Writing tips continue again

Here is a new set of tips, general as well as blog-related:
“Be realistic. What do you want to accomplish with your blog? Change the world? Sell something? Get a job? Improve your writing? Connect with others who share your interests? It helps to know what your goals are and set reasonable expectations.
Be adventurous. Don't be afraid to experiment. There are no "rules" for blogging. Try something you've never tried. If you "screw up," you'll learn something. Others can learn from your experiment. You never know when you might hit on something that captures the imagination of others.” From Scott Hepburn http://mediaemerging.com/

“ 1. Write first thing in the morning before you think about anything else.
2. Only share early drafts with people that you know support you and will say positive things, like your mom.
3. Share later drafts with people who will tell you the truth.
4. Write and re-write, a lot.
5. When you've written a book, ask everyone you know if they know an agent. If you find people who know agents, you're halfway through the door."
From Andrea Askowitz http://www.andreaaskowitz.com/ http://andreaaskowitz.com/?cat=all

“Notebooks and Pens Everywhere. Have multiple spiral-bound notebooks. Stick pens inside the spirals. Place these notebooks with pens attached anywhere you might be “stuck” for awhile and definitely in your briefcase, purses, or pockets. Always keep a notebook and pen in the bathroom for shower, bathtub, and toilet “light bulb moments.” In other words, you are a writer; never be caught without your notebook.” From Allen and Linda Anderson, http://www.writingontherun.com/. Check out their 101 good quick writing tips!

“Have a platform – do talks about your subject prior to submitting your book proposal. That way you have audiences who will be interested in purchasing your books, and you’ll have publishers interested in you (assuming you’re not self-publishing) since you have an audience to purchase your books! We (my co-author and I) did talks at the local level – Rotary, United Way, for the school systems, local university, library, etc. We did these for free at first, and had regular speaking engagements when we submitted our book proposal.” From Jan Cullinane, co-author, The New Retirement: The Ultimate Guide to the Rest of Your Life (Rodale, 2007)

“So often people come to the task of writing with their energy on 'empty.' That just doesn't work. It often doesn't take much to refuel--a walk in nature, a few deep breaths.” From Lisa Tener www.lisatener.com/blog, http://www.inspiringwomenseries.com/ http://www.lisatener.com/, http://www.how-to-write-a-book.com/

More Writing Tips

Today's crop of tips is a mixture for all kinds of writers. The last one below has some great ideas for making your blog visible. Enjoy! Laura

“… my tip for writing fiction is to get dressed in character to get inspired. When writing my book I would get dressed up, put on jewelry to actually make me feel like I was going to a party so I could write about them.” From Beth Dunn http://www.socialclimbers.net/

“Stay positive, and maintain your sense of humor. As in any highly competitive field, even the most able-bodied workers are subject to the vagaries of the marketplace.” From Scott Steinberg, http://www.gadgetexpert.net/.

“…in every scene, the characters need to want something from each other--a loan, the clue to a mystery, a kind word, the keys to the car--something that motivates the characters and creates tension in the scene.” From Kristin Mellon, Sylvan Learning, agency website: http://www.environicspr.com/

Good tip for bloggers: “Build an inventory of posts and images. I'm not the best at this, but having a few posts "in the can" means that when things get hectic in the "real world" I still have fresh, well-written content to post. (See tip #1). Also, get to know the timed publication option on your blog software - this allows you to write and format a post but not publish it until a later date (you choose the date and time that it will go live). This is great if you're traveling, or, as I said, if "life" gets in the way! The same goes for images. If photography is an important component of your blog (which it is for many), then it's also a great idea to build your own library of "stock" images. If I'm shooting a particular recipe or food item for ModernGirlsKitchen.com, for instance, I will always get additional angles and shots that I can use as 'generic' images for future posts.” From Emma Williams http://www.moderngirlskitchen.com/

“Remember that writing is a business and that paying money for courses, training and activities is an investment, not a cost. Zena Polin http://www.winningticketpr.com/ http://zenap.onsugar.com/

“… under the "viral marketing" aspect: Blog authors need to understand the basics of SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and organic search. There are a number of free tools that can help you quickly craft the best version of a post title - based on how people actually search. For example, you can do a quick check in http://www.google.com/trends to see what version of a phrase is more commonly used to search. A really simple version of this can be seen here:http://www.google.com/trends?q=email%2C+e-mail&ctab=0&geo=all&date=all&sort=0 Pick your categories or tags with just as much care as the articles you write. Since each of these becomes a page on your blog - they also can become major destinations for those searching for the topics you cover on your site. Another must read is Google's free Search Engine Optimization Starter Guide available here: http://www.google.com/webmasters/docs/search-engine-optimization-starter-guide.pdf Jeanne Kramer-Smyth http://www.spellboundblog.com/

More Writing Tips: now on Blog Writing!

Here is some great advice for writers considering creating a blog. Cheers, Laura

Re Blog writing: “Quality over quantity. It's better to post one great quality post per week than three so so posts per week. Don't pressure yourself to meet X posts per week or else it can set you up for getting stuck.” From Meryl K. Evans www.meryl.net/blog
“Please don't apologize for not writing often enough or responding to comments in the body of your blog article.” From Shirley VanScoyk http://domesticepisodes.blogspot.com
“I always listen for mention of a news item that would relate to the focus of my blog. For example, when the Attorney General spoke out concerning the reticence of others in regard to race issues, I quickly added something to my blog. My blog focuses on a man who visited the U.S. in 1912. He spoke at the 4th annual meeting of the NAACP.” From Sue Chehrenegar http://chehrenegar.blogspot.com
Several pieces of advice:
“Writing anything can seem like a big task before you start it. Why not create a blog and then write about parts of it every day / other day / whatever. If you do this long enough, then eventually you'll have completed the whole task.
Writing incrementally in a blog also exposes your writing to others and allows them to provide feedback during the process. This can be very valuable.
Just because you publish something in a blog doesn't mean that you can't go back and make changes to it - you own the blog, you can edit / revise old postings as many times as you want.
Depending on what your final goal is, a blog that has developed a following means that you have a ready made audience waiting to purchase your final product...!”
From Dr. Jim Anderson Blue Elephant Consulting www.TheBusinessOfIT.com www.TheAccidentalCommunicator.com
“Write about something for which you have passion. I once obtained a great URL on the topic of human resources for businesses. It got immediate traffic based on the URL alone. The problem was that writing about this subject bored me and I ultimately sold the blog.” From Bob Bentz www.advancedtele.com
“ You should check out copyblogger.com” From Erin Lariviere, http://www.tungle.com
“The most valuable advice I have is to keep it short and link, link, link. The linking provides context and breaks up a screen of text. Keeping it short also makes it less daunting for the reader. The reader should always be at top of mind for a blog post.” From Sean Wood www.communi-k.net

Writing Tips continued

Here are more tips, this time a mixture of general advice and blog-specific advice. Enjoy! Laura
“Write about how you have solved problems or overcome obstacles. Readers connect strongly with writing that provides solutions. This need not be personal; explain how to organize an overflowing email inbox, grow an avocado tree, or connect to a SQL database.” From - Jess Johnson writer for GrokCode

Barbara Dana and her newly released book.

“When I have a day when I can’t write, think I’m no good, the idea is stupid, the whole thing should be thrown out, I say to myself. “I’m not going to write today. But if I were going to write I would write something like this. Then I write something that I usually end up developing the next day. Sometimes I end up using it just the way it came out!” From Betsy Model quoting Barbara Dana (http://www.barbaradana.com/), author of A Voice of Her Own: Becoming Emily Dickinson.

“Know your audience, write for that audience, and promote to it. Whether it's a commercial project or a novel, know who you're talking to and what you want them to do, and how you'll reach them to tell about it.” From Shel Horowitz http://www.grassrootsmarketingforauthors.com/, http://www.frugalmarketing.com/

“My best and perhaps only tip that applies to all writers is to do with getting started. I don't mean what time of day you switch on the computer, I mean getting started when you have something to say - even if it is just for your own satisfaction. Despite doing a lot of work for educational publications I didn't find the courage to start and finish a novel until well into middle age. Why? because all the time I could hear a voice (a parent) saying 'And just who do you think you are - showing off like that?'” From Jane Arredondo (J.G. Harlond) www.EloquentBooks.com/TheMagpie.html

“Viral marketing tip: Recently, I have been using twitter to try and spread the word a bit. I've followed lots of people in my location and in field of expertise. I set up an auto feed so when I make a new blog post, it automatically sends a tweet out on Twitter. When people see good posts, they re-tweet it, therefore sending the word out to the wide userbase. “ From Anna Moose http://www.bargainmoose.ca/

Re blog writing: “Post daily! Write ahead! Have a brainstorm list of 50 to 100 blog topics to write about!” From Stacey Kannenberg http://www.blogger.com/www.cedarvalleypublishing.com

Writing Tips Yet Again

Here's another set of good tips for writers.  I'm not reposing the same advice from different writers in general, but fresh ways to say my top two favorites I continue to post.  See if you can guess the things I have found most useful!

cheers,

Laura

“The quickest way to get publicity is to be timely. So creating a media calendar for yourself can be an invaluable tool for getting publicity online. That is, writing down all the times of the year that your topic could be relevant to pitch the media in your niche market. You can even check Chase's Directory of Annual Events to see if there are any holidays that specifically relate to your topic.”  Sally Shields www.sallyshields.com/productsandservices  and co-host, "Blurb!" www.blogtalkradio/blurb

“For non-fiction especially, think about indexing early, especially if you're going to save money by doing the index  yourself. Knowledge of what you want in your index can also help you recognize gaps and uneven coverage. Select you structure and keywords as you go through writing and editing rather than waiting to the end. That can help in consistency and balance. “ Jeff Lindsay, Director of Solution Development  Innovationedge  ▪  http://innovationedge.com with the forthcoming book, Conquering Innovation Fatigue by Jeff Lindsay, Cheryl Perkins, and Mukund Karanjikar (John Wiley & Sons, July 2009).

“Give yourself permission to write a first draft without regard to style, length, typos or even how much sense you’re making.  Write freely and enjoy the process without worrying about getting it perfect the first time around.  Then go back and reread what you’ve written and whittle away anything that doesn’t work for you.  Your work will begin to take shape with much less effort and you’ll end up with a much better finished product.”  Cindy Lieberman  www.cindylieberman.blogspot.com

“Write every day or as much as you possibly can.  Remember, to get to the ‘good stuff’ you have to write a lot of bad stuff.”  From Weston Lyon,  weston@westonlyon.com

“NOW SIT DOWN AND WRITE SOMETHING,” from Dan Poynter, DanPoynter@ParaPublishing.com; http://ParaPublishing.com.

“Write Through Fear.  Mix your fear of writing up into fiction, or a great piece of non-fiction. Write down the reasons for your fear. Look at what you wrote. Create a character to work through it.  Place him/her in a setting comfortable  for you.  Or, do some research, and write about a certain fear. You'll understand the reason for your fear, and move on.” From M. Glenn Novel Link: http://thedigitalword.com/grave_street_glenn.html     http://critiqueandwrite.blogspot.com

“Writing groups provide support, friendship, encouragement, ideas, and accountability for us writers struggling alone at our computer screens.  From my initial desire to bond with other writers, I was led to new friends, a new book, and ultimately a new career as a facilitator of women's writing groups. To overcome the solitary side of writing, take my advice and join a writing group.  And if you can't find one, create one!  Who knows the direction it will lead you?”   From Diane Owens
www.WiseWomenWrite.com     http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/bloomingboomer/

Continuing the bountiful harvest of writing tips!

I'm so happy to have all these great ideas to share with you.  It's a busy time for me, grading senior theses and final papers in my classes.  But the cool suggestions just keep coming from HARO~ here is batch 8.  cheers,   Laura

“So many great voices are masters at telling a story out loud, but struggle when it comes to writing. Speaking the words into a recorder and transcribing them can let those brilliant stories out. “ From  Scott Hepburn Founder, Media Emerging   http://mediaemerging.com

“Promoting your books on Amazon.com:  1. Set up your author profile page. 2. Read other books in the same field as yours, and write detailed, positive reviews of those you liked.  People reading the reviews will get an introduction to your writing  style and will see a link to your author profile. 3. Create "Listmania" lists.  Pick several themes that include your book (for example, if you have an Italian cookbook, themes might include "great cookbooks", "great Italian cookbooks", "great pasta recipes", etc).  Choose 10-20 other books in each theme that are best sellers, and include them in your lists (along with your book).  These lists will be randomly displayed at the bottom of the sales pages for all the books.”From Praveen Puri    praveen.puri@sbcglobal.net   

“Recycle, recycle, recycle. Make your articles go farther by reworking them for different publications. For example, I wrote an article on swaddling twin babies for a national magazine for parents of twins. Then I cut down the article and removed the product reviews for an online column I write about twins and multiples. After that, I took out the “twins” angle and generalized the article to include all babies for publication in a pediatric newsletter. I even recorded a Podcast about swaddling! With just a little bit of work, I was able to use the same research in four different ways.” From Susan Heim www.susanheim.blogspot.com

“Here’s how you too can sell foreign  rights.  Prepare an email that sells the book  and include:
– successes to date, including sales figures and other  rights sales;
– a short summary of the book and the table of  contents;
– reviews and endorsements of the book;
– links to the  book’s Web site, its page on Amazon.com, and radio and TV  coverage;
Offer to send a copy of the book and ask for the agent’s  mailing address."  From Elliott Katz, the author of Being the Strong Man A Woman Wants: Timeless wisdom on  being a man. If you have questions, you can contact him at  ElliottRKatz@aol.com

“Getting a celebrity, notable VIP, or leader in your field to give your book a short testimonial or endorsement (sometimes called a blurb) is a great way to boost sales and garner extra publicity.  Remember that this is a trade-off. You get a testimonial for your book, and the endorser gets additional exposure and/or credibility." From Jordan McAuley  (www.BookEndorsements.com)

Writing Tips Continued

Time for some MORE writing tips. Can we have too many? I hope not, lots left still!
Laura

Here’s some good advice: “… connect! Go to writers conferences to hone your craft but also to network with other writers. This profession can be lonely and demands draining self-motivation so it's suicide to fail to connect. “ From Brenda Nixon, THE BIRTH TO FIVE BOOK: CONFIDENT CHILDREARING RIGHT FROM THE START (Revell), http://www.BrendaNixon.com.
“People think it's hard to write a novel because it's so many pages. But any journey is just one step at a time. If you can write a page a day you can finish a novel in a year. A page is only 250 words. We all have at least 250 a day in us. “ From Ian Randall Wilson, author of Great Things Are Coming (www.hollyridgepress.com)
“My best marketing advice: Utilize the Internet. Ask bloggers to write reviews. Schedule a blog tour with virtual visits to blogs. Use social networking sites like Facebook, LinkdIn, and Twitter.” From Lucy Adams, Author of If Mama Don't Laugh, It Ain't Funny www.IfMama.com .
“My favorite tip to give is to "never give up" even when you think your project is dead. It took me two years to get published. Don't give up.” From Gary Unger, www.garyunger.com
”I believe that writing, vs. writing a blog are quite different things altogether. Certainly the blog readers attention span is shorter, but more significantly writing a blog is very much more ‘conversational.’ I have found as my blog has evolved so has my writing style. Unlike a paper you might hand in in college, or a print article we would sit down to read, a blog talks back.” From Craig Sumsky http://www.cuttingedgedjs.com/ “First thing in the morning, sit down at your writing place - computer or note pad. No email. No web. No television or radio or newspaper or anything else. Just you and your writing tools of choice. Stay there until you write. It doesn't have to be good; it just has to be something - you can always rewrite. But stay the course and don't leave until you've got something down on paper/screen. Repeat daily. Never give up.” From Libbe HaLevy, author, Blast Your "Writer's Block" to Smithereens!; www.WriteYourBrainsOut.com/book.html .