Hereกs Exactly What Makes Web Audio So Powerful

Hereกs Exactly What Makes Web Audio So Powerful

by: Nick James

Have you ever tried to communicate with another person using just actions and sign language? It gets pretty frustrating, doesn’t it? Especially when you know that if you could just SAY a few words, theyกd get the picture, almost instantly.

Well, imagine if the website youกve put up on show… could กspeakก. If it could sparkle with the spoken word. What do you think the effect could be?

You see, what the smart website marketers have realised, is that they need to move beyond just written words and striking graphics. They’re looking to giving their website… a กpersonalityก.

BUT… in the cold hearted, faceless world of the internet, being able to reach the audience you want, with sincerity, warmth and with a กfaceก, doesn’t come easily to most.

That is unless you happen to have the skilful knack of knowing what to write, when to write it and are able to string words together to help paint a strong emotional picture in readers minds for your product, service or idea.

Getting all the help we can via other means is crucial in giving us that slight edge.

Thereกs possibly nothing more intimate, more convincing, more realistic for the reader, than to hear a กvoiceก behind the website. What it adds, is satisfying helpings of…

LIFE and… CREDIBILITY!

Imagine being able to connect at regular intervals with your customers and clients! How do you think theyกll feel when you’re able to inform them that thereกs an exciting offer about to happen and you make sure the message reaches both their eyes, and their ears!

What about using this simple technology to help create a stampede of sales, an abundance of new subscribers, a fleet of qualified prospects, a herd of new referrals!

What about being able to tell your customers that you messed up on the last bit of information you gave them and that you’re really sorry. Won’t you be able to convey this message better using real live words, than by using written text?

Won’t your sincerity, conviction and heartfelt emotion, reach them INSTANTLY, where it matters most… THEIR HEARTS!

Copyright 2004 Nick James

About The Author

Nick James is a UK based direct marketer and product developer. During the last 3 years Nick has sold in excess of £1 Million of products and sevices. Subscribe to his Free Tip Of The Week at: www.NickJames.com New Product: www.FlashAudioWizard.com.

This article was posted on November 17, 2004

by Nick James

web page building for beginners 2

web page building for beginners 2

by: Ted Dupuie

A search engine robot actually reads the wording on your web pages and places a certain amount of importance on what the content says, but not quite like a human does. A human will place the words together in their head and try to decipher the relevancy to them personally and decide within a few seconds whether they will continue reading or click to another site, whereas a robot counts words and places all relevancy in the numbers it finds. It also gives extra credit to the size of the type and title of each page. What a webmaster should consider, is every word connecting to a keyword and not wasting words, for the public and the robots. This can be difficult to do when writing about certain subjects, but not impossible. Take diets for instance. Saquoyah Publishing writes diets and uses www.freediet.biz to promote them, but nobody wants to read pages full of the word diet just bandied around with no oomph in the article that should teach the reader about diets. So a happy medium must be reached to get the website placed high in the search engines database, yet allow the articles to inform the reader of the subject written. Remember, the information super highway is called that for a good reason. Most people just want to learn something about a subject, not necessarily buy something. So if you are selling, the first thing you will want is to get the reader to find the pages you have written, and that means search engine optimization, or SEO as it is called.

SEO should be a major consideration as the page is written, and a concentration on keywords should be the main concern of the page writer. Take diets as an example of page writing. The word Diet or Diets should be placed in the title of each page on the website if at all reasonable, and each page should utilize those words as many times as possible without deterring hopeful customers. The title of the page is the most noticeable attraction to your website from the searcher’s perspective, and the few words you have to say everything about your site. Free diet is a two word search that will get you over twenty five million pages on Google or Yahoo, and the competition is fierce. Just the word free will get you over a half billion pages and the competition is downright crazy. So stick with keywords that you can compete in, and use those words wisely as you write your pages.

Simple, free, healthy diet are the four keywords that describe the title of my index page, and they are the best way to describe what I hope the searchers will be looking for, as well as what I have to offer. This is the most optimistic I can be when writing my title to help people learn about diets and to help my website get a good placement with search engines. Also, a four word phrase has less competition than a two word phrase. So make sure your title is something that the searcher is looking for as well as something you provide or you will never get customer satisfaction, and maybe never get customers.

The contents of the page can be categorized into sections to help keep your keywords alive without pushing them on the reader. For instance, free diets, beer diets, funny diet jokes, potato soup diet, pineapple diets, Beverly Hillbilly Diet foods, and many other strange things can be written without being insensitive to the reader, if they are titles of some of your other pages or just paragraphs on each topic. The contents close to the top of your page should also be the same words you have in the contents meta tag that the robots will copy to be placed under your title in a web search. In this way, the reader will also get a fair chance at what you really have to say on your site and can make a better judgment call on whether to open your index page or some other. This is how you select customers instead of wasting everyone’s time. This article can be copied and reprinted anywhere as long as it is intact and includes the author’s bio.

About The Author

Ted Dupuie owns a home based publishing company that only publishes his work, which includes diets, an investment strategy, and 8 websites, plus a family newsletter. He is also a writing critic with top ten placement on Google and Yahoo!

www.saquoyah.com www.homewriters.com www.freediet.biz

This article can be copied and reprinted anywhere as long as it is intact with the author’s bio.

This article was posted on August 21, 2004

by Ted Dupuie

Interviews with WellKnown Ezine Writers #3: She

Interviews with WellKnown Ezine Writers #3: Shelley Lowery

by: Michael Southon

MS: Shelley, you’re an excellent person to talk to about Ezine Articles, because as well as being a prolific Ezine Writer you own and operate the largest article announcement lists on the Internet (www.websource.net). How would you rate Ezine Articles as a promotion technique?

SL: Writing Internet articles is one of the best promotional strategies used online. Not only will it provide you with massive free publicity, but it will also build your credibility and promote you as a trusted professional in your area of expertise.

MS: How long have you been writing Ezine Articles and what are the main topics you write about?

SL: Iกve been writing articles for the last four years and I write mainly about Internet marketing, Ecommerce, Web Design, and Web Development.

MS: Shelley, are Ezine Articles your principal web marketing technique?

SL: Yes, writing articles is my main marketing strategy, as I have found it to be highly effective.

MS: What sort of Articles have you had most success with? In your experience, what kind of Articles are most in demand?

SL: I have found that articles written to teach and inform are the most in demand.

MS: Shelley, some Ezine Writers promote a product or service in their Resource Box, while others aim only to get a subscription to their free Newsletter. What would your advice be for getting maximum results from your Resource Box?

SL: I use a combination of both. I mention my product within my bylines, however, I concentrate more on gaining new subscribers. By obtaining my readersก email addresses, I will have the opportunity to advertise my products over and over again. A longterm relationship with a subscriber is much more beneficial than trying to make a onetime sale.

MS: What have you found to be the most effective ways of getting your Articles published?

SL: I use a combination of methods. The most effective method I use is an optin list. I enable my visitors to subscribe to my publishers list to receive new articles as soon as they’re released. The second most powerful method I use is article announcement lists. Some additional methods include posting my articles on my website and submitting them to article directories.

MS: Apart from getting your Articles published in Newsletters, are there any other ways you use your Articles to promote your website? (such as turning them into a free EBook)?

SL: In addition to getting your articles published in ezines, syndication services provide a great way to gain massive free promotion. If your article is published, it will be displayed across hundreds of websites.

MS: That sounds like something every Ezine Writer should be doing. You own and operate an article syndication service yourself can you tell us more about that, Shelley?

SL: Sure, Michael. The Syndicator is a unique service that enables webmasters to publish complete articles (with the authorกs photograph) and/or just headlines on their website. These articles are available in several different categories including Business, Internet Marketing, Biz tips, Web Development, Web Design tips, Home/Family, Horoscopes and others. Each article feed displays fresh articles each week and is automatically updated.

MS: What kind of exposure could an Ezine Writer get through your syndication service?

SL: The Syndicator provides content to over 4,000 websites, including cobranded syndication sites. In addition, the syndicated content is dynamically delivered to over 10,000 ebooks circulating the Internet, with a combined audience of nearly half a million viewers each week.

Syndicator: http://www.websource.net/syndicator.htm

MS: Thatกs a huge audience! What sort of articles does the Syndicator accept?

SL: The articles selected to run in syndication should be well written in simple, everyday language that everyone can understand. They should provide our readers with quality information that teaches and informs in regard to the subject matter.

Submissions: http://www.websource.net/syndicator_submit.htm

MS: Some people say with regard to Ezine Articles that everything that could possibly be written about has already been written. What would be your response to that?

SL: Thereกs an endless number of subjects on which to write about. But even if a subject has been previously written about, every writer has their own style and their own opinion your article will have its own uniqueness.

MS: What would you say is the single most important style tip for writing a good Ezine Article?

SL: Articles should be well written in a simple, everyday language. And, provide readers with quality information that teaches and informs in regard to the subject matter.

MS: And finally, Shelley, what would be your advice to someone who wants to write Ezine Articles but has never written for the Internet before?

SL: If you really want to get published, write your articles with a sincere desire to teach and inform. Talk to your readers and share your expertise.

MS: Thank you, Shelley youกve given us some great tips.

SL: Thank you, Michael. It was my pleasure.

© 2002 by Michael Southon

About The Author

Michael Southon has been writing for the Internet for over 3 years. He has shown hundreds of webmasters how to use this simple technique to get massive free publicity and dramatically increase traffic and sales. Click here to find out more: http://www.ezinewriter.com

This Article may be freely published in its entirety exactly as it appears above. No alterations or changes to the Article are allowed, without the express permission of the Author. The Resource Box must remain with the Article just as it appears.

This article was posted on July 31, 2002

by Michael Southon

Five Tests Every Press Release Must Pass

Five Tests Every Press Release Must Pass

by: George McKenzie

Youกve heard ‘themก say it, haven’t you?

By ‘themก I mean the experts. The teachers. Even some people from advertising & PR agencies.

Theyกll tell you thereกs only one way to do a press release กright.ก

Single page, double spaced, 12 point type.

Bull…

Iกve been working in radio and TV full time or part time since 1972, and that means Iกve seen thousands of press releases.

I never threw one away because it didn’t fit the กclassicก or กstandardก format you hear about so often.

A journalist especially a journalist working on deadline doesn’t care about that stuff…

There are, however, five things that *are* important, and if your press release doesn’t have them, it will probably wind up in the trash in seconds.

In my Instant Press Release Toolkit program at http://www.pressreleasetoolkit.com, I call them ‘the Five Tests Every Press Release Must Pass.ก

1) The Instant Eyeball Test

The person reading the release takes a quick glance at the overall appearance.

Does it have a catchy headline, or is the top of the page crowded with unnecessary information or big graphics (like PR agency/company logos)?

Is it readable? Does it look cramped, with block paragraphs that suck up most of the white space? Will the screener have to search through a lot of print on the page to figure out what’s newsworthy?

Is there any bold print emphasizing important points?

And maybe the biggest factor of all: can he/she figure out in five seconds or less what this release is about, and what action the writer would like the news operation to take in response?

Flunking the Instant Eyeball Test doesn’t mean the release will immediately drop into the trash can. But if your release is poorly formatted and visually unappealing, it’s definitely a strike against you.

2) The Headline Test

Even if you’ve just flunked the Instant Eyeball Test, you’ll probably still get a chance to redeem yourself by offering a great headline.

In my opinion, this is the most important part of the release.

Give the reader a catchy, attentiongrabbing, interest provoking headline, and the battle is half won.

For a quick primer on headlines that motivate journalists to กbite,ก see http://www.publicitypro.com/articles/headlinespublicity.htm

3) The Hot Button Test

The next question in the screener’s mind relates to the subject of the release. Actually, there are probably several questions running through the screener’s mind simultaneously:

* Is it information people need to know, or would like to know?

* How much of a potential audience is there for this information?

In other words, how newsworthy is it?

There are certain universal themes, story lines, and angles that make something newsworthy. I call them news กHot Buttons,ก and they’re the subject of a Special Report Iกve written, available free at http://www.publicitypro.com/hotbuttons.htm

4) The กMedium Matchingก Test

The first question you should ask yourself is กWho’s going to be reading this, and what do they need to know from me?ก

Very few people take the time to tailor a release to the medium they’re pitching, but those who do tend to be more successful.

The decisionmaker looks for opportunities that are characteristic of their medium.

TV news wants visuals of people doing something.

TV/radio talk or กmagazineก shows look for engaging guests to interview or topics to discuss at some length.

Newspapers and magazines look for depth.

5) The กPerspectiveก Test

กPerspectiveก answers the question กWhat is this news release *really* all about?ก

Sometimes it’s obviously written from the perspective of someone who wants to sell a product. They talk mainly about that product or their company, and they offer little or no กnews value.ก (see the กHot Button Testก for more on the meaning of กnews valueก)

Remember, a news release is supposed to be about news. It reads like an announcement or a newspaper article, not a promotional flyer or sales copy.

Sometimes a news release is written from the perspective of someone who wants to pat themselves on the back. It’s the kind of selfglorification that you see in annual reports.

These news releases come off as boastful and selfserving, and usually offer little of interest to journalists.

The best news releases are those written with the media’s audience in mind.

They say to the decisionmaker, กHere’s something you can offer your viewers that will keep them from reaching for the remote…ก or

กHereกs something you can give your listeners to keep their fingers away from the pushbuttons on their radio…ก or

กHereกs something that will compel your readers to look at the page long enough to notice the deodorant ad to the left of the column.ก

In other words, news organizations don’t want you to ‘touch that dialก and switch your attention elsewhere.

Give them information that keeps their audiences tuned in, and youกve got a winner.

News releases written from that perspective are the ones that get attention and coverage.

To see a linebyline critique of two press releases I think are excellent, go to http://www.publicitypro.com/pressrelease1.htm

Both these release announce product rollouts, and both pass the ก5 Critical Testsก with an A+ grade.

About The Author

George McKenzie

Award winning TV anchor George McKenzie offers a

free 7part email กPublicity Crash Course,ก which

shows you how to turn the mass media into your

personal publicity machine. Register now

at http://www.publicitypro.com.

[email protected]

This article was posted on September 02

by George McKenzie

How to Negotiate Rates with a Freelance Copywritin

How to Negotiate Rates with a Freelance Copywriting Consultant

by: Dina Giolitto

Lots of people who seek out my copywriting services are concerned about money. Rightfully so. I’m a small business owner too, and I know what it is to have that doityourself mindset. (It’s exhausting!) But entrepreneurs like you and I often overlook the very reason to contract a job out in the first place. Which is: the terms of the contract and the amount of money spent are totally controlled by you!

The contracted project affords a winwin situation. This is not You vs. a Corporation; this is just an individual with a need, and a single service provider who can answer that need. Who wouldn’t jump at the chance to negotiate a terrific deal on a job that’s done to their exact specifications?

My guess is, the biggest reason people shy away from contracted jobs is the same reason people don’t do a lot of things: Fear of the Unfamiliar. Allow me to familiarize you with the ways of the freelance writing world. Here’s how to curb copywriting costs while getting the most bang for your buck!

Thoroughly research prospective candidates for the job. Seek out four or five different writers, carefully examine their work and ask about their qualifications. Request samples from each writer. Check for accuracy, language mastery and appropriate use of tone. Compare rates. You may discover, to your delight, that there are some really talented ขnewish writersข who will offer you a much better deal than some old veterans out there!

Consider hiring someone who has never written for your field before. Yes, you heard right. So many people shy away from a writer who hasn’t done exactly what they’re looking for. Unless you’re in a really specialized area, there is no reason why a wellrounded writer can’t easily adopt to your tone and style of communication. Let’s say you were looking for someone to write a manual on กhow to get through your first year as a corporate professional.ก You find a writer who’s written a slew of great articles and a smattering of ebooks, but never an exact match of your project. Here are three reasons to hire her: 1. She’s an excellent writer, 2. It’s likely she’s worked for a corporation at one time or another, and 2. She’s probably willing to offer a reduced rate because she’d love to add this project to her repetoire.

Fill in all the details beforehand. Give the copywriter a project overview, some background information on your business, and examples of past projects or a competitor’s work that you’d like to emulate. Make sure you thoroughly describe the habits and attitudes of your target audience. Why do this? It’s the quickest way to help her understand what you need… and the quicker she grasps what you’d like to have her create, the faster the job will get done to your satisfaction. The faster the job gets done, the sooner you’re on your way to making big money with your advertising effort!

Expect to haggle. Iกm astonished that so many people just turn away from a potentially great working relationship because they’re afraid to make their budgetary needs known. Here’s a little secret about independent contractors: we’re always going to try for the highest going rate we can get. Why? We expect YOU to haggle! Shopping for freelance services is a little like going to a peddler’s market. There’s no big scary corporation to call the shots and set the prices in stone. It’s just you and me playing Let’s Make a Deal. So don’t be intimidated by a freelancer’s ขadvertised rates.ข You’re always welcome to come back with a counteroffer. That’s what we expect you to do!

If you’re not sure of a copywriter’s abilities, give him a few small jobs to start. This is one of the greatest advantages of hiring a contractor. You can test him out with a few projects, and if you like his style, hire him back to do more work. If you don’t care for the way he handles your projects, you’re free to seek help elsewhere. What are some small jobs you can offer as a trialrun? A press release, a company tagline, a corporate mission statement, a newspaper ad, some headlines for your website.

Offer your writer a weekly rate. A project here, a project there… boy, those hourly fees add up fast! If you know there’s a crunch coming up and you have a trusted writer in mind, contract the job out กby the week.ก Ask the writer if she’s willing to devote 40 hours a week to researching and writing marketing materials for your company. Define her expected responsibilities ahead of time, agree on a set fee for five consecutive days of work, and make sure she’s easily accessible by phone and email. Most freelancers are willing to accept a much lower rate of pay if they know they’re guaranteed a steady gig. Get it in writing, and bam, you’ve hired your first temp and saved a ton of money in the process!

Hire someone to ขclean upข your written materials. Don’t have the money to spend on a fullscale ad campaign? Do the work yourself, but have a seasoned writer critique it for you. Ask the copywriter what his proofreading rates are, and then send a few drafts his way for a quick revamp. You won’t believe how much better your ads can look when you spend just a few dollars on an expert proofreader.

Ask the copywriter if she’ll give you a reduced rate for just one written draft. Lots of writers factor multiple draft revisions into their fees. But what if they knew going in that they only had to write one draft? The price would likely be considerably lower because of significantly less time spent on the work. When it comes to copy, do you like to ขhave it your way,ข same as your Burger King? Then a singledraft copywriter might be the way to go. You’ll save a ton of money on copy revisions, and you can use what the writer creates and กmake it your own.ก

Get a written estimation of the time it will take to complete a project. What’s your biggest fear about copywriting jobs that are charged by the hour? That the writer will spend hours longer than you expected on it, and as a result, charge you an arm and a leg. Eliminate that fear by asking for an estimated project time upfront. The more clarification, the better. Don’t just say, ขI need 4 pages of website copy writtenข and expect her to know how long it will take. Instead, map out the work plan. Will she be responsible for research? Project outlines? Phone interviews? Multiple draft revisions? Knowing the process will help her figure out a fair price for the work. In the end, you’ll both feel more comfortable settling on a price.

If there ever was a doubt in your mind about hiring a freelance copywriter, hopefully this article will allay your fears! Contracting work out to a specialist is one of the best things you can do for your business and for your sanity. Negotiating with another sole proprietor is actually quite easy, and affords you the greatest control over project terms and spending. More often than not, other entrepreneurs are looking for the same things you are: intelligent, honest people willing to collaborate talent. So, what are you waiting for? Hire a writer who can help you grow your business!

Copyright 2005 Dina Giolitto. All rights reserved.

About The Author

Dina Giolitto is a NewJersey based Copywriting Consultant with nine yearsก industry experience. Her current focus is web content and web marketing for a multitude of products and services although the bulk of her experience lies in retail for bigname companies like ToysกRกUs.

[email protected]

This article was posted on March 09

by Dina Giolitto

Why You Need an ArticleMarketing Strategy before

Why You Need an ArticleMarketing Strategy before Posting a Single Article Online II

by: Dr. Lynella Grant

This is Part 2 of a 2 part article Read Part 1 at http://www.promotewitharticles.com/strategy100.html

Write for the NonHuman Reader

Articles should be written to cater to two dissimilar types of readers humans and search engine spiders. Each responds to information in their own ways. How one attains the best of both goes to the heart of your article strategy.

People want articles they read to be useful, timely, and relevant. Writing quality (with wit, persuasion, emotional images, etc.) matters to them. But thatกs of no concern to the spiders. Readers who like what youกve written are likely to come to your website maybe even buy something. Yet, the benefits received from search engines are just as important.

Search spiders are attuned to links, keywords, and Page Rank (the popularity of sites that link to yours). Decide which keywords or recurring theme to build every article around before starting to write. That amplifies your search engine optimization (SEO) and payperclick (PPC) efforts. Multiple articles can draw attention to a wide array of pertinent terms.

What Search Engines Do for Your Articles

Track your keywords as they appear in posted articles

Deliver links to you in response to relevant queries, thereby sending targeted traffic to the site

Find your site through links from posting sites particularly important for a new or lowtraffic website

Show the places that publish your articles

Increase your Page Rank as highquality links are established

Raise your site in the rankings as more and more articles appear

Decide Where to Submit your Articles

Who (human) are you writing for? Narrowly defining appropriate interest groups will dictate what spin to use. Unless thatกs clear, blasting out articles is too hit or miss. For example, if writing about electronic games for children, your emphasis will be very different if written for parents, schools and institutions, or the kids themselves.

Clarity about your audience determines where to send your creative output. Article Marketing Academy http://www.promotewitharticles.com/howto.html offers extensive lists of where and how to post your articles.

Youกll soon learn which sites actually publish your contributions, and which drive traffic to your site. Your submission list keeps growing with every completed article (becoming more valuable to you all the time). At some point, your namerecognition and expert status kick in.

Watch Out for Contradictory Messages

Maintain a consistency of message from one articles to the next, that is also in synch with your website personality. If your article promises a mother lode of answers, make certain they can be easily found, once a reader visits your website. Confusing navigation or a sour note can quickly undo whatever good your article accomplished.

Recycle Your Articles to Work Harder

Posting your articles online is just the start. Even before youกve written them, plan offline ways to recycle that same information. When I write articles for clients, I encourage them to use it in as many ways as possible. Don’t neglect your customers who aren’t Internet savvy.

Repackage Articles Multiple Ways

Send to local publications as press releases or PR

Submit to trade journals

Create handouts to be provided at your store or with services

Collect them into handouts or flyers to sell or give away

Reformat them as hints, booklets, tutorials

Incorporate them into speeches or classes

Monitor the Results

A strategy only makes sense if you also keep track of whatกs working. How many websites actually publish your article and link back to yours? (Thatกs easy to determine. Conduct a Google or Yahoo query with your article title in quotes. Continue to log where it appears for several months after posting.)

Spelling out an article promotion strategy makes your Internet and traditional promotions work smoothly together. And it assures that the needs of both search spiders and readers will be satisfied. The right time for planning is before starting to write any articles. I can help you with that. http://www.promotewitharticles.com/consult.html

Your carefullycrafted strategy assures that a steady flow of articles supports your multiple business goals. Best of all, you don’t have to wait long to see people and search engines responding to what youกve written. Thatกs bound to pay off, and keep paying off…

(c) Lynella Grant

Part 1 includes writing multiple articles and meshing online and offline marketing methods. Part 1 of 2,

http://www.promotewitharticles.com/strategy100.html

About The Author

Dr. Lynella Grant http://www.promotewitharticles.com Article Marketing Academy Promote yourself, business, website, or book with articles posted online.

Author, Yellow Page Smarts, http://www.yellowpagesage.com/smarts.html (719) 3959450

[email protected]

This article was posted on January 27

by Dr. Lynella Grant

How To Publish an eBook Without Writing a Word….

How To Publish an eBook Without Writing a Word…..

by: Richard Grady

There are many, many advantages to selling eBooks online, not least the fact that once the eBook is written, the sales and delivery process can be automated so that as the seller, there is literally nothing for you to do when you make a sale. To illustrate this point, I have sold over 15,000 copies of my most popular eBooks since I first wrote them but other than carrying out an update every few months, these products now don’t involve me in any work whatsoever.

Of course, one of the main disadvantages of selling your own eBook is the fact that you have to write it in the first place! The vast majority of people are probably not natural writers and even those that do have the ability often find it very difficult to sit down and bash out an entire eBook that is of a good enough quality to sell. I have written several eBooks myself but I do find it hard work. In fact, I have probably started and abandoned far more eBooks than I have actually completed I get bored very easily 🙂

It isn’t just eBooks that people struggle to write the same goes for กnormalก paper books. I have some experience of the process that a new book goes through before it reaches the bookshops and regardless of the quality of the authorกs draft, it will usually be reviewed by an editor who will often rewrite large parts of the book. In fact, sometimes the entire book will be written by a third party rather than the person that actually has their name on the cover as the author. This is regularly the case with biographies after all, just because someone is famous or has a story to tell, it doesn’t mean they can write a book.

You may already see where I am going with this and many of you will have already worked out that these third parties that write books for the author are often referred to as ghostwriters. But did you know that ghostwriting is becoming more and more popular in the eBook industry?

Many infoproduct creators are now opening their eyes to the opportunities offered by ghostwriters and are realising that it is perfectly possible to get someone else to research and write an eBook for them for just a few hundred dollars. Not only does this save an incredible amount of time but it also means that you don’t have to write a single word if you don’t want to.

Look at it like this, letกs say you hire someone to research and write your eBook at a cost of $500. In addition, you get someone to write the sales copy for your web page at a cost of $200. You now have a complete new product for just $700. A new product that you can sell over and over again and retain all of the profits for yourself. Using ghostwriters it is perfectly possible to build up a large portfolio of products in a relatively short time period certainly much faster than if you were to write the eBooks yourself. You can even have eBooks written about subjects that you know very little about since you can pay the ghostwriter to do the research for you.

Because of the incredibly high profit margins available with eBooks, it doesn’t surprise me one bit that bigname Internet marketing gurus are starting to use ghostwriters to help build up their product portfolios. And given the ease at which you can hire a ghostwriter, there is no reason why you shouldn’t consider this option too.

One of the most popular ways of hiring a ghostwriter is via the eLance website ( http://www.elance.com ). At the time of writing, a search for กghostwriterก brought up 198 different individuals/businesses that would be happy to consider quoting to write your next eBook. If you are interested in learning more about having a ghostwriter turn your idea into an eBook, why not have a browse through the eLance site…..

Copyright 2004 Richard Grady

About The Author

Richard Grady has been helping ordinary people earn online since 1998. He writes a free newsletter which is published every two weeks. To subscribe (and claim your free gifts), visit: http://www.thetraderonline.com/newsletter.html

This article was posted on December 17, 2004

by Richard Grady

Content Readability is Essential

Content Readability is Essential

by: C.E. David

The content of your web site should be written with readability in mind. Those who provide written content that does not reflect an understanding of internet readability research are losing an opportunity to have their message heard more often and more clearly.

Studies demonstrate that the internet poses very particular challenges and opportunities with respect to how information is actually read.

There are many elements of readability that require consideration.

Font choices (both in size and actual font) can have an impact on readability. For instance, research has demonstrated that fonts lacking serifs outperform fonts with serifs. This revelation runs contrary to the longheld understanding that fonts utilizing serifs speed reading.

Previous research was conducted on traditional page reading. An examination of readability specific to computers reached opposite conclusions. This underlines the importance of understanding readability specifically in terms of computer and internet use.

Color choices, column widths, page organization and other features are all being examined as new research regarding web readability is conducted. Anyone hoping to be successful with a contentrich site must keep abreast of new studies and their conclusions.

There are other considerations particular to writing content. Of course, all potentially visible grammatical and spelling errors must be avoided. Content providers should understand ขscannabilityข and the scanning habits of internet users. They should also be fully aware of the structure types that aid in readability and encourage visitor examination.

Content should be written in an appropriate contextual voice. Marketingheavy language requires additional cognitive processing burdens on a reader, reducing its effectiveness. Those who tailor their messages in concise, objective language at an appropriate reading level for their audience can achieve a better response.

Although achieving an understanding of content readability requires time and research, it is necessary for those who want to maximize their content’s value to readers. Even great writers need to acquaint themselves with new research and study regarding readability.

About The Author

C.E. David

Article Staff provides content and editing services to sites of all types. http://www.articlestaff.netfirms.com/.

Article Staff blogs at http://articlestaff.blogspot.com/

[email protected]

This article was posted on February 14

by C.E. David

7 Online Copyright Myths

7 Online Copyright Myths

by: Judith Kallos

Possunt quia posse videntur.

(Latin: They can because they think they can.)

One of the most misunderstood issues online has to do with copyright. Both with email and Web site copyright issues. For some reason, as with many things online, there is this incorrect perception that anything goes. However, many are finding out the hard way that when it comes to protecting creative collateral, copyright is law. And, copyright laws can and are being enforced online.

No, I am not an attorney. Nor do I play one on T.V. But I can help you avoid potential problems based on guiding clients for over a decade. Hopefully, this effort will help others from finding out the hard way that copyright is alive and well online.

1) ขI can right click, save anything online and use it how I wish.ข

This is a perfect example of just because you can doesn’t mean you do! Those graphics or files were created by someone out there. They legally attained the copyright upon that file’s creation. Without their specific permission to use that file or graphic, you have no right to just take it and use it as you please. Always ask a site owner before you illegally swipe anything off their site.

2) ขAs long as I note the author’s name, I can use their site’s content on my site.ข

Although you are being nice and giving credit where credit is due, you still need to ask the author’s permission to post their work on your site. The author may not want their information posted anywhere off their own site or they many not approve of your site as a venue for their information that is their choice to make not yours. Always ask a site owner if you can use their content before you put it on your site.

3) ขI can link to graphics on other sites so that they display on my site.ข

O.K., maybe you didn’t actually download the graphic and put it on your server, but if you are displaying someone else’s work on your site without their permission the bottom line is still the same. And, you are using their server’s resources to display something on your site. Shame on you!

4) ขI can display pages from other Web sites within frames on my site.ข

Many site owners prohibit their site pages from being framed within another site because it gives the impression that the other site created the information. Many times folks innocently do this so they don’t have to send site visitors off their site for information they want to provide. Others do so to precisely give the impression it is content they created. A better option is to link to the information you like and create a new window to open when doing so to ensure your site is still available to your site visitors.

5) ขIf I only quote a portion of other site’s content and link to them I do not need their permission.ข

Again, it would behoove you to have permission to do so. Using only portions allows you to possibly give the wrong impression about the author’s overall content and this can be misleading at best. If you want to quote any written work in whole or part you need to ask permission to do so.

6) ขIf I pay someone to create graphics for my Web site, I own the copyright to those graphics.ข

Not necessarily. Unless your agreement with the graphic artist explicitly states that upon your payment all of their rights are then transferred to you, you most likely only have exclusive license to use those graphics. And to purchase the full copyright will cost you a bunch more than simple exclusivity!

Understand that the moment anything is created whether it be written or drawn, the creator owns the copyright that’s the law. Over the years Iกve had clients claim they own copyright just because they paid me to create this or that. It simply, legally, is not the case (and my contract(s) clearly state this including their option to purchase my copyright if they so choose).

Copyright can only be transferred in a written legally binding agreement signed by the creator of the work stating they are transferring their rights to you. Saying you own it because you paid for it doesn’t make it legal fact. If you do not have a written agreement specifically transferring the copyright to you, you do not own the copyright to those graphics.

7) ขEmail is not copyright protected once it is sent.ข

Email is a written work that once created is copyright protected by the author. This means you cannot post publicly an email sent to you privately. You cannot post private emails to your site, to message boards or to your blog without the author’s specific permission to do so.

Just because an email was sent to you as a private communication does not mean you then own it and can do with it what you like. In addition, email that is posted to a group of people, on a mailing list or Newsgroup does not make the email available for reposting, copying, or any other use not without the express and written consent of the writer.

Whatกs the bottom line with online copyright?

Courtesy! Don’t assume that you can use, repost or take anything you find online simply because you can. Be a courteous Netizen and always ask first!

You might be interested to find a DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act) page and policy statement on your ISP and hosting provider’s Web sites to handle complaints and reports of the above types of copyright abuse. Take some time to read that information and make yourself aware of your rights and make sure you do not infringe on others. The main resource for all the legal mumbo jumbo on online copyright and the DMCA is on the Governments site @ http://www.copyright.gov.

Again, I am not an attorney nor am I providing legal advice. I hope Iกve informed you of some of the issues that need to be seriously considered by all who are online whether they are creating their own or using others creative or written works.

About The Author

Judith Kallos is an authoritative and goodhumored Technology Muse. Check out her new book: กBecause Netiquette Matters! Your Comprehensive Reference Guide to Email Etiquette and Proper Technology Useก @: http://www.BecauseNetiquetteMatters.com

This article was posted on November 19, 2004

by Judith Kallos

Your Website Copy Could be Letting You Down!

Your Website Copy Could be Letting You Down!

by: John Sheridan

A professionally presented business website is a powerful and essential marketing tool: itกs the first thing prospective customers will look at before they decide to contact you. If the copy on your website is not written to an acceptable standard, it may be losing you customers. It’s not enough just to have amazing graphics and imagery: you need the words to make it complete. Is the spelling correct? Are punctuation marks in place? Does the copy make sense? These are questions that website designers should be asking themselves before they upload a new site.

One of the biggest flaws with website copy is inconsistency: for example the word ‘website’. Some sites spell it as one word, some as two words; as far as I am aware both are acceptable, but not both versions on the same site! In my opinion, a lack of consistency will deter a significant amount of wouldbe customers from using the services of a company that has not taken the trouble to proofread their website.

Poor spelling on a website is another costly but avoidable mistake.

The majority of visitors will leave the site very quickly if they find too many spelling errors. This again will give them the impression that the site owners don’t really care; and they would be right! I am also convinced that copy that has been ‘padded out’ with insignificant trivia is also a big turnoff for visitors – clear, concise and informative is the order of the day.

Anything containing textual content should as a matter of course be proofread: itกs important that not only are mistakes in spelling, punctuation and grammar found and corrected, but that the text flows smoothly for the reader. The copy on a website should not be treated as the กpoor relationก of the project. You can have the most uptodate, eyecatching graphics available but you will still need wellwritten copy to compliment them.

There are the odd few web design companies around that will happily inform visitors how they can supply them with a stateoftheart website but then insert secondrate copy, which totally negates any good work they have achieved. This will reduce the initial impact of the site, and more often than not will have an adverse effect on business.

It pays to have the copy checked professionally, whether the design company has written it themselves or had it supplied by the client; it may cost a lot less than you think to have a website proofread it could cost you considerably more if you don’t!

Remember: if visitors to your site cannot find the information they are looking for because of badly written copy they will simply leave the site. The only people to benefit will be your competitors.

About The Author

John Sheridan is a professional proofreader of hard copy items and website copy. He also writes web copy and occasionally accepts small copyediting assignments. He can be contacted at: [email protected]

website: www.textcorrect.co.uk

This article is the property of the author and may only be reproduced in its original form.

This article was posted on August 11

by John Sheridan