Hemmingway's Writing Rules
With his short, sharp sentences Hemmingway could have
been writing for the web. Read his 5 rules of writing.
Learn from them.
How to grab the media by the
balls to promote your
self-published book ( and many other products)
Learn how to use the media, instead of them using you.
Unless you attract some media attention your book, or whatever
product or service you're selling, is likely to drift into a silent death.
The "Ambiguity of
Intention" Makes Accurate Communication Nearly Impossible
Computer screens don't reveal facial clues or body signals that Would otherwise
help clarify your intended messages.
Cyberwriting - how to promote
your product or service online (without being flamed)
Writing ability is the single most important weapon you can wield in cyberspace.
The words you write are your best and often only chance to create an impression on
customers.
HOW TO GET ALL
THE FREE SOFTWARE YOU COULD EVER WANT IN ONE EASY LESSON.
I haven't bought any software for 5 years, but I've got the latest and greatest versions
of everything on my machine. And they're not pirate copies. My bookshelf is packed with
dozens of the latest computer books. But I don't buy them.
Native English Writing
Assistant
The English-language writing tool designed for non-native
speakers. Native English corrects errors commonly made by
speakers of English, French, German or Spanish when they
write in English.
How to get your message read in the newsgroups
Very few of the messages posted to newsgroups actually get read. Here's how to make sure
that your message is one of the few that does
Hemingway's Writing
Rules.
Hemingway's writing Rules have been stuck above my desk for years now. I might not
stick by them all the time. Especially when, as now, I'm not limited to filling an exact
space in a newspaper column. But I think we should all take note of them.
Especially for online writing.
 USE SHORT
SENTENCES.
USE SHORT FIRST
PARAGRAPHS.
USE VIGOROUS
ENGLISH.
BE POSITIVE, NOT
NEGATIVE.
AVOID PASSIVE
VOICE.
That's it. Print these out in large type.
Stick them above your desk.
Follow them. Improve your writing.
HOW TO GRAB THE MEDIA BY THE BALLS TO PROMOTE YOUR SELF
PUBLISHED BOOK (and many other products)
by Phil Wiley
USE THE MEDIA. Unless you attract some
media attention your book (or other product /service) is likely to drift into a silent
death.
This is a generalisation. Some books have sold extremely well without achieving any
publicity except word of mouth - but I can't, for the life of me, remember any of their
titles.
Why do you need media attention?
Because, unless you spend a fortune in advertising, very few people will know your book
exists. For "attention" read "publicity". Whenever you're mentioned in
the media it's free publicity.
Here's how to attract all the media coverage you could ever want:
YOU GIVE THEM WHAT THEY WANT.
And that's a good story. I've worked on monthly magazines, weekly newspapers, and daily
newspapers. I know journalists. I am one.
Journalists hate writing free "advertorials" and won't do it just because the
advertising department would like them to.
So unless the newspaper is one of those free weeklies which write about every business
which buys an advert, you won't get editorial coverage unless you come up with a news
angle.
Ask youself why your book is newsworthy.
What's different about my book to the hundreds of others published this week?
"It's the only book ever published on...." you might say.
That's not likely is it? There's probably dozens of books on the very same subject.
"It's about making money online..."
Okay, that's newsworthy at the moment, but it's not good enough.
What's different about it? "I'm making lots of money online myself and I show people
exactly how to do it themselves..."
Yes, that's it. You're making money yourself online. That still passes for news, though
the day will come soon when it's commonplace.
"It's about growing vegetables..."
So what's interesting and newsworthy about that?
"It's about growing giant vegetables which will win any gardening
competition..."
Better.
"It's about growing giant vegetables, which will win any gardening competition, and I
know because I'm the 1997 World Champion Carrot King"
Now your book is news.
Ok, suppose your book is nothing special. All is not lost.
If your book isn't special what about you?
Is there something newsworthy about you? When you're written about, talked about, filmed
for television, it also promotes your book.
Did you learn to write in jail?
Have you spent 30 years in a mental hospital?
Do you have a famous ancestor?
Had an affair with a famous rock star or politican?
Was your uncle a notorious axe murderer?
There's got to be something different about you. We've all got something tucked away if we
think about it. Come up with an angle and pitch it to the journalists:
"Hey, my uncle was a serial killer and now I've written a book about breakfast
cereals."
"I've only got one leg and I've written a book about running."
"I used to s-s-s-stutter and now I've written a book of one line gags for
after-dinner speeches."
Think for a while. What's different about you or your book.
Make a list, as wild as you like. Write down whatever comes into your head. (that's what
I'm doing). Ok you've come up with a news angle.
Now what?
PRESS RELEASES
- how to write them, and when to send them.
Keep it short and to the point. don't ramble. Use short sentences and paragraphs.
Concentrate on the news angle you've come up with.
Come up with a good headline. The purpose of the press release is not to tell your story.
It's sole purpose is to attract the attention of whichever journalist is assigned the task
of going
through that days pile of releases. You've got to make that journalist stop and read your
release. Most of them don't get read. The headline and first paragraph are boring. They
don't
immediately click as newsworthy. They get thrown in the bin without another glance.
If your press release grabs a journo's attention he'll most likely pass it on to another
journalist and tell her/him to phone you.
So you'd better be by your phone waiting for that call. They're busy people. More news
comes up all the time. If you're not in they might not phone again.
So should you send a copy of your book with the press release. Most people do, but
personally I wouldn't. I'd buck the trend.
When a book comes in, and dozens do every week, it's probably given to the book writer and
sits in his big pile of unread books. If you're lucky it will be given a short review.
But that's it. No story. No news coverage. No photo. And a photo is important. Photo's
attract attention to the stories.
Here's what I'd do: send a great press release telling them why they'd be crazy not to
interview you. Telling them where and when you'll be available for a photo and story.
Not something like: "I'll expect you at 44 My Street, at 11am on tuesday...please
bring a photographer."
More along the lines of: " My world champion carrot will be carted off in a
wheelbarrow to feed the children at the hospital if you don't get around here soon. Please
phone me urgently to arrange a time and place for an interview..."
To feed the children at the hospital....? It's a newsworthy gimmick? It's visual? And so
is carting the carrot in a wheelbarrow. It makes the journo think " PICTURE story.
This is worth covering. I'd better phone now."
You get the idea?
OK, THAT'S THE MEDIA OUT OF THE WAY. HERE ARE A FEW BONUS PARAGRAPHS
ON WHAT ELSE CAN YOU DO.
One of the most dynamic forms of self-promotion is direct contact with an actual or
potential audience. Everyone you come in contact with is a potential reader.
Try and be entertaining. Becomer a performer. Everywhere, anytime, be ready to talk about
your book.
* talk about your book at local schools.
* contact organisers of festivals regarding speaking or reading.
* set up display stands at festivals, fetes, fairs, markets.
* organise readings and signings in bookshops and public libraries.
* organise readings, signing, displays, etc, in stores which sell things your book is
about. Eg, gardening stores for your vegetable book.
Do up fliers and posters. Post them everywhere you can. The library, local bookstores,
coffee shops.
What else can you do? Direct mail of course. (But that will have to be another story). And
market it on the Internet. (Again another story, but you know it anyway. Here it is in a
short paragraph....
SET up a web site with promotional material and
book excerpts, promote the web site with search engines, email, newsgroups, and by
advertising in online newsletters like this one, have an order form on one of your web
pages, and make sure you can take credit cards.
Whole books have been written on gaining publicity for your self published book, so I
can't cover it all here. But I hope these tips have helped.
(c) copyright phil wiley September 1997.
HOW TO GET ALL THE FREE SOFTWARE YOU COULD EVER WANT IN ONE EASY LESSON.
I haven't bought any software for 5 years, but I've got
the latest and greatest versions of everything on my
machine. And they're not pirate copies.
My bookshelf is packed with dozens of the latest computer
books. But I don't buy them.
I'm writing this on the latest $6000 NEC notebook computer.
NEC's PR company have sent it for me to try out.
You see I'm a computer writer. For 5 years now I've cobbled
together a well read weekly computer column, and free books
and software never stop rolling in for review.
It sounds good doesn't it?
And it's so easy that I'm going to let you in on all the
secrets here, and tell you how you can join me in getting
your own column.
Like me you'll get all your books and software for free -
and you'll get paid on top. Plus if you make it into the
big time you'll get flown around the world for factory tours
and to press conferences.
First let me get rid of a few misconceptions. All computer
writers aren't technical wizards. Some reviewers I know
wouldn't know the difference between the insides of a
computer and an open tin of beans.
Readers might think I am, but I'm not an expert.
And I'm not the world's best writer either. (You've not
seen my name on any of the best seller lists have you?).
To write computer reviews you don't have to write fantastic
prose. As long as it flows, entertains, and informs, you've
done the job. You just write your opinions down as you form
them. To tell you the truth nearly every product arriving
for review comes with a long press release describing all
the features, and often a reviewers guide, which does most
of the hard work for you. Then you just use the product
and write what you think about it.
If you can write a good letter the writing part is easy.
Here's my 5 Step Guide to becoming a Computer Reviewer.
Step 1: Before any newspaper will take you seriously you have to come up with 2/3 sample
columns, 400-700 words long. They should be topical, lightly but tightly written, and have
a catchy intro paragraph. Write about what you know - business on the Internet, or that
new piece of software you've just bought. Lay your writing out in newspaper column style.
Step 2: Add a covering note offering your column for sale
for just $10 a week exclusive to their circulation area.
Suggest that it would be easy to sell advertising around.
And suggest that you send the columns by fax, or preferably
e-mail. "$10 a week? I'd be crazy to sell it for that," I can hear
you saying.
Wrong!
Step 3: The key is to syndicate your column far and wide.
There are 10,000 newspapers in the USA alone. Most of them
small town weeklies. This is the market to aim for. Print
out a batch of your columns, say 100 at a time and mail them
to the editors. You can make good money doing this. Imagine if your mailshot succeeded
with just 1% of the 10,000. You'd be pulling in $1000, each and every week, for something
which probably takes no more than a couple of hours to write.
But here we're concentrating on the free software.
Say you get just 1 newspaper taking up your offer. Now
you're a computer columnist.
Step 4: Next you have to contact the software and book
publishers and let them know that you are the new computer
writer for "The Rocky Weekly News" or whatever.
You can find the names on-line by searching on commercial
software, but the easiest way is to buy a computer magazine
and go through all the adverts. Address your letter to the
Marketing or PR Manager (it doesn't have to be by name),
asking to be added to their mailing list for press releases,
and saying that you'd love to write about their software if
they have any review products available.
Stand back and wait for the deluge.
Step 5: whatever you do, while you're waiting for the review
products to arrive keep on writing and sending out your
columns on time. It is essential that you are a 1000%
reliable. If the paper needs your column every Monday it
must be there on time. A day late is no good. No excuses
will satisfy the editor.
There are a couple of negatives to all that free software
though: it will play havoc with your productivity. You can
guarantee that when you sit down to work with PhotoShop a
courier will arrive with a book and CD packed with PhotoShop Plugins for you to try.
You'll spend hours playing around without getting any real work done.
But worst of all is you'll be forever running out of disc
space. Being a computer writer will cost you a fortune in
ever bigger hard drives.
by Phil Wiley (c) 1977
The "Ambiguity
of Intention" Makes Accurate Communication Nearly Impossible
Computer screens don't reveal facial clues or body signals that Would otherwise help
clarify your intended messages. To
compensate, do the following:
1. Ask yourself 2 questions: "would I say this to his or her face? and "Will
they be glad to read this?"
2. Soften everything you write. Use statements that defuse any
potential misunderstanding. "I am sending this to you because
you seem interested in this type of service, if you aren't, I
apologise," disarms virtually every potential flame.
3. Remember the prime directive of cyberspace. "Write in
kindness."
4. Be honest. Don't try to manipulate or mislead readers. They'll see through it.
5. Assume you'll be misunderstood. Rewrite. Rewrite again. Wait a day before sending your
message.
From Cyberwriting by Joe Vitale (pub: Amacom 1997)
CYBERWRITING - HOW TO PROMOTE YOUR PRODUCT OR
SERVICE ONLINE (WITHOUT BEING FLAMED) by Joe Vitale.
If you are serious about marketing online YOU NEED TO BUY THIS BOOK. It's as simple as
that. It's a must have.
If you read my article on becoming a computer columnist, you'll know that I get most of my
books and software for free. But I couldn't wait for this book - and bought it in The
American Bookshop, an import store in the nearest big city (400+ miles away), before its
general Australian release. THIS BOOK IS THAT GOOD.
Look I don't care if you buy it from me, or buy it from someone else. But whatever you do
buy it from somewhere. If you're running an online business you NEED IT.
Writing ability is the single most important weapon you can wield in cyberspace. The words
you write are your best and often only chance to create an impression on customers.
Without expertise in the written word you're not going to make it online - not unless you
pay someone big money to write everything for you.
This book doesn't just teach you writing skills - it's not about grammar, spelling, and
sentence construction. It's about putting together strings of words, which sell products
and services online. It's about using e-mail to sell. It's about writing Net-Advertorials
to sell. It's about writing Cyber-Ads, which sell and sell and sell.
Look at these chapter headings:
1. Five basic ways to grab attention in Cyberspace.
2. What is your "USP" (unique selling point).
3. The new way to write a persuasive E-sales letter.
4. How would mark Twain handle e-writing (the book is worth its price
for this chapter alone -phil).
5. The 1903 secret for making millions online.
6. Net-Advertorials: How to Tell and Sell your story online.
7. How to write a CyberAd.
8. How to Turbocharge your CyberWriting.
9. The "Drip System" of CyberSpace.
10. What to do if you're flamed.
11. Quick Solutions to Cyberwriting's three biggest problems.
Cyberwriting is 175 pages of excellent information.
To see a review of this great book click here
Or buy it right now. In a special arrangement with Amazon books I can
offer you this book RIGHT NOW, for just $15.16. You save $3.79 (20%)
Ships in 2-3 days and will be mailed to you directly by Amazon, (the world's biggest
online bookstore). TO PLACE YOUR ORDER (and I guarantee you won't regret getting your
hands on this book) SIMPLY CLICK ON THIS LINK:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0814479189/allthesecretsA
you will be whisked to the Amazon web site, so have your credit card ready.
NativeEnglish Writing
Assistant
A growing number of "all the secrets..." readers are from
non-English speaking countries. So this next piece, about a
new software program called NativeEnglish, should be
of interest to them. It's not a review, just from an
advertorial I came across in Alta Vista's new web magazine,
NativeEnglish Writing Assistant
The English-language writing tool designed for non-native
speakers. Native English corrects errors commonly made by
speakers of English, French, German or Spanish when they
write in English. NativeEnglish includes spelling, grammar, and style-checking components,
along with bilingual dictionaries and an English learner's dictionary.
Improves your English documents. NativeEnglish analyzes your text, looks for errors, helps
you to create higher quality
documents, and avoid potentially embarrassing mistakes.
NativeEnglish is easy and convenient, working from within
your existing word processor and browser.
Corrections are clearly explained in English, French, German or Spanish.
System Requirements
Windows 3.1, Windows 95, Windows NT
One or more of the following applications:
*Microsoft Word 6, Word 95 or Word 97 *Corel WordPerfect 6
*Netscape Navigator 3 *Microsoft Internet Explorer 3
10 MB of hard disk space
To purchase your copy for US$74 (regularly $79) plus S&H,
please call SciTech International, Inc. at 1-888-568-0950
for US and Canada or 1-773-486-9191 for all other countries.
7:00AM - 7:00PM United States Central Time.
To get the special price of $74, be sure to mention
AltaVista's WebZine and SKU 54917!
HOW TO GET YOUR
MESSAGE
READ IN THE NEWSGROUPS
Only a very few newsgroup postings actually get read. Especially in the Biz Op newsgroups
where it seems that every posting is an ad.
So how do you make yours stand out enough for someone to click on it and read what you
have to say?
The secret is totally in the headline.
Your headline has to COMPELL people to read your message.
Don't use headlines like these:
Unsecured Credit
$$Best ever and new online.
$$$Million$$$ in 12 months
for business minded people out there.
do not skip this posting
DO use headlines like these:
How to.....
Have you ever....?
Free.......
Did you know.....?
Also try making your headline actually look different. One
way is to seperate the letters H O W T O . . . .another is IIIIIIIIIIII HAVE YOU EVER
IIIIIIIIIIIIII
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