Friday, April 10th, 2009
There’sa lot of interesting discussion about self-publishing going on in the blogosphere, beginning with Victoria Strauss who writes for the Writer Beware.
By Henry Baum
Posts Tagged ‘ writer ’
The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love That Lasts
Monday, March 30th, 2009
Author : Scott Boyd
Self-publishing original eBooks can be a profitable means of generating a lucrative income eBooks are books that can be written, designed, downloaded and purchased through electronic means If you’ve been on the internet for even a short period of time, you know that eBooks are extremely popular and have made money for many people
What makes eBooks so hot is the fact that they provide information to online readers who want to be able to access knowledge quickly and immediately These are individuals who don’t want to wait around for days or weeks for a book to be delivered via snail mail Their thing is instant gratification and eBooks satisfy that need
So, where do you come in?
Even if you’ve never had experience with writing, you can still be a success as an eBook author All you need to do is to figure out what topic you have some helpful knowledge about and create an eBook based on it Each of us has experience and know-how in some area that we can share with others who desire to learn more about it Your eBook may be the very answer to somebody else’s questions
Some eBook writers opt to go through third party publishers, in order to sell their work While this can be a positive enterprise, there is always the risk that third party publishers could reject your work Even if they accept it, they could end up watering down your message so much, that it hardly resembles your original concept Another problem is that you will only get a percentage of any profits from your eBook sales
Self-publishing, on the other hand, can offer you much better advantages
Self-publishing your eBook allows you the freedom to express yourself without being edited or rejected by a third party publisher or editor You have complete artistic control over your work, including its content, its design and all price-setting You also retain all the rights to your eBooks and can change or edit them at your own personal discretion, without any protest from somebody else The profits from all sales of your eBooks go to you In other words, you are totally independent
Sounds wonderfully empowering, doesn’t it?
That being said, being able to actually accomplish the task of publishing your own eBooks may seem overwhelming to put into practice What should you write about? What tools do you need? What resources do you use? How in the world do you market your products?
These are all questions that you are going to need answers to, in order to become a thriving eBook writer and self-publisher
You need to learn about the basic “mechanics” involved in putting together well-organized eBook products that address subjects that will be of interest to a specific target group For instance, if you’re a stay-at-home mom, you could focus your eBooks on topics that would concern other stay-at-home moms, such as work-from-home options, parenting issues, tips for frugal living and more When you get a solid idea of your niche market, you then need to get busy writing and find out how to put everything in an appealing, orderly package
You then need to find out about the practicalities involved with the business of self-publishing Learn what it takes to make your eBooks grab the attention of potential buyers, so that you can have a competitive edge over other eBooks out there in the cyber world
Once you discover these things, writing eBooks and self-publishing will be a snap
Scott Boyd is an author of Internet Marketing and Health related Books. See more information about writing, publishing, and selling eBooks at Writing & Selling EBooks.
Check out my jam packed Self Publishing Ebooks where you will discover a wealth of free information for a lifelong resource.
Syndication Source: Thought Search Articles
By thoughtsearch.com
A Guided Meditation for Relaxation, Well Being and Healing
Monday, March 30th, 2009
Author : Victor Epand
Ebooks are very much in demand as they are very informative Thousands of people surf the net daily to get some type of information An informative ebook is always in demand and fetches a good amount of money for the writer With the help of the Internet, both authors and readers have benefited If you have always felt the need to write down all the thoughts that came to your mind, you are probably a writer in the making
Before you get down to writing, it is essential that you realize your interest Writing on a topic that holds your interest will help you do a better job as a writer You can make a list of topics that you have more knowledge on and then move on to do a bit of research on the reader’s interest
A writer has to think from the reader’s point of view as well Otherwise they may not have any readers to even look at their articles You may write on the same topic as other writers, however, make sure that you write it differently to draw more readers
Once you have decided on the topic that you are going to write on conduct a thorough research on that topic Do not miss out on any important information and try to acquire the latest knowledge with regards to the subject you decide to write on If you want your ebook to be a success, then you have to be very particular about its content After all it is your content that’s going to be read by all
After thorough research, plan out the points you wish to cover in your ebook Decide the layout of your ebook, and plan what topics you wish to cover first Come up with a rough draft of the ebook so that you get a clear idea of what has to be written Once your draft is ready, you can get down to write the matter in a creative format Do not copy another author’s style of writing Develop your own style and be original as much as possible
Use words that can be easily understood and keep your sentences short to hold the interest of the reader Let the information flow gradually Articles written in a conversational format always hold a readers interest
You can highlight the important information and can also create links to give access to separate information on that particular matter Keep doing your research work regularly until you upload the ebook so that you don’t miss out on any other current and relevant information Be creative and give a catchy title to your ebook
Passion and skill for writing can make you a successful Ebook writer
Victor Epand is an expert consultant about books. When shopping for books, we recommend you shop only at the best bookstores for used books, autographed books, and vedic books.
Syndication Source: Thought Search Articles
By thoughtsearch.com
Monday, March 30th, 2009
Author : Rolf Zimmerli
Does that title sound confusing? Well, I can understand that, but once you finish reading you’ll see that writing articles the wrong way round will speed up your writing and get you much better articles
Writing an article seems like a daunting task, and if you do it for the first time you might feel like standing in front of an unsurmountable sleek wall that does not provide footholds to climb up and over it to reach your goal But it’s quite easy, if you approach article writing in a systematic, step by step way Let’s look at these steps and find out how you can write an article in a few minutes, once you have mastered this 6 step system:
The Six Step System For Article Writing
This is the most efficient and, in my experience, fastest way to write about any subject:
- define what your goal is for the article
- do research if necessary
- prepare an outline
- start writing any part of the article
- organize the article into headline, lead, body, conclusion
- proof read three times at least
Who Will Read The Article - What Is The Article About?
Before you start writing, you need to define what you want to communicate with your article, and what purpose the article will serve Ask yourself these questions: Who is the reader you want to reach, what knowledge of the subject does this reader have allready? What exactly do you want the reader to know once he’s read your article?
Best use a list with keywords to jot down your ideas Dont’ worry about organizing these keywords yet Once you have a bunch of keywords, start putting them in a logical sequence, the way you want to organize your story When you have decided how your article will appraoch the subject, prepare an outline how you want to pass on this knowledge and / or information Then start giving your article a structure
Structure means divide the article into the four sections: headline, lead or teaser, body and conclusion Here is the secret to effective writing that will make writing your own articles fast and painless: You don’t have to write these in the order I just mentioned them! Because it can be really difficult to come up with a good headline or teaser, if you have not written the article itself Also don’t necessarily write the article body in the sequence that it will have once it’s ready for publishing
It is a lot easier to first start off with a few bullet points for the body of the article Developing these bullet points into sentences and paragraphs often, all of a sudden, leads to a great headline, or you will think of the best reason why this article provides benefit to the reader That way you let your thoughts flow freely and don’t get writers block
The Headline
It’s allways good to start writing a first headline for your article The headline may change as you write But start off with the best headline that comes to mind now Headlines should be catchy and induce curiosity in the readers mind Best keep your headline short, seven words or less is good Also make it strong and affirmative: “Write your Article in 10 minutes” is better than “How to Write an Article in a short time”
The Lead or Teaser
To get the readers attention, it’s important to start off with a lead paragraph that very briefly describes what you are going to tell the reader and why You must grab the readers attention and give him a very good reason why reading your article is worth his time
A great way to write an article is to start the lead paragraph with a statement, then go through the explanations and information that you want to pass on and, in your conclusion, draw a line back to the initial statement you made This neatly wraps up everything and in the mind of the reader ‘encapsulates’ the article
A good lead is short and to the point It doesn’t try to compact every fact you write about in the article body into two or three sentences Just provide enough information to get the story moving, but leave the reader wanting to know more
The Body
In the body you go into detail and cover the points that you have written down in your outline Here you provide the hard facts, the information and the instructions You answer the reader’s questions and you show different angles of the subject
Organizing this information in a logical way is the most important thing Think of the flow of the article and make sure you have a thread that leads smoothly from one point to the next Make sure you don’t use jargon or spcific words that are only known in an industry or trade and not used by the public If you need to use these words, explain the meaning Put the reader at ease
Explain your points in short paragraphs Short paragraphs are easier for the reader to follow No one likes to look at a long block of solid text Three, four or five sentences are enough for one paragraph
If you are writing to create interest for your business, spill all the beans! Tell your trade secrets! This may sound a bit wild, but the more you tell, the more demand will be created for your goods and services
Provide personal examples of the points you make, or create a ficticious case and show how in practice such a solution would work well Illustrating your explanations with an example makes understanding what you say a lot easier for the reader and your text gains credibility
The Conclusion
Remember your favourite teacher at school, the one that at the end of class would quickly summarize what was covered in the last 45 minutes? That’s what you are going to do now to finish off your article and make it a finished and polished piece Reread your lead, where you started the circular loop that you now want to bring together by writing the conclusion
For this article the conclusion could read like this: “Writing the wrong way round and mixing body, title, tease and conclusion whilst writing does lead to faster writing and better results, because you let your thoughts flow free and avoid writers block When you’ll be writing your next article, footholds will magically appear on that wall that earlier used to block your writing Go and try it!”
It’s allmost allways possible to draw the circle closed, and if it does not seem to be doable with the teaser that you have, read the entire article once more and maybe change the teaser to be able to draw that circle
Proofreading
The best way to destroy credibility is poor grammar and spelling Your content may be brilliant, but if there are mistakes, people will tend to dismiss what you have to say So use the tools that are available to spell check and have a friend, or better, a few friends proofread your article before you submit it or publish it yourself Best leave the article for a day or two and then reread it yourself Often you’ll come up with even better formulations and the article will gain in quality Don’t overdo this, thouhg Once is enough for your own rereading, then go out and publish You’ve done a great job and spent time and effort to write, now others want to read what you have to say!
and even though I’ve written the conclusion allready as an example, here’s it true spot, so here we go again, this time reworded just slightly:
You see, writing the wrong way round and mixing body, title, tease and conclusion whilst writing does lead to faster writing and better results This writing style allows your thoughts to flow free, lets your creativity develop thoughts and associations Because you avoid writers block that way, you’ll be writing your next article fast and without pain Footholds will magically appear on that wall that earlier used to block your writing Go and try it!
Rolf C. Zimmerli is a web developer, web consultant and editor. He has been working on the Internet since 1996. He manages a free article submission site: ZNMC Article Directory accepts well written articles for free publishing and welcomes your contributions.
Syndication Source: Thought Search Articles
By thoughtsearch.com
University of Kansas Undergrad Framed Collegiate Campus Lithograph
Monday, March 30th, 2009
Author : Earma Brown
You already have what it takes to write and self publish your book And like other professionals you can create or increase your passive income stream each month Your professional competitors wish you would never discover these secrets
You may be asking “What if I’m not a professional writer?” You can still write your self published book and start earning in a few months I am convinced your audience is waiting on your insightful expertise to help solve their problems
All it takes is a little know how to write your book like a pro Start by solving your readers’ problems using your expert knowledge You know the articles, speeches and reports already in your files
Expand one of your articles or speeches into a short book by adding short stories and some practical how-to steps If you want to write your book like a pro, self publish and increase your income, read these five secrets and apply them:
1 Secret One Write a short book first to build your confidence I know short doesn’t mean the same thing to every person For books, let’s agree 50-100 or so pages is short, even 140 sounds less intimidating than a 200-300 page book Your future customers are busy and usually read only what takes the shortest amount of time For example, a friend of mine wanted to learn how to conduct tele-seminars He said he didn’t hesitate buying a short book of 70 pages at $19 97 to help him learn the ropes of tele-seminars
Make your book simpler, shorter, and punchier Shorten your sentences, stories and analogies Your professional format will include a strong heading (question) your reader needs answered and the answer This professional formula presents the problem and solution quickly without a lot of words
2 Secret Two Focus on one topic in your book It’s a known fact bestsellers focus on one main topic Focus on one topic then write each chapter to support that subject When you overload your reader with information, you come across as disorganized, wordy and flat Instead of including everything you know, stick to one how-to subject and include plenty of simple details with examples to make it useful to your reader
3 Secret Three Brand yourself, your business and your book Think about the greatest benefit that you offer through your book or service Consider your book and chapter titles Now think about your keywords and headings on your website Do you see a repeating word that stands out?
For example, the book “Write Your Best Book Now” the author threads some form of “win” throughout her materials Ever heard of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series? The title changes in its audience but the Chicken Soup brand stays the same For example, there’s a Chicken Soup for Teen-agers, Chicken Soup for Mothers, and so on
4 Secret Four Get a professional editor or book coach Yes, its o k and you should get feedback from family, friends, local writing group, etc But you need to get a professional viewpoint of your work to weed out the passive voice, bad grammar and all the things that slow your readers down to a standstill
Copy that appeals to the emotions of your reader sell your books Your future customers want word pictures that they can respond to with their emotions
5 Secret Five Target and get to know your audience Let’s face it not everyone will want to read your book Most uninformed authors write what they feel is a great book; spend tons of time and sometimes money looking for people to buy it Instead match your expert knowledge with an audience you can serve
Consider their needs, problems and how you can help solve them Business people are a hot audience right now They are hungry and willing to buy what will improve, make profitable their life and business Right now think of one to three preferred audiences in your area of expertise Then write the book your customers will be looking for
It’s faster to write a book if you know how People are looking for practical information and knowledge that you have Don’t let your ideas, knowledge and expertise fade away Put it to work for you in a self published book Remember, if you need help contact a professional book coach or take an e-course to inform yourself
And now I would like to offer you free access to my FREE Self Publishing eKit when you subscribe to Publish2Profit, a free monthly newsletter on book writing, publishing and marketing tips. You can get your instant access at http://www.selfpublishinghouse.net
From Earma Brown, 14 year author, book writing and publishing coach
Syndication Source: Thought Search Articles
By thoughtsearch.com
Monday, March 30th, 2009
Author : Earma Brown
It’s not procrastination You are more than ready to start your book How does one start, you may ask? You may just need a simple plan to get started writing your book Here’s ten tips to jumpstart writing your book to completion
1 Write your publishing goals down for your book
Will you self-publish or shop for a traditional publish There are serious pros and cons for either method Find out the differences so you can make an educated choice that suits you If you are self-publishing, consider the POD technology for your book
There are lots of good choices that will publish your book for you at an affordable price If you are opting for a traditional publisher, invest in one of the current market guides and research the best fit for your work It raises your chances considerably if you know what kind of manuscripts a particular company is looking for
2 Organize your book files
Researchers say we waste over 150 hours a year looking for mislaid information Develop an organization method that fits you For example, to save time and get organized you can create a master folder with your book’s title Inside, keep a separate file for each chapter
Assign each chapter a short title that will make sense later If you don’t have a title then assign names by topic Put research notes or resources in each chapter named folder Make a how-to folder as well, such as short-key notes, style or formatting notes With this system you can manage multiple projects easily Stop wasting time with disorganized, unfinished projects that don’t produce and help you get your message out in excellence
3 Write down your chapter’s format
Readers enjoy easy-to-read maps to guide them through your book They love consistency It is disconcerting and unprofessional if you change formats throughout the book In non- fiction books, each chapter should be similar length and have same sections or categories To make your chapters come alive, use engagement tools such as anecdotes, human stories, sizzling headings, photos, maps, graphs, exercises, short tips Readers enjoy easy-to-read side bars in boxes
4 Write the back cover as sales message before you write your book
This benefit driven outline helps give your book direction and helps you focus on what’s really important to your readers Most books will only allow for 50-75 words That gives you about 8-20 seconds to impress your prospective buyer Make this message passionate Include only what sells: reader and famous testimonials, a benefit driven headline to hook the reader to open the book and read the table of contents, and bulleted benefits
5 Create an inspiration cover in your book’s early stages
Keep it by your desk to inspire you Book covers are the number one selling point of a book You have about 4-10 seconds to impress your audience to buy Browse the bookstores and the internet to get a few ideas Study the covers best suited for your audience Choose colors that attract them Blue and red work well for business books Aqua, yellow, and shades of red work for personal growth books
Writing a book is a journey Most journeys go so much smoother with a map or travel plan Taking the simple steps above will get you started and keep you going to completion Start today then complete and release your significant message to the world
Earma Brown, 13 year author and business owner helps small business owners and writers who want to write their best book now! Author of ‘Write Your Best Book Now’. Click Here
Syndication Source: Thought Search Articles
By thoughtsearch.com
Related Items at Amazon:
University of Kansas Scholar Scholar Mahogany Framed Lithograph w/Diploma Opening
Monday, March 30th, 2009
Author : Earma Brown
The Information Highway has turned into a Sea of Information It’s teeming with information from every direction So how does one make a difference in such a vast medium? If you don’t want your book and material in general to be lost in the sea of information streaming into your reader’s consciousness each day,
you must title them well In fact, all marketing material from your 5 page sales letter, tri-fold brochure or email campaign to the 2 line classified ad needs the attention grabbing power of a great headline
Create sizzling titles designed to hook your potential readers One of the most important skills to develop as a marketer of your book, product or service is the skill of creating attention-grabbing titles When you master this skill you may use it in every aspect of your writing to attract more readers, more sales, improve your cash flow and increase your profits
You will need title writing skill for your book titles, chapter titles, sub-heading Even bullet points will have pulling power if they are developed correctly Your website will need passionate headings to capture the attention of your web visitors
Titles set the stage for your potential audience They either will work to grab your potential reader by the collar and pull them in for the read or they don’t Top titles create excitement, anticipation and enthusiasm for more You want your titles to express the heart and passion of your message Here are 7 top title templates to help create your best titles:
1 The Command
“Write Your Best Book Now!”
Most will say they don’t like being told what to do But our human psyche seems to respond in spite of what we like The command has an immediate effect Why? It connects with the “Yes, I want that” spot within us all Commands reassure you that helpful advice will follow that help you get what you want from the advice It tells the readers it’s possible to achieve the benefit the author is claiming
2 The How to
“How to Make Your Article Go the Extra Mile”
People love to learn with simple steps and fast Combine it with a powerful benefit and you will reel your reader in every time You decide Does the title above, “How to Make Your Articles Go the Extra Mile” or “8 Ways to Format Your Article”
3 The Provocative Statement
“5 Mistakes to Avoid That Drive Your Web Visitors Away In Less Than 2 Minutes”
You mean my site could be driving my visitors away that fast Especially, if you have been working hard to get site visitors you would want to know what would drive them away fast Provocative statements pull at our attention like an electric shock They make us curious They sometimes make us mad They make us feel a lot of different things but most of all they make us read
4 The Question
“Do You Want More Traffic, More Free Publicity, More Sales?”
Most times people unconsciously answer the question you pose in their minds The key is to provide the answers in your copy including statistics For example, “Have you ever felt afraid to buy online? Like it or not, many are still cautious of buying on the web A Boston Consulting Group Consumer Survey found that 70% of respondents worry about making purchases online ”
5 The Big Promise
“How to Increase Sales 400% by Using Short Articles”
People will click away from hype and never come back But if you have a big gun don’t be afraid to pull it out and use it Consider carefully and use sparingly; then make your big promise and deliver People will remember your promises and come back for more or purchase Don’t forget to include the specific delivery or “how to” in the copy beneath your big promise headline
6 The Confusing
“3 Little Pigs Went to Market but One Went Faster”
Develop curiosity into your title A seemingly opposite simile works like a charm Sometimes the title that doesn’t make a lot of sense will pull your audience in for the read Would the title above arouse your curiosity? The confusing title can capture the attention of your audience just to see what it’s about
7 The Top Benefit
“Think and Grow Rich”
A winning non-fiction title immediately communicates the benefit readers will gain after reading your book Benefit-oriented books often use the problem-solution approach Master (A) this skill or technique and get (B) this benefit Readers buy non-fiction books for a “benefit” for something that will help them, grow them, profit more, less expense, less trouble, gain more time, less stress, better relationships, better health, less drama, less trauma, more energy and vitality and less fatigue
Develop this valuable skill and you add magnetic pulling power and punch to all your marketing documents including your front book cover and chapter titles that will get your message read Titles set the stage for your potential audience They either grab your potential reader by the shirt or they don’t Create your titles to be “the match” that ignites your reader’s interest in reading your important message Title well and prosper!
Earma Brown, 13 year author and business owner helps small business owners and writers who want to write their best book now! Author of ‘Write Your Best Book Now.’
Syndication Source: Thought Search Articles
By thoughtsearch.com
Sleep Through Insomnia: Meditations to Quiet the Mind & Still the Body
Monday, March 30th, 2009
Author : John Abate
The only way to keep up with the latest about Self-Publishing is to constantly stay on the lookout for new information If you read everything you find about Self-Publishing, it won’t take long for you to become an influential authority
Even if your best friend owns a top publishing
company, giving you an immediate “in,” this does not
guarantee publishing success
First, you have to write a quality book that has a
clear target audience And your book must answer a
common problem or need that audience shares Then you
have to develop a marketing plan, and stick to it for
at least two years
Let’s begin with the process that should commence
before you write your first word Begin by reading A
LOT Read both books you passionately love and books
you can’t seem to make it past page five Then figure
out what the author did in the book you loved, and
what was wrong with in the book you couldn’t finish
Write down these points so they are crystal clear to
you Read other people’s books for inspiration and to
discover what you should avoid as a writer
The next step is to plan out your book Narrow down
your subject, and then divide it into chapters Each
chapter should address a specific aspect of the
problem your book is going to solve In each chapter,
break the specific aspect down into several parts
This will help your readers take in your information a
bit at a time instead of overwhelming them with every
bit of information clogging up the pages until they
feel like they’re about to go blind It’s not quite
spoon-feeding the information to your readers, but
it’s close
The next two steps are obvious Write your book and
then revise it And then revise it again And perhaps
again Of course, writing is extremely hard, and
writing a book can seem like an impossible task There
are many books out there that give you guidelines to
help you become familiar - and even love - the process
of writing and revision Find a number of books about
writing Better yet, find a number of books about
writing the specific type of book you aspire to write
These can serve as roadmaps on your writing journey
Once you’ve written your ebook and revised it at least
twice, show it to someone else whose opinion you
respect If you’re lucky enough to know a good editor,
see if you have something to barter for him or her to
go through your manuscript Or join a writing group
and let the other members critique your work
Then take all these ideas from other people, and
revise your manuscript one last time And then stop!
Put down that pen! Get your hands off the keyboard!
One of the most important steps to actually producing
a book is to know when to stop writing and tinkering
with it
You’ve finally written your ebook! Pop open the
bubbly! Give yourself a night out on the town!
Okay, now that this necessary celebration is out of
your system, what do you do next?
How to turn your ebook into Profits
If you base what you do on inaccurate information, you might be unpleasantly surprised by the consequences Make sure you get the whole Self-Publishing story from informed sources
Ebooks are a revolutionary way to publish your book
without incurring the costs of print production All
you need is a relevant and targeted subject and some
inexpensive software, and you can transform your
manuscript into a book
The problem, in terms of actually seeing any profits
from your ebook, is that the market is overwhelmed
with ebooks, and many of them are not worth the time
it takes to download them Just because the ability
exists to easily produce an ebook, doesn’t make it
good writing
Make sure your book does not simply rehash old
material You will injure your credibility as an
author by claiming to offer valuable new insights and
disappointing your audience with material they’ve read
a zillion times before So spend enough time writing
and revising your book to make sure it’s of the
highest quality and presents the most current
information A good book will eventually sell itself;
false claims about your book will make it extremely
difficult to sell any future books you may write
Assuming you have determined that you do indeed have a
quality product that answers some question or need of
your target audience with NEW information, how do you
know how much to charge for it? Rule number 1: Set a
price for your book equal to its value An
under-priced book will only give the impression that
your book isn’t worth very much
To figure out a fair price, estimate how much time you
put into creating it and how difficult it was to
transform the necessary information into
understandable and engaging writing Figure out how
much your time and effort is worth, and then price it
accordingly The goal is for you to be adequately
compensated for your talent, your time, and your
effort
Once you’ve figured out a price that is high enough to
convey the value of the book, but not so high as to be
out of the reach of your target audience’s mean
budget, then it’s time to offer it for sale on your
website To attract sales, you will need to develop a
promotional campaign, particularly if you are an
unknown author
There are multitudes of books about self-promotion
that will guide you in your efforts Choose a plan
that is both creative and professional Learn how to
write a catchy yet informative press release, and send
copies of your ebook to sites that specialize in ebook
reviews
Learn how to write powerful sales copy, or hire
someone to write it for you This is an essential You
absolutely need excellent sales copy to sell your
book Make sure the copy includes all the reasons your
target audience needs your book, and the benefits they
will derive from buying it
Use graphics in your promotional materials Beautiful
graphics have the power to instantly convey the
quality and value of your ebook Graphics can also
convey the amount of valuable information the book
contains, and your careful attention to detail
Professional graphics sell professional books They
reassure the customer that the product is what it
claims to be
Consider excerpting chapters for articles You can
offer these tidbits for free on your website as a sort
of demo of your book Include an order form for your
ebook at the end of the excerpted articles
Finally, when you set-up your download link, make sure
to simplify the process It’s a good idea to offer a
few bonuses that make your book even more enticing to
purchase, but make sure the bonuses are valuable and
high quality Too many bonuses that are basically a
load of useless stuff will compromise the impression
your audience has of your ebook The goal is to convey
to your audience that they are getting a quality
product for a good deal That means applying
restraint, especially when it comes to adding bonus
items Too much free stuff offered diminishes your
credibility
Make sure your book is a quality product Make sure it
is relevant and current Develop an effective
marketing plan that includes excellent sales copy and
excerpted articles Then offer your book for sale, and
wait for your audience to discover you!
Now might be a good time to write down the main points covered above The act of putting it down on paper will help you remember what’s important about Self-Publishing
John F. Abate, MBA OpportunityChest
Syndication Source: Thought Search Articles
By thoughtsearch.com
Fly Without Fear: Guided Meditations for a Relaxing Flight
Monday, March 30th, 2009
Author : Earma Brown
First things first; words sell not graphics or flashy websites Pretty pictures and web design have never sold anyone anything; only words can do that You must write to convince people to take action
Most prospects will never pull out their wallets because they like your web design; they do so only when your words convince them to Here are some tips and a template to create compelling sales letters that sell your book:
1 Create a compelling (must get information) headline
Researchers have proven negative headlines works best For example, “Stop Making these Site Mistakes and Discover 10 Vital Things to Do Right Now” will get the attention of anyone struggling to make sales online using their website It will make them want to read more
The same goes for “Don’t Even Think About Skipping This Page!” People by nature are attracted to the negative Why do you think the Jerry Springer’s show is so popular or even Desperate Housewives? People react to the negative in spite of themselves It will create a curiosity pull
2 Avoid all caps or bold caps in your headlines
All caps reduces the readability of your copy It makes it harder to understand It interrupts the flow of your message and slows your reader down Use bold to emphasize a point and underlined to especially emphasize Headlines can have every other word starting with the first letter capped The variety will be much more effective than all caps
3 Write compelling copy
Draw your reader in like a big fish on a hook Entice them to want to know more and more It takes practice but use the copy that sold you as a template Use benefits including the interactive and the enticing format
4 Connect your dots
Create copy that flows smoothly from point to point Again, it takes a little practice but you can achieve great flow by pinpointing your transitional points Smooth them by using transitional paragraphs and new point headlines If written correctly, long copy works best
5 Create a sales template file
Start a file with all the good sales letters you encounter along the way You can learn a lot by studying other successful letters Don’t plagiarize (copy word for word ) Use the good letters you collect as your templates
6 Gather testimonials
Strategically sprinkle them in your copy They help build creditability and are important to achieve maximum sales If you having problems getting some, consider offering your product free to 3-5 people to get some good written testimonials
7 Make your copy error-free
If you have misspelled words or incomplete sentences, you will lose sales Design your copy to be specific Vague copy will also hinder your sales It will prompt a lot of questions If you are getting sales without questions, you know you have done a good job with your sales copy
You don’t have to be a famous copywriter to write effective sales letters In fact, you have everything it takes to write an order-pulling sales letter for your book You have the passion, the knowledge of your product (book) and now the sales letter template Follow the above 8 steps to get organized and then write your compelling letter to convince every prospect that your book is the one they want
And now I would like to offer you free access to my FREE Self Publishing eKit when you subscribe to Publish2Profit, a free monthly newsletter on book writing, publishing and marketing tips. You can get your instant access at http://www.selfpublishinghouse.net
From Earma Brown, 14 year author, book writing and publishing coach
Syndication Source: Thought Search Articles
By thoughtsearch.com
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Monday, March 30th, 2009
Self-publishing original eBooks can be a profitable means of generating a lucrative income. eBooks are books that can be written, designed, downloaded and purchased through electronic means. If you’ve been on the internet for even a short period of time, you know that eBooks are extremely popular and have made money for many people.
What makes eBooks so hot is the fact that they provide information to online readers who want to be able to access knowledge quickly and immediately. These are individuals who don’t want to wait around for days or weeks for a book to be delivered via snail mail. Their thing is instant gratification and eBooks satisfy that need.
So, where do you come in?
Even if you’ve never had experience with writing, you can still be a success as an eBook author. All you need to do is to figure out what topic you have some helpful knowledge about and create an eBook based on it. Each of us has experience and know-how in some area that we can share with others who desire to learn more about it. Your eBook may be the very answer to somebody else’s questions.
Some eBook writers opt to go through third party publishers, in order to sell their work. While this can be a positive enterprise, there is always the risk that third party publishers could reject your work. Even if they accept it, they could end up watering down your message so much, that it hardly resembles your original concept. Another problem is that you will only get a percentage of any profits from your eBook sales.
Self-publishing, on the other hand, can offer you much better advantages.
Self-publishing your eBook allows you the freedom to express yourself without being edited or rejected by a third party publisher or editor. You have complete artistic control over your work, including its content, its design and all price-setting. You also retain all the rights to your eBooks and can change or edit them at your own personal discretion, without any protest from somebody else. The profits from all sales of your eBooks go to you. In other words, you are totally independent.
Sounds wonderfully empowering, doesn’t it?
That being said, being able to actually accomplish the task of publishing your own eBooks may seem overwhelming to put into practice. What should you write about? What tools do you need? What resources do you use? How in the world do you market your products?
These are all questions that you are going to need answers to, in order to become a thriving eBook writer and self-publisher.
You need to learn about the basic “mechanics” involved in putting together well-organized eBook products that address subjects that will be of interest to a specific target group. For instance, if you’re a stay-at-home mom, you could focus your eBooks on topics that would concern other stay-at-home moms, such as work-from-home options, parenting issues, tips for frugal living and more. When you get a solid idea of your niche market, you then need to get busy writing and find out how to put everything in an appealing, orderly package.
You then need to find out about the practicalities involved with the business of self-publishing. Learn what it takes to make your eBooks grab the attention of potential buyers, so that you can have a competitive edge over other eBooks out there in the cyber world.
Once you discover these things, writing eBooks and self-publishing will be a snap.
About the Author
Scott Boyd is an author of Internet Marketing and Health related Books. See more information about writing, publishing, and selling eBooks at Writing & Selling EBooks.
Check out my jam packed Self Publishing Ebooks where you will discover a wealth of free information for a lifelong resource.
Article Source: Content for Reprint
By ScottBoyd_10
Monday, March 30th, 2009
Every part should be written passionately and designed to be a sales tool. Touch your readers’ emotion with passion for your topic and you’ll sell more books. In fact, when you design your book to include the passion points below, you’ll sell more books than you ever imagined.
Passion Point #1 Write to help one targeted audience.
It’s true not everyone wants your book. But there is a community of people in your field waiting for you to solve their problem. What problems does your message solve for them? Develop an audience profile (picture) and keep it in front of you as you write. That way you can visualize a real person to solve problems for. Though 78% market is women who buy books, choosing an audience of women is not narrow enough. Chicken Soup for Mothers, Chicken Soup For The Teenager, For The Prisoner and other specific groups sold way more copies than the original Chicken Soup.
Passion Point #2 Sizzle Your Title and Book Cover.
Your title may well be 90% of the pulling power for your book. Researchers say you have 4 seconds to hook your potential buyer. An excellent title is short. The top titles are benefit driven. Don’t forget to heat them up with emotion. Use terms your audience can relate to. Use action words and verbs. Quantify change with ways and time limits. Use one or two word ideas to tell a story. Pledge change. Spark interest. Instead of “How to Write an E-book” the author chose the title “Ten Secrets to Write Your E-book Like a Winner.” She quantified change, sparked interest and branded her title.
Passion Point #3 Design a 30 second “Billboard.”
Sprinkle this billboard throughout your book, your speeches, elevator conversation, radio spots. Let your passion for your topic shine for a few seconds in this billboard. After all, you only have a few seconds to make an impression on the media, the agent, the bookseller, the individual buyer. Incorporate your title, a few benefits, and the audience. Write this billboard with sound bites that capture attention. Don’t be afraid to compare your book with a successful one. “Women With Passion, Purpose & Power” is the “Purpose Driven Life” for women.
Passion Point #4 Write Your Back Cover Before You Write Your Book. This is ranked the second most important “Passion Point” for your book. Think about it in choosing a book to read for yourself,how many times the title has hooked your interest enough to pick it up. Then usually you turn it over to see if you really want to read it. On the back cover, you put the most compelling ad copy, benefits, testimonials, and a small blurb (bio) about yourself. If your prospective buyer likes it they will buy instantly. If they need more information to make the decision they will preview your introduction and table of contents.
Passion Point #5 Develop your book introduction.
State the problem your reader has, why you wrote the book, and its purpose. In a few paragraphs include specific benefits and explain your format (how you will present it.) Make sure it’s one page or less.
Your sales message will be more subtle here. Nevertheless pinpoint and emphasize the benefits to your reader for you may still be convincing them your book is the book to buy.
Passion Point #6 Make a table of contents.
Each chapter should have a sizzling title. If the chapter titles are not obvious, then annotate them. Add some benefits or a sub-title explaining. In “Women’s Passion, Purpose & Power,” the author put the word “women” in each title. Which creates more synergy? Image, Worth, Name or “A Woman’s Image”, “A Woman’s Worth”, “A Woman’s Name.”
Passion Point #7 Contact influencers in your field.
Don’t just fill your book’s back cover with a wall of text explaining your book. Instead fill it with some bulleted benefits and testimonies. Find experts and normal people that will refer your book to your potential reader through a testimonial. After an initial contact of asking for feedback, resend them the same chapter and the table of contents of your book. Ask for a testimonial then. These experienced contacts’ testimonials will lend influence to your back cover making it a powerful sales tool.
About the Author
Earma Brown, 13 year author and business owner helps small business owners and writers who want to write their best book now! Author of “Write Your Best Book Now”. Click Here