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Freelance Writing: A Career From Anywhere
An island in the Mediterranean. A beach in Africa. The east coast of New Zealand. What do all these locations have in common? A recent call for assistance from freelance writers elicited replies from every one of these locations. In each of...
SOME TIPS IN WRITING ARTICLES AS AN INTERNET MARKETING STRATEGY
Firstly pick a subject that YOU KNOW - a topic that pertains (nice word that!) to your area of business. You are the "expert" in it. My advice is just find your "natural style" by writing as youspeak - as practicing writing in your "natural...
Tips for Good Business Writing
You can contribute significantly to your business' success by developing your writing skills. If you're operating a business, eventually you will be required to write a business document. It could be a business letter, a business proposal, a...
Writing about 'writing'.
Writing about ‘Writing’! By Liana Metal What am I going to write about? Which topic is the best? Who is going to be interested in my article? You can ask yourself endless questions on ‘what’ is going to be the subject of your article. Don’t...
Writing For The Web: Where To Get Article Ideas
A friend and I were talking the other day about writing. He liked to write, but even so his biggest problem was finding things to write about. My friend was astounded at the volume of writing that I do - at least one article and something as many as...
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Golden Rules for Writing
Golden Rules for Writing
By: Sonali Raval, Writer at Work, MBA
Want to add punch to your words?
Want to write copy that gets results?
Here are some golden rules that make for powerful writing....
Oh, before you get all excited - a small note of caution. Not every writer will agree with me. But these are rules I have made for myself after a lot of trial and errors. I follow them no matter what I am writing. Even personal letters and emails. And they work. Always.
Define the "take-away"
First things first. Define to yourself the "take away" - the one single message you want the reader to understand and remember. This will determine what arguments you include and what facts you use to support your position.
The take away could be anything - your opinion on a topic, product benefits, what your company stands for... By the way, in case I haven't made it clear yet - My "take-away" today is to leave you with some tips that will turn your text into "Writing that Works."
Know your audience
Think of your audience as a person, not a customer base. Create a mental picture of ONE individual - her likes, dislikes, preferences, habits etc. Color it with as much detail as you can. Pay particular attention to two things - her understanding of your topic and her language ability. Then, write to HER. Pitch your words at her level, talk to her in a tone and voice she appreciates.
Tell a Story
Stories fascinate us. That's why they sell so much.
If you surf the net, you must have come across tens of sales letters saying the same thing - "I am an average guy, with average skills. Yet I am making tons of money. Buy my book / program / workshop / whatever... and I will show you how to do it." Believe it or not, these letters
work! That's why there are so many floating around.
Another big draw is a "case study". Case studies that describe a real life problem and then offer a convincing solution are being used as very effective marketing tools. An informal survey shows that almost every business professional opens and reads email with "case study" as the subject line.
Benefits First
Q: When is it right to not emphasize benefits?
A: Never.
Enough said.
Be Direct - Make Action Calls
Tell your reader what action you expect.
If she doesn't know what you want, she can't give it.
One of my friends did a survey to find out why people in Ahmedabad do not donate blood. The result was amazing. 88% of the respondents said: I do not donate because nobody asked me to donate.
Don't make the same mistake.
Limit yourself
Ah! This is one rule I have a lot of trouble with J
When writing, less is definitely more. Whatever you do, don't try to cram too many things into one piece of writing. It dilutes your message; leaves the reader confused and you almost never achieve your objective.
Instead, make one strong statement. Back it up with 3-4 credible facts. And then, leave it there. Resist the temptation to include everything you know.
Having said this, I must end my article here.
About the Author
Sonali Raval is a corporate communications professional based in India. An Economist and MBA by training, she is a freelance writer by choice. Sonali's writing credits include motivational & soft skills articles, ad copy, speeches, brochures, business proposals, case studies, & web copy. She helps business professionals craft crisp, convincing copy. mailto:sonali@writeratwork.com or visit her at http://www.writeratwork.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. |
| www.writing.com |
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| Guide to Grammar and Writing |
| The Guide to Grammar and Writing contains scores of digital handouts on grammar and English usage, over 170 computer-graded quizzes, recommendations on ... |
| 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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| Writing - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |
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| en.wikipedia.org |
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| Writing.org - Advice for Freelance Writers |
| Articles to help you launch a freelance writing career, from a former literary agent and PLAYBOY editor. |
| www.writing.org |
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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 ... |
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| Pages tagged with "writing" on del.icio.us |
| This short online course provides a practical introduction to writing fiction. During the course you will be expected to write two short pieces for ... |
| del.icio.us |
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| BBC Get Writing |
| The BBC's online resource for writing drama and comedy for television, radio and film. |
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| TOC About Writing |
| Menu of articles on writing written by professional SF/F writers. |
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| 11 Rules of Writing -- a concise guide to important grammar ... |
| A concise guide to some of the most frequently violated rules of writing, punctuation, and grammar. |
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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. |
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| Writing: See what people are saying right now on Technorati |
| See all blog posts tagged with writing on Technorati. |
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| IPL Teenspace: A+ Research & Writing |
| Includes step-by-step instructions on researching and writing, how to find information online and offline, as well as links to useful resources. |
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| Dictionary.com: Writing Resources |
| Free online English dictionary and reference guide. List of sites writers can use. |
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| WritingFix: Home of Interactive Writing Prompts and 6 Trait ... |
| Daily and interactive writing prompts. |
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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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