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Don’t make these basic persuasion mistakes…

(Pssst… No time to read? Want to nab the MP3? Scroll to the bottom. We’re talking six minutes this time.)

~~~ Notes from Minnesota ~~~

12019 / Pixabay

Hey Freelancer,

Well. After over five years of uncertainty, this past week I finally sashayed into the local cancer center, received my clean CAT scan and FINALLY rang that elusive bell.

I got my walking papers. I won’t go back. They’re done with me.

It’s surreal, thrilling, terrifying… so many emotions.

From here on in, I’ll have a yearly blood test to measure my CEA level and that’s it. I hardly know what to do with myself.

But, I wanted to share the good news, heaven knows you’ve heard lots of sadness in this space. And I appreciate every single kind word I received throughout that difficult time.

I’ve always said that Creative Entrepreneurs are some of the kindest people on the planet. And I still hold that opinion.

A tremendous “THANKS” for hanging out with me during this rough time. You totally rock. 😛

‘Til next time,

Beth 🙂

P.S. Check out Filbert Publishing’s bestsellers!

1. The Mocha Club Monthly Subscription (Where savvy Creative Entrepreneurs hang out.)

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Let’s talk shop!

This month in the Creative Entrepreneur Newsletter:

* Activism versus Persuasion (A real but misunderstood difference.)
* When you sell your writing, what… exactly… are you really peddling? (It’s probably not what you think.)
* Want an effortless way to keep in touch with your prospective readers? Yup. We talk about it.

Heck, it’s only 4.99 a month, the price of a mocha.

Freelancing is ever evolving… unrecognizable from when I began during the Internet stone age.

So… let’s untangle these crazy, all important topics. We’ll gossip (just a little). Share the latest and greatest info. Perhaps we’ll have a little fun, too.

Let’s hang out at the Mocha Club.

Get more info here (and download a complementary issue of The Creative Entrepreneur Newsletter. Just click here
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Writing One to One
Beth Ann Erickson

When it comes to persuasion, many newbie writers tend to make a few basic mistakes.

TeroVesalainen / Pixabay

Before we get to that, let’s talk about persuasion. I’m going to propose the notion that most of what you’ll write has at least a modicum of persuasion attached to it. If you think even an informative piece doesn’t contain elements of persuasion, you’d likely be incorrect.

Word choice can affect your reader’s perception. Sources cited can skew perspective. Font, color, medium… all these factors will affect your message.

With all these factors influencing your reader’s opinion… how do you harness your writing skills to best reflect your thoughts?

Ha. Glad you asked. 😛

1. Know your reader. Seriously. Really know them as best you can. What do they like? What do they believe? What kind of language do they use?

2. Set the tone early. Let your reader know what they’re getting into. If they don’t like your style, they’ll exit early… and that’s a good thing. You want to build a readership, not referee arguments.

3. Write to one person. It’s easy to use terms like “everybody” and “you all,” but never forget people generally read in solitude so always write to one person.

4. Be careful with command sentences. In fact, I’d avoid them, particularly in the early sections of your piece. Blatantly commanding your listeners to engage in any action before you’ve laid out your argument will likely result in your piece getting set aside. Call to actions are generally placed at the end of any article for a reason: Your reader needs to know you, like you and trust you before they’ll engage in action.

5. Never forget your reader’s an actual human being. Show empathy… heck, actually feel empathy towards them. Walk in their shoes for a while. Get out of your writing chair and engage in life. Experience unfamiliar life.

For example, I recently took a totally (what I figured was) and off-the-wall course for the sole purpose of viewing life through another person’s eyes. Not only did I walk away with an expanded world view, but through that experience, I feel like I understand human nature just a little more. It was pretty cool…

This is hardly an exhaustive list. We’ll talk about this more later. In the meantime, if you’re intrigued and want more info faster, all you’ve got to do is buy me a mocha… 😛

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This article is courtesy of Filbert Publishing. Make your writing sparkle, write killer queries, get published. Subscribe to Writing Etc., the free e-mag for freelancers and receive the e-book “Power Queries.” http://filbertpublishing.com

Enjoy!

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Published inWriting Etc.