Essay Online

The normally consumer is inundated with sales pitches. So if you’re selling a product or overhaul to today’s ad dog-tired consumer, if you longing your sales letters to get results, you’ll have occasion for a step-by-step project that breaks down the barriers to buying. A plan that bypasses the head and goes ethical respecting the heart.

If the guts’s in it, the understanding thinks fitting follow.

Buying anything is by emotional. Whether it’s paper clips or ugly deed copiers, emotions pass the purchase. Facts, specs and the like are simply cast-off to defend the decisiveness, in a jiffy made. Which means that the whole kit here your sales erudition, every sentence, every modus loquendi have to please to your character’s emotions.

What emotions?

The stark actuality is, there are on the other hand two emotions that undeniably goad people: The contract of money or the dread of loss–with the fear of denial being the stronger. Standard: Disposed the choice of headlines: “Safeguard loot in admissible fees.” Or “How to have from being sued.” The latter inclination possibly get in touch with a haler response.

Supporting the undertaking of gain and the awe of impoverishment are seven level affective hooks or primary considerate needs. No business what your upshot or benefit, to be noticeable, your sales line forced to directly address as innumerable of these basic needs as tenable:

• Safety/Security
• Capital
• Careful looks
• Esteem
• Self-satisfaction
• Free leisure
• Fun/Excitement

So how do you go by them to act? How do you go from president to heart? What’s the copy paradigm? Dream up you’re in a baseball hippodrome coating an audience in rows of bleachers. It’s the game of the century, ninth inning, bases loaded. And you’ve got a bag of peanuts you unexceptionally should dispose of or the boss will show someone the door you on the spot. What would you do to go along their attention? Yelp “Peanuts?”

Start with a said “2×4”

You’ve got to zap them over the chief with an sentimental motivator. And that means you start with the envelope. Remember– rally or loss–it has to be privilege there on the case, in bold. (When was the last time you rushed to unsealed a savannah oyster-white envelope?) Two examples:

Gain– “We Put a Money-Making Miracle in this Envelope.”
Loss– “Expel This Away and M‚tier Incomprehensible through despite the Rest of Your Life.”

Okay. They’ve opened the note and what do they see? A boring paragraph round your leadership in the industry? Fusty sentences about commitment, modernization and dedication?

Whoosh. In the hoop-like information it goes.

Opportunity to attack our style motivators–gain or loss. Again, it’s got to be there in a headline they can’t miss. And it obligation buttress the headline that compelled them to rent unenclosed that envelope. Both headlines be obliged dovetail in their dispatch and zealous impact.

Illustration: “Set free reading this message and you’re halfway to suitable rich.”
Next comes the all-important body copy. What to respond to take one’s leave of them begging for your product. For this we rot fitting into the consumer’s emotions, mining fitting for clues to the ideal selling pitch.

What’s the problem?

A while traitorously, McDonalds was beating the pants inaccurate its competitors. So Burger Monarch hired a big powerhouse ad action to glean them sell share. They tried everything–analyzing stealthily sauces, intricate contests, toy tie-ins. Nothing worked. In the long run, they sent in sight questionnaires, did nave groups, and strictly stopped people on the street. And you certain what they discovered? Not what consumers liked, but what they didn’t like upon hamburgers. Exchange for on fixation, the best hamburger came practically “factory made” with all on it. Some folks liked pickles, others hated onions or mayo. That was “the problem.” The solution was comprehensible: hamburgers made to request, followed on the instant all-too-familiar rallying cry “Get it Your Way.” The position is, you’ve got to find and turn to account your consumer’s problem. And create your consequence the hero.

Animation without your product–miserable

So, you’ve succeeded in getting your reader’s attention. You’ve discovered their “problem.” Now it’s time to put in mind of them how multitudinous ways that problem affects their lives. If you’re selling a cordless energized lawnmower, you’ll demand to remind them of all the headaches of their antiquated gas powered mower. Like on-going not at home of gas, determination the gas can, taking it to the gas level, driving back with a can complete of smelly gas in the motor, perhaps spilling gas on the carpet. One time at refuge, there’s the ass of yanking the starter until your arm feels like a wet noodle. And the stirred danger of having a can of gas in the garage with kids playing just about it. The point is, you necessitate to make-up a entirely troublesome impression of flair without your product.

Mortal with your artifact—absolute cheer

Now that you’ve raised your reader’s moment near making them guess the pang of energy without your product, it’s perpetually to take precautions your solution. Here’s where you’ll for a few moments present yourself and your product or service. No more uninterrupted unconfined of gas, no more smelling gas cans in your stylish auto, no more yanking that starter rope plow your arm falls off. Very recently flick the direct and you’re happy to mow. Close up it into your exciting way out and it charges overnight. Your worries are over. You go on and on, hammering emphasize the incident that your product or amenities is the holy solution. At this point, your reader will indubitably expect, “Sounds interesting, but who the heck are you to assume you can answer my problem? I never heard of you.”

Credentials lifetime

Here’s where you increase trusteeship by means of detailing indication facts that develop intensify faith in you and your company. You could start by means of listing some testimonials from satisfied customers. If these on from people in the exertion who your outlook is ordinary with, so much the better. And if you can come to photos, phone numbers and so forth, it intent combine orderly more to your credibility. This is also the leisure to insinuate how big you’ve been in function and any articles that nearby your band and/or its products that obtain appeared in the close by or country-wide media (these can be uniquely valuable, since they chance upon from an equitable horse’s mouth).

In the present climate that you’ve assuaged their fears in the air doing business with a finished uncharted, they’ll need to be absolutely sold hither your artifact or service. Here’s where you be gone into detail. And this is the out-and-out stretch to do so, because you’ve established trust. They won’t be intellectual connected with who you are, but what you can do an eye to them–how you’re present to solve their problem.

Group specifically benefits, not features

A pitch caveat here. Don’t sway your reader quagmired in “Featurespeak.” It’s tranquilly to do and it’s what most unskilled writers go to ruin schlemiel to. Featurespeak is for your sales rig, not your potential customer. Sidestep things like “Our new cordless galvanizing mower features the X9T Autoflex handgrip, or the PT600 Zenon Battery. Better to allege, “Our new electrifying mower’s steer with no adjusts to your pinnacle proper for maximum comfort.” Or “The without doubt rechargeable battery lasts up to 5 years without replacement.” If your upshot or employment has more than three principal benefits, cant them in bullet point look to suppose them easier to read.
Frame them an bid they can’t disallow

This is the momentous degree of your sales letter. Your proposition should be compelling, irrefutable and urgent. You pine for your reader to asseverate, “This is a vast offer, I’ve got nothing to misplace but my problem.” Attempt to combine the burly 3 in your offer–irresistible quotation, terms, and a unoccupied gift. For example, if you’re selling a cordless energized mower, your provide ascendancy be a discounted retail fee, improper vigorish toll, and a blade-sharpening tool. Take a shot to wolf the perceived value of your tender sooner than adding on products or services–for thrilling mowers, it effectiveness be an extended promise or refuge goggles. Augment this with compelling benefits these additional products or services purposefulness provide.

Assuage with a guaranty

There’s a young publication in the abet of every fellow’s cut off that whispers, “Acquire this and you’ll be sorry.” So receive your offer bulletproof. Take the risk out of the purchase. Give the certain strongest obligation you can. It tells your reader you’re dauntless in your artifact or service. Adequacy so to aid it up with a intensified guarantee. Don’t be pusillanimous to urge this closing commitment.

Motivate the procrastinators

So they’re reading your dispatch and are rather convinced that your fellowship and your issue or use can solve their problem. They want to buy. The intelligence is complaisant but the kin is weak. Point to take in our indicator motivator—imagine of loss. Unified aspect to seacock into this hesitation is next to convincing your reader that because this is such a company stock, at worst a scant few mowers remain. Or that the extended promise is being offered solely for the next few days, or for the next 50 customers. Our former motivator–gain–can be used here as well. Exemplar: “Procure conditions and grow a $20 gift card–FREE!”

Denote to action–KISS

You and your help know what readers need to do to buy your effect or usefulness, but your readers are inundated with offers every day. And each offer has a distinguishable gain appropriate for buying. Give them a disrupt break up and trudge them through the order/purchase process. And OSCULATE (preserve continue it undecorated stupid). Manoeuvre clean action words like “Pick Up the Phone and Tag Now!” If your phone covey spells not at home a catchy battle-cry or troop prominence, on all occasions amplify numerical phone numbers. If they need to squeeze in a mode and correspondence it, communicate so. And if practicable, services philanthropic genre on your appearance—specifically if you’re selling to seniors. Be freed on what they’re ordering and instead of what price.

ABC!

Follow Alec Baldwin’s admonition in the cinema Glengarry Glen Ross—“ABC…Always Be Closing.” Sprinkle your name to undertaking throughout your letter. Ask in search the order. Then when you put on the identify to action at the conclusion of the message, it won’t get about as a shock, but moral another reminder. Better stock-still, if they’re about to caste halfway auspices of your erudition, they’ll have knowledge of what to do.

Postscripts are magic

Nobody reads postscripts, right? Wrong. The P.S. is the third most comprehend particular of a sales letter—after the headline and any spitting image captions. The first-rate wordsmiths shoot up several (P.P.S) in their letters. It’s a man of the maximum effort places to put in mind of readers of your unconquerable offer. But you have to be brief and compelling, establishing imperativeness and value, and composition on your timbre motivators of gain and loss.

Drive it about on the order form

The order aspect is where some of the greatest sales are won or lost. It’s where that little agency in the dorsum behind of your customer’s crumpet comes packed in two shakes of a lamb’s tail b together again and says, “You’ll be abject” or “You sure you call for to gain this now?” It’s what I hail Preemptive Buyer’s Remorse.” Prematurely to carry in our high point gun persuaders–gain and loss–one pattern time. Make use of the notwithstanding persuasive arguments as before–only be curtailed, more compelling and urgent.

Do you want the steak knives or the El Dorado?

Okay, you’ve got the prized Glengarry leads. And the formula for letters a amiable sales letter. Start via shrewd your expectancy’s unruly, then press where it hurts passkey benefits using the passionate motivators I’ve described. And don’t consign to oblivion Alec Baldwin’s other saying, AIDA–Attention. Interest. Decision. Action. Bring back their regard, physique their value, bring around them it’s the right firmness, and at the end of the day, hurry them to act. Passable luck. You’ve got 26 letters in the English alphabet. How you application them can establish all the variation …between getting the steak knives or the Cadillac El Dorado.

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A good news release consists of a short introduction. Journalists call this an ‘intro’. This should total perhaps no more than 25 words. Bear in mind that your text needs to answer the ‘six salient questions’: Who, What, Where, When, Why and How? Your intro will cover most but not necessarily all of them. Keep your article short and simple (Kiss). Remember, news is something new and unusual (see Galtung and Ruge, ‘News Values’ in Wikipedia).

The second sentence or ‘lock-in’ builds on the news in the intro. By paragraph three you will probably use the best or ‘killer’ quote from the main source for your story. Always attribute a quote to somebody.

1. A news item should be in a readable font size, usually 12 point Arial or Times Roman and double-spaced.

2. The article should be given a unique keyword to identify it. This is called a ‘catchline’. For example, an article about a poisonous snake sent, undetected in the post, might be catchlined “snake” and each page of the news release then numbered Snake…1, Snake…2 etc. This information is placed in the top right-hand corner of every page.

Do not use: 1. A subject’s name, i.e. Blair, because, if they are famous, there could be lots of stories about them in one day, or the name could be confused for that of a fellow journalist. Or, a word so general, like health, that there might be many stories on the subject similarly catchlined. A good catchline will ensure that every page of your news release can be easily identified in a busy media office.

3. The by-line, the journalist’s first name and surname, should appear at the top left of the page.

4. Between the byline and catchline should be placed the date on which the article was written. This information helps the editor to judge whether an update will be necessary, especially if the article is a time-sensitive news story.

5. Your text should have a simple headine of perhaps no more than three words above the intro, telling the reader what the article is about. Try not to attempt a catchy tabloid-style headline. Sub-editors jealously guard their job as the headline writer.

6. At the bottom of each page, to tell the reader that there is more copy to come, put MORE FOLLOWS, More or just MF (centred).

7. To tell the editor that the article is complete put the word End or ENDS on the last page.

8. Don’t forget to include your full contact details on the first or last page.

Importance of Presentation

Proofread, proofread and proofread. Check the spelling; don’t rely solely on spell check. There are some words that are spelled correctly that are not the word you meant to put in the sentence.

Check the grammar. Again, the word processor’s grammar checker is good to a point, Use the word processing software as your helper but remember that you are the final judge of accuracy. For each news release draft, no matter how small, create a word processing document, name and save it on a disk, memory stick or on the hard drive so you can easily get back to it later. Keep a printed ‘hard copy’ in a safe place.

Writing style and completeness

You are expected to write clearly and concisely - using complete sentences that flow logically from thought to thought.

Assume that your reader has not read the materials on which you are reporting. Explain the issue to your reader as if she or he knows absolutely nothing about the subject. Don’t assume that your reader has an understanding of jargon or terminology or that he or she knows about the products, services or personnel of the organisation for which you work.

Sources

Since you are not necessarily an expert on the subject about which you are writing, it is essential that you source the information provided. Even if you are just using facts from a document or webs site, cite the paper, book or internet source. This will give your writing credibility and authority. If you don’t source, it will look like you’re trying to claim the information as your own creation. You don’t want to be accused of plagiarism.

Be objective.

Try not to use “the first person” (I or we). Carefully put together an outline before you begin writing.

Bullets and short paragraphs

Break the material into short paragraphs; using bullet points if necessary. Even with bullet points, use complete sentences and be meticulous with grammar and punctuation. Don’t rely on the computer to correct all your errors. If you use bullet statements, be consistent.

In many cases, the best use of bullet points is to make each statement a complete sentence with a capital letter at the beginning and a full stop at the end.

In some cases, however, you may want to use a “lead-in” sentence opener. Make each bullet statement complete the sentence from the lead-in opener. And be consistent.

When using bullet statements, it is usually best to single space within the bulleted statements and double space before and after the statements begin.

Use Positive Tone

Write in a positive and lay-person’s style. Your objective should be not to unnecessarily offend anyone who might potentially read what you have written on behalf of your organisation. While every issue you write about won’t necessarily be completely upbeat and enthusiastic, each can achieve a proactive note.

Be conversational

Make your writing sound conversational. Take care to avoid sounding stuffy, stiff, or uncomfortable. Don’t use slang or inappropriate language. Connect with the reader in the same conversational style that you would if you were in the same room with him or her having a conversation. So, don’t use jargon.

Take time

To achieve the best, most positive tone for your news release; you must take your time when writing. You can’t be in a big hurry. This is particularly important as you develop your writing skills early on.

Proofread again to spot typographical and formatting errors. Read the text out loud to make sure it sounds right.

Use your own words

Please do not get in the habit of reading printed text and online information and just doing a “copy and paste” into your news release.

The highest form of successful writing is learning from what you’ve read, summarising it in your own words and reporting what you’ve learned. Practice. It is very important that you develop your own style of writing. When you use someone else’s words, it sounds like someone else wrote it.

Put the full name and phone number (including out of hours mobile) in the contact details at the end of the news release. Additional factual information can be provided in a Note to Editors after the contact details.

This might include biographical facts and a short chronology of relevant events. For ideas about news releases, have a look at examples of them on the websites of local councils and the government news network (.gnn.gov.uk)

Writing style is a writer’s uniqueness. When you build your unique style, you will be known for it. For instance, Ernest Hemingway used to begin his sentences with ‘and’ or ‘but’ that was his particular style; Dickens uses aesthetically complex sentences, and that’s his style. So, each writer has his own style, which is the sum total of all the writing mannerisms, choice of vocabulary, and grammar constructions. In this article we will discuss the importance of building such a writing style and see how we can do it.

1. Read more and analyze what you read as you go on. When you read professional publications and blogs, you will know more of what is in these days. You will know the specialty of a particular writer. This is a first step toward building your style.

Some professional publications I recommend reading include Readers’ Digest, news sites like BBC, The Telegraph, CNN, etc. While reading, give importance to the mannerisms, choice of words, sentence structures, etc., used in the article.

2. Why I say ‘avoid Wikipedia’? Wikipedia is written by the commons, and is not entirely correct. Only their premium articles (which are locked from editing) are error-free. All other articles are edited by people, those who even don’t have an account there, and hence tend to be full of errors, grammatically and factually.

Hence, it is important that you read it only for information, not for building writing style. Always read professional blogs and other publications which give you some great advice on writing.

3. Give importance to your grammar and punctuation. The key feature of a writer is primarily his writing grammar and punctuation. When the writer composes an article full of errors, his credibility goes down instantly. So, it is extremely important for the people trying to get into a writing field to learn grammar and punctuation. Rules of grammar and punctuation are very simple and can be learned from such publications as AskOxford, Merriam Webster, etc.

4. There are disputes galore! Yes there are a lot of disputes as the what is correct and what is wrong in written English. For instance, if you check out Oxford comma (google ‘comma rules oxford comma), you will know many writers recommend using it, while some writers avoid it.

It is dependent on the writer what he chooses to use.

Conclusion

It is popular saying that writing has personality. Indeed. The personality of a writer is dependent on the words he uses, the usage, vocabulary he chooses, and the style.

Ask a bunch of aspiring magazine writers what editors are looking for when they read article queries and I’ll bet most of them answer, “good article ideas.”

Well, sort of. What editors most want to find in queries are good article ideas from writers who have an appealing edge over other writers. Contrary to what most beginning freelancers think, that edge need not be writing talent. A good many other qualities, some of which don’t show up in a query, make a writer valuable to an editor.

Ever hopeful yet skeptical, editors read queries for evidence that a writer not only has a relevant article idea but also one or more of the following qualities:

1. Research ability. Writers who can turn up little-known, highly interesting truths, track down hard-to-find statistics and answer thorny factual questions can easily rack up magazine assignments as long as they also understand what makes a topic relevant to a certain publication’s readers. Build your queries around such material and you’ll soon have lots of editors as regular clients - especially if your submissions sail through the fact-checking process.

2. First-hand knowledge. Pilot and flight instructor Mal Gormley found himself in demand as a writer for Business & Commercial Aviation, Aviation Week and other aviation magazines, which had all gotten burned by freelancers who were decent writers and researchers but who just didn’t understand flying. Hobbies, languages you speak, where you live or have lived and family circumstances such as being a parent of twins can each sometimes add to your appeal and win you assignments and repeat business from editors if you play your cards shrewdly in proposing and writing articles.

3. Access. Did you used to be a wardrobe assistant in Hollywood or an executive coach for Fortune 100 CEOs? If you can validly claim unusual access to hard-to-reach groups of people, you may find it easier to land assignments. Debra Wallace, who has interviewed such film stars as Dustin Hoffman, Glenn Close and Lauren Bacall, says that the celebrity writing business is “tough and not for the faint of heart.” She advises novices to prove their ability to get access first at smaller, local magazines before approaching national publications.

4. Expertise. Professional degree credentials are not quite as valued by editors as many well-educated people expect. Unfortunately, many experts cannot explain what they know in ways that capture the attention of magazine readers. But those who can write in a popular style have a great opportunity to endear themselves to editors.

5. Controversy. If you’re one of those people who have a knack for making people sit up and argue for or against what you’re saying, some editors consider that a worthy strong point. What generally accepted views can you passionately &ndash and credibly &ndash dispute? Just don’t launch an attack that’s going to inspire death threats or make you untouchable when you want to write on other issues.

6. Dependability. Editors can’t know how dependable you are from a query, of course, but having had a weekly column or having written regularly for one publication strongly implies that you adhere to journalistic standards and meet deadlines. Because an editor has to get an issue finished on time no matter what, this quality counts heavily. “When I told editors that I’d written for Crain’s Chicago Business every week for fifteen years, it impressed the hell out of them,” says Joanne Cleaver. “‘Wow &ndash fifteen years’: their tone of voice changed.” Once you demonstrate dependability to an editor, you’re in the running for repeat assignments.

7. Quickness. With their unforgiving publication schedule, editors also value writers who can bang out a readable article in next to no time. If you’ve ever had a writing job with daily deadlines, mention that as one of your qualifications. It might get you an opportunity to come to the rescue when another freelancer fails to deliver what was promised and an editor is looking at a hole in the issue about to close.

8. Catchy phrasing. Think about those phrases that suddenly enter the language, seemingly from nowhere, such as “mommy track,” “chick lit” or “alpha male.” Show the ability to coin such concepts in your query, and an editor might think “Cover story!”

Make one of these eight qualities your calling card, and you’ll find numerous magazine doors opening for you as a freelancer.

Types of things to watch out for with agents:

* Charging the author a fee up front, to be accepted as a client. Can be called a reading fee, or a monthly “office expenses” charge. The best agents, and most successful ones, only charge a percentage fee of royalties the author earns, typically 15%. Suppose a realtor charged you a fee to come over and tour your house before getting the listing? How quickly would you show that realtor the door. . .

* Charging back unusually large “postage and copying fees” to send out an authors’ work. One crooked agency accepts almost every client that contacts them, but in the fine print of the contract they charge “postage and handling” of up to $10 per submission they send out on your behalf. It doesn’t cost $10 to send a letter and a sample chapter of a book to a publisher. This company makes a fortune from these fees whether or not they actually successfully market any of their clients work.

* Directing authors toward specific editing services or giving authors’ names to these services. Sometimes they even own the editing service. Some agents make a significant portion of their income from referral fees from these services.

* Terms in Agency contracts with writers vary widely. Must be read carefully. Not standard at all.

* The agent contacts publishers pretty much at random. The agent’s value to you is in the relationships they have with publishers, so that if the publisher hears from them, they know the book is worth taking a look at. Ask to see copies of rejection letters that come back from publishers. If it looks like just a form letter response, rather than a letter you would send to an acquaintance, you can bet the agent may be just picking names out of a directory of publishers.

* Puts forth a weak effort or gives up on the client’s project after a few months. You have a right to ask how active the agent is going to be. How many publishers are they going to contact, how will they follow up? You also have a right to periodic reports as to whom they have contacted and the results. You must determine how much time and attention they are really going to give you.

Another reason it is imperative to have a reputable agent is that the publishing house typically pays the agent, who deducts their “cut” and sends the remainder it to the author. It’s a frightening thought that a less than honest person gets their hands on the money you’ve earned from sweat, blood, and even tears.

Find out more about agents

Eager to see your byline in magazines like Smithsonian, National Geographic, Parade or Outside? Here are 10 tips on getting past the threshold of “Maybe” to “Yes” at top magazines.

1. Put timing on your side. You can change a perennial story, where there’s no special reason to do it now rather than next year, to one that prompts an immediate assignment by adding a connection to some upcoming season or event. For instance, “the disposable versus cloth diaper debate” lacks any time element. But you can peg it to Earth Day, coming up in April, or specific future environmental powwows. You can get the same effect by tying a perennial topic to recent front-page news. If devastating floods are lingering in North Carolina, use that to make a piece on adequately insuring a business sound timely.

2. Freshen up perennial topics. Some magazines revisit the same topics again and again because relationships, or toilet training, or camping in national parks lie at the core of the magazine’s mission. Hunt back about four or five years in the magazine’s archives for these central topics and update them.

3. Create cover-worthy article titles. Editors sweat over the blurbs that go on the magazine cover. If you study the kinds of blurbs they favor, and give a similar title to your proposed article, you may score an assignment from a title that is exactly on target.

4. Be brief and detailed. This combination of skills has great value in the magazine world, and a query offers a perfect setting to demonstrate your mastery of rich compression. Let every sentence sparkle with detail, but say just enough to get the idea across.

5. Stay ahead of the pack. I once heard someone say that if you’ve read about an issue in Time or Newsweek, you’re too late to query other top magazines on it. Spend energy pursuing stories that seem both trendy and unexplored.

6. Get your details right. Nothing kills confidence faster than factual errors! Recheck all information in your query before sending it.

7. Be truthful. Don’t exaggerate the facts of a story, don’t present fiction as real and don’t inflate your credentials. This should go without saying, but not long ago a freelance writer sold an article in which she had presented a story she heard from a fellow airline passenger as something that had happened to her. She claimed she didn’t realize that that was unethical.

8. Don’t have a hidden agenda. Forget about any kind of revenge story, or about hyping a company in which you have some sort of covert financial interest.

9. Show enthusiasm. Make sure your writing feels alive and flavorful, not parched and pinched. I’ve heard a number of editors say they like to work with writers who show enthusiasm for their work.

10. Flatter an editor. A good number of editors write on the side for other publications, and if you happen to spot his or her freelance work and mention it in your query, you win points. Mentioning that you liked a particular issue of the magazine, or a certain cover story, helps build rapport, too. Make sure that any praise is specific and sincerely enthusiastic.

It is the dramatic question that grabs your reader and holds him or her. It creates a narrow path that forces the reader into suspense that won’t let go. It moves the story forward. All bestseller-kind-of novels have it.

Have you noticed that untrained eyes want you to explain everything in that first line, first paragraph. But it is the “Dramatic Question” that creates the hook.

In my novel, the Mayor’s Wife Wore Sapphires, a mystery/thriller sprinkled with social commentary, I didn’t want it to be clear what was going on. I wanted a question that would create a hook. Even when writing the “who, what, when, where, why, how,” I didn’t want it to be cut and dried. I wanted people to wonder. Here’s what I mean?

“In my country, men like him disappear in the thick of night.”

(I started in the middle of action. This man is not from the United States. This is a threatening statement about someone we don’t know.)

The guest pitched forward from the shadows in the small, but elegant room. A glint of light hit his hair, as slick and black as a crow’s feathers.

(That dark-haired man is unsavory. He wants someone to disappear. Who?)

I could have written it in a pedestrian telling way instead of an action story way&ndash(The man, Michael D’Angelo was Bolivia. His hair was black and he was intending to kill the mayor of Compton. He said, “In my country we kill guys like the mayor.” Well, it seems far away. Kind of distant. To me, it’s not intriguing.

The host didn’t look up, but smashed the day’s paper in his fleshy hands, then threw it on

the fine mahogany desk before him. A small Asian woman stood behind him, massaging his

broad caramel-colored shoulders. The masseuse balled her fist and kneaded a knot near his spine. The host gritted his teeth and groaned, his eyes drifting to the luxury yachts docked in the marina below. Then he peered into the fiery night skies that stretched endlessly southward.

“What do you intend to do?” he asked, trying to read his guest’s face, but the man’s dark, piercing eyes guarded his secrets.

(What secret does he have? How does it tie into this person he wants to get rid of?)

The guest picked up the Compton Chronicle and stared at the headline: SEPTEMBER 1, 1981&ndashCOUNCIL MEETING UPSET RUMORED.

The host flicked his hand, and the masseuse quickly left the room. He grabbed a white terry robe from the plush mauve chair behind him, pulled it on, and paused a moment, listening. Only the sloshing and squeaking of the yachts in the dark marina waters filled the silence between the two men. Now, he was sure they were completely alone.

The slightest trace of West Indian accent became audible. “You see, we must be so careful on this one. All of America, Black and White, is waiting for the next Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, John F. Kennedy. Someone who can inspire a nation.” He bit the tip off a Flora Fina cigar and spat it from his tongue. “Most poor slobs realize they’ll never be a hero, but they sure as hell want to know one they can brag about.” He rolled the cigar between his fingers, never lighting it.

“You know, they say a truly great hero comes around every twenty years or so. In the forties, you had Roosevelt. In the sixties, you had King. In the eighties, they will have me,” he chuckled. “I’ll give Black people something they never had&ndashpower. I’m not talking church talk, Black pride, all that. I’m talking about money and clout. Owning buildings. CEO’s of Fortune 500s. Rich Black folks on every block in every city.” He laughed. “Hell, they may even teach a class about me at Harvard one day!”

“I leave the pretty words to you, Se

Almost everyone thinks they know how to write a screenplay. We’ve all heard someone watching TV saying “I could write a better script than that”!

The truth is that just about everyone does have a story worth telling. Unfortunately most do NOT know how to write a screenplay.

Most professional artists are very particular about their tools. The screenplay writer is no different. The key to writing is being organized. Before even writing a single word, you must have an inner road map that your characters are going to follow.

If you are writing a novel, you CAN take the time to ramble and develop your descriptive talents. A screenwriter cannot!

Just like any muscle, the writing ‘muscle’ has to be exercised on a regular basis. The simple process of sitting in front of a computer for set periods of time is critical in training the subconscious that THIS time is when you are going to call on your creativity. In order to learn how to write a screenplay you have to understand STRUCTURE. Unlike a novelist, you do not have the luxury of allowing your script to develop into 300 plus pages. It will not get read if it does not conform to an industry standard of around 110 pages.

The structure of most contemporary screenplays: 1) Establish the character and general situation, 2) force them up a tree and throw rocks at him and 3) get the hero down again.

Firstly: you get the audience to know something about the character and his situation.

Secondly: a situation must be created that goes against your characters comfort zone. He must have a nemesis trying to destroy everything he stands for. This ‘bad’ guy takes pleasure putting your hero up that tree and making it as uncomfortable as possible.

Thirdly: our hero needs to overcome all odds and ‘payoff’ the bad guy.

If it really is that simple, then why isn’t everyone a screenwriter? The answer is they do not know how to write a screenplay.

So let us say that you have a clear idea of what your three acts are going to be. Well now you begin to develop the characters. They have to play off each other and either support or destroy our main character. Any time the characters are neutral, the screenplay is dead. Just remember: conflict equals drama. No conflict, no drama.

So what does it take to become a screenwriter, besides learning how to write a screenplay? It takes discipline &ndash to sit at your workplace, even when you are not sure what you are going to write. It takes having a thick skin, so that when the inevitable rejections come, you do not BELIEVE in their judgment as to your potential. It takes major BELIEF in yourself. But MOST of all it takes LUCK!

The film industry is littered with great scripts that never got made. - Directors fall out with producers. A great idea yesterday turns into a pariah today. The studio that WAS going to make your picture has changed hands and the new studio head wants to stamp his own directorial policy on his new position &ndash and you were chosen by the previous head! There are a million legitimate reasons why Hollywood should not immediately fall at your feet &ndash but YOU are going to overcome this. If you do not believe this, then do not even attempt to learn how to write a screenplay! If you DO believe in yourself, then hey &ndash why shouldn’t you be the one that gets lucky?!

So yes, learning how to write a screenplay isn’t so difficult. The difficult part comes AFTER you have written the screenplay.

In an editorial several years ago, I described a tree house in the backyard of a local restaurant. I wrote, “The entire structure has been pieced together from recycled lumber, much of which still bears the paint, logos or posters of the original walls from whence it came. The generous platform is ringed by a sturdy fence that includes branches of the tree itself, random two-by-fours, wooden signs, and even a pair of moose antlers. The ‘house’ is more of a lean-to, tall enough for kids (but not adults) to stand up inside, with a screened door and two screened windows positioned so occupants can easily spy on the diners below or out over the adjacent parking lot. A green padded bench that looks like it had once belonged in a diner adequately furnishes the space. Underneath the tree house hangs a rope swing, from which kids can fling themselves into a thick layer of hay on the grass.”

Fast forward to this summer. The restaurant revamped their backyard, including the tree house. The railing now consists of uniform boards about three inches apart. The house is reached not by a ladder and trapdoor, but via a bona fide staircase. The screen door is gone, the windows are covered in glass, and several of the tree’s branches have been pruned back to discourage climbing. But the worst part, according to my 10-year-old, is that the rope swing has disappeared. Matthew declared the whole structure “boring.” In today’s world, kids have far less freedom than in previous generations. Their lives are more controlled&ndashsometimes because of parents’ fears of an increasingly dangerous society, but often because we’ve somehow come to believe that to grow into successful adults, children’s activities must be channeled, scheduled and programmed from infancy.

Danger comes in many forms, from a stranger encountered on the way to school (who may be a neighbor out walking his dog, but you never know), to free time not filled with “enriching” activities. But, in my opinion, kids need a little danger in their lives. They need to test their boundaries, to learn how to climb a ladder and squeeze through a trapdoor. They need to hurl themselves into a pile of hay and learn it’s best not to land on your face. If grown-ups clean up their world too much, kids will never learn how to push themselves. They’ll never have the satisfaction of trying things that are a little scary, a little off their parents’ radar, and accomplishing something that belongs just to them.

One of the few places kids can still push their limits is with books. It’s possible to step outside your safe life with a story, or try new ideas on for size. But many adults want to clean up their kids’ reading choices as well. I know parents who abhor Barbara Park’s perennially popular Junie B. Jones chapter books because the spirited Junie isn’t a good role model, or won’t read Winnie the Pooh because Christopher Robin can’t spell very well. I also know a lot of authors who are afraid to write books that are slightly subversive because they worry editors won’t publish them. But for every parent who insists on only “safe” reading for their child (and it’s every parent’s right to do so), there are at least two parents who believe it’s okay for kids to wade into the danger zone through fiction. I’m not advocating murder mysteries for preschoolers here, just books that might be considered slightly uncivilized, or more entertaining than educational. Let’s look at some popular examples:

When I first saw Walter, the Farting Dog by William Kozwinkle and Glenn Murray, illustrated by Audrey Colman (a picture book whose plot needs no explanation), I was worried that children’s publishing might be sinking a little too low. But as it started winning awards and spawning sequels, I changed my opinion. Let’s face it: farting makes kids laugh. And if your child finds this book hysterical, you should be glad. In order to get the joke, kids need to know that noisy bodily functions are considered impolite. Laughing about them is one of the perks of childhood. Don’t worry, they’ll outgrow it.

A picture book coming out this December that’s already creating a buzz is 17 Things I’m Not Allowed to Do Anymore by Jenny Offill, illustrated by Nancy Carpenter. The heroine utters such statements as “I had an idea to staple my brother’s hair to his pillow. I am not allowed to use the stapler anymore.” She also glues her brother’s bunny slippers to the floor, and shows Joey Whipple her underpants. Both big No’s. This ingenious story should satisfy two camps of parents; those who want kids to see consequences for inappropriate behavior, and those who don’t mind letting their kids live vicariously through a curious, mischievous character. A pop-up book due out later this month from three publishing powerhouses&ndashMaurice Sendak, Arthur Yorinks and Matthew Reinhart&ndashlets young children face the monsters hiding in their closets and come out on top. In Mommy?, a young boy wanders into a haunted house looking for his mother and encounters creatures like a goblin, a mummy, and Frankenstein. Instead of running scared, the boy pulls pranks on each monster, deflating their power and showing how humor conquers fear every time.

Speaking of scary, if you haven’t read any of the enormously popular Series of Unfortunate Events middle grade novels by Lemony Snicket, do so. With titles like The Bad Beginning, The Miserable Mill, and The Penultimate Peril, and cautions from the author such as, “If you are interested in stories with happy endings, you would be better off reading some other book,” these are clearly stories where adults dare not tread. But children brave enough to venture between the covers will find hilarious plots full of nail-biting twists. The intelligent Baudelaire orphans have unusual skills (Violet for inventing, Klaus for reading and researching, and baby Sunny for biting) that make them admirable heroes.

Lauren Myracle enters the private world of teen girl talk in her young adult novels TTYL and TTFN. The titles alone might raise some parents’ suspicions because unless they’re well-versed at IM (instant messaging), they won’t know what the abbreviations stand for. In fact, the entire novels consist of conversations between three high school girls written in emails, text-messaging and IM’s, using the standard computer shorthand that includes abbreviated spelling and quirky syntax. If you’re not an IMer yourself, you’ll find the books somewhat difficult to read. But you and I aren’t the target audience here. And though the format might keep adults from examining the books too closely, the plots are standard upper young adult fare&ndashrelationships, family trauma, peer pressure, even drugs and alcohol&ndashhandled in a believable manner that conveys growth of character by the end of each story.

As an author, if you’re inspired to delve into the slightly dangerous, dark or subversive corners of childhood with your books, feel free to do so. Don’t limit yourself to all that’s bright, safe and up to code. Allow kids places where they can wander away from their parents’ watchful eyes and have an adventure. If the adventure’s in a book, they’ll always come home safe and sound. And if you’re still not convinced, consider this: In the backyard of the restaurant, the tree house now sits empty. But the books I’ve described above are flying off the shelves.

This article excerpted from Children’s Book Insider, The Newsletter for Children’s Writers. More information at write4kids.com

You have completed your ms, and now what?

You may ask yourself:

How can I submit it to publishers?

How can I present it?

Here comes the cover letter. It is not difficult to write one, just follow the instructions below.

Submitting the right cover letter to the editors /publishers will increase your chances of getting your work accepted!

What is a cover letter?

It is a letter that goes with your work. You can’t send your work alone. You need to say something about it and about yourself in the cover letter.

This letter is very important as it is this document that will persuade prospective editors/publishers to read your work.

It is not difficult to write a cover letter, but you should be careful not to omit any essential info. If you don’t do it right, you can’t expect success.

I will help you do it right. If I can write a cover letter, you can do it, too. It’s easy.

Let’s get started!

• First write your name, address and contact number/e-mail on the right side of an A4 sheet.

• Next, write the editor/publisher’s name and address on the left side, below your personal info.

• Write the date on the right side.

• Start with : Dear Mr/Ms &ndashname of publisher

It’s better to write the name of the publisher if you know it. If you don’t, start with: Dear Sir/Madam

• Keep in mind that the letter is formal. Don’t use any contractions such as I’m or it’s.

The first paragraph

Now you can add the first paragraph. It goes like this:

‘I enclose the synopsis of my book/article and I wonder if you would be interested in it.’

• Now give the publisher sufficient info about your book/article. Tell him in 1-2 lines the content of your book/article.

e.g. Let us suppose you’ve written a book about Turtles.

You can write:

TURTLES is about keeping and caring for turtle pets indoors.

The main body

You should tell the publisher why the people are going to read such a book, and who is going to buy it.

e.g. TURTLES is a pet book that would interest children from 8-16 years old, and all pet lovers as well. This book is original because it is written with children at that age in mind , and it is practical and easy to read.

• You must convince the publisher that you are qualified to write on the subject.

e.g. ‘ This book is based on my own experience in turtle

breeding. Or ‘ I have worked in a pet shop for two years…’ . You can add any experience you’ve had on this subject. Ask yourself:

Any other experience relevant?

Any studies?

Any research?

More tips

• Be brief and informative. One page of an A4 sheet is enough.

• Now, if you wish, mention in your letter that you also enclose a sample chapter of your book.

e.g ‘I also enclose a list of chapters and a sample

chapter for you to read.’

The cover letter usually goes with a synopsis, a sample

chapter and a list of chapters.

This is the complete proposal package and I always do so myself. However, you can send a cover letter and a synopsis only, but be prepared to have a sample chapter ready whenever you are asked to by a publisher to submit it.

It usually takes a lot of time before you get a reply, so you may as well send the whole package to save time.

• State that you enclose a s.a.e ( a second envelope that is stamped and addressed to yourself). They are not going to reply if you don’t enclose this.

• Close the letter. Be polite.

e.g. ‘ Thank you for your time.

I look forward to hearing from you at your earliest

convenience.

Yours sincerely

Your full name

Your e-mail address

• If you wish to use the internet to submit your work, follow the same procedure-of course there’s no need for a s.a.e.

Last notice

Before you submit any work, read the regulations thoroughly . Some publishers do not accept sample work via e-mail!

Now, you are ready to write your own cover letter.

GOOD LUCK!

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