This article is directed at writers seeking publication in magazines, e-zines, newsletters and various other forums. Topics such as vocabulary, grammar and style as well as content, research and editing will be discussed. But before we get that far along, we want to touch on some of the basic skills and characteristics that good writers have and editors seek.
Writers can be classified into four basic categories:
1. Bad writers 2. Competent writers 3. Good writers 4. Great writers
Bad writers: These are the hacks that either can not or will not use the fundamental skills of the written language. Their misspelled efforts are grammatically inconsistent, eaten alive with adverbs and lack continuity in content. Albeit poor examples to emulate, they too have a purpose we will discuss later.
Competent writers: These are writers that possess the fundamental skills of language, can put together a cohesive work and convey the intended message. But their abilities end there. They simply lack luster. If they do get published, it will probably be in the middle of mediocrity.
Good writers: This is the kill zone! This is where you desire to position yourself as a writer. These writers produce excellent content that is fundamentally sound, stylish, entertaining and informational. They have mastered fundamental skills and have a collection of specialized skills that allow them to tweak every word and phase to their advantage. These are writers that readers hate to put down as opposed to pick up. While it is impossible to turn a bad writer into a competent one, it is possible with hard work, for a competent writer to become a good one.
Great writers: The Grand Masters, the literary legends: Shakespeare, Hugo, Steinbeck, etc. The rules here are simple enough. You either are one or you are not. It is not a learned skill or acquired trait. You cannot make a master out of a really good writer any more than you can make a bass fiddle out of a drum.
Keep this hierarchy in mind. Do an honest assessment of yourself. Where are you on the writer's scale?
If you are a bad writer, then I am sorry. There is not much help to offer that will bring you along. Are you a competent writer? Are you content with that? If you are, then you may as well go on your way, too. You will be able to find a niche writing somewhere that will afford you a level of mediocre success.
Are you a competent writer that is motivated to put forth the effort to become a good writer? Or the good writer that has a desire to be even better? Good then! You are the target audience of this series of articles.
Writing is a complex system comprised of many simple parts. The stronger the foundation of the fundamental elements, the more stability in the structure that rests on it. The cornerstone to success in anything that you do is to have a set of obtainable goals laid out before you with an end in sight; a road map, if you will. If you don't know where you are going, how will you know when you get there?
You have already assessed where you are now and where you want be. Once you know this, you can make a plan that takes you there. Develop a mission statement of what kind of writer you will be.
A mission statement forms the constitution that governs the implementation of your plan. Shy away from weak words and phrases: "I will try to, as best I can," etc. They predict failure. Instead use powerful words and phrases! Your mission statement should be full of will statements. "I will master the grammatical aspect of the craft," or "I will continuously improve my editing skills." Make these commitments to yourself and stick to them!
Before you ever pick up a pen or type the first word of a project, you should have a mission statement committed to making you a better writer. It doesn't have to be a long, drawn out, complicated matter. Maybe just a paragraph or so that lays out your personal creed as a writer.
Many people start their internet marketing life by buying and selling Resale Rights eBooks. While there are profits to be made following this route, you will hear it time and again that, to really excel, one needs to create their own product. This is good advice, but how do you start creating your own ebook?
Following are 8 methods, which I believe, are the most crucial elements you need to adhere to to get started.
If you follow the 8 methods in this article, you will find them extremely helpful in kickstarting your creative and lucrative ebook writing career.
1. Study Ebook Writing Techniques.
It is obvious that you need to study how ebooks are written before attempting to create one and there are a few ways in which to do this.
(a) By outsourcing to the various copywriters on the internet. However, for those who are working to a tight budget this will not be a viable option because of the cost involved.
(b) Consider working with a professional ebook writer who is selling information on ebook writing.
(c) Download some best-selling ebooks and see why they are best-sellers. I suggest jotting down the elements that make it stand out from other ebooks. If you use these elements in your ebook, you will ensure you are generating more attention. These elements may be punchy paragraphs, clear step-by-step instructions, bold or highlighted text, benefits to the reader or the use of eye-catching graphics.
2. Choose Your Topic Carefully.
This is a very important part of ebook writing. It does help if you are passionate about the topic you choose to write about, on the other hand, however, it is no use being passionate about something that isn't going to be interesting to others. For instance, "The Benefits of Organic Baked Beans" may be very specific to you, but not to others, therefore, you will have a hard time trying to generate some interest - and sales. In other words, choose a topic which has a viable online market.
3. Research Your Topic.
Even if you have a complete understanding of your chosen topic, you may still need to do some research. This is one area where a lot of budding ebook writers fail and give up. The internet is a mine of information on almost any subject you can imagine, it just takes a little time to sort through and collate the information into useful content. By conducting sufficient research you will gain credibility and become known as an expert in your chosen field.
4. Create a Working Outline.
It is so easy to get lost in the ebook writing process and many people have given up because of this. If you don't want to be one of those casualties, it is a great idea to create a working outline. Just list all the information and data into logical steps to cover your ebook content. To put it bluntly, your ebook must have a beginning, a middle and an end.
By creating an outline your content can be put in order and will make the structuring of your ebook so much easier.
5. Headings and Titles Need to be Captivating.
The title of your ebook needs to be captivating. You need to grab the attention of prospective readers in just a few words, so, it is worthwhile learning the art of creating great thought-provoking titles which will make the passer-by stop and think: "Hang on, this looks interesting". Try to incorporate your keywords in your title to make it searchable online.
6. Keep Your Paragraphs Short.
It is a well-known fact that online ebook readers will skim over long paragraphs simply because they find large chunks of text a chore to read. For this reason, your paragraphs should be short with line spaces in between. It also helps to have sufficient leading (space between the lines) to avoid the paragraphs appearing bunched up and this will make the paragraphs aesthetically pleasing.
7. Make Use of Highlighted and Bolded Text.
Since online ebook readers tend to skim over paragraphs, hold their attention by using highlighted and bolded text at key points. By using this technique, when the eye skims over a paragraph, it will automatically stop at the key points you choose.
8. Give Good Content.
A great selling ebook will offer highly informative and useful content. It will give the reader their money's worth. With this in mind, offer your readers the same values. Offer solutions to their problems. The best selling ebooks are the ones which can potentially help the reader to improve the quality of their lives.
Armed with these 8 Powerful Methods go and create a best selling ebook.
Both Mike Lawson & Gary Packer are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Mike Lawson has sinced written about articles on various topics from Entrepreneurship, Search Engine Marketing and Search Engine Marketing. Mike Lawson is a freelance writer and entrepreneur running many Internet ventures. Learn more about writing successful content for your articles or website at