What Type of Journal Should you Keep?

August 6th, 2008 Mary

Journal writing can be simple, but it can also be anything you want. When you think of journaling, what do you think of? A diary of events in your day? Where you spill all your emotions? Where you practice writing stories? Everything you want to say out loud but can’t?

What you write in your journal is your own business, but it helps to have a general idea of what you will record on a regular basis. Here I will discuss several different ways of journaling. You can choose one, modify or mix them, or come up with your own. It’s in your hands!

1. A Dream Journal. A dream journal can mean several things. One way is to record all the dreams that you have as you sleep as soon as you wake up before you forget them. Don’t worry if you don’t remember any some nights. That just means you were in a deeper state of sleep for most of the night, or you just didn’t find any of your dreams interesting.

Once you’ve recorded your dream, you can describe and discuss what you think it means in your life. If you get really into it, you can get a book or search online for more information on dream interpretation. It is a surprisingly interesting subject.

Another way to keep a dream journal is to record your dreams in life, in other words, your goals. You can write down goals and dreams in a list and consistently go back and review them and discuss them whenever you can complete something. For example, you can make a list of things you want to do in the next 5 years. Look over them often and try to complete them. Whenever you do, write about it.

2. Keep track of your life. When I think of journaling, I first think of just writing down about what I did today and what is going on in my life. This is probably the most common way to journal and there is no problem with that. If you don’t want to get fancy but just want a way to keep track of what’s going on in your life and learn more about yourself, than this is the way to go.

3. Practice writing. If you are interested in creative writing, or any writing for that matter, keeping a journal is a great way to practice. Just keeping a journal about your life will help your writing, but if you want an extra boost to your creative writing skills, you can take it one step further. Use your journal to write stories and poems, practice dialogue by recording conversations, hone your setting skills by writing about your surroundings, and come up with any other creative way to keep writing.

About the Author: If you are looking for even more great journaling ideas and creative writing prompts,go toJournalingTechniques.info. There you can find more about journaling and how to get started writing.

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Write & Grow Rich by Suzanne Harrison

July 10th, 2008 Mary

Are there any writers out there who don’t want to make money from writing? Who don’t want to earn a living from their writing? Who don’t want to become rich from their writing?

Well, there probably are. And that’s fine. But this article isn’t for them. This article is for you. You who knows that you can’t wake up in the morning without the itch in your fingers, can’t get through the day without putting pen to paper or fingers to keyboard, you who can’t listen to a conversation on a train, a bus or at a coffee shop without thinking, “I’ve got to write that down and use it in my next story”, and you who sees many things in life as great story ideas.

Write and grow rich is for you.

Now, this is not entirely about getting financially rich from writing. But apply the following advice and you stand a great chance of making that happen. Riches do come in many forms, one of which is money. But the many other forms of riches life has to offer are also yours for the taking when you follow the lead of the greats of writing, storytelling and inspirational thinking.

So let’s have a look at the 7 essential elements that will help you to write and grow rich.

1. Desire

This is absolutely the most important step in achieving success in any endeavour, and ignoring it will mean almost certain failure. Putting it simply, you have to want it! Whatever your writing goal is – whether it’s to be a bestselling novelist, a successful screenwriter, to win a short story competition, to write for a national newspaper or magazine, or simply to finish something you’ve started, you must want it so much that the thought of it inspires a physical reaction in you, and the lack of it causes you both emotional and physical pain.

Does this sound extreme? Maybe. But you must have a deep, intense desire to make your writing dreams come true. So let’s put first things first – what is your magnificent obsession? What do you want more than anything else? Got it? Write it down and let’s move on.

2. Faith

It is imperative that you believe you can achieve your goal. It is also imperative that you believe in what you are writing, and why. JK Rowling said that it was her belief in the story of Harry Potter that kept her going through 5 years of planning the entire series and then the writing of the first novel. With absolutely no promise of publication and being well aware of how difficult it is for an unknown author to get published, she could easily have let economic and personal difficulties overwhelm her and quit writing. But it was an overriding sense that she had to do right by the book that kept her going.

So your second step is to examine your own commitment to what you are writing. Do you believe in the story you are telling? Does it mean anything to you personally, or to the world in general? And if you are writing non-fiction, do you believe in your topic, your point of view, and the value of what you are bringing to the world? Faith in yourself, and in your work is the one thing that has been known to work miracles.

3. Imagination

This may seem obvious, and yet it needs to be said. It is imagination that sets great writers and storytellers apart, just as it sets great artists, businessmen and movie-makers apart. Imagination falls into two categories – the creative and synthetic imaginations. And both are equally important to you as a writer.

Examples of the creative imagination are of course JK Rowling having Harry Potter stroll fully formed into her mind while she was travelling between Manchester and London by train, and then spending the next four hours creating Hogwarts and the major cast of characters in her mind. Then there’s anything Stephen King has ever written, from what happens when a dead pet resurrects itself, to what would you do if you were trapped in your car when your family dog turns rabid.

Great uses of the synthetic imagination (when the mind takes elements it already knows and recognises, and puts them together in new ways) are also abundant in fiction. How many variations on the classic boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl, have you read or seen? Hundreds, probably. And what about James Cameron’s epic film, Titanic? We all knew the boat would sink, we’d all seen it countless times before, but we still flocked to the cinema, enchanted by Cameron’s incredibly believable characters, Rose and Jack, and their moving but short lived love story.

So if you’re a fiction writer, don’t fall into the trap of thinking you have to dream up something that has never ever been seen before. Simply look at what you like to read and write about, and put a new angle, or twist on it, and then go for it.

For non-fiction writers, it’s open slather here. Simply pick your topic, take a fresh look at it, create a new angle and get into it. Your expertise and opinion matter certainly, but use your imagination to create a new way for your readers to see your topic, and you will have a ready-made audience.

4. Specialised knowledge

Many fiction writers have woven their own interests and areas of expertise into their novels. CS Lewis created a world rich in Christian symbolism, to reflect his own beliefs. John Grisham is an ex-lawyer who writes compelling courtroom dramas. Patricia Cornwell is a former medical examiner, and Candace Bushnell wrote about her own newspaper column in Sex and The City.

These are all excellent examples of how you can turn your ‘real-life’ career into the basis of life as a novelist. Of course there are also countless examples of authors who carry out extensive research, moving from one topic to another as they build their catalogue. Either way, to create a believable world is, for the fiction writer, as important as building credibility in your field is to the non-fiction writer. The upshot is, that one way or the other, you need to acquire some specialised knowledge if you are to write in a way that captures your audience. Whether you parlay your own knowledge into your work, or acquire what you need through research, it’s important to remember, that we are first and foremost scribes, reporting stories to the people around us.

5. Organised Planning

I am a great believer in planning. For the fiction writer, having a story plan, whether for a short story, novel or screenplay, ensures you keep yourself on track, not winding off down dead ends and blind alleys. For the non-fiction writer, it’s a matter of doing your research, gathering your notes, and writing an outline before you set about the main task of writing your article or book.

But organised planning for the writer means much more than planning the story, book or article you are writing right now. It also means planning for your own success as a writer. Travelling back to the first point, desire, you had to write down what you wanted to achieve as a writer. Have a look at that now. How are you going to get there? What steps can you take, starting now, that will move you in the direction of your goal? Saying you want to see your screenplay nominated for an Academy Award is a fine aspiration, but if you don’t even have an idea yet for your story, how do you think you’re ever going to be treading the red carpet?

So putting together an organised, step-by-step plan to get you from where you are now, to where you want to be, and adding a timeframe for your goal’s achievement will be an important step to getting you where you want to go. A great way to do this is to work backwards from your goal, imagining what came immediately before the goal, and then before that, and then right before that, until you have the step that you need to take RIGHT NOW to move you forward. It may be something as simple as buying yourself a special notebook to jot down your ideas, but whatever it is, it is one important step toward you achieving your writing desire.

6. Persistence

It has been said that persistence outstrips all other virtues, and when it comes to achieving success as a writer, I truly believe that, other than being ready when your opportunity comes, persistence is the one quality that will absolutely guarantee your success. JK Rowling would never have been the phenomenon she became if she had never finished her first book, would she? And remember she wrote several adult novels that never saw the light of day, before Harry turned her life on its ear. Stephen King wrote several novels before he hit pay dirt with Carrie. Jonathan Livingstone Seagull was rejected more than 200 times before being published. Matthew Reilly began his career as a self-publisher and is now one of Australia’s most popular authors. His persistence, and self-belief paid off.

So whatever you are writing, stick with it. Persistence is the one thing, along with a thick skin, that you’ll need in abundance to crack it in the competitive world of publishing. And remember, the so-called “experts” don’t always know it all. The man who handed JK Rowling her first advance, a mere £2,500, advised her not to give up her day job as “no one makes any money out of writing children’s books”. 12 years and over $1 billion later, I think she’s proven him wrong. Who are you going to prove wrong?

7. The Sixth Sense

This may seem like an unusual thing to suggest, but I truly believe that those who achieve great success as writers have an intuitive sense about which stories are the ones that are worth pursuing and which ones are better off left behind.

I advocate that you should pursue the ideas that “scare you a little, and excite you a lot”. This is a simpler way of describing the ‘sixth sense’ idea and also may be easier for many of you to measure. As an example, JK Rowling said that when Harry appeared to her on that train journey, she had an actual physical response, unlike anything else she’d ever felt before with her writing. She felt quite light-headed when she got off the train, and likened the feeling to that delicious feeling at the start of a love affair.

Is this the sixth sense? The case could be argued either way. I am merely suggesting that the more in touch you are with your intuition, the more likely you are to be able to distinguish between the “Harry Potter” ideas and the “dead horses” that Bryce Courtney describes having experienced, when he just knew that an idea had run out of steam for him.

So those are the 7 steps to Writing and Growing Rich. Type them out, paste them up near where you write and refer to them often. And as you advance confidently in the direction of your dreams, may you experience success unexpected in common hours.

About The Author

Suzanne Harrison is the founder of Writers Central, online creative writing school and community. Specialising in all facets of fiction writing, Writers Central offers exceptional courses, a vibrant community forum and non stop writing tips and techniques. http://www.writerscentral.com.au

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You Don’t Need Inspiration! - Writing by Abhisher Abrol

June 30th, 2008 Mary

do you?
Writers write. You shouldn’t wait around for inspiration to come. But sometimes, there are days you can’t get anything written down. Or you’re at a loss for words. You can’t think of anything to write. You don’t have Or any idea what to write about.
And then you end up believing you’re having writer’s block.
You end up believing it too much, you stop writing altogether. You might even think of yourself as not a real writer.
And all because of what? You think your muse deserted you? You think you have writer’s block?
Think again! You don’t need inspiration to write! What you do need are prompts to help get your writer’s mind working and your hands writing or typing.
These prompts are your beginnings; the glimmer; the little sparks that you can shape and fashion into stories, articles, essays and features.
You don’t need inspiration. All you need is an idea.
And here are a dozen seeds you can try out for yourself:
1. The first typewriter was patented on July 23, 1829. Interview some of the writers in your group and find out how they write. You can develop this into light-hearted articles about writers.
2. Many fictional characters are not fictional at all. Write about one real person who has been fictionalized.
3. Electricity is a recent discovery. Think of 10 things to do when there’s no power.
4. Pirates no longer just refer to the highwaymen of the seas. There are different breeds of pirates today. Write about today’s pirates and what they’re pirating.
5. Many words in the English language come from the names of people — such as mesmerize (from Mesmer, a hypnotist). Find out more words from people’s names and write the story behind the words.
6. The US Declaration of Independence begins with this line: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal…” Write you own Declaration of Independence by using the same line as your starting point.
7. How do you start a fan club? Write a how-to on organizing a fan club for a favorite author, singer, actor or sports figure.
8. How do planets die?
9. Expound or dispute this: “Where science ends, religion begins.”
10. Take a look at your bookshelf. Pick one book and write a review of it.
11. How is privacy invaded on the Internet?
12. Write an article on how to choose a pet. Target your piece for kids aged 7-10

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About the Author

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Accelerate disaster recovery with technology for your small business by Peggy Duncan

June 22nd, 2008 Mary

 
 
 

Peggy Duncan is a personal productivity expert. To develop skills that will help you manage email overload, check out her book, Conquer Email Overload with Better Habits, Etiquette, and Outlook 2003.

Teaser: Disasters happen. Are you prepared to recover? From getting organized to online file storage, small business consultant and coach, Peggy Duncan, offers these tips.

If you haven’t given much thought to how your business would recover following a disaster, take the rest of the day off and map out a plan. The more thought and action you put in place today will make a speedy and successful recovery more likely.

Personal productivity expert and consultant, Peggy Duncan, offers this advice to small business owners.

Organize Your Files. If you can’t find something now, you definitely won’t be able to find it in an emergency. All files everywhere are stored using a logical system that anyone can follow. Don’t just save files: organize everything and make the system make sense. And don’t store junk that should be deleted! To organize any files, start out with broad categories such as Accounting, Administrative, Marketing, and break them down into subcategories. Then break down the subcategories into the next broadest and so on…always keeping like subjects together.

Avoid Sending Junk to Storage. Before you start organizing, purge first. You’ll want to avoid wasting precious time going through junk in an emergency.

Store Crucial Files Online. Upload crucial files to an online vault on a regular basis. Google “online pc backup” and choose a vendor that fits your needs. Free and low-cost services are available, including www.carbonite.com ($5 a month and automatically backs up revised files); www.MediaMax.com (free up to 25GB); and www.box.net (starts at 1GB free).

Use an External Drive for Additional Storage. Use an external hard drive to automatically back up selected files on your computer several times a day. Check out Hewlett-Packard’s Media Vault. It holds 300GB-500GB and is expandable to 1.2TB (that’s Terabyte - one TB equals 1,024GB!). And check out Seagate’s Maxtor at www.maxtorsolutions.com. (Test the restore function before you need to depend on it.)

Use Your Web Server for Storage. If you have a Website, use the server to store public files for download in case you can’t email them. “For example, my Website server is a repository for files meeting planners might need to download if they can’t get to me,” adds Duncan.

Use Mobile Storage for the Road. Store crucial files on a flash drive and always keep it with you. For added convenience, use the flash drive that fits on your key chain.

Document Processes and Procedures. The processes for running your business need to come out of your head and be documented. If someone else will need to take over your business, or if you’ll need to delegate any actions, it’ll be easier if you provide a roadmap. This documentation should be stored in the office and backed up online.

Organize Your Business Contacts. Instead of keeping piles of business cards, create a business database on the computer and keep this information backed up. Have everything filed logically so anyone can find it in a hurry. Make this easy with www.CardScan.com, and scan the cards you need to keep.

Use a Fireproof Safe. Precious files such as a passport, car title, copies of credit cards and driver’s license, etc., should be stored in a fireproof safe that’s small enough to grab and carry. To protect paperwork, check out the Omniseal Waterproof Document Holder. To store digital files, use a fireproof safe that’s specifically designed for media (explore your options from vendors such as www.SchwabCorp.com).

Save Your Passwords in One Place. Save any computer-Internet-banking-related passwords in a special file on your computer and in your safe. For extra security, list just enough of the password so you’ll know which one you used, and make the rest of it logical enough to memorize it.

Check Your Business Insurance. Make sure your business insurance covers all equipment at full replacement value. (Take digital pictures of everything and store them appropriately.)

For more information on preparing a disaster strategy for your business, visit the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s disaster preparedness Website at www.Ready.gov. You should also visit the Red Cross disaster recovery page at www.RedCross.org.

Now is a good time to get quiet and think about how your business would survive a catastrophe. Don’t procrastinate about setting something up any longer. You never know…

Peggy Duncan is a personal productivity expert, business consultant, author, and professional speaker. For more information and tips, visit http://www.PeggyDuncan.com. To interview Peggy, contact her directly at 770-907-8868 (Eastern) or worksmart (at)  PeggyDuncan.com.

For statistics on data loss, click here.

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Successful Synopsis Writing Tips

June 16th, 2008 Mary

Writers hate the job of writing a synopsis. For you, it might be right up there with death and public speaking in terms of the fear factor. If you’re having trouble and are procrastinating about writing your synopsis, you’re in very good company. Here are a few tips to make everything a bit easier:

Write A Mini Synopsis:
If all else fails, write a short paragraph that hooks the reader. Use this paragraph in your query letter. It is better to include this mini synopsis and get your manuscript mailed to an agent rather than suffering over it, wasting precious time trying to create the perfect synopsis.

Use Similar Formats:
Write a synopsis in the same format as your manuscript. If you’re not sure of the industry standard, find someone who might be able to aid you by providing industry-standard format requirements. Double-space your synopsis. Use one-inch margins all around. Use left justification only, and stay away right justified text. Make sure you place a header on every page, and use Times New Roman or Arial font instead of Courier.

Describe The Story:
Begin by describing your story in 25 words or less. You must capture the agent’s or editor’s attention. If you succeed in creating this “hook,” you’ll be farther ahead than most people submitting their work. Editors and agents read hundreds of submissions every day, so don’t get cutesy. Keep the reader awake, and don’t be boring!

Summarize:
Include a COMPLETE summary of your story from beginning to end, written in present tense. Focus on major plot points or turning points. Omit secondary characters, subplots, and minor events. Don’t go into too much detail.

Focus:
Focus your synopsis by telling what the book is about, not how things happen. Keep focused on your primary characters and major events. As is always the case–show, don’t tell.

Do not ask empty questions in your synopsis. They will not fool the agent into asking for the remaining pages of your manuscript. Include the setting, main characters, and the all-important CONFLICT. Identify conflict between characters. Include motivation. Then, show the resolution of this conflict.

The END:
Finally, TELL YOUR ENDING. Wrap up the story. Everyone knows (removed the word the) writers like to tease the reader and keep ‘em guessing, but stay clear of this trap.

Finalize and Test:
Once all is completed, proofread your synopsis. Make sure grammar, punctuation, and spelling are perfect. Test your synopsis on a qualified friend or relative. Would they be interested in reading the entire book based on your synopsis? If not, ask how you can make it more interesting. Ultimately, use your own “gut” to determine what works.

Limit your synopsis to one or two pages and make sure you include enough information to tell your story. Remember, the goal is to get the agent or editor into the first pages of your book. That’s where the real story begins!!

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About the Author

Author is a writer for Writers Relief who specialize in helping authors write a successful synopsis summary. For more information you can visit http://www.WritersRelief.com.

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A 3-Step Process Ensures Success In Creating An Information Product by Kevin Riley

June 16th, 2008 Mary

Creating a successful information product is not just a matter of having the skills to put it together. It’s a matter of planning and focus. By following a 3-step process, you will create great, high-quality information products that sell well on the Internet.

= Success As An Infopreneur Takes Planning =

The power to succeed as an infopreneur is in your hands. You just need to take the first step towards success. You need to make a plan. You need to state what you are going to do - what you are going to create.

It’s much easier to get what you want, when you have a clear vision of where you are going. This really holds true in information product creation. You can’t just start creating with no clear goal in mind. This will only lead to a jumbled mess of a product … and confused, unhappy customers.

You need to decide exactly what it is you are going to create. You need to picture the finished product. What information will it convey? How will it put across that information? Will it be best in an e-book? A video? An audio interview?

Think about your target market - your ideal customer. Who will buy it? What will they pay for it? Will they buy online?

You need to answer these questions, before you start creating your product. With those answers, you can draw a clear map for your creation process. Then, follow that map closely - with no deviations or detours.

= A 3-Step Plan Ensures Success =

Go through a 3-step process to ensure you create a high-quality information product:

1. Do your market research. Use the Internet to root out what kind of information people are spending their money on. Make sure they are actually buying this info online.

2. Write a clear and full description of your finished product. What are the expectations for this product? What will it teach? What problems will it solve? Write out a list of benefits your product will provide.

3. Start creating your information product. Frequently check your description from Step 2. Is your product meeting expectations? Will it supply the benefits you promised? Are you on track?

By spending some time planning your information product before you start, you’ll find the whole creation process goes much smoother. You’ll have more focus and find that creating the product becomes a much easier undertaking.

With clear focus on a solid goal, you can soon create a hot-selling information product and join the other infopreneurs … out sunning by the pool.

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About the Author

Kevin Riley is the Mission Leader at Internet Marketing Force (IMF). Discover how to easily create your own information products - get your FREE Writing Tips and the Product Creation Labs newsletter - at http://productcreationlabs.com

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The Desire To Not Write by Wendy Keller

June 11th, 2008 Mary

A new client made an off-handed comment today. She wondered why almost every writer gets strong urges not to write. “Suddenly, the plants need watering, the dog needs petting, the laundry needs folding at that very moment.” She laughed sheepishly. “I find in the moments that fall into my lap and announce they could be used for writing, I am suddenly possessed by an irresistible urge desire to clean closets, skim the internet for some obscure fact, or finally finish reading that book I started last month. It’s worse than craving chocolate, and just as narcotic!”

Writers have it tough. The very thing we most want to do, we don’t do. My ex-husband, who was a journalist at the time, dragged home a snippet of a quote. “No one likes writing, but everyone likes having written.” I am not sure to whom attribution belongs, but I’d wager it’s a professional writer. I am disinclined to write unless there’s a deadline looming. Perhaps this is why so few authors actually get published. Finishing a proposal or the first draft of a fiction work is usually a self-imposed deadline.

I used to think it was the fear of criticism or rejection that kept most writers from writing. But now having been a writer all my life, and working with thousands of them as an agent, I think that is just the tip of the, well, the tip of the pool cue, to avoid a cliché. My dad, an old pool shark legendary only in his own mind, remembers people who were nervous about taking the shot who endlessly chalked their cue stick. It’s the same with us, isn’t it? We fuss and distract and whine that we don’t have time or the right circumstances to write. As for me, if I’m not alone in a cabin in Big Bear with a plate of warm chocolate chip cookies (or in a pinch, oatmeal raisin), in front of the fieldstone fireplace with snow falling outside, in my favorite faux leopard skin slippers, how could I possibly be expected to turn out prose of any value? Quite simply, I cannot write unless conditions are perfect. That’s what I tell myself. That’s what my writers tell me.

The question in my mind is always “Why don’t writers just force themselves to do it?” I gave a seminar some years ago, when I was naïve. I taught a class to eight professional speakers. I charged exorbitant rates to force them through a proposal creation process in just three days. They were limp when we finished. I sent them home edited and complete, with only one sample chapter to finish. Six of them had had sample chapters coming into the event - we’d edited them on site. All they had to do was incorporate those edits! Five years later, I have yet to get a completed proposal from any of them. What’s worse is that I happen to know that no other agent or publisher has seen their work either in all this time!

Upon deep introspection and a cup of peppermint tea, I have determined once and for all that the reason writers don’t write is because we simply know that language cannot begin to convey accurately the words in our hearts, minds and spirits. Like the Inuit who allegedly have hundreds of words to describe snow, or the ancient Greeks who had six words for love, we are immediately restrained by our limited language skills. The first words we type will instantly disappoint us, because they cannot perfectly convey straight into the heart and mind of another the precise message we wish to send.

And this is utter failure. And complete success. It is failure in all the obvious ways, but the way it is success is valuable to consider. For in our failure to direct our message perfectly, we leave it flayed open, exposed to any reader’s interpretation. Each reader sees in the work precisely what he or she needs to take from it. They get what they wanted to get, nothing more or less. The critic who dices a book gets another paycheck next month for being pithy and curt. The reader who skims only the first few chapters and carries away a wholly different message from that intended needs that skewed message to verify his or her own opinion, pro or con. If fifty people read our work, there will be fifty interpretations of the same work.

We should have learned this in college English classes, for therein is the beauty of the craft and the release from the “Writer’s Procrastination” malaise. Each person sees something different in the book, even the author upon rereading it later. We are perfectly met by words, because the words mean something different to each of us. Themselves, they are merely symbols for meanings, and meanings are wholly subjective. In California, the yellow stoplight means “hurry up!” In Chicago, it means, “slow down!” The words we see come to us in their own stark beauty, they adhere to our own vision of what we want and need from the text we are consuming.

When you next set fingertips to keyboard, or quill to parchment, remember that your efforts to convey a distinct message are only and sublimely your efforts. A whole world of possible interpretations exists behind each phrase you turn, each word picture you sketch. Resolve to allow all who choose to indulge in your writing take what they prefer, like a bountiful banquet table. Then you are liberated to write what is true and has meaning for you, what is real, in the best language you are capable of using. With clarity, logic and precision, you are freed to let the words flow onto the page. Those who take them up will see your work only from their own myopia. Your job is complete when the words have been spent and they lie there, self-satisfied and heaving on the page.

(c) 2007, Keller Media, Inc. Want to use this article in your publication? Reprints welcome so long as the article and by-line are reprinted intact and all links made live.

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About the Author

Wendy Keller is Senior Agent at Keller Media, Inc. She’s been selling books for other writers since 1989 and meanwhile has had 29 of her own books published under 8 pseudonyms. To get her and her staff on your side, go to http://www.KellerMedia.com.

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Your Book’s Introduction is a Mini Sales Letter by Judy Cullins

June 11th, 2008 Mary

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

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Writing Tips - Planning Your Writing by William Meikle

June 11th, 2008 Mary

 

A lot of beginners go off the rails when they’ve got a nice clean sheet of paper or a blank screen in front of them and they’ve got to fill it with words -

meaningful words.

The way to avoid the cold feeling of panic is to have a plan of action. The type of plan that works best for you depends on your personality. Some of you will make structured lists, with every small detail itemized and all T’s crossed. Or you may have a vague set of instructions, sometimes little more than remembering to have a beginning, middle and end. Others of you will find that the best way to work is just to start writing and see where it takes you.

The way to find what will work for you is to plan out some example pieces of work. You might never write them, but the practice will benefit you. For example, how would you go about writing an episode of your favourite TV show, or an article on a local photography exhibition, or a review of a best-seller? By writing a plan of approach, you’ll give yourself an idea of what the final piece of work would require. When I started writing short stories I used to deconstruct famous stories and plan how I’d re-write them.

The planning step also gives you a check as to whether or not you actually want to write the piece. And remember, if you plan not to have a plan,you’ve still decided on a plan. And don’t stop here.

It’s now time to plan your opening sentence. To get readers to keep reading you need a hook, something that will lead them in and keep them there until you’ve told them what they didn’t know they needed to know. Crime writers kill people, romance novelists have people get divorced, good writers hint at a conflict to come but hide it in the middle of something else. Journalists scream at you in huge type and article writers ask you rhetorical questions, all in the first five seconds of reading.

Go away and study the structure of some writing. Look at how writers grab you and reel you in like an expert fisherman.And ask yourself, “How would I do that?”

Source:

 

http://www.articlecircle.com

About the Author

William Meikle is currently planning his ninth novel. Read more articles at his website at http://www.williammeikle.com

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Finding a Good Book Agent by Scotty Ken

June 4th, 2008 Mary

So finally you have finished writing the book for which you toiled hard and just like your newborn, is very close to your heart? And you thought that you have crossed the biggest hurdle? Well now comes the tougher part, which is to get your book printed and making it see the light of the day. For this, you would need the services of a book agent. Not only any book agent, but also someone who is good at his work. There are many kinds of literary agents and hence you have to be careful with who you choose to represent you.

To start with, do a background search on the area of specialization of the book agents. This is important since some agents work with fiction, some specialize in poetry whereas other love technical titles. Once you identify a list of agents who deal in your area of work, you would need to zero down on someone who can ensure that your interests are protected. This is difficult since finding agents who know their jobs is very difficult. It is almost like searching for a needle in a haystack. Do not be surprised if you keep bumping into scammers disguised as book agents. Though people like these are available in plenty, they are in it only for themselves and can be really terrible at their job.

A good book agent knows his job well, probably would have learnt it by working for some other reputed agent. That would have helped him learn the tricks of the trade by talking independently to the publishers as well as the authors. He would have the gone ahead and set up his own business. These agents toil hard and will be on your side without ever asking you for any monetary benefits. They will also do things like editing your books free of cost.

However, if you land up with a scammer, you will find that he will send you a bill even before the book hit the shelves. This is something that a genuine agent will not do. Once your book starts selling, he gets his money as a share of the amount you get from the proceeds. This can be a real-time filter of isolating a scammer from a genuine agent. Also, a scammer will make you get your revisions and editing done by a third party though it is supposed to be done by him for free. They are book agents after all and it is imperative that they should have editing skills.

In a nutshell, ensure that you do a thorough research on book agents. You should feel comfortable with them right through. However, if you feel that something is not right, switch to another one at the first opportunity. Do not panic if you find yourself doing this often since it is important that you are working with the right person. After all it is a question of making your dream come true!
Article Source: My Articles Directory
About the Author: To find more information about writing and finding book agents visit http://advice-books.com

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