Essays Assistance » web content http://essaysassistance.com Custom essay writing service Mon, 02 Jan 2012 14:05:45 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 en hourly 1 Writing in exchange for bread on the table http://essaysassistance.com/writing-in-exchange-for-bread-on-the-table.html http://essaysassistance.com/writing-in-exchange-for-bread-on-the-table.html#comments Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:19:10 +0000 Essays http://essaysassistance.com/writing-in-exchange-for-bread-on-the-table.html Some people say that I have it all &ndash I disagree. I constantly have to struggle with this love-hate relationship I have with writing. I love reading, that’s for sure. And I love to write….about myself as and when I want to. But when I am required to write about something like….say….how to change the black oil in a car or how to pick the right motherboard for your computer….I have to literally drag myself to the computer and prompt my fingers to move.

This is the relationship I have with writing. It’s because I make a living out of churning out articles after articles…sometimes completing up to 30 articles a day face to face with a deadly deadline….it is not such a heavenly life after all.

It’s ironic that I spent a large part of my life looking for the right thing to do. Something that excites me and challenges me. Something that I WANT to do instead of being FORCED TO do. I hate being forced into doing something but this is sometimes called the ‘REAL WORLD’. Even when you love doing something and you start having people telling you HOW to write your articles, or books, it begins to lose its initial appeal.

And yet, despite turning into a drudgery of kind, I continue to write. Writing is what I do best. Because my husband would turn to me in the dead of night, awakened by some kind of swearing and the tap-tap-tap of my keyboard, he shakes his head and says, “Gosh, you’re still writing? Why?”

I hiss back. “Because I am paid to do this. Because I LOVE this. It’s my job. It’s my life. This is what I am being paid to do, you moron!”

With a chuckle, knowing me, he turns his back on me and goes back to sleep. Smart ass!

While over the years, many other opportunities came a-knocking on my door and I wondered if I would do better if I did something else. Oh, I would still write but I will write my own stuff. My own novel. My own articles. My own blog. Whatever…my own diary. But no one else will ever get the chance to tell me how to write the things I write &ndash NEVER!!!

And yet, surprisingly, I turn my back on those opportunities because I know I love to write. Like I said. I write for a living and secretly love it. If I started selling insurance or doing real estate, it would be like…so superficial. So temporary. But when I write…I write well and I do it quickly, fast and very efficiently. And I sometimes feel proud of myself…although my fingers and eyes were throbbing like an earthquake waiting to happen.

Writing is a passion. If you have a passion for writing, you’ll start writing passionately and whatever comes out is a masterpiece in its own right. Every single article that I’ve ever written, I am proud of them. I treat them like my little babies. I’ve lost count of the number of ‘babies’ I have today but all those articles that I have written, they are a part of me.

And I have learnt how to write efficiently and quickly without sounding like a train running out of steam. Get going, get going, get going. Come on, go on with it, write, write, write. And then after you’ve completed the article, go back and dissect them and inject some botox into them. If you stick around the first few sentences and try to get it perfect right from the start, you’ll never complete the article.

And with this secret (which is not a really a secret to begin with), I am now making my life as a writer.

Do I still love writing after spending the last 7 years writing on topics that are completely dry and arid to me? Well….I love to hate it …and sometimes I hate to love it.

I believe I will continue writing until I am lying on my deathbed….breathing my last few breaths….I can imagine myself saying, “Honey, get me my keyboard…I want to be buried with it.”

Once a writer, always a writer.

Evidence: I took a total of 3 mins 22 seconds to write this whole article.

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]]> http://essaysassistance.com/writing-in-exchange-for-bread-on-the-table.html/feed 0 Article Shelf Life: Getting the Most Out of What You Write http://essaysassistance.com/article-shelf-life-getting-the-most-out-of-what-you-write.html http://essaysassistance.com/article-shelf-life-getting-the-most-out-of-what-you-write.html#comments Mon, 19 Oct 2009 13:01:38 +0000 Essays http://essaysassistance.com/article-shelf-life-getting-the-most-out-of-what-you-write.html I admit that the internet is definitely for the “here and now.” Always changing, what may be popular one day may be irrelevant the next. A den of “fast track fads” is what the internet has become. Still, if you are an article writer, you know that the web content you provide for your customers today must have an extended shelf life with it, otherwise your customers lose out and your reputation sinks. You can write relevant and persuasive content that doesn’t lose its sheen with time; read on and I will show you how.

It is a given that if you write seasonal articles these very same articles will quickly lose their appeal once the season is over. Few people are interested in Valentine’s Day pitches outside of January and February, but you can keep their interest strong year round by not directly focusing on products, but on the history of the holiday. I have discovered that my seasonal articles are likely to get read “out of season” if they deal more with something beyond an overt sales pitch. Give readers something to digest other than talking about chocolates and flowers; you can discuss “love” a timeless subject with universal appeal!

In addition, stay away from explicit dates. If you mention something to the effect, “here in December 2005…” you will quickly age your article in no time. This can be difficult to do if you are mentioning something like current mortgage trends or recent world events. All of those hurricane articles you read just a few months ago seem distant and certain to be ignored by readers who are focusing on current events [however, they may become valuable again when the next hurricane season rolls around]. It is okay to write current event articles, but expect them to quickly fade into oblivion once the event has passed.

Typically, the subject of “shelf life” does not come up with my customers. If I am asked, I mention that each article should have at least one year’s appeal before an update might be necessary. This is reasonable length of time given the fast paced changes on the web. Naturally, if the customer wants me to do the update, they will be charged the same rate as a fresh article: in reality I provide to my customers a new article, not some cut and paste update.

Finally, I never give explicit guarantees for an article’s effectiveness because once it leaves my hands, I seldom know exactly what a customer will do with it [i.e., place it in a newsletter, turn around and sell it, put it on their web site, etc.]. My customers know that what I write for them can be effective, but its ultimate impact is only as good as what they choose to do with it.

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]]> http://essaysassistance.com/article-shelf-life-getting-the-most-out-of-what-you-write.html/feed 0 Useful tips how to make your content sell http://essaysassistance.com/useful-tips-how-to-make-your-content-sell.html http://essaysassistance.com/useful-tips-how-to-make-your-content-sell.html#comments Mon, 21 Sep 2009 00:10:35 +0000 Essays http://essaysassistance.com/useful-tips-how-to-make-your-content-sell.html Whatever niche of the market you operate in, you should always have direct, convincing and appealing communication with your existing or potential clients. Steadfast and returning customers will undoubtedly judge you by the quality of the products or services that you provide. They might recommend your company to their acquaintances, friends or relatives; yet majority of persons who do not know your company will judge you by the text that you present on your web site, your web content counts. Attracting and convincing content can really perform the miracles. Many of us know that the memorable phrase can influence our decisions, can transform our understating of existing situation and induce us to take some actions. Copywriting does the same; in a nutshell copywriting is a written message, text or content that promotes your business and induces your customers to purchase the products or services that you provide. Professionally written copywriting transforms a casual visitor into a steadfast client.

How does it work? It works by technique that includes memorable content intriguing headlines and easy-to read yet convincing texts, by developing web content. In today’s rapid word it is indispensable to grab the attention of a person immediately once he has visited your site. Remember that the majority of your potential clients skip through rather than read all your text. Nevertheless, not every text will do, what is appropriate for one person, can be wrong for another and visa versa. The content must target your audience- group of individuals who are really interested in your products and services; therefore copywriting and marketing should go hand in hand in order to achieve the best possible results.

It imperative for every copywriter to write the content based on research of the market the company operates in. The typical marketing research for copywriter should contain the following information: Detailed information on the market (the trend on the market, saturation of it and etc); Information on the major competitors of the company (what tactics do they use, how they advertise their products and services); Information on your potential (the preference of your potential customers, what products and services they would like to purchase). Once you have found out this information you can start develop and write copywriting. However, one should remember that this is a complex process and it might be advisable to give some professionals to complete this task especially if this is the first time you get down to it. Once this task has been completed you might try to use this copywriting copy in the writing of your future copywriting messages.

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]]> http://essaysassistance.com/useful-tips-how-to-make-your-content-sell.html/feed 0 Writing Articles For The Web That Get Read Is Easy When You Know This http://essaysassistance.com/writing-articles-for-the-web-that-get-read-is-easy-when-you-know-this.html http://essaysassistance.com/writing-articles-for-the-web-that-get-read-is-easy-when-you-know-this.html#comments Thu, 17 Sep 2009 15:50:20 +0000 Essays http://essaysassistance.com/writing-articles-for-the-web-that-get-read-is-easy-when-you-know-this.html Writing articles for the web is a learned skill. And you can learn it. In fact, you can master it. Once a professional writer in the print publishing world, I had feature articles published by some well-known names (Woman’s Day, The Washington Post, Family Circle, Christian Science Monitor and more). Fortunately, as a self-publisher online, I’m able to transfer some of my professional print writing skills to this form of online publishing. I don’t struggle with writing articles. And that makes filling my websites with useful, well-written information a lot easier for me. But it’s not so for everyone. Some people struggle with article writing. Maybe that’s you.

Do you struggle with writing articles for your website readers? Do you want to write articles for other newsletters and websites that get free website traffic for you, or just more traffic to your website? If you struggle with article writing or if people don’t read your articles, I may be able to help you. While writing content for the web and writing content for print publications is not exactly the same, there is some overlap. Here are some things I’ve learned about both content formats that might help you write better articles for both web publishers and for your websites.

Your article should have:

ORIGINAL CONTENT – The one word magazine writers hate to hear their editor say is “fresh”. Editors frequently use the word as a reason to reject submissions as in “your tips are just not fresh enough”. Editors want originality. Their publishers want originality. Readers want originality. Everyone is in agreement about wanting original article content.

But if something has been said or written about a thousand times before, you CAN still say it again. You just need to have your own original spin and be using your own words (that means no plagiarism too). You need to have your own writing style or personality (which you’ll develop with time). My research tells me that originality is what both readers AND search engines want from online content. They want original content. The articles at your website need to be “fresh”. The articles you submit to publishers need to be “fresh”. With practice and persistence and a little bit of diligence thrown in you CAN write original articles for the web or for your website (to add diversity to all those reprint articles collecting on your site).

CATCHY TITLE – The online experts say you need key words in your online article titles or headlines to catch the attention of the search engines in the right way. That means you need to put the term or phrase you think people are searching for on your subject near the front of your article title (or at least somewhere in it). But you also have to remember that you’re still writing for readers. So on top of making your article title work for search engine optimization, it still has to entice viewers to read it.

You don’t necessarily need a clever article title, just one that appeals to your target audience and briefly describes the article topic. If I’m looking to lose weight quickly you can be certain “Weight Loss – 3 Easy Steps to Lose 10 Pounds in 10 Days at Home” will catch my attention. If I want to know what Britney Spears is doing (and by the way, I don’t), a title like “Guess What Britney Spears Did Now” will catch my attention and make me read further. But if I’m trying to learn the difference between a flat panel monitor and a flat screen, I’m perfectly happy reading an article with a boring title such as “Flat Panel Monitors and Flat Screens Defined for the Home User”. That title addresses my need at the time for specific information I’m seeking on the web. And it has your key phrase “flat panel monitors” right in front too.

GREAT LEAD – The best title in the world won’t keep readers engrossed in your article, if the first paragraph stinks. In the print world, editors happily rewrite their writers’ leading paragraphs to make the lead just so. There are MANY ways to write a leading paragraph. Just remember that your goal is to intrigue the reader while giving him a clear indication of what he’s about to learn in your article. And the SEO experts say the first sentence, or near the beginning of your first paragraph, is a good place to put that key word or phrase once that you’re focusing on for the search engines’ sake.

GOOD GRAMMAR AND SPELLING – Sloppy writing affects your credibility and makes you look lazy. And it makes for a bad reader experience. If you want to keep readers coming back to your website for the content (or publishers coming back to article directories to use your content), get a grasp on your spelling and grammar. A dictionary and grammar book by your side while proofreading your article will be helpful.

CONCISE FLOW – In high school, many students fluffed up their articles with extra words when the teacher assigned them the task of writing a certain word count. That trick isn’t useful after high school (if you ever considered it useful). Most likely you have plenty to say about your topic if you know it well or if you’ve researched it well. Tight concise writing is as appreciated in the online world as it is in the print publishing arena. Don’t repeat yourself or use excessive words to make a point or statement. That will help keep your copy clean. And know that concise writing doesn’t necessarily mean short articles. You don’t have to write 300 word articles. You don’t have to write 3,000 word articles. Just don’t write a 1,200 word article that really can be written in 500 words.

It’s these writing techniques that make you a professional writer and not a sloppy amateur whose writing for the web doesn’t get read. And it’s these techniques that will help you to add better content to your website and get your articles published by other websites and newsletters. And good article writing means more traffic for your website.

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]]> http://essaysassistance.com/writing-articles-for-the-web-that-get-read-is-easy-when-you-know-this.html/feed 0 Should You Write a Long-Copy Ad or Keep it Short? http://essaysassistance.com/should-you-write-a-longcopy-ad-or-keep-it-short.html http://essaysassistance.com/should-you-write-a-longcopy-ad-or-keep-it-short.html#comments Sun, 30 Aug 2009 22:27:00 +0000 Essays http://essaysassistance.com/should-you-write-a-longcopy-ad-or-keep-it-short.html Okay, you’re ready to write the ad of a lifetime. The one that will pull like crazy and leave them begging for your product like Somalians for food. So, do you whet their appetite with a short and sweet ad? Or write a long-copy ad that’s stuffed with information?

The 80-20 rule says 80% of the people only read the headline (and maybe a caption, if you have one). But the fact is, readers will read a long-copy ad. One McGraw-Hill study looked at 3,597 ads in 26 business magazines. What they discovered was that ads with 300 or more words were more effective that shorter ads in creating product awareness, inducing action and reinforcing the decision to buy. Another ad for Merrill Lynch crammed 6, 450 words into a single New York Times page. It pulled over 10,000 responses&ndasheven without a coupon! The truth is, the reason people read ads has nothing to do with copy length.

“Nobody reads long ads…” and other urban ad legends

People shun too many of today’s ads&ndashlong or short&ndashbecause several misleading myths have stubbornly remained with us. Things like “negative headlines are a downer since people want to feel good when reading your ad.” Or “show the product or they’ll never know what you’re selling.” Then there’s the stuffy axiom, “there’s no place for humor in business advertising. “ Or the ubiquitous saw, “all your ads should look the same, blend in or be swallowed up.” The list goes on and on. Presented with unabashed hubris by the high priests of advertising. The basic fact is, ads really fail for three reasons.

Your ads are all about you

You’re telling customers what you want to hear, not what they want to know. Impressive sounding features are fine to motivate your sales force, but your customer is only interested in one thing: “What’s in it for me?” This offense is particularly egregious in business-to-business advertising, which is infamous for its addiction to phrases like “the XP90 does it all” or “now with Duo-Pentium Processor”&ndashwithout a hint of what these features do. Also contaminating many of today’s ads are such chest-pounding headlines as “Taking the lead,” “The promise of tomorrow, today,” or “A tradition of quality.” They sound good but say nothing.

Your ads are boring

You’ve got to break the boredom barrier&ndashbig time. Many ad gurus say blend in, be one of the pack and survive. No wonder so many ads look alike, proudly showing big pictures of their products, or worse yet, featuring a giant photo of the company’s CEO&ndashusually with a caption that’s been scrubbed clean of originality or compelling information. If you want people to stop and read your ad, you have to make the ad more interesting than the editorials in the publication you’re in. Give them real news, a fresh new way to look at what you’re offering them. Stand out from the crowd. Start trends, don’t follow them. One of the most interesting car ads I ever saw showed the car only sparingly; instead, it featured an animation of a human heart beating furiously to the soundtrack of an accelerating engine. Breakthrough stuff.

Your ads don’t make human contact

They’re not reaching readers on an emotional level. We all want to be liked, appreciated and loved. We want to feel secure in our lives and our jobs. So be a mensch. Create ads that touch the soul. Use an emotional appeal in your visual, headline and copy. Don’t just show a car on the road; show the guy captivating his sweetheart with the car. If your buyers were on the moon, would they care about your car’s styling? No. They’d get an ugly, crawly vehicle that got them from crater to crater. Selling computers to business? Show the guy getting a raise or promotion for selecting your latest model. You’re selling the emotional end result, the human need-based bottom line, not a box, or vehicle with four wheels and an engine.

So if you’re struggling with the notion of whether to write a long- or short-copy ad, you can do both and still get results. The key is not length or lack of it, but information, interest and involvement in your customer’s needs. These are the ingredients to creating a successful ad.

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]]> http://essaysassistance.com/should-you-write-a-longcopy-ad-or-keep-it-short.html/feed 0 Overcoming Writer’s Block http://essaysassistance.com/overcoming-writers-block.html http://essaysassistance.com/overcoming-writers-block.html#comments Wed, 05 Aug 2009 14:34:27 +0000 Essays http://essaysassistance.com/overcoming-writers-block.html Do you suffer from writer’s block? Is there a pending project you are putting off because you lack the inspiration to even get it started? You certainly are not alone. At various times you will go through extended periods of energetic writing as well as lengthy dry spells. Here are some tips you may want to consider to help you keep those slow times to a minimum.

Idea Mining If you do not have a specific topic in mind, start brainstorming to come up with a variety of topics. I get plenty of my ideas when I take a thirty minute brisk walk through my neighborhood. Watching rabbits eating clover, observing colorful roses, and listening to the sweet conversation of cardinals puts me at ease. When I am relaxed, I can think much more clearly. It sure beats sitting in front of my computer fretting about my work! Find something that brings out the inspiration in you.

Get Interested Writing on a topic that interests you is much easier to do than when you must write about a topic that you either: a) do not find interesting, or b) you are not particularly knowledgeable about. You can raise your interest by researching the topic. Read other online articles, go to the library and read a chapter or two in a related book, or contact someone familiar with the subject at hand [an enthusiatic expert is best]. After a certain amount of research your curiosity should be piqued which will help fuel your interest in the topic.

Make an Outline Write a topic sentence and then “bullet” three or four key points that you want to make. Expand each point into one paragraph each; collectively these points will comprise the body of your article. A brief conclusion [summation] tying all the points together at the end of the article will bring things “to a wrap.”

Sit on it No, I am not being obscene. Rather, once you have written your article put it aside for a day or two and then come back to it. A fresh perspective has a way in helping you craft a better article. More than likely you will catch grammatical errors, locate incomplete or unclear thoughts, or find errors in punctuation by stepping back for a period of time.

You can overcome writer’s block by following the above steps. If you find yourself hindered by the “paralysis of analysis” when it comes to selecting a winning topic, then you must step away, regroup, and come back only when sufficiently inspired. Writing with clear purpose and enthusiasm will happen once you put your writer’s block beyond you.

(c)2005; Matthew C. Keegan, LLC

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]]> http://essaysassistance.com/overcoming-writers-block.html/feed 0 From Blog to Article http://essaysassistance.com/from-blog-to-article.html http://essaysassistance.com/from-blog-to-article.html#comments Wed, 15 Apr 2009 22:42:43 +0000 Essays http://essaysassistance.com/from-blog-to-article.html As a writer, do you sometimes/often/always find yourself at a loss as to what to write next? No, I am not talking about topics or subjects you already have nailed down. Rather, the simple desire to get started with something, anything to break the brain logjam. It could be a personal project or something you want to develop to show to a potential client the stuff that you are made of. Whatever, I have been there myself and have found that some of my sources of inspiration have come from blogs. You got it…sites that have sparked my creative juices and allowed me to take a concept and bring it to fruition.

Typically, I come across a blog geared toward a particular topic &ndash let’s say aviation &ndash and find something within that blog that catches my attention. It may be a trend, company news, even simple speculation. Oftentimes, what I read becomes the inspiration for a fresh article so I take that idea, do some additional research, and create my own new work.

No, I don’t cut and paste someone else’s writings. Instead, their pithy work becomes the seed that I germinate to produce a unique and compelling article of my own. The key here is this: it is my own voice, not someone else’s work.

We all have our favorite blogs, you can be certain of that. Spend some time on those particular blogs and see what inspires you. Who knows, but a sentence or a paragraph you read may gel your brain into producing a 500-750 word article that you can include in your vast repository of interesting and relevant work.

Gosh, I think that I may be on to something!

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]]> http://essaysassistance.com/from-blog-to-article.html/feed 0 So Many Article Directories, So Little Time http://essaysassistance.com/so-many-article-directories-so-little-time.html http://essaysassistance.com/so-many-article-directories-so-little-time.html#comments Mon, 06 Apr 2009 17:43:46 +0000 Essays http://essaysassistance.com/so-many-article-directories-so-little-time.html Twice today I received invitations from article directory owners to join their new sites. In many ways I am flattered, but in other ways I almost want to mention that they have their work cut out for them. As an author of several hundred articles online [I expect to add between one and two hundred per month for the foreseeable future] I have some recommendations for article directory managers. If you are interested in learning what they are, please read on.

Benchmark Ezine Articles &ndash My primary site for submitting articles is with EzineArticles.com. Why? Volume, service, article penetration, search engine optimization, blog, forum, email updates, site navigation, cutting edge technology, to name some features. This site is one that is highly active where authors know the manager, Christopher Knight, and hear from him regularly. You get the feeling that Ezine Articles is going places…and fast!

Ask Permission First &ndash Some of my articles have appeared elsewhere, without my permission. I guess having over 400 articles online gives me extra special attention, perhaps more than someone who has 40 articles. Still, I must say that one web director who took my articles has apparently given up the practice and without notification to his authors. Let’s just say I won’t waste my time with someone who doesn’t at least care enough to respond to my emails!

Distinguish Yourself From The Pack &ndash Thanks to a new article software program that hit the market over the summer, lots of folks are snapping up this easy to use program and starting their own directories. Competition is a good thing, but a shake out will occur. If you want someone like me to take interest in your site, to direct my clients to you [I have plenty], and keep me interested, your site shouldn’t even look like any of the rest of them. I am not saying you shouldn’t use the new software, but please take it to the next level and make it work to the max.

Build Up Page Rank &ndash Heck, my own site pulls down a page rank of 6. I want you to match my site’s strength or at least come close. Some of the newer sites are not yet ranked and little or nothing has been indexed by Google. BTW, Google is it for me. MSN and Yahoo are alright, but Google rocks. After these three…nada!

Details, Details – The big picture of getting articles out there is great, but I like to see some attention paid to the fine details too. Ezine Articles has not one, but three resource boxes for authors to select from each of which contains information already keyed in by the authors. I know not of one other directory that has even one. Hmmm…

Where Are You Going? – Where is your article directory going? Do you have RSS feeds, submission agreements with other sites, unique features that are regularly being rolled out, etc. A blog where we hear from YOU, the manager, is highly useful.

There are other areas I am sure that I haven’t covered. I am not singling any directory out and I do wish you the best in your endeavor. Perhaps as your site grows I’ll sign up, but for now I am very busy writing articles and submitting to just a few select sites, like Ezine Articles. Thank you for allowing me to vent!

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]]> http://essaysassistance.com/so-many-article-directories-so-little-time.html/feed 0 Freelance Writer: Find One Today! http://essaysassistance.com/freelance-writer-find-one-today.html http://essaysassistance.com/freelance-writer-find-one-today.html#comments Sun, 22 Mar 2009 22:34:52 +0000 Essays http://essaysassistance.com/freelance-writer-find-one-today.html Finding a freelance writer can be a daunting task, especially for the person who requires the skills of a capable writer, but does not know where to begin to look for one. Not everyone who says they are a freelance writer is one either. Sure, they may work freelance, but they are not skilled as a writer. Let’s explore some ways you can find a freelance writer who meets your exact specifications.

Internet Search — Using internet search engine Google you can enter a few key words and see what shows up in your search results. Within your search parameters, enter “freelance writer” in quotes. Between the ads that show up marketing freelance writers [above and to the right of your search results] and the first ten or so search results, you should locate some decent choices. Click on the ads and the search results to be redirected to each freelance writer’s web site. From there, you should be able to determine if this person is right for you.

Article Directories – Several of the major article directories on the internet feature articles submitted by freelancers. Freelance writers will typically showcase some of their finest works in hopes that you will read several of their articles and select them for an upcoming project. Visit Ezine Articles, Article Directories – Several of the major article directories on the internet feature articles submitted by freelancers. Freelance writers will typically showcase some of their finest works in hopes that you will read several of their articles and select them for an upcoming project. Visit Ezine Articles, ZapContent.com, Article Sphere, and Go Articles to name a few, to peruse the works of each site’s high performing authors.

Paid Sites – Some freelance writers have registered with paid referral sites such as Guru. As an employer, you can register on Guru too and place the specifications of your project online, and receive bids for your work. Make certain that the all the terms of your project are agreed upon before rewarding the project to a writer.

Unpaid Sites – The most popular site for finding freelance writers is Craig’s List or craigslist as it is commonly spelled. Not just freelance writers, but graphic artists, web designers, you name it. Craig’s List is a high impact site typically ranking in the top 100 of all internet destinations!

Of course, any freelance writer worth their salt will list their own web site featuring samples of some of their best work. Spend a little time getting a feel for their style and ask for a quote before rewarding your project. If you need references, just ask.

Finding a good freelance writer can take some time and effort on your part, but by carefully choosing a freelancer you can find someone eager to give to you their best work. It may first take completing several projects together before you both are able to determine that your business relationship is a “fit.” Regardless, once you have a writer who “works magic” on your part, stick with him or her and you won’t be disappointed.

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]]> http://essaysassistance.com/freelance-writer-find-one-today.html/feed 0 9 Tips for Better Copywriting http://essaysassistance.com/9-tips-for-better-copywriting.html http://essaysassistance.com/9-tips-for-better-copywriting.html#comments Mon, 16 Mar 2009 22:29:32 +0000 Essays http://essaysassistance.com/9-tips-for-better-copywriting.html We all learned how to write in school, but in advertising, there are some simple techniques that experienced writers use to convey messages with greater impact and brevity. Without being too tutorial, you’ll find these 9 tips quite handy when writing your next sales letter, brochure or web page.

Avoid the wimpy verbs&ndashis and be.

These “do-little” verbs only occupy space and state that something exists. So don’t write “There is one simple omission that can transform a sentence from boring to brilliant.” Do write “One simple omission can transform a sentence from boring to brilliant.” Similarly, avoid “We will be running the new program from our Dallas office.” Instead, opt for “We will run the new program from our Dallas office.”

Place the longest item at the end of a series.

Start with the simple and work toward the complex. It’s less confusing and makes a more memorable ending to the sentence. If you have a series like “He was always later that Joan, loud and boring.” Opt for “He was loud, boring and always later that Joan.”

Specifics are more convincing.

Unless you must for legal reasons, don’t use words like many, several, approximately, nearly and other such mushy weasel modifiers. Specifics tell your audience that you know what your product can do based on tests, research, results, etc.

Modify thy neighbor.

Neighboring clause, that is. Make sure your modifiers apply directly to the pertinent clause in question. Do this and you’ll avoid such gaffes as “I collided with a stationary truck coming the other way. (The truck wasn’t coming the other way, it was stationary.) Better to tell the judge “I was coming the other way and collided with a stationary truck.” (You’ll still pay the penalty for running into a truck, but at least you’ll come across as sober.)

Use single verbs to avoid doublespeak.

Single verbs can often do the work of two similar verbs. Instead of “The computer was operating and running smoothly,” go for “The computer was running smoothly.” Or, instead of “He was empty and ran out of gas,” go for the more direct “He ran out of gas.”

Vary sentence length.

A string of sentences all the same length can be boring. Start with a short sentence or at least a medium-length one, then go long, short, medium or any combination thereof. Imagine a person talking in sentences that are all the same length. Robotic.

Are your sentences like the Energizer Bunny?

They go on and on. Just because you’re conveying legal or complex technical information, doesn’t mean you have to use serpentine sentences that never seem to end. Instead of saying “Laser beams, which have many properties that distinguish them from ordinary light, result from the emission of energy from atoms in the form of electromagnetic waves.” Break up and re-phrase to “Laser beams have many properties that distinguish them from ordinary light. They are produced when atoms emit energy in the form of electromagnetic waves.”

Go short and sweet.

Why use a 4- to 5-word phrase when a 1- to 2-word version will do nicely&ndashwith no loss in meaning? Statements like “in view of the fact that” can be easily reduced to “since” or “because.” Word economy is particularly important, especially when you’re paying for premium ad space in a major publication.

Don’t overstate the obvious.

Redundancy is good for space travel, but not for clear writing. Phrases like “anticipate in advance,” “totally finished,” or “vital essentials” will drive your readers crazy and communicate very little. The same goes for stringing two or more synonyms together like “thoughts and ideas” or “actions and behavior.” It makes readers wonder if you really meant to say two different things or just wanted to reinforce one word with a needless synonym.

So the next time you’re struggling with that sales letter, mailer or web page, follow these simple rules. They’ll help you communicate your message more clearly and with greater selling power. Remember, there are 26 letters in the English alphabet. Use them wisely.

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