Essay Online

1. Be Emotionally Compelling

Your words must have power so people take action and buy. Don’t be dry, stuffy or boring. Rock their world. What you think is a little “over the top” is probably just right. Show them empathy, caring and concern that makes them feel connected and helps them quickly suspend their rational disbelief.

2. Learn to Write Great Headlines

This valuable skill is not to be taken lightly. You need to use numerous headlines in a sales letter. They need to grab your customer’s attention. Look at advertising headline in major magazines. Experts say a good headline can result in 8-10 times more sales than a so-so headline.

3. Use Magic Words not Tragic Words

Use words like “amazing, discover, breakthrough, free, happy, money, you, yes, incredible and others. Magic words positively pre-dispose people to your message. Don’t overuse but don’t underestimate how far a little hype can go. Also, use vocabulary at an eighth grade level or less.

4. Ask Questions

Questions draw readers in and make them get involved. The smart money is on asking only questions you know will get a “yes” answer. Get potential customers in the habit of saying “yes” so when you ask them to buy they are positively prone to say “yes” again.

5. Write to One Individual Reader

Address your copy to one person. “You” not “the public” or the mythical “they.” You’ll create a more personal relationship. People buy more from people they feel they have a relationship with.

6. Brevity the Soul of Wit?

Your copy must take reader through the natural buying steps of attention, interest, desire and action. So brief may not be best. Answer every question in your marketing message so they can naturally take action

7. Share Your Triumph over Tragedy Story

People are drawn in by stories of others who have triumphed over adversity. We tend to root for the underdog. Most entrepreneurs have a story of how their product or service helped them. Don’t hide that story from view. Take it out, dust it off and watch the magic that happens.

8. Build Urgency and Scarcity

We’re bombarded with thousands of marketing messages daily. Build a marketing message that includes a sense of urgency and scarcity so people have a reason to say “yes” now. Say “limited quantities” and offer an early bird special for early sign up. Give customers a reason to say “yes” now.

9. Use Strong Testimonials

You can say great things about you, but a satisfied customer can really brag. To get testimonials just ask. Testimonial should be 4-6 sentences in length and tell a quick story. Each testimonial should answer a different objection.

10. Offer a Powerful Guarantee that Reverses Risk

Many new entrepreneurs worry if they offer a guarantee people will rip them off. In fact you’ll gain far more business with a strong guarantee than you’ll lose from returns. Make your guarantee simple. Amazingly, the longer the guarantee time, the less likely a person will ask for money back.

When it comes to SEO and a stream of long term traffic to your site there really is only one way to go.

Articles are the best way to ensure that you have constant links to your site circling the web with a one time only input from yourself. And the best thing about article writing is that it doesn’t cost you a penny &ndash in any currency.

Here’s how it works:

-make a list of the things that you know enough about to be able to write a helpful and informative article on.

-Brainstorm the points that the article needs to cover,

-choose 3 or 4 main points and write a few sentences around them that can qualify them as ‘valuable content’

-put all that together into an article of around no more than 800 words (you don’t want to bore people away) 500-600 is best practice.

-close your notebook and leave it for a couple of days.

Why? Do you remember when you were in school and the teacher always used to tell you to ‘make sure you read over your work.’ Well they were right. If you submit your article straight away you will inevitably come back to it later and think to yourself that this sentence doesn’t make sense or that you could have worded that better. If you give yourself some time away from it and then come back with ‘fresh eyes’ you will be in a much better position to objectively critique your work.

Once you are happy with your article copy you will need to submit it to article and ezine directories so that editors and site owners can pick it up and use it as content in their own sites.

There are two ways to do this.

a) You can manually submit your article to your preferred sites which means that you will have total control over who your article goes to or

b) You can use automatic article submission. Submitting your article automatically will save you hours once you get going as you will only need to submit your article once and the website or software that you use will then take over to add it to thousands of lists.

The choice is yours but it’s pretty much a no brainer…

Make sure that you close each article with some information about yourself which lets people know that they are free to use your article and also tells them a little about you including a link or two to your own site(s). This is known as a signature box.

Along with providing good quality content a signature box is the whole reason for you writing the article as it will let people know that you are a leader in your field and where they can find out more about you and your business.

Once your articles start to circulate you will find that the number of visitors to your site will grow and so, therefore, will the revenue you make.

Articles are a great way to position yourself as a leader in your field, so be sure to write about what you know about. Don’t try to make things up as people will be able to tell and you will not be taken seriously.

The more articles you publish, the more links you will have to your site and the better your search engine ranking will be and your bank balance.

Happy Writing

Denise Hamilton

Are you a freelance writer or interested in freelance writing? Then you should consider starting a blog to publish your writing. While it is difficult for many freelance writers to think about publishing their writing for free, consider the three different methods you can utilize to profit from with a blog.

First, you can simply focus primarily on self publishing all your work to a blog (or blogs if you write in more than one area). The numerous pages of fresh, original content will be slurped up by the search engines and drive quality, targeted traffic to your blog. You can profit from this traffic by selling advertising, using third-party advertising services such as pay-per-click or pay-per-lead programs, or promote affiliate programs and products. If you want to focus simply on your writing and your audience then pay-per-click or affiliate programs is probably the easiest method to choose.

You can publish your writing in your own free ezine, newsletter, ebook, or some other informational product and use the blog to promote those products. You can still derive some profit from advertising or affiliate programs if you choose as well, but the additional informational products give you even more venues to profit.

You can publish your own ezine, newsletter, ebook, or some other informational product that is only available for purchase and use your free blog to capture leads and promote those products. Again, you still have the option to earn from advertising and affiliate programs on your blog in addition to your earnings from sales.

You can make a very nice living from giving your writing away but if you do not want to do that then you can choose to only give away a small portion and only share the balance of your work with paying customers. Either way you will have complete power and control over your own published work and you will reap all the financial rewards from your own hard work and talent.

Freelance writers should consider self publishing with a blog using one of these three profit models.

One common element whenever human beings gather is the need to talk and share experiences. Often that need turns into something a little more fun, a little more dangerous — gossip. Gossip is often fun but it can also be dangerous because it spreads quickly (because it is fun) and often distorts or even completely avoids the truth. Gossip creates myths in many fields and professions, and the field of writing is especially prone.

The top five myths about writing are:

Myth 1: Writing is easy for some people. Let me tell you that is just about the biggest myth going. I have been a professional writer for going on three decades now. I also know many other professional writers of various ages, experience, and income. I don’t know a writer that will tell you that writing is easy. Writing is brutal, hard work and there are times when I think it would be easier to simply open a vein as Red Smith said. However experience and practice can make many writing tasks easier. There are some writing tasks that I can almost accomplish on autopilot because I have written that specific format and/or topic a lot.

Myth 2: Writing requires talent. I won’t lie. Talent can certainly help and talent is what separates the great writers from the good writers. But the truth is that talent is not enough to make a writer great or even good and talent is not a necessary requirement to be a good writer. Writing is a skill that can be learned, developed and honed. If you practice your craft, if you read the writing of others to learn more about your craft, and if you seek and accept guidance and suggestions about your writing then you will improve and grow as a writer. Dedication harnessed with talent can create amazing results but if I had to pick just one then I would go with dedication. You can always increase your skill level through dedication.

Myth 3: Writing isn’t an useful skill. I have made my living as a writer for my entire professional life but even if you don’t intend to make your living with words you will need this crucial skill. There simply isn’t a profession that does not involve writing. Perhaps the form will vary, but written communication is the cornerstone in every professional field. Your writing ability will often impact landing a job as well as advancing in your career. Today written communication is even more crucial in professional and personal relationships.

Myth 4: You can’t make a living as a writer. I can remember when I told my father that I wanted to be an English major in college. He was very worried that I wouldn’t be able to support myself. The truth is that I have never had trouble finding a job and today I own my own business because of this flexible and important skill. Not only can you make a living as a writer but writing is an essential tool for many other careers and professions.

Myth 5: Writers block is alive and torturing writers as you read this. I’m not dismissing the difficulties inherent in dealing with writers block but whenever I talk with writers purportedly suffering from it they fall within two general groups. The first group actually creates their own block by insisting on the perfect place, mood, or alignment of planets in order to write. This is beyond ridiculous. One of the many benefits I gained from years of newsroom experience is the ability to write in almost any condition or mood. Deadlines will teach anyone how to give writers block short shrift. The second group I have more sympathy for as their problem really is internal in nature. Usually the problem is that the particular story (whether fiction or nonfiction) they want to tell is not yet finished cooking in their brain. In this case, while the writing may be stalled I don’t agree that it is blocked. The writer must listen to that inner voice and respond appropriately. Sometimes the idea needs more time to percolate and sometimes more research and/or planning is necessary. Once the proper adjustments are made the writing will begin to flow again.

Don’t let your writing fall victim to these five myths about writing.

Developing an individual writing process is a key part of becoming a real writer. If you want to learn and grow as a writer then you must work to develop a unique writing process. If you want to be a more productive writer and for your work to improve then you must develop a unique writing process.

While most writing processes contain the same basic elements, each individual writing process is as individual as the writer it serves. Each writing process contains these steps: brainstorming, organizing, writing, revising and editing. Some people condense the essentials into only three parts: brainstorming and organization as one, writing, and then revising and editing as the final step. While you may well end up with some variation of a writing process that is close to the latter I think when you are first individualizing your writing process you should start with the five distinct steps.

How do you begin to develop your own unique writing process? You must write — a lot — and you must experiment with different methods and different styles and different variations within each of the five steps. Even if you find the “idea” of one experiment to be uncomfortable or unwieldy then you must still give it a try because that might be the key to unlocking your own successful style.

This is especially important when it comes to the first step in the process — generating ideas. Experiment with all the variations of brainstorming you hear about from free writing, clustering, questioning, listing and journaling as well as the many other options out there.

After you have spent time brainstorming it is important to begin putting those ideas into some semblance of organization. Sometimes you will need to do this on paper and sometimes it can be done in your head. You may be able to do some rough organization with arrows, numbers or highlighting or perhaps you might need to use note cards or a computer program. Again, experimentation is key to find the method that works best for you.

The actual writing portion of your writing process should be the easiest and least painful. Remember, you will take care of revision and editing later on so you only need to worry about filling your required allotment of pages. Do not slow down your creative process by self editing as you write. Just let it flow and sort it out later.

Some writers combine revision and editing but I like to separate these steps. In my mind, revision is the heavy lifting where you continue to write and rewrite as well as refine and reorganize. Most of my writing involves multiple drafts in the revision stage.

I personally consider editing to deal with those fine, picky details such as spelling, grammar, and punctuation. It might to some extent involve word choice but usually those details are dealt with during revision. Do not forget to read your work out loud at this point to catch awkward sentence and paragraph structure.

And that is how you can develop your own personal writing process. Do not forget: Developing an individual writing process is key to your development and success as a writer.

Every writer can benefit from a study of the effectiveness of their individual writing process. You can write more and you can write better by making some adjustments in your writing strategy.

Recently one of my writer friends complained about their declining word output.

“I spend more time at the computer than I ever did before and I’m just not producing like I used to,” she griped.

After spending a day in writing conferences coaching my struggling novice writers, my response came without conscious thought on my part: “Tell me about your writing process.”

“My what?” She asked.

Ah-ha!

I regularly coach my beginning writers about how to develop their own personal writing strategy or process and as a teacher of writing I think about mine quite often, but the more I thought about it the more I realized that experienced, professional writers rarely spend time talking about this critical element.

What a mistake!

It is easy to understand why. Many of us are simply too busy writing to think too much about the actual process. We have deadlines to meet, assignments to pursue, and pitches to create. When we do spend time with other writers our interactions typically fall into three categories–seeking admiration for our success, input for our end product, or escape from writing.

Many writers also take their writing process for granted and simply follow the old adage–if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. But what happens when it does break down as it did with my friend? If you don’t understand your own writing process then you can’t fix it. And just like many of the machines in your life, regular maintenance checks just might prevent a major breakdown in the future.

My friend’s problem was easily identified and solved once we actually studied her writing process and writing life. Yes she was spending more time in front of the computer but she had lost a big chunk of her prewriting time due to changes in her home life. Once she understood that problem she was able to make adjustments to her schedule and she is seeing her daily word count rising back to her old levels.

So how is your writing process?

Many writers shy away from the term as it brings back fearful memories of a rigid structure forced on them in school. That is not what I want to talk about at all. Frankly, I always teach my students that there is no such as thing as the writing process.

Don’t get me wrong. I believe we each have our own individual writing process, I just don’t believe in the one-size-fits-all type strategy that many writers were force-fed. Just think about it. How could there be just one writing process–every writer I know is an individual with various strengths and weaknesses and personality traits. Every writer is wired differently from every other writer. That is one of the things that makes reading such a pleasure. It follows very logically then that every writing process should differ just as every writer differs.

Having said that I should point out that although the actual shape and form of each writing process is individual to the unique writer there are certain constants:

~ Generating ideas and choosing a focus

~ Organizing those ideas

~ Writing

~ Revising

~ Editing

The amount of time you spend on each stage of the writing process varies according to the writer and the task and this is especially true for me. Many writing tasks are so familiar to me that I spend very little time choosing a focus or organizing my ideas so I can leap write into writing. On the other hand I often generate four or more pages of fiction in about an hour at the computer because I spend a lot of time generating and organizing my ideas before I sit down.

I have spent years honing my personal writing process and know that the step I actually spend the least amount of time is writing. I have learned to let my creative juices flow and not to worry about such petty concerns as grammar, sentence structure, and word choice. I rarely waste a moment on organization or paragraphing. I just let the words flow through my fingerstips until I have emptied my budget. Then I hit save and print, tidy up my papers and set them aside.

Revision is usually the lion’s share of my writing process. It may take me two or three drafts to reorganize and shape a piece until I am willing to share it with others. Depending on how difficult and/or complex the subject then I may need to loop back through brainstorming, organizing and writing to improve my project. I may make a few minor adjustments to grammar or spelling or sentence structure, but primarily I concentrate on the larger issues of focus and development and organization.

When I am finally satisfied my article, chapter, or essay is working as a whole then I begin the actual editing process of cleaning up word choice and sentence structure and any other stray problems that have been overlooked. I usually spend only one draft on this actual process.

If you are serious about improving your writing quality and productivity then you need to spend time analyzing your personal writing process. You might be surprised by what you learn–and I know you can put the knowledge to good use.

Every writer needs some help with their writing. Every writer can improve their writing. One simple technique you can use to improve your writing and better develop your writing process is to spend less time writing and more time thinking about your writing.

Many writers struggle with their early drafts simply because they have not allowed an idea enough time to simmer. Giving yourself time to brainstorm, sift and sort through ideas, and to both have and build upon creative inspirations is one of the keys to becoming a successful and productive writer.

It is best to work on this when you are away from your desk, your computer and any writing equipment (even something as simple as a paper and pencil) however that is the only rule about location. You can sit yourself on a park bench or in your car, you can take a walk or a jog, or you can perform some mindless household task such as vacuuming, folding clothes or washing dishes. There really are not rules as long as you can focus the majority of your brain power on your writing without the distractions of friends, family, or co-workers.

Even with today’s hectic, busy days there are moments when we are alone with our thoughts and if you want to improve your writing then you should set aside at least a portion of those moments to focus on your writing. In fact, you might find that not only does this improve your work but it also allows you to multi-task by completing some other mundane task (or simply getting in your exercise for the day). I promise you that once you have focused your brain on your writing that you will see an increase in your productivity. You will actually spend less time in front of the computer (or notebook) but will deliver more quality writing in that shorter time.

It is important once you are set on a specific project that you focus your thoughts on that goal. If you are writing something short then focus first on the introduction, for example. If you are writing a novel or book then focus on one scene or section of a chapter. Create a movie in your head, and because it is your movie, do not overlook the sounds, smells, and textures that go along with it. Put yourself in the shoes of the characters of your movie so you can identify with them and feel their emotions. Play with words and sentences in your head. Get a feel for the rhythm of the language. Does it match the “movie” you created?

The more you work these elements over in your head then the easier it will be when you sit back down to write. Use your head to make writing easier for you and more effective as well.

The more time you spend thinking and planning your writing before you set out to work on your latest project the better.

I recently made an important discovery that I just couldn’t wait to share. You can make money by giving your writing away. Yes, it really is true.

This isn’t some “get rich overnight” scheme or some trick to get you to lay out a bunch of money for a “turn key business”. You have to do the work yourself and it will take some time to set everything in place — but anyone with an elementary grasp of the English language can make this work!

Giving your writing away to web sites, blogs, ezines, and newsletters can really make you some serious cash on the internet and I’m not joking. I have been writing professionally for two decades and I never thought I’d make more by writing for free but I am.

In fact, I make more money giving my writing away than I did selling my articles and columns. That’s right. The truth is that I’m making more money writing part-time for free than I did in any of my full-time paid writing jobs and that includes advances and royalties from the publication of three novels.

There are three ways I profit from giving my writing away. They aren’t secrets and you can use them profitably as well:

~ Traffic for my web sites and blogs (I’ve seen traffic triple within a week from some articles)

~ Reputation building for me and my online enterprises which helps attract clients, customers, and visitors

~ Profit for my advertisers and for me through sales of my own products as well as affiliate income

It really is not a difficult or complicated business model and one any competent writer, or anyone with the ability to string a decent sentence together, could replicate or modify to suit their purpose. I am a writer not a business person, but I know this is working for me and that it could work for you, too.

And let me share one last terrific benefit of this writing business — you can write whatever you want. You aren’t dependent on some editor’s whim or assignment. You don’t need to worry about tightly focusing your work to fit within a publication’s editorial guidelines. You are in total control — you write to suit yourself in terms of topic, approach, and tone. And you’ll make more money doing that then you ever did when you tried to write for someone else. I promise!

Now go out there and give your writing away!

Last night in the dark following midnight I killed my muse (suffocating her quietly with a pillow) and buried her in my back garden. Today I will plant a roses to hide the grave. No one will ever know and I will be free at last of her insidious hold and I will be able to write what I want.

Why did I resort to this deed? After all my muse was lovely and gave me many gifts over the years. She saw me through dark times and helped mark the joyous ones. Many times she inspired me to reach for more and push myself beyond what I thought I could achieve. Knowing all this why would I kill the very source of my inspiration?

Oh, I had my reasons…

It started out quietly. As I would sit at my keyboard or curl up with a notebook, she would perch on my shoulder as was her wont to do. “I don’t think you meant to write that sentence,” she would whisper in my ear. “That doesn’t sound like the best description,” she would snipe. “Is that the best you can do?” she would sneer.

I took to sneaking my writing in when I knew she was occupied elsewhere. She never could resist critiquing the writing in the morning paper if it was left spread on the kitchen table. That way I could sometimes write several pages before she began her commentary. “Surely you can find a better way to approach this topic,” her mocking voice would interrupt. “That has been so done.”

Soon I was spending more time arguing with her, defending my words, than I was writing. Then my production slowed to a crawl as I would overanalyze each word choice and sentence formation before committing it to screen or paper. All that did was give her more time to find fault with the few words I did write.

Despite urgent deadlines and simmering ideas, I started avoiding the computer and all writing materials. I cleaned my house. I read for hours on end. I made plans for a new garden. The need the write built within me but always my muse was watching me with those eyes — so judgemental, so critical. I would turn away from my office with a sigh and find some other project.

When I could no longer suppress the urge to write I locked her in a closet and had a wonderfully productive morning. I was so happy with my work that I let her out as I went out the door to run some errands. That just made her mean.

She was waiting for me at the door when I came home. Her glasses had slid nearly to the tip of her nose and somehow she’d found a red pencil (I certainly never brought any such thing into the house). I shuddered at the sight of my happy morning’s labor marred by vicious slashes of red. The red blurred before my eyes into a crimson haze and then…

Perhaps it is better that you don’t know the details. Suffice it to say that I have selected several old-fashioned roses with luscious aroma and delicate coloring. I am sure they will provide both inspiration and comfort.

Despite my late hours and the physical toil involved, this morning I awoke early and have already logged in several hours at the keyboard. My fingers flew across the keys and after completing several long-stagnant projects I outlined notes for some new. Writing is joyful and rewarding again.

I think I might dedicate this next book to the memory of my muse. Perhaps it will serve as a warning to those other muses out there who are on the verge of going over the edge. Perhaps it will inspire those other writers out there who have let their muse stifle their creativity and shove them right into writer’s block. Maybe my warning will mean those other muses and their writers will find a way to work things out.

Every writer dreams of the day when they can profit from their writing. While income opportunities abound for writers each method has drawbacks.

Newspaper and magazine reporters can make a good living but their subject matter is often closely regulated and directed. Corporate writing can be even more lucrative but even more tightly controlled. Freelance writing offers more freedom but is also more uncertain. Publishing books is even more uncertain. So what is a writer to do?

Forget all those old-school writing methods and focus on the internet. Don’t write for anyone but yourself. You really can profit from writing only about what interests you. Don’t worry about the market or the editors. Write for yourself. Not only will it be more fun and rewarding for your soul but for your checking account as well.

I am going to share an easy (and cheap) 5-step formula that can help you start your own writing business today, but first I want to share one important fact.

This is not a get-rich quick scheme. It will take some time to earn, perhaps as long as three months to begin turning a profit, but if you keep working at it you should see your income grow exponentially each month and you should be able to count on that income and know what you have to do to increase it. You will have total control over your income and that is very powerful.

1. Create a blog account at one of the free blogging sites available online (we used to use Blogger.com but there are many other good options). This will serve as your internet base. It really is the cheapest and easiest way to get online today. Yes, you could create a free web site at one of the many available but blogs are more attractive to the search engines. Plus they offer you the ability to personalize it but most of your energy will be spent on content which is the king of the internet and the real reason you want an internet presence.

2. Now sign up for a free ClickBank affiliate acccount which will give you immediate access to something to sell.

3. Sign up for a contextual or pay-per-click advertiser such as Google, Yahoo, Revenue Pilot, or SearchFeed and you’ll start earning from visitors as well as customers.

4. Develop your blog. Make 10 your immediate goal then work your way up to 25, 50 and 100 and so on. Your entries can be your opinions, thoughts, or ramblings; poems or short stories; or articles.

5. Promote your blog through article marketing, link development and submitting your blog feed. I would suggest your primarily focus on article marketing as if offers the ability to not only develop links but also delivers traffic plus as a writer it is easy for you to create articles or use a selection of the material you’ve already created for your blog.

Yes, it really is that simple and while you can later grow by buying your own domain name (or names) and publishing your blog on your own site you do not need (and likely should avoid) investing money in expensive tools

Getting started on the web can be free (as you see above) or inexpensive if you concentrate on what you really need. The simple truth is that you don’t need a lot of fancy, expensive tools and programs. In the long run a domain name is a good investment. A domain name will cost you between $5 and $10 a year depending on whether you go .com or .info (or one of the many other options available). You don’t need to find a web host or create a site. Simply point the domain at your blog for now and continue with the development and promotion of your blog. The advantage of owning your own domain name is simply that later when you have the money, time, and knowledge to develop your web site that domain name will already exist and have filtered through the search engines. It also offers some marketing advantages that a free blog cannot.

At some point you may decide you want more flexibility and control than a free blog can offer and that is when you will want to run your own site. You can find a good web host for as little as $5 a month and shouldn’t pay more than $20 a month for a reputable host that offers all the tools and utilities you might need for your current site–including blog software. Maybe down the line you’ll need to upgrade but by then you’ll know your income and your needs.

Really the only other regular expense that you might consider to make your internet business complete would be a mailing list tool. You can do this for just $20 a month and it will be worth every penny for sales, customer service, and promotion. But this is not necessary to start out and you may decide that it isn’t important to your efforts so you can skip it entirely.

Once you have your blog set up and monetized (by offering ClickBank products, advertising, and/or selling text links) then you are in a position to begin profiting from your writing. The way to profit it to increase your traffic so you need to get serious about your article marketing efforts because each article you distribute will generate immediate traffic and create back links for search engine optimization. Also you need to continue to grow your blog by adding fresh content regularly. This will create repeat visitors as well as bring the search engines back again and again. Simply publishing new articles and new blog entries each week will increase your traffic. The more articles and entries you create — the more traffic you will generate.

Once you have found your rhythm with your existing blog you may well decide to branch out and create a second blog on a different or related topic. Now you should be able to work even faster because you are more experienced but likely more motivated as well because you can see just how rewarding it can be to write for fun and profit.