Writing Inrochester

From our deconstruction of hundreds of Hollywood blockbusters….

The Hero’s Journey is the template upon which the vast majority of successful stories and Hollywood blockbusters are based upon. In fact, ALL of the Hollywood movies we have deconstructed are based on this template.

Understanding this template is a priority for story or screenwriters.

The 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) Interpreted metaphorically, laterally and symbolically, allows an infinite number of varied stories to be created.

and more…

The Italian Job (1969) - Hero’s Journey [basic deconstruction]

FADE IN: Herald’s Journey: Roger dies in the car crash.

Meeting the Antagonism: the mafia kill Roger.

Meeting the Hero: Charlie leaves prison.

Hero’s Status: prisoners call out to Charlie as he leaves.

Meeting the Mentor: goodbye Mr Bridger.

Meeting the Romantic Challenge: Lorna waits for Charlie outside.

Developing the Goddess: this is the Pakistani Ambassador’s car.

New Self: new clothes at the tailor.

Goodbye to the Old Self: you can put all this in the museum.

Hero’s Capabilities: getting the wallet and the car.

Magical Gift: wallet and the car.

Foreshadow of the Journey: picking up the message.

Developing Characters and Relationships: Lorna gets Charlie the girls as a present.

Meeting the Herald 2: Roger’s wife gives Charlie the briefcase.

Developing Characters and Relationships: Charlie sleeps with Roger’s wife.

Call to Adventure: Roger’s film about the heist.

Refusal: Camp Freddie puts the phone down on him.

Refusal: Bridger turns Charlie down in the toilet.

Developing Characters and Relationships: Bridger tells Freddie to give Charlie a going over; Bridger is into the Queen. Etc

Developing Challenges: Lorna finds Charlie with the girls and Freddie beats him up.

Overcoming Refusal: Bridger sees the news.

Push to the First Threshold: Bridger tells Freddie to green light Charlie’s plan.

Foreshadow of the Foreshadow: needing Professor Simon Peach (Benny Hill).

Meeting Allies and Enemies: Persuading Peach; meeting the crew around the boardroom.

Hero’s Capabilities: this is a very difficult job and the only way to get through it is to work together as a team and that means you do everything I say.

Middle Cave: preparing the cars; crashing the minis; you were only supposed to blow the bloody doors off.

Foreshadow of the Inner Cave: Bridger sees the mafia in the film footage.

Inner Cave: the funeral Bridger warns Charlie about the Mafia.

Physical Separation: leaving for Italy on the ferry.

World of the Transformation / Journey: Italy.

Trial 1: overcoming the mafia on the mountainside.

Trial 2: replacing the computer programming/

Romantic Challenge Conquered: dropping Lorna off.

Foreshadow of the Sword and Atonement: the mafia watch the gold unload.

Departing from the World of the Trials / Leaving for the Sword: remove all the fingerprints.

Developing Characters and Relationships: you’re not going to be sick, you’re not going to have asthma and you’re not going to have asthma etc; Peach following the fat woman.

Push to the Atonement: the gold is unloaded

Wolves Clothing: the English supporter dressed in the supporters colours.

Seizing the Sword: the English supporter triggers the traffic computers to shut off; stealing the Gold.

Near Death Experience: the police ram the doors.

Reward: the cars fall off the “battering ram”; they get away in the minis.

Atonement with the Father: they confront the police.

Apotheosis: they get away from the police.

Magic Flight: still pursued by the mafia; “they must have planned a way out…”

Refusal: difficulty getting into the bus.

Ultimate Boon: they’ve done it Mr Bridger.

Celebration: Bridger greets the audience.

Crossing the Return Threshold: in the bus.

Master of Two Worlds: celebrating in the bus.

Freedom to Live: the bus hangs over the cliff.

FADE OUT:

FADE OUT:

Learn more…

The Complete 188 stage Hero’s Journey and other story structure templates can be found at clickok.co.uk/ clickok.co.uk/

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 and the author’s name and site URL are retained.

Kal Bishop is a management consultant based in London, UK. His specialities include Knowledge Management and Creativity and Innovation Management. He has consulted in the visual media and software industries and for clients such as Toshiba and Transport for London. He has led Improv, creativity and innovation workshops, exhibited artwork in San Francisco, Los Angeles and London and written a number of screenplays. He is a passionate traveller. He can be reached at clickok.co.uk/ clickok.co.uk/.

We hear a lot these days about more books actually being sold ‘outside′ the traditional bookstore. Think about it. When was the last time you actually took time to linger and explore the bookshelves? When did you last impulsively grab a book, flip it over, read the blurbs, and finger through a few chapters? Let’s face it, most of us are too hurried.

So What’s The Point?

If you don’t take the time to browse, why expect your potential customer to do so?

Try This:

Grab about five copies of your book, and head for the “Ma and Pa” stores in your hometown area. Pick a time when you know it won’t be too busy. Talk to the owner or manager. Ask him if you may set up a small display on his counter. Offer him a percentage of each sale.

Get Impulsive!

Go for the impulse buyers! Haven′t you at one time, while waiting at a cash register, seen a small display of books on the counter? Before it was your turn to get checked out, you grabbed it, became excited, and added it to your other purchases? Maybe it was a novel set in your locale. People love reading tales taking place in their familiar surroundings.

They think, “Oh, I’ve driven that road! I know where it is!

Where’s the next landmark? Have to find out!” They feel they become a “part” of it.

Is your book set in your region? Try your local gift shops, bed and breakfast inns, pharmacies, hair salon, even the little “quick stops.” You get the picture.

Is the hero in your book of Italian descent? Is there a lot of ethnicity? Head for the specialty shops like that little corner deli. Pesto. Gnochi. Fresh-baked focaccia. Get your book on that counter!

Maybe kayaking through turbulent river rapids is a large part of your novel. Or sky diving, race car driving, hang gliding, deep sea diving. Head on out to the sporting goods stores.

Whatever, go for it. Take control.

Another Idea

Grab your books and get a booth at the local festivals taking place in and around your area. Maybe share one with an author friend. In my area, there are different festivals every weekend throughout the summer and early fall. In the winter, many craft fairs. Think “thousands of potential customers!”

What Are You Waiting For?

I know you’re thinking, “But I only want to write!” That may be so. Promoting is time consuming. But what’s the alternative? Your book just sets there and gathers dust. So ease on out of that chair, and head on out. Let people know about your book. Talk it up. Readers who love your book will add another dimension to your promotion - word-of-mouth advertising!

Start Small and Think Big

Some stores you approach may not work! Granted. But you’ll get the ball rolling and your mind spinning. “Where else can I sell my book?” You’ll find yourself eyeing every little store as a possibility, while driving your car or strolling the sidewalks of your hometown. Who knows, you may even become your hometown’s next “celebrity!” Give it a try!

About The Author

Mary Holzrichter

Do you enjoy reading quality fast paced action novels? Do you like to write them? Either way, visit ActionTales.com ActionTales.com. We offer some great titles for readers and an unbeatable publishing deal for authors.

One glance at the following sentence causes a reader to pause and wonder what is wrong since some words don’t seem to “fit”: The peasant trotted into his bungalow, his shoulders dipped from languor and cold.
Good writers find ways of tightening and strengthening their work by using appropriate, specific words. They create concrete images as they avoid general, overused, “cringe,” and/or incorrect words, whether in stories, articles, business letters, policy manuals, or speeches.

One source of appropriate and specific words is a thesaurus or synonym dictionary. However, as illustrated in the sentence in the preceding paragraph, unless the word is appropriately specific, it doesn’t work. Several words in the sentence are synonyms of general ones, but are not specific enough. For example, the word trotted indicates a jaunty type walk or run. A bungalow is a house or dwelling, but one that would be better than something that a peasant would occupy. Shoulders may dip, but only momentarily. Languor creates a picture of almost laziness.

Rewriting the sentence using appropriate synonyms results in something such as “The peasant stumbled into his hovel, his shoulders bowed from weariness and cold.” Using the right word or words makes a big difference.

William G. Tapply (“Don’t be a SHOWOFF,” The Writer, November 2005) states to stay away from fancy words. He gives a quote from Mark Twain that underscores the need for using the right word, “The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and the lightning bug.”

Being specific is a must for vivid, strong, and correct writing. Avoiding “cringe” words is also necessary. Words that cause a reader to cringe include those that are repugnant, outdated, painfully inept, old hackneyed and archaic, cloyingly sentimental or weaselly, or misused. According to Arthur Plotnik, in the April 2005 The Writer, some medical terms have become popular, but their use is repugnant to many readers, especially when the medical term is used metaphorically, out of synch with the context of the term. “The gravy oozed like ______ from a _______.” Cringe words don’t belong in business, but in fiction works, such language should come from the mouths of characters or narrators who are themselves cringey.

According to Tapply, “If creative figures of speech risk distracting readers, old hackneyed ones will surely bore them.” Therefore, such wording shouldn’t be a part of anything that needs to appeal and keep the attention of a reader.

Misused words or grammatical errors hurt writing. A business letter with incorrect or misused wording harms a company’s reputation. Such errors weakens all writing. So does the use of outdated, inept, or archaic words.

For example, certain words or word usages make a person or company appear ignorant even if neither is. Intriguing needs to tell with whom, with what, or what is meant. Puzzling, enigmatic, ambiguous followed by “because …” are better usage. It’s means it is, not its, the possessive pronoun of it. Irregardless isn’t a word, but it is one of those inept useages. Highlight, signpost, and transisiton are not verbs. Verbs impact, finalize, interface, or share do not mean to talk or to discuss. Input and outgo as the opposite should be avoided.

Then between you and I shows poor grammar usage, since the correct form is between you and me. Between is a preposition and requires the object form of any pronoun. All right is always two words. Affect is always a verb; effect is usually a noun. The list of misused words continues possibly into the hundreds. The following is a very short list of those which should be examined:
Who and whom are often used incorrectly. Who is the subject form of the pronoun while whom is the object form.

They, their, them are plural forms. He or she are singular. Due to politically correctness, many people use he (him, his) or she (her) IF the gender of a person isn’t known. Such usage is awkward. Some writers then use he in places and she in others. Perhaps a better way would be to make the antecedent plural and use they (them, their), such as in the following examples:
Anyone who likes honesty will give his or her honest opinion. Anyone who likes honest will give his honest opinion. People who like honesty will give their honest opinion.

Please note that using anyone with their is incorrect: “Anyone who likes honesty will give their honest opinion” mixes a singular antecedent (anyone) with a plural pronoun (their). A singular antecedent requires a singular pronoun which refers to it.

The verb to lay means to place and requires a direct object. The verb to lie (unless meaning to tell untruth) means to recline and never has a direct object. The forms of lay are lay (present tense), laid (past tense), and laid (past participle). The forms of lie are lie (present), lay (past), and lain (past participle). Yes, lay is found as the present tense of to lay and as the past tense of to lie. One needs to look at how each is used.

A complete course in grammar and composition or a book over the same subject would show more problems and ways of correcting errors. However with work, consideration, and a large dose of common sense, we can learn to write the right word and realize that the correct word does matter.

Sources:
1. William G. Tapply, “Don’t be a SHOWOFF,” The Writer, November 2005.
2. Michael Creurer, “Using the right words,” www.changing.ca/right_w3ords.php
3. Arthur Plotnick, “Clear out the cringe words,” The Writer, April 2005.
4. Constance Hale, “Writing basics: 7 ‘deadly sins’ of grammar,” The Writer, May 2006.
5. “Writing Better: A Handbook for Students,” www.amherst.edu/~writing/writingbetter/pitfalls.html
6. Lesson plans and note from Vivian Zabel

Vivian Gilbert Zabel taught English and composition for years after a career in the business world. She as a portfolio at Writing.Com/authors/vzabel Writing.Com/authors/vzabel and books Hidden Lies and Other Stories and Walking the Earth through Barnes and Noble and Amazon.com. This article has been submitted in affilation with Facimile.Com/ Facimile.Com/, a site for

If you have ever dreamed of writing that best seller so that you can sit back and let the money roll in, think again - there are over 170,000 new book titles published each year and the number is growing. So how can you make sure your book is always on the shelf? That depends on what you do to market your book and yourself.

Some authors I have met do not like author tours as they think they are a waste of time. I somewhat agree but if you take a look at these tours from another angle, they may be just what you want. Before you begin a tour, make a decision on how much time and money you want to spend on your tour. Yes, tour will cost you money, especially if they are away from where you live. Plan your tour to include more than just bookstores. If you have written a book about pets, then include pet stores in the area as well. Have the stores buy several books before your appearance and let them know that you will sign all of the copies for other customers that could not attend the book signing. Nice way to sell a case of books rather than just one or two.

If you are a speaker, there is always the opportunity to sell books at the back of the room. If you are not a speaker, then find one that would love to sell your book at the back of their room. Split the profits and you will both be happy.

Take your books with you where ever you go, that means, car, train, plane, boat. Always have a book. I had the privilege of selling 6 cases of books to a corporation because I sat beside someone in a plane that was looking for a book on promoting their company through networking.

Be relentless and shameless when it comes to marketing your book. People will buy if you are excited about the book.

Bette Daoust, Ph.D. is a speaker, author (over 170 books, articles, and publications), and consultant. She has provided marketing, sales, business development and training expertise for companies such as Peet’s Coffee & Tea, Varian Medical Systems, Accenture, Avaya, Cisco Systems to name a few. Dr. Daoust has also done extensive work with small businesses in developing their marketing, training, and operational plans. You may contact Dr. Daoust at BizMechanix.com BizMechanix.com You may also view her latest publications at BlueprintBooks.com BlueprintBooks.com Dr. Daoust also writes for the National Networker theNationalNetworker.com theNationalNetworker.com

Article writing is still seen to be a potent and powerful advertising tool. With its incomparable strength to have your messages clearly relayed to your prospective clients, most business advertisers utilize this very cost effective marketing instrument. With its innate strength, the need to unleash its powers would not take much of an effort. However, to ensure that its potentials are utilized in maximum amount, a few guidelines can be used.

• Outline your article content. In writing, coherence is one fundamental factor to consider. It is essential that a writer considers the proper pasting of ideas in such a way that they are glued together. It is only by planning what you are going to write or simply by outlining the contents that you can achieve the coherence of ideas.

• On the first sentence of your article explicitly write what the article is all going to be about. It is only by doing this that you are able to inform your prospective readers clearly what the article is actually driving at.

• Make an emphasis on the strong points of the article material. By highlighting the strong points of your material, you are feeding your reader the essential things that he/she must take seriously.

• It is not “taboo” to include personal experiences or some testimonials on your article. By putting personal experiences or testimonials, you are putting some credibility on your material, thus more believable.

• If you are a bit unsure or having some air of doubt on what you are writing, it is not bad that you seek opinion from people whom you trust. Getting by a little help from your colleagues will not do you any harm.

Want to learn more about it? Download the free ebook,

You have probably heard that writing articles is one of the best
methods that you can use to promote your online business. You
might resist the idea of writing your own articles, because you
don’t think you are any good at it, or perhaps you might think
that it is too hard to find a topic to write about.

Well, in this article, I hope to share with you some tips on
how to become a successful online writer — even if you don’t
believe that writing is a task that you are prepared to tackle.

Now, let me share some information about me that few people
realize…

I do not consider myself to be an expert on the subject of
writing. And honestly, my English is not very good at all.
It is really hard to tell, isn’t it? Keep reading.

You see, I am from Norway. And as you might imagine, I speak
Norwegian fluently. For me, English is my Second language —
not my first.

Despite my limited English skills, my articles consistently get
reprinted on lots of websites and in lots of newsletters. I have
even been published in ezines that have hundreds of thousands of
subscribers! And, my latest article has only been in circulation
for one week, and it already shows 220 results in Google.

I cannot think of another way of getting that many one-way links
to my site so quickly and so easily.

How to Find Topics for Your Articles -

The first thing that you will want to do is to look at your
website and ask yourself some very important questions.

What is the theme of your website?

What product or service do you sell?

Do you have a forum on your site? If you are stressing for an
idea about what you can write, then use one of your forum
postings. (I do this all the time. Sometimes, I can take my
response directly from my forum, and I send my answer out as
a stand-alone article to the various article directories.)

Do you find yourself answering the same questions over and again
for people who are interested in your products or services? If
so, sit down and construct your answer in such a way that it can
be used additionally as an article to promote your website. Send
your answer to the person who asked the question, and then
release your answer as an article. I have spoken to many writers
who have told me that this is how they got their own start
writing articles.

These are only a few ways to develop the topic of an article you
might write. You should always try to write about a topic that
interests you, and that you think can benefit others to read.
Don’t hold yourself back with the excuse that you are not an
expert in the field that you are writing about.

Everyone on the planet has something to contribute to others.
There are things that I might know that you don’t know, and I can
share that information with you. And, believe it or not, there
are things that you will know that thousands of other people
including myself have no knowledge about. There will always be
something that you can teach to me and others.

Finding the Time to Write -

You may think it takes a lot of time to write, and that you′re
not able to add this task to your already tight schedule. But, if
you would only set aside half an hour every day to write, you′ll
soon have a couple of articles finished every week.

The Tools I Use When Writing -

Most text editors will have the features you need to write your
articles. Writers use a wide range of software applications to
help them with their writing tasks. Some of the applications that
people use include:

* NotePad - Preloaded as a part of Microsoft Windows

* UltraEdit32 - ultraedit.com/

* Sun Office - sun.com/software/star/staroffice/

* Microsoft Word/Office - office.microsoft.com/en-us/

Personally, I use Notetab Light which is a free text and HTML
editor. You can download this editor at: notetab.com/

Beyond your basic text editor, it is nice to have some kind of
spelling tool to double-check your work. I strongly recommend
that you do not rely too much on the software spelling tools
alone. While good, these spelling tools seldom do a good job
fixing even basic grammar problems. These spelling tools also
miss words that are spelled right, but used incorrectly in the
context of the sentence. Examples include: their and there, and
week and weak.

When you consider the damage that a poorly written article can do
to your reputation and your ability to sell goods and services
from your website, it begins to make a lot of economic sense to
have someone proofread your article before you release it to the
public. The fees that you will be asked to pay for proofreading
services will more than pay for themselves by presenting a
stronger, more professional image for your website and business.

One place you can go to get good quality, proofreading services
is: ideamarketers.com/services/proof.cfm

Or, if you plan to have your article distributed, and you would
like to get it proofread at the same time, you can visit:
thephantomwriters.com/x.pl/tpw/index.html

Places To Submit Your Article -

I will only list 5 websites here, where you can submit your
articles:

- EzineArticles.com/

- ideamarketers.com/

- goarticles.com/

- contentdesk.com/

- submityourarticle.com/

If you would like to find a longer list of websites, where
you can submit your articles, you can visit my forum at:
everypleasures.com/phpBʖ/viewtopic.php?t=17

It is my hope that having finished reading my article, you will
decide for yourself to write at least one article for the purpose
of promoting your own website. I hope I have given you the
confidence to try this promotional method for yourself.

I honestly believe, if you would use this method just once, you
will see positive results. If you use this method twice, you will
see more good results. And if you are like me, and you write five
or six articles to promote your online business, you will be sold
on the value of using articles as a promotional tool.

Torgeir Sunnarvik is the owner and webmaster of
everypleasures.com/ everypleasures.com/
His site offer

Although, Mark Hyman, M.D, the New York Times Best Selling author, and practicing physician, had a strong, multi-faceted marketing and sales plan in place, the addition of an article marketing strategy helped him in his successful quest to push his book, UltraMetabolism – The Simple Plan For Automatic Weight Loss to the #2 spot of the NY Times Best Seller List. Dr. Hyman’s article marketing campaign was only one piece of the puzzle, but an important piece that helped him establish key relationships with website publishers that will result in increased, targeted traffic and stronger sales for many months and years to come.

By including a targeted article marketing program into your marketing and sales plan, you too could achieve book-marketing success. Doing this effectively requires planning and perfect execution from beginning to end:

Step 1: Create An Article That Grabs Readers Interest

One of the most important parts of the article is the title. Remember, the first 3-4 words of your article title have the most weight with Google and other search engines. The point of the title is to intrigue your audience to actually sit down and read the article. You may even want to offer an outrageous proposition that you can fulfill within your article body as we have with the title of this article.

The articles that get the best results are the ones that provide unique, high quality content that solve at least one piece of a problem puzzle. However, to convert readers to buyers, you must not give the reader all of the answers to the “HOW” to solve a particular problem. Instead you want to tease them with some of the how and top it off with the why it’s important.

Step 2: Turn Readers Into Prospects With A Strong Call For Action And An Offer They Can’t Refuse

You want to encapsulate the essence of what makes you and your offering unique. This is your Unique Selling Proposition. Do this by chiseling away the information that no one cares about from your golden nuggets. Refine them into gleaming insights. Hammer them into logical sequence. Fasten them to reader benefits. Then polish and polish it until your fingers ache, to create a glittering necklace of persuasion that seduces the eye, charms the imagination, and dazzles the reader with so much human interest that it is indeed much easier to click and go to your website than skip.

If you add a free bonus offer, you will make it even easier for readers to click to your website. You can offer a sneak preview of your book, a free ezine subscription, or a free special bonus report that further enhances your credibility as the expert.

Step 3: Maintain Reader Interest & Create a Squeeze Page

Think of your article as a sales funnel. Your article title, content, bio box and the link you send your readers to should all flow right into each other. Including a link to the main page only distract and frustrate readers. You will lose that sale forever.

When you promote your book in your bio box, then take them to a squeeze page within your site that convinces people why they should either buy the book or why they should subscribe.

Step 4: Target Your Audience With Ezines &amp Websites That Make a Difference

You need to find websites that are highly visited and ezines that are the most read, but more importantly, you want to focus on websites and ezine publishers within your specific niche that have strong emotional connections to their audiences. Through our research for Mark Hyman MD, we found information for a popular About.com editor. About.com is among the top 50 sites on the net today. This submission resulted in over 1,500 opt-in and new sales in one day, not counting the successes from other credible websites.

Step 5: Submit Your Article & Build Your Links and Traffic

Now is the time to perform the tiring, boring and tedious task of submitting your articles. But, as you completing this process, know that there is light at the end of the tunnel. By using these article marketing strategies, you can build a steady stream of warm ready-to-buy visitors and substantially increase your book sales

By including article marketing into your multi-faceted marketing and sales plan, you too can achieve success in marketing your book. You will then only be limited by your imagination and your time. The question is, “What is your destination?”

Article marketing expert and award-winning public relations practitioner, Eric Gruber helped promote Mark Hyman MD’s book to the top of the NY Times Best Seller List. For a free consultation on how to substantially increase your book sales using today’s hottest Internet marketing strategies, email mailto:Eric@prleads.com Eric@prleads.com or go to prleads.com/article.htm prleads.com/article.htm to have Eric manage your article marketing campaign.

In the 1998 Winter Olympics downhill skier Picabo Street won a gold medal by the slimmest possible margin — one 1/100th of a second. Anything less than the flawless technique she displayed and the total effort she put forth and she would have finished at best, second, at worst, completely shut out of the medal ceremony. She would have lost the chance to realize a lifelong dream, and, most likely, hundreds of thousands of dollars in additional income.

Street’s story is an inspiring one. One that can serve as an example of how important it is…that we consistently practice good copywriting techniques and make an all-out effort on every word of every sales letter we write.

With regard to technique consider, for example, the tone of your letter. Are you selling on price? Does the president of your company star in television commercials…that have him clutching a fist full of dollars while jumping up in the air and shouting, “We really will save you money!” If so, the tone of your sales letter will be very different than if you were selling the most prestigious and expensive product in the industry.

Of course, as a writer — and if you′re writing a sales letter you are a Writer — the amount of thought and effort you put into choosing your words…will have a powerful impact on your response. To show you what I mean, here’s an example where one phrasing has substantially more impact than the other:

“Our new, all-purpose widget allows you to wash your car, mow the lawn and paint your house — all in the same day.”

(More impact) “Our new, all-purpose widget makes it possible for you to wash your car, mow the lawn and paint your house — all in the same day.”

(Reasoning) Allows you is “permission granting″ phrasing. Makes it possible for is the language of empowerment. In fact, in sales copy, in just about every instance you can replace allows with either makes it possible for or enables and make your copy stronger. And if that extra bit of muscle pulls in just one more response, it was well worth the effort.

No, one word or turn of a phrase won’t necessarily make or break your sales letter. But better technique, a stronger word here, a more impactful phrase there — little by little it all adds up. And the cumulative effect is that when you’re finished you’ve given your letter that extra “oomph”…that makes the difference between a mediocre response…and one that produces a substantial number of leads, appointments and sales.

That said, let’s see what we can do to give the following letter some added “oomph.”

KEY: Standard text = Original letter
(Parentheses) = Ernest’s critique and commentary
[Brackets] = Ernest’s suggested text

NOTE: All personal and corporate names have been changed to preserve privacy.

Mr. John Reid
Stevedores, Inc.
1327 Morris Ave.
Denville, NJ 07834

Dear Mr. Reid,

Selecting the correct printer can strengthen your image! (If you′re a high quality printer going after image-conscious, high prestige accounts, playing the image card can be a good move. So this writer is thinking along the right lines. But the execution is lacking. While the writer is smart to open up talking directly to the prospect, his opening is not very involving or attention-grabbing.)

(Plus, it’s obvious from the start that it’s a sales pitch. Now the purpose of a sales letter is to sell, no question about that. But before you launch into your sales pitch first make sure you have the prospect’s attention. Here’s another, more attention-grabbing way to open this letter while taking the same approach:) [As you know, it's critically important that your company project the right image to your buying public.] (This isn’t a great opening…but it’s more likely to keep the prospect reading because: (a) it’s not a blatant sales pitch (b) the person who is responsible for ordering printing knows all too well how important image is; and is more likely to give a “listen” to someone who feels the same way.)

Quality printing (What specifically does the writer mean by “quality printing?” Important note: the term quality anything is an overused, meaningless term unless you define it in such a way that makes it meaningful and relevant to the prospect.) is the natural extension of your creative investment…because you never get a second chance to make a great first impression. (I think I know what the writer is trying to say in this sentence and I like this cliché. What he fails to convey though, is why the prospect should care about any of this. Simply put, what are the benefits?)

Your marketing effort depends upon a high quality image and we at Alexander Johnson will reinforce that image in your printed material. (The writer continues to talk to and about the prospect — your marketing effort, your printed material — and I applaud that. But there are a couple of problems with this paragraph: (1) As with the previous paragraph, no benefits are articulated. (2) The transition from the previous paragraph to this one is jarring.)

(We go from “quality printing,” “creative investment” and “great first impression,” directly to “marketing effort” without any transition or logic. A sales letter should have a natural and easy flow with each idea and each paragraph transitioning smoothly and logically to the next. This improves its readability and boosts its “sell-ability.” Suggested rewrite:) [So I'm sure you'll agree that a successful marketing effort depends in large part on flawless, beautiful-looking printed materials. Materials that attract and hold the attention of your customers and prospects and motivate them to take action. ]

Over the past four decades (I suggest:) [forty years.] (Why? Forty years sounds like a longer period of time than four decades.) we have (Use the more conversational) [we've] been serving sophisticated advertising agencies, corporations and museums who demand the finest in all aspect of color printing. (The company has been in business for 40 years and that is impressive but the sentence lacks a certain “oomph” that would give more impact to this fact. Suggested rewrite:) [Over the past 40 years Alexander Johnson has earned the business -- and the respect -- of some of the most demanding, image-conscious organizations in the world. Our client list includes top ad agencies, leading corporations and prestigious museums…because they know they can depend on Alexander Johnson for the highest standards of excellence in color printing. These organizations include….]

Some of the firms with whom we work are the leaders in their respective fields of fashion, cosmetics, automotive consumer electronics and finance. (Maybe for competitive reasons the writer does not want to list the actual names of any of the company’s clients. If that’s the case, he should edit out this line. It amounts to nothing more than an idle boast.) We have demonstrated that our unique approach to quality and scheduling considerations (Tell me something specific about this unique approach to “quality and scheduling considerations.” If you do, there’s a much better chance I’ll believe the part about “competitive advantage.”) result in a competitive advantage for our clients.

I would like to show you how our technical expertise, the very latest equipment and outstanding service will benefit both you (Good; put things on a personal level.) and Stevedores, Inc. (The close of your letter is where you want to reiterate the key selling benefits you’ve already talked about — not introduce new ones.)

I would like to personally introduce you to Alexander Johnson and I will be calling with hopes of scheduling a convenient meeting. (Once again we have a problem with the transition. I would put both of these sentences in the same paragraph and write it so that one thought flows smoothly to the next. Suggested rewrite for the second sentence:) [So I'll give you a call in a few days to see about setting up a convenient time for the two of us to get together and discuss how Alexander Johnson can earn your business.]

(Then I would add another paragraph:) [Thanks for reading my letter. I'm looking forward to meeting you.] (This way you end on an appreciative and complimentary note.)

(Another huge problem with this letter that will severely dampen response is that it has no discernible offer of any kind. This is a major mistake. For more information on offers read my article, How To Craft Stronger More Compelling Offers That Will Boost Response Rates. )

Sincerely,

Jim Smith
Alexander Johnson, Inc

(P.S. No P.S. There’s a reason why most effective sales letters have a P.S. It usually helps response.)

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
You may reprint this article online and in print provided the links remain live and the content remains unaltered (including the “About the author” message).

Writing articles adds power to your internet marketing punch. There are so many reasons for and benefits to writing articles as part of your internet marketing campaign. It’s really unbelievable what writing a simple article can do for your business. If you are like most internet marketers, you may not be a professional writer, and your lack of confidence in your writing ability may make you hesitant to pursue article writing as an internet marketing strategy. However, there are ways around that. You don’t have to be a skilled writer to publish exceptional articles that will skyrocket your internet marketing efforts.

There are a number of internet marketing techniques that use articles to drive traffic to your website or that transform a simple, informative website into a money making tool. Articles can be used to stay in contact with customers and to encourage repeat business. They can be used to spark interest and to get people to visit your website. They can be used to enhance linking campaigns. They can boost your search engine rankings. They can be used to promote affiliate programs. And, articles can be used to bring high-paying, pay-per-click advertisements into your webpage so you can make money off the traffic that results from your site visitors clicking on the ads.

Writing professional articles geared to your industry and the needs of customers in your industry can establish you as an expert in your field. When you provide good, useful and practical information about areas of interest to your target market, they will have confidence in you and in your business’s ability to understand and fulfill their needs. Writing articles for newsletters to send out to your repeat customers and opt-in subscribers keeps your company and your products or services in their minds and naturally encourage repeat business and referrals.

Giving away your articles through a free article bank with rights to republish is a superb internet marketing technique that serves dual purposes. When you give away articles, be sure to include a resource box that has a link to your website. As part of the copyright and/or terms of use, state that the article can be republished without permission as long as the content of the article, including the resource box remains unchanged. When other website owners republish your article, or use it in their newsletters, it will drive traffic to your website. Additionally, when your article is republished on the web, it results in numerous links to your website being published on relative websites which can boost your search engine rankings by improving your link popularity.

Writing articles to be published on your own website also boosts search engine rankings improving the effectiveness of your search engine internet marketing campaign. Because the search engines are big on both keyword usage and quality content, articles that provide quality information about a keyword topic can improve your website’s performance in the search engines.

Writing articles about a specific topic and sending them via an autoresponder series, or through newsletters to opt-in subscribers are great for promoting affiliate products which can generate income for your business. Last but not least, if you join Google’s AdSense program and write high-quality content articles with good keywords, you can generate revenue from Google ads that appear on your website as a result.

Copyright 2005 Jason Tarasi

Jason Tarasi publishes the reciprocal links newsletter “Elite Links” Learn HOW thousands of other Elite Links members generate FREE traffic and increase their search engine rankings by swapping links. Grab your free lifetime subscription now at: elitelinksnewsletter.com elitelinksnewsletter.com

When writing a sales letter, it’s important to place special focus on creating an impressive and attention-grabbing start with your opening sentence or paragraph. If you don’t start it correctly, it’s highly unlikely that your readers will get past the first paragraph before deleting your email…and categorizing it as SPAM.

6 Ways to Start Your Sales Letter Right

REFERRING TO A CURRENT EVENT – If you are selling security systems, you can open your sales letter by referring to the Virginia Tech massacre and pointing out the seemingly inadequate security system of the university. From there, you can then proceed to emphasizing what using your products could to in increasing the safety of your reader and his family.

Current events stick to mind because they’re events that actually did happen in the real world and they could happen to you, too. Current events present real threats and promises – either of which you could use to emphasize the need for the products or services you’re selling through your sales letter.

USING STATISTICS – Statistics always exercise great influence on a person’s opinion because they can reflect the majority of the public’s opinion and they’re a product of careful study and research. By using statistics as an opening in your sales letter, you’re able to immediately establish credibility for your company. It not only gives them a reason to read more of your sales letter but it also convinces them to believe in you as well.

The statistics you’ll use in your sales letter must be easily understandable and can immediately convey your message. It must be directly related to your products and services. The facts and figures from these statistical reports must also have been professionally computed by experts. Be sure to provide proper credits so your readers can confirm their validity and reliability right away.

PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS – Think of the number one problem that your target market is suffering from and something that your products or services could immediately solve. Summarize it in one to two sentences and your readers are sure to be hooked.

Say you’re selling portable sewing machines. If your target market is those who sew for recreational purposes, you can start by addressing the problem of space. Sewing machines generally require you to use a certain amount of space for them, but that’s not going to be a problem with portable sewing machines. With such an item, your reader will be able to sew right in the comfort of their bedroom without having to rearrange the furniture.

ASK A QUESTION – Another great way of opening your sales letter is by asking a question. Asking a question allows you to directly and immediately address your reader and catch his attention. But the question can’t just be any question obviously. It has to be related to the topic of your sales letter, but more importantly than that, it must be a question that will make the reader wish to know more.

Say you’re selling office software and your target market is composed of home-based professionals and business owners. Your question could be something like “Is getting your numbers straight the hardest part of managing your home based business?” Math is something many people find notoriously hard but your office software could solve that particular problem.

EMPHASIZE THE BENEFIT – Items that are considered necessities would benefit with a problem-and-solution type of opening but for items considered as frivolities or those that merely satisfy wants rather than needs, they might have no problems to solve. What they do have however are benefits, and that’s what you can use when opening your sales letter.

If you are selling gourmet pet food, you could start your sales letter by stating how your food products could forge a stronger bond between you and your pet. Gourmet pet food may not be a necessity, but it can make your pet feel good and appreciated in no way that ordinary pet food could achieve.

BE DESCRIPTIVE – Lastly, you can use the power of imagery to effectively start your sales letter. This works especially well when aesthetics is a major factor of your product. Examples of such products and services are travel packages, jewelries, and clothes. While you don’t need to write an elaborate and overly long description, the words you do use should all create a stunning image that will reinforce the need to buy what you’re selling.

Mario is a freelance author and has many articles on various subjects. For more information on websiteconversionexpert.com/getrich.html/ internet copywriting or becoming a websiteconversionexpert.com/copywriting_secret.html/ internet coach checkout his website.