Writing Archives - Page 39 of 64

Bookcraft 2.0: Why Bloggers Choose Better Titles than Authors

November 6, 2006 by Liz

In a conversation with Phil early this morning, we realized we are ready for the collaboration part of this endeavor. Here’s how it will work:

Phil will choose two days or evenings per week we can meet via voice.
He’ll arrange his time so that after each call he has a block of writing time.
I’ll arrange my time so that before each call I have prep time. I’ll send a list of the pages we’ll be talking about.
When we talk we’ll cover 3-8 pages in one section, discussing what rewrites they might need to flow together.
Phil will do the rewrites immediately after.
Phil will hold all of the rewrites until we’ve been through the entire first pass of the book.

Now the book is shaping up as a whole. We’ll be looking at how things fit together and flow. One of the relevant key word strings in Phil’s working title is “practical tips.” On the pages, we made a rule that each page has a real-life application of what Phil has described. During our two phone calls each week, we’ll be testing each tip to make sure that there are no repeats, that all of them can be done, and all can be called practical.

We’ll revisit the working title even more often than we already were.

The cover and the title are a promise of what is inside of the book. So we are careful to constantly revisit the title to make sure that the choices we make are in keeping with what our goal is.

This is where bloggers outshine the average off the street author. Bloggers know the value of relevant key words. They know readers search for important terms.Bloggers understand from their daily publishing that they should call a book what it is, not something clever that readers won’t understand.

We’re scaffolding down to a manscript that is beginning to be more like a book.

–ME “Liz” Strauss
If you’d like Liz to help you find or make a book from your archives, click on the Work with Liz!! page in the sidebar.

Writing for That One Most Important Reader: That Curious, Clever, Intelligent Individual

October 31, 2006 by Liz

How Do You Write for Everyone?

How easy it is to get overwhelmed when I think of how individual each reader is. How can I possibly meet what they expect, when each of them comes with a different goal, a different history, and a different mind set?

Whatever the subject I choose to write on, I can be sure that some readers will know it far better than I do and some will have never encountered it before. How do I bridge gap to write a piece that meets learners on solid ground while engaging readers with significant expertise? These writing questions are central for anyone who writes for an audience of more than two people they already know.

How do I answer these questions for myself and for others?

I give them the answer Big Roy discovered.
[Read more…]

“What’s Your Most Successful Post, Liz?”

October 29, 2006 by Liz

Did You Really Think I’d Pick Just One?

The answer to the What’s yours? question that you’ve asked me is that I have two most successful posts here and one at my writing blog.

Love at First Write: 5 +1 Steps to Your Authentic Writing Voice because it holds the keys to writing.

An Open Thought: Please Take the Keys because the conversation in the comments is a naked education in blogging and the beauty of community.

If it has to be one, my choice is a favorite child that think of as the most outstanding piece — it’s human, heartfelt, and hopeful. It still moves me when I read it.

Walking on Water

It’s the essay I offered as a prize. And, Starbucker, there is a car in it.

Meeting Again for the Very First Time . . .

October 27, 2006 by Liz

Someone asked me, “Do people change?”

I had to say I think we do. I think we grow in some way — we become more of who we are and more of what we do. We just don’t notice change because it happens so naturally and so slowly.

It seems a very human quality that we get used to our lives. We’re busy working, talking care of things. We don’t notice how we grow and change over time.

It’s not until someone say’s “Hey, remember when . . .” that I stop to think Whoa yeah, I’ve learned so much since then.

I’m kind of like that about people too. I forget what my life was like before I knew the folks I care about or what I saw when I first met them that made me want to meet them a second time.

So once in while, I imagine that I’m meeting everyone for the very first time. Suddenly I see all of the reasons, I wanted these people in my life.

Liz's Signature

Fresh-cut Flowers in Every Room

October 20, 2006 by Liz

When I was 40, I went for a drive with Nancy — my close friend who owns a Porsche, and we ended up at a movie. Who knows, who cares which movie it was?

I do remember this much of the movie: the high gloss mahogany table in the center of the entry hall had a vase of tall, beautiful, fresh-cut flowers from the gardens. They were breathtaking. They made me notice that every room in the mansion of the movie had a table with glorious flowers.

After the movie, Nancy and I walked in silence to the Porsche. We let our movies sink in that way. She had her thoughts. I had mine. I was thinking about those flowers. When I grow up, I’m going to have fresh cut flowers in every room of my house.

That thought stopped me in my tracks.

Nancy stopped too. She knows me well enough. She looked at me in anticipation. “Yes?” was all she needed to say.

“What am I waiting for?”

“You’re waiting? You’re stopped. What are you waiting for?”

I started slowly walking in circles around the late night parking lot. I was watching my sneakers, as if the words were hidden on my shoelaces.

“No, no. Here I am 40 years old. I’ve built a new home. I’ve got a great job, and I left that movie thinking When I grow up I’ll have fresh flowers in every room in my house. What am I waiting for? “

“And?” She had faith I’d figure it out.

“When exactly did I think that would be? What’s stopping me from doing that now?”

“And your answer to that?”

“I’m giving myself permission right now to have fresh flowers in my house from this day now on. Think this little car could take us somewhere that we could buy flowers on the way home?”

“Sure thing,” she smiled, the way she does.

The next week I became a gardener and in a month I had fresh flowers in my office every day too. . . .

Friday is a good day to give yourself permission to do something you forgot you always wanted to do.

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Five Reasons Writers Make More $ Writing White Papers

October 18, 2006 by Guest Author

Michael A. Stelzner, Guest Writer

Looking to drum up some new business? Want to get more dollars from existing clients? Are you a starving writer?

Consider the five reasons why white papers could dramatically increase your writing revenue:

1. Demand exceeds supply: There are not enough writers who know how to write white papers. Businesses are aggressively looking to write more white papers. Master the art and count your dollars.

2. You can charge more for a white paper: White papers help businesses generate leads and close sales; thus, they are directly tied to revenue. For many businesses, only one or two sales from a white paper return the investment.

3. Businesses pay top dollar for white papers: Word for word, nothing beats a white paper. A good white paper writer charges between $3,000 and $10,000 for a 10-page white paper. This is the most lucrative writing business out there.

4. White papers can be multi-purposed: A well-written white paper can be converted into a contributed article or used as content on a website. This adds more value to a white paper project.

5. Many businesses need multiple white papers: Prove yourself with an excellent white paper and your client will want others. This can generate a consistent pipeline of work.

Your action: Develop your white paper writing skills with the groundbreaking new book, Writing White Papers: How to Capture Readers and Keep Them Engaged.

—Michael A. Stelzner