cokeravenue

You don’t turn a book into a bestseller by accident. It’s the result of multitudes walking into bookstores and logging onto websites with your author’s title in mind. But for that to happen, your author must first establish himself as a respected authority whose name comes to mind when the audience has an itch that needs scratching—and that’s called branding.

Now, there’s a valid scientific background to branding audiences with your author and his book. Ivan Pavlov won the Nobel Prize for branding in 1904. Of all things seemingly unrelated to marketing, he was investigating the gastric function of dogs by analyzing their saliva. Imagine that. And he noticed they were salivating before he actually gave them their food. Pavlov found this “psychic secretion” intriguing because salivating is an automatic reflex in dogs. So he immediately abandoned his original experiment and redirected his focus. The new study entailed ringing a bell and then rubbing meat paste on the dogs’ tongues in an attempt to establish an associative memory between the two occurrences. Sure enough, the dogs were soon automatically salivating every time to the sound of the bell in anticipation of the meat paste!

It’s important to note that Pavlov chose meat paste because meat is something that always matters to dogs. A bowl of limes would not have produced the same reaction because dogs simply don’t have it in their hearts to care about limes. It’s the same sort of thing with readers. You can publish the best book that’s ever been written, but if it doesn’t speak to what matters to the heart of your audience, they’re going to pass it by for something that does.

What does the audience care about? Does your author’s book focus on important values of the audience? If it does, that’s a good start toward a strong marketing platform, and good marketing platforms lead to book sales. But if you want your author to be the one people think of first and feel the best about when they go searching to fulfill a value, then encourage him to utilize the three fundamental elements of branding: frequency, consistency, and anchoring.

Frequency is all about repetition. Pavlov rang that bell and distributed that meat paste day after day after day. He didn’t take a day off every now and again just to test the dogs’ memories. And neither should an author take a day off when he’s attempting to build a significant brand or marketing platform for his book. He has to find creative ways to keep getting in front of his audience on a regular, frequent basis, such as creating an online newsletter, arranging interviews on TV and the radio, setting up an Internet blog where he can have daily interaction with prospective and current buyers of his book. Suggest these possibilities to your author to get him into that frequency mode. And maybe you even know some people who would interview him. A little helpful info goes a long way.

Consistency has to do with your author always delivering a valued experience to the audience. Pavlov rang the same bell before every feeding. He didn’t mix and match between a multitude of high-pitched sounds. Nor did he vary what came next. He wanted those dogs to recognize that bell and associate it immediately with one thing, the taste of meat—just as you want people to associate your author and his book with a particular valued experience every time they think of that value. Is his book about a new management technique? Then suggest he offer to speak for free at local business college and community colleges, and encourage him to keep using the keywords and phrases that encapsulate his insightful business concepts. If he’s got a logo, then make sure he consistently displays that whenever and wherever he can.

Seth Godin, author of the bestseller Purple Cow, understands frequency and consistency in a book marketing and public relations campaign. He practices frequency and consistency through——

1. Permission marketing is a process by which marketers ask permission before sending ads to prospects. Godin pioneered the practice in 1995 with the founding of Yoyodyne, the Web’s first direct mail and promotions company. He sold it to Yahoo! three years later and became VP of Permission Marketing for Yahoo!.

2. Fast Company magazine, where Godin is a long-time contributing editor.

3. Seth Godin’s Blog is one of the most frequented blogs in existence.

4. Public speaking. Successful Meetings magazine named Godin one of the top 21 speakers of the 21st century. Words used to describe his lectures include ‘visual’, ‘personal,’ and ‘dynamic.’

5. ebooks. In the year 2000, Seth made his new release, Unleashing the Ideavirus, available to everyone through a free download. More than one million people responded. And that sparked huge sales of the hardback copy of the book.

Anchoring, the third and final piece of the branding puzzle, poses the greatest challenge. Anchoring has to do with creating an association between your author and something already valued and rooted firmly in the audience’s heart and mind. Pavlov chose meat paste because meat already exists as an important matter in the heart of a dog. This is anchoring at its finest. As Seth Godin puts it, “Create something they want to talk about and make it easy for them to do so.”

Because you are publishing his book, you know your author has something that thousands of people value and are interested in. To help your author anchor his book in the hearts of that potential audience, refer him to books by marketing gurus such as Roy H. Williams (The Wizard of Ads, Secret Formulas of the Wizard of Ads, Magical Worlds of the Wizard of Ads), Bryan and Jeffrey Eisenberg (Call to Action, Waiting for Your Cat to Bark), and Chip and Dan Heath (Made to Stick). As he learns great techniques for stimulating the attention, interest, and desire of his audience, he will create book marketing efforts that link and anchor their values to his book.

What is your author doing to help people think of him first, and feel good about it, when an important value of theirs comes to mind or when their itch needs to be scratched? Is he just irritating the dogs?

Questions about publishers helping authors with branding may be directed to Michael R. Drew at the Austin, Texas, headquarters of Promote A Book: 512-858-0040. You can also contact Michael via email at Michael@promoteabook.com.

Mike Drew

In The Writer’s Toolkit, Part One we discussed voice recognition software and web hosting in your arsenal of handy tools. Today we’ll explore software for project organization (a must if you’re a visual person who needs to see something to get their head around it), free toys to help you edit your manuscript in a smoother fashion and design programs for your creative side.

Project Organization

Are you someone who does better with a visual map or chart in front of you? Me too. I found this cool software that let’s you create visual charts with notes, attachments and even website attachments. It’s called Mindjet.

You can download a free 21-day trial to see if you like it and the tutorials walk you through how to use most of the features. I recently used it to map out a new project and it worked like a charm.

Microsoft Word Toys

If you’re editing drafts of your latest 1,000 page novel and would love to be able to have a split screen to go back and forth between drafts, here’s the best thing since, well, Windows. It’s freeware from Microsoft for XP that allows you to have two, three or four desktops.

It’s called Virtual Desktop and lets you split your screen into as many as 4 separate screens at a time. I usually only use 2 at a time but you can keep opening screens and they’ll lie atop each other.

Go to Microsoft’s website and look on the right side of the page for the Virtual Desktop download.

After you’ve downloaded the freeware, find a blank space on your XP toolbar [the one at the bottom of your screen where all your startup icons are], right click to find tools, click that and look for Desktop Manager. Click that and you should be set. There’s also a read file for these toys that will guide you through the quick setup.

This should avoid the expense of two monitors or another video card.

Design programs

If you decide that you want to design and produce some freebies (like take away cards for your next novel or bookmarks) when you make personal appearances, you’ll want to have a design program that gives you some flexibility.

You can opt for the Adobe Creative Suite but it’s pricey at over $1,300. I like working with Microsoft Publisher because it gives me the tools I need and it’s pretty easy to use.

You don’t want to do any design or creative with graphics or photos in a program like Word because, in my opinion, it’s not stable enough. Placing pictures or graphics where you want them to be and having them stay where you put them is difficult even though the makers of Word suggest that it can be used as a design program.

You can buy Publisher on its own and it’s about $150 or so. You might even find some sales out there or get it on eBay. It’s standard on XP Pro and you may already have it installed but have never used it.

Conclusion

As a writer, you need to have an arsenal loaded with helpful tools that makes your job easier. Check out some of the tools I’ve listed above and drop me an e-mail if you find something you think is worthwhile.

(Originally published on the Writing Etc. website from Filbert Publishing and reprinted with permission of the author, Victoria Rosendahl).

Victoria Rosendahl has published one adult mystery and has begun the Kathy & Martha Mystery Series with the first installment, Bitter Tastes. Check out Bitter Tastes for ideas on how to build a kid friendly web site and feel free to e-mail her at info@vbrosendahl.com.

Last time we talked about the kinds of things to consider when you’ve been invited to speak with kids at an elementary or middle school.

Let’s move forward and look at some key points you’ll want to keep in mind for a memorable visit.

Let kids ask

I always make sure to leave lots of time for kids to ask all kinds of questions. And these questions do not have to be related to my being an author or having written a particular genre of book. I do ask them what kinds of books they like to read and ask them to tell me what book they’re reading right then.

For example, my favorite book of all time when I was a fifth grader was Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell. I recently bought a copy of it and re-read it. It held the same kind of magic for me now that it did in 1966.

If you have a favorite book from when you were in elementary or middle school (it was called junior high when I was going), then mention that. Oftentimes, the kids are reading those very books and will relate what they like about it - and what they dislike about it - so you can have a conversation with them instead of lecturing.

A chapter reading

At some point in your presentation you’ll want to ask kids if they’d like to hear the first chapter of the book. I’ve never spoken with a group of kids who did not want that to occur. Everyone loves to be read to - even adults.

If you’ve written a mystery and have a really good first chapter you will probably have the kids raise their hands and ask you to read the second chapter. If you have time definitely do it.

Offer a challenge

I did this kind of activity when I was in the process of writing the sequel to my first juvenile mystery, Bitter Tastes. Both Bitter Tastes and Mudder are part of the Kathy and Martha Mystery Series.

I read the kids the first working chapter of Mudder and asked if they could give me some help. I wanted them to come up with elements of suspense that would heighten the tension and make the first chapter scarier. The suggestions I chose would be included in the new first chapter and the names of the kids working on that project will be included in the acknowledgment section of the new book.

I got some really great suggestions from the kids and have had many of them ask when the new book would be coming out so they could see their name on the acknowledgment page.

Handouts

I have two handouts that I regularly use when I make an appearance at a school. The first one is a very short, half-page that gives the kids a way to structure their stories into a common theme. This is a tool they can use over and over again for any story they write.

This second handout is actually a freebie that is a bookmark for them and great publicity for me. Everyone who comes to one of my appearances gets a free bookmark and I usually autograph it for them as well. I make the bookmarks in my home office using 110-pound card stock and a color printer. With the sophistication of desktop publishing there is no problem making a really attractive and memorable bookmark.

If you decide to make a bookmark on your own don’t forget to use the back side as well. You don’t have to limit yourself just to the front and make sure that your web site address appears at least once if not twice on this bookmark.

Conclusion

Visiting schools is a wonderful way to give your time and talent to kids. It’s also the world’s best laboratory for writers of juvenile fiction because the kids you speak with are your audience.

You won’t receive better feedback anywhere else.

Victoria Rosendahl has published one adult mystery and has begun the Kathy & Martha Mystery Series with the first installment, Bitter Tastes. Check out Bitter Tastes for ideas on how to build a kid friendly web site and feel free to e-mail her at info@vbrosendahl.com.

One day you wake up and announce to the world that you would like to write a novel. Pardon the pun, but that is a novel idea. At some point in time that is what everyone dreams about. Let’s face it; we all have a story to tell, don’t we?

In reality though, how does it all really come about?

For me, the writing itself is relatively easy. The sentence structure; the punctuation; the correct spelling are all general tools that don’t cause much of a problem for me. And I assume that is true for a lot of other writers.

In my opinion the challenging part of writing is dreaming up the topic. It takes much thought to come up with a story line and develop a plot. Creating scenes is a taxing exercise of the mind. Putting the actions in a readable sequence is also tricky. The story must flow and force the reader to stay interested enough to turn the pages.

In my personal experience it may take anywhere from a few weeks to several months to figure out how I’m going to make a story work. Once I identify the subject matter that I want to write about a subconscious energy sort of kicks in. Even though I continue to live daily life, the inner thought process is constantly at work trying to figure out the details of the story.

One trick that I found was that exercise helps me to reach a state of relaxation that allows for my mind to reach an open phase. While jogging I have found that the demands on the respiratory system and muscle groups have allowed for me to reach a freedom from within.

Another valuable time of discovery is in the middle of the night or shortly after awakening in the morning. For some reason the mind is not clogged and burdened with the goings-on of everyday life. Still another mind-enlightening time is while I am driving down the interstate in my car. During those moments I have found that it is always a good idea to have a pen and pad of paper easily accessible to jot down ideas.

At any rate, as I mentioned earlier, the time that it takes to sort events out in my mind varies. One of the things that I love to do is create characters. I can actually see them and hear them. Once the scenes are figured out and put into the proper sequence, then I have the freedom to place my characters into the action and have them deliver the message of the story.

It is fun to create twists and turns as the story is delivered. It is enjoyable to place hard-to-attain hurdles in the path of a main character as he or she travels on their journey. It is pleasurable to exploit their weakness and make them vulnerable to the actions of the other characters. Most of the characters have some sort of a purpose. Even if it is merely wallpaper in the action of the story, they seem to fill out the scene is some way, shape, or form.

So, in a nutshell, even if you decide to sit down and write a novel, just remember that it takes a great deal of planning to actually decide how the story is to be told. It is so very important to have an orderly procession of events and actions that follow in a logical manner. Characters have the freedom to deliver the message. The trick is putting them in situations that allow for the message to be delivered in an entertaining and meaningful way.

Good luck! Writing is a fun exercise of the mind. You’ll find that it becomes a little easier if you do some sort of pre-planning before you start. After all, when you take a drive in your car it is always better to have a destination in mind. Otherwise you merely wander aimlessly.

James Ross, a University of Missouri-Columbia graduate, went to a keyboard and let the words flow through his fingertips. Lifetime Loser is his first novel. Consumed by the writing bug, he is working on more books. Visit James Ross.

We don’t hook a reader with logical exposition, flat narration or argument. We must get to the part of the reader’s life that is involuntary, automatic: the five senses and mood/emotion. In that way we convert “tell” into “show.”

The visceral approach to description brings a story to life. It shatters the time tired clich

Bundy checked his watch and cursed as he hurried through the front door of the high school. It was the first session of his computer course, and he was late. He rushed down the hallway carrying his laptop, perspiration sliding down his neck. He was only a couple of minutes late, but Principal McDougal had been keeping a close eye on him. The old battleaxe was trying to build a case that he should be terminated for incompetence. What is wrong with her anyway? This is the school system, not some big corporation that had to make money. She needed to get a life and leave him alone.

He slipped into the classroom, which was filled with students. They all looked enthusiastic and ready to learn.

I hate enthusiasm.

He didn’t really want to teach night school classes for adults, but he needed the money. Damn credit cards made it too easy to buy stuff. And his wife Peg had lost her job at the department store because of that stupid fight with a customer. So what the guy was seventy-five, he had landed a few good shots on Peg. She was only defending herself when she threw him into the TV’s. The display holding all the sets had collapsed, smashing everything. They fired her on the spot, but at least the store had dropped all the charges. That’s Peg’s story, anyway.

“Okay class, let’s get started,” Al said. “My name is Al Bundy and I’m a teacher at this school. This short course is called Protecting your PC. For those of you who haven’t figured it out, I’m going to teach you a few basic measures you should do to keep your computer safe.”

“Are you a computer science teacher?” one of the women asked.

Al straightened up. “Physical Education.”

The class tittered. “But I’ve had plenty of experience with computers,” Al added.

A big middle-aged guy shouted out, “Besides porn?”

The students roared, which really got under Al’s skin. He would have thrown the guy out of the class, but the bastard looked like he could kick Al’s butt. Then a dopey twenty-something guy in the front row started waving his hand impatiently.

Al sighed. “What do you want? First state your name, then ask your question.”

“My name is Tony Balboa.” He picked a piece of paper off his desk and held it up for Al to read. “This here schedule says this is the Introduction to Sex Education class. Taught by Jessica Mathews. You’re not her, so what the hell is going on?”

Al walked up to Balboa and snatched the calendar out of his hand. Tony had drawn a circle around a description of the sex education class. Al spotted the problem immediately. What a freaking idiot!

“The sex education class was last week. This is last week’s calendar.”

The idiot scratched his thick black hair. “Let me see.”

Al handed the calendar back to Balboa. Tony studied it and then said, “Shit!”

Al smiled at the young idiot’s confusion. “Well, Mr. Balboa, I suppose you want to leave now. Don’t let us waste your valuable time.”

Balboa scratched his head again, staring at Al through puzzled eyes. “So this class is about computer shit?”

“Fraid so. Just dumb ol’ computer stuff.”

Balboa nodded his head, as if he had decided something. “I’m going to stay in this class. My nephew has a computer, but I don’t know how to use it. I need to learn this computer shit.”

Al was tempted to try to change his mind, then sighed and mumbled, “What the hell.” It didn’t matter. Balboa would stay for this class, realize he was in over his head and never show up again.

“Okay,” Al said to the class. “Now let’s really get started. When you use the Internet, you run the danger of unauthorized software getting into your computer. These undesirable programs could really foul up your PC. They might trash your system, steal information from your files, take control of your PC or just do things to annoy you. These nasty programs are called viruses, worms and Trojans.” He looked over the class, hoping there might be some intelligence out there. “Can anyone tell me what these terms mean?”

“Let me answer,” Balboa shouted. “I know what a Trojan is.”

“No, Balboa, not that kind of Trojan. We’re talking about software.”

“Yeah, soft wear, that’s what I use.”

“Balboa, I want you to shut up and listen for the rest of the class. There’s an outside chance you might learn something.”

“Thank you, professor.”

Al leaned back against the front desk. He believed in heavy class participation, not because it was a superior learning technique, but because it allowed him to offload the work to students. If Balboa would shut up, he could get the smart kids to teach most of the class.

A geeky looking kid in the front row raised his hand. When Al nodded, he said, “I’m Wayne B. Click. I design relational databases for ISpy Consulting.”

“Not that I want to throw a wet blanket on your party, but why are you taking this class? This is an introductory course, designed for people who don’t know squat about computers.”

“I understand, Professor Bundy, but my analyst said I had to get out and meet people.” He shrugged. “Maybe have sex with some women, too.”

“I’m not really interested in your situation, Click. Just explain a computer virus.”

“Well, a computer virus is a computer program that can copy itself and infect a computer without permission or knowledge of the user. A virus can only spread from one computer to another when its host software is taken to the uninfected computer, for instance by a user sending mail over the Internet, or by carrying it on a removable medium such as a floppy disk, CD, or USB drive. A computer worm is different. A worm can spread itself to other computers without needing to be transferred as part of a host. A Trojan Horse, like the Greek legend, is a program that looks like another, harmless program. A user is fooled into using it; then it does something nasty.”

Click shrugged. “Is that okay, Professor Bundy, or should —.”

“Shut up, Click,” Al interrupted. “I mean, you did great. Now does anyone have a question?”

A leggy blond in the back row raised her hand, pulling a very short skirt to the top of her thighs. Al moved a couple of strides to his right, trying to get just the right angle to improve the view up her skirt.

If she were only in the front row, but no, I have to get losers like Balboa and Click up here.

“The young legs … lady in the back,” Al said.

“My name is Sharon Pebbles, Bindy.”

“Bundy, my dear, but you can call me Al.”

Sharon shifted in her seat, and to Al’s delight, her skirt did the impossible by moving higher. She paused a second, and slowly crossed her gorgeous legs. He’d never seen so much skin in a classroom. Al couldn’t speak; for a moment he feared a stroke.

“Bindy, I’m not really interested in all these technical terms. Can’t you just tell us what to do to protect our computer.” She stood up, ending Al’s dreamy view. “Otherwise, I might as well leave right now.”

“Please sit down,” Al squeaked. After clearing his throat, he said, “We are just getting to that part of the class.”

Since Sharon continued to stand, an impatient look spreading over her pretty face, Al decided he had to act fast or this luscious idiot might actually leave. He couldn’t risk calling one of these idiot students; he would have to do the work himself.

“The most important step to protect your computer is to take regular backups. At least once a month, make a copy of all your key data files. Anything that you can’t afford to lose, back it up and store it offline.” He was relieved when Sharon took her seat, restoring his wonderful view. “I backup my files weekly, just to be extra safe. In addition, some really important files — for example my financial information — I back up every day when I finish working with them.”

“I got one,” Balboa shouted. “I know what you should do.”

Why me, Lord?

“Okay, Balboa, what do ya got?”

“It’s so simple, you’re gonna love it!”

It would have to be simple.

“You planning to tell us anytime soon,” Al said. “Class will be over in a few minutes.”

“Here it is,” Balboa said. “Turn off your PC overnight. If it’s off, nobody can stick a Trojan in it.”

Al was prepared to laugh, but the damn thing made sense. He himself had a bad habit of leaving his computer on overnight, where it was vulnerable.

“Good suggestion, Balboa. Turn it off overnight or at any time it’s not in use for several hours. A computer can’t be infected while it’s off.”

Al looked over the class. “Anyone else with an idea how to keep your PC protected?”

“Never give up confidential information to a stranger,” the big middle-aged guy said. He must be six-one and pushing two-fifty, with a beefy face to match. “Watch out for emails, text messaging, chat rooms, everything. You fool around with that freakin’ stuff and they’ll pick you clean.” He looked around and smiled. “Only give confidential information to websites you trust. This is friendly advice, because youse are my classmates.”

“Sir, your name, please,” Al said.

“Vinny Soprano.”

“Didn’t I see you in the news last week?”

“You didn’t see nuthin.”

“My mistake.”

Soprano was staring at him, and he didn’t look pleased. Time to wrap this up.

“Well, class, that’s enough for today. Next week we will get into the specifics of anti-virus software.” He moved over again, ready for one last look at Sharon. “See you next week, same time, same place.”

Just as Sharon uncrossed her legs, Balboa stepped in front of him, blocking his view. “Great class, Professor Bundy. See you next week.”

Al collapsed against the side of the desk. Maybe I could have the class moved to another building. The students filtered out, leaving him alone in the classroom. Or another night. He packed up his laptop and walked toward the door. Or another country.

(Originally published on Dan Ronco’s website and reprinted with his permission).

Dan Ronco’s expertise in engineering and computer science infuses his fast-paced techno-thriller Unholy Domain with detail and authenticity. His second novel, it warns of the looming clash between religion and advanced science. Visit Dan Ronco.

In the April issue of Roundup Magazine, W. C. Jameson, the author of several books and a just published novel, discussed at some length “The Honesty of Blurbs.” He cited numerous examples of how these comments printed on the book jacket, or back cover of paperbacks, most frequently were ‘dishonest.’

Among his examples, were the author who asked for a blurb, and was surprised that the person whom he had asked, wanted to read the book; a blurb that was delivered to the author at his request, rather than the publisher, and appeared in press as a much altered, and improved version of the original; of publishers who admitted that blurbs they applied to books frequently, were written for them at their request, by another of their authors. Many readers do not depend upon these blurbs in selecting a book. However, if they do, I must concur with Jameson’s conclusions that the reader may or may not receive an accurate evaluation.

There is another matter that is just as dishonest to the reader and, perhaps, even more dishonest and detrimental, to the author and publisher. This is the book review done by a reviewer who, for one reason or another, does not really read the book. We all are aware that one can read at many levels - while also watching television, while half-asleep, as an assigned chore, or for actual personal enjoyment. Each attention method, obviously, would produce a different review.

Over a number of years I have had, as an author, more than a hundred research papers, as well as six textbooks, a lexicon in four languages, and a recently published novel, all subject to review. In no way, have I been able to find fault with most of the reviews, and have complete respect for the reviewers’ opinions.

In the recent past, I have found an increased level of annoyance with reviews, however. I have read several novels that are not as reviewed. Too often, it appears that the reviewer has been participating in some of the activities sited above while reading the book in hand. His evaluation may result from an undesirable assignment, or has come about in some other unpleasant manner. Regardless of cause, results usually take the form of criticism of historical fact, when the fact is there, but the reviewer missed it. Or, there may be criticism of a character’s language or actions that contain thinly veiled sarcasm. Or again, the reviewer may not be compatible with the book, and instead of providing a truthful overview, will again resort to criticism. Regardless, I have found the review erroneous, and of little help in a pre-evaluation of the book.

It is true, that it is not an easy task to provide an unbiased review, if one or more factors result in book-reader incompatibility. However, a reviewer, in such circumstances, is doing a disservice to the editor, the author and the reader, and should turn the task over to another.

As an editor of a scientific journal for a number of years, I provided almost countless papers and books to reviewers. Reviews are a requirement for the health of science. I believe they serve a similar purpose for the health of material provided for enjoyment. As an editor, I always expected a reviewer to read a book, or paper carefully. If they could not equate, they merely informed me and I would assign it to another.

One can postulate that application of the same policy to pleasurable reading that one applies to scientific books and papers is too stringent. However, the cost of publishing and purchasing books today is far more expensive. Nicely bound paperbacks easily reach the fourteen to sixteen dollar range. Would it not seem appropriate to at least provide an honest evaluation for a reader, and incidentally give the author and its publisher a break?

The book ratings that the reader provides in passing, such as those by Amazon readers, have no alternative but to be accepted for what they are. But, parenthetically, usually they are quite accurate. On the other hand, would it be too much trouble for editors and publishers who request reviews, to be a little more careful in their handling of reviews and reviewers? Incorrect, or badly done, reviews can be bad for all levels of the industry. Done correctly, they are helpful to all.

John H. Manhold is a retired professor and scientific journal editor. He is an author of several textbooks, a lexicon in four languages and now novels that often require extensive research. He provides coaching on various types and phases of writing. Please see John Manhold for more information, and an address.

When approaching development writing, whether it’s for a grant proposal, an annual appeal, a brochure, or an online appeal, the secret is to always keep in mind your donor. As Terry Axelrod, founder of the Benevon method of building lifelong donors, notes, an organization’s “emotional hook” is critical to fundraising success.

What is an “emotional hook?” Consider the two following recent annual appeal letters (names have been changed):

Dear UniversitySchool Alumni & Friends:

The UniversitySchool began this academic year with 576 new students – all promising, all enthusiastic, and most willing to shoulder tremendous debt in pursuit of a University graduate education. Costs for one year of study at UniversitySchool now total $56,850, including tuition, fees, and expenses.

The financial aid we offer is frequently the deciding factor in whether these students come to UniversitySchool or choose another institution. We must remain competitive with our peers – schools with much larger endowments who can offer more generous financial aid packages.

Giving to the Annual Fund at UniversitySchool really makes a difference. The Annual Fund helped the School to provide a landmark amount of $4.2 million in fellowships for 86% of the best and brightest students this year. With your support we can provide even more next year.

Blah, blah, blah.”

Now, if you’re still with me after that uninspiring tome, read the following:

Dear Pamela (personalized):

Somewhere along the way Robyn lost her voice. She had it when she was born. She cried and laughed, and when she started talking, you could hardly get her to stop. She had a voice when she was jumping rope or playing hide ‘n seek.

Then it was gone. Too much feeling like a “have not.” Too much nothing to do. Too much nobody home. Too much empty lots. Too much waiting for failure. Too much and too little.

Too often, people without money feel like they are nobodies, with nothing to say, and it won’t make a difference even if they did. Some people look for their voice with fists. Some look for their voice with guns. Some look in bottles.

We help people rediscover their voice in art. Their art. And with their voice comes power.”

Do you see the difference?

Yet, appeal letter #1 is more the standard, accepted letter you’re likely to receive. Statistics, not stories. And no doubt it gets donors. But there’s no “emotional hook,” there’s nothing to make you care. I’m betting that you wanted to read on in letter #2. You wanted to find out more about this organization. Frankly I wanted to find out about Robyn and how this organization changed her life. If letter #2 had provided a story about a real individual, rather than a composite, it would have been even more effective.

Your organization’s stories are all around you. They are in the thank you cards your program receives, the messages on the machine in your office, in emails, conversations, and in speeches at recognition events. If your program isn’t in the habit of collecting testimonials, make it a top priority! Actively seek them out by sending surveys to your clients and donors. Get in the habit of keeping a tape recorder handy, and set up a comment page on your website.

When it comes to development writing, break the rules. And remember, it’s ALL ABOUT THE STORY.

Pamela has worked in the nonprofit arena since 1995. Since 2003 she has had her own private consultancy, assisting nonprofit organizations with proposal development, prospect research, annual appeal strategies and communication planning. Pamela is the author of

Systemize! Strip it down! Eliminate! Accentuate!

It sounds like a college cheer. Rah! Rah! Rah-Rah-Rah!

Actually, it’s a lot more than a college cheer. It is the way professional editors polish writing. Even Asimov and Hemmingway had editors. In fact, without their editors, they wouldn’t be the acclaimed writers that they are.

I wouldn’t presume to be a polished writer myself, but I know that I see so much lousy writing on the web that I wish everyone had Audrey Own at their elbow, forcing them to write better.

Although we can’t all capture Audrey’s time, we can review the editing techniques that she so generously shares with us in “Get Your Writing Fighting Fit”. In eleven snappy chapters she takes us from sloppy to sublime. It’s part of her editing philosophy to keep it snappy: “Lean, mean writing keeps your readers keen” (p.6).

First Audrey examines the elements that editors look for when they do their editing task. Things like words, sentences, paragraphs and chapters – all the good, the bad and the truly ugly.

Then she shares her seven step Quick Assessment Process. Here is how you and I can create writing that flows with a zing. We are to take only two pages of our project, and we set a timer to limit us. Then, with a swirl of circles and X’s, looking for very specific items, our writing emerges with strength and vitality. And it’s all done in a matter of a few minutes.

For instance, one of her steps to writing success is to read just the first sentence of each paragraph. Reading just that much, does the writing convey the general idea? It should. The first sentence is that important. If it does not, that is an area of your writing that needs attention.

One of Audrey’s editing techniques is to give variety to sentence and paragraph length and structure. Mix it up, she calls it.

Like here.

This is a great editing system. It is clear, direct, fast, and very doable for most writers.

Keep in mind that “editing” is not “writing”. “Editing” is what enhances our “writing”. Before editing can do you a blimey bit of good, you need to start with solid writing. Your idea needs to be there, composed in reasonable sentences and paragraphs.

Then put your own writing through Audrey’s great seven step editing process and Bingo! You’ve got a great piece of prose.

Pick up your copy of “Get Your Writing Fighting Fit” at http://www.writershelper.com/gywffsales.html . It’s worth every penny of the $29.00 cost. And while you are at Audrey’s website, take a look around. You’ll discover slews of more great ideas too.

It is so easy to slip into bad writing habits, even truly awful writing habits. We all do it. So once in a while, put your writing through a solid editing review. You will probably be amazed at what you discover. You and I may never be Hemingway, but we needn’t be Prudy Hackaway either (she’s the one who never got published).

MaryAnn Shank has been writing for the business world for over 20 years. She is the force behind Business Plan Master and Your Network Marketing Coach. As a business plan editor/reviewer, she has seen more awful writing than she cares to think about, and considers Audrey Owen

There are a lot of different ways to inform people about different ideas and products on the internet. However, one of the fastest growing ways is, of course, ebooks. These are books that you write on the internet that are made to be distributed only by way of the internet. This can include email, downloads, or posting them on web sites. There is good news and bad news about ebooks.

The good news is that just about anyone can write an ebook, and the bad news is that just because anyone can write one, does not mean that they are all going to turn out great. It can be hard to write an ebook that people are going to want to read. The key when writing ebooks is to minimize your effort and maximize your profits. That is not easy. However, it can be done.

There are two different ways to go about writing an ebook with little effort. The first way is to, of course, do it yourself. Doing it yourself is going to cost you a little bit of effort no mater how you look at it. However, if your topic is well researched, and you know your targeted niche, then you are going to be able to type up an ebook with very little effort. Your knowledge worth money. So don’t be affraid to use your knowledge to write an ebook. Make your knowledge sell! There are a thousand ways to stretch your knowledge into a product worth.

The great news is that when you make an ebook yourself, you are sure that it’s going to turn out the way that you want it to. However, the down side to writing your own ebook is the fact that if you do not like it, the only person you have to blame is yourself. If you are a poor copywriter, it would be a good idea to consider another option for creating your ebook.

The other option about writing an ebook is, of course to hire a freelance writer. This can be one of the easiest ways to write an ebook. All you have to do is tell the freelancer what you are looking for, and they type it up. They only have to make one copy, because you can just copy it and make more yourself. This by far is the easiest way to make an ebook and requires little to no effort.

The only downside to hiring a freelance writer is for that reason right there, you have to hire them! That means it’s going to cost you money. However, usually the amount of money the ebook is going to bring in, far out weights the amount of money you spent on it. Advertising on the internet has never been easier than it is today. To make sure that you get the most out of the internet you should try making or hiring someone (unless you’re a very good copywriter) to make your own ebook.

To Your Success!

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