Good Sales Copy and Bad Sales Copy - How to Tell the Difference

By Clayton Makepeace

The definition of great copy is, "Copy that produces great results."

The quality of your copy isn't defined by the techniques you use. Nor is it determined by how many family, friends, clients, or focus group participants tell you it's great.

Only one kind of person in the world gets to decide whether you rule or suck: Prospects who cast their votes by responding to your copy in the only way that matters — by spending their own hard-earned money.

So the answer is …

 … the only way to know good copy for sure is to use it … measure the result … and compare that result with those produced by other similar promotions.

Can you get a feel for how your prospects might vote on your sales copy?

Is it possible to spot weaknesses that if repaired will probably increase response?

In a word, "Yep."

Just try this: As you're reading sales copy — whether your own or someone else's, ask yourself,

1.    Does the headline and lead stop me in my tracks and make me want to read the sales message?

2.    Is the tone of the copy appropriate for the message being delivered?

3.    Is it written using the kind of language my typical prospect is likely to use in day-to-day communication?

4.    Does the spokesperson come off sounding like my advocate — someone who's intensely committed to helping improve my life — and NOT like just another salesman?

5.    Does the copy offer me a benefit or a series of benefits I'm willing to pay for?

6.    Does the copy convince me that this product can actually deliver those benefits to me?

7.    Does it convince me that this product is unique in its ability to deliver those benefits?

8.    Does the copy answer every objection to making the purchase I can think of?

9.    Do I feel as though I'm moving through the sales copy quickly and effortlessly? Is it devoid of spots that seem dull, repetitive, slow-going, or that allow my mind to wander?

10.    Do I feel my excitement rising with each new paragraph I read?

11.    Does the price seem insignificant compared to the value I'm being offered?

12.    Do I feel an irresistible urge to purchase this product from this company, TODAY?

When you and everyone else you show the copy to can answer an emphatic "YES" to each of these questions, there's a darned good chance you've got a winner on your hands.

Your takeaway for today: Each time you complete your sales letter, see how many of these 12 questions you can answer with yes. If you can't say yes to at least 50% of the questions, then go back and rework your copy. Keep refining the copy until you get a yes on all 12.

This article appears courtesy of American Writers & Artists Inc.’s (AWAI) The Golden Thread, a free newsletter that delivers original, no-nonsense advice on the best wealth careers, lifestyle careers and work-at-home careers available. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.awaionline.com/signup/.

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Book Marketing - Engagement and Connection

How to Build Your Online Authority with Focused Writing Goals

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Engagement & Connection

What you offer on your website consistently will draw readers to your site.  Develop authoritative content that readers can use and you will connect with them.  Research takes time, but is of vital importance to your writing, your message.  Make it real and it will engage your audience.

With One Billion active websites, we have a lot of competition and noise to challenge us.  To offer free, usable information is fundamental to the survival and success of our websites.

I suggest the following Tips for readership engagement:
• Offer information with longevity on separate static pages.  Offer info that is current and fluid within your post line-up.

• Link to resources external to your site you find of value and keep track of the dynamic nature of active or inactive status for each.

• To persuade readers to spend more time on your site, provide links to your archived posts or static pages within your Blog.

• Consider adding downloadable free offers.

• Do you have an eBook published or ready to publish?
• Can you offer a revised piece as a free article or eBook to download?
• Only readers registered to follow your site by auto-emails should be eligible for the free download offer.

• Add visuals: many sites such as Pinterest are photograph-driven.

• Add links to your site with a brief post intro to your Facebook, Google+, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, etc., pages.

• Always include tags for posts and your motto.

Blogging is an important part of book marketing.  E-Newsletters and regular posts are an excellent way to promote your work and to recommend the work of others.
 
November is National Novel Writing Month check it out at http://nanowrimo.org/.  I am participating and hope you will too.  For Non-Fiction check out Nina Amir’s November event at http://writenonfictionnow.com/4-ways-prepare-30-day-writing-challenge/ 
I appreciate your feedback.  Please comment below.  Thank you much!  deborah

Deborah Lyn Stanley is a writer, editor and artist.  She is a retired project manager who now devotes her time to writing, art and caregiving mentally impaired seniors. 
She has independently published a collection of 24 artists’ interviews entitled the Artists Interview Series.  The series was also published as articles for an online news network and on her website: Deborah Lyn Stanley - WritersBlog.  Deborah is published in magazines.  She is a blogger who has managed several group sites including ones she founded.

“Write your best, in your voice, your way!”

You Have Enough Time to Write

As a writer, you probably often tell yourself, "I don't have time to write today."

Then guess what?

You get busy doing other things and you really don't have time to write.

Well, you may not realize it, but you're focusing on something negative. You're focusing on what you don't want.

Instead, you should be focusing on what you do want. And what you do want is enough time to write.

To focus on the positive, tell yourself, "I have enough time to write today."

The key word here is "enough."

Enough time doesn't need to mean hours and hours of time.

You can get quite a lot accomplished in short periods of time if you stay focused, so try this:

1. Let go of the feeling that you don't have enough time.

Instead, tell yourself you have enough time to do the things that matter most to you, and writing is one of the things you really, really care about.

Relax and start envisioning yourself having an enjoyable and productive day that's busy but not overwhelming and includes time for writing.

2. Set aside short chunks of time for writing.

When you think you have to give yourself hours to write, and you know you don't have hours available, you tend to put writing aside and do something else.

You only need short chunks of time on a regular basis to get a lot of writing done within a few weeks or months.

If you're working on a novel, plan to write just one scene today.

Just one scene, not a chapter.

You can probably write a scene in 30 minutes or so.

If you're working on a nonfiction project, plan to complete just one short section or subsection, which might consist of just a few paragraphs.

3. Relax and let go of everything else during your writing time.

You won't need to feel guilty about taking time to write if you know you've scheduled just 30 minutes for it.

And as you sit down for one of your 30-minute writing sessions, let go of all thoughts about the rest of your world.

Close your eyes.

Take a few deep breaths and relax so you'll be able to focus on your writing without wasting time.

Now, focus on the writing and only the writing for just 30 minutes.

You have enough time to write today, so look at your schedule and block off just 30 minutes to get some writing done.

Try it!

Build a career writing about what you know and love. Suzanne Lieurance, the Working Writer's Coach, can show you how.

Learn more about her 10-week e-course and mentoring program, Fearless Freelance Writing.

5 Speaking Opportunities for Writers

I often say: writers should also be speakers. Sure, it helps your command of the language, as well as style and tone. Even more importantly, when you step away from the computer, and in front of others, it increases your visibility and ultimately your business's bottom line.

Whether you are an author, a business owner. consultant, or other expert, take advantage of speaking opportunities to show who you are to an audience of potential readers and clients.

Here are five places to pursue speaking engagements, no matter what your current status as a writer.

1. At home. If you are nervous about speaking in public, start at home. Assemble a group of friends and do a practice workshop. Make it social (serve snack or have a meal first) and put yourself in a safe environment.

2. Local Groups. Check your local library, Chamber of Commerce, and other professional organizations to see their guidelines for guest speakers. Attend a few events ahead of time, and read their previous calendar of events. That way you have an idea of the kinds of experts they schedule to speak. Plus, you know what recent topics not to pitch.

3. Bookstores. If you are a published author, reach out to your local bookstore to see if they will have you in for a reading. 

4. Podcasts. Do a search of podcasts that cover your topic. Listen to a few episodes, and find a few shows you want to be interviewed on. Research them vis their website, and pitch yourself as a guest,

5. Videos. Make a video of yourself speaking and put it online. Videos get much more reach on social media. Plus, it's a way to show your personality to friends, fans, and clients around the world.

Before you pitch yourself as a speaker, take some time to figure out what you want to talk about and to whom. That will help you narrow down the possibilities, and also to hone in on the focus of your speech or workshop,

In all of these cases, be sure to promote your appearance ahead of time. (Or in the case of podcasts and videos, share your posts when they go online.) The larger the audience, downloads, and views, the more likely you will be invited back.

What do you think? What tips do you have for speaking and finding speaking engagements? Please share your thoughts in the comments. 

* * *

Debra Eckerling is a writer, editor and project catalyst, as well as founder of Guided Goals and Write On Online, a live and online writers’ support group. 

She is the host of the Guided Goals Podcast and author of Purple Pencil Adventures: Writing Prompts for Kids of All Ages. 

Debra is an editor at Social Media Examiner and a speaker/moderator on the subjects of writing, networking, goal-setting, and social media.

Literary Magazines with Themes, Fall 2016

It's that time again:  my roundup of literary magazines with themes, all with due dates this fall.  Read website guidelines carefully and have fun!

Lackington's

Theme:  Musics

Genres:  Speculative

Dates:  Opens November 5

Word Count:  1500-5000

Pay:  1 cent per word (Canadian)

Guidelines: http://lackingtons.com/submissions/

Tacitus Publishing

Theme:  Shattered Space (Stories taking place in space—with a horror element)

Genres:  Sci Fi

Dates:  October 31,2016

Word Count:  1500-5000

Pay:  1 cent per word

Guidelines: http://www.tacituspublishing.com/call_for_submissions.html

Third Flatiron

Theme:  Weird West/Steampunk

Reading Period:  November 1-December 31, 2016

Word Count: 1500-3000

Pay: 6 cents / word

Guidelines:  http://www.thirdflatiron.com/liveSite/pages/submissions

  

Ouen Press

Theme:  The Journey

Genres:  TRUE travel story

Dates:  October 31

Word Count:  3000-10000

Pay:  Contest winners:  100-300 GBP

Guidelines: http://www.ouenpress.com/11.html

The First Line

First line must be:  "In the six years I spent tracking David Addley, it never occurred to me that he didn't exist."

Deadline: November 1, 2016

Word Count:  up to 5000

Pay:  $25-50

Guidelines:  http://www.thefirstline.com/submission.htm

THEMA Literary Journal

Theme:  The Missing Letters

Deadline: November 1, 2016

Pay:  $25

Guidelines:  http://themaliterarysociety.com/submissions.html

Pantheon:

Theme:  Janus (Inspired by, not actually about)

Reading Period:  Dec 31

Word Count:  the shorter the better

Pay:  $.01/wd

Guidelines:   https://pantheonmag.com/submission-guidelines/

Sockdolager

Theme:  Women of War

Deadline: November 1, 2016

Word Count: 1000-5000

Pay:  2 cents per word ($15 per reprint)

Guidelines:  http://www.sockdolager.net/submission-guidelines/

Enchanted Conversation

Theme:  The New Year

Genre:  Fairy Tale

Reading Period:  Nov 1-Nov 30

Word Count:  700-3000 stories, poems of any length

Pay:  $30

Guidelines:  http://www.fairytalemagazine.com/p/blog-page_22.html

Infective Ink

Theme:  Overheard

Deadline:  October 28, 2016

Pay:  $10 for stories 1500 words and up

Guidelines:  http://infectiveink.com/guidelines.html

Shooter

Theme:  Cities

Genres:  Stories, Poetry, Non-fiction

Dates:  October 16, 2016

Word Count:  2000-7500

Pay:  Up to 25 GBP

Guidelines: https://shooterlitmag.com/submissions/

Melinda Brasher's fiction appears in Nous,  Electric Spec, Intergalactic Medicine Show, and other magazines.  For an e-book collection of some of her favorite published pieces, check out Leaving Home.  For something a little more medieval, read her YA fantasy novel, Far-Knowing. Visit her online at http://www.melindabrasher.com.

Website Ranking - Basic Metrics (Elements)

According to statistics by Internet Live Stats, on April 19, 2016, there were over ONE BILLION active websites. Yes, you read that right – over 1,000,000,000.

That’s a lot of noise . . . a lot of competition.

I’ve used the analogy before, about being a speck in the sky, and it’s true. You need to find and use marketing strategies, specifically website optimization strategies, to give your site (or your client’s site) a brighter light. You need to create visibility and ranking.

One method of keeping track of ‘how you’re doing’ in all that noise is using analytic tools, like Google Analytics, SumoMe, Statcounter, and so on.

There are a number of factors these analytic tools look at to calculate their numbers, including daily page views per visitor and daily time on site.

Then there are ‘sites linking in,’ ‘search visits,’ ‘bounce rate, and ‘new visitors’ categories that are also SEO (search engine optimization) basic factors for ranking.

Let’s breakdown these elements:

‘Pageviews per visitor’ are the number of website pages a visitor clicks on while visiting your website. The more pages the better.

An effective way of ‘upping’ the pageviews is to:

•    Use long-tail keywords for title tags and headers
•    Have separate pages for specific
•    Have a ‘freebie’ page
•    Use deep-linking (link to other posts on your site)

‘Daily time on site’ is the amount of time (in minutes and seconds) a visitor stays on a site during one visit. The ‘pageviews’ plays a factor in this. If your content contains links to other pages or posts on your site, then the ‘time on site’ will increase. This is deep linking.

Another strategy to increase the ‘time on site’ is using video or audio. Even short 30-60 second animation keep the visitor in place.

‘Sites linking in’ (inbound links) reflects the number of websites that find your website informative and valuable enough to link to it. 

External links are hyperlinks that point at (target) any domain other than the domain the link exists on (source). In layman's terms, if another website links to you, this is considered an external link from their site, but an inbound link to your site.

Your external links are those you create to link to other sites from your website.

Linking can be done through anchor text, which is the best format for site linking, or through a direct URL link. ‘Sites linking in’ is an important SEO factor.

‘Search visits’ are those visits to your site that are a result of online searches, usually for a particular keyword. But, simply getting a search visitor doesn’t do much if he’s gone in less than 5 seconds (considered a bounce).

The ‘bounce rate’ is the percentage of visitors who leave within a few seconds after visiting just one page (the page they originally land on). High bounce rates are usually an indication that your keywords aren’t really relevant to your content. Or, your site may be difficult to navigate or read, or confusing. You want a low bounce rate.

A key factor to keeping your bounce rates low is to deliver on what you promise. Meet your visitors’ expectations. This means having quality content and relevant keywords.
You also need to have a visitor-friendly website design. This means it needs to load quickly, be easy to navigate and easy to read, has an easy to find call-to-action, and is clean (uncluttered).

There is much more involved in search engine algorithms and website analytics, but these elements are some of the basics.

I hope you found this information interesting and helpful.

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Is Series Writing for You? Part 1

  

       How big is your book idea? In fiction, it might cover generations as in Philippa Gregory's Cousins' War and Plantagenet and Tudor Series, or growth of the main character which occurs in Nancy Drew mysteries. Have your pick of nonfiction topics that can blossom into a series from a single topic; series such as The Magic School Bus and the Body Works series; My Messy Body, My Noisy Body, etc.

        If you're like me you might start small, believing your idea will be covered in one standalone book. That's good, as we know your book needs to be submitted as a standalone. My desire to expand my book idea into a series (I am currently working on Book 2 while Book 1 continues to be primped and prodded) developed in ways I have since found to be common.

Why Turn a Perfectly Good Book into a Series?

        That's easy. You've got to:

• Fall in love with your characters, especially the main ones, who have so much more life to live that you can't possibly stop now.

• Write in a genre that lends itself to series, such as mystery, ghost stories, romance, westerns, historical novels, fantasy and sci fi.
• Believe that series sell well and publishers like to buy multiple books because series attract readers.
• Know that the groundwork in the first book will work again, and again, and again.

       Authors who write series promise readers that the fun doesn't have to end, that there's more excitement to come, more adventure and world's to explore, more of these lives to be lived.
                                        Karen S. Wiesner, Writing the Fiction Series: The Complete Guide for Novels and Novellas

• Weisner quotes author Thomas Helm: Author and reader dread the end, which is the test of a good novel. Why not expand it into a series?
• Love reading series, from childhood on. If like me you love reading series books, then you thrive on the familiar feelings series provoke.
• Enjoy the setting of your story and look forward to expanding on it so your characters can explore worlds, far and wide.    

      The list is never-ending. If you're already writing a series or are contemplating writing one, then your heart of hearts already knows why you want to make your book into a series. For me, this desire developed. In the beginning, going from writing short stories to writing my book was more of an undertaking then I ever could have imagined. One of my biggest challenges was keeping track of the story! What was happening where and to whom! In a nutshell, structure is what saved me. For one way to build story structure, go to March 28, 2013 for a post on "The Tent Pole Structure":

http://www.writersonthemove.com/2013/03/the-tent-pole-structure-tent-pole.html#comment-form

What? Turn my Masterpiece into a Series? Not!

        Before delving into the mechanics of series writing, which will be discussed in future posts, let's take a look at some of the ways to avoid the pitfalls, for there are many. You will find a way to make the pieces fit together. A way that works for you.  

     It's a good idea to:

• Make an overall outline that shows how each novel relates to the others.
• Have an overall plot plan as well as a plan for each novel.
• Be organized. Know where your series will end. Plot a timeline to keep track of events.
• Choose a central conflict or premise for your series that "is the main tension or unknown that needs to be solved."

               In . . . Harry Potter, the central conflict is the protagonist's unfinished business with the villain, Lord Voldemort. In Tolkien's Lord of the rings Trilogy, the central conflict is between the world-dominion-seeing antagonist Sauron and the elves and hobbits who desire peace and freedom from tyranny." http://www.nownovel.com/blog/how-to-write-book-series/

• Keep track of the details and connecting threads among the novels in order to maintain continuity.
• Plan for the passage of time and how your characters will age.

        You might wonder What am I getting myself into? I have, many times. But to help me decide what to do, I did a simple Google and Amazon search and found terrific information from the wonderful authors who have shared what they've learned. Once I nail down my research, I will share the resources I have found in the next few months as I continue to explore this topic.

Next month: Tips on How to Write a Series

Linda Wilson, a former elementary teacher and ICL graduate, has published over 100 articles for adults and children, and six short stories for children. Recently, she completed Joyce Sweeney's online fiction courses, picture book course and mystery and suspense course. She has currently finished her first book, a mystery/ghost story for 8-12 year-olds, and is in the process of publishing it. Follow Linda on Facebook.