Freelance Writing & Business Communication

Is e-mail stealing your time?

How do you start your business day? If you are like many independent practitioners, small business owners and entrepreneurs, you turn on your computer and spend an hour or more reading and replying to electronic mail, reading electronic newsletters and online newspapers and surfing the Web.

Does that sound like you? If not, congratulations. The Internet is not eating your precious time. You do not have e-mail time leaks to plug. If all the e-mail you read and all the Web-surfing you do is directly related to conducting your business, then, once again, congratulations.
However, if you start your business days with lengthy personal or non-business-related e-mail and Web-surfing, allow me to ask you a simple question:

Why are you allowing others to set your agenda and steal your time? If (like me) you have assignments, requests for quotes, research material, feedback on first drafts and other business-related information landing in your Inbox daily, then you can be forgiven for starting your day in your Inbox, reviewing work-related e-mail messages that generate billable hours. However, if you are launching a business or attempting to boost your business income, time spent reading and replying to personal e-mail and time spent surfing the Web is, in short, time wasted.

How should you start your day if you are not working the billable hours you want to work? You should start your day doing marketing tasks that will generate billable hours. So why do so many freelance writers, Website designers, graphic artists, consultants and other independent practitioners and small-business owners start their day wasting time? Many think their problem is one of poor time management. If you think that, then you have bought into the time-management myth: “You are a born procrastinator who must exercise supernatural will to overcome this insidious malaise.”

Frankly, most business people who waste time do so because they do not know how they should spend their time. They may have some vague idea of what they aspire to, but they do not have a road map to lead them to that destination. They do not have a Business Vision. They have no goals. They do not have a Marketing Plan. Such people fritter away valuable hours hoping that work will find them – that gigs will fall like manna from heaven.

If you have been in business for a number of years, occasionally a former client may call. But can you afford to sit back and wait for that to happen as you read newspapers, watch TV, play computer games, surf the Web or read personal e-mail? Which leads me to ask: How many e-mails are in your Inbox right now?

Keep your inbox empty
Believe it or not, your goal should be an empty Inbox at the end of each day. Can you achieve this? Yes, you can. I am living proof. However, if you do not believe me, read the e-mails I received from someone who took a workshop that I conduct, The Six-Figure Freelancer (based on the book by the same name – www.paullima.com/books).

July 4, 2005: “After taking your Six-Figure Freelancer workshop, I was sceptical about the importance of emptying your Inbox every day. Then I found a book that also recommends emptying your Inbox every day. It reinforced all you said. I am going to try it. Only 3,589 more e-mail messages to go!”

August 1, 2005: “I did it! I cleaned out my Inbox and now I’m keeping it that way! Take that, 3,589 e-mails! I can’t believe it! I feel like this gigantic weight has been lifted from my shoulders.”

E-mail messages in your Inbox can move your focus from the tasks at hand, those you are supposed to do, to whatever junk is in your Inbox. Or they can lead to an overwhelming sensation that you have so much to do and no time to do it. But you can overcome all of that. How so? Follow this e-mail management process.

First, understand and accept that e-mail is not a phone conversation. Nor is it Instant Messaging. It does not have to take place in real time. With that in mind, schedule the time or times during the day when you will read your e-mail. Outlook lets you check e-mail every 5 minutes or every 5 hours or every 5 days. So your first task is to manage when you will receive and read your e-mail.

When you receive e-mail, do one of the following:
- Read and delete (presuming you do not need to reply or save)
- Read, reply and delete (presuming you do not need to save)
- Read and file in an appropriate folder (presuming you do not need to reply or to reply immediately).
- Read, reply and file messages in appropriate folders.

Appropriate folders?
In Microsoft Outlook, as well as many other e-mail applications, you can create folders for each client or each project you are working on, or for each project for each client, and you can move relevant e-mail into your appropriate folders. In Outlook (the Office version, not Outlook Express) you can also move e-mail into Tasks or Calendar.

Task Manager allows you to schedule tasks (such as replying to the e-mail you moved to Tasks). A reminder can be set to pop up when the task is due.

Calendar allows you to block time for meetings, interviews, cold calls and so on. A reminder can be set to pop up days, hours or minutes before the scheduled event.
Say you have to shower and dress before you travel for 30 minutes to get to a meeting. Set your reminder to pop up two hours before the meeting so you have time to do all that.

In other words, out of sight is not out of mind because your computer will remind you when you have to do whatever you have to do.

So why am I telling you this? I am suggesting you use Folders, Calendar and Tasks (or the equivalent applications in your e-mail application or scheduling software) to keep your Inbox empty and to schedule your time more effectively. The use of these applications – or a paper-based to-do list and calendar – also comes into play as you develop and implement your Marketing Plan.

So use Outlook or an equivalent application to help you manage your time. And do not let e-mail steal your time!

If you can afford to procrastinate, then by all means do so. If not… look at how you use your time, look at the ways you should spend your time if you want to make a go of it as a business owner, and apply your time wisely – to your business.

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Paul Lima is a freelance writer, copywriter, business writing instructor and media interview trainer. He is also the author of several books on business writing and the business of freelance writing. His latest book is How To Write A Non-Fiction Book in 60 Days.

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Profile Series: Paul Lima, profiled on Five Rivers blog

As part of Five Rivers’ Profile series, we’re pleased to feature our first author interview, with the first author we signed, Paul Lima.

Q: You’ve been writing and teaching about writing professionally now for over 25 years. My understanding is you started out as a copywriter for an electronics company? How does a writer make the leap from a steady, if boring, pay cheque to an independent and successful freelancer?

Paul: A writer makes the leap from a steady, if boring, pay cheque to an independent and successful freelancer with a great deal of trepidation. I had been working full-time for 15 years before making the leap and the first two years were financially tough, even though I was having fun and really felt energized.

In part, I’ve written my books on freelance writing to help new freelancers avoid the mistakes I made, such as lack of focus and inconsistent marketing.

Two years into my freelance writing career I was offered, and accepted, a full-time job as a magazine editor. It was the best thing I did because I lasted three months before I quit. I discovered that I really wanted to be a freelancer and devoted the next year to learning how to do it right by taking courses, reading, and learning how to use my time productively.

Q: Was there ever a ‘gulp’ moment, a moment in those early days you asked yourself if you’d lost your mind?

For the answer to this question, and to read the full interview, visit the Five Rivers Blog.

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40 Fatal Public Speaking Mistakes

From Successful Speeches Blog by John Watkis:

40 Fatal Public Speaking Mistakes. It’s not that the mistakes will kill you, but they will definitely hurt your presentation.

1.) Don’t practice. Just wing it and hope everything falls into place.
2.) Drink ice water and dairy products before your presentation. Who doesn’t want to produce more phlegm and clear their throat a lot during a speech?
3.) Apologize in advance for being boring/nervous.
4.) Create your slides before you’ve nailed down your content.
5.) Skip audience analysis.

Full list (and it’s a great one) of 40 mistakes here.

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Freelancer doesn’t have to mean “starving artist”

My colleagues Ed Gandia, Pete Savage and Steve Slaunwhite at TheWealthyFreelancer.com (the blog on that site is well worth reading) have just written an excellent book titled The Wealthy Freelancer: 12 Secrets to a Great Income and an Enviable Lifestyle.

Getting great clients and well-paying work is something that alludes many freelancers — especially in this economy. But this book is packed with the practical, hard-earned strategies Ed, Pete and Steve have used to consistently attract good-paying clients, earn high incomes and enjoy a great quality of life. And hey, they even quote the author of The Six-Figure Freelancer (that would be me) in their book – thanks, guys!

The Wealthy Freelancer is essential reading for any freelancer or solo professional who wants to enjoy a business and lifestyle that are “wealthy” in every sense of the word.

The book will only set you back 11 bucks and change. And as part of their launch effort, Steve, Pete and Ed are giving away a variety of fr*e instructional materials — products that are designed to help you improve very specific areas of your freelance business. The catch? You have to grab a copy of The Wealthy Freelancer by midnight on Friday (March 12).

To learn more about the book or the bonus materials Ed, Pete and Steve are giving away this week, visit www.TheWealthyFreelancer.com/amazon.

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When the Economist acknowledges Print on Demand, you know it’s taking off

The boom in printing on demand
Just press print; new technology promises to prolong the life of the book

ESPRESSO might seem an odd name for a bookmaking machine. But the wardrobe-sized apparatus at Blackwell, a bookstore in central London, and 30 other locations worldwide can print a paperback in about the time it takes to make and drink a shot of caffeine. A black-and-white printer produces the pages; a colour one the cover; they are then glued together by a third device which sits behind Plexiglas for passers-by to admire.

To some this is just “retail theatre”, a clever way to lure people into bookstores. But others view it as the logical step in a development that has picked up speed recently, yet has not received nearly as much attention as electronic readers or touch-screen tablets: the printing of books on demand, rather than on a publisher’s hunch.

Full article here.

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Feature article leads: follow them with a nut ‘graph

Excerpted from Business of Freelance Writing: How to Develop Article Ideas and Sell Them to Newspapers and Magazines

Rather than having a “who, what, where, when and why” (W5) lead that delivers the news, the feature article lead is meant to draw the reader into a longer, more leisurely (sometimes contentious) look at a subject, person, or event. The lead may focus on a scenario, a person or a detailed retelling of an event. It may pose questions. It may be blunt; it may be obscure. But it holds a promise that all will be revealed.

Unlike news articles that often peter out towards the end, feature articles have defined beginnings (lead), middles (body), and ends (conclusion). The longer, more leisurely lead is a staple of feature writing for magazines. The middle builds on the opening, putting flesh on the bones of the themes or characters introduced in the lead. And the end often reflects or echoes the beginning of the article, as you will see below.

Sample Feature Lead
Kevin Huber can differentiate between intense light and dark shadows. Other than that, he sees nothing. Legally blind since birth, Kevin can navigate through his word processing package as fast as any computer user I’ve seen.
Kevin, 38, has his Masters in Science from Guelph University and works as a client support representative for Microcomputer Science Centre in Mississauga where he tests computer systems and software intended for use by visually challenged persons, and shows instructors how to train disabled persons on computers.

While he cannot see the keys, he can touch type on his standard keyboard. And while he cannot see his computer screen, he hears what others see thanks to his IBM Screen Reader and speech synthesizer – two tools that translate visual information into audible information.

Kevin’s dark, deep-set eyes almost twinkle when I ask him if he can imagine life without computers. “I don’t have to imagine it. I lived it,” he says and he vividly recalls his university days when typing a 500-word essay was a chore.
Kevin is one of many physically disabled persons who successfully use adaptive technology to adjust to their particular challenge.

This is where the lead ends. Notice the shift in tone as the body of the article, another 1,500 words, begins with a nut ‘graph (what the article is about in a nutshell or in one paragraph or ‘graph). Somewhat like a W5 news lead, the nut graph – the story in a nutshell – focuses the reader’s attention on the topic or issue on which the article is focused. (I find it also helps get the writer focused.)

So here is what the lead leads the reader to:
As slanted sidewalks, or curb cuts, are used to make streets more accessible to mobility challenged persons, adaptive technology, or electronic curb cuts, are used to make computers more accessible to physically challenged persons.

Physical challenges can be divided into three categories – visual, hearing, and mobility. Visual challenges range from reduced visual acuity to blindness. Hearing challenges range from slight loss of hearing to deafness. And mobility challenges range from impaired movement of limbs to limited movement of the head and lips…

So why start with Kevin rather than curb cuts?
As its name implies, the human-interest lead attempts to draw readers into the article by making them interested in the human aspects of the issues. Notice how it doesn’t just name a person, Kevin, but tries to paint a portrait of Kevin by focusing on his ability, disability, age, educational background and even his eyes. Appropriate for an article that opens with a blind person, no?

The body of the article is rather straightforward. It builds on “Physical challenges can be divided into three categories – visual, hearing, and mobility” by detailing the technology available to help those with the challenges outlined. But who reappears at the end of the article? Kevin.

While advances in adaptive technology make computers more accessible for the disabled, access can still be a difficult and frustrating experience. Kevin Huber knows that first hand. But while he sometimes lags behind non-disabled computer users when learning new programs, he is not afraid to play with the new programs.

“I get into a lot of trouble others don’t get into, but I learn more too.”
Huber’s advice to anybody thinking about entering the world of computers? “Embrace it with an open mind,” he says because computers enable the disabled to participate in learning and employment experiences that may otherwise be closed to them.

If the article were a profile focused solely on Kevin and his accomplishments, he would not have disappeared. But the article was meant to provide a service – to inform physically challenged individuals and their employers of the computer “curb cut” options available.

Kevin reappears to complete the circle: to connect the end of the story with its beginning. It is the payoff, the reward so to speak, for the reader. It makes the reader say, “Oh yeah, I remember why I started reading this.” By closing the circle and bringing the reader back to the beginning, it makes the reader feel good or helps reinforce what the reader has learned.

To deny the reader that moment is, in my opinion, to deny the purpose of writing. And yet, to overplay it is to hit the reader over the head with a sledgehammer and deny him or her a moment of self-enlightenment.

If all this sounds manipulative, it is. You are writing. It is a conscious act. You choose the words, sentences and paragraphs. You choose what information to put in, and what not to put in. When to quote, when to paraphrase and when to ignore what somebody has told you. You choose where to start and how to end your article.

If it seems obviously manipulative, you may lose your reader. Your goal, then, is to do it without making a manipulative process seem as if it is a manipulative process.

Although it may sound like walking a tightrope, the more you read and analyze and the more you write, the more natural it becomes and feels. I was tempted to say ‘the easier it becomes’ but it’s never easy. If it became easy then everybody would do it. But it is, for me, always fun. Well, almost…

Excerpted from Business of Freelance Writing: How to Develop Article Ideas and Sell Them to Newspapers and Magazines

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Article: Self-Publishing, Author Services Open Floodgates for Writers

by Carla King

Mid-level authors already know that the era of large advances, generous royalties, book tours and media spots are over. They have to spend their own time and money to create a website and publicize their books. Publishers just don’t have the resources to offer them full support. Why? The Internet, online bookstores, e-books, and an economy in decline are cited as some root causes of the steady slump in the traditional publishing industry. In 2005 sales were down by 9 percent (and have continued to fall). Yet in 2006 print-on-demand exploded.

The 2007 Bowker report quotes Kelly Gallagher, general manager of business intelligence for New Providence, N.J.-based Bowker, saying, “The most startling development last year is the reporting of ‘On Demand’ titles…which mostly consists of reprints of public domain titles and other short-run books.”

Read the full article here.

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What does it take to write a book in 60 days?

What does it take to write a book in 60 days?

It takes an idea: There is no point in trying to write your book unless you have a clear, focused idea. If you have an idea, you can then follow the process required to move from your idea to a solid first draft of your book.

It takes purpose: An idea is necessary, but you also need a reason for writing or a purpose. I don’t mean that you need an airy-fairy lofty reason for writing your book (not that is anything wrong with having a lofty purpose). What you need is a clearly defined, grounded purpose–to inform, educate, persuade, entertain, sell, and so on. Having a clearly defined purpose will help you focus on achieving what you set out to do.

It takes knowledge of your reader: Your idea and your purpose must be in sync with a clearly defined target audience or group of readers who require the information you are presenting. Before you start to write, visualize your readers. Ask yourself what they know, and what they need to know, so you can logically present information that meets their expectations.

It takes time: How to Write a Non-Fiction Book in 60 Days will show you how to use your time productively to brainstorm all you need to know about your subject matter, to organize your thoughts, and to outline your book — before you start to write. And it will show you how to write effectively and efficiently from outline point to outline point, until you complete a solid first draft of your book — in 60 working days.

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Paul Lima is a freelance writer, copywriter, business writing instructor and media interview trainer. He is also the author of several books on business writing and the business of freelance writing. His latest book is How To Write A Non-Fiction Book in 60 Days.

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Guest post: 5 Ways to Prevent Your Writing From Becoming Stale

5 Ways to Prevent Your Writing From Becoming Stale
By Anna Mille

If there are better jobs than being a freelance writer, I’ve yet to come across them. Yes, I’m certainly biased because I love my profession, but there are a few downsides to being a full-time writer too, the biggest of which is that there are numerous opportunities for your work to become stale and uninteresting. The worst part of this is that you hardly ever realize that you’re going down the hill in terms of quality because you’re so accustomed to writing in the same style, using the same technique that has always worked for you.

The key to being a good writer, though, is to stay relevant. To do this, you need to reinvent yourself every now and then. So if you’re looking for ways to prevent your writing from becoming stale, here’s what you need to do:

• Switch topics: When you write about the same subject day after day, you’re pretty much exhausted your resources and end up repeating the same stuff again and again, using different words and phrases no doubt, but repeating your ideas all the same. When you start to feel yourself get stale, switch subjects. This move not only gives your brain a new lease of life, it also sparks a new interest in work. You feel rejuvenated and are able to add more pep to your writing.
• Review your previous work: Before you start to hear the critics harp about your work, review it yourself. Check for oft-used phrases and jargon and try and avoid them in your next article. When you go through your work from a few months ago, you see the flaws that are creeping in and making your writing stale and can avoid them consciously in your current and future assignments.
• Take time to write for yourself: When you’re churning out articles as part of your work, some of the joy of writing evaporates into thin air. This makes writing seem like drudgery rather than a creative expression and your work starts to suffer. Spend some time writing about the things that inspire you and give you that adrenaline rush even though it’s not part of your regular work. When you write for your soul, you’re able to infuse a breath of fresh air into your routine assignments.
• Gain more exposure: When you take time to involve yourself in new activities and meet people from diverse backgrounds, you add to your general awareness quotient and your writing improves as a result. You gain a new perspective to various aspects of life, and this helps freshness creep into your writing once again.
• Take a break: And finally, if all else fails, you probably need a break from staring at your computer screen all day long and hunching your fingers over the keyboard like mechanical claws. Shut down your system for a few days, go on a vacation, or just take time off from writing so you can clear the cobwebs in your head and come back a new and improved person.

This guest post is contributed by Anna Miller, who writes on the topic of online degrees. She welcomes your comments at anna.miller009@gmail.com

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Before you can write effective ad copy, you need to know the USP

A lot goes into writing effective ad copy, but before you can write effective ad copy, you have to know the unique selling proposition (USP) of the product you are promoting.

USP is the proposition or selling point (feature, benefit, or advantage) that makes a product (service, company, or brand) unique, or differentiates it from the competition.

Domino’s all but took over the delivered pizza market with their USP: fresh, hot pizza delivered in 30 minutes or less, guaranteed! Domino’s did not even promise that the pizza would taste good. Of course, the USP has since been copied by many competitors, as is often the case with USPs that work, rendering it less than unique. So today’s USP may not be the USP you use tomorrow.

Anyone who grew up feasting on M&M’s can tell you what its USP was: M&M’s melt in your mouth, not in your hands. Does “melts in your mouth…” sound like a slogan? It was a slogan. It was also used as a headline. It was also what differentiated M&Ms from other candy-coated chocolate, hence it was the USP.

Again, USPs are often co-opted by the competition and must change when they are no longer unique. Anacin offered “fast, fast relief.” Now almost every pain medicine acts “fast.” Colgate used to say, “Cleans your breath as it cleans your teeth.” Try to find toothpaste that does not do that today. In fact, try to find a mouth rinse that does not clean your teeth!

So USPs can, and often do, evolve (or radically change) over time. Your job is, as copywriter, is to know what the USP at the time you are writing the ad copy. The degree to which you incorporate it into your ad will depend on a number of external factors, but I suggest that you should not start writing until you know what the USP is.

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Paul Lima is a freelance writer, copywriter, and business writing instructor. He is also the author of several books on business writing and the business of freelance writing, including Copy Writing That Works.

Posted in Copywriting | 2 Comments »