Writing Archives - GUJRAT INDIA

How to Schedule Your Time When You’re Writing A Book

Writing a book, even a small one, takes time. The first two questions are how much time do you have? And how are you going to allocate it? This is the point where you may feel more than a little overwhelmed by the task ahead. Take a few deep breaths — inhale, exhale … inhale, exhale. No kidding. Do it. Inhale, exhale. OK, now sit down, and make a list of everything you have to write, starting with the title and ending with the author’s bio on the back cover.

Your Writing Plan

For the front and back covers, you will need your title and subtitle, a brief descriptive paragraph about the book, your bio, and a couple of powerful endorsements, which you won’t have until the book is written. Skip the copyright page for now. The publisher, whoever that might be, will supply it later. You will write the preface… introduction… acknowledgments .. index… bibliography… and appendices after you finish the heart of the book. The table of contents are already done (if you wrote a book proposal). The chapters, of course, are going to take the most time and concentration.

Next, write down these dates:

– Today’s date

– Deadline for each chapter

– Deadline for each section of “front matter” (preface, introduction acknowledgments)

– Deadline for each section of “back matter” (index, bibliography, appendices)

– Deadline for first draft

– Deadline for revisions & second draft

– Deadline for final draft

– Deadline for edited copy

– Deadline for revisions & third draft

– Deadline for copy edited copy

– Deadline for revisions & final draft

– Drop-dead deadline for copy-edited, proofread, ready-to-go-to-the-publisher-or-printer manuscript

Setting deadlines

The deadlines may be those you set for yourself or those set for you by a publisher. In either case, they are sacrosanct. The time between today’s date and when you plan to have your first draft complete is all the time you have. Everything on the list, from front cover to index, if you choose to write them, must fit in that time frame. You already know that the chapters are the heart of the book, but the preface and introduction are every bit as important. Remember, the former is personal, and the latter is informative. Be sure to give them the proper tone.

Working backwards

Starting from the deadline for the first draft, work backwards to determine exactly how much time you have, what has to be done, and how long each segment will take. Set mini-deadlines for yourself for each segment, and block them out on a large calendar. Be realistic. If it can’t be done in the time allotted, something has to be changed, and it may be your deadline. If you are self-publishing, you can move your own deadlines; if you are working with a conventional publisher, deadlines can be negotiated. When they are impossible, you have a right to say so … before you sign the contract.

Facing facts

Setting deadlines isn’t easy, but it is essential if you’re serious about writing a book. You must know how long the process will take and whether what you have to do can be done in the time you have. If it can’t be done, face reality. Trying to do the impossible is a recipe for frustration and failure. If, on the other hand, you can do it with good planning and self-discipline, you will feel a sense of relief. The facts are clear; you have faced them head on; and you know you are up to the challenge. The rest is up to you.

Why It’s Easier (And More Profitable) to Spend Money When You Set Up Your Online Writing Business

In the quest to make money as an online writer, it’s all too easy to fall for what I call false economies.

This is when you do something to save money but it ends up costing you dearly, in either time or money.

Where this happens most is with learning.

If you want to grow a sustainable online business, you first need to know how to do it, and this can cause you to stumble in 2 ways – buying nothing or buying cheap.

Buying nothing means exactly that.

You want to learn but you buy nothing you need.

Instead you waste your time surfing the Internet for free newsletters, free courses and free eBooks.

And while all these things will help, they won’t teach you everything you need to know.

Why?

Because no one gives away their best information for free. People go online to earn money and they can’t make money if they’re not selling something.

There are, of course, people online who earn money through advertising. Their websites don’t seem to be selling anything through the content, but they do make money from visitors clicking on the ads on their site.

But their content isn’t worth much because they don’t have saleable information.

Free stuff online is helpful, but the people who write it aren’t necessarily experts in their niche.

Likewise only using free software also has its downside because it will never be as good as the stuff you pay for.

Buying cheap is another false economy.

Just because something has a low price it doesn’t mean you’re getting a bargain.

For instance, I’ve seen too many people buy a computer based on price. They start searching by price rather than specifications.

But what’s the point of buying a computer that can’t do all the things you want it to?

When it comes to computers (or anything for that matter) you must look for exactly what you want first AND THEN worry about price. If you don’t have enough money, sell stuff you don’t need or cut back on buying non-essentials until you can afford it.

And if you need to buy a course that will teach you how to do something, then buy it and don’t waste time looking around for a “freebie” or something cheaper.

Likewise, if there’s some software that can help save you time, buy it.

I believe that my time is worth far more than money.

Not only that but I can get much more work done (and earn more money) when my time isn’t taken up with unimportant / slow tasks.

For instance, when I started doing a lot of affiliate marketing, I found it much easier to promote a product if I owned it myself rather than save money by not buying it and hoping and praying that it was a worthwhile investment for my customers, otherwise they’d never trust or buy from me again.

When I wanted to submit marketing articles to an article directory every week, I did a course in how to write articles quickly which not only helped me to write faster, but also showed me how to write better articles AND I went on to write my own course in writing articles in 15 minutes or less. So it was definitely a win-win situation when I invest in the article writing course because I quickly multiplied my original investment by over 1,000%.

And when I had too many websites to keep updating them all by hand, I splashed out and bought the mighty Adobe Dreamweaver Software, and boy does that ever speed up my online work.

I now also outsource jobs I can’t do or don’t want to do because it takes me too long.

I once wasted a whole week trying to edit an MP3 audio recording. I finally had to admit defeat and outsourced the job for $20 and a freelancer returned my edited file in less than 2 hours.

It left me wishing I’d simply outsourced it in the first place.

So if you really want to make a go with your new online business and keep earning money for years to come, AND leave more time for your writing, don’t be a false economising penny-pincher.

The Almost Automatic Way to Earn More Money From Your Online Writing Business

I find that working online can have its financial ups and downs. Sometimes my income seems steady, yet other times it can drop dramatically. And it can be hard to understand what’s gone wrong, especially when I haven’t been doing anything differently.

Or maybe that’s the problem.

Any business, online or otherwise, is either growing or dying. So it needs to grow.

So what should you do?

Naturally, the key to your online writing business being a success is making more sales. Whatever it is your selling, whether it’s your own products or someone else’s, you need to make sales.

Working online doesn’t have a regular weekly/monthly income like a 9-5 job.

Instead your income depends on many factors including:

Your niche
The products your selling
How well your website is laid out
Type of marketing
Quality of writing

And this list is only a small part of what will drive your sales.

So what does it take to sell more?

To make more sales you need to sell more.

This means selling more, as in having more things to sell, and selling more, as in doing more selling.

What it really comes down to is doing more selling. And that means marketing your products AND your website.

You see it’s no good trying to sell the same things to the same people over and over again. What you need is to create a bigger audience and this means getting more people to visit your website.

Likewise, it’s no good having just one product and trying to sell it to the same 100 people over and over again. Instead you need to increase how many things you sell as well as increase the number of people you’re selling to. That way you’ll be selling 50 products to 1,000 people, then 100 products to 10,000 people. You can never have too many things to sell or too many customers. This is why it’s imperative to get as many website visitors as you can – every day, every week, every year. Marketing your website should never stop.

It always surprises me how many people spend nearly all their time working on their website and writing content, yet very little time on marketing.

But the truth is that if no one knows your business is there, no one will come.

You need to go online and market your business as much as you can.

Make it your goal to do some sort of marketing every week.

Then when you have more time you can do adventurous types of marketing like creating a free product (eBook) to give away, writing guest blog posts or participating on a forum.

Just remember that sales are what keep your online writing business going. And because the income is irregular and you’ll go through times of financial feast and famine, you need to ensure that you keep your marketing machine running. Always.

Because the more people know about your online business and what you have to offer, the more money you’ll make.

Online Freelance Writing – The Most in Demand Career As a Freelancer – A Great Income Builder

An Online Freelance writer is a self employed artist or journalist who sells services as an uncommitted independent writer. In the Freelance profession, writing skill is the most demanding opportunity. When it comes to the Internet, the introduction of websites and blogs to promote everything, and the need of fresh and relevant content has increased the freelance writer jobs to the top. Online freelance writing demand has more than doubled.

In fact online content writing is fast becoming one of the major source of freelance writing assignments. Other freelancers, such as freelance photographers, freelance web designer and graphic artists are also facing a great demand in their profession.

There are plenty of jobs for online freelance writing, this does not mean you will be getting a fair share of them, you still have to compete with a lot of freelance writers for jobs. You have to stay active smartly in writing competition. 80/20 rule applies in freelance writing. 20 % of all the freelancers get all outstanding good paying freelance writers jobs where as 80% of the freelance writers get average paying freelance writing job. But if you observe the market and pursue career properly with the current trends you can be in the 20% of the online freelance writers.

Do the following:

1. Do not accept low priced projects:

If you started following this pattern and started taking projects that are priced lower than the market rate, you will get a reputation of accepting cheaper price of your hard work. Do not fall in this trap. Be justified to yourself and charge a price that is acceptable to you happily. A price too high might at times end up losing the project to another low priced freelancer and therefore, stay in the norms.

2. Use advertising and marketing strategies to promote yourself:

Use both online and offline advertising and marketing campaigns to let everyone know that you are a freelance writer, is important. The more people will know you the more assignments you will get and you will be able to choose the reasonable priced ones. Off line, pass your card to everyone you know. Self marketing is essential as this will give you the contacts you need to start a freelance career.

3. Always write your best:

Provide latest relevant no fluff information. Your already written work is going to be the basis for the clients hiring you for future freelance work. Online freelance writing at its best is the primary goal to achieve best results.

4. Create a solid Reputation as a Writer:

And reputation is formed when you not only write good but also present a great reputation as a person, both online and off line. Use best work ethics and make sure to meet dead lines do not take the jobs that you can not finish before time.

5. Be active to find great jobs yourself:

Don’t completely depend on your ads, but look for new jobs everyday. Contact all happy clients and organizations that have used you as a writer before, and socialize with them. Make new relations everyday and let them know what you do? Spend sometime looking for more jobs every day.

6. Starting as a Freelance Writer, start as part-time:

When starting online freelance writing, begin writing as a part timer and continue your job. Eventually create clients and once you are very sure that you have become successful to create a full time income without problem then plunge into it full time.

7. As online freelance writer your opportunity is greater:

There are lots of people who need your services, everybody does not have the talent to write and every one does not have the time to write. But every one wants to make money online and that is where your business comes in.

So focus online freelance writing and you will achieve best results.

8. Create a network of people:

This will help you get recommendations for writing jobs. Editors of magazines business owners who need ad writing and sales copies so often, newspapers and news letter publishers, just get to know many of them so you are in good hands to find new jobs for freelance writing.

9. Referral and Recommendations:

This becomes easy once you have established yourself as a great writer. Although writing is a big business, but the writers community is pretty small. Ask for recommendation to another person who needs a writer. This is one of the great ways to get better assignments and is based on your writing standards and your networking.

10. Present yourself as a highly developed and ethical person:

Only a reputation full of good qualities can make you go around effortlessly in the community when there is a need of writer. People will accept your high rate and your demands. So create a reputation and a contract that has benefits for both.

These are some of the strategies to follow. You will experience new and unique ways to create a good position as an online freelance writer.

Writing Your Business Plan? Don’t Forget Your Own Professional Development

This may seem obvious to more serious or experienced individuals who are climbing the ladder of success, but one must endeavor to stay current and invest in professional development. Many of the business plans that I review fall short in this area, and a lack of vision at the outset of the planning process can eventually be fatal to the enterprise.

When a prospective entrepreneur shows me a plan that cuts corners in important ways, I become concerned. Going “bare on health care”; family members working for free; no plans for time off; delayed or unpaid salaries; a statement that marketing will all be done by “word-of-mouth”; and no budget for professional development: one or more of these is a sure-fire tip-off that there’s trouble ahead on the entrepreneurial railway. You see, if a product or service which is to be offered is really viable, it stands to reason that the business would be profitable enough to support necessary business expenses, which include creating an environment that is suitable for human beings, as compared to machines.

In addressing the subject of “professional development,” we might divide it into two sub-topics: How does one “do it?” and “What are the benefits that cost-justify the investment?”

How exactly does one “do” professional development?

For the past couple of years, I have purchased an average of two or three books per month, which are related to a subject area that is of interest to me, either at a book store, or when a book club circular associated with this area of interest is delivered to my mail box. The reason I have not specified my area of interest is that it doesn’t really matter, relative to the overarching point, which is: You should buy books that address a topic of interest of your own, and read them. This practice (virtually made into a “habit” because of the book club) costs me about $50 dollars per month.

I also subscribe to about two dozen periodicals (journals and magazines). Some are industry specific, some are business magazines, and some are consumer magazines. Some are paid subscriptions, and some are complimentary subscriptions based on my ties with certain industries or subject areas (and some are included in membership fees). My paid subscriptions cost about $300 per year.

It is also very important to attend conferences and workshops. If one goes as a speaker, he or she can use the visibility of the conference platform as a means to network, create a reputation for having a certain type of expertise, learn from others who have different viewpoints or specialties, and justify travel expenses. If one goes as an attendee, he or she can accomplish many of the same objectives, sans the visibility of being on the official program. Conferences vary widely in price, but several hundred dollars for conference fees, and $1500 for food, lodging, and travel might be typical for a four-day national conference. Regional conferences are typically less expensive across the board, as they are held at less expensive facilities, have smaller conference fees, and may be within driving distance. I plan to attend a one-day workshop in Atlanta within the next month or so. That will cost $149 for the workshop fee, and mileage expenses (about a three-hour drive). Annually, one should probably budget at least a few thousand dollars for these activities (e.g., four or five), and of course, the “sky is the limit.”

Networking soirées are all over the place. These happen in any given community as social, cultural, and business events. Organizations such as a local chamber of commerce will often sponsor gatherings that allow people to mingle and meet over drinks and light fare. Many cities have bona fide networking clubs, which are operated to provide a free exchange ideas, resources, and contacts. The entry fee for most of these events is low: $30 may be typical. How often should one attend? Oh, I’d say about a hundred dollars-worth per month would prevent anyone from accusing you of being reclusive.

Professional memberships are also important. For any given discipline or area of specialization, there are probably three or four associations or similar organizations that one should join. (Hint: discounts on conference fees, publications, and other perks are usually available to members as an incentive to join). Being an active member is also important. Try to contribute in some way, besides paying membership dues. You can participate in the conferences and support the organization’s sponsors (which keeps the organization viable), serve on committees or in leadership positions, be responsive to other members, provide pro bono services, or the like. While fees and the availability of memberships varies widely, $1000 per year would be a good place to start.

Some training is covered above in the context of workshops and conferences, but you may want to also consider taking a formalized course from time-to-time, or even enrolling in a degree or certificate program. On a smaller scale, you could buy software, take courses, and stay current on the Internet (e-learning is predicted to be a major trend). If you are now convinced about implementing the suggestions that I have mentioned above, but still looking to cut costs, you can certainly spend time in the library, and online, conducting research and staying current. I would recommend that you do not attempt to cut all of the costs, because that would mean that I am back to square one, with regard to the purpose of this article. The issue is discipline, and creating positive habits. (Remember, I said that the book club circular ensures my own habitual behavior? Meeting announcements, membership and subscription renewals, and other regular reminders will help you make sure that you follow-through with action – if you are determined to do so in the first place, of course).

What are the benefits that cost-justify the investment?

Now, some people will say they can’t afford to invest in books, conferences, workshops, and the other tools that would aid their efforts to either stay current, or advance in their careers. I would reply that it’s a matter of attitude and planning, at least to a great extent.

Can you afford to pay for your own professional development?

Well, that’s up to you, and your own attitude, and the choices that you make about your career and your business pursuits.

One’s own professional development (and the development of employees, assuming that you are still working on your business plan) is a far better investment than just about anything else you can buy. Paying attention to your own professional development, and addressing the means by which you will grow the people in your organization within the pages of your business plan will assist you in proving that you are long-sighted, adaptable, and worthwhile investment, yourself (if you are seeking outside capital).

As for me, I figure the several thousand dollars per year that I keep investing will eventually be worth far more than what I have spent. I know what I won’t have if I don’t invest: No current knowledge; no contacts; no contracts; no industry knowledge; and no ability to demonstrate that I even have a clue about what’s going on, as a so-called professional, among my cohorts in academia or the business community.

That would be a very high price to pay, indeed.

How to Pick Your Business Proposal Writing Solution

Looking for a solution to help you write business proposals contracts, RFPs or grant applications? There are three main types of proposal writing systems available on the market:

Desktop software and template-based for PCs and Macs
Monthly paid subscription web-based services
Expensive enterprise class solutions

The prices of the various products vary; so do their features and how many add-on services you may have to purchase to make use of the system. How do you know which system is right for you? Here are basic descriptions and pros and cons of each system to help you decide.

Template-based products generally contain a variety of Microsoft Word documents that will work in many platforms and word processors, along with instructions, samples, and sometimes additional software to help manage the assembly or other processing of documents into a final polished proposal. To use a template-based proposal writing product, you simply download the product to your personal computer, and then use the templates with your word processing program to put together a proposal and print it or save it as a PDF for electronic delivery by uploading to a web site or sending via e-mail.

Template-based products are generally the easiest solutions to get started with, because most people already know how to use their word processing software. If you work remotely or while traveling, you can use a template-based product on any laptop or tablet with a word processor, regardless of whether you have an Internet connection at the time.

The license fee for a template-based product is a one-time license fee, and you can use the product as many times as you like, and as often or intermittently as you like without incurring additional costs. There are no ongoing subscription fees to contend with (which will substantially increase your total costs beyond the costs of template-based products within a couple months); you have complete control over the product material and you manage your proposal content (when you deal with trade secrets and confidential data you don’t want to be giving access to all of that material to an unknown entity that may not be able to keep your information secure).

The main issue to consider in template-based products is that the different offerings vary widely in quality, so carefully compare the actual contents of packages to be sure you’re getting the best value and a quality product. Look at packages carefully to avoid the low-quality knock-offs and don’t be afraid to ask questions and review demos.

Web-based proposal writing systems are exactly what they sound like: you type your proposal information into a web site to create your proposal online and your potential clients look at your web based proposal online. Advantages of using a web-based system are that it usually has a low starting cost (but those monthly fees add up quickly and quickly surpass the cost of a PC/Mac template package) and you don’t have to download and install a program to your personal computer, so it may initially seem cheaper and faster to use. Also, after your proposal is posted, you may have access to some analytics, such as the ability to track how many people view your proposal. However it is typically better to simply reach out to your prospects with the personal touch of a phone call or e-mail and you will gather more-or-less the same information.

A big disadvantage to using a web-based system is that the proposal software and your business information are stored on the web. A web-based system is potentially more at risk from hackers, because the data from thousands of businesses presents a high-value target for hackers seeking confidential business information. Also, a web-based solution may not be available when you need it, like those times you can’t log in when you are flying or on the road. You should also consider whether or not you can easily extract your proposal data from a web-based system for use elsewhere. Most web-based solutions are new business ventures without proven track records – and if you read some of their support blogs you will find out which ones have frequent web site outages.

Web-based programs generally offer users less guidance and formatting and styling options than template-based packages. Web programs typically favor more of a “blank slate” approach and are usually much more limited in the amount of actual proposal writing content (templates, samples, etc.) than a template-based package. Current web-based solutions do not offer many basic features or the layout, design, and graphics capabilities of word processing systems available on PCs, Macs, and tablets. You may be very restricted in how you can create, format, and lay out your proposal, so you might not end up with the most polished looking proposal when you use a web-based system (or even a web-based word processor).

Web-based systems are not very well designed for responding to RFP’s or grant requests. Most of the time you have to follow strict guidelines for how proposals are to be written, formatted and submitted that cannot be done with web-based subscription services. While it may seem they offer something “new” in a web-based interface they are typically 10 years or more behind the curve in creating proposal writing content and polished professional proposals versus other solutions.

While a web-based solution may initially seem like the lowest cost product, keep in mind that a web-based business model depends on extracting monthly fees from customers, using a subscription payment plan. Over the course of just two or three months, a web-based solution will generally cost more than a downloaded product – and the costs will keep rising.

Now for the third category: enterprise class proposal solutions. These products are targeted for the use of big businesses. Often you cannot find a price or place an order online to download an enterprise product; you typically have to schedule a talk with a salesperson to get started. Plan on spending thousands of dollars or even tens of thousands of dollars on an enterprise solution, plan on significant setup time, and plan on bringing in consultants to set up and teach your employees how to use the system.

Enterprise proposal systems may be the best solution for large corporations that need widespread collaboration for their proposal projects and large sales teams, but enterprise systems are not designed (or priced) for individuals or small businesses. Even within large corporations, an enterprise proposal system is sometimes not the most efficient choice for doing a quick custom proposal or a small team project. Low-cost template-based solutions are frequently used by individuals or small teams within a large organization for one-off project proposals or to prototype a very complex proposal.

The three types of proposal software systems are not necessarily mutually exclusive; they can also work well together. You may want to pick multiple solutions to cover a wide array of situations and needs. Many users consider a downloaded template-based package a low-risk investment and a great addition to their basic business toolkits.

Most large corporations use template-based solutions alongside other systems for quick one-off proposals and prototyping. A template-based system allows users to work anywhere, view more samples and get more writing assistance, and use formatting tools to create a polished proposal that can be delivered in print or PDF format.

Template-based proposal kit systems are generally more efficient for smaller projects. And the information from these proposal kit template-based systems can often be uploaded to an enterprise system or to a web-based system when you want to use the extra analytics and other tools they offer.

How Can a Content Writing Agency Help To Grow Your Business?

In the digital world, content is the king. This term is entirely correct as the whole internet is striving on the content posted on the website. The primary thing necessary for a website to rank higher in the search engine result pages is top-notch content. After considering this thing, you must be thriving to add content on your site. However, mere adding a large number of articles or blog is not sufficient for a better website. Though quantity plays a significant role, you should never ignore the quality of the content.

Most of the beginner websites don’t know the things that should be included in the online content and end up inserting the wrong things which can do more damage than good to their website. To avoid any content damage to the site, it is best to hire a content writing agency. Without a doubt, they will charge a specific amount for their work, but the results you get will surely help your business is growing. If you are still not convinced about hiring these agencies, then here we present you with some of the reasons how a content writing company can help your business.

Generate Engaging and Informative Content

Creating the right type of content for a website is the key to get the most out of a site. Content marketing agencies know what kind of content will drive more traffic towards your website. In addition to that, they have a fair idea of your niche and will only provide you with the content revolving around that specific niche.

Save Time

Undoubtedly, generating content requires time and effort investment which doesn’t even guarantee success. When you opt for a content writing service, you are taking their time and efforts and using it for your website which will ultimately save your business time. You can use that time to curate new idea for your business or its future plans. Moreover, most of these agencies come with 100% result guarantee, so it is sure that your business will be benefitted.

SEO Friendly Content

Search engine optimisation or SEO is the technique to make necessary changes on the website so that it can rank higher is the result pages. The writers at these agencies know the latest online trends and search engine algorithms which they will implement in your content that will assist your website in reaching the top spot. Every content marketing company ensures that they integrate the right set of keywords in the content which looks natural and avoid any penalty on your website.

Lower Cost

Having in-house writers is surely a good thing for every company. However, you have to bear the additional costs of these writers including their salaries, the working space, their management costs and other miscellaneous expenses. When you hire content marketing services, all you have to do is pay the desired amount to the company as per the work you are getting. This eliminates the additional costs that you have to bear, and you can invest that money for the growth of your business.

On Time Content

Sometimes companies hire freelancers rather than going for content writing company, mainly because freelancers are cheaper to hire. However, they can get the job done, but there is no guarantee to it. Apart from that, freelancers may delay in providing the content. On the other hand, these companies are highly professional and will provide the work on time without making you wait for your content.

A content writing agency will help you in meeting your daily content requirements easily. Now you know how a content writing company can assist your business growth. Go ahead and contact some of the best agencies and expand your business.

15 More Press Release Writing Rules For Better Exposure

In my last article I shared 15 tips for effective media release writing. I understand that to the business owner writing a press release might seem like a daunting task at first to you. However, with a little knowledge and practice you will be able to write a news release that gets results. So in addition to the previous 15 tips I shared with you, we’ve developed 15 more guidelines for writing and distributing your press release.

1. Include Company Information – If your company is going to take the time to write a news article, you should probably take the time to write a paragraph about the company. This gives the reporters a little background information on the business and qualifies the source of information.

2. Interest Your Audience – Keep your audience and the publications readers in mind. Before writing your press release you should consider why the news matters to them. Ask yourself if you’d want to read the press release, if you were in their shoes.

3. Compelling Headlines – Just like the rest of your marketing, you need a headline that will catch the attention of your intended audience (in this case the news editor). It will likely be the first thing the editor reads. If it doesn’t catch his attention, it will also be the last.

4. Personalize The Angle – As soon as possible, you should provide your personal angle. The personal angle on the news is usually what is getting your organization plugged in the story. An effective way to do this is by utilizing quotes from well-known or qualified individuals.

5. Keep Up-To-Date – News by its very nature should be current. If the news in your release is outdated you shouldn’t be sending it. Yesterday’s news is today’s history.

6. Build Credibility – Quotes from your company’s senior executives should do. News releases are taken a much more seriously when the boss’s name is on the line.

7. Condense The News – You should try to tell the entire story in the first paragraph. The rest of the release can contain more details. But it’s nice to know that if everything else is cut, you still got your main points across. Being “top heavy” is a good thing.

8. Positive Perception – If the local community could perceive your news in a negative manner, you should take extra care to highlight the potential positives of the announcement.

9. Deal With Facts – News articles should include factual information. Leave the opinions for the editorial column. It is OK, however, to include quotes that feature opinions.

10. Appropriate Demographics – If you have an executive that better matches the demographics of your target audience, it is a good idea to use their quotes in the story. For example, a magazine on women’s business is much more likely to run a story, with a female spokesperson.

11. Get Permission – When including individual’s quotes in your press release it’s always a good idea to get permission. Verbal permission is always that is usually required, but this can prevent future problems as well as clarify any misunderstandings.

12. Make Yourself Reachable – Provide a specific contact person with a phone number where they can be reached. Don’t make contacting you a challenge. In fact it’s a good idea to include an email address, web address, and fax number as well.

13. Relate to Popular Topics – One method that can earn you coverage is link your news, organization, or business to popular news. Many news stories do nothing more than explain how a particular industry is affected by something else that happened.

14. Show Professionalism – Using a professional layout and avoid sloppiness to indicating seriousness. Understanding and abiding by industry standards for writing press releases is a great start. For example, always write your press releases in the 3rd person and end your press releases with “-30-” or “XXX”.

15. Verify Accuracy – When it comes to numbers, names, and locations it’s easy to make mistakes. You should always double-check everything to avoid embarrassing mistakes.

If you apply these rules for improving your media releases, you substantially increase the chance of your media release being published. To discover even more ways to improve your press release writing you should read these press release rules.

Hot New Business Idea – Home-Town Article Writing

Article writing as we know it has become a great home-based business avenue for creating an additional stream of income or exposure. Creating mind tingling articles that will keep the attention of your audience occupied is of vital importance. The small town business idea of writing a news article on business ownership for your local newspaper publication is one that I believe is quite overlooked. This newspaper or magazine is relatively small in production, circulation and content. It will usually be locally owned and operated.

Do your research to find out what bi-weekly or monthly articles are published. Nine times out of ten, there will not be anything covering people who own their own business or how to start your own business, a popular niche that you can take advantage of. There will be a bit of leg-work involved, but the exposure, if not income too, will be totally worth your while. Call the editor of the newspaper you chose and set up an appointment to talk one on one with them about writing for their publication. There may not be any monetary incentive for it at first but let them know you are willing to freelance for the exposure. If the offer is accepted, you will now need to make a list of people in your town who are business owners. If you don’t know many, ask friends and relatives for help.

Some idea titles for your column could be: Being Your Own Boss 101, An Inside Focus to B.Y.O.B., All My Own: Business 101, or You Can Start Your Own Business, Too. You will then need to call those prospective business owners, tell them who you are, why you would like to interview them for your column and the name of the newspaper they will be featured in. Most will be flattered to be mentioned in a publication. No picture is necessary, unless you and the business owner agree on submitting one.

The following interview questions should get you on your way.

1. How they started their own business
2. Motivation for wanting to be in business
3. When they started and how long in the business
4. Some difficulties they faced and how they overcame it
5. Would they do it again and what would they do different
6. Tips for others who may want to have their own business
7. In what ways do they give back
8. Business happenings current and future
9. Future plans, if any
10. Family status, faith affiliation, if any, encouraging words or business motto

An important factor is always remember to check for spelling and grammatical errors within your articles. This can make or break your expertise as an article writer. These are just some general ideas for interview questions, you can always alter for your own satisfaction. And by no means should you limit yourself to just writing for your own home-town, contact other small towns after you’ve reached a certain level of comfortable expertise and then accelerate to larger ones. This will be a specialty niche exclusively built by you but geared towards helping others in their own business and those wanting their own business.

I hope this will help someone in their future article writing journey. One never knows, before long you may end up venturing out with your own business publication centered around this one little specialty niche. My sincere hope is that this creative business idea will free you into your own way of thinking and living.

Letter Writing Techniques – Good News Vs Bad News Letters

There are different strategies and techniques to be discussed when writing good-news and bad-news letters. In good-news letters a writer is conveying good news to the receiver. The first paragraph (introduction) provides the good-news topic (reason for the letter). The second paragraph (discussion) provides the details of the good-news and the third paragraph (conclusion) calls for action.

Bad-news letters use the indirect approach and opens with a neutral idea while providing facts and supporting evidence. The second paragraph presents the reason for the bad news letter. The third paragraph ends with a neutral close. Tact and politeness is required when writing a letter of bad news. A writer of a letter of bad news must pay attention to tone and structure throughout the letter to avoid future problems. Writers must prevent themselves from offending the reader.

All writing is a form of persuasion. A writer tries to persuade their reader to understand his, or her point of view. Attention to wording is essential in a bad-news business letter to prevent breaking the code of ethics. An example for a reason for a bad-news letter is:

A company I work for has been advised to downsize labor cost by any means possible. The only choice I have is to terminate all temporary positions within the company. This decision requires that I write bad news letters to each of the temporary employees, terminating them and explaining to each one the reason for termination. I must take care to use tact and politeness throughout the letter while making it clear that their job performance was excellent and had no bearing on my company decision. When writing to the employee, I should offer a severance pay and to write a letter of recommendation to help the employee with job search. Additionally, medical benefits should be extended for a short time after termination. Additionally, letting the employee know that with his, or her given qualifications and proven abilities, I am confident that he or she will find another position in the near future. End on a calm and upward happy note.