Why Story Matters in Non-Fiction

Guest post by Rose Gilbert Anderson

“The story – from Rapunzel to War and Peace – is one of the basic tools invented by the human mind, for the purpose of gaining understanding. There have been great societies that did not use the wheel, but there have been no societies that did not tell stories.” author Ursula K. Le Guin, 1979

Many years ago, a cave man carved a picture of a hunter named Bob onto a cave wall. No one cared.

Then he carved a raging buffalo charging directly towards Bob.

Now, the other cave dwellers wanted to know what came next. Did Bob manage to out run the buffalo? Did someone come to help Bob? Was Bob a gored, bloody mess in the end? What happened?

It had turned into a story and readers want to know how stories end.

Once upon a time…

“Once upon a time…what?” Who is involved? Did someone fall in love? Did someone get murdered? Was the world attacked by zombies? Will the story end happy or in tragedy?

Stories will pull people into your writing and make them want to read to the end to see what happens.

This is obvious in fiction but it can also be a useful technique in non-fiction.

When I worked as a children’s magician I learned a few lessons quickly. Entertaining children who are pumped full of birthday cake is not an easy task. You have to grab their attention quickly and hold on tight.

I started by making a bright silk handkerchief appear from thin air in my bare hands. Then I got them personally involved by using an audience member as a volunteer. I gave them something silly to laugh about through-out the show to keep them engaged. Then I had a big finish such as helping the birthday child magically produce a real live bunny.

If I stopped amusing them at any point they would quickly start making their own entertainment. Getting their attention back was nearly impossible.

You see what I did there?

I told you a story about my magician days. Not a thrilling story, I’ll admit, but you see how the story applies to writing an article.

You can do the same thing with your projects when appropriate.

If you’re writing a short article about building chicken coops it often helps to share a quick story about the chicken coop you built in your backyard – or the story of someone you interviewed. Why did they pick a certain chicken coop design? Why did they choose to put it on wheels? Why did they pick a certain spot in their yard over another? Did their decisions work out in the end? Did they wish they had done something differently?

Another reason to embrace storytelling is because people remember stories better than mere facts or a list of statistics. Readers remember what people do – the actions they take – and the end results.

People feel a connection to other people but not to a large, unnamed group of people.

For instance, let’s say you write an article trying to raise money for a non-profit organization. You tell your readers that two hundred children go hungry in your county each night. Or, you tell the story of a blond haired, three-year-old named Lily scraping the bottom of a peanut butter jar with a plastic spoon. One brings the image of a particular child to mind and the other is a list of statistics. Stories make the facts seem real.

How many documentaries about the Titanic are remembered? But James Cameron told the love story of Jack and Rose and his version is remembered.

Stories make the world go around. Okay, actually that’s money. But stories are what make the world interesting. Add one into your next project and test the results for yourself.

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The Importance of Connections for Growing Your Writing Business

Guest post by Joan Mullally

There are many reasons why it is important to make the most of your connections and network when you decide to start your own writing business and to grow it to meet your business goals.

Your Social Networks

As most people in the modern business world have realized, it is not always a case of what you know, but who you know. Cultivating relationships with people who can advance your writing business is one of the best ways to ensure that it becomes a profitable enterprise.

Content is King

When you’re starting your writing business, you’ll be offering your writing skills as a service to busy entrepreneurs. If you’ve ever heard the phrase “Content is King,” you understand how important it is for websites, blogs, online corporate hubs, and more to have fresh content which is well-written and meets the needs of the intended audience.

Connecting with Clients

The first step in growing your writing business is to get clients. Using all the connections you have to spread the word about your new business is a good first step. Use LinkedIn, Facebook and any other network you are active on. Try to brand yourself as an expert in X topic, so that anyone looking for quality content about that topic will naturally think of you.

Offline connections

Don’t just connect online. There are huge opportunities offline for those willing to get out there to sell themselves. Local businesses are always looking for ways to get an attractive and up to date website without having to do all the work themselves from scratch.

After all, writing is a skill that not everyone possesses. Print up some business cards about your services and take them with you the next time you go shopping. Tell the business owners you know about your new business briefly and give them a card. Even if they don’t need your services themselves, they might tell others who do.

Your local Chamber of Commerce is also an excellent place to make connections. They are always organizing events and also looking for people who can give presentations about interesting and important topics of benefit to business owners. A talk about the importance of good business writing, with examples, can prove to most business owners that they could be doing a lot better. They are a potential client list you can make the most of immediately because your great presentation will be proof of just how good a writer you are.

Affiliates and Joint Venture Partners

Once you’ve started your writing business, it will be time to get affiliates and then joint venture partners. Affiliates will earn commission from the sales of your products and services. Joint Venture partners will usually do a revenue split. But don’t overlook the other opportunities that these connections offer besides sales. Many affiliates and JVPs are extremely knowledgeable about their niche. Pick their brains, and give them credit in your writing as appropriate.

Interviews with Experts

Interviews with top professionals is another great way to make the most of your connections, and one of the easiest ways to create great content. Start with your affiliates and JVPs, and ask them if they know others who are also interested in the same topics. Leverage their knowledge so your writing will have more of a ring of truth to it. Plus, you won’t have to do as much research as you otherwise would for topics your clients have given you that you might not necessarily know all about.

Writing Partnerships

Your affiliates and JVPs might also be willing to write part of the content for you, becoming a project partner you can split the proceeds with. They might be willing to be a guest blogger or contributor to your book. This is ideal if you are a slow writer, or don’t have the expertise needed to do full justice to the task. It can help you turn around your projects more quickly, for even more profits.

Leveraging Your Work for More Profits

Finally, using your connections to gather together experts can be a goldmine. One-on-one interviews, panels, discussions, forums and summits are all ways to make the most of your connections, and theirs if you ask them to invite contributors also. Record everything and transform them into transcripts, blog posts, articles and more.

Once you start to think about all the ways you can make the most of the connections you have, and widen your circle, you should have no trouble finding the kinds of clients you need to help grow your writing business.

 

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How to Come Up With Attention-Getting Book Titles (Part 2)

Guest post by Melody Spier.

If you remember, last time we talked about what makes a good title. This time, we’ll walk through how to create it. Let’s jump right to it…

Step 1 – Make a huge list.

You know what your book is about. Start writing down words and phrases that relate to your book and the message it provides. See what kind of titles, and subtitles, you can come up with using these words. When considering subtitles, try to include a keyword or two to boost search results.

Step 2 – Search bestsellers.

Search online bookstores such as Amazon and Barnes & Nobel as well as bestseller lists. Look for titles that have a similar topic to yours. Are those titles working for them? What type of title structure seems to be selling best? Is it the facts or the cliché titles that capture buyer attention? Do consumers buy more books where the titles identify their needs or make a promise? Do they have numbers in the title? While searching, be sure to add words or phrases that capture your attention to your list.

Step 3 – Consider reader knowledge level.

Who will be reading your book? Are they novices or professionals, who are looking for extra help? Consider including that information in the title; “Leadership Skills for First-Time Managers” or “How Successful CEOs Do More in Less Time” Read the titles aloud. Read your potential titles aloud. Have others read them. Do they flow smoothly or are they hard to read?

Step 4 – Use online tools.

Several online tools can help you create or improve a title. 

         Portent’s Content Idea Generator lets you enter the subject and it will generate an idea. Some of the suggestions are a bit funny but they get your creative juices flowing.

         Adazing lets you search by genre. It gives you options for adding information such as    benefits, the number of steps presented, and the negative effect the book eliminates. 

         Lulu has a title scorer, which they say can give you an idea of whether or not the title will be a success. 

All of these tools can be helpful but don’t let them be the deciding factor in what you choose.

Because you can see the big picture, you are best qualified to choose a winning title for your book.

Step 5 – Make it shorter.

Short titles are the easier to remember. Look over your options. Identify words you can eliminate or rephrase to make the title more concise.

Step 6 – Take a poll.

Test some titles out before you make a final decision. You can use survey or polling software to ask visitors, previous buyers, friends, family, and social media followers to vote on the best title. If it’s your first book or you don’t have a big following, consider placing an ad on Facebook or Google to help test two or three choices. There are also sites such as PickFu that provide unbiased feedback.

Step 7 – Let it breathe.

Like a good red wine, a title needs to breathe.

Take a break from thinking about it. Ignore it for a few days or weeks. When you come back to it, see what resonates with you. If you are still writing your book, wait until the book is finished, so you know exactly what you want to convey.  

Creating an attention-getting book title doesn’t have to be hard.  It just takes a bit of time and research. Just make sure it’s easy to read, memorable and captivating. It also needs to be something you’re excited about; something that you won’t mind saying and writing thousands of times for years to come. 

About the Author: Virtual assistant, project manager and PLR seller. One customer recently told her, “You’re everywhere!” Learn more about Melody Spier at EssentialOfficeSupport.com.

Like This Article? There’s More…

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How to Come Up With Attention-Getting Book Titles (Part 1)

Guest post by Melody Spier

Coming up with catchy titles seems to be the hardest part for many writers. Yet, nothing is more important than a strong title. The title is the first thing that captures reader attention. If it can ‘hook’ consumers, they keep reading. If not, they move on to the next book.

Ask 100 authors, editors, and publishers what makes a great book title, and you’ll get 100 different answers. It’s all subjective. What one person likes, another may not. In my opinion, a great title will do one of three things. It will be intriguing. It will make an attainable promise. Or it will identify a certain desire or need.

Create Intrigue

Creating intrigue in your title is a great way to capture a reader’s attention. It will make them want to read the book to find out more. When creating intrigue, it’s important to be specific. Don’t make your title so broad that it’s boring.

For example, the title “How to Get Fit” is too broad and boring. It doesn’t capture reader attention. However, “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” makes people take notice and keep reading to discover the benefits of being shy and watching from the sidelines. “Everything I Know About Zombies, I Learned in Kindergarten” is another book title that makes readers wonder what could be in the book.

To pique curiosity, you can pair words or phrases that don’t generally go together. Consider “To Kill a Mockingbird” or “The Devil Wears Prada.” Both book titles make consumers stop and think “what?” which prompts them to hit the read more or buy buttons. You can also put a twist on phrases such as “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” or “Pride, Prejudice, and Zombies.” While I haven’t read either one, both captured my attention when scrolling through Amazon books. They made me curious enough to stop and read the description.

Make an Attainable Promise

The key to making a book title promise effective is to make the promise attainable. Nothing will turn a consumer away faster than including an unrealistic promise. “Change Your Mind, Change Your Body” is an attainable promise. You know how powerful the mind is and with the right mindset, you can change anything. On the flip side, “Lose 30 Pounds in 10 Days” is not realistic. Most consumers would know promise is impossible and potentially unhealthy.

A book title that states a promise often includes a subtitle that elaborates. This good strategy ensures people know what they’re getting if they buy. For example, “Change Your Mind, Change Your Body” is the book title but the subtitle says “How to Have Permanent Weight Loss Success for a More Confident and Happier You.” The subtitle tells what makes the book unique, while it evokes visualization and emotions. You can picture yourself being thinner, more confident, and happier.

When making a promise, avoid overused words such as “Revolutionary,” “Amazing,” “Life-Changing” and “6-Figure” … the words you hear in the “As Seen on TV” ads. You may think your idea is revolutionary or amazing but someone else has said it or done it before. The information may be life changing or you may be able to reach a 6-Figure income; but the phrases have been frequently used on material that under delivered. Rather than create awe, they often cause a negative reaction to your book.

Identify A Desire or Need

Readers look for information that addresses their wants or needs. They want solutions written by someone who understands and is an expert on the topic. Hopefully, you did this research before writing your book. If so, it should be easy to inject the information into your book title.

“Post Traumatic Success” is a title that identifies the need to overcome PTSD. “Breaking the Cycle” also identifies a need to change a pattern. Consider the ultimate goal related to the need. Play with related words until you find the right pairing.

As with making a promise, a subtitle is used to expound on the book’s title or subject matter. “Total Recovery: Breaking the Cycle of Chronic Pain and Depression” is a good example of this. The desire is total recovery. The need is to break the cycle of chronic pain and depression.

Stating The Facts

Some book titles simply state what the content is about and nothing more. “Performing Under Pressure” is one I saw recently. “How to Win Friends & Influence People” is another, and it’s a great book if you like to read. “How to Write Children’s Books” tells the reader exactly what they’ll learn from the book.

As you can see, these titles state what the content is about. They may or may not have a subtitle.

Clichés

Some book titles are built on clichés, seemingly lacking originality. Titles like “The Art of ___,” “The Secrets of ___,” and “___ for Dummies” are good examples. Now, that isn’t to say they don’t work. It’s all a matter of timing. Like many things, clichés come and go. They’ll be popular for a while. They’ll become overused and disappear for a while, only to reappear a few years later.

When the ‘dummies’ or ‘soup for the soul’ books were top sellers, if you had you titled your book similarly, consumers would have picked it up because of the familiarity of the name. Their popularity has faded somewhat, making way for newer clichés such as “50 shades of ___”, which I’m already sick of seeing. But if you watch, you’ll see the phrase gain popularity again in a few years.

If you use a cliché in your book title, research what’s popular now and what is overused. Determine if a comeback is on the horizon or if it has already had a painfully overdue demise.

Next time, we’ll go through 7 steps to creating an attention-grabbing book title.

About the Author: Virtual assistant, project manager and PLR seller. One customer recently told her, “You’re everywhere!” Learn more about Melody Spier at EssentialOfficeSupport.com.

Like This Article? There’s More…

This article is an excerpt from our EWL Insider Monthly, one of the awesome perks of being an Elite Writer’s Lab Member. If you’re up for:

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  • Learning from the stories of other successful writers and business owners
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…we’d love to have you join us. Take the $1 trial here.

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I vs. You Statement in Copy – Not What You Might Think

Bond Halbert has some interesting advice on “I vs. You” statements in copy and it’s not what you might think.

How to Get the Full Interview:

We enjoyed an hour long discussion with Bond where he talked about his unique experience growing up and being mentored by his father, legendary copywriter, Gary Halbert. He also told us how to edit your own copy for more sales, how to plan your books and products and a whole bunch more.

The complete interview with available exclusively for our Elite Writer’s Lab members and the good news is, you can join us for $1 by clicking here.

You’ll also have access to a huge library of other expert interviews, courses and resources for turning your writing skills into a living.

Why Your Book or Info Product Planning Process is Probably Backward

Bond Halbert shares a key tip for planning your book or info product that most people get completely backward.

How to Get the Full Interview:

We enjoyed an hour long discussion with Bond where he talked about his unique experience growing up and being mentored by his father, legendary copywriter, Gary Halbert. He also told us how to edit your own copy for more sales, how to plan your books and products and a whole bunch more.

The complete interview with available exclusively for our Elite Writer’s Lab members and the good news is, you can join us for $1 by clicking here.

You’ll also have access to a huge library of other expert interviews, courses and resources for turning your writing skills into a living.

Two Easy Tips for Making it Easier to Edit Your Own Copy

Here’s a tip from Bond Halbert that shows you 2 surefire ways to make it easy to edit your sales copy.

How to Get the Full Interview:

We enjoyed an hour long discussion with Bond where he talked about his unique experience growing up and being mentored by his father, legendary copywriter, Gary Halbert. He also told us how to edit your own copy for more sales, how to plan your books and products and a whole bunch more.

The complete interview with available exclusively for our Elite Writer’s Lab members and the good news is, you can join us for $1 by clicking here.

You’ll also have access to a huge library of other expert interviews, courses and resources for turning your writing skills into a living.

A Copy Editing Tip that Also Boosts Your Reputation

Here’s a smart tip from Bond Halbert that helps you edit your copy to improve your writing…and boosts your reputation at the same time.

How to Get the Full Interview:

We enjoyed an hour long discussion with Bond where he talked about his unique experience growing up and being mentored by his father, legendary copywriter, Gary Halbert. He also told us how to edit your own copy for more sales, how to plan your books and products and a whole bunch more.

The complete interview with available exclusively for our Elite Writer’s Lab members and the good news is, you can join us for $1 by clicking here.

You’ll also have access to a huge library of other expert interviews, courses and resources for turning your writing skills into a living.

A Smart Way to Get Contact Info for Your Book Buyers

If you’re selling on Amazon or through another book sellers, it’s important to get contact info from your buyers, so you can sell more books, products and services. This is a very smart tip from Bond Halbert to ensure you get more email address and mailing addresses too.

How to Get the Full Interview:

We enjoyed an hour long discussion with Bond where he talked about his unique experience growing up and being mentored by his father, legendary copywriter, Gary Halbert. He also told us how to edit your own copy for more sales, how to plan your books and products and a whole bunch more.

The complete interview with available exclusively for our Elite Writer’s Lab members and the good news is, you can join us for $1 by clicking here.

You’ll also have access to a huge library of other expert interviews, courses and resources for turning your writing skills into a living.

How Long Should Your Sales Copy Be?

An expert answer to the question, “How long should copy be?” from Bond Halbert, son of copywriting legend, Gary Halbert. How aware your audience is and how much you’re asking to them invest are key factors, but watch as he explains in detail.

Quick Summary

There are two things that I think really make a big difference in the length of the copy. One is the market level awareness of the buyer and how experienced they are. I’ll give you an example of this. The second thing is, how much does what you’re asking them to buy represent of their income?

In my neighborhood, if you’re buying your first house, you want a binder full of information that you can go to your experts and say, “Look, here’s the foundation. Here’s how many roofs are on it. Here’s history. Here’s the comps in the area,” and all this information that they need. Because you’re a first-time buyer, it’s the largest purchase you’ll ever make.

If you’re selling that to a billion-dollar developer who just tears down houses and makes McMansions, they care about two things. They want to know the square footage of the lot size. They want to know if there’s asbestos in the attic because it changes how they destroy your house before they build the new one. To make that decision, they don’t need much information at all.

Market level awareness zero is I don’t even know I have a problem. You have to describe to me that I have a problem. I have to explain to you that you’re not getting primary email addresses. That open rate of five percent could be a lot higher. “Oh, I didn’t know that was a problem.”

Then there’s another level of awareness, which is they know they have a problem. They’re just not sure what the choices are to fix it. There’s another one where they know there are choices out there, but they’re not sure which is better than which choice. And then, they’re so market level aware, they know exactly what they want; they’re just shopping on price and cost comparison.

The lower the market level awareness and the higher the price represents to the amount of money you’re asking them to spend, the longer the copy. If I spend three pages trying to get you to try a new piece of gum, there’s something wrong with that gum.

If you’re going on about why you should try a $17 print book, that’s ridiculous. The offer needs to be, “Hey, it’s only $17. It’s less than the price of lunch. If I’m wrong, you will have wasted $17. If I’m right, you’re going to figure out how to build your real estate empire. You’re going to figure out how to solve whatever problem you’re solving.”

How to Get the Full Interview:

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Quick Start Success Kit
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