Notes from Minnesota  

Hey Freelancer!  

Woah. The weather turned on a dime! I was heading out for my daily walk with the pups when I was literally assaulted with the COLDEST wind this year. Poor Jake the Min Pin is cursed with little to no hair on his underbelly. We made a fast U-turn and high tailed (hehehe pun intended) it back into the house for his coat.

Little Rudie the Doxie Cross wasn't in much better shape so she slipped on her Marilyn Monroe fur-lined jacket and we gave it another whirl.

Yikes, that was a long, hard walk. As I write this, it's snowing so I think the cold is here to stay.

I'm down almost 60 pounds and I'm noticing the chill hits my bones fast. I'll have to pull out more sweaters, I suppose. As my wise mother would say, it's a happy problem. :)

Life is good. I've got some really fun projects coming up for Writing Etc. I hope you not only find them enjoyable, but I hope I'll be able to give you tools to more easily release your message.

Have a fabulous (and profitable) week!

Beth :)

P.S. Be sure to check out our best sellers. Here's the link

P.P.S. Share Writing Etc. with your freelance friends by  clicking here.

Beth's Hot Pick of the Week  

Marketing for Writers... Made Easy

What Do Successful Writers Do?

The answer may surprise you.

After all, if you're reading this, you probably have read the books, attended the seminars, studied the craft. But if your version of success is still eluding you, it's time for something different.

Real different.

That's exactly what you get when you lay your eyes on my latest resource for freelance writers.

Part nuts and bolts how-to, part inner work, part insider biz secrets, this unique publication blows the lid off the deceptively simple recipe for freelance success.

Find out more here.

Marketing Your Writing... Part 3

Beth Ann Erickson 

Editor note: This is an excerpt from this. 

What can you promise your prospective client/customer/reader? As you can probably guess, this bold promise is usually directly tied to your (or your product's) USP.

Don't lie. Don't exaggerate. Simply decide what you can do for your clients, what your product will do for your customers, what you can provide if your reader contacts you, signs up for your list, buys your product, does what you'd like them to do.

Whew! What a mouth full, eh?

So... after all your work of studying your audience, understanding what they want, understanding how to turn features into benefits, transforming those benefits into compellingly answering WIIFM, after developing your USP, you then turn all that information into a compelling, bold, promise.

Make your promise succinct. Make it believable.

Remember your readers are smart. They've been lied to. They grew up on hype.

This means you simply need to tell the truth in a believable manner and you just may snag a new reader, client, whatever.

How long does your promise have to be?

It depends.

If you're writing a space ad, your promise goes in the headline. Direct mail? It'll cover your headline and and weave into your lead. Query or news release? A paragraph.

Use common sense. State your promise. Explain it. Then move on to...

Illustrating A Vivid Word Picture

You live in an MTV watching, Enquirer reading, attention span of a gnat reality.

If you hope to snag your reader, you absolutely, positively must do so by engaging their senses.

An easy way to do this is to create a vivid word picture.

This means that as you craft this section of your sales pitch, you spend some quality time editing out weak, passive verbs and replace them with vibrant, active phrases.

Here's what I mean. “My book is good” represents a passive phrase.

Replacing this passive phrase with something like, “I've written a powerful book” is a little stronger, but you still have that pesky “have” verb to deal with.

How's this: “This book will nail you on the edge of your seat.”

Not perfect, but it's far stronger (and more specific) than the first phrase.

So, continually scan this section of your sales pitch, continually distilling your language until it's as ultra-specific and active as possible.

Next...

Provide Proof

Here's your chance to shine. This is the section where you introduce yourself. Provide any testimonials, degrees, anything that'll position you as an expert in your field.

Explain in very succinct terms why you're the best person for them to hire. Let them know why they should purchase your product.

Don't be shy.

You may think that the knowledge you have is “common” but it's been my experience that nothing could be further from the truth.

Your experience is unique... far more unique than any product you could possibly sell.

You're unique. Let your uniqueness shine right here.

OK. You've got three sections written. A strong promise, a vivid picture, and you've provided strong proof.

Finally, you need to close the deal.

The Call to Action

I'm amazed at the number of so-called marketers who skip this step. But like the three steps that preceded it, this final bit of persuasion can make or break your sales message.

You need to tell your reader what you want them to do next.

“Pick up the phone and call now...”

“Click the button right under this sentence and...”

“Make a donation right now to...”

Tell 'em what you want 'em to do.

Don't mince words. Make the action nearly effortless.

You can also mention any guarantees at this point to make the step as risk free for your reader as possible.

The more steps required, the more people you'll lose.

More marketing tips next time including long versus short and what trumps technique.

~~~

Beth Ann Erickson is the “Queen Bee” of Filbert Publishing. She’s also the author of numerous titles as well as Marketing for Writers... Made Easy. Pick up your copy here. She’s also a busy copywriter, speaker, and publisher of Writing Etc., the free e-mag for writers. 

P.S. You can use this article free of charge on your own website or zine. Just don’t make any changes and be sure to include the entire byline. Enjoy!

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http://www.WritingForDollars.com

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