THE WRITE TOUCH 4U

List Building And Email Marketing Tips

LCote82@verizon.net (Lorraine Cote) — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 05:30:00 PDT

Hi Everyone,

Hope your day is going as planned and that you are all healthy and happy. Well, today I thought I would feature an article by a man that I have long admired and followed. Jeremy Gislason of SureFireWealth. Jeremy has offered PLR products through his membership site for awhile now. He also offers a free “silver” membership where you can get some free PLR products to use for your own site. You may want to take a wander over to his site and see for yourself. In any event, I hope you enjoy the article by Jeremy on email marketing; it may just help boost your sales!

Enjoy,

Lorraine

The Write Touch 4U

http://www.thewritetouch4u.com

4 List Building And Email Marketing Tips That Work Like Gangbusters
by: Jeremy Gislason

List building is one of the most effective ways to make money online and build a rock-solid foundation for your business. The more quality subscribers you have, the higher you will earn when you promote a certain product.

But it’s not about accumulating as much subscribers as you can, and then bombarding them with ads and promotions. If that’s the only aspect you’re focusing on, then your list building efforts are a waste of time.

Here are some red-hot tips to help build a list who will trust and like you, and to establish your credibility with your subscribers. Most important of all, these strategies would make your list more willing to buy anything you promote that is beneficial to them.

Tip # 1: Create An Exceptional Squeeze Page.

The more people who signs up to your list, the more prospects you will have. So the first thing to consider is to build an excellent squeeze page that catches their attention and entices them to give their name and email.

Some experts suggest that having eye-catching graphics can boost your opt-in rates, while some advise to focus on the copywriting aspect and the benefits they will get upon subscribing. There are no hard and fast rules. The only way to really know what works is to test, test, and test.

But despite different recommendations, make sure you create a professional-looking squeeze page that is easy on their eyes. This is the first real impression you make with a prospect. Even if you have minimal graphics, you want to make your customer “attracted” to your site and confident enough to spread the word to others who might benefit from it.

The average person does not spend more than three to five seconds on a website that is not pleasant to look at, or does not offer what they want. So make sure your squeeze page looks decent and offers something beneficial in exchange for their subscription.

Tip # 2: Build Friendly Relationships.

Building rapport and good relationships with your list is necessary to secure a profitable business in the long run. Getting the trust of your prospects is a high priority.

Many marketers hard sell their products immediately when someone subscribes; this is not a good idea. A single one-time offer could be a lucrative idea after they opt-in; but it has to end there, at least until you’ve given them enough valuable content and information to build trust and credibility.

Studies by sales and market research companies, confirmed by the top professional sales people, have shown that it regularly takes seven or more communications before potential patrons make a purchase. Make every one of them count.

Want to give value and earn at the same time? Send a free helpful e-book branded with your desired links. You could also ask them to read articles that they might find interesting. Post these articles on separate web pages; and in these article pages, you could insert Google AdSense and/or include your offer after the article.

Another way you could give value without being too promotional is to subtly put a soft sell message in the P.S. portion of your email. It’s best if this P.S. complements your non-promotional content.

After you’ve given enough value to your subscribers, you’re ready to earn big time and send solo promo emails. But you should still maintain the right balance between sending content messages and promos. Some marketers suggest sending 2 to 3 content (or semi-content) emails for every 1 promotional email. But each case is different, so you need to test and analyze your unsubscription rates for every email you send out.

Tip # 3: Give Them The Special Treatment.

Most people hate being sold to. But here’s a way to make your subscribers love you despite promoting to them:

Give them huge discounts or coupons they can avail on your products. If you’re promoting an affiliate product, ask the owner to give your subscribers an exclusive discount. Persuade the owner by telling him that the quantity of the sales will offset the reduction in earnings for each product sold. If the owner is hesitant (and if you’re feeling generous enough), you could even suggest that he reduce your commissions in exchange for giving your subscribers the special deal. Even if you’re earning less per product, the number of units sold could multiply many times over.

If offering a discount, coupon or rebate is impractical, you could give away special bonuses when they buy through your recommendations.

Your aim is to satisfy your customers to the best of your abilities. If you do that, they will continue buying from you, because they know you’re looking after their best interest.

A good reputation will drive in more traffic and customers, as your clients will spread good things about you or your products, and recommend you as a reliable source. Just as in a brick and mortar business, treat your customers well and they will in turn treat you well.

Tip # 4: Let Other Companies Promote To Your List.

Apart from selling your own products and recommendations, you may also use your list to earn additional profits. How? Allow other companies to put an ad in your mailing for a fixed fee. This works quite well if you have a newsletter, where you could insert sponsor ads. This doesn't mean sell to the competition, but a company with a product that compliments yours. You are basically renting email space to another company that will market to your list.

But the big question is… would it be better to promote your own recommendations, or earn a fixed income by letting other companies advertise to your list? It depends on your purpose. Many gurus suggest promoting your own recommendations (especially if your promotion has been tested to convert really well). But the downside is that there’s no assurance of how much you will earn. By letting others leverage from your subscribers, you will earn a fixed income (but in this case, you’re limiting your earning potentials). Again, it’s best to test and analyze your results to see which will bring the highest profit margin for you.

Hope these list building and email marketing tips help bring your business success to the next level.

About The Author
Want to discover the most incredible and intuitive membership site software today, including breakthrough email marketing software? Then go to http://www.memberspeed.com for details on the world’s leading client and content management system.

Also visit Jeremy’s PLR membership website at http://www.surefirewealth.com

How To Hit Your Writing Stride

LCote82@verizon.net (Lorraine Cote) — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 06:19:46 PDT

Hi everyone!
Today I thought that we would tackle the subject of patience. Patience as it applies to writing. I don't know about you, but I have very little patience, especially when it comes to writing. It sometimes takes me awhile to get my thoughts arranged on the page the way I want them to appear. Sometimes, I also keep going over the work editing it until I think I will pull my hair out! In any event, read the following article from Beth Rodgers about patience with your writing. It is not only interesting, but enlightening.
enjoy!
Lorraine
The Write Touch 4U
http://www.thewritetouch4u.com

Help You Hit Your Writing Stride by: Beth Rodgers

Writing requires patience. It is as plain and simple as that. There are obviously moments of sheer inspiration, when words fly out of your head and onto the page in front of you faster than you could have ever imagined. However, there are also those times when ideas don’t spring forth, and you feel the need to dispel this momentary lapse in thought. Sometimes patience is the most helpful idea to have at moments like these. Read on to find three patience tests that will have you working on how to be patient and hitting your writing stride – all at the same time. Jot your thoughts down in a journal as you engage in each activity so you will have an adequate remembrance of what it was like to practice patience, and how it helped set you on the appropriate writing path.

Patience Test #1: Be inconspicuous. Set aside some time to sit quietly and reflect on your day. Delay your list of errands for a day and take in the sunrise. Listen to the chirping of the birds, and watch as leaves rustle in the wind. There is an old phrase, “a watched pot never boils.” Ironically, though, this phrase does not hold true for us as writers. Being patient and setting aside time to do some of the things you regularly take for granted will allow your mind to start brimming with ideas and boiling over with the intricacies of your imagination.

Patience Test #2: Reminisce. Chat with an old friend over coffee at your favorite café. Look through old photographs that you didn’t even realize you still had. Remember the time when you did the craziest thing you can ever remember doing, and then think back on what made you do it. Create nostalgia that you can’t get past and consider why those memories were so magical, horrifying, emboldening, or inspirational for you. You must be patient as you wait for these memories to come to the forefront of your mind. Sometimes it’s been so long that it takes a while to remember the impenetrable details that make your story so unique.

Patience Test #3: Accept inevitability. Sometimes things can’t help but be changed. You must learn to roll with these punches, or life will become one upsetting trial after another. Be patient with the changes that life throws at you. Some of them may seem scary or undependable at first, but turn out to be the changes that make our lives worth living. We must depend on our patience to see us through these times of uncertainty. Think of a time in the recent past when something changed in your life and you were unsure about the consequences of what might follow. How did it turn out? Whether it is a good or bad result that came from your example, the inevitability factor still remains in place. It happened, and therefore had some sense of being bound to happen, so take it as it comes, practice patience, and you too will get through this. You’ll probably even come out a better writer on the other side.

About The Author

Beth Rodgers is founder of the popular website http://www.writers-block-help.com - visit the site for a wealth of information regarding overcoming writer’s block with the help of creative writing story starters, poem starters, writing tips and techniques, and high-quality writing examples. Be sure to sign up for the free ezine and eBook on the website. The author invites you to visit:
http://www.writers-block-help.com

Michel Fortin Blog Post Today

LCote82@verizon.net (Lorraine Cote) — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 06:25:51 PDT

Hello Everyone,
Hope your day is going fantastic. Just a quick post today.

Michel Fortin, one of the great copywriters of our time (at least in m y opinion and that of his many followers) has a great post on his blog today about people who are freelancers and provide services. It is all about how valuable your time as a freelancer really is. Check it out here: http://www.michelfortin.com/land-sale/

, it is on the money!

Enjoy,

Lorraine

How to Select a Logo Designer

LCote82@verizon.net (Lorraine Cote) — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 08:51:37 PDT

By Ben Johnson

The image you develop for your business is fundamental to overall success. At the heart of your efforts at crafting and creating the most appropriate, attractive and vibrant image for your business enterprise in this day and age is the design of an ideal logo. With this in mind, the selection of a logo designer is a task that you must take very seriously. There are a number of important considerations and steps that you will want to take as you go about selecting the best logo designer for your business needs, goals and objectives.

Experiences Matters

On the surface you might think that designing a logo is not a complicated task. You may assume that nearly anyone with some taste and artistic inclinations can design a logo for you. The reality is, however, that logo design is a more complex task that requires consideration of a number of important facts.

Therefore, if you are seeking a logo designer at this point in time you absolutely need to understand that experience matters. Experience is fundamental when it comes to ensuring that you obtain the most attractive, most effective – the very best – logo for your business.

Check References and Get Recommendations

Even in this high tech age, keep in mind that word of mouth can be very important. When you are looking for a logo designer, you will want to visit with other people, with other business owners. You will want to obtain recommendations from other business owners who have had to obtain logos for their own enterprises.

If possible, you may want to focus your attention on getting recommendations from business who are involved in the same industry in which you operate your own venture. In this way you will be able to identify a logo designer that has worked with a business in your own field in the past.

Beyond obtaining recommendations from other business owners or managers, ask a logo designer with whom you are considering doing business to provide you with references. If a logo designer has done a good job for others, he or she will be more than happy to provide you references from satisfied clients.

Portfolios are Fundamental

When you are seeking a professional, talented logo designer for your business you will want to take a look at the designer's portfolio. By checking out a portfolio you will be in the best possible position to really understand the quality of work that a particular logo designer will be able to provide to you.

Shop Around for the Most Reasonable Price

Another factor that you will want to pay attention to when you are seeking a logo designer is taking steps to get the most reasonable price. Keep in mind that the cheapest logo designer may not be the best. Rather than look for the lowest possible price around you will want to find a quality logo designer that will do work for you at a reasonable price.

Particularly during these more challenging economic times when you need to pay close attention to the bottom line you definitely will want to take the top to shop around for the best possible price for excellent services.

Consider Available Customer Support

In considering which logo designer to engage for your services, find out in advance what a particular provider will offer in the way of customer service. You need to know what will be available in the way of customer service both during the time the designer is working on your logo and also after you obtain your logo. You may need assistance with your logo after the design process is finished for one reason or another and you will want to be sure that appropriate assistance will be available to you.

Working at the Drawing Board: Understand the Policy on Revisions

There is an old adage that really does apply to selecting a logo designer. That saying goes something to the effect of “if at first you don't succeed, try again ...” When considering a potential logo designer, you need to know what the policy will be in regard to revising logo designs. Odds are that the initial logo design that you will be provided may not perfectly fit the bill. You need to know how many revisions you will be able to obtain without having to pay an additional fee.

Ensuring Your Satisfaction with a Money Back Guarantee.

Finally, as you go about the task of seeking and finding the logo designer that will be the best match for you and your business, find out what type of satisfaction guarantee a designer will offer to you. For example, you will want to focus your attention on finding a professional logo designer that will offer to you a money back guarantee.

This is guest post from Ben Johnson of Logoinn, a custom logo design service provider based in UK. Visit Ben’s site at: http://www.logoinn.com

This article is the intellectual property of Ben Johnson of Logoinn Log Design and may be used and distributed provided that this copyright and bio stay intact and are not altered in any way. Copyright © 2009, Ben Johnson, All Rights Reserved.

Promo Secrets

LCote82@verizon.net (Lorraine Cote) — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 11:15:38 PDT

Here is a great article by Elizabeth Kuhn that will give you some insight into the secrets of good promotion. It’s all about the copywriting!

Until next time…enjoy!

Lorraine

The Write Touch 4U

http://www.thewritetouch4u.com

Promo Secrets - How to Use Just the Right Words to Make Your Promotion Irresistible - And Successful

By Elisabeth Kuhn

Have you ever read a promotion or a sales letter and couldn't get your credit card out fast enough, only to wonder later what the heck had happened? That was good copywriting at work, an essential ingredient for a successful promotion. Wouldn't you like to be able to do that?

A start could be to experiment with the words you use in your offer. Think about how you feel when you hear the expressions "Limited Time Offer", "Act Now" or "For the Next 10 Minutes Only...". For many consumers, these phrases cause a subconscious emotional reaction that makes them far more likely to sign up for your newsletter.

Of course, it isn't enough to simply toss up a headline that reads "This is a Limited Time Offer - You'd Better Act Now in the Next 10 Minutes!" Nor is it possible for me to predict exactly which headline will earn the most sign-ups to your newsletter. That's why it's vital to continually test every aspect of your offer.

And the way it's usually done is by setting up a split-test. You use a small snippet of code or a specially designed program that produces two nearly-identical copies of your offer page. These two copies are shown to visitors randomly, with each copy being displayed roughly 50% of the time.

The only difference between these two copies should be a single variable of your choosing. For example, if you want to test whether the opening "Limited Time Offer" or "Act Now" is more effective, you'll create a separate copy of your offer page that displays these different titles randomly to viewers.

You can use the results of your split-test program to determine which title is more effective. If 90% of the visitors to your "Limited Time Offer" page sign up for your newsletter, compared with only 20% on your "Act Now" version, you can adjust the headline and move on to the next variable. Just remember to only test one variable at a time - otherwise, you won't be able to decipher which specific change will give you the most sign-ups!

Of course that's only one small aspect to a successful promotion, but a very important one. If you wish there were an easy way to figure out just how to set up a successful promotion, start to finish, check out my new favorite helpful solution: Marlon Sanders' new promo dashboard, with its step-by-step, paint by the numbers tasks, all explained in detail, with tools provided. Take a look at http://www.mypromodashboard.com and discover how it can help you too.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Elisabeth_Kuhn

Test Your Copywriting

LCote82@verizon.net (Lorraine Cote) — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 10:58:01 PDT

Here is a great article by Mitch Carson that will give you some insight into why it is important to test, test and test your copywriting. Enjoy!

Lorraine

http://www.thewritetouch4u.com

ARTICLE

Is your copywriting getting the type of results you want it to get? How do you know? Testing and tracking your copywriting is essential for achieving success in your marketing endeavours and you will need to have a strategy for testing that enables you to determine exactly what is and what is not working.

Split Testing Your Copywriting

One of the first methods you can use to test your copywriting is to split test. This means creating two ads, sales pages, or sales letters that are virtually identical in every respect except for one that you are testing. You can then determine which got better results and you will know that this can only be due to one factor. By having too many differences between your different copies you will not be able to determine which the deciding factor was, so stick to one difference.

Where are Your Results coming from?

Another thing you will want to know is where your results are coming from. Online this can usually be done using either tracking software or tracking codes and assigning a different code to each piece of marketing material. Offline you can ask people to tell you where they found out about you, to call different numbers on different pieces of marketing material, or to quote a code when they call that helps you determine where they saw you.

Conversion Tracking

You don't only want to know where people came from when you test your copywriting but also how many of those people are turning into sales. A marketing piece that attracts plenty of visitors but no sales is actually not achieving what you want it to achieve and so needs to be changed or discarded.

Testing your copywriting is essential for getting the results you want and working on improving your copy to get better results. This can be done by determining where your visitors come from, how many turn into sales, as well as the effects of different advertising copies.

Mitch Carson is an award-winning direct marketer, consultant, author and columnist who has consulted for the BEST of the BEST in marketing including, Legendary marketer Dan Kennedy, Jay Conrad Levinson author of "Guerilla Marketing", Joe Vitale, Ron LeGrand #1 How to Get Rich in Real Estate, Ted Thomas, Internet Marketing Guru Yanik Silver, Mark Victor Hansen, Co-author #1 Best Selling Series, "Chicken Soup for the Soul", and other marketing experts on advanced direct marketing techniques. He has had been written up in over 140 newspapers worldwide (including the Wall Street Journal, LA Times, Washington Post and more), over 600 radio stations, and has been featured in over 200 spots on QVC, Home Shopping Network, Fox News, and Reuters Worldwide. He can be reached at 818-280-0199, http://www.mitchcarson.com and http://www.impactproducts.net

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mitch_Carson

Thirty Day Challenge TV -Pre-season

LCote82@verizon.net (Lorraine Cote) — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 07:38:55 PDT

Get ready to ROCK and ROLL with the 30 day challenge 4!!!! The great Ed Dale once again takes us through the exciting journey of starting your own Internet business and making money on the net. Also, again he is doing this absolutely FREE! You heard me, it will cost you NOTHING! So what do you have to lose? Get on board through this link and I'll see you on the other side. http://www.ThirtyDayChallenge.com/challenge/1423

How To Find Freelance Writing Jobs Using Craigslist

LCote82@verizon.net (Lorraine Cote) — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 10:45:49 PDT

This is a great article about finding freelance writing work on Craigslist. I have to admit that it is not a site I even thought to look for work on, but I think I may give it a try to generate more clients for my writing biz, can't hurt to try, right? Hope you enjoy and that this article helps you in some way to get your freelance writing career off the ground! Until next time,
Lorraine
http://www.thewritetouch4u.com

How To Find Freelance Writing Jobs Using Craigslist
by: David Drake

Craiglist is a massive portal for online classifieds and forums varying from job opportunities, housing, goods, services, and local activities plus just about everything else. While the site is active in 450 cities around the globe, it attracts over 9 billion hits per month.

If you are in to freelance writing, Craiglist will be your perfect starting point. To begin with, login to craigslist.org – The first method to get about finding a job is by performing a search. For this you will need to select a country and/or a city that you would like to take the job from; e.g. London. Then you can browse through the ‘jobs’ category to find freelance writing jobs that suit you.

Once you spot interesting opportunities, you can follow its hyperlink to read through details of the job. On any given job posting, there will be a posting ID and a phone number, email address or other contact information. If you are interested in trying out the opportunity, simply go ahead and contact the relevant party.

Here’s another approach to performing a search. When you go to the city level (in some cases country level as well) you’ll see a search box on to your left hand side. Simply enter keywords such as “writing” or “editing” and select “jobs” from the dropdown to begin your search. You will see search results matching your keywords presented in chronological order. As you may already assume, finding a job this way can consume a lot of time as there will be thousands of listings. So one option you’ve got is to narrow down the search by selecting or deselecting parameters below the search field, which will produce more accurate results.

If not, your best deal is to post your own advertisement. To do this, simply navigate up to a city of your choice and use ‘post to classifieds’ link. Select the link ‘Service Offered’ and then, follow the link ‘writing/editing/translations’. Depending on the city or country you have chosen you, might be asked to select a specific geographical area; however your next step is to come up with a creative advertisement. Once you submit the advertisement, you will have to accept Craigslist terms of conditions.

If you agree, you will be notified via email on how to publish your entry. Simply follow the guidelines and your advertisement will be published at the website for the coming 7 days, free of charge. However, make sure not to post too many ads as you may risk being suspended from the website. So if you are posting multiple advertisements, make sure to make them each unique and possibly use different email addresses too.

However, the most effective way of finding writing jobs on Craigslist is by subscribing for RSS feeds on writing jobs from each city. You will find the RSS feature at the bottom right corner of the website. So, with the help of a RSS feed aggregator, which you can find on Yahoo or Google for free, you can find the latest job listings delivered straight to you.

About The Author
Get the real insider secrets to make money writing online. David Drake is the author of the ebook6 Figure Freelancer.It reveals powerful strategies and a step by step blueprint to lay out a 6 Figure action plan with online freelance writing.Visit at http://6figurefreelancer.com

A Book Writing Guide for Professional Speakers

LCote82@verizon.net (Lorraine Cote) — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 07:36:54 PDT

Here's a great little article that will give you more insight into what you can do to get your reading audience to connect to the content of your books. You'll find a few golden nuggets that you can tuck away and use when you need them. Happy reading!
Lorraine
http://www.thewritetouch4u.com

A Book Writing Guide for Professional Speakers – Tip #8, The Principle of Antagonism

By Latham Schinder

How do you get readers to engage with your story or idea? The answer lies in how fully you outline your antagonist. Your book can only be as interesting and emotionally compelling as the forces of antagonism make it. By antagonist, I’m not talking Darth Vader or Lex Luthor. I am talking about boosting the antagonistic forces within your story to the point that a reader feels a need to change.

Readers never do any more than they have to, expend any energy they don’t have to, take any risks they don’t have to. If you want readers to change (to buy your products and services, create new habits, or just read your book and recommend it to others), you have to give them a compelling reason to do so.

Antagonism is Everything

Seth Godin, in his 1999 nonfiction bestseller Permission Marketing, does an outstanding job of introducing his antagonist early in the book. On page 25, he gives it a name—“Interruption Marketing.”

Interruption Marketing is the traditional approach to getting consumer attention. It includes junk mail, spam, the flashy ads in People magazine, tacky billboards, all television commercials, and mass advertising in general. As consumers, we do our best to ignore these nagging intrusions, so marketers do all they can to interrupt us with bigger and dumber and trashier advertising messages. This old school approach to marketing is wasteful, time-consuming, and, in many ways insulting. So now we know the bad guy—Interruption Marketing and interruption marketers.

Seth Godin’s good guy, on the other hand, is the primary focus of his book, Permission Marketing. Permission Marketing offers consumers an opportunity to volunteer to be marketed to. By talking only to volunteers, Permission Marketing guarantees that consumers pay more attention to the marketing message. This new approach encourages consumers to participate in a long-term marketing campaign in which they are rewarded in some way for paying attention.

The More Memorable the Antagonist, the More Memorable the Book

The principle of antagonism gives your readers someone or something to hate. That someone or something is the antagonist, and it’s a critical part of your book whether you’re writing about marketing, business process improvement, life balance, or any other area of expertise.

The more powerful and complex the forces of antagonism opposing your idea, the more compelling your solution becomes. Without a thorough understanding of the intellectual, emotional, social, and financial conflicts inherent in traditional marketing, Seth Godin’s notion of Permission Marketing is nothing but a catchy slogan. However, by giving us some background and showing us just how infuriatingly annoying mass advertising can be, Godin has created a solution (Permission Marketing) that not only sounds feasible but is long overdue.

Before You Begin Writing That Next Book

A book is both a product to sell and a tool to help express your ideas. A well-written book can help launch your professional speaking career to the next level. However, before you get started, decide on the bad guy in your story. Don’t pick a weakling. Choose a story antagonist with the willpower to wreak havoc on your reader’s world if nothing is done to stop it. Ensure that your story contains negative forces of such power your solution must be implemented to gain the upper hand. Do that, and you’ll likely create some buzz. Do that, and you’ll most certainly keep readers reading.

About The Author

Latham Shinder is author of The Graffiti Sculptor and founder of Shinder Consulting, a network of professionals who provide writing, editing, and proposal management services for organizations and individuals. Visit Latham at http://www.15secondbookreviews.com.

Basic Structure of the Sales Copy

LCote82@verizon.net (Lorraine Cote) — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 07:02:02 PDT

By Chris Elmore

Once you have an idea of what you are going to create and there is a market for it, the next step is to either set up your sales page... or a pre-sales page.

A pre-sales page is just a page with a little sales material - but is more so designed to get users to provide you with THEIR comments and feedback... before you write your sales material.

Usually the sales copy is around 8 - 15 A4 pages in length, but I have seen pages up to 45 pages for higher priced items.

They primarily promote your main product in a long letter style format and are very important aspect to learn.

Your website will work like this:

Poor sales page - poor results.
Excellent sales page - excellent results

You need to place a lot of emphasis on creating sales copy that provides your visitors with proof of your credibility, benefits of your product/service and to overcome any objections that may arise while they read it.

In needs to act as your face-to-face salesman that leads your visitors to purchase. In saying that, there is never a perfect sales copy but it does need to the follow the basic structure outline below if you wish to succeed and make money from having an online business.

1- Intro headline

2 - Main Headline Goes Here 3 - Sub headline goes here

4. Establish problem you are going to solve

5. Credibility

6. Re-emphasize further problems before introducing product as solution

7. Explain why product is better than others

8. Benefits, Benefits & More Benefits

9. Introduce price & why you've chosen it

10. Additional Bonuses

11. Guarantee

12. Asking for the order

13. Sign Out

14. PS'S

We use this structure for all our websites as it is a proven model for top performing sales copy.

If you are working on a shoe string budget, you may have to learn how to write sales copy yourself... just to get you off the ground.

If you have some capital, by all means hire a sales copy writer, but don't be surprised when you get the bill.

Some top copywriters charge anywhere from $8,000 - $25,000 to write a sales page, depending on who you hire.

Or the last option is to use automated software that you fill in the blanks and it produces your copy ready to upload to your site.

You need to remember that writing your sales copy is like baking a cake. You need all the right ingredients mixed together to make it taste delicious. Miss one step and your cake will not be a winner, it will taste rubbery.

Chris Elmore is a pro guitarist who has featured on Channel 7 News, produced 3 CD's, and appeared on Hits FM Radio... as well as perform live on stage to thousands of people. He has 5 online guitar websites which produce over $350,000 a year and they only take 2 hours of work a day to run.

For a detailed recipe on how to create your killer sales copy visit: http://www.elmore-ebusiness.com/creating-compelling-copy/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chris_Elmore

Ed Dale's 30 Day Challenge

LCote82@verizon.net (Lorraine Cote) — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 21:33:32 PDT

WHAT IS THE THIRTY DAY CHALLENGE?

In a nutshell... The Thirty Day Challenge is about making your first $10 online. For a full 30 days Internet marketing guru's Ed Dale (Underachiever fame) and Dan Raine (Immediate Edge fame) have teamed up and are going to be showing you exactly how to start your own Internet business and generate your first income online without spending a dime. Step-by-step and best of all it is absolutely FREE!

That's right, this is going to cost zip, diddly, nothing, nada, ziltch. The entire training program is free, and you won't have to spend a thing to get your business started and begin making money. No credit card required.

At the end of the 30 days, you will have your very own Internet business up and running! NO kidding. It doesn't get any better than that! I have taken the challenges with Ed for the past 2 years and I can tell you he is the REAL DEAL and extremely generous! Nothing to buy, no pitch fest at the end of training. Just great information on making money online.

WHEN DOES IT START?

This year's challenge starts on August 1st, but sign up now by entering your first name and email address in the boxes above to receive updates and access to all the pre-challenge training.

http://www.thirtydaychallenge.com/

Get on over there and sign up now before it begins August 1st. This stuff REALLY works!

Good luck
Lorraine

10 Steps to Better Writing

LCote82@verizon.net (Lorraine Cote) — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 21:31:45 PDT

Found this great short article on Clippit!

clipped from www.copyblogger.com

Write.

Write more.

Write even more.

Write even more than that.

Write when you don’t want to.

Write when you do.

Write when you have something to say.

Write when you don’t.

Write every day.

Keep writing.

Web 2.0 The New Phenomen

LCote82@verizon.net (Lorraine Cote) — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 22:04:25 PDT

Hi everyone,
Just wondering if web 2.0 has crept into your life yet? It's the latest rage for sharing information, pictures, files etc. Not to mention the free traffic it can generate for your site or blog. Imagine getting tons of traffic for nada! Goodbye Google PPC!

I spent hours yesterday signing up for web 2,0 and social bookmarking sites. I am hoping that it generates more traffic to my Copywriting website and to this blog. Time will tell. I'll sure be keeping an eye on my traffic sites.

Try signing up for some of these web 2.0 sites yourself and let me know if it makes a difference in yoru traffic. I'd love to hear yoru results.

Here you go, have a great time!
squidoo.com
del.icio.us.com
digg.com
stumbleupon.com
myspace.com
youtube.com
facebook.com

These are just a few that I found. If you stumble on any, please share, I am sure others would be interested.

Take care,
Lorraine
The Write Touch 4u.com

Newsletters That Beg To Be Read!

LCote82@verizon.net (Lorraine Cote) — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 06:52:49 PDT

You've spent time writing your latest newsletter and you've now e-mailed it to your list of subscribers. You're disappointed to discover that your 'open' rate is very, very low. For every 600 subscribers, only 9 have opened it (and may or may not have read it!). Even fewer have then visited your website. It doesn't seem like newsletters are working for you. But don't give up just yet. Here are few helpful tips.

Grab the Interest Of Your Readers

It's possible to attain around an 80% 'open' rate, but to do this you've got to grab the interest of your readers right away. Here are a few important things to consider:

1. Are You Getting Through?

Not sure if your newsletter is getting through to your subscribers? Well, contact your Internet Service Provider and ask them to check that it's reaching all your intended subscribers and that there are no problems in this area.

2. Get Creative

It's as well to spend some time on your subject line. Get creative and come up with something that grabs the attention of your subscribers. You need to encourage them to open the newsletter. How many newsletters have you received with subject lines like, "June Issue #6?" That's not going to make many people want to go any further.

Try to come up with a subject line that's so interesting your subscribers feel they have to open your mail there and then and read on further.

3. Help and Advice Goes a Long Way

Your newsletter is not only a means to promote your products or services, it's also a perfect opportunity to offer your readers good advice, interesting articles and helpful tips. Why not ask them to respond to a particular question or topic and see what kind of response is generated. Your newsletter needs to add value. For instance, if you sell corporate gifts, include some tips or advice on building client relationships and corporate gift giving.

4. Get Personal

Try and personalize your mailing lists. Target your products to particular subscribers - they may be corporate gift buyers, individuals, groups, clubs etc. Make them feel that your newsletter is aimed at them exclusively.

Role Models

Amazon.com is a very good example of how best to do this. They personalize information based on their customers' interests. They know what each and every customer is looking for and when they last visited their website. They also record every item purchased. In this way they have a record of customer preferences and can now offer them products and content that meets with their approval.

Apply the same thinking to your mailing list. Ask your subscribers to tell you what topics they're interested in... what advice or helpful tips they'd like you to include. By doing this, you'll make them feel very special and practically guarantee that they'll open and read your newsletter time and time again.

Tips on Content

Bear in mind that most people today are busy and in a hurry and don't have the time to read lengthy, boring newsletters. Here's a 3 content tips:

1. Newsworthy Info

Give your readers interesting news. For instance, point them to a link to an upcoming tradeshow at which your company will be an exhibitor or proudly tell them about a recent press release or shout about an event that your company will be sponsoring.

2. Product Articles

Always include an article about one of your products or services, but make sure the focus is on helping or assisting your readers. You can build a resource library that contains all your other valuable articles and, at the same time, provide your readers with a link so that they can access these easily.

3. Satisfied Customers

A testimonial from one of your satisfied customers is still one of the strongest marketing tools around. Quote an example of a client who's had great results from using your products or services. Your readers will respond well to this kind of information and it gives your company added credibility... and once again provide a link for additional product or service testimonials.

When All Is Said And Done

Finally, when writing articles remember to keep them between 600-800 words and section them into easy-to-read blocks each with bold headlines. In this way, your readers will be able to skim quickly through the content and pause at places of interest.

If you follow just a few of the steps suggested above, your newsletters will have a lot more impact and will generate more interest. But more importantly they will be opened and read by many more of your subscribers.

About the Author

Phil McCumskey is over 50, bow-legged and dribbles down his chin! His mum and dad are English but he was born in South Africa and like a swallow he flips back and forth. His background is sales and marketing but for the last fifteen years or so he's been writing and making a decent living! He's written video scripts for launch presentations, copy for radio and print ads, newsletters, speeches, flyers, brochures and website content.

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LCote82@verizon.net (Lorraine Cote) — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 08:59:58 PDT

Jason from Article Announcer fame who definitely knows content has written a very compelling and free report about using content in 2007.

Grab it here and see for yourself. Share your thoughts on it.

Enjoy!

Until next time...
Lorraine

A New Look

LCote82@verizon.net (Lorraine Cote) — Sat, 17 Mar 2007 12:41:28 PDT

WE HAVE A NEW LOOK!

Well I did it, I gave my web site a much needed makeover. When I first created my copy writing service site, I really didn't know what I was doing. Sure, I know html and how to use front page, but I didn't have a clue what to put on the site or how it should look to visitors.

So I created a site that was very BUSY! I mean lots of silly graphics, freebies, etc. I thought if I offered everything possible, they would come. Well, they did come but many didn't stay long and I can't say that I blame them. Who wants to be hit in the face with screaming graphics and content that has nothing to do with my business.

So, I broke down and spent the last couple of weeks creating a site from scratch. New colors, new look, new content, less graphics etc. Less really is more. I think it looks a lot better now and is much easier to navigate.

Time will tell of course if it is better or worse, so I'll keep my fingers crossed for now. I'd really appreciate it if you take a peek and leave some comments here on the blog. Your opinion does matter a great deal.

Anyway, it was a long daunting task that hopefully I won't have to undertake again anytime soon. It is always a good idea to get things in order though, especially when you do business on the web.

Take a peek!

Thanks
Lorraine

Get FREE Press Coverage

LCote82@verizon.net (Lorraine Cote) — Fri, 16 Feb 2007 08:48:01 PST

By Beth Ann Erickson
http://filbertpublishing.com/guide.htm

Advertising is expensive. A small classified ad in my local paper costs around forty bucks to run a four-liner ten days. Four dollars a day probably isn’t that expensive but those four-dollar increments add up to well over a hundred dollars over a one-month period. To make matters worse, it’s almost impossible to make your ad stand out in the cluttered classified section, especially if it’s only four lines long.

Luckily, there’s a way to snag those column inches for free.

Write a press release.

Every time something good happens in your writing business – whether you decide to host a seminar, whether you land a new client (get their permission before you announce your affiliation, of course), or if you ink a book deal – write a snappy press release and fax, mail, or deliver it to as many media outlets as you can.

Each press release should contain the elements of a good article. The better written your release, the better your chances of getting it published.

Here are some basic rules you can use to get your press releases read:

 Be sure to include the Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How in every release you write. Answer these questions and the press release practically writes itself.
 Make your headline snappy and relevant to their audience. It should summarize your article succinctly.
 Write it in the “inverted pyramid” style. This means you lead with the most important information knowing that if an editor is going to shorten your press release, he’ll usually cut it from the bottom and work his way up.
 Press releases sent to printed media can be longer than ones sent to auditory media. Fill an entire typewritten page if you’re sending the release to a newspaper. When you send it to a television or radio station, edit it until you can comfortably read it aloud in around one minute.
 Read every press release aloud before you send it. ESPECIALLY those releases sent to radio and television stations. The less a news director has to edit your work, the better your chances are that they’ll use it. And when you get a reputation for producing easy-to-read writing, you’ll get even more coverage.
 Send your release to an actual person. Releases sent to “The New York Times” will probably get tossed by a secretary. If you send your press release to “John Doe at the New York Times,” chances are he’ll at least scan it before he decides if it’s newsworthy.
 ALWAYS remember to mention your credentials. Remember, a BIG reason you’re contacting the press is that you want to spread the word about your writing services.
 Don’t be afraid to “touch base” with the person who supposedly received your release. I had to send a press release to our large local paper three times because they kept “losing” it. I was always polite, professional, patient, and pleasant (how’s that for alliteration?) when I spoke to them. My persistence resulted in a 1/3 page article on the FRONT page. Wahoo!

When you send press releases, your worst-case scenario will be that they won’t use it. Don’t give up. It’s not personal. Media people are extremely busy. Keep trying, build a good reputation and you’ll eventually hit pay dirt.

Sometimes your press release will run as you wrote it. Sometimes they’ll run it but it will be edited – sometimes it will be edited a LOT.

Best case scenario? They’ll send out a reporter and photographer and you’ll get an entire article. That’s when your job gets fun….

Next time we’ll talk about how to structure your press release. In the mean time, you can take a look at one of the first releases I drafted when “The Almach” was just hitting bookstores. Feel free to copy its general form and use it to promote your business/product/book this week. And let me know how it goes! Here’s the URL: http://filbertpublishing.com/guide.htm

Beth Ann Erickson is the publisher of Writing Etc., the free e-mag for writers. Make Your Writing Sparkle. Write Killer Queries. Get Published. Subscribe to Writing Etc., the FREE e-mag for writers. Receive the e-booklet "Power Queries" when you subscribe. http://FilbertPublishing.com

Shopping For the Perfect Gift For the Writer In Your Family

LCote82@verizon.net (Lorraine Cote) — Mon, 04 Dec 2006 13:12:23 PST

It's that time of year again, Christmas. You are probably trying to figure out what to give your friends and loved ones as presents this year, especially the writer in the family. I think that choosing just the right gift for a writer or budding writer can be a little mind-boggling. After all, how much more that paper, pen and a computer does a writer need? Well, you would be surprised.

First of all, almost all writers are avid readers, so a good book is always appreciated. Secondly, depending on what type of writing, the writer you know does, can trigger many creative gifts that you can give them. For instance, if you know a copywriter, maybe a little gift basket containing the latest book by an accomplished copywriter plus an assortment of other goodies to include colored markers, a great pen and a small pocket notebook. I know as a copywriter myself, that would be a great gift.

However, if you have a writer whose focus is on writing novels such as mystery novels, you may want to consider putting together a gift basket that contains several new mystery novels by various writers in addition to other writing related implements. The point is that when shopping for the writer in your family, skip the fru, fru, and lacy things and give them something related to their type of writing that can be used and will be cherished for a long time to come. Keep it simple. It doesn’t have to be a big elaborate gift basket. Just make sure to include items that will not only stimulate their imaginations, provide them with new knowledge about a particular style of writing and also helps make the writing easier.

It takes just a little planning and a list of items for the gift basket. You can even visit your local bookstore for ideas and suggestions for filling the basket. It will definitely be worth the trip and will most certainly put a smile on the face of the writer receiving the gift. You can bet that it will be one of their most cherished gifts. Who knows, they may even write you a touching thank you note that you will cherish.

Copyright 2006 Lorraine Cote

This article may be freely reprinted as long as the author’s information and copyright notice remain intact.

Lorraine Cote is the CEO and Owner of The Write Touch 4U, Copywriting Service. She is also a published freelance writer who has written over 100 ebooks on various topics for clients as well as all types of other written materials. She also has 16 years experience in the corporate world as a Trainer and Business Writer and is an Internet Marketer as well. Visit her at http://www.thewritetouch4u.com

Punctuation Marks: Power Tools for Clear Writing!

LCote82@verizon.net (Lorraine Cote) — Fri, 17 Nov 2006 07:16:50 PST

by: Michael A. Jones

Is punctuation becoming less important? Certainly there is less of it in modern writing. But less important? Emphatically NO!

Just look at three examples to see how punctuation marks can add style and power to your writing.

BULLETS

Bulleted lists are extremely effective in capturing the interest of your audience.
Persons who browse the internet want to find information quickly. They want to be able to read it easily without having to wade through pages of text.

Bullets direct the eye to the main points quickly.

They encourage writers to be brief, stating the main point in a few words or a phrase.

They summarize a list of points or conclusions.

Bottom line: If you want to write effective copy, USE BULLETS!

COLON :

Enrich your writing style with discreet use of the colon. It is generally used to introduce something that follows. Here are some places where a colon is well used

To introduce a list

Example: Send the letter to the following departments: Sales, Marketing and Admin.

To introduce a quotation

To introduce a question

To introduce a conclusion

Example: The conclusion of the matter was: Let bygones be bygones.

QUESTION ?

The most obvious use of the question mark is at the end of a sentence which asks a direct question.

Example: Where are you going this weekend?

However, when an indirect question is raised a question mark is not needed.

Example: She asked me if I enjoyed her cooking.

The question mark can also be used to create other effects:

To declare

Example: Did you really think you could get away with this?

Here the question mark tinges the expression with anger and frustration.

To exclaim

Example: Isn't that a beautiful sunset?

The question adds force to the statement making it an exclamation.

To invite an answer

Example: This seems the wrong color, don't you think?

About The Author

Michael A. Jones is a writer and webmaster with over 10 years experience. For a complete explanation of 17 key punctuation marks that can add power to your writing, click here:
http://www.about-goal-setting.com/punctuation-guide.html

For the #1 ranked public speaking course click here:
http://www.about-goal-setting.com/public-speaking-course.htm

For an exceptional course in personal development, Michael recommends what has been called “The Program Of Presidents” – read about it here:
http://www.about-goal-setting.com/personal-development.html

Write For You - A Reader Focused Writing Primer

LCote82@verizon.net (Lorraine Cote) — Fri, 10 Nov 2006 10:40:24 PST

by: Dave Davis

http://www.redflystudios.com

You want to write better, more engaging articles and content right? You want to get your message across and you want your call to action….actioned right? I am no writing expert, but I can tell you one thing, the secret to writing better starts with one tiny word….. YOU!

Your readers (And maybe your potential clients/customers) read what you have written for a reason. They read because they want to gain something from it. THEY want to gain something. They are not interested in how YOU are this, that and the other. They want to find out how what you are writing can benefit THEM. People are greedy. Even when they are not trying to be. They are greedy at a subconscious “Brain Sponge” level.

How many times have you read an article or blog and stopped reading half way through? How many times have you thought “God…this person likes to talk about himself”? And don’t you just hate conversation when someone else always talks about themselves? READ ON!

ALWAYS FOCUS ON YOUR READER

When you are writing, and especially when you are writing to sell something, focus on your reader. They (Usually) don’t care about how great your product is, they only care about how great it will be to them. Use the Words “You” and “Your”. Make your reader feel how much it is going to benefit THEM.

A great testimonial to this fact is a test I ran on a single eBook I used to sell. It was a single page website that sold an eBook on setting up a website. I played around with the copy a lot and the product was great, but it was not selling. I invested in a split testing software and created two different versions of the sales page. One was the normal sales copy and the other was the sales copy focusing on the user. So rather than “With our eBook” I had “With your eBook” etc. The results were surprising. By minimizing the use of “I” “We” and “Our” and increased the use of “You” and “Your”, the sales of the book increased by 60%. That’s a lot!

ASK QUESTIONS

Asking your readers questions is also a great way to engage them. Make them think. Make them ask the questions YOU WANT THEM TO ASK! Questions that YOU have an answer for. Have a specific call to action and lead them down the path.

I have used this technique on many sites in my network from the beginning and have seen great results. I am sure you will too.

***It should be worth noting that I (tried) to keep you engaged in this article by using the word you/your 30 times (Including this sentence) and asked 5 questions. Seems like a lot now but it worked, didn’t it?

About The Author

David Davis, is the lead developer and project manager of RedflyStudios LTD. Web Development Ireland For more information visit http://www.redflystudios.com.

Confident Writing

LCote82@verizon.net (Lorraine Cote) — Fri, 27 Oct 2006 06:11:49 PDT

By Jenna Glatzer

You know how, when you’re watching a speaker, you can tell if he or she is nervous? There are those tell-tale signs: trembling hands and voice, lack of eye contact, perspiration, twitches, lots of "ummms," and a myriad of other idiosyncratic gestures and signs that show he or she is not fully at ease in front of an audience.

Did you know that I can spot those same tell-tale signs in your writing?

If you’re not completely confident in your skills as a writer, and in what you’ve written in particular, there are warning signs that can tip off an editor or reader. I find them in query letters all the time, and, to a lesser extent, in articles and stories themselves.

The first tip-off? Stilted language.

Stilted language is formal and proper. It employs big words when small ones would suffice just fine. It "sounds" canned and over-prepared.

Example: "Marjorie was required to submit to a physician’s examination prior to the interview in which she would be considered for the position."

Doesn’t it sound like the writer is working too hard to impress here? Like she’s trying to SOUND like a journalist? "Real writers" don’t have to use big words and serious language to effectively get their point across. In fact, the more direct and simple the language, the better.

"Marjorie had to go for a doctor’s exam before the company would consider her for the job."

Is it "dumbing down" your language? No. It’s cutting through the thicket and allowing the words to flow as naturally as they would in your speech—just with the benefit of editing. It’s being purposely as understandable as possible, so that if someone was skimming your query/article quickly, he would still get the meaning, without tripping over S.A.T. words or unfamiliar phrasing.

Many professional writers (myself included) believe in writing first drafts quickly, so as not to give our brains enough time to censor, doubt, and question each word as it flows through us and onto the paper. When I write, whether it’s an article, story, or just about anything else, I pretend I’m talking to a friend. I want my friend to hear about this interesting thing I learned. So, I tell him in the same manner I’d tell him if he were sitting next to me in my living room. I don’t need to impress him (or confuse him!) by "spicing up" my writing with words like "proceed" and "consume" when the words "go" and "eat" would have worked just fine.

Stilted language is a sign that the writer is not confident that her OWN words—the words she would really use—are good enough. It’s puffing up the writing to suit an editor. But think about this: the more formal and convoluted the language, the harder the editor will have to think just to get through the piece. Too much thinking equals rejection, unless you’re writing for an academic or very intellectual market. Editors want clarity. They don’t want to have to reread sentences to get the meaning of your words. Once the eyes glaze over, you’re in trouble.

Another giveaway: namby-pamby qualifiers that shift the responsibility for the statements away from the author. Example: "It seemed to onlookers that Mayor Ross might possibly have been suffering from exhaustion."

Were you one of the onlookers? Was it pretty obvious that the guy was falling asleep at the podium? Then don’t shift the observation into a passive voice. Be confident in your own powers of observation and reasoning. "Mayor Ross seemed exhausted."

The same goes for overuse of "experts" and studies when none are needed. We all know that you’re supposed to get eight hours of sleep a night, right? Then why do people insist on writing, "According to doctors, eight hours of sleep per night is optimal"? You don’t need the doctor to say that for you. If you know it to be true, you can skip the "according to doctors" and get straight to your point, without pulling out of your own voice.

Another example: "usually," "probably," "most likely," "often," etc. Watch for these words in your writing. There are times when they’ll be necessary—and, then again, there are plenty of times when you can omit them.

I once had a psychology professor who prefaced every statement she made with the words "basically," "usually," or "typically." It undermined what she was saying, because it felt like she was unsure of herself. When you write these words, it translates to uncertainty—did Mary Beth go to church on Sundays, or did she "typically" go to church on Sundays? If she skipped once or twice a year, she went. You don’t need a qualifier. If she skipped every other week, then you can add a qualifier.

Be confident in what you are writing. Every time you shift away responsibility for your words by attributing them to someone else, or by watering them down with adverbs, you give the reader leeway to question whether or not you really know what you’re talking about.

Another tip-off: fear of making a point.

Similar to the problem with too many qualifiers, pulling out of your article too soon shows a lack of confidence in your message. Let’s say you wrote an entire article about how a certain kind of duck is going extinct. You talked about all the reasons why it’s happening, and you explained what people can do to help. Then you end it with a lame conclusion like "Further studies are needed" or "Experts will continue to examine the causes…" blah, blah. Again, if you know that what you’ve just said is true, you don’t need to end off with anything that detracts from your conclusion. Sure, further studies may be conducted, but does that take anything away from the evidence you’ve just reported? Let your point come through loud and clear. Make the decision to take a risk and be accountable for your words.

You don’t need to tie it all up neatly with a moral, a la Aesop’s Fables ("And that’s why we must all stop throwing plastic in the garbage"). Just let the strength of your entire article carry the message—let your readers come to the conclusions to which you’ve directed them, and don’t let them second-guess those conclusions by giving a wishy-washy ending.

Be bold. Be confident. And let your very best writing shine through.

Jenna Glatzer is the editor-in-chief of Absolute Write (www.absolutewrite.com), where writers can get a free list of more than 180 agents who are open to new writers! She is also the author of OUTWITTING WRITER'S BLOCK AND OTHER PROBLEMS OF THE PEN and other books for writers, which you can read about at http://www.absolutewrite.com/jenna/books.htm if you want to make her day.

Jenna is an expert writer, her articles have shown up throughout the Internet. Visit her site, absolutewrite.com to see what writing gems she has available. Sign up for her invaluable newsletter, you won't be disappointed. Until next time, keep writing!

Lorraine Cote

The Write Touch 4U

www.Thewritetouch4u.com

Give More Than You Get

LCote82@verizon.net (Lorraine Cote) — Thu, 26 Oct 2006 06:17:22 PDT

By Jenna Glatzer

A member of one of my writing groups confided in me that she was fed up with the way that she was feeling used by other writers. This writer is very talented and accomplished, and she's a member of a few different groups that trade feedback and critiques of each other's work. "I feel like I get back 10% of what I put in," she said. And she was losing her energy, thinking about quitting these groups. As she put it, "I'm getting tired of needy people."

This writer was the victim of what I'd call parasitic networking. When some people think about networking, they think, "How can other people help me?" They join writing groups, hoping to get feedback on their own work, with no regard for how they can help other writers. They write to experienced authors, asking for leads and free advice, without ever planning on "paying it forward."

Some people would call it karma. I'm not new age-y enough to use that term, so I'll just say this: when you help a fellow writer, you help yourself. And if you expect free help from someone, you should be thinking about how you can do something in return.

I'm not saying that we have to be "tit for tat" in our exchanges with fellow writers. But here are some examples from my own life:

I have often traded critiques of screenplays with fellow writers. When I do a critique, I try to be thorough, fair, detailed, and helpful. And when someone gives me that same courtesy in return, I remember it—and I try to pay it back.

I got a phone call from a producer who wanted me to write a script for him. I was too busy with my own work at the time, so I said, "I have a few other great writers who I can recommend to you instead." I sent this producer a list of about three writers who (a) were very talented writers and (b) had helped me in the past with substantive critiques. The producer wound up using one of the writers I recommended, and the last I heard, the film is now in pre-production. That writer then wanted to do something to pay ME back, so he nominated me for membership in an "exclusive" screenwriting group. See how the circle continues?

I once sent an e-mail query to Men's Health. The e-mail address I had bounced, so I tried to think of who I knew who had written for the magazine before. I recalled that freelance writer extraordinaire Linda Formichelli had written for them, so I wrote to her to ask if she had a current e-mail address. She didn't, but she did have a contact at Men's Fitness, and asked if my idea would be appropriate for them. Of course, I wanted to do something for her in return, so we wound up writing back and forth all morning, trading contact information for editors. I don't know if anything's come of it yet for her, but I wound up with my first assignment for Prevention.

Numerous times, when a writer does me a favor by writing for Absolute Write, I've referred that writer to one of my editors, or written a letter of recommendation for them to use with potential employers.

A wonderful screenwriter offered to field questions for Absolute Write, and it just happened that he was interested in breaking into writing nonfiction books. I offered him my advice, and mailed him a great book I'd read about writing book proposals.

Ideally, my view is that whenever you seek to network with a writer, you should first think about what you can offer in return.

Now, here's where some writers get tripped up:

Let's say I'm an unpublished writer. I desperately need some help—maybe some career advice, maybe feedback on my queries or proposals, maybe a referral to an agent or publisher. I've found an experienced author who I want to approach for help.

I may want to do something in return, but I think... "What could I possibly have to offer this experienced author?" Good question.

If the experienced writer in question is a book author, here's what you can offer:

	You can review her books. You can review them on online bookseller sites like Amazon.com and Bn.com, or you can offer them to e-zines, newspapers, and magazines. Authors are ALWAYS in need of good reviews!
	You can help the author with public relations. Help him her set up a book signing, or offer to put flyers for his books in your doctor's office, your grocery store, or tack them up around town.
	You can pitch articles about the author to magazines and e-zines. (Ask permission first, of course, but most authors are thrilled to get publicity like this!)

If the writer is a magazine writer, you can offer to help her with research, locate experts for her next article, transcribe an interview, pass along leads, or give her your old magazines (hey, we magazine writers can't afford subscriptions to all the magazines we want to write for!).

If you have experience in one area (let's say, magazine writing), and you want to break into writing novels, find a novelist who's interested in breaking into magazine writing and swap information.

There will be some situations where there's nothing you can do in return except gush your thanks and promise to someday return the favor by helping another writer. Genuine appreciation is payback in itself. Take a moment to write a thank you card, or send flowers, to a writer who has helped your career.

In this life, I believe you usually get what you give. If you see writers as adversaries and aren't apt to share your contacts, your feedback, or your advice, then don't expect anyone to help you, either. But I challenge you to see your fellow writers as cherished colleagues. Whenever you can help someone, do it. Kindness has a way of coming back to you.

Lighten Up On Your Writing

LCote82@verizon.net (Lorraine Cote) — Fri, 26 May 2006 10:51:54 PDT

Don't Take Your Writing So Seriously!
By Lorraine Cote
The Write Touch 4U

Maybe you are an aspiring writer or maybe you have been writing for quite awhile. Regardless of how long you have been writing, every once in awhile you need to take a step back and look at your writing, really look at it.

There is all types of written material in the world, each with an different purpose. You may be writing a children's story or something more business-like such as a press release or even an ebook on dogs. Whatever you are writing, stop and take a look to see if you are writing with the right tone. By that I mean that some things that have been written that I have read were written for an entirely wrong audience, or the writing itself was too business-like and stuffy. It simply had the wrong tone to it.

The key is to know your audience! Those who will be reading what you have written. Having said that, let me also say that regardless of what you write, you can write it in a lighter more conversational tone. It doesn't all have to be straight-laced.

One way to approach writing is to think of each piece you write as a written conversation between you and someone else. Picture sitting down and having coffee with this person and having a casual conversation about your intended topic. In this setting, you wouldn't use big fancy, technical words would you? Of course not. You would discuss things in a casual light-toned manner, that was easy to understand. This tone is the key to reaching your target audience, every time.

Unless you are a journalist writing hard-hitting news stories where a lighter tone wouldn't fit or make the kind of impact you are looking for, you can inject a lighter conversational tone in just about anything else you write.

Take for instance Sales materials, you can write a "soft sell" article or one that leans more towards a "hard sell." However, on the hard sell side, most people will back away because they don't feel the need to be beat over the head with your pitch. They would prefer a lighter-toned, more conversational soft sell pitch.

So, the next time you sit down to write something, try to inject a lighter tone to all your writing and lighten up!

Copyright 2006 Lorraine Cote

This article may be freely reprinted as long as the author’s information and copyright notice remain intact.

Lorraine Cote is the CEO and Owner of The Write Touch 4U, Copywriting Service. She is also a published freelance writer who has written over 100 ebooks on various topics for clients as well as all types of other written materials. She also has 16 years experience in the corporate world as a Trainer and Business Writer and is an Internet Marketer as well. Visit her at http://www.thewritetouch4u.com or visit her blog at http://writetouch4u.blogspot.com

Becoming A Ghostwriter

LCote82@verizon.net (Lorraine Cote) — Mon, 08 May 2006 08:06:54 PDT

By: Lorraine Cote

Ghostwriting can be rewarding in two ways.
a) You get a chance to research and write about all types of topics that you wouldn't normally have a chance to learn about. The old theory in writing "write what you know" doesn't apply to ghostwriting since your clients will dictate what topic you will write about.

b) You can make a decent living at it.If you're new to writing, it may take a while to get clients but it is possible. It just takes a little hard work and perserverance. There are several ways to get clients. Here are a few.

1. Bid on writing jobs on contracted work site such as Elance.com, Guru.com and Getafreelancer.com
You basically signup as a service provider to begin bidding on projects posted by clients. If you win the bid, you do the writing project as a ghostwriter.
2. Place ads for your ghostwriting service on free classified ad sites. It doesn't cost anything to
post ads on these sites and is a good way to get your services out there in front of potential
clients.

3. Post responses in forums with a signature that defines your ghostwriting service and an email address or website URL. Something along the lines of "Affordable Ghostwriting Services,[your website url] or email for more details [your email address].

4. Introduce your services in forums where you are allowed to do this. Many forums have a section where you can introduce your business. See out writing forums for this.

5. Have business cards created showcasing your ghostwriting business. Pass them out every chance you get. Put them on bulletin boards in supermarkets etc. You can create your own or have them made.

6 Write a press release announcing your services. There are plenty of no-cost or low-cost distribution services on the web to get the message out for you. Ghostwriting may not be for everyone because you don't get credit for your work, the client does. If that doesn't matter to you and you like writing on a variety of topics, it can be an enjoyable way to earn some money.

Copyright 2005-2006 Lorraine Cote

This article may be freely reprinted as long as the author’s information and copyright notice remain intact.

Lorraine Cote is the CEO and Owner of The Write Touch 4U, Copywriting Service. She is also a published freelance writer who has written over 100 ebooks on various topics for clients as well as all types of other written materials. She also has 16 years experience in the corporate world as a Trainer and Business Writer and is an Internet Marketer as well. Visit her at http://www.thewritetouch4u.com

When Writing Gigs Slow Down

LCote82@verizon.net (Lorraine Cote) — Wed, 03 May 2006 12:45:35 PDT

When Writing Gigs Slow Down

By: Lorraine Cote
The Write Touch 4U
http://www.thewritetouch4u.com

So you have been busy writing lately. You may have had more work than you wanted and were not in short supply of clients, which is great for you and for business. Now, all of a sudden, the well seems to have run dry, things may have slowed down quite a bit, so now what? What do you do when your writing projects seem to literally dry up?

The first thing you should know is that you shouldn't PANIC, it's bound to happen and things will bounce back, sooner or later. I have been running my writing business for twelve years now and there hasn't been one year when I didn't experience at least one slow down. For me, things usually slow down around holidays, expecially around Christmas. It's understandable that people are wrapped up in shopping and the festivities of the season and are not likely to move forward with projects. I also experience a little lull during summer months when people enjoy the outdoors or are on vacation. As I said, it is expected, especially if you run your own small business, but usually doesn't last very long.

The key to taking advantage of these slow times in business is to stay busy. Keep focused on your business. It's not the time for you to slack off. So what can you do to make the most of your downtime? Here are a few suggestions that may help you use this time productively.

1. Organize your office. Use the time to do tasks you couldn't keep up with during peak business times. Things like filing, cleaning and organizing your office space. Catching up on correspondance and so on.

2. Review your business plan. If you don't have a business plan, learn how to create one or have one created for you. If you don't have a plan, you won't know where you are coming from and certainly won't be able to get where you would like to go in business. You should check your business plan yearly to see if you are on track and to make any changes that reflect changes in the way you do business.

3. Learn something new. Take online classes or classes at your local college and learn a new skill or hone an old one. Learn a skill that will be beneficial to your business in some way. You can teach an old dog new tricks!

4. Expand your business. Maybe you will need to hire more personel to help with additional work or maybe you will need to purchase equipment/tools or software to automate things. In any event you should always plan to expand your business at some point. After all, you are in business to make money and expansion of your business is a good way to generate additional revenues to grow your business.

5. Catch up. Touch base with clients you have done work for in the past but have not heard from recently. You never know when you may get additional work from them. Sometimes they may be planning to get in touch but something keeps them from it, so they may need a reminder that you are there to help them. It's a good way to rekindle relationships with former clients and drum up a little extra business in the process.

6. Get with the program. Maybe you can outsource some tedious administrative tasks by hiring a virtual assistant. This will free up time to market your business more agressively and generate new opportunities. You can also purchase software to help you automate tasks.

Whatever the reason for a slowdown in business, take it with a grain of salt. Know that it won't last forever and things really happen in cycles. You can't stop the slowdown, but you can make the most of the extra time on your hands by doing something productive, that will pay off in a big way down the road.

Lorraine Cote is the CEO and Owner of The Write Touch 4U, Copywriting Service. She is also a published freelance writer who has written over 100 ebooks on various topics for clients as well as all types of other written materials. She also has 16 years experience in the corporate world as a Trainer and Business Writer and is an Internet Marketer as well. Visit her site at http://www.thewritetouch4u.com