Don’t make the simple mistakes that blocked many of us for years. A wildly successful book could be in your near future. But you’ll never know if you don’t complete and release it to the world.

To make sure you finish strong and your book garners all the attention it deserves, start with correcting the simple book writing mistakes below:

Mistake 1 Failure to make the editor’s cut.

Many inexperienced writers are in love with their words. They can’t bear to part with the long wordy prose in their manuscript. Shorten your stories and examples. Use the popular question answer format. Ask a question in the heading; then answer it in the text. Most audiences are busy and respond better to this easy direct style.

Solution: Go ahead you can do it. Edit your book and cut anything not necessary to support your thesis (main central point). Editor cuts make your book concise, easy-to-read, and compelling for your readers. They will reward you by reading it and telling all their friends about your easy to read helpful book.

Mistake 2 Failure to submit one’s writing to a professional editor

First time authors settle for the easiest opinion to get (their family and friends). Always get a professional opinion of the final edition. Someone not blinded by love and concern for your feelings will tell you the truth about your wordiness or grammar mistakes. They’ll help you weed out passive constructions like, “there is”, “is”, “has”, “begin or start”. A professional editor will energize your writing by limiting the “ly” adverbs that tell instead of show. A good editor will spot your tense changes.

Solution: Invest in your book to make it the best it can be. Make it your goal to paint a picture that your readers respond to with their emotions. Professional proofreading pays off with more book profits.

Mistake 3 Failure to know your audience.

Aspiring authors gather all their extensive knowledge and write a book. They often fail to consider the audience they will serve. Write for a specific audience. Top selling books focus on one topic for one audience at a time. Your audience waits for the easy to read and easy to implement solutions you provide in your book. Save them time and money, make life more enjoyable, help them profit; they will love you for it.

Solution: Today choose one or two of your audiences; prepare a profile of their needs or problems. Keep it close to your book writing station. With a targeted market, you’ll write a book for an audience that’s looking for solutions.

Mistake 4 Failure to sizzle your title to sell well.

Titles set the stage for your potential audience. They either work to grab your reader by the collar and pull them in for the read or they don’t. Top titles create excitement, anticipation and enthusiasm for more. You want your titles to express the heart and passion of your book or be ‘the match’ that ignites your reader’s interest in reading your important message.

Solution: Develop this valuable skill and you add magnetic pulling power and punch to all your marketing documents including your front book cover and chapter titles that will get your message read. Remember, don’t stop at your book cover title, sizzle your chapter titles, headlines, bullets and sell more.

Mistake 5 Failure to focus on one main topic.

Top selling authors focus on one main topic. They make sure each chapter supports that subject. If you scatter your focus, you’ll come across as unorganized, long winded, and boring. Your readers may find your book hard to understand.

Solution: Instead of an encyclopedia type book, chunk your information into modules, segments, chapters or parts. In each segment, offer plenty of detail to make it useful to your reader.

To continue with these book writing mistakes could mean your book never reaches the audience for which it was designed. On the other hand, you could finish strong and put your book into the hands of those waiting for your easy to read solutions. Don’t make them wait any longer. Go to your destiny; write and complete a wildly successful book.

by Emily Hanlon

1. Don’t think. Creating a story or book has little to do with
the intellect or language when we first begin. Our best ideas
will emerge as a spark or image. Like dreams, they will make
little sense. Followed, they will hold the key to the creative
unconscious.

2. Creativity is cyclical. You cannot and will not be creative
all the time. What is full must empty and what is empty will
fill. Creativity has its own internal rhythms. Learn to listen
to yours.

3. Nothing kills creativity faster than criticism. Don’t share
your work-in-progress with people who are critical or those
whose opinions leave you vulnerable, no matter how much you love
them. Good critiquing should leave you inspired, not deflated.

4. Spend time listening to your inner critic. He or she is not
comfortable with the risks demanded by a creative endeavor. By
becoming aware of the foul jabber of your inner critic, you can
see how your own mind puts up roadblocks to your creativity.

5. Being a creator is risky business. Don’t underestimate the
tremendous emotional and psychic risks the journey demands.
Learn to push ahead even when you are afraid. Learn to love the
risk.

6. Don’t be afraid to fail. Every successful creator has failed
hundreds of times. Failure is an integral part of creativity. It
doesn’t mean you’re wrong or stupid. It only means you’ve
uncovered a path or technique that does not work.

7. Don’t be afraid to write garbage. Every successful writer
writes mounds of garbage. Give your work time to percolate. Play
the What If game. For example, if you’re writing fiction and a
characters is sweet and loving and you’re stuck, have the
character mean and hateful. In the world of the imagination,
anything can happen.

8. Nurture your creativity. It is as fragile as a budding
flower. Open to the dance. Listen to music that makes you feel
like flying. Go for a walk. Laugh with a friend, child or lover.
Creativity is about feeling.

9. Be passionate. Creativity is passionate. Passion is always
creative.

10. Learn your craft. And write, write, write! The more you
write, the better you will get. Discipline yourself. Successful
writers are disciplined writers

This causes all cover letters from all job seekers to look the more or less the same and the phrases in the letters to sound repetitive. This repetition simply destroys the entire letter. Imagine 100 job seekers using the same cover letter template and send their letters to the same recipient. After reading some letters the recipient is frustrated and there’s no point at reading any more..

Here are some tips to make your cover letters stand out from the crowd and look inspiring and fresh:

Make A Good Start

It’s true that the beginning of a cover letter is the hardest part. Most writers get stuck and cannot come up with an inspiring first sentence or paragraph. So, write down a list of good “first phrases” and use them accordingly. Here are some examples:

- I am writing to you to introduce myself and to apply for the current opening in your company for a skillful …

- Does your department look for a talented …

- I’ve heard a lot of people talking about a potential opening in your company for a …

- Please accept this letter and my attached resume as an interest in the position of…

- I am a … with … years of experience in … and I hope to utilize my skills at your department…

- I have just completed my … studies at … university and I am looking for a position that will capitalize my experience as a …

- During the last … years I have held complex positions within the … industry. My areas of expertise are …

- There’s nothing that would please me more than to join your team of talented …

These are some examples of interesting and eye-catching first sentences that could help you.

Add Your Contact Details At The Top

On the top of every page write your name, address, phone number and email address. You can create a simple letterhead with this information on your computer. You can use smaller fonts. It will save you a lot of time from writing the same information for every recipient.

Decide What You Want

Before writing a cover letter be realistic and decide why you want to be part of a specific company. What is so different about that company that makes you want to work for them? What specific parts of your work do you like the most? Do not just write a cover letter just because you need a job. Everybody needs a job. So sit down and write the things you like the most about the specific company. Then carefully add this list of things to your cover letter template. It’s also a good practice to use bulleted lists of abilities and skill areas. You could make a grid that matches your skills with the company’s needs.

Professionalize Your Cover Letter

Do not use sentences like “To whom it may concern” or “Dear Human Resources Manager”, it really looks nonprofessional and boring for the reader. Instead try to find the actual name of the recipient.

Closing Is Important

Make a smart close. Do not use begging sentences like “I really hope to talk to you soon”. Be brief and straightforward. Show your intentions. Here are some examples:

- I would be interested in an opportunity to interview for this position and will look forward to scheduling a meeting with you.

- Thank you for your consideration. I will call you next week to talk further or schedule an appointment.

These examples are a bit direct and if this is not you then you can use the good old “..I look forward to hearing from you..”.

1. Find your target audience.

When you give your book a target, it will hit the mark of good sales. To be honest, not everyone will be interested in your book. When you target one audience at a time, each tip, each story or how-to will be more effective. Aim your message and you will have a competitive edge on many book writers. Create an audience profile.

Are your potential readers male or female? How old are they? Are they interested in self-help, mystery, romance, how-to books? What problems do they face? Are they business people or professionals? Are they techies or non-techies? Are they willing to spend $15-30 on your book?

2. Examine your book’s significance.

Many writers tremble in their tracks with fear that their book won’t sell. Don’t be afraid. Your book is significant if its presents useful information, answers important readers questions, and impacts people for the good. If it’s entertaining or humorous it could go further than you imagined.

It creates a deeper understanding of humanity, animals or this world. With one to three of these elements your book is worth writing. More than three, it has potential of making great sales even to best seller status. Go ahead, write your book and make the world a better place.

3. Develop your book’s working title.

In the literary world it’s called a working title for everyone knows it may change. You may decide to change it or your publisher. Even so, working titles help direct and focus your writing. Some non-fiction writing does better with subtitles. If needed, it clarifies the title. Obscure titles will miss the mark and sales.

Which titles grab you and stir a desire to read what the author has to say: Rich Dad, Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money – That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not! or How to Teach Others About Money; How to Win Friends and Influence People! or How to Make Friends.

4. Write your book’s thesis.

A thesis reflects the main central thought and greatest benefit of your book. It should answer your audiences’ question, “How will this book solve my problem of? Writing the thesis before you write the book will keep you on the path of focused, powerful yet easy to read content.

All chapters support your book’s main concept. For “Win with the Writer Inside,” the thesis is “How to write, complete, and publish your best book fast.” The best titles often include the thesis statement in some form.

5. Design your book’s 60 second “Poster” before writing chapter 1.

Make your 2-3 sentence blurb into a sound byte. Like a hallway poster that you only have a few seconds to read, you condense your sound byte message into a 60 second blurb to tell and sell.

Use your poster board at networking meeting, in the elevator, in the grocery line, anywhere you only have a few seconds to tell about your book. Composing your poster board should include your title, 3 top benefits and compare your book with a successful book in your field.

Writing a book is a journey. Most journeys go so much smoother with a map or travel plan. Taking the simple steps above will get you started and keep you going to completion. Start today then complete and release your significant message to the world. Write your first book and prosper!

Remember the old adage, Q: How do you eat an elephant? A: One bite at a time. The same applies to writing your book. How do you eat the book writing elephant? You eat him one bite (one step) at a time. More and more people are successfully completing their books in less time. Even your competitors are getting it done. Why not join them.

Here’s some tips to get started writing your book:

1. Plan a significant book.

Many aspiring authors tremble in their tracks; they wonder if their book will sell. Good question. No one wants to invest time or money into a sinking ship. Don’t be afraid; test your book’s significance. Your book is significant if it presents useful information, answers important reader questions, and impacts people for the good. If it’s entertaining or humorous it could go further than you imagined.

It’s significant, if it creates a deeper understanding of humanity, animals or this world. With one to three of these elements your book is worth writing. More than three, it has potential of making great sales even to best seller status. Go ahead, write your book and make the world a better place.

2. Know who will buy your book.

When you give your book a target audience, it will hit the mark of good sales. Top selling books focus on one main topic per book. When you target one audience at a time, each tip, each story or how-to will be more effective. Aim your message and you gain a competitive edge on many book writers.

Create an audience profile. Are your potential readers male or female? How old are they? Are they interested in self-help, mystery, romance, how-to books? What problems do they face? Are they business people or professionals? Are they techies or non-techies? Are they willing to spend $12-25 on a book like yours?

3. Write your book’s thesis.

Did you cringe at the word thesis? For some, it brought back memories of English class and writing essays. No worries, a thesis simply reflects the main central thought of the book. Make sure the main central thought includes the greatest benefit of your book and you’re done.

In other words, it should answer your audiences’ question, “How will this book help, encourage or solve my problem for me?” Writing the thesis before you write the book will keep you on the path of focused, powerful yet easy to read content.

All chapters support your book’s main concept. For “Win with the Writer Inside,” the thesis is “How to write, complete, and publish your best book fast.” The best titles often include the thesis statement in some form.

4. Create your book’s first title.

In the literary world it’s called a working title because everyone knows it could and probably will change. You may decide to change it or your publisher. Even so, working titles help direct and focus your writing.

Some non-fiction writing does better with subtitles. If needed, it clarifies the title. Confusing titles will miss the mark and sales. Which titles grab you and stir a desire to read what the author has to say: Rich Dad, Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money – That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not! or How to Teach Others About Money; How to Win Friends and Influence People! or How to Make Friends.

5. Make an inspiration cover early.

Keep it by your desk to inspire you. Book covers are the number one selling point of a book. Of course, in the beginning this is only a working cover. Nevertheless it will help crystallize your thoughts and propel you toward the fulfillment of your dream. Remember, you have about 4-10 seconds to impress your audience to buy.

Browse the bookstores and the internet to get a few ideas. Study the covers best suited for your audience. Choose colors that attract them. Consider blue and red for business books; aqua, yellow, and shades of red work for personal growth books. Avoid using too much red; it makes many feel suspicious.

I admit it; getting started writing a book can become a huge elephant in the way of your book’s success. Even so, it doesn’t have to stay that way. You can do like the author did; eat the book writing elephant one bite at a time. Start today; complete and release your significant message to the world. Bon Appetit!

Today’s fast-paced, sound byte environment has created a tremendous need for short pieces, with markets clamoring to fill their pages or Web sites with informational, educational or entertaining tidbits that can be read in minutes. From recipes and fillers to humor pieces and books reviews, online and offline publications have a constant demand for fresh, new and short material—a demand that you can fill even when your life allows you only snippets of time to write.

Moreover, these short pieces often pay an incredible amount per word. It took me less than 10 minutes to craft a tightly-written tip for Family Circle Magazine that brought me a $50 check; Woman’s Day has a similar tips page that pays the same rate. Although Reader’s Digest leading the pack as the most well-known (and competitive) market for fillers that pay top dollar, hundreds of other lesser known yet equally hungry markets exist, if you know where to find them.

Even the time-consuming task of locating these markets has been done for you. Rather than comb through your Writers’ Market, publication by publication, to find out who’s buying what, author C. Hope Clark has put together a number of specialized market books for the time-pressed writer, including:

Get Paid to Write Book Reviews

Short and Sweet—Markets for Your Fillers

Cooking Up Recipes—Markets for Your Recipes and Food Tips

Quick as a Flash—Markets for flash fiction 100-500 words

Just Hit Send—Markets that You Can Query via E-mail

These volumes come as ebooks, so you can pay for and download them within minutes by going here: http://tinyurl.com/2gep2r.

So until you get the time, energy or motivation to tackle your larger projects, why not keep your writing and paychecks flowing by hammering out short pieces? You’ll find that what little time you have to write will be time well spent.

1. Use the search terms in your ad.

2. Use a call to action.

3. Get the reader’s attention!

4. Write from the reader’s perspective.

5. Use buzz words like “free” and “guaranteed”.

The first tip above, user the search term in your ad, is the most basic but perhaps the most important. You have to find the line between keyword/ad granularity and having a manageable number of ads. The more separate ads you have with few keywords for each ad, the more effective your campaign will be because the ads will more closely match the search terms. If you can use the exact search terms, or nearly exact, in the ad body, or even better, in the title, then the more closely the ad will match what the person was looking for. Search engine keyword insertion features make it easy to dynamically insert the keyword into your ad copy.

The second tip, use a call to action, is a basic copywriting rule. Tell the reader what to do! Search engines may not allow you to use the words “Click here”, but if you have room, use some similar kind of phrase to tell the reader that he needs to take some specific action: “Visit now”, “Buy now”, “Come see”, etc. One problem with including the call to action is the limited characters you have for your marketing message. Every character is precious, and the call to action will take up at least 7 or 8 of them. What we suggest is that you have one ad with the call to action in rotation with another ad that does not (so the second ad should take advantage of the additional space). Then see which one performs better.

The third tip, get the reader’s attention, seems obvious, but it’s not. You should focus your ad on whatever is the ultimate, greatest benefit your prospective customer would experience by visiting your web site. That in itself is a key point – you are not trying to sell anything with your ads, you are only trying to get them to visit your web site. That’s where you do the selling. The ad is really an advertisement for your web site. You only have 70 or so measly characters to convince the reader to visit your web site. Make the most of them by saying something interesting that directly relates to the reader.

The fourth tip, write from the reader’s perspective, means that you should use the word “you” and emphasize the benefit to the user of visiting your web site. Using the word “you” focuses the ad on the reader, so he knows that the ad is talking to him. Every word in your ad is precious, because there are so few of them. Combing “you” with words like “free” (discussed below) is a powerful combination because it places the emphasis on two things that people love: themselves and things that are free. You need to write something that absolutely compels the reader to click the ad because of the wonderful things she will discover once she does.

The fifth tip, use buzz words like “free” and “guaranteed”, is based on the fact that there are certain words that get people’s attention, and “free” and “guaranteed” are high on the list. Two huge tools in the copywriter’s toolbox are giving away freebies – free reports, free samples, free memberships, etc. – and reversing the prospect’s risk.

Everybody loves getting something for free. Is there any kind of product (such as a report) that you could create for little or no cost and give away for free? This is especially useful for service businesses. For example, if you have an accounting firm, you could prepare a report such as “10 Ways for Any Small Business to Cut Their Taxes by 16% Next Year”. Then in your paid search ads, you could mention something about your free report. Our fictitious title also highlights another classic direct marketing technique – referencing some kind of very specific number. By saying “16%” rather than “10%” or “15%”, the report title implies that the author has done some kind of research to specifically arrive at the exact number 16. It lends a sense of authenticity.

Risk reversal means that you guarantee your product or service so that the customer knows he can get his money back with no trouble – you take on the risk, not the customer. Many businesses offer a guarantee by default. They will do whatever it takes to make a dissatisfied client happy. Rather than hide this fact, they should turn it into a powerful public guarantee. If you have such a guarantee, you should test ad copy that mentions the guarantee versus ad copy that does not.

Much of this discussion is based on copywriting principles that have been around for years, tweaked to apply to the online world of writing for a very small ad space. If you want to improve your pay per click ad writing, there are two sources you need to tap into. One is the ads being run by your competitors. If there are ads that seem particularly effective, maybe you can borrow from them, customizing them for your own use. The other source is the work of legendary copywriters such as Dan Kennedy, Brian Keith Voiles, and Claude Hopkins. Seek out the writings of such legends and study what they have to say about creating ad copy. Combine what you learn with the five strategies discussed above and you will be on your way to being a master ad writer.