested.

These are the basics of writing a web sales letter, and if you follow them properly then who needs a professional to write it for you? You are quite capable of doing it yourself.

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:

Mastering copy writing comes down to three simple concepts. Once you have an understanding of these, your copy writing will become much easier and much more profitable. By the time you finish reading this short article you’ll have these three principles mastered.

What if you had the enough knowledge about selling that you never had to worry about money again?

The first step, and most important part, to accomplish this is to find out where the “starving crowd” is that is hungry for what you got. Find out what their wants, needs, and desires are. It all comes down to research.

No matter what medium you are using, all copy writing should have one prime objective - create an effective message that appeals to the audience it is intended to influence. Only then do any of the other aspects of copy writing (headline, lead, big promise, etc.) matter.

Your audience should always be the primary focus of copy writing and thus your writing style should reflect that of your audience.

And that leads to our second step which if you do not follow you simply won′t make any sales.

In fact, it’s doesn’t matter what you’re selling, who you’re selling to or how massive your budget is, if you don’t get it right when it comes to this one, tiny thing, you’re toast.

Offer a solution to your prospect’s wants, needs, and desires. This is why knowing your customer is by far the most important part of copy writing.

But in doing so you must speak to your prospects in the right type of language. Use emotion. Emotion is the central nervous system of copy writing.

Because it is almost impossible to predict how people are going to react to your copy, unless you use the right tools of course, testing is vital to your success.

It is for that reason that I’m going to go out on a limb here and tell you that copy writing is both an art and a science. For those copywriters who believe copy writing is an art, they might be great for writing poetry, stylistic phrases and novels. But they must include principles proven to sell if they want to sell anything. Otherwise people will read their stuff but not take action.

If your copy hasn’t been producing outstanding numbers, far better than you’ve ever expected, consider what you’ve read in this article.

Nick Maise is a Freelance Copywriter. He uses Copywriting Software that Improves Profitability using Statistical Analysis to Mathematically Study Profitable Ads… Guaranteed! Find out how here: copy.nickmaise.com/ www.copy.nickmaise.com.

Any owner, operator and manager of a business with an online presence will aim at some profitable marketing to promote the business. With a press release, it is possible to inform the media about your product, so make it a point to excel in press release writing.

The heading of the press release is very important as this is what attracts the reader’s attention. So think of a short, descriptive and active headline for the press release. It needn’t be a complete sentence but it should propagate your message.

The beginning of the press release should have the most important information with answers to all the questions a person may have about the product. Not everyone will be patient to read the complete press release. However in the process, don’t exaggerate too much on your product. One strong sales pitch as a quotation from someone in the company is sufficient.

It is better to write in the active voice to keep the press release interesting while deleting extra words. A press release should ideally be about two pages or less with the last paragraph summarizing the information of your company. all press releases should end with a ‘###’ or “-30-“, as a rule.

When writing the press release, don’t forget to add a contact address so that you can be contacted for information by anyone who needs it. don’t add unnecessary technical jargon in the press release as the press release is meant to be read by the common man. Technical jargon will make the press release uninteresting to read.

It is instead better to include the benefits and the use of the product or service you offer in the press release. The more details you include, the more read and understood will be your press release. And don’t forget to proofread the press release before releasing. Incorrect format and spelling and grammar mistakes only make the company look unprofessional.

With all these implementations, you can be sure that you press release will be successful and receive the readership and interest it deserves.

Do you want to learn more about how I do it? I have just completed my brand new guide to generating massive traffic ‘Triple Your Traffic Fast’

Download it free here:

In fact, copywriting is one of the biggest components of advertising. Being creative, witty, or convincing enough to be able to persuade or motivate another person is a skill that few possess. This is why so many webmasters simply hire a third-party content writer - why deal with task when you can pay someone to do it for you?

Though writing isn’t simple, by no means is it overwhelming. In fact, you can sit down and write a decent article in as little as five minutes. You just need to be able to plan out what you want to say, and then find a way to actually express it.

Mind-dump. Take every thought, every inspiration, every whim that you have and simply write it down. It doesn′t have to be in any recognizable order, it just needs to be written down.
Juggle your thoughts around. Once everything is on paper (or text editor), start arranging your thoughts so that they appear in a logical order. This makes your article readable, and will save a lot of editing time later.
Personalize it. Now that your article has some kind of flow, personalize it by including methaphors or relations to current events. This will help bring the reader into the content, and hopefully create some interest.
Lastly, start and finish it. All your article needs now is a beginning and an end. The middle should already be in place. Once you’ve written your introduction and conclusion, read it over and correct any obvious errors or grammatical mistakes.There - in five minutes you’ve sat down, thought about what you were going to say, and then successfully put it on paper.

Don’t think it can be done effectively? This article was written in four and a half minutes.

Author Bio: Cameron Martel focuses on communicatebetter.org communicatebetter.org and enjoys taking time to help people better understand the workings of interpersonal communication. He is the owner and head webmaster of communicatebetter.org communicatebetter.org

This article is meant to be of assistance to both ghostwriters and clients alike. If you want to hire a ghostwriter, or start a ghostwriting business, you’ll need to know the standard prices that are acceptable in the ghostwriting industry.

I have found that, in this business especially, it is best to charge the median price. If you go too low, then clients will wonder why your work isn’t worth more, and if you charge too much, you won’t be able to find clients. Likewise, it is important for clients to find ghostwriters with middle-of-the-road prices because you’ll want to get what you pay for in the final product.

Prices for ghostwriting depend largely upon the type of ghostwriting required for the project. Non-fiction ghostwriting is almost always more expensive than fiction ghostwriting because of the research and technical work required. You’ll also have a different price range dependant upon how long the manuscript will be. For example, an article price should be charged differently than a full-length manuscript.

The median prices for ghostwriting are as follows:

1. Fiction Manuscripts (200-400 pages)

Fiction manuscripts usually cost between $7,000 and $12,000. This is dependant upon the length of the manuscript, the amount of research, and the subject matter.

2. Non-Fiction Manuscripts (200-400 pages)

As I said before, non-fiction manuscripts are typically more expensive than fiction novels. The median price is $15,000, though some ghostwriters charge as much as $50,000 for an in-depth book. This should depend largely upon the intensity and complexity of the material.

3. Articles (500-1,000 words)

Full-rights articles typically cost between $60 and $100. Some ghostwriters charge as little as $15.00 for a 500-word article, while others will settle for no less than $200. This is a matter of how well the ghostwriter can write an article, and how important it is to the client.

How a ghostwriter sets up his or her payment structure is based upon the following factors:

::Experience

::Skill Level

::Resume

::Industry Knowledge

If you can demonstrate above-average significance in one or more of the aforementioned qualities, you can charge more for your services than someone else with less experience.

The most effective way to set your pricing list is by a guess-and-check method. If you find that you are not able to obtain clients, consider adjusting your pricing schedule accordingly.

Remember that ghostwriters should always charge an up-front deposit (typically 15-30%) and that references should be checked before a contract is signed to begin work.

Laura J. College is a professional ghostwriter with more than ten years’ experience writing fiction and non-fiction manuscripts. Her work can be found all over the Internet, and she is currently accepting ghostwriting clients. Check out her website at laurajcollege.com laurajcollege.com.

When you open an account with an article directory, you are almost always asked to create an author name. Most people put their real name, but this can be a mistake in some situations.

Why You Should Use Alternating Author Names

Regardless of what, when and how you write, you must keep one thing in mind – your audience. When you use articles to promote your site, it is vital that you remember you have two audiences. The first is the group of people that will be reading the article when it is republished on other sites. Equally important, however, is a second audience – the webmasters looking for content in the article directories.

By their nature, webmasters are hurting when it comes to time. There simply is not enough time in the day for most to get what they need done…well, done. When they come to an article directory site, the tendency is to try to find articles they can use AND identify an author they can trust. If you can fill this niche, you are in like gold.

I handle the search engine optimization for a site that sells outdoor products. I was always hunting for articles involving travel and the outdoors. I was pretty disappointed with most of the content I found, but an author named Steven Gillman came to the rescue. He wrote good stuff and more than a few articles were funny. Perfect! I started snapping up his articles and republishing them without even reading them. I did this because I knew he generally did a good job and the articles were on subjects I needed content for.

There was, however, a problem. He also wrote about other subjects such as real estate that I didn’t need. I would have to hunt through his stuff. It wasn’t difficult, but it took a little bit of my precious time. The real estate articles were written well, but they really didn’t fit on my site about the outdoors. This is exactly why you should use alternative author names.

In my opinion, you should use one author name for one subject. If you are promoting sites on real estate, beauty products and traveling, you should have three separate names that correspond to each subject. This makes it easier for webmasters to pick up articles from you, which is the purpose after all. They can just pop on to the directory in question and pull your latest stuff. Nice, simple and quick!

As directories have become more sophisticated, there is another reason to use alternative author names. Many directories have instituted RSS feeds by author. A webmaster can now place a feed on their site for you, the author, if they like your stuff. Every time you submit, the article appears on their site. Alternatively, they can use the feed to simply get notice whenever you publish something new. This is a tremendous opportunity, but there is a problem. Webmasters are only going to pick up your RSS feed if you write about one subject area. If you are moving from travel subjects to real estate to beauty products, they are going to balk because the feed doesn’t solve the problem. Again, you are better off sticking with one subject per author name.

If you are promoting more than one site, you should always use alternative author names. If you are only promoting one site, don’t worry about it.

Halstatt Pires is with Marketing Titan - providing marketingtitan.com/article_marketing article marketing services.