Freelance writers are no different than other home-based business owners. They want to earn a decent wage for their skill which will enable their business to show a profit. One thing you may want to consider, as a writer, is why publishing an e-book is good for your business.

You’ve seen them all over the internet. E-books are one of the most popular types of content available on the internet. They are digital products which can be purchased and delivered immediately rather than having to wait a week or longer for a physical product to arrive.

The following reasons are a few reasons why it’s a good idea for any freelance writer to put together and sell e-books.

• Writing and selling an e-book can increase your credibility, particularly if you write a book specific to your business or niche.  For example, if you’re an SEO writer, you could write a book on how to create a content strategy to increase website traffic and search engine optimization, or if you’re a copywriter you could write a book on how to write website sales copy.  Writing and publishing a book helps give you credibility as a writer.

• E-books are in demand. You can write an e-book about nearly any subject and there are likely to be people who are looking for that information. Because they are so popular, you can expect them to be met with a degree of demand. Read More…

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By Kammy Thurman, AWAI-Trained Copywriter AND Graphic Designer

Have you ever seen a flier, a Web landing page, or some other advertisement where everything on the page is screaming at you so loudly that you didn’t know where to start reading?

You probably didn’t spend much time trying to figure out where to go before you gave up and trashed it.

You can avoid this by creating a reading “path” for your reader to follow. A well-constructed path feels so easy and natural your reader won’t even realize you’re intentionally leading him along.

Successful reading paths get their power to guide the reader by using this specific design hierarchy …

1. Big, bold headlines. The headline carries 80% of the responsibility for the sale. So you want to spend a good deal of time designing it for maximum impact. This means using big, bold letters at least 3 times larger than the body copy. Use bold colors too. Stay away from light colors – especially pastels. (They’re not good for readability.Break long headlines into easy-to-read chunks with line breaks. And put plenty of white space around them to tell the reader “I’m important, read me first!” Sans serif typefaces like Helvetica, Myriad, or Arial work great for headlines. They look clean and easily readable in large sizes.
2. The “neck” … I mean deck. This is the sub-headline that comes right underneath the headline and before the “Dear Reader” part of the sales letter. The deck helps readers move from the headline into the body copy. It is generally used to explain the headline further and give readers an additional push into the rest of the letter. Think of it as the neck that connects the headline to the body copy.The deck will be noticeably smaller than the headline, but quite a bit larger than the body copy. If you have a 36-point headline and 12-point body copy, figure 22- to 24-point type for the deck. You can either use the same font you used for the headline or the font you’ll use in the body copy. Don’t use a third font, as too many fonts will look confusing and amateurish. However, you can use a lighter weight font than you used for the headline: For example, Arial Bold instead of Arial Black.
3. Subheads. Subheads are used to break up the body copy and keep the page interesting. I use the same color in subheads that I used in the headline, as opposed to using black. Colored subheads draw attention and help hold the reader in the sales message. The headline, deck, and subheads together tell the sales story well enough that a reader could make a decision to buy if that’s all they read (which is what many people do). Folks who want more info will then go back and read the body copy.
4. Body copy. This is the main sales message – the body of your letter – and it needs to be very readable. In print copy, serif type – such as Times Roman or Georgia – is easier to read than sans serif (Arial or Verdana). But the opposite is true on the Web. Make sure the font is large enough – 11 or 12 points in most cases, and 13 or 14 points for older readers. Never go below 10 points. That’s too small for easy reading.
5. Sidebars, bursts, and pull-quotes. Place sidebars, bursts, pull-quotes, and other attention grabbers throughout the piece to pull readers’ attention to important information. These give readers a little surprise, and hold their interest much better than pages of text with a few subheads here and there.

And, finally … Help your reader turn the page. Never end a right-hand page on a complete sentence. Break the sentence so your reader is forced to turn the page to continue.

And to further encourage him to turn the page, add “Over please,” or something similar, at the bottom of every odd-numbered page. Even though this may seem unnecessary (who doesn’t know to turn the page?), testing has proven it keeps readers from using the end of the page as an excuse to bail out of the message.

This hierarchy should be used in every sales piece you write and/or design – fliers, posters, letters, buck slips, lift notes, postcards, magalogs, and even orders forms – to make reading (and making the sale) much easier.

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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Many freelance writers work out of their homes, either as in a full-time capacity or part-time after working a traditional 9-5 job. They may have problems making time to write despite the fact they have deadlines. Try using some of these ideas to help you find or make time to write.

There’s no doubt about it. When it comes to freelance writing, there are nearly as many publications or places to write for as there is competition. But, if you don’t make time to actually write, you’ll never be a successful writer.

Be selective with activities

Every writer has 24 hours in their day, no more and no less. You get to choose how you spend that time. Begin writing down everything you do and how much it takes for a week. Include everything you do alone as well as with family.

Obviously there are some activities you can’t avoid. If you work for someone, you’re going to spend at least eight hours a day doing that, it’s non-negotiable. You may also have to commute to your job; how long does that take each day? If you have children, they most likely attend school and there may be activities with them.

The point is you want to look at how you’re currently spending your time to determine if there’s anything you can cut. Many people watch television; that may be a time stealer to consider. If you can be selective with the activities you do, you can make more time to write.

Change your schedule

Some people are set in their ways. They get up at the exact same time, follow the same schedule, and go to bed without deviation. If you’re having problem finding time to write, you may want to change your schedule. Get up a little bit earlier and spend that time writing. You may find you have more time than you think by simply trying a different schedule.

Write on the road

If you use mass transportation to get to and from work or other places, you can use the time to write. Whether you choose to use pen and paper, a laptop, or personal digital assistant (PDA), you can jot down ideas, spend the time editing, or spend time watching passengers to think of new ways to describe situations or people.

Even if you drive to and from work you can still use time for writing. Get a hand-held recorder and record ideas which can be incorporated into later writing.

Ask for help

Have parents, your partner, or friends keep an eye on any children a couple of hours a week which would give you an opportunity to write uninterrupted. Ask older children to help cook meals so you can use that time to write. You may even want to hire a sitter for a little while if it will mean you can get your writing done.

Making time to write is something you simply have to do if you want to be a successful freelance writer. Try some of these ideas and see if you can find the extra time you need in your day. Then, when you do find the time, you’ll know how to use it.

If you need help making the most of your time and earning the salary you want to be earning as a freelance writer, check out Writing Rituals and Goal Setting Rituals.

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