Does Becoming a Published Author Enhance a Busines

Does Becoming a Published Author Enhance a Business?

by: Vishal P. Rao

There is a boom occurring lately, especially in the online world. More and more business people are authoring their own print book and ebooks. These materials can run the gamut from information books to personal life stories, as well as coaching materials, and life skills training manuals.

With so many doing this, it would seem apparent that this is a great way to escalate a business to the next level. After all, if a person can set themselves up as an expert by publishing materials on certain subjects, others will obviously buy more, and revenue will skyrocket, right? This is not necessarily so.

While it is an advantage in some instances, it can be a disadvantage in other instances. There are parameters that need to be followed for successful publication, and there are certain requirements that must be met for successful publication.

The advantages of authoring and publishing are as follows:

An individual can set themselves up as an expert in a specific field of interest, thus enhancing sales and trust with clients and customers. If a publication is effective enough, and the marketing done well enough, massive exposure will occur, and an individual can fast become a กsemicelebrityก in their chosen field.

A print book or ebook can drive intense amounts of traffic to a Web site, if a URL is included in the publication. Publications are a wellknown Search Engine traffic tool.

The revenue from a successful publication can itself be lucrative.

Backend sales can be made effortlessly, by including กmentionก of other products/services within the published materials.

Public relations are increased, with some authors and publishers enjoying extensive notoriety. When this occurs, oftentimes individuals will buy กanyก and กallก subsequent follow up products that are produced by the author and publisher.

Lucrative joint ventures can be established with solid publications. Many large sized print publishers and online publishers will give massive exposure to authors that produce a wellwritten, wide selling publication.

The disadvantages, however, do exist, and these are as follows:

Producing a quality publication is time consuming, at best. Materials need to be researched, written, and reedited many, many times before the publication can be released.

Producing a quality publication can be costly as well. Although the field of self publishing has increased exponentially (the amount of software and services available now for self publishers is astounding), there are significant costs related to the authoring and publishing of materials, i.e., publication software and services, marketing costs, research costs, editorial and layout costs, etc.

If the publication is not well written and researched, and doesn’t effectively reach itกs target market, the author and publisher may very well create กnegative publicityก which will hurt the business, not enhance it.

กNegative fansก may appear. These are individuals that seem to magically appear who disagree wholeheartedly with the published materials, and may very well create havoc for the author and publisher. Jealousy is many times a motive here, but motives are varied. This is an occupational hazard for all authors and publishers.

Legalities must be followed to the letter. All copyright laws, distribution laws, and all other laws pertaining to authoring and publishing must be followed explicitly. Many กnoviceก authors and publishers are unaware of these, and find themselves in a กlegal messก. A consultation with a lawyer versed in copyright is usually in order prior to authoring and publishing.

Plagiarism is rife in the world of writing, authoring, and publishing. Especially if a work is good, there will probably be recurring instances of this. Methods to defeat this behavior, such as online security measures and offline follow up, leads to an increase in overall costs.

Overall, any work must be extremely well written and professional to succeed. Many times, beginning authors and publishers, who have never written a word prior to this in trying to contain costs, will attempt to churn out the work themselves, leading to a disorganized, somewhat กunreadableก work. It is always prudent, if a person is not a writer themselves, to hire a ghostwriter that is proven, to effectively write the กbest materialsก possible. A publication that is disorganized and ineffective, will not กsellก in the end, and only cost the author and publisher more money overall as charge backs and returns will occur frequently, and the materials will need to be redone eventually.

Also, there seems to be a wave of new books appearing each month, that are written by those that know กlittle to nothingก of the materials they propose to be experts on. This is the largest mistake possible in the world of authoring and publishing. No one can be an กexpertก on something that they know กnothingก about. Readers are quick to กcatch onก when an author or publisher knows nothing about the subject matter. If in doubt, forego authoring and publishing until you have become an กexpertก rather than write about a subject that you know nothing about, or pick a subject in which you do have a good grasp of the materials.

Be truthful, be honest, be adept, and be determined, and if you do choose to author and publish, you will indeed see success and a great business benefit! To be less than truthful, honest, adept and determined, and authoring and publishing will soon become a nightmare!

About The Author

Vishal P. Rao is the owner of http://www.homebasedbusinessopportunities.com One of Internetกs leading website dedicated to starting, managing and marketing a home based business.

This article was posted on November 17, 2004

by Vishal P. Rao

KnowHow in Microsoft Publisher

KnowHow in Microsoft Publisher

by: Mart Gil Abareta

For those who still don’t know, Microsoft Publisher helps computer users to easily create, customize and publish materials such as flyers, brochures, catalogs, newsletters and websites. It provides tools to create professional and compelling marketing materials that will help you take your business further. With professional page layout and text tools, you can build a strong visual identity for your product or company.

As a part of this article, I’ll be tackling few simple tips that you have to know once you’re new to this software program. These tips include creating a publication using a wizard and using the quick publication wizard with a blank publication. Don’t worry, learning Microsoft Publisher is easy. You just need to be patient and dedicated if you really want to apply what you know about it. Hope you enjoy doing these tips on your own, too.

In creating a publication using a wizard, go to the File menu and click New. Then, click the Publications by Wizard tab. In the Wizards pane, click the type of publication you want. In the right pane, click the design you want. Next, click Start Wizard. To make changes to the publicationกs color scheme, layout or personal information now, click Next and step through the wizardกs questions to make the desired changes. When you finish making changes, click Finish. In your publication, replace the placeholder text and pictures with your own or with other objects. On the File menu, click Save. In the Save In box, select the folder where you want to save the new publication. In the File name box, type a name for your publication. Finally, click Save.

In using the Quick Publication Wizard with a blank publication, click New on the File menu. In the Catalog, click Blank Publications. Click the publication type you want and then click Create. In the Quick Publication Wizard pane, click the option you want. In the bottom pane, follow the instructions provided. Repeat the fourth and fifth steps for each option. On the File menu, click Save. In the Save In box, select the folder where you want to save the new publication. In the File name box, type a name for your publication. Lastly, click Save.

With Microsoft Publisher, you can easily update your publishercreated web pages. If you want to design catalogs, newsletters, or professionallooking greeting cards but don’t know where to start, Microsoft Publisher is an ideal program for you.

About The Author

Mart Gil Abareta

Well, I must say that I am not a born writer. I didn’t acquire this gift hereditarily either. However, I’m an adventure book lover and used to read everything that I come across in the Internet that sounds interesting. I think, I only developed it through constant practice and exposure to numerous writing stuff. I was chosen to compete in press conferences that showcased my needsowelldeveloped writing skills. I became part of our school publication staff. I started as a news writer and photojournalist of the school paper. Soon, I was appointed editorinchief. It was during this time when I realized that I needed to be more efficient in writing because duty called for it. I should say that this event in my life opened me wholly to the wonderful world of writing.

With all these, I can’t say that I have mastered writing because of these writing experiences. I believe that this craft is also a continuous learning process. I’ve been working hard to become more efficient and competent in writing, most especially now that I’m working as an article/content writer for this company. I’m doing articles for printing companies, medical sites, legal sites, and many more.

For Comments and Questions about the article and for additional infoกs about creative designs log on to http://www.ucreative.com

[email protected]

This article was posted on April 06

by Mart Gil Abareta

How to Get PR

How to Get PR

by: Allison Bliss

There is a process for successfully getting publicity about your business or organization. Publicity is no great mystery, just a thorough and strategic sales job. You are selling content to a publication or website who needs it to entice their readers. No publicist can guarantee a publication will print stories about your company because the publisher or editor ultimately controls the content of a publication. However, here is the method we recommend:

Process outline:

1. Know that publicity is really a sales job. Sure, there is some good strategy involved just like in sales. It’s about pitching your idea to get a publication to ขbuyข (print) your story or interview you as an expert in your field. This works best when you establish a relationship with the editor or publisher so they can trust the information you’re submitting. Relationships take time to develop. So, just like any sale, be sure to educate yourself about who your targeted publication markets are, what they want, plan your campaign and remember; ขthe sale is made in the follow upข.

2. Determine how your publicity will support your marketing goals. Develop stories and the pitches on those subjects in a careful & strategic manner. Write compelling and educational stories that would interest the readers of the particular publication you are pitching.

3. Understand that editorial stories are NOT advertisements. Your story pitches cannot be advertisements for your companies. Advertising and editorial are two different entities in publishing.

4. Create a press kit. (see our flier on the elements needed for a press kit)

5. Make a list of all the publications you’d LIKE to be in, those you think your targeted market will read, or others who might be very interested in the content you have to offer. Include websites and other electronic media.

6. Do NOT spam one press release to all major media in your area. This is only done in extremely specific instances, otherwise it will backfire on you. Rather, select your media wisely and send your press release to those you know are interested.

7. Call the publications to ask for a media kit. Review their editorial calendar, read their publication over time to strategically find out what they are looking for. Database their contact information.

8. Identify all the columns in each targeted publication to whom your article is appropriate for submission. For example, if you are pitching a story about how business owners can best manage their IT services, pitch to the Technology editor as well as the small business editor. If you have new products unique to the marketplace pitch to the ขproduct reviewข editor—note: this is unique to specific industries and not to be confused with advertising. *A

9. Write a query to the Editor(s) or Columnists/Writers. In one paragraph pitch the overview of your idea to make it compellingly interesting so they’ll want to ขbuyข it and understand how their readers will gain value from it. *B

10. Submit queries or stories the way the publication wants to receive information—via email, fax or mail. A query is simply an inquiry to the editor asking if they would be interested in what you have to write about and asking for guidelines. Where possible, include your press kit with your actual press release or story submission.

11. Be prepared to write (or have prewritten) the story you are pitching because in the media, speed is everything. If an editor finally does call to say they’d like your submission, you should be prepared to get it to them in one day. *C

12. Create a list of 510 articles you could prepare quickly so if a publication calls to request an article, you can respond promptly. Be sure the topics support your marketing goals without being (subversive) advertising.

13. Follow up as appropriate. Every publication is different, so it’s best to seek professional help with this so you don’t harm your reputation by making common mistakes. My rule of thumb is that ขIn the follow up is the saleข. It is hard, takes time and is necessary to develop a relationship. *D

NOTE: #4

14. Track all progress on a database, to help you note action items and results. The most successful campaigns are developed over time (remember, it takes time to develop a relationship) so should be tracked to help you remember, be consistent and efficient.

If you’ve not directed your own publicity campaign before, we recommend you get expert advise at these stages of this process;

*A. review of selected targeted publications,

*B. review or editing your query and pitch the first time,

*C. evaluation or editing of your story—get an expert viewpoint to ensure you’re on target,

*D. short training session on how to conduct follow up, what to track

WE CAN HELP

If you do not have the time or inclination to do this work yourself, give us a call—that’s what we do. We help clients create professional press kits and publicity campaigns to further their marketing goals and get the recognition they deserve. Our services include creating all elements in a press kit, strategic planning for a publicity campaigns, integrating marketing and publicity, selecting a strategic media list to target, and follow through to net the return.

About The Author

As a former film & television director, producer, and manager, Allison rebelled against misleading, pushy marketing by consulting with businesses on กMarketing as a Spiritual Practiceก. Clients include United Airlines, Apple Computers, Chevron, ABCTV, HBOTV, advertising agencies, and hundreds of other smaller businesses.

Allison Bliss Consulting combines an expert team of seasoned professionals from the fields of advertising, promotional design & copywriting, event and television production, who offer Fortune 500 companies and entrepreneurs an integrated range of doityourself marketing products & cusomized handson services.

allisonbliss.com

[email protected]

This article was posted on October 05, 2004

by Allison Bliss

Why Your Newsletter Must Get A Personality Today!

Why Your Newsletter Must Get A Personality Today!

by: Michael Green

Newsletters are becoming ever more popular. Not surprising – since all editors know that they are a tried and tested method for both disseminating information and subtly (and quite frequently blatantly) promoting any product or service. In short, newsletters work for their owners.

IT’S A CROWDED WORLD OUT THERE. But the Internet and Email (as well as lower print production costs) have meant that the number of newsletter Titles is growing at breakneck speed!

And with new Titles being published by the hour covering just about every subject under the sun the market is getting pretty jampacked out there.

So how are you going to ensure that your newsletter doesn’t get crowdedout? How will you guarantee that your publication gains and develops a truly loyal readership, when they could so easily be distracted by your competitors’ newsletter offerings?

The answer?

YOU’VE GOT TO GIVE YOUR PUBLICATION A TON OF กNEWSLETTER PERSONALITYก.

Or to put it more accurately, you actually need to allow your own personality the space to shine through and dominate your written publication.

You see, when somebody meets you facetoface they are quickly presented with (and pick up on) your personality traits and this makes you instantly memorable. Even when you have a conversation on the phone, you naturally give over a whole range of characteristics that mean that you’ll likely be remembered in the future.

But once you’re in writing, particularly if it’s in the form of a plain text email, then you’ve got to fight harder to have your personality shine through.

And the stakes couldn’t be higher. If you fail to impress your readers, then they will quickly forget all about you and move onto your competition. But the *best* way to distinguish yourself is to let your personality leap at the reader, right off the page or screen!

Now many newsletter editors face a problem that they are more accustomed to writing somber business documents than publishing a lively and memorable read.

HERE IS A TIP TO HELP YOU GET YOUR กNEWSLETTER PERSONALITYก RIGHT OUT THERE.

Think about your favorite newspaper. Maybe it’s the New York Times, USA Today or some local paper that you buy weekly. Somewhere in that paper there will be a columnist that you probably turn to and read weekin weekout. Why? Because you feel you know the characteristics of the writer. You understand where they’re coming from, on a whole range of issues. You either empathize with their views or read the column because it makes you angry and you enjoy the controversy.

No matter. What that journalist has achieved is to make their own personality leap from the paper. And you need to emulate precisely that approach in your entire newsletter!

HOW TO HAVE COMPLETE STRANGERS FEEL THEY KNOW YOU.

If you don’t do it already, start telling your readership a little bit about yourself. People like to feel they know you and understand where you’re coming from. Here are some handy pointers. Just pull out and use the ones that best apply for your own newsletter readership.

ENSURE THAT YOUR READERS KNOW WHERE YOU ARE FROM. People automatically start to think they know you and build a picture just from a place name, State or Country. You may not have been there for years, but it’ll start to build an image picture in your readers’ minds!

ESTABLISH WHETHER YOU ARE STRAIGHTLACED OR A BIT OF A JOKER. Humor can work wonders, but if you’re not a natural funny man (or woman) then don’t try and fake it. Just beyourself.

BE FORTHRIGHT ABOUT YOUR VIEWS. Don’t sit on the fence worrying about whether your readership will agree or not. Establish where you are coming from straightaway and celebrate the fact. Either your readers will agree or if they disagree, it will create some interest and soon you’ll get readers letters, etc…you get the idea.

Whether you’re new to the newsletter editing game or already established, remember that your readers have a choice. If your publication comes across as faceless and lacking in personality, the chances are your readers will jump ship, right across to the nearest competition.

Good luck,

Michael Green

© How To Corporation. All rights reserved.

About The Author

Michael Green is known as THE newsletter guru. Heกs created two toolkits to help YOU create your own newsletter or Ezine http://www.howtoWRITEaNEWSLETTER.com and http://www.EasyEzineToolkit.com.

This article was posted on August 30

by Michael Green

Public Relations — A Free Lunch?

Public Relations — A Free Lunch?

by: Claire Cunningham

Seems like everyone is looking for the proverbial free lunch these days, particularly when it comes to marketing communications. Well, I hate to burst anyoneกs bubble, but thereกs no such thing. However, there are ways to stretch your budget and marketing public relations (PR) is one of them.

By MARKETING PR I mean publicity that is directed towards your marketing target audience and carries marketing messages. (Itกs not the same as investor or employee relations.) Marketing PR can generate inquiries, economically extend the reach of your advertising and direct mail programs, boost your companyกs credibility and enhance its standing as an expert.

There are three basic marketing PR tactics for you to consider:

NEWS RELEASES

Does your company bring new products or services to market? Improve existing products or services? Publish literature? These are all great subjects for news releases. Send releases to editors at relevant publications. One release a month is a good goal.

CASE HISTORIES

These can highlight your companyกs problem solving abilities. And wellwritten case histories are in demand by readers and editors alike. You can work with a single publication to place a case history or broadcast it to many publications.

TECHNICAL FEATURES

Getting a technical article placed in the right publication can enhance credibility quickly. To be successful this tactic must be backed with careful research and planning to ensure the topic is timely. Usually you’ll work with a single publication to place a feature.

© 2004 Clairvoyant Communications, Inc.

About The Author

Claire Cunningham, president of Clairvoyant Communications, Inc., has 20+ years’ experience developing and implementing successful marketing and communications programs. Sign up for Claire’s monthly newsletter, Communiqué, at http://www.clairvoyantcommunications.com Claire can be reached at 7634793499 (Fax: 7634792809, email: [email protected])

This article was posted on February 10

by Claire Cunningham

Visibility, Credibility and Position Through Artic

Visibility, Credibility and Position Through Articles and Celebrity Testimonials

by: Kathleen Gage

A huge problem for many people who are working on market visibility and position is the amount of competition vying for the same market. An extremely effective strategy for gaining visibility is by writing articles. This positions you as more of an expert and valuable resource rather than กjust anotherก vendor or salesperson.

Writing articles is a great way to niche yourself as an expert in your field or specific industry. By providing practical information, you can reach specific audiences. This can create exciting opportunities for you and your business.

The great thing is you can begin immediately to utilize the power of articles. Many people believe you have to wait until an editor approaches you before you can be published. In todayกs world of technology, you can write and article in the morning and by afternoon reach thousands of folks all over the world.

Not only can you submit articles to various resources online, you can also use articles in a press kit, marketing kit and as a service to your client base. Additionally, you can start you own ezine (online newsletter).

A simple search on the Internet of your area of interest and the word newsletter in that search will bring up countless places looking for wellwritten articles.

If you are a good writer and your information is valuable, other people actually help you to reach more people by sending them a copy of the article or sending a link to your article or ezine. I have had numerous experiences where my clients so liked an article they would duplicate it and send it to their client base. The only thing I require when someone does that is they include by byline. (Definition and example below)

This is a fantastic way to gain an even greater reach with my information. The fact that it is sent out by my client to their clients lends itself to even more credibility.

Another great way to gain massive credibility is through celebrity testimonials. Recently, I had the opportunity to write an article about Hot Rod Hundley. A former NBA All Star player, Hall of Fame winner and the Voice of the Utah Jazz, Hot Rod Hundley graciously shared his upbringing, some of his professional experiences and shared stories about his dentist, Dr. Scott Kiser. The fact that a wellknown figure like Hot Rod, who is considered one of the greats in the NBA shared his experiences about Dr. Kiser is one of the best endorsements a dentist can get. To read the full article click http://www.greatsmilesutah.com/spotlight.htm

Types of articles for promotions and publicity:

Tips

How To

Column

Interviews

When asked to write an article you absolutely must make sure to keep articles at the length requested by the editor. If they ask for 500 words, then give them 500 words. They know exactly what they need and if you can accommodate them, there is a greater chance you will be asked to write for them again. They have specific areas in their publication they must fill and if you give them too much, or too little, you make their job more difficult. The idea is to make their job as easy as possible.

Secondly, make sure the articles are well written. No typos, good sentence structure, no misspelled words. Although I consider myself to be a very good writer, with many of my articles I send my information to my editor to tighten up the information.

Always submit your work by the deadline given. If possible, get it to the editor before their deadline. Again, this makes their job easier.

Keep in mind that once something is in written form, there is no turning back. You never know how long the life of an article is, nor do you know how many people might see the article. That is why it may pay to have your own professional editor.

Study the publication for which you would like to write. There is no point to write for a publication that doesn’t reach your target market. Again, this is about gaining exposure within your market. When I first started writing for publicity, I would write for just about any publication and often on topics that, although qualified to write on, were not focused on the area I wanted recognition as an expert. I soon came to realize that this was a waste of time, money and energy. Now, being fully focused, I am getting extremely great results.

I mentioned a byline. Simply put, that is the section at the end of the article that tells readers a bit about you. In many cases you will be allowed to include your contact information such as a phone number, email address and web address. If given a choice between the three, I will put the web address over the other items. My website can provide even more information about my company and the services I provide.

Sample Byline

Kathleen Gage is a business advisor, keynote speaker, and trainer that helps others gain market dominance and visibility within their market. Call 801.619.1514 or eMail [email protected]. Get Gage’s FREE 4 day online marketing course by visiting www.kathleengage.com.

Copyright: © 2004 by Kathleen Gage

Publishing Guidelines: You may publish my article in your newsletter, on your web site, or in your print publication provided you include the resource box at the end. Notification would be appreciated but is not required.

About The Author

Kathleen Gage is a an award winning business advisor, keynote speaker, and trainer that helps others gain dominance and visibility within their market. She is the 2004 Giant Step Award recipient for business creativity and success. Call 801.619.1514 or eMail [email protected] . Get Gage’s FREE marketing ezine by visiting www.kathleengage.com.

This article was posted on September 07, 2004

by Kathleen Gage