Writer’s block! Even columnist Dave Berry has it. He admits that at least 30 times a day when writing his humor column, he gets up from his computer to sip his Pepsi to divert his attention when he can’t think of what to write. Recently, he reached for the cola and instead found a coiled snake. He tried barbecue tongs to carry it away, but when it landed in his pool, he kept the dance going trying to catch the thing.

As a writer you may think you are blocked because you think your book may not be significant enough, you don’t know how to format it, or since you aren’t famous, your book won’t sell. Or, like Dave you can’t think of something great to say.

Let the book coach encourage you beyond your doubts. Know that your book is unique and offers useful solutions to help your audience solve their challenge or problem. You don’t have to write like others, and yes, you can write a saleable book.

What is Writer’s Block?

To me it’s just that I’m distracted and don’t seem organized enough with what’s important to write for my particular audience. It’s a signal that my brain won’t focus temporarily. Like Dave Berry, I need a break.

To some of you, it’s like stepping off a cliff and plunging into the abyss. You don’t have all the answers to start, so it becomes overwhelming to even put words to paper..

Why do we have Writer’s Block?

1. We have too many ideas/ choices. We need to focus on one thing at a time. Write down 3-4 topics you are passionate about. Take some deep breaths, and let the #1 come forth. Write on one book primarily, and just put new ideas into the others’ folder. Stay with your #1 book until you finish it. When we don’t finish a project, we feel guilty–and hence more stuck!

2. Fear. Really, “False Evidence Appearing Real.” Our performance anxiety keeps us from taking that next step. However, we can get direction and skills from a how-to book on writing or a qualified book coach if we are willing.

3. We don’t have enough information to move forward to write a clear, compelling book. Perhaps we aren’t sure of how to publish our book. Or, we don’t know how to put a chapter together. Book writing information is easily available from the Internet. Do a search on “book coaching” and find helpful resources.

4. It seems an enormous task in time and money. What most emerging authors don’t realize is that they don’t have to write the “end all, be all” book. Just choose one focus such as solving one problem or writing for only one preferred audience per book. Targeted audiences are much easier to sell to.

How to Get Unstuck

1. Warm up! Writers need to relax, get into alpha state each time before they write. So take deep belly breaths for 1-2 minutes first. Another way to set up your book writing success is to listen to relaxing music before you set out to write. You may even warm up by handwriting something before you commit it to your computer.

2. Got the blank page blues? Write a little the day beforethen you have a partial page to hook new related, information onto. I wrote this article in two sittings because I didn’t like my old introduction.

3. Switch tasks, but honor a time set aside for writing each day. If you are stuck in #1 book, add research stories, or how to’s to the #2 book. If stuck on one chapter, start or work on another one.

4. Organize your book, both on your computer and in paper files. For your book, name it and save as the main folder. Add new files to this folder such as
- The introduction
- Chapter One and the rest
- Table of Contents with Chapter Titles
- The back cover, sales letter, or 30-60 Second Tell and Sell (sales message).

5. Start a promotion folder too. Name one folder “traditional” and another one “online.” Start adding files of promotion information as it comes to you.

Then, when your book is almost finished, you’ll have your promotion foundation ready to hit the ground running for fast, continuous sales that keep your cash flow going.

6. Love your topic. When you have passion for your book, you won’t have many blocks. You’ll be excited to sit down and spend special time each week on it. You may want to work daily like I do. When you do one “high level” activity a day on your book, you will finish before you know it and you will feel exhilarated and satisfied at your results.

Remember a page a day yields 365 pages a year. Think about a shorter book of only 25-50 pages you can deliver as an eBook or print book. You can finish one in less than a month!

Judy Cullins, 20-year book and Internet Marketing Coach, Author of 10 eBooks including “Write your eBook Fast,” and “How to Market your Business on the Internet,” she offers free help through her 2 monthly ezines, The Book Coach Says…and Business Tip of the Month at http://www.bookcoaching.com/opt-in.shtml and over 140 free articles. Email her at mailto:Judy@bookcoaching.com

I have a best friend, therapist and personal organizer I take with me everywhere. It is compact, requires as little or as much time as I desire and is always ready to offer support, guidance, comfort, or laughter. It costs very little and never asks for anything in return, though I feel a yearning to be with it daily. I know it will never let me down.

A journal can be far more than a place to record daily events or idle thoughts. Used purposefully, it can be a catalyst for personal growth, problem solving, and a path to creativity. When used for writing about upsetting events, journaling can actually improve immune system functioning, resolve stress, and provide psychological healing.

Most people keep a journal at some point in their lives, be it a teenage diary or an executive daily-planner. Others resist journal-keeping because they think they aren’t good enough writers, that someone will read their private thoughts, or that they have much more important things to do. But once people put their reservations aside and make the journal a friend, they look forward to exploring with pen and paper.

From a practical standpoint, spending a few minutes on a daily or weekly basis putting your thoughts on paper enables you to evaluate your feelings and abilities and recognize areas of improvement. You may discover that you want to shift priorities, spend more time on things you value, or make major life changes. A journal can also be a place to be silly, out of character, and creative, without judgment from others.

Rather than thinking of a journal as a diary where you merely relate the day’s events, think of it as a space for self-reflection, self-expression, and self-exploration. There are no rules. Write as little or as much as you want, as frequently or infrequently as you desire, though I recommend taking a few minutes each day to put your thoughts on the page.Creating a regular writing practice develops stronger organizational skills, such as list-making and time management. For me, regular writing in my journal eventually tapped a rich vein of creativity I had long-ago buried with an all-too-busy lifestyle. The important thing is just to express your thoughts without censorship.

Choose a notebook and writing instrument that feel good. Some people are inspired by an elegant bound notebook with fine paper. Others prefer a spiral-bound pad or loose-leaf sheets in a binder. Use your favorite pen, or make your entries on a computer. The benefits to journal-keeping are endless. A journal allows you self-expression without external judgment. It is the perfect tool for clarifying goals and organizing your workday. Expressing your emotions such as anger or sadness through writing releases the emotional pressure that builds up when you hold feelings inside. Many people feel calmer and spiritually at ease after a journal-writing session, and scientific studies show this can improve your health.

James. W. Pennebaker, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, found that students who wrote about unresolved painful events or problems showed improved immune system functioning lasting several weeks and visited the health clinic fewer times over the next six months than control groups who wrote about neutral topics.

In another study, which appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association, confessional writing was shown to help alleviate symptoms of asthma and rheumatoid arthritis. Dr. Joshua Smyth, an assistant professor of psychology at North Dakota State University, found that patients who wrote about experiences such as car accidents, physical abuse, divorce, or sexuality improved their lung function by 19 percent on average. Rheumatoid arthritic patients in the same study showed a 28 percent improvement in symptoms. The control group who wrote about inconsequential subjects did not show improvements.

As a business tool, writing down reflections about events experienced each day is an invaluable way to evaluate your performance, set higher standards of excellence, and find new ways to solve difficult problems. Needs and goals also become easier to clarify and prioritize once they are written down on paper, both for your personal and professional life.

Writing about people you know will help you gain a better understanding of them and your related feelings. When you’re furious with someone close to you, discharging raw emotion in the privacy of your journal enables you to work out solutions in advance rather than face to face in an irrational outburst. This often results in stronger relationships.

When beginning a journaling session it helps to put yourself in the mood by closing your eyes, taking five deep breaths, and focusing your attention inward. Ask yourself “What am I feeling at this moment?” Jot down a few lines about what’s on your mind. Then, you may want to use specific techniques to zone in on a subject or feeling. A few of my favorite techniques include:

Using a springboard to focus your attention. Choose a topic, statement, question, or quotation and start writing about it. Examples: Why am I so upset? The most important thing to do today is… The thing that keeps haunting me is . . .

Writing an unsent letter. Pretend you¹re writing a letter to someone telling them what you like, or dislike, about him or her. Because a journal is private and safe, you can write things that you could never say in person. By releasing pent-up hostile feelings, you can clear issues and strengthen your relationship without saying things out loud that could ruin a relationship. The undelivered letter can also clarify your feelings and offers a safe place to tell the truth without expressing it in person.

Creating dialogues. Another way to express deep feelings is to write about them, then write in the imagined voice of the other person, much like a movie script. Dialoguing cultivates both empathy and creativity. Most people gain valuable insights when they let their imaginations roam this way. You can also dialogue with different aspects of yourself to resolve inner conflict or confusion. For example, writing a dialogue between the voice of confusion and the voice of your intuitive self can clarify your thoughts.

Capturing moments. Write a description of an experience that was truly intense and memorable. Immerse yourself in the past moment and fill the page with physical and emotional detail. Doing this recreates your body’s physiological response to an enjoyable event and promotes the healing effects of being happy. Most people report they feel refreshed and energized after writing about their favorite moments.

Designing your future. Imagine yourself one month from now then one year from now. Where are you now? Where do you want to be? Define your dreams and goals. Write every detail of what you want your life to be like. How will you feel when these dreams and goals are realized? What are some of the things you can do to get there? The words will awaken your intuitive and creative wisdom, which, in turn, will help you make better decisions.

Using a journal for self-discovery, personal growth, clarifying life goals, and accessing creative flow makes a notebook more than just a record of life–it becomes a treasured confidant and friend.

Lori Batcheller, MA, MPT, is a freelance writer and editor, certified journal instructor, and certified Kripalu Yoga teacher. Fomerly a practicing physical therapist, she offers journaling workshops for healing and self-discovery throughout the United States. Author of Journey to Health: Writing Your Way to Physical, Emotional and Spiritual Health, she can be reached through her Web site at http://www.lbcreative.com

Article writing is not as hard as you might think. In fact, if you conduct some preliminary research and build a solid outline, you’ve done the “hard” part already.

Creating an outline will help immensely as you sit down to write the first draft of your article. Your outline doesn’t have to be complex (forget about those Roman numerals and sub-sections from English Composition 101). All you need to do is plan how you want to begin your article, what points you want to cover, and how you want to end. That’s all.

You might ask, “Well, if it’s so simple, then why even bother?” At first, you’ll just have to trust me on this. But as you go through the process a few times, you’ll quickly realize the value of using outlines when writing articles.

When writing, there’s often a tendency to wander off track. It happens to the best of us. So an outline will help you stay on task. Remember, these are short, tightly focused articles that should be easy to read online. Think quick, helpful tips — not extensive essays. An outline will help remind you of this.

Article Outline - An Example
I once wrote an article on search engine tips for real estate agents. Here’s the outline I used:

Brief Introduction:
The importance of understanding search engines in this Web-driven economy.

Challenge & Solution:
But with so much information (and misinformation) out there, the path to success can be hard to follow. This article will help you navigate.

* Step 1 - Choose Your Key Phrases

* Step 2 - Evaluate Your Infrastructure

* Step 3 - Create Quality Content

* Step 4 - Obtain Inbound Links from Quality Websites

* Step 5 - Be Patient and Persistent

Conclusion:
By taking the time to do it right, you’ll achieve better rankings, maintain them longer, and drive qualified traffic to your website. So keep learning, and keep at it!

This outline gave me a clear writing path to follow. So when I sat down to create the actual article, it was easy to stay on track. Outlines make life easier.

Good luck and good writing!

* Copyright 2006, Brandon Cornett. You may republish this article if you keep the byline and author’s note, and also leave the hyperlink intact.

About the Author Brandon Cornett is the owner and publisher of MarketingSwap.com, an article exchange for writers and publishers. Submit your own marketing articles, or download a free 18-page article writing guide! Visit http://www.MarketingSwap.com today.

This Article Is For Those Who Understand How Persuasive Communication, Public Speaking, And The Ability To Connect With And Influence Others… Deeply Impacts…

· Your Career, Your Income, And Your Financial Future

· Your Relationships, Your Family, Your Marriage

· Your Health, Your Fitness And Your Well-Being

· Your Enjoyment of Life And Your Ability To Have Fun

· Your Overall Sense Of Self and Your Self-Regard

And This Article Is For Those Who Want To Learn The Conscious and Unconscious Communication Strategies, Beliefs and Skills Of Legends Like Elvis Presley, Helen Keller, Martin Luther King and Rudy Giullani.

Hello,

There are defining moments in the history of every nation…and there are defining moments in the course of the life of every human being. Your life and mine are no exceptions. So, I am writing you with the belief that this might be one of the most important letters you will ever read in your life. As for why, I’ll get back to that.

For now, when you think of, say, extraordinary communication, public speaking or charisma, what comes to your mind? And by the way, what is “public speaking” really? Is it perhaps something much different than most people think of it as? And how important is it for you to improve your skills to influence individuals and groups of people?

The Stage Presence of Elvis Presley

Now, when you think of “speaking publicly,” whom do you think of? Sometimes I think of Elvis Presley, often referred to simply as “The King.” Elvis Presley was much more than a Rock and Roll legend. “The King” was one of the most charismatic and memorable personalities to ever take the stage and own it! And for over twenty-five years after his death, he still captivates millions upon millions!

I Have A Dream!

Or how about Martin Luther King, defying the current conditions of his time and declaring to the world, “I Have A Dream.” King met race, religion and raging emotions with his passion to communicate one on one or to the audiences he held spellbound, in whatever manner that was useful for his desired outcomes.

Teach Me To Communicate… And I’ll Own My World

And what about the extraordinary Helen Keller? Someone whose ability to communicate early on was in such stark contrast with the level of communication skills she demonstrated, after being taught by the great Anne Sullivan. Helen Keller stands out as a monument to every human being’s ability to learn how to communicate on genius levels. And did you know that even in the early 1800’s, Helen Keller was commanding fees up to $2,000 per week because she developed her speaking skills to the level that warranted such earnings?

Mayor To An Entire Nation

More recently, many think of former New York City Mayor, Rudy Giullani. Named as Time Magazines 2001 Person of the Year, Giulani marshaled all of his resources to respond to the September 11th crisis. He literally not only had New York City, but an entire nation following his lead. What mastery of communication and interpersonal skills! Beginning with how he internally responded to the challenges at hand (self-communication) and moving into speaking with and communicating with others, Giullani took charge and produced a masterpiece that will forever be a cornerstone of the legacy he leaves behind.

What About You?

Now, how do you rate your communication skills, whether speaking to one person, to a small group, or to a vast audience? More importantly, much more importantly, where would you like your skills to be? What do you believe yourself to be capable of in this regard?

The fact is, that your life and what you get out of your life, hinges upon your ability to have rapport with yourself and those you desire to influence, moment by moment. Are you in a useful state mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually…useful for the context of the moment? How clear are you with yourself in regards to the outcome or outcomes you are going for? How important is it to your future to master all this?

Can you get “instant rapport” with yourself and whomever you desire? Can you maintain that rapport as you move fluidly towards your desired outcome? How well can you calibrate each person or the entire group, as you unconsciously take in thousands and thousands of bits of vital information?

What are your beliefs and values regarding yourself and your ability to communicate with a specific person (even if that person is you!) or a group? How will your beliefs affect your performance in that interview? For that job you want? For that promotion you deserve? For that pivotal sales presentation?

Your Beliefs And Your Communication Effectiveness

And even more importantly, for connecting with your loved ones on an ongoing basis? How do your current beliefs affect your ability to lead your children to useful and healthy places? Do not let anyone kid you…your beliefs and values matter. How will you build your relationship with your life partner to the place that reflects higher levels of health, fulfillment and happiness?

Flexibility Is Key

How flexible can you be, on conscious and unconscious levels, verbal and otherwise, as you continue to elicit a response from those you are communicating with? Children are the most flexible of all, are they not? The most resolute in reaching their desired outcome…because when they know what they want, nothing will stop them! Now, what useful skills, beliefs, values, and behaviors are they modeling for us?

Sometimes I ask others the question, “why not have it all?” And most often, the initial response I get is that of cynicism, disbelief and even fear! Not once, not once, has anyone ever asked me what I mean by the question.

In case you are wondering, here is part of what I mean…since we do not know what we are truly capable of, why not go for all that we desire! Why not? Why not test our self and push the envelope, so to speak? Why not become and achieve all that we are capable of becoming and achieving?

And now we are back to how to “speak publicly and enjoy!” Because it all begins…and ends… with or ability to speak effectively, first with ourselves, and then with others. No matter the size or occasion of the “group.

Now, if boosting and accelerating your skills to reach and move others is important to you, you can find someone to model…someone that has the skill set, beliefs and values that you desire to acquire.

A number of years ago I began to model Carmine Baffa, Ph.D, someone who has literally mastered the art of communicating with integrity, wisdom and effectiveness. And mastered it on levels that will shock you. I have seen Carmine Baffa, Ph.D, creator of Human Performance Engineering ™ hold individuals and groups, small and large, in the palm of his hand, time after time after time…simply put, when Carmine enters a room, everything changes.

Why? In part, because Carmine has the ability to have rapport with anyone he desires to have rapport with. Children, adolescents, adults, it does not matter. Female, male, it does not matter. C.E.O, parent, gang member, millionaire, penniless and homeless, it does not matter. Why not give yourself the opportunity to model someone who does this on a routine basis?

The fact is that Carmine operates from a place of deep caring and respect for each person that comes into his space. And when they are in his space, he exists for them, and them alone. He marshals his vast experience, his skill, his genius, to give to that person or group what they are most needing at the time. And nothing will stop him from doing just that. Just ask me sometime about what I have witnessed to this effect. But that’s Carmine.

What about you?

Begin today! Take a step in the direction of your dreams. Why? Because you can.

All the best!

Alan Allard

P.S. Get started today. Do something, anything…because doing something is more useful than not doing something.

Alan Allard is a Life and Business Coach offering private coaching, seminars and keynote presentations. He teaches others how to accelerate reaching levels of unconscious competency that takes them well beyond their current level of success. Alan has a masters degree and post graduate training in Counseling, Clinical Psychology, Family Therapy and Hypnotherapy.

Free Coaching e-Letter at: http://www.geniusdynamics.com

Many experts recommend reading as a way to get ideas, but usually do not offer more specific suggestions, such as pinpointing and identifying areas that you can select from and write about. From my own experience, I know how frustrating this can be. I took endless notes and saved countless newspaper clippings, only to discard nearly all of them a few years later.

Little by little, I found a way which works for me. Here is what I have done:

1. I read the paper the way I usually do every day for about two or three weeks, and after reading it, returned to the pages in which there was one or more interesting articles. If the article was about something which I expected to write about fairly soon, I’d clip it. Otherwise, I would note the article titles and pages.

2. I’d also visit the library, examining new nonfiction and fiction books first, before browsing in the stacks. If I knew that I’d read a given book immediately, I’d borrow it. Otherwise, I’d note the title and/or subject. If I was at a bookstore, I would pay attention to books whose titles caught my attention and perhaps buy one or two of them for reference.

3. At the same time, I’d peruse the magazines and place those which interested me the most on a nearby table. If possible, I’d borrow the magazines.

After about three weeks, I’d consider the material I had reviewed in the paper and at the library. My object was to pinpoint one or more subjects that attracted and held my attention over a period of time. If the results indicated a wide variety of subjects, I’d hold on to my previous notes and begin the process again.

Doing this benefited me in another way. I began to notice aspects that were mentioned briefly, but warranted further consideration … and jot down notes about them. Perhaps I had the beginnings of a trend! Later on, I’d mine them for article and book ideas later.

While this strategy takes a little time, it does pay off. First, it enables me to focus my reading and second, it indicates aspects that I may be able to turn into an article or book.

Dorothy Zjawin’s writing credits include a book, Teaching Ideas for the Come-Alive Classroom (Parker Pub. Co./Prentice-Hall) and Instructor articles. You are invited to visit her website, http://www.profitable-pen.com, for more ideas and a free forum.

If Random House pulls up to your house with a U-haul filled with millions and wants to buy your book, maybe you’d consider giving up the rights forever. But, let’s come back to the real world. In the real world, many authors find that the best way to launch a writing career is to essentially self-publish by using a print-on-demand (POD) publisher.

The problem is that the POD buffet is filled with the equivalent of healthy choices (publishers who charge low or no publishing fees and allow authors to terminate the contracts at anytime) and unhealthy choices (publishers that charge exorbitant upfront fees and lock authors into contracts for years). Often the writer’s eyes are bigger than her stomach – she makes a move for the first publisher who tells her that her work is great.

Signing a POD contract impulsively is always a mistake. Unless you are trained as a lawyer, deciphering a POD contract can be tricky since many POD publishers have paid some hefty legal fees to have attorneys sculpt contracts that could easily crush an unsuspecting author.

If you can’t afford to hire a lawyer to review your POD contract you need to arm yourself with some knowledge before signing one. In my book, The Fine Print (www.book-publishers-compared.com), I take the legalese commonly found in most POD contracts and explain it in terms that will actually make sense. I also tell you the types of clauses in a POD contract that should cause you to run away from a publisher as quickly as possible.

If you don’t want or can’t purchase The Fine Print, here are some three tips that may help you avoid a bad publishing experience.

1. Never pay more than $500 in up front POD publishing fees.

The most reputable POD publishers charge between $300-$500 for the publishing package which should always include customized cover art, formatting, placement of your book on Amazon, etc.; and ISBN number, bar code, and a sales page on the publisher’s website. If you are paying more and not getting at least the services mentioned above, you are getting taken.

2. Only Sign a Contract That You Can Terminate When You Want

The best contracts are those you can terminate at any time (usually by giving 30-90 days notice). Some POD publishers that don’t charge or charge very little for their services require a longer commitment on your end (1-2 years) before you can terminate. Because they have money invested in you this is understandable. Never sign a POD contract that you can’t get out of easily. Some POD publishers require that you give them the rights to your book for the term of the copyright. When you see this run fast! The term of the copyright is for the life of the author, plus another 70 years – basically forever.

3. If the Publisher offers less than 30% Royalties on the Gross Sale Price Find Another Publisher

The royalties paid should, at a minimum, be 30% of the sales prices of each book. Be wary of contracts that give you some high percentage of the net sales price. This is where fuzzy math can creep in and take away almost all your profits.

The factors you should use to determine whether or not the proposed royalty is acceptable are:

•Whether it is based on the gross or net sales amount (and if based on the net sales amount, the calculation must be on hard numbers (production costs, credit card processing fees, etc.) and not vague items (”administrative costs”, etc.);
•The actual production cost of the book (Production costs on POD books should be between $3.50 and $5.50. Anything higher than that and you can bet that the publisher is padding this amount to lower your actual royalty);
•The size of the publisher’s distribution network and traffic to the publisher’s online store (the more places your books are for sale, the more chance people have to find them); and
•Marketing efforts the publisher engages to inform readers of your book (if a publisher actually spends money to help sell your book, a lower royalty is not out of line).
•Whether the publisher treats itself like a third-party retailer (e.g. Amazon.com) and gives itself a trade discount to sell you book (For example, for a $15 book, Amazon gets $7.50 for each book sold, then the remaining $7.50 is divided between the author and publisher based the royalty agreement. Some publishers give themselves a trade discount so in effect they end up making 80% of each sale for a book that you paid them to publish!)

Again, these are just the basics of the basics, but they provide the building blocks of the foundation of knowledge you will need to have before you sign a POD publishing contract.

About the Author

Mark Levine is the author of The Fine Print (www.book-publishers-compared.com), which dissects, analyzes and ranks the publishing contracts and services of 74 of the top POD publishers. He is also the president of Click Industries which provides business incorporation services (www.clickandinc.com) and copyright registration services (www.clickandcopyright.com)

Good writing includes editing. Just look back at an email you dashed off in haste, and you will likely wince at something. Editing encompasses many levels of intensity from basic proofreading to substantial reworking and rewriting. To produce professional and effective fiction, the manuscript editing will go far beyond merely proofreading.

Whether a short story or novel is being submitted to a publisher or headed for self publishing, it needs to be thoroughly edited and assessed from many angles. Editing strives to create flow with smooth transitions, maintain clarity, cut out unnecessary repetition, and includes a variety of tiny to huge adjustments that make the difference between a block of stone and (hopefully) Michelangelo’s David.

Editing is commonly believed to best be done by a competent person other than the writer. Although the critical eye of another is great, any writer should also assess his or her work by switching gears and looking at the work from the editing perspective instead of the writing perspective. However, a writer is often emotionally attached to a work and reluctant to approach the creation with the attitude of an over demanding, never-satisfied father. Overcoming the protective impulse to cling to an original draft as divinely-driven art will serve any writer well.

Editing also takes much effort. A writer might thankfully turn over a manuscript to an editor like after laboring to plant a garden and then assigning someone else to weed and harvest it. However, many writers do not have the luxury of an available competent person who can polish work for an audience.

All writers want to be considered a good writer, and this requires editing. You may be trying to break into fiction markets with short stories and you need to submit your very best to get noticed. To do this you should approach editing as another and enjoyable part of writing. You will enjoy making your work better, sometimes much better. While editing, you will learn about how you write and you will see what you are good at and what you need to fix.

For example, I often find when editing my initial drafts that I flopped through three sentences to say one thing. Usually I can harvest the good bits from each sentence and then combine them into one strong sentence. To do this, I weigh the nuances of each sentence and judge whether I am actually giving out good details or repeating myself needlessly.

Having spent many years writing fiction, which includes editing and rewriting, I have developed a checklist that keeps me on track when editing fiction. I apply most or all of the questions on this checklist to every chapter during the editing process. Remember, the goal is for you to be your toughest critic and for all other critics to love you.

Fiction Editing Checklist

1. Is it bad? Be honest. Do you like what you wrote? Can you imagine others liking it? You really must be able to say yes to this fundamental question before being satisfied.

2. What is the lead like? Good, bad, indifferent? By lead, I mean how does the chapter or short story start? Is it compelling? Does it arouse interest or excitement? Don’t let an otherwise great story start like assembly instructions for an entertainment center.

3. What is the action like? With this question, I analyze what is happening in the story. First of all, is anything happening? Do not let the narrative feel like being stuck in a traffic jam (unless the action is being stuck in a traffic jam). This is a very subjective question for the writer/editor. Basically, you need to decide if events are moving the story and thereby maintaining the interest of the reader.

4. Are you having a good mix of dialogue, narrative, and action? I use this question to avoid stringing together 80 lines of dialogue. Too much he said and she said in a row does not suit narrative fiction. Non-dialogue elements about the characters, setting, and action need to be mixed with dialogue in order to build the word pictures necessary for fiction.

5. Are you moving the plot along or are you fooling around? It’s easy as a writer to start enjoying your characters and exploring tangents or minute details of their lives. Some of this might be essential to story and character development, but let it go too far, and the reader could become bored. Do not let narrative wanderings dilute a story until it is about as interesting as waiting for your number at the DMV.

6. Do the actions of the characters make sense? Readers need to understand or at least have some clues as to why a character does or says something. If a character does something completely out of character, does the story explain why? Characters are often like chess pieces. They can only move in certain ways. Essentially, I am cautioning against making a character do something just because the writer needs that thing done. It must come down to would the character do that and, if so, under what circumstances?

7. Do you think the plot twists and turns are acceptable? Do they appear contrived? You want a natural flow.

8. Are you appealing to the senses? Does imagery occur often enough to build a setting? Are you doing it too much?

9. Are you watching for places in the story that drag? Can you think of a way to pick it up? Does the dragging portion need to be cut? Or is a pause from the action necessary?

10. Is the dialogue necessary or should it be replaced with narrative? Sometimes you don’t need to write out mundane conversation with quoted character dialogue. Sometimes it’s much better and efficient to simply writing narrative such as: Becky asked her dad when her mom would be home. He said he didn’t know.

11. Does the dialogue match the character for language skills, vocabulary, intelligence, emotion and knowledge?

12. Can the reader identify with the characters in any way? Does anything ring true?
    

Tracy Falbe is the author of the fantasy fiction series “The Rys Chronicles” that has received good reviews since its publication in January 2006. To learn more about her fiction writing style, visit http://www.braveluck.com where a free ebook download of her first novel is available.

Employee newsletters are an effective tool to communicate with
your employees. Here are 7 employee newsletter ideas…

#1. Provide Information about Your Customers

The more familiar your employees are with your customers, the
more successful your company will be. So it’s very important
that you provide them with enough information about your
prospects.

#2. Explain How to Sell Your Products

Share effective tips and techniques to sell your products and
services. The more your employees know about selling techniques,
the more sales you will make.

#3. Explain Your Company Goals

Every company has some important goals. You can explain your
goals, why they are so important, and how your employees can
help the company achieve them.

#4. Welcome New Employees

You might have new employees joining your company. Extending a
warm welcome message to them makes them work more passionately
and with more energy.

#5. Answer Frequently Asked Questions

Your employees might ask you some certain questions frequently.
You can save a lot of time by answering them in your employee
newsletter.

#6. Deal with Common Complaints

#7. Capture Employee Ideas

You can use surveys in your employee newsletter to capture their
ideas. Your employees may have creative ideas that will help you
increase your profits (e.g. how to improve your products or
customer service).

Value your privacy? Get over it. The bad news is that thanks to the Web, privacy no longer exists. Get Googled, and within a few short seconds anyone who knows your name will be able to learn quite a bit about you.

Try it. Go to Google ( http://www.google.com ), and type in your name. I just did a search query for “Angela Booth” and Google returned a search of over 95, 000 pages. If you have a Web site, post a message on Usenet, sell on eBay, or do much of anything other than breathe, you’re caught, like a butterfly in amber, in the sticky World Wide Web courtesy of Google.

Bad as this may be for privacy, this is good news if you’re trying to build a business. It means that if you focus some of your marketing and promotion time on getting your name out on the Web, you’re building your credibility.

Suddenly all those direct-mail letters that you’ve been sending out carry a bit more weight. You’re more than a slip of paper, a stamp and an envelope. You’re a Google-presence.

So how do you build credibility out of being Googled?

The fastest way is to write a couple of information-rich articles, and post them on your Web site. Sure, this is a little bit of work, but not much. You can write, can’t you? Within a month or so, your name will appear on Google.com. Over time, your name will also pop up on the Web’s other search engines.

You don’t have a Web site? You need one, and if you can type and you’ve got an hour to spare you can get one. Many, many Web site hosting companies offer site hosting for next-to-nothing a month. These hosting companies are catering to non-technical people who want a hassle-free site, so they make it as easy as they can by offering site templates. All you do is pick a template, type in your information (or copy and paste), and in less than an hour you’ve got a pretty good site that works great.

Continue writing articles. Write one a month, and post them on your Web site. You can also offer them to other Web sites to publish. You do this by joining a few article announcement lists and sending your articles to the lists.

Note, that I said “information rich” articles. Some small business owners write puff pieces about themselves and their business, and guess how much credibility this builds? People search for information online, so your articles must contain useful information.

You won’t suddenly get a dozen new clients directly from your online articles. You get them indirectly. For example, when someone I don’t know sends me an e-mail message and I’m interested in what they say, the first thing I do is Google them. In five seconds, I know whether I want to pursue the relationship or not.

If you’re sending out direct mail letters introducing yourself and your services, you can bet that those prospects who are interested in what you have to offer will Google you. If you’re revealed as knowledgeable in your field, you’re suddenly credible.

So go ahead, use Google.com to your promotional advantage. It’s a powerful tool to build credibility for your business.

Wouldn’t you like to clone yourself as a writer, or have someone do your writing tasks for you? Contact Angela Booth at http://www.angelabooth.com now because Angela expertly ghost-writes articles, proposals, marketing communications, Web copy, and books. Yes, you’re the author of the words Angela writes for you. Angela is fast, reliable and professional, and works with individuals and small businesses as well as large companies.

Copyright © 2003 Priya Shah

My habit of collecting every free eBook I could lay my hands proved very profitable to me while building my business.

Here are 20 ways that you can use free eBooks to boost your profits.

1. Build Your List

Use free eBooks as an incentive to get more people to join your list.

2. Keep Your Subscribers

Give away a new free eBook every time you mail your list or at least every month, so they have a reason to stay subscribed. Create a subscribers-only eBook library and keep adding new ones often.

3. Get More Affiliates to Promote Your Product

Offer free eBooks and free brandable eBooks as an incentive for join your affiliate program.

4. Sell Customization Rights to Your Own eBooks

If you’ve written an eBook and have a number of affiliate links in it, you can make more money by selling the customization rights.

5. Back-End Profits

Purchase customization rights to others’ eBooks and give them away free to your list. Profit when they purchase something through your links.

6. Become an Instant ‘Expert’

Write an eBook on a topic that you know well and give it away to a target market. Once people know you as an expert on your subject, they will be more willing to spend money with you.

7. Grow Your Downline

Offer free eBooks as an incentive to join a program under you. Allow your downline to give away the eBooks as well so they can build their (and your) downline.

8. Become a Leader

Train your team by giving away free eBooks that help them learn how to build their business. eBooks help you save on the cost of ordering printed copies and shipping them to your distributors.

9. Boost Your Website Traffic

Write an eBook yourself and insert your website links in a way that gives your readers a compelling reason to visit your website, either for the resources you offer or an invitation to download more eBooks.

10. Survey Your List

Have a great idea for a new product or eBook, but need to find out if there’s a market for it? Create a survey and use free eBooks to entice people to respond. To ensure a good response to your survey, offer two or more eBooks, or a product that you own, or even a download of the product you plan to create as a result of the survey.

11. Get Viral

Give away a free eBook that others can brand with their own links so they will give it away eagerly to their own lists. Include your own affiliate program, or traffic exchange programs, or two-tier or multi-tier affiliate programs that readers can join through your links, to get most from this strategy.

12. Get Free Advertising

Give away a free eBook that hasn’t been circulated much or one of your own products or eBooks to ezine editors in exchange for free ads in their ezine.

13. Get Joint Venture Partners

Make your JV offer more attractive by offering your partners a valuable or unique eBook that you own or have the right to give away.

14. Build Link Popularity

Get others to link to your website by offering them free eBooks or one of your own products. The more links you have pointing to your website, the higher you will rank on search engines and the more traffic you will get.

15. Promote Your Own Products

Offer free preview versions (say, the first few chapters) of an eBook that you wrote to promote it and get more people to buy it from you. Combine this with a rebrander to get a viral effect and increase downloads of your preview version. If you are selling a software product, give away a free report that explains why your software solves your target market’s problem and how it will benefit them.

16. Enhance the Value of Your Product

Give away free eBooks as Bonus Products along with your own product to enhance its value. This works best if the bonuses are related to the topic of the product you are selling.

17. Keep in Touch with Your Customers

Send your customers free eBooks often to show them you value their business and remind them of your products in a way they won’t object to.

18. Get Testimonials

Offer free eBooks or bonuses to existing customers in exchange for testimonials that you can put up on your sales page.

19. Boost Flagging Sales

When sales are low, create an eBook with discount coupons or special offers and give them away to your customers. You can also use this strategy to boost holiday sales.

20. Revive Your Old Articles

Update or rewrite old articles or sections of your ezine archives and compile them into an eBook to give them a new lease of life.

About the Author

Priya Shah is the Editor of “Be a Whiz at eBiz!” a
free-wheeling newsletter on internet marketing and
home business http://ebizwhiz-publishing.com
She also publishes “The Glutathione Report,” a newsletter
featuring regular updates on the health benefits of
glutathione. http://www.glutathione-report.com