Notes from Minnesota  

Hey Freelancer!   

I need your help.

I'm working on a new writing project and need some info. So I figured I'd make it fun and get you involved.

Here's what I need to know: What's your biggest freelance question? What befuddles you about this biz? What do you need to know to really take flight in this career?

Just click the following link, insert your question, and I'll personally make sure you get a copy of the book (and any bonuses) when it's done.

Have fun with this! I can't wait to see what you come up with.

Click here. 

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  

This is the last time I'm offering these two incredible assignment-attracting resources bundled together. I've got a line up of great stuff coming your way and these two titles will not be offered again. If you've ever been tempted to gt your hands on these titles, now's the chance to get them at such a deep discount.

Here's what I'm talking about:

“The techniques in these books helped me support my writing habit.”

I'm amazed at the number of freelancers who tell me this.

Most writers don't realize there are multiple techniques you can instantly utilize that'll keep a steady stream of income heading towards their writing career, doesn't matter if the economy's up, down, sideways, forwards or backwards.

To help give you a leg up, I've taken our two best selling How-To manuals, Jumpstart Your Writing Career and 101 No Cost (and Low Cost) Techniques to Turbo Charge Your Writing Career, bundled them together with some valuable CDs, and slashed the price.

Master just a few of the techniques in this resource and you'll easily have the time and finances to support any dream you can conjure. :)

Click here for the details. I'm taking down this offer very soon.

Do You Let Your Writing Breathe?

Beth Ann Erickson 

Note: Part two of “Five Reasons You Can't Sell Your Writing” will run next time. Keep an eye out for it. :)

I recently taught a copywriting intensive. I had around 40 students who have each forked out well over two grand to listen to me pontificate two hours a week about all the inner secrets of copywriting success.

It was a great course.

It was also an interesting exercise in human behavior.

Here's what I mean...

We spent five weeks studying the best ways to connect with the reader, how to study the market, and various ways to effectively communicate in light of these two very important factors.

We worked hard. The participants participated with gusto.

Every one of us seemed communicate so effectively I was positive that when the writing assignments started flowing towards me, I'd be bowled over by the utter wonderfulness of it all.

After all, we discussed the concepts. We studied examples of great writing. Everyone seemed to thoroughly understand what their headline needed to accomplish.

They even had an eleven point check list.

So, along came assignment time.

They had four full days to construct one headline.

I told them to draft a first attempt on Thursday. I told them to review it on Friday and tweak it. I told them to review it again on Saturday and tweak again. Sunday... well you can guess what the assignment was. Then on Monday, they were to give it one final tweak, then e-mail it to me.

I had a very specific reason for asking them to do this which I explained at length. I'll let you in on the little technique in a minute. But first, I must finish my enthralling story.

I let the newbies loose on their computers and waited for the brilliance to flow.

On Monday, a few assignments started to trickle in. I read the first one and thought, “Hmmm. Wonder what's up with that? Did that person miss the classes?”

The first assignments to hit my in-box clearly missed the mark by so much I originally thought they'd sent in the wrong assignment. They were the kinds of headlines that wouldn't hold a ghost of a chance out in the big bad market place.

Then a few more CAPITAL LETTER filled, exclamation pointed gems hit my inbox!!!!!

By now I was thoroughly puzzled.

The Monday deadline passed and still more headlines flowed into Thunderbird.

Of the 20+ headlines I received, only two cut the mustard from a copywriting standpoint.

I was flummoxed.

When class convened on Tuesday, I point blank asked what happened.

Here's the scoop.

Only two of the participants actually took my advice and began writing their headline that Thursday.

Everyone else tried to pound one off the top of their head on Monday morning and shoot it to me by noon.

“I'm busy,” one wailed.

“I had to work,” another lamented.

“I went to the lake,” another added.

And this brings me (oh so gracefully) to my point:

When you attempt to thoroughly communicate with any audience on an intimate level, you can't expect yourself to come up with anything meaningful unless you give the project time to breathe.

And what do I mean by “breathe.”

Your project breathes when you allow it to “rest” for an extended period of time. While it's resting, you occasionally take another gander at it and tinker with it.

Writing success doesn't bloom by studying other people's writing. It doesn't happen when you apply check lists to everything you write.

Yeah, you can use some of these tools if you want, but truly great writing is intuitive.

Great writing begins when you know, and I mean really know, and understand your reader.

You have to understand what makes them tick. You have to share a common belief system. You have to be able to touch them on an intimate level.

And here's where the magic comes in.

More on this later.

~~~

Beth Ann Erickson is the “Queen Bee” of Filbert Publishing. She’s also the author of numerous titles including “101 No Cost and Low Cost Secrets To Turbo Charge Your Freelance Income.” Pick up your copy today at http://filbertpublishing.com/101.html   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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I Recommend:

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http://www.WritingForDollars.com

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