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Writing Etc. – October 15, 2006

ISSN: 1545-5580

Tips, Techniques, and Resources to Transform You From An Average Freelancer to A Highly Paid Professional.

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To subscr*ibe to Writing Etc. and receive the fr*e e-book, “Power Queries,” surf here:

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Notes from Minnesota

Instantly Connect With Your Reader by Beth Ann Erickson

Paying Markets

Important Reminder

~~~~~Highly Recommended~~~~~~~~~~

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Notes from Minnesota

I want you.

OK. Let me clarify a bit.

If you’re a drop dead serious, no whining allowed, absolutely committed to success (no matter how you personally define it), freelance writer, keep reading.

If you don’t fit this description, please skip this section. You’re only wasting your time.

I’m sorry to be so blunt. But a new situation has presented itself.

I was on the phone yesterday with a kind man who was in the process of purchasing a particular machine that would print and bind a book in just a few easy steps right in his own office.

As we spoke, he mentioned that he wanted to print his wife’s books himself. Fine idea, I suppose. But his reasoning absolutely floored me.

“She hates to sell. She can’t find a publisher so we want to self publish her books. I don’t think she’ll sell many copies so we don’t want to spend a lot of money printing (not to mention storing) thousands of books.”

So, here’s a fellow (an absolutely wonderful man) with an incredibly talented wife who has a unique message to share with the world… willing to spend 45 grand on a machine that’ll print very small quantities of her books because she doesn’t feel comfortable with the writing/publishing/promotion process.

Totally directionless, they’re set to head out into the cut-throat world of book publishing based on some information they’d read in a couple of cheap magazines.

How sad is that?

It’s a sobering commentary that those with the greatest talent, the most important messages, the fabulous, faceless writers of this age often languish on the sidelines while the less gifted thrive simply because they’ve got their hands some ridiculously easy, dead simple insider information.

Drives me utterly crazy.

And that stops today. This minute. This second.

If you’re as fed up about this situation as I am, I want your e-mail. I’m taking care of business and personally propelling as many freelancers towards success as humanly possible.

This will be a no-holds barred adventure of a lifetime. Failure isn’t going to be an option.

At this moment, I’ve got a loose plan but aren’t exactly sure how this dream will unfold. But as Bilbo Baggins says in Lord of the Rings… “I think I’m ready for another adventure.”

I hope you are, too.

Sign up now and check out what I’ve got cooking…

Talk later!

Beth

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~~~~~~~~~~~~ Feature Article ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

How to Instantly Connect With Your Reader

By Beth Ann Erickson

I hesitate to mention this. That’s because whenever I write an article like this, I ultimately receive a flurry of e-mails (usually from writing purists) complaining that I’m encouraging “bad writing.”

Truth is, I’m not advocating “bad writing” at all.

What I am advocating is this: If you’re going to become an effective writer, it’s utterly imperative that you speak directly to your reader. If you don’t do this, you’ll lose them. If you lose your readers, what’s the point of writing?

So, here’s what you need to do:

First, understand that the average American reads at around the seventh grade level. This means you should forget using “million dollar” words. Avoid jargon if your audience doesn’t understand it.

Understand that you do not need to dumb-down your message, just use words that are readily understandable.

The general rule is this: write like you speak.

Don’t try to write in any kind of “literary style.” Just communicate in the same way you would if you were sitting at a table across from your reader and speaking to them.

This means you’ll probably break more than a few grammar rules. This means you’ll probably start more than one sentence with the word “and.” This means you’ll probably be accused of being a bad writer by your high school English teacher.

But BOY, you’ll gain a readership.

Read everything you write aloud. If you need to breathe within a sentence, shorten it. If you stumble, revise. If your mind wanders while you’re reading, pull the excitement level up a notch.

But you must do more… you must also become an effective communicator.

You need to study how your potential reader speaks, and write using their verbal style.

This means you get to become a chameleon, assuming the persona of your reader.

For example, if you’re writing a piece for an upscale magazine targeting professional businesswomen, you’ll use a different “voice” (using different terminology and jargon) than you would if you were writing a piece for the National Enquirer.

If you’re trying to sell fishing lures to avid sportsmen, you’d probably use a different voice than you would if you were writing a piece for PC magazine.

You’re a wise writer when you research your market thoroughly before submitting a piece to a publication. Read their back issues. Study their direct mail campaigns. Chances are, they’ve perfected the voice they use and you can jump ahead of a ton of wanna-be writers when you study their materials.

Ah… writing isn’t for the faint of heart, is it? It’s a lot of hard (but fun) work. And the writers who recognize this increase their chances for success.

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Want a ton more ultra-effective techniques that’ll give you an incredible edge in the over-crowded freelance world? Click this link. http://filbertpublishing.com/101.html

Pssssst… you can even instantly download this incredible information! 

P.S. You can use this article free of charge on your own website or zine. Just don’t make any changes and be sure to include the entire byline. Enjoy!

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Paying Markets – check ‘em out!

Ephemera

http://www.ephemera-inc.com/guidelines.html

Kalan

http://www.kalanlp.com/freelancers/freelancers.php?&width=1024&height=768

Sweet 16

http://www.guidepostssweet16mag.com/guidelines.html

Ignite Your Faith

http://www.christianitytoday.com/teens/features/guidelines.html

Insight

http://www.insightmagazine.org/guidelines/

Black Belt

http://www.blackbeltmag.com/section_display.cfm?section_id=26

Canoe Kayak

http://www.canoekayak.com/contact/

Florida Wildlife

http://www.floridawildlifemagazine.com/submit.cfm

Paddler

http://www.paddlermagazine.com/contact/writerguide.shtml

Professional Mariner

http://www.professionalmariner.com/site/editorial/

Golf for Women

http://www.golfdigest.com/features/index.ssf?/features/golfforwomenfaq.html

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Reminder!

Filbert Publishing just launched its affiliate program. This means that when you sell our e-books, you’ll receive a 50 percent commission.

How would an extra ten spot in your pocket sound every time you sell Beth’s latest book?

Details are here:

http://filbertpublishing.com/earnfast.html

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We Recommend:

Writing For Dollars! The FREE ezine for writers featuring tips, tricks and ideas for selling what you write. Receive the FREE ebook, 83 WAYS TO MAKE MONEY WRITING when you subscribe. Email to subscribe@writingfordollars.com -*- http://www.WritingForDollars.com

WRITERS FIND MARKETS EASILY - Worldwide Freelance has a NEW fully-searchable Markets Database. Discover writing markets from North America, Europe, Australia and other places. It's free, so come and try it out here: http://www.worldwidefreelance.com

Information Marketers! Discover the copywriter who knows the unique demands of your industry and can help you sell a ton of product. http://BethAnnErickson.com

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Writing Etc.

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© 2006 Filbert Publishing