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Basic Writing Tips – Some Controversial, All Correct
As a previous article (“Making Better Word Choices – 4 Examples”) explained, writers can take steps to prevent simple, and common, errors from degrading their writing. Five areas of writing that cause authors problems are discussed in this article....
Freelance Writing Markets, Poetry Markets - Highly Paid -v- Unpaid
Amazing as it may sound, there is a real shortage of good writers and poets. Try telling that to the thousands of writers and poets who get daily rejection slips.
As far as they are concerned, writing is virtually impossible to break into no...
"Knowing Copywriting Basics - How To Get Ahead In Your Copy Writing Business"
In order to get ahead in your copy writing business, you need to know copywriting basics. There are several things that all business owners need to know, and here, we will touch on just a few. In order to succeed, learn all you can about copy...
What's So Different About Writing Web Copy?
To write persuasive web copy, it really is an advantage to know how to successfully write for off-line publications. Because Copywriting techniques that work off-line, also work equally well on-line! We have to make some changes of course to...
Writing Guarantees that Sell
“This offer is good but can you guarantee it.” Why write a guarantee for your product or service? It reduces the risk in the eyes of your customers, enough to turn a cynical customer into a convinced customer. So, what makes a good guarantee?...
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Business Writing: When Not To Be Professional
It’s time to write your next ad or brochure. Maybe some web content. You’ve done all your research, and you’re staring at a blank computer screen. You want to look good in print. You want to put your “best foot forward.” And, of course, you want to make a barrel full of money.
Well, you’re going to have to pick one, because you can’t do all three.
Not, that is, if “looking good in print” means sounding like an educated professional. Or using perfect grammar. Because unless all of your prospects are English teachers, they’re going to respond better to more natural writing – writing that reads like people actually speak.
Real people don’t speak like “professionals” write. (Neither, for that matter, do most professionals.) Real people use sentence fragments. They start sentences with “and”, “or” and “but.”
Every now and then they kind of trail off like…
One thing real people do not do is use big, fancy words when shorter ones will do. And neither should you.
Real people do not say things like, “I am committed to finding the lowest cost alternative.” Why, then, would you want to be “focused on providing” it?
Copywriting that uses stuffy, complex language just doesn’t sell. You know what I mean: The verbose, impersonal, corporate-speak that sounds more like a mission statement (which nobody cares about) than a personal communication. The
kind that strokes the CEO’s ego when it should be stroking the prospect’s.
With that in mind, here are some tips to help bring your writing back “down to earth”:
1.Picture your prospect. Get a mental picture of the one typical person you’re writing to. If you have to, get a real picture from a magazine or even your family album and tape it to your computer screen as you write. Then write like you’re talking to that one individual. 2.Read your copy out loud. If you stumble over anything, so will your reader. Rewrite until your words flow smoothly and sound natural. 3.Read your copy to someone else. Preferably a group of people. If, when you are finished, they tell you what a great job you’ve done, you have failed. You’ve succeeded when they ask you how to get what you’re writing about.
Never be afraid to be personal in your ads, web pages, sales letters – any time you are communicating with a prospect. Make it sound like you are actually speaking to them.
If you still want to “look professional”, use the money you make and go buy some nice business clothes!
About the Author
Lisa Packer, author of "How To Dramatically Increase Your Business... Without A Blockbuster Budget" is an independant copywriter and marketing consultant. For more helpful articles like this one, visit www.dramatic-copy.com.
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Writing.Com: Writers, Writing, Poetry, Creative Writing, Fiction ... |
An online community dedicated to fostering writing skills. With a free membership anyone may read, write, rate, and review works. |
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Guide to Grammar and Writing |
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grammar.ccc.commnet.edu |
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Purdue University's Online Writing Lab - The OWL Family of Sites |
Writing lab and resources. Email newsletter available. |
owl.english.purdue.edu |
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OWL at Purdue University: General Writing Concerns Handouts |
This page contains important links to the writing: planning/writing/revising aspects of the OWL website. |
owl.english.purdue.edu |
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www.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu |
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National Novel Writing Month - National Novel Writing Month |
NaNoWriMo is an annual (November) novel writing project that brings together professional and amateur writers from all over the world. |
www.nanowrimo.org |
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Poynter Online |
Apply by Dec. 11 Reporting and Writing the Untold Stories Apply by Dec. 11 ... Reporting & Writing for Multi-Platform Newsrooms. Apply by Jan. 10 ... |
www.poynter.org |
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BBC Get Writing |
The BBC's online resource for writing drama and comedy for television, radio and film. |
www.bbc.co.uk |
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TOC About Writing |
Menu of articles on writing written by professional SF/F writers. |
www.sfwa.org |
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A concise guide to some of the most frequently violated rules of writing, punctuation, and grammar. |
www.junketstudies.com |
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NAEP Writing Subject Area |
NAEP assesses student performance in writing periodically in grades 4, 8, and 12 for the nation, and in grades 4 and 8 for the states. |
nces.ed.gov |
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IPL Teenspace: A+ Research & Writing |
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Dictionary.com: Writing Resources |
Free online English dictionary and reference guide. List of sites writers can use. |
dictionary.reference.com |
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WritingFix: Home of Interactive Writing Prompts and 6 Trait ... |
Daily and interactive writing prompts. |
www.writingfix.com |
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Advice on Academic Writing |
Includes articles on critical reading, planning, researching, style and editing, grammar and punctuation. |
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