Public Service Announcement: Don’t Write While Sleepy!

February 11, 2011 By Lisa Angelettie 3 Comments

Writing While Sleepy

This is a public service announcement to all the digital writers and ePublishers of the world! Do NOT write while sleepy. This is why…

1. You’re writing in an impaired state and so you think everything that you’ve just written sounds good!

2. You will make major typos.

3. You will make grammar mistakes that your 8 year old can identify.

4. You will probably not proofread your article because you are already falling asleep.

5. You may rush the article because you just want to finish it.

6. You will run into the dreaded writer’s block because all you can think about is your bed!

7. If you’re falling asleep at the keyboard, your life is seriously out of balance. Make some changes!

8. Perhaps you are really in a “groove” and you don’t want to stop. I hear you – just don’t press publish. Stop when you’re ready and proof read the next day.

9. Which leads me to my next gem – don’t publish while sleepy.

10. Finally, sleepy writing is typically not your best work. If you are writing for your blog or as a guest blogger, this is a bad move. You want to submit your BEST work to yourself and to sites you are submitting to. First impressions do matter. No one wants to buy or learn from someone who can’t spell or write a decent sentence. Sorry – but it’s the truth.

What’s Your Writing Inspiration?

January 27, 2011 By Lisa Angelettie 7 Comments

Writing Inspiration

I took this picture of my yard out of my kitchen window today, so it’s not that great, but a good snowstorm puts me in a creative mood for some reason.

I have always loved the look of fresh snow especially when I don’t have to go right out into it because the kids have a snow day. I can just hunker down, sip on some hot tea or Pepsi :), and write a few articles or bank out another chapter in one of my books or infoproducts.

Sometimes I am not so “self aware”, so when it hit me that I love to write when it snows, it got me thinking about other sources of writing inspiration as well as a few writing rituals.

1. I love to write when singing.

2. I write better at night.

3. I sometimes write best when writing first in freehand then editing it at the computer.

4. I prefer to write on a desktop vs a laptop.

5. I like to write on summer days with the hum of a window unit air conditioner.

6. I like to write after a shower.

7. I must have something to drink when I’m writing. Either ice water or Pepsi. Occasionally tea if my office is too cold.

8. I like to write when a dog is laying by my feet.

9. I often write more, believe it or not, when I’m tired.

Think about the last time you really got into a groove writing? What was your backdrop? Where were you? Were you listening to music? Did something make you happy that day? Or sad? What are some of the things or circumstances that inspire you to write your best and produce the most?

I’d love for you to share them in the comments section below…

How To Write What People Will Read

January 12, 2011 By Lisa Angelettie 8 Comments

How To Write What People Will Read – Add The YOU Factor

There is no escaping the fact that writing can be a little daunting. One of the biggest fears for new writers is that they wonder if anyone will ever read anything that they write. Eeck! Yet there is a foolproof writer’s method for making sure that people read what you write – your articles, your newsletters, your book — and it is not about how well you write, how good your editing is, or even how much promotion your content gets. It’s really all about writing your truth.

Okay that may sound a little “fruits and berries”, but I don’t mean it in that way. What I mean is that when you include a truthful backstory or example in your writing — that truth will resonate with people on a human level. A deeper level. The will say, “Oh yeah, that happened to me. Or I know someone that happened to. Or yeah – I’ve thought about that very same thing.”

And that is a fantastic thing!

Once a reader can connect with you on a human level, a personal level, a level where they feel they can understand you and vice-versa – that’s when you have started building trust – and that’s when the reader really starts paying attention to what you’ve written and anything else you are going to write. Whether they agree with it or not.

Example: When I finished writing my first book Relationship 911! – I read it from start to finish and realized that I hadn’t included any real examples of my own relationship in the book, only previous clients. So I went back and added stories about my own relationship experiences, because I didn’t want readers to connect with me only as a clinician, I wanted them to connect with me as a woman, a wife, and as someone who had been through the ups and downs of a romantic relationship but had made it to the other side.

Another Example: Let’s say you are a chef and you are writing articles about food preparation — it’s not enough to just write about the details of preparing a specific dish. It’s much better if you can include something about yourself that you can connect with preparing that dish.

For example: “My mom and I use to do this every Christmas Eve” or “My husband and I like to do this part of preparation together the night before a big dinner”.

Add some of “you” in your writing and you will grow a following of readers that you couldn’t get rid of if you tried. Oprah is a good example of this. There were many talk shows out when she started her own, but there was a way that she was able to personally connect with people on the show by sharing how their story affected her or how she had a similar experience, etc. that resonated strongly with people – especially women. It is why her brand is so strong today.

So when you go to write your next article or chapter this week, remember to not just include the facts and the details. Make sure to include a little bit of YOU as well. That’s how you get people to read what you write, bookmark it, share it, Twitter it, and read it again!

Ghostwriting Services

January 4, 2011 By Lisa Angelettie 5 Comments

Should You Use Ghostwriting Services?

If you have read any of my articles over the years, you know that I am a firm believer in entrepreneurs, especially solopreneurs, writing their own articles and content. I believe that you lose a level of authenticity and unique voice when you allow someone else to write content for you. Especially when it is content that is suppose to represent you in your marketplace.

I know in this age of “outsourcing” madness, a lot of professionals would disagree with me, but I can assure you that among your competition, your marketing message is what is going to set you apart from the rest. And it’s not about how well you dotted your i’s and crossed your t’s. It’s more about if what you say in article after article resonates with the reader. Do you stand out? Do you have something different to say? Or do you say it in a unique way?

Having said that, I rather you write SOMETHING then fall prey to perfection paralysis and write nothing because you don’t think that you can write. If you don’t think my beginner’s article marketing training course would work for you — then and only then would I advise you consider looking into ghostwriting services.

What Is A Ghostwriter?

A ghostwriter is a writer who writes articles, reports, and even books for you – under your author name. Ghostwriters are not given any credit. They are paid for a service and you take all the glory. Yet that is why most “good” ghostwriters are paid well. It’s not an easy job.

Sure they have experience writing, but they have to be able to work well with you, and be able to give your vision life in ink.

How Do I Find Ghostwriting Services?

There is some criteria you want to consider when selecting ghostwriting services:

First – You want to make sure that you don’t just select someone based on price point. There are people out there who say they will ghostwrite articles for you for 99 cents an article, but you will get what you pay for. I have tested out that theory from several reputable freelance sites and received inferior writing. So be willing to pay several dollars per article. The ghostwriter has to research your topic, add related info if necessary, and then write the article based on your specifications.

Second – Try to get a referral. If you are on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or you are an active member of some sort of writing or marketing forum – ask for a referral. There are many people that have worked with ghostwriters and would be willing to give you a referral and direct you to a sample of that person’s work. You’d be amazed what kind of information you can get if you just ask. If you don’t get at least 5 referrals from just asking on major social media outlets like those – then I’d be amazed.

*Side note – Going to writer’s forums are a great idea because there are oodles of writers looking to make extra money.

Third – Be willing to try a few writers out at first. Ghostwriting use to be a very niche profession, but with the development of the web and so many freelancing websites out there, anyone can say that they are a ghostwriter for hire. So you have to be willing to go into this knowing that you may have to try a few writers out at first until you find someone who really “gets” the type of content you want to produce for your community.

Fourth – Know what you want. A ghostwriter is not a mind reader. You have to be very sure about what you want from him/her in order for writing project to be successful. Things like: word count, topic, keyword terms, links, style of writing (corporate, fun, storytelling, how-to, etc.)

Fifth – If you are working with an unknown ghostwriter, make it clear that you will be running their articles should be able to pass the copyscape test – and be 100% original work. You would think it would be pretty self-explanatory, but you need to put it out there so that everything is crystal clear. Many writers will steal content to write your articles out of shear laziness, so it’s a good idea that you do really check: http://copyscape.com

Sixth – A good place to start posting your ghostwriting jobs is: http://www.freelancer.com/projects/by-job/Ghostwriting.html

You can also always go to the other well-known freelance sites and try your luck with them: Elance, Guru, Craigslist, etc.

Lastly, you can do a google search for “ghostwriting” “ghostwriting services” or “ghostwriters” and see who pops up. Take a look out their sites and samples of their work. Truthfully if someone has taken the time to set up a site and samples of their work – I may try them out before I hire someone off of a freelance site.

Conclusion

As time marches on and people find this article on the web, it would be great to get a list of ghostwriting service referrals going for folks to check out. So if you are a ghostwriter or worked with one that you thought did an excellent job, go ahead and list them in the comment section below.

What I Wish For You In 2011

December 31, 2010 By Lisa Angelettie 5 Comments

What I Wish For You And Your Writing In 2011 (and me too:)

There are a lot of wrap-up articles around this time of year. Things we did wrong. Things we got kind of right. Things we learned. Things we wished we had time for. Blah. Blah. I’m not really big on those types of articles, because honestly there are so many people writing them, what do you need to read one more from me for? So I decided to take a little different approach with my last article of 2010, and not make it quite one of those articles all about me. No, this year I’m going to briefly talk about what I wish for you (my community of readers here:) for 2011…

1. I wish that you all would commit to writing something useful to your readers AT LEAST once a week. Whether that is writing on your own site, a directory, guest blogging, I don’t care. But if you do not offer something new, fresh, or useful to the web via your name — you are fighting an uphill battle to become recognized, respected, understood, and followed in your niche. I can’t put it any plainer than that.

2. I wish that you all play bigger. This is something that took me a very long to understand and follow through on, mainly because I was afraid of failure. It’s kind of my genetic code that I work consistently on altering everyday:) Take the leap with me and commit to playing bigger in your business and even in the rest of your life. You can be that go-to person, that rock star professional, in your marketplace. You just have to make little decisions everyday that play into a much bigger plan and it will happen. Thinking about attending a high priced seminar this year? Do it. Want to try private coaching with a mentor you’ve had your eye on for a while – try it. It can only elevate your game.

3. I wish that you buy one less infoproduct on list building this year:) Build your list when you drive traffic to your squeeze and landing pages with articles, free reports, etc. Period. Amen.

4. I wish that you get very clear about what it is you do and who your ideal customer or client is. If you need help with that – I am committed to getting you there this year. Without clarity on that, you will be trying this “online thing” for the next 5 years with zero success. I’ll talk about it more next month.

5. Finally, I wish that you have fun this year. One reason I wake up everyday and do something on this site or some of my other sites is because I love it. I love it because I make things fun for myself. I only work in niches that I enjoy. I only concentrate on the things in my business that I love. Anything else – I try to outsource. And I don’t mean paying someone money to teach me how to find a great assistant in the Philippines!

What I mean is asking my 11 year old daughter to make a few edits for me on a blog, or asking a colleague or even folks on my list to proofread something that I’m working on. Don’t dwell on the yucky stuff. Have fun. If you are online trying to make money in a niche that you hate – you will not be a happy camper. If you are sweating the small stuff – you will probably be mean to your computer screen:) Have fun!

Article Writing 2011 – Stop Writing So Old School!

December 21, 2010 By Lisa Angelettie 5 Comments

Article Writing 2011 – Are You Ready For The Revolution?

Are you ready to stop writing with an old school agenda and move forward?

I recently wrote and published an article on this site about my article marketing income breakdown and whew! I got a lot of emails from you all with excited comments and questions about how you want to create your own varied sources of income online. And that was really the point of that article.

I wanted you all to understand that online article writing is not just a one dimensional activity. The goal is to transform that one article into many versions of information and many sources of income. This is not necessarily a new thing that business owners do online — but it is one that I bet you’re not taking full advantage of or at all. Let me ask you some tough questions that I asked some of the folks who wrote in the other day…

How many articles have you written this year?
None. Two or Three. How do you expect anyone to find you in the sea of millions of websites on the internet?

How much new traffic did they bring you?
None, because you didn’t write much. Or maybe you have no clue. Can you say CHECK YOUR STATISTICS?

How many new subscribers signed up with you?
Not hardly enough. This is all due to the fact that you aren’t driving enough traffic to your site. You don’t have any content out there doing the job for you.

How many podcast or audio articles have you recorded?
None – I can’t even get ones written Lisa! Well, you’re missing out because you can take the same articles you’ve written and turn them into audio articles. Put ’em on iTunes and bamm – instant podcast.

How many video or video articles have you recorded?
One or two. Video is hot! Again, you can produce even more using the same articles that you should have written.

How many free reports have you created this year?
I couldn’t get myself together to pull it all together. Really? If you had 5-7 articles written you could have. Video is hot, so it’s important you take advantage of it.

How many ebooks, ecourses, or other information products have you created this year?
It was one of my plans but time got away from me this year. Publishing your own original content this year will be crucial to your credibility and your success. Ebooks are no longer for amateurs. Best selling authors like Stephen King are focusing on ebook publication now.

How many ebooks, ecourses, or other information products have you BOUGHT this year? Is it the same as the books you’ve created? Is it double the amount? Triple?
No, I buy a lot of information products online. There is just so much information out there. You have to be careful not to slip into the bright and shiny new product matrix! Focus on creation, not consumption.

I see this all the time. People keep investing their hard earned money into product after product, looking for THE solution to their online business — and not really creating creating the types of information necessary to get the message out about their great business (article marketing).

Also I see that people are not creating the types of products (ePublishing) that could create a nice passive income stream for their business. Heck in my income breakdown, you will see that ebook sales (my own books) was my second highest income generator for 2010. So what do you think I’m going to do in 2011? More of the same!

Article Writing in 2011 is going to be about more than simply writing any old thing and submitting it to every directory you can find. That is so old school! It’s going to be about designing content to support your business and branding platform, your message, and what you can teach or show people.

Look for me to help you jump start your New School article writing at the top of the year, and if you don’t mind, I’d love it if you’d share your answers to the questions I asked above about your 2010 article writing in the comment section below.

Autoblogging 101

November 15, 2010 By Lisa Angelettie 7 Comments

WordPress Autoblogging | Autoblogging 101

There is a new affiliate article marketing (or content marketing) model that is all the rage! If you haven’t heard about it, it is a system of mass producing small niche blogs and monetizing them with adsense, amazon, ebay, and other affiliate revenue. Content is typically “dripped” into the blogs automatically via plugins from RSS feeds and so it is a “set it and forget it” type of income model.

The key to success with autoblogging is that you must pick tiny, untapped niches and that you create a LOT of blogs because each one is only going to generate a very small amount of revenue (a few bucks a day). Yet if you can create many blogs that make a few dollars a day, the point is that it all adds up to a pretty decent amount of money per day.

Autoblogging – Pros

One thing that is absolutely attractive about autoblogging is the fact that you can set it up and forget it. You can simply leave it alone and let the affiliate income drip in.

Another great thing about autoblogging is that when you use it with WordPress, you can use some powerful WordPress plugins to automatically add content to your blog on a regular basis. Content like articles, reviews, and videos. This is what differentiates the autoblogging affiliate model of today from the old adsense html websites of the past. You are constantly adding fresh content to your blogs, which the search engines love, but you’re doing it automatically – -so you are not tied to adding fresh content to dozens of sites everyday.

Autoblogging – Cons

Of course if you are automatically adding content from other website sources to your blogs, you need to find a way to make that content unique. It doesn’t make sense to post duplicate content from bigger sites to your little, new, niche sites. No one will ever find your sites in a search because they will probably suffer from a Google content filter.

Another autoblogging issue is that the key to success is being able to produce a large number of blogs with the least amount of time/effort. And that’s where the autoblogging offers come in. There are companies out there who will sell you the “method” or their “system” for building and implementing autoblogs, but they really make their money by selling you the software needed to create a lot of WordPress blogs, with the same settings, and the same plugins at one time. Some call it batch processing. This cuts down on the time creating and setting up your blogs – tremendously.

How To Use Autoblogging

It’s important to understand that if you choose to create passive income from affiliate article marketing as I do, and so many other online entrepreneurs, that autoblogging is NOT your golden ticket! While I am sure there are many marketers who are going to claim that they make thousands of dollars a month autoblogging – this probably won’t be you. Nor is it most people. But what it is – is a nice source of passive income that you can create with just a little upfront effort. Niche selection, setting up the blogs, etc.

Getting Started With Autoblogging

There are many marketers out there who teach autoblogging, but if you know how to set up a blog on WordPress or on Blogger, then you can get started without any real investment.

1. Select your niche.

2. Make sure you can penetrate by doing solid keyword research

3. Set up your blog on a self-hosted WordPress blog or a Blogger blog.

4. Add a variety of content on your niche. Use automated WordPress plugins to help.

5. Monetize your blog.

6. Sit back and let the magic happen!

Here are a few systems if you want more in-depth direction and access to software to help automate things: Autoblog Samurai & AutoContentCash.