Fixing the Flaws in the 10 Principles of Clear Writing
January 24, 2009 by odtaa
Author: Philip Yaffe
by Philip Yaffe
I recently did an Internet search for “clear writing” and frequently came up with the same list of “10 principles of clear writing”. Each one is a piece of very good advice; however the list has two faults.
First, I am viscerally suspicious of all 10-item lists. They seem contrived. It’s as if the writer decided that any self-respecting list should have 10 items, then set about inventing them to meet the challenge.
More importantly, these 10 principles of clear writing are not really principles at all, but rather tips and technique.
What’s the difference? Tips and techniques tell you what to do; principles tell you why you are doing it.
Understanding why you are doing something, i.e. the benefit you will gain, helps ensure that you will actually do it and do it consistently. Too often when we are told only what to do, we follow the instruction half-heartedly, inconsistently, or not at all.
For example, my last year at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), I tutored writing to make a bit of much-needed cash. One day a first year student came to me with a note from a professor, saying: “Young lady, I advise you either to leave my class immediately or prepare to fail it.” I concluded that she was misapplying a fundamental writing principle, so I explained it to her and had her do a few simple exercises to be certain she understood it. By the end of term, her almost certain “F” had shot up to a gratifying “B”.
This was not an isolated case. When students were having writing difficulties, it was generally because they were: 1) unfamiliar with a fundamental principle, 2) inconsistently applying it, 3) improperly applying it, or 4) not applying it at all.
I am a marketing communication consultant, after having been a newspaper editor, a writer with The Wall Street Journal, and European marketing communication director for two major international companies. Over my 40 year career, I have been continually appalled by how poorly top business executives, academics, researchers, and other clearly intelligent people express themselves, both in writing and speaking.
Some years ago I tried to analyze this depressing phenomenon. As a result, I defined three key principles that underlie virtually every kind of expository (non-fiction) writing and speaking. To give them strength and substance, I cast them in the form of quasi-mathematical formula. As formula, these principles not only tell you what to do, they also tell you why you are doing it and how to go about it.
I would first like to briefly explain these three principles, then see how they coincide with lists of tips and techniques that masquerade as principles.
Most people accept that a good text should be “clear” and “concise”. There is a third principle that is seldom mentioned. A good text should also be “dense”.
Clarity Principle
Being clear is not a matter of personal appreciation. Do you find your text clear? You should; after all, you wrote it. But how can you be certain that it will be clear to others?
According to the clarity principle, to be clear you must do three things:
1. Emphasize what is of key importance.
2. De-emphasize what is of secondary importance.
3. Eliminate what is of no importance.
In short: Cl = EDE
If you follow the formula, before you start writing you must first determine what is of key importance, i.e. what are the key ideas you want your readers to take away from your text?
This is not always easy to do. It is far simpler to say that everything is of key importance, so you put in everything you have. However, unless you do the work of defining what you really want your readers to know, they won’t do it for you. They will simply get lost in your text and either give up or come out the other end not knowing what they have read.
Next, as you write your text, you must be certain to de-emphasize what is of secondary importance. Why? Because if you really want your readers to recognize and retain the key ideas, then you don’t want them getting lost in the details. Details (information of secondary importance) explain and support the key ideas. They must never overwhelm them.
Finally, you must ruthless eliminate what is of no importance. Why? Because any information that adds nothing to explaining and supporting the key ideas will tend to obscure them, which is exactly the opposite of what you want.
Conciseness Principle
According to the conciseness principle, your text should be as:
1. Long as necessary
2. Short as possible
In symbols: Co = LS
“As long as necessary” means covering all the key ideas you identified under “clarity”, and all the information of secondary importance needed to explain and support them. Note that nothing is said here about the number of words, because it is irrelevant. If it takes 500 words to be “as long as necessary”, then 500 words must be used. If it takes 1500 words, then this is all right, too.
“As short as possible” means staying as close as you can to the minimum. Not because people prefer short texts; in the abstract the terms “long” and “short” have no meaning (so-called “weasel words”). The important point is: All words beyond the minimum tend to damage clarity. Subconsciously, readers will continually be trying to understand why those words are there, and will be continually failing because they serve no purpose.
Density Principle
Density is a less familiar concept than clarity and conciseness, but is equally important. According to the density principle, you text should contain:
1. Precise information
2. Logically linked
In other words: D = PL
Using precise information rather than wishy-washy weasel words in a text aids clarity. For example, if you say it is a “hot” day, what do you mean? One reader might interpret hot as 24° C while another might interpret is as 36° C. However, if you say the temperature outside is 28° C, there is no room for interpretation—or misinterpretation.
Using precise information also generates confidence, because it tells the reader that you really know what you are talking about. This helps to hold the reader’s attention and makes it easier to get your points across.
However, precise data (facts) by themselves are insufficient. To be meaningful, data must be organized to create “information”. There are two important tests to apply when converting data into information.
A. Relevance
Is a particular piece of data really needed? As we have seen, unnecessary data damages clarity and ultimately confidence. Therefore, any data that do not either aid understanding or promote confidence should be rigorously eliminated.
B. Misconceptions
The logical link between data must be made explicit to prevent the reader from coming to false conclusions. Example: A singular occurrence may be misinterpreted as part of a broad pattern; a general policy may be misinterpreted as applying only in specific circumstances, etc.
To ensure that a logical link is clear, place the two pieces of data as close to each other as possible, preferably right next to each other. When data are widely separated, their logical link is masked. If you don’t make the logical connection, it is unrealistic to expect readers will do so for themselves.
Keeping these true principles – clarity, conciseness, density – firmly in mind allows us to re-evaluate the oft-quoted ten “principles” of clear writing” (i.e. tips and techniques), thereby making them significantly more meaningful, and significantly more useful.
1. Keep sentences short
This is usually interpreted to mean an average sentence length of 15 – 18 words. Not because readers can’t handle longer sentences. However, when length rises above this average, sentences are likely to be poorly constructed, thereby damaging clarity.
But remember, 15 – 18 words is an average. Don’t shun longer sentences. A well constructed long sentence is often clearer than two or more shorter ones. Why? Because the longer sentence betters shows the logical linkage among the various elements, which would be lost by splitting it apart.
2. Prefer the simple to the complex
If the precise word is long, don’t hesitant to use it, because not using it would damage clarity. On the other hand, if a shorter word would do just as well, prefer it. Examples: “dog” rather than “canine”, “change” rather than “modification”, “entrance” rather than “ingress”, etc.
3. Prefer the familiar word
This is just a variation of point 2. If you have a choice between two words, use the one that most people are likely to recognize and use themselves. Examples: “insult” rather than “imprecate”, “daily” rather than “quotidian”
4. Avoid unnecessary words
In other words, be concise.
5. Use active verbs
In an individual sentence, whether you use an active or a passive verb is of little consequence. However, over an entire text it becomes very important. Active verbs tend to enhance clarity; conversely, too many passive verbs tend to damage it.
6. Write the way you speak
This is a very useful technique, but don’t take it literally. When we speak, we generally use simpler vocabulary and sentence structures than when we write. Writing the way you speak is a good way to produce a first draft. However, when we speak, our sentence structures are often confused and our vocabulary imprecise. These faults must be rigorously corrected in the second, third or later drafts.
7. Use terms your reader can picture
In other words, be dense. Use specifics; avoid weasel words. When making a general statement, be certain to support it with concrete data.
8. Tie in with your reader’s experience
We are again talking about density, i.e. using precise information. Be certain that the terminology you chose is compatible with your readers’ experience. If you need to use a word not likely to be familiar to your readers, define it the first time it appears. If it is really key, define it again later on in the text. Also be wary of words that look familiar but have a very different meaning in the context of your subject.
Example: “Insult” is medical jargon for an injury or trauma. However, talking about an “insult” to the heart without first explaining this unconventional meaning of the word is likely to leave your readers scratching their heads.
9. Make full use of variety
This suggestion is almost superfluous. If you conscientiously apply the three writing principles of clarity, conciseness, and density, you will almost automatically introduce variety of sentence length and structure into your text.
Avoid introducing too much variety of vocabulary. Constantly changing terminology for the sake of variety damages clarity. If several words mean essential the same thing, pick one or two of them and shun the others. Introduce equivalent terms in such a way that the reader clearly understands they mean the same thing.
Example
1. (Confusing) Manned space travel to Mars is once again being considered. The Red Planet has fascinated mankind for centuries. The “God of War” is the fourth planet from the sun – our own Earth is the third – and it is our closest celestial neighbor except for the moon.
2. (Clear) Manned space travel to Mars is once again being considered. Popularly known as the “Red Planet”, Mars has fascinated mankind for centuries. Being the forth planet from the sun (Earth is the third), it is our closest celestial neighbor except for the moon.
10. Write to express, not to impress
The purpose of expository (non-fiction) writing is to inform or instruct, not to show off your literary prowess. The fact is, the better you write, the less people are likely to notice. And this is how it should be. The reader’s full attention should be on what you are saying, not how you are saying it.
Philip Yaffe is a former reporter/feature writer with The Wall Street Journal and a marketing communication consultant. He currently teaches a course in good writing and good speaking in Brussels, Belgium. His recently published book In the “I” of the Storm: the Simple Secrets of Writing & Speaking (Almost) like a Professional is available from Story Publishers in Ghent, Belgium (storypublishers.be) and Amazon (amazon.com).
For further information, contact:
Philip Yaffe
Brussels, Belgium
Tel: +32 (0)2 660 0405
Email: phil.yaffe@yahoo.com
About the Author:
Philip Yaffe is a former writer with The Wall Street Journal and international marketing communication consultant. Now semi-retired, he teaches courses in persuasive communication in Brussels, Belgium. Because his clients use English as a second or third language, his approach to writing and public speaking is somewhat different from other communication coaches. He is the author of In the “I” of the Storm: the Simple Secrets of Writing & Speaking (Almost) like a Professional. Contact: phil.yaffe@yahoo.com.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/non-fiction-articles/fixing-the-flaws-in-the-10-principles-of-clear-writing-326181.html
Columbo: What Can a Bumbling, Inarticulate Los Angeles Cop Teach Us About Effective Communication?
January 22, 2009 by odtaa
Author: Philip Yaffe
by Philip Yaffe
Decade after decade, perhaps the most popular type of television program has been the detective story, the traditional “who dun it?”, presumably because people enjoy being held in suspense. It is therefore instructive to note that one of the most popular TV detective shows of all time has no suspense to it whatsoever.
Remember “Columbo”? Reversing the conventional format, this show tells us exactly “who dun it” within the first five or ten minutes. The remainder of the show then invites us to accompany the dishevelled, seemingly bumbling Los Angeles cop (played by Peter Falk) as he bit by bit exposes the murderer’s errors until the culprit has no option but to confess.
If people love being held in suspense, why has this decidedly un-suspenseful series been so unfailingly successful? Because people also love clarity. If they are going to be led on a journey, they want to know where they are going and why they are going there before they set off.
You are probably now wondering, “Where is all this TV nostalgia leading me?” Quite simply, to a crucially important principle about writing and public speaking.
“Creative” writers, i.e. those who produce short stories, novels, television scripts, film scripts and other forms of entertainment have a choice. They can be mysterious at the beginning, revealing all only at the end (the conventional approach). Or, like Columbo, they can reveal all at the beginning and then delineate the process that leads to the denouement.
“Expository writers”, i.e. those of us who produce memos, reports, proposals, newsletters, textbooks, training manuals, research papers, etc., don’t have this choice. Unless we tell our readers or listeners exactly where we are taking them and why they should want to go there, they are unlikely to come along.
This is because fiction and non-fiction serve two very different purposes.
By simplest definition, the fundamental purpose of creative (fiction) writing is to amuse and entertain. In other words, people come to a work of fiction expecting to be drawn in and are willing to help you in the task. After all, who doesn’t want to be amused and entertained?
This is the conventional “who dun it” approach.
The fundamental purpose of expository (non-fiction) writing is to inform and instruct. Most people don’t relish being informed and instructed. In general, they would prefer to be doing something else. If you want them to follow where you lead, you must make it worth their while from the very beginning. In short, you must be certain that they know almost instantaneously where you wish to lead them and what benefit they might get from coming along.
This is the Columbo approach.
In practice, this means that before you type a single word, you need to answer a fundamental question: “Why the hell would anyone want to read what I am going to write, or listen to what I am going to say?” If you can’t give at least one or more good answers to this question, you have no business striking a key.
But caution. Don’t fall into the trap of saying, “Well, they should want to read this or listen to this because it’s important to them.” This is viewing the world from your point of view, not theirs. In general, you cannot force people to read what they don’t want to read or listen to what they don’t want to hear. To be truly successful, you must demonstrate to your audience that what you have to say is important, not simply shout it. Once they decide to follow you of their own free will, success is almost guaranteed.
This crucial point is perhaps best expressed in what I immodestly call Yaffe’s Law.
“If you give people what they want first, they are likely to accept anything else you want them to have. If you give them what you want first, they are likely not to accept anything at all.”
Philip Yaffe is a former reporter/feature writer with The Wall Street Journal and a marketing communication consultant. He currently teaches a course in good writing and good speaking in Brussels, Belgium. His recently published book In the “I” of the Storm: the Simple Secrets of Writing & Speaking (Almost) like a Professional is available from Story Publishers in Ghent, Belgium (storypublishers.be) and Amazon (amazon.com).
About the Author:
Philip Yaffe is a former writer with The Wall Street Journal and international marketing communication consultant. Now semi-retired, he teaches courses in persuasive communication in Brussels, Belgium. Because his clients use English as a second or third language, his approach to writing and public speaking is somewhat different from other communication coaches. He is the author of In the “I” of the Storm: the Simple Secrets of Writing & Speaking (Almost) like a Professional. Contact: phil.yaffe@yahoo.com.
For further information, contact:
Philip Yaffe
Brussels, Belgium
Tel: +32 (0)2 660 0405
Email: phil.yaffe@yahoo.com
How to Write a Best Seller
January 20, 2009 by odtaa
Author: Joan Clout-Kruse
A best seller is every author’s dream. You can write a best seller if you follow some key writing tips and it isn’t just the inside content. Besides helping your readers solve problems or achieve goals you need to focus on the book cover design. That is the key to getting readers to pick up your book and browse through it.
I recall years ago I was stuck figuring out how to accomplish some tasks. Working in corporate America at the time I was always challenged to try new ways to get things done: improve productivity, identify ways to improve the bottom line, write a report, etc. Some things I tried wouldn’t work. I realized that I had a fear: If I couldn’t do it I would go so far and if I got stuck I would stop.
Then one day as I meandered the bookstore I saw a book entitled, “Getting Unstuck: Breaking Through Your Barriers To Change,” by Dr. Sidney B. Simon. It was published in 1989 and it was a best seller.
The title caught my attention, “Getting Unstuck.” In fact it is a popular title that has been used dozens of times since 1989 and probably before that. With the book in my hand I read the rest of the front cover and the back cover. I opened it up and read the testimonials on the inside front cover and browsed the Table of Contents. I fanned through the pages to see if it was my kind of book: lots of sub-headings, some activities to practice and lots of white space.
“This is it,” I thought. “This is the book that has the answers for me.” I bought the book home and read it from cover to cover. I read that book over and over again, made notes, highlighted important sentences, did some of the activities, and in time I got unstuck. In fact I chose to leave corporate America and get out of my comfort zone and try new things: speaking, writing articles and books, and helping others achieve their goals.
It all started because I bought a book that helped me make a change in my life and know that I could do it with a plan.
Nonfiction books bring us many new ideas and ways to solve our problems or achieve our goals if we apply what we have learned to our lives. We purchase these books because of the change we believe they will make in our lives.
Are you writing a book that can help your reader like Dr. Simon’s book helped me? Let’s review the steps that attracted me to this book in the first place.
1. Attention-Getting Title. The title captured my attention because it was something I needed at the time. Be sure that your title is short but to the point. You can have a subtitle that describes it further.
2. Attractive Book Cover Design. The book cover design must catch the reader’s eye when browsing the many books in the bookstore. Even when searching on Amazon and other online bookstores the colors, artwork, illustrations and photo placed appropriately are important.
3. Sales Information on Back Cover. It is amazing how much can be put on the back cover. This is your sales piece. A brief bio, 2-3 testimonials, 3-4 benefits; all will entice your reader to go further and buy your book.
4. Testimonials on Inside Front Cover. Before your book is finished send a few chapters to people such as CEOs, Presidents, health professionals if your book is about health or fitness, and leaders in the community that are willing to give you a testimonial of 2-3 sentences. Better yet after asking and getting an okay to send you materials on the book, send them the book proposal you have already prepared. Remove the marketing and promotional information, as they aren’t interested in that. Send them everything else that pertains to the inside content of the book.
5. Eye-catching Titles for Table of Contents. Create great eye-catching titles for your Table of Contents that will intrigue your reader and make them want to see more.
6. Good Content is still King. If you have done a good job with these five elements for your book you could have a buyer for your book. Remember though, the most important thing is the content you write. It must be helpful information that your reader wants. It must be written in a way that your reader understands and can apply to his or her life. Your book must help your readers solve a problem, achieve a desired goal or be a book of inspiration.
Follow these tips: Have an attention-getting title, attractive book cover design, sales information on back cover, testimonials, terrific titles for your Table of Contents, and good content. You have the formula for a best seller!
Copyright 2008, Joan Clout-Kruse. All rights reserved.
About the Author:
America’s Book Coach, Joan Clout-Kruse, helps entrepreneurs and business professionals write a book that will get them recognized as an expert, attract more clients and boost their income. Sign up for the Free Sneak Preview of Joan’s Writers Retreat where you’ll learn how to write, market and publish your book at http://www.BizBookWritersRetreat.com
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/non-fiction-articles/how-to-write-a-best-seller-390798.html
Your Book’s Introduction is a Mini Sales Letter
January 18, 2009 by odtaa
Why write an introduction for your book? Nobody reads it anyway. Up until now, this opinion has had clout. But now, with a shorter introduction of one to two pages, and through the five essentials below, your introduction will become the fourth sales tool for your book. When people read your clear, concise personal note to them with benefits they will receive, they will buy your book on the spot!
Your Book’s Introduction Includes:
1. The hook. Your first paragraph must compel your potential buyer to read more, so they will buy your book. Make your opener short–one sentence is best. Answer their question, “So What? Why should I buy your book?” Your opener might be a shocking statistic or fact, powerful quote. Or the best, answer your audience’s # one question about their #one challenge. Start with where your audience is now. Don’t tell them, engage them. .
2. The background. Your particular audience has challenges. Describe where they are now, why they haven’t succeeded, how they are uninformed in a few paragraphs. Include a few sentences on why you wrote the book. At the end of this information, state your thesis statement, a general statement of what your book will give them.
3. The benefits. In the next paragraphs, keep answering the “So what?” that is inside every potential buyer’s mind. Show the general benefits such as increased health, communication, finances or fortune. Show specific benefits. For instance, in “Write your eBook or Other Short Book-Fast!” Create each part of your book as a sales tool, rewrite less, publish cheaper and faster.”
4. The format. Every non-fiction book needs a format that gives your audience an idea of what they will experience ahead. They have already looked at the Table of Contents that gives them a general format and direction. In your introduction you need to say what features will benefit them in each chapter. Ech chapter format will probably include a hook and thesis, the middle part with information, how tos, tips, a story.
5. The last sentence. Invite your reader into the text of your book. Entice them once again with an enthusiastic “read on.” For example in one of my writing books I used this last line, “You’ve been waiting too long to share your unique message. Read on and apply all the simple steps I give to make you a successful author.”
Now that you’ve written a sparkling introduction you have helped your potential buyer decide to take out their wallet and purchase your book. This “Essential Hot-Selling Point” is all important-it’s kind of a mini sales letter you can adapt for your book’s back cover and your web book sales letter.
Source: http://www.articlecircle.com/ – Free Articles Directory
About the Author
Book and Internet Marketing Coach Judy Cullins helps businesses build clients and sell books. Author of “How to Write your Book Fast” and “The Fast and Cheap Way to Explode Targeted Web Traffic,” Judy offers free eBook “Book Writing and Marketing Tips” with monthly ezines at cYour Book’s Introduction is a Mini Sales Letter
Why write an introduction for your book? Nobody reads it anyway. Up until now, this opinion has had clout. But now, with a shorter introduction of one to two pages, and through the five essentials below, your introduction will become the fourth sales tool for your book. When people read your clear, concise personal note to them with benefits they will receive, they will buy your book on the spot!
Your Book’s Introduction Includes:
1. The hook. Your first paragraph must compel your potential buyer to read more, so they will buy your book. Make your opener short–one sentence is best. Answer their question, “So What? Why should I buy your book?” Your opener might be a shocking statistic or fact, powerful quote. Or the best, answer your audience’s # one question about their #one challenge. Start with where your audience is now. Don’t tell them, engage them. .
2. The background. Your particular audience has challenges. Describe where they are now, why they haven’t succeeded, how they are uninformed in a few paragraphs. Include a few sentences on why you wrote the book. At the end of this information, state your thesis statement, a general statement of what your book will give them.
3. The benefits. In the next paragraphs, keep answering the “So what?” that is inside every potential buyer’s mind. Show the general benefits such as increased health, communication, finances or fortune. Show specific benefits. For instance, in “Write your eBook or Other Short Book-Fast!” Create each part of your book as a sales tool, rewrite less, publish cheaper and faster.”
4. The format. Every non-fiction book needs a format that gives your audience an idea of what they will experience ahead. They have already looked at the Table of Contents that gives them a general format and direction. In your introduction you need to say what features will benefit them in each chapter. Ech chapter format will probably include a hook and thesis, the middle part with information, how tos, tips, a story.
5. The last sentence. Invite your reader into the text of your book. Entice them once again with an enthusiastic “read on.” For example in one of my writing books I used this last line, “You’ve been waiting too long to share your unique message. Read on and apply all the simple steps I give to make you a successful author.”
Now that you’ve written a sparkling introduction you have helped your potential buyer decide to take out their wallet and purchase your book. This “Essential Hot-Selling Point” is all important-it’s kind of a mini sales letter you can adapt for your book’s back cover and your web book sales letter.
Source: http://www.articlecircle.com/ – Free Articles Directory
About the Author
Book and Internet Marketing Coach Judy Cullins helps businesses build clients and sell books. Author of “How to Write your Book Fast” and “The Fast and Cheap Way to Explode Targeted Web Traffic,” Judy offers free eBook “Book Writing and Marketing Tips” with monthly ezines at http://www.bookcoaching.com judycullins@cox.net
Writing Tips – Five Ways to Immediately Improve
January 18, 2009 by odtaa
As a writer it is all too easy to concentrate on the mechanics of submitting work to editors and to forget that the writing itself is of primary importance. We should all be constantly seeking to improve. If we do that, editorial approval will become that much easier.
To that end, here are five things you can start doing today that will immediately improve your writing, and with it your chances of getting published.
Improve your vocabulary
Buy a good dictionary, and learn a word every day. Play around with it, using it in sentences, in dialogue and description. As you go along, make a list of the words you’ve learned. At the end of the month, try to write down a definition beside each word. If you can’t remember what the word means, look it up again, play with it again, and leave it on the list for another month. I guarantee your vocabulary will grow in leaps and bounds.
Read more
You can’t come up with an original idea unless you know what isn’t original. So read as widely as you can, both within your chosen area and beyond.
I write, and read, horror fiction, but I also read the classics, crime fiction, science-fiction, fantasy and the occasional airport blockbuster. I also read non-fiction, in the fields of astronomy, biology, parapsychology, archaeology, religious history and mythology.
Everything is grist to the mill, and little is ever wasted. If nothing else, it allows you to feel superior while watching “The Weakest Link”.
Deconstruct Writing that Works
When you read something that strikes you as a fine piece of writing, or something that has had success in your chosen area, go back and read it again. This time take notes:
What caught your attention about the writing?
What does the writer do that you don’t?
Would you have done it differently? If so, what makes what you’ve just read better?
You can also do this when you see bad writing. After a while, you’ll find yourself doing it automatically with almost everything you read. From the notes you can make up a list of writing tips for yourself. Add to it as you go along, read it often, and follow your own guidance. Improvements will follow.
Edit yourself
You have to develop a thick skin, and an ability to look at your work dispassionately. After you’ve written something, put it away for a few days, then come back and look at it critically.
Cheque yure speling
Grammar your check
Remove any superfluous unnecessary adjectives
Remove any repeating repetitious repetition
Are your verbs will use the right tense?
If you are writing about a man, is she the right gender?
Never use a long word when a short individual will do
Hone your work until it is as good as you can make it. If you don’t respect your writing, how can you expect anyone else to do so?
Read your work out loud.
Reading aloud enables you to check the rhythm of your work. Check that your writing flows. If it feels uncomfortable to say it, it’s time to rewrite.
At the same time check your sentence lengths. If you need to take a breath in mid-sentence, then it probably needs editing. You might feel self-conscious at first, but stick with it. I’ve found this to be one of the best ways to find your writer’s voice.
Go on. Start now. You’ll feel the benefits immediately, and you’ll be a better writer for it. And that’s what we all want, isn’t it?
Source: http://www.articlecircle.com/ – Free Articles Directory
About the Author
William Meikle is still improving after seven published novels. Read his latest novel, Generations, and see dragons battle giant bugs in a YA Fantasy now available at Amazon, or visit his site at http://www.williammeikle.com
Getting Started In Online Freelance Writing
January 18, 2009 by odtaa
old fashioned typewriter on table
The online market is as robust as it has ever been. And this time around, unlike the late 90’s, companies are actually putting money in their web sites.
In 2004 Google had 4.28 billion pages in its database .The real figure of the number of web pages on the internet is predicted to be closer to 14 billion pages. Can you estimate how many writers would be needed to write this colossal amount of information?
On the Internet “Content is king”. The whole internet economy functions on content. There are informational websites, websites selling products , news portals, blogs , forums and the basis of all of them are words….that’s where writers come in.
As of March 2007, approximately 1,114,274,426 people worldwide use the Internet, according to Internet World Statistics. This number is expected to grow much more. As of 2006 only 15.6 % of the world population had access to the internet.
Fasten your seat belts: You are at the right place at the right time! The future of freelance writing is on the Internet and in company Websites.
The best thing that ever happened to freelance writers may be the demise of the typewriter. As typewriters died – and computer keyboards and the Internet thrived – a world of opportunity opened for people who write for a living, says Peter Bowerman, an Atlanta-based author of The Well-Fed Writer: Financial Self-Sufficiency as a Freelance Writer in Six Months or Less.
Back in 1991 a published author once remarked that you could expect an average 70 rejections when you could write something and send it for publishing, whether you are a newbie or a seasoned pro.
Using traditional methods such as direct mail, cold calling, networking… all took a lot of time and drastically reduced the income. The Internet made the freelancer’s life much easier. You can communicate with your client sitting in your pajamas.
Most of the freelance writers who make great money at it these days have diversified their client bases away from print media and toward the world of ecommerce. As a result, when you’re just getting started, the best place to collect a writing paycheck is online.
The freelance industry is literally booming. Sixty billion dollars of work is now outsourced to specialists worldwide. According to the US Department of Labor, “35 million Americans class themselves as independent professionals.”
In the past three years, companies have increased their outsourcing by 22%. A survey conducted predicted that companies using freelance services will more than double from 20% to 50%. Being part of a $120 billion industry won’t be bad!
Freelance writing is a competitive field as it is today. There are many people joining hands from around the globe and this means, services given away for competitive prices. Employers or buyers (as they are commonly known) prefer outsourcing their writing jobs because it is a way of reducing the employee tax they ought to bear and other responsibilities they’d have towards formal employees.
Here’s a prediction.With the ways things are moving the freelance industry will only increase in size and scope. Keep on the lookout where you can make your mark!
About The Author
Get the real insider secrets to make money writing online. David Drake is the author of the ebook6 Figure Freelancer.It reveals powerful strategies and a step by step blueprint to lay out a 6 Figure action plan with online freelance writing.Visit at http://6figurefreelancer.com
source: articlecity.com
7 Ways To Get Paid To Write Online
January 18, 2009 by odtaa
by: David Drake
More and more people tend to earn at home nowadays. However, the catch is that stay-at-home jobs don’t work with many fields. If you are a good writer, then you are among the lucky lot and we are about to discover how it is so.
Usually freelance writing work is available through various resources through freelance exchange websites such as rentacoder.com, scriptlance.com etc. There are also a number of sites for classified advertisements where these work can be easily found; e.g. craigslist.com. If you search through such sites, you will understand that you have many options.
? Blog writing and reviewing is one popular option open to writers. Many freelance exchange websites have openings for this kind of projects with an increasing trend. The task at hand could either be to write on a given topic which will become a blog or to make comments on already written blogs with a back link to the buyer’s account, so as to increase search engine rankings to a particular site.
? Writing for SEO is another popular method. Many website owners are interested in getting a high rank in SERPs (Search Engine Result Pages) as it will be advantageous for increasing web traffic and their sales. Therefore, website owners will provide writers with sets of keywords to be included in the article. The writer should be skilled enough to meaningfully use these contents without harming the flow and the originality of the article.
? Writing Newsletters is another method. Various institutes now outsource their newsletter writing through many websites. The writer is given specific topics to be written in standard or specific newsletter formats. This work can be considered relatively easy due to the nature of the work. In most cases, you will be given a newsletter template where your job will be to fill in the content according to the given format.
? Writing auto-responders is an ideal job for creative freelance writers. It is usually a very simple task requiring high creativity. Your task as a freelance writer in here is to come up with attractive auto responders with plenty of creative thought.
? Content writing for websites is a highly paid job because it is the writing that turns visitors in to buyers. So if you are a writer with high language skills and if you have a very good creative mind, this job is for you.
? Ghost writers are those who get paid the most. Whenever you are expected to become a ghost writer, it has to do something with publishing the content be it an e-book, research paper or a single article. As a ghost writer, you are expected to come up with the general outline of your project. Once everything is discussed, the writer will start on the project.
? However, if you want to retain your copyrights and take credit for what you do, you still have the choice to do that with websites such as associatedcontent.com. It’s a place where you can simply publish your article and get paid for the number of page hits you receive. In other words, the more popular your articles become more money you will earn!
About The Author
Get the real insider secrets to make money writing online. David Drake is the author of the ebook6 Figure Freelancer.It reveals powerful strategies and a step by step blueprint to lay out a 6 Figure action plan with online freelance writing.Visit at http://6figurefreelancer.com
source: articlecity.com
Opportunity Spotting : Freelance Writing Is Booming.
January 18, 2009 by odtaa
by: David Drake
The word freelance was first coined by Sir Walter Scott, a renowned Scottish historical novelist and poet when he wrote his novel Ivanhoe to refer to a medieval mercenary warrior. In 1903 the word was officially recognized by etymologists and made it to the Oxford English Dictionary.
Simply put, a freelancer is a person who is self employed. Freelancers seek out different projects which vary in their size, scope and variety. In case of freelancing writing, projects may include article writing, book writing, ebook writing, Technical reports, editing, proofreading, white papers, direct mail, copywriting, newsletters, Ezine writing… and much more.
A Look at Current State of Industry
The freelance industry has literally boomed. $60 billion of work is now outsourced to specialists’ worldwide. According to the US Department of Labor “35 million Americans class themselves as independent professionals.”
In the past three years, companies have increased their outsourcing by 22%
A survey done predicted that companies using freelance services will more than double from 20% to 50%.
This trend is not a localized trend to be seen in USA or a few countries but is slowly becoming a global phenomenon.
Looking at it ,being part of a $120 billion industry won’t be bad!
But why exactly has freelance writing boomed?
Though there are many reasons behind this phenomenon ,two reasons which clearly stand out above the rest.
The explosion of the Internet
The Internet is a relatively new medium when you compare it to other mature mediums such as television and radio and is still in its Wild West days. Apart from being a huge information resource it is also a huge advertising medium where companies get their businesses from.
Shift in business practices:
Back in the good old 60’s and 70’s you could set up a successful business and could expect to reap profits for a long period of time. Businesses could afford full time employees in all areas. With hyper competition and large fluctuations in technology, businesses have adopted a different model. They only do the thing which they do best and outsource all other activities to specialists.
So rather than having a full time writer on the company’s payroll, it’s more efficient to find a writer who specializes in a particular type of writing. If a company needs articles written for their website they would post a bid on a website such as Elance.com for a web content writer, get it done and move on. Another time they need a good copywriter they would post a bid for a copywriter, get the job done and move on. The key point to understand is that companies now place more value on specialists – freelancers who are more skilled in a narrow focus of work.
For freelancers, this literally means a world of opportunity. You can work from home, doing interesting and rewarding work, working with customers all over the world. You can be paid directly into your bank account, and earn more than you ever dreamed possible in your 9-5 day job.
About The Author
Get the real insider secrets to make money writing online. David Drake is the author of the ebook6 Figure Freelancer.It reveals powerful strategies and a step by step blueprint to lay out a 6 Figure action plan with online freelance writing.Visit at http://6figurefreelancer.com
source: articlecity.com
How to Write Articles Quickly
January 18, 2009 by odtaa
by: Valerie Dansereau
One of the best ways to promote your website or blog is through article marketing. Learning to write articles quickly is a skill you have to master to accomplish this.
Many website owners make article writing a lot more complicated than it has to be. When writing for websites, remember first of all that people online are scanning web pages, not reading every word, so there is no need to spend hours making every word perfect.
Your content isn’t going to be totally unique, no matter what you write about. Every topic you can think about has already been written about by someone else. Think about it – every newsworthy event is covered by CNN, NBC, ABC, etc. Every network and every newspaper are all covering the exact same event or topic, just in different words.
The fact is, there are no new topics. Your job is to take what’s already been written and improve on it by injecting your own comments and personality.
One way to do research quickly is by inputting the topic you want to write about into a search engine. Choose three or four matches and read these articles thoroughly, taking notes.
Or, other places for quick research include article directories, forums and yahoo answers. By reading what people are asking in yahoo answers, you will learn what information people are looking for.
Amazon.com provides some great tools for quick research. By choosing a few top-selling books on a given topic, you can research quickly by browsing a book’s table of contents, the back cover of the book and even an excerpt.
Once you have taken sufficient notes, it’s time to put your article together. Write an outline of the important points you want to make in your article. Then write the article without looking back at the other articles. This is nothing more than the same work you did in high school writing book reports. Most of us have written quite a few book reports in our lifetime, and in those days many of us put ourselves through the unnecessary stress of cutting it too close to deadlines. That means we already know how to write and research quickly!
Basically, we need to decide what we’re going to accomplish and when. If we intend to write an article a day, then we have to stay glued to our computer until we complete that task. If we want to get it done in half an hour or less, this is another goal to work toward. Practice will definitely lead to improvement.
Article marketing is one of the best forms of free advertising there is. Learning to write articles quickly is an easily learned skill that will help us get the most out of article marketing.
About The Author
Valerie Dansereau is a banker turned entrepreneur and is the owner of http://www.work-at-home-parenting.com. For a free report showing you how to make $1,000 a month, even without your own website, Click here.
Source: articlecity.com
Write a Book for 10 Good Reasons
January 17, 2009 by odtaa
Author: Earma Brown
Have you developed your career, business or service in excellence? If so, it deserves the greatest opportunity for growth you can afford it right?
A great way to get more leads, more sales and more customers is to use one of the fastest growing tools around to help you connect with more prospects. A book will expand your exposure and increase your sales opportunities.
Here are 10 good reasons to write a book:
1. Add an additional income stream. You may have already built a respected name for yourself in your career or business. A book will bring you even more respect. The growing group of people who gleam insight from you will love that your information is finally in book form. They will reward you by buying from you. They will love the convenience and concrete gratification of reading your information in a book.
2. Expand your reach to the world. When your book is made available, many people will purchase from all over the world. It will open the opportunity for you to interact with people outside of your immediate area. When your subscribers and customers have good success with your book they will tell their friends and associates. Referrals make the best customers for they bring a higher rate of sales.
3. Build your brand name and enhance your prestige as a professional. Let your readers know why your book is the best choice. Build quality into your work so your customers will enjoy spreading the word about your book. As I am sure you have heard before, your customers are your best marketers.
4. Create a greater awareness of your business by offering free articles and tips to your book readers and website visitors. People are always looking for good information, a whopping 85% of Internet users are looking for information.
Make your intent to give something useful and helpful in your area of expertise. As your visitors come for the free, they will become aware of your book and services. They may not buy the first or even the fifth time but expert statistics say up to 50% will buy.
5. Create a powerful business card. Offer your book audience original, different information. Have you wondered what makes a new diet book sell well even when there are scores of diet books on the market?
The author presents their unique set of successful diet rules, their exercise program, their perspective, their testimonials and their credentials. They use original, different information for the same results.
6. Inspire a life full of adventure and opportunities. Inspire people to do something good. Weave inspiring stories into your book and sell more. The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership spent 18 straight months on the Business Week Business Best Seller List. Dr. Maxwell started each chapter with a short story of a famous person successfully using the chapter’s law of leadership.
7. Entertain your audience with drama, humor or fun. Enrich the lives of your customers. Do you have a talent to make people laugh? Use it in your book. Provide a little oasis of escape for your readers. People love it when you entertain them.
Intertwine funny stories into your non-fiction manuscript. Entertain them, make them laugh; they’ll love you for it. Best of all, they will have fun telling all their friends about your funny book.
8. Give a greater understanding of life. Have you been gifted with a deep understanding of life? Put small excerpts of your understanding throughout your book. Sprinkle your quotes along with other famous philosophers or world thinkers within your book.
9. Elevate your name to fame. Write a book filled with success experiences that motivate your audience to do more, give more or share more. Share your experiences to motivate your audience. Share how you overcame seemingly insurmountable challenges in your field. It will motivate your audience to think if you did it; they can do it too.
10. Offer solutions to your audience. Offer the magic pill or simple steps to solve a problem in your field. Every one loves it when we get simple solutions to our problems. Get this right and you could have a best seller. Do you know the solution to a vexing problem? Write the solution in your book. You might be surprised at who’s searching for a little relief.
You have grown your career, business or service; now write a book to enjoy watching your profits soar to new heights. Then remember stay in touch with your buyers. When they order a book from you follow up with them. Start building your list and send them regular follow-up information, free bonuses and requests.
About the Author:
Earma Brown, 12 year author and business owner
helps small business owners and writers who want to write their best book now! Earma mentors other writers and business professionals through her monthly ezine “iScribe.” Send any email to iscribe@bookwritinghelp.com for free mini-course “Jumpstart Writing Your Book” or visit her at http://www.bookwritinghelp.com
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/non-fiction-articles/write-a-book-for-10-good-reasons-255975.html