Beth Greenslade's Blog, page 58

The Essential Tools Every Writer Needs

Regardless of what kind of writing you do, you'll need the right tools to do it. Long gone are the days of writing with pen and paper, and even posting your finished manuscript to a publisher is now rarely necessary.

With the explosion of the digital age and technology ever-improving, there are now many ways in which writers can arm themselves with helpful tools to improve their work, to stay organized and to impress publishers and readers alike.

So what are the kinds of tools that every writer should consider using to help improve their craft? Let's take a look at some of them…

A great writing program

A reliable writing program will allow you to write with ease. While many writers stick to applications that have been around for ages such as Word, it is worth exploring other options. Those that have been specifically designed for writers, and that have great features such as being able to make notes as you go, editing functions, and easy ways to structure and format your novel too can be incredibly helpful.

A detailed writing checker

Whether you have decided to self publish or are hoping to land yourself a traditional publishing contract, by investing in a smart writing checker, you can ensure that you will have an error-free manuscript when you do. A good writing checker will not only pick up on spelling and grammatical errors, but it can also tell you whether your writing is engaging and clear, which can be extremely helpful too.

A note organizer

With all the research, character development, plotting, and chapter outlining you have to do it's easy to get your notes in a muddle. Staying organized is critical to ensure that your novel is easy to write and remains consistent throughout. A great note organizer will have a whole host of benefits to ensure you can access your research, notes, and data anytime you need it.

A graphic designer

While it might be advisable to get your cover designed by a professional, you'll still need to put out a lot of promotional stuff yourself, so having some design skills under your belt will be extremely helpful. Luckily, there are loads of great design programs out there to make this easy for those who find the idea of doing this a little overwhelming!

Platforms for promotion

Nowadays, writers need to be comfortable with self-promotion. You'll need a great author website and well as the ability to familiarise yourself with all the different social media platforms that can help your book become a success. The more regularly you use these, and the more you strive to understand and embrace them, the easier it will be, and the more engagement you'll have too.

By using the above, you have everything you need to write, perfect, and promote your book. So what are you waiting for?! Good luck!

Bethany Cadman - bethanycadman.co.uk

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How To Make Your Book Sound More Appealing

Writing a book is one thing, but selling it is quite another. 

The truth is that for the vast majority of authors, a traditional publishing deal is unachievable. There are, however, many different routes to success, and by self-publishing, an author who is willing to put time and effort into carefully marketing their book can make a decent living from sales.

To do this, you must make your book sound as appealing as possible to readers. That is, every time you market your book, you must think about how best to present it and what to reveal to ensure that you pique the reader’s interest and motivate them to buy your book.

One of the most important things you can do in this instance is get to know your target market as well as possible. If you invest time in your research, listen to what people are saying, study successful books in your genre, carefully craft different marketing materials and have analytics in place to see how well each piece of marketing performs, you can hope to refine your descriptions and advertising campaigns to generate the most interest.

Your title

Your title needs to be catchy, but also reveal what genre your book sits in. If you can give a little away as well as find a title that accurately sums up your story but also excites and intrigues, your target audience is more likely to want to read on.

Your tag line

Not all novels have a tag line, but by creating one, you have another opportunity to communicate to potential readers what kind of story they can expect inside. A tag line should be catchy, smart, and intriguing.

Your book blurb

Writing a book blurb is a massive part of making your book sound more appealing. Once you have attracted readers, you need to convince them to buy, and by reading the book blurb, they’ll discover what to expect. You only get a couple of paragraphs to sum up your entire novel, so think about the main points of action, about your protagonist and what makes them appealing, and use this to try and emotionally engage your reader too. 

Other marketing materials

Of course, there is an endless number of ways you can market your book. For each piece of marketing that you create, you’ll need to adjust the way that you present your story, as well as design your materials visually. If you hope to make them as impactful as possible, you need to treat each piece of marketing content separately and consider your audience for each one.

Making your book sound appealing does require careful planning and research, but by focusing on each element separately, you can hope to give yourself the best chance of success, so it really is worth your while!

Bethany Cadman - bethanycadman.co.uk

The post How To Make Your Book Sound More Appealing appeared first on Writer's Life.org.

Tips For Writing Great Sales Copy

If you are a freelance writer writing for businesses is an integral part of your job. Whatever kind of copy you are required to write, if you are writing for a particular business, the main aim will be to help them become more successful. Therefore, you need to understand how to write persuasive sales copy that encourages readers to engage with that business, and ultimately help them to sell their products. 

So what are some tried and tested techniques that have been proven to make copy sound more appealing? Let's take a look at some of them.

Simplicity is key

Trying to include too many tricks or being too smart can backfire. Sometimes you need to remember that a simple, clear message will work best, and over complicating things can isolate your audience. 

Research is imperative

Find out who you are talking to, get to know them, use their language, and understand their needs.

Tap into fears

Find out what people are worried about or afraid of and use this as ammunition. This has to be done responsibly. Scaremongering for the sake of it is not ethical, but if you have an actual effective solution, it's OK.

Empathize with and solve problems

Find out your customer's pain points and empathize with them, then tell them why the product you are selling will help make those problems disappear.

Tell a story

Storytelling is an essential sales technique. By telling a story, you draw your reader in and help them to imagine what life could be like with the product or service on offer.

Stay in the active voice

By staying in the active voice, you'll keep the reader in the present and more engaged.

Use, 'YOU'

So much sales copy forgets one crucial word - YOU. By remembering that your customer is the most important and talking about what you can provide them and how you can make their lives better, you are making them a priority - which they'll love.

Make a fantastic offer

An offer that's irresistible goes a long way!

Build trust

The better you can persuade your readers to trust in you, the more likely they'll feel safe enough to buy. If they feel pressured or uncertain, they'll leave. So make sure it feels like a no-brainer to purchase from you by telling customers why you can trust them.

Include features and benefits

Remember to include a combination of both features and benefits to deliver the most significant impact.

Create urgency

A sense of urgency can make a product of service feel exclusive and in demand, which can help persuade customers to buy, now. 

Include a CTA

A compelling call to action is one of the most important (and often overlooked) parts of effective sales copy. Be clear and precise with your CTA and make it seem like the next natural step in the process. 

By following these tips, you can hope to create killer sales copy every time. So next time you land a client that's asking you to sell their product or service, use this list to ensure you deliver a powerful piece of copywriting that's sure to impress!

Bethany Cadman - bethanycadman.co.uk

The post Tips For Writing Great Sales Copy appeared first on Writer's Life.org.

Reasons Why You Should Attend A Writer’s Workshop

Lots of writers are in two minds about whether to bother with attending a writing workshop. They often cost money and can feel intimidating. However, there are plenty of benefits, too, and hopefully, by exploring them, you might feel more encouraged to go.

Let's take a look at why attending a writer's workshop could help you:

Learning from experience

If you pick a reputable writing workshop, you should find that the person leading it has a wealth of experience and some impressive success in the writing and publishing world. Meeting someone like this face to face in an intimate setting can be inspiring and so helpful and they'll share all their experience and pearls of wisdom with you, which can leave you feeling reinvigorated and motivated to succeed.

Interacting with your contemporaries

Writers often find themselves writing alone - it's not much of a team sport after all. By attending a writing workshop, you'll have the chance to socialize and interact with your fellow writers. This can be helpful for a myriad of reasons. Sharing problems and experiences, laughing at the bizarre writing world and its strange practices, and generally opening up about the writing process and sharing tips and advice can be extremely helpful and cathartic too.

Gaining fresh perspectives

By attending a writing workshop, you can hope to gain new perspectives on the art of writing in general, but also by sharing your own work. Sometimes a fresh set of eyes can be all that's needed to get over an obstacle and help you get back on track with your writing once more.

Learning new things and seeing results

Writing workshops, if run well, will be an excellent source of information. They'll give you new ideas, introduce you to helpful techniques and provide lots of great resources and actionable advice that can improve your writing significantly.

Trying something new

Even if a writing workshop sounds like a terrible idea, it's always good to try new things and step out of our comfort zones from time to time, so you while they might not be for everyone, you'll never know until you try, and it can be chalked up as an experience even if you realize it wasn't right for you. 

Hopefully, the above may be enough to convince you to give a writing workshop a try. Just take your time to research a good one and think about what you want to get out of it before you go, then attend with a positive attitude and an open mind, and you might be surprised at what a writing workshop can do for you!

Bethany Cadman - bethanycadman.co.uk

The post Reasons Why You Should Attend A Writer’s Workshop appeared first on Writer's Life.org.

What Makes A Good Writer Good?

As writers, we know that the journey to greatness is a long one. Almost never-ending, in fact. Because there are always new ways to learn, new things do discover, and to experiment with, we can always strive to improve.

However, for many of us, the writing journey is also paved with self-doubt, which regularly leads us to question our writing ability and wonder if we are any good at it.

So can you definitively say if a writer is good? If so, what are the qualities, attributes, and achievements required to become a good writer?

Let’s examine some of them:

The ability to tell a good story

Having narrative skills as a writer is essential. You may think this only applies to fiction writers, but it really doesn’t. The ability to tell a story is an important skill as it is what hooks readers, what engages them, and what connects them to the words in an emotional way. Whatever you are writing about, if you can write in a way that makes the reader fall right into the story, you are on the right track. 

Having a unique voice

Your story should be your own, that’s not to say it has to be a unique idea, but the way you tell it should be. Finding your writing voice is what helps with this. Read as much as you can and write frequently and with enthusiasm. The more you do this, the easier finding your voice will be.

Tapping into the imagination

Writers need to be creative, and the ability to use your imagination is imperative. To be imaginative is to be inventive, artistic, poetic, and surprising. Again, this is something that can be practiced. Lots of people find being creative challenging because they worry they will be ridiculed. However, in writing, no idea is off-limits, so let your imagination run free, and then learn how to control and direct it until it becomes effortless and flows as you write. 

Determination & resilience in all weathers

Writing isn’t easy. If you want to be a good writer you need to be self-motivated, you need to have the ability to overcome obstacles and to solve problems and pick yourself up and carry on even when your confidence has been knocked. 

Using the right words in the right order

Having a way with words is another essential attribute of good writers. They can find just the right words to perfectly paint a picture that engages their readers or delivers the message or provides the correct information at the right time in a way that is natural but also memorable.

Understanding what readers want

Good writers will do their research. They’ll bother to find out what readers want, and they’ll tailor their writing to meet that need. This is true of both article and blog writers as well as novelists and something all good writers strive to achieve.

A love writing and a desire to learn

Of course, all good writers love to write. It is a craft that takes real passion and dedication, and those who want to become better will dedicate themselves to learning and improving, they’ll love the language they write in, the power of words, the way they can have different meanings and interpretations and they’ll keep doing it because it’s in their blood!

While this list is by no means exhaustive, it does contain some vital qualities that writers must possess to succeed. Do you have any to add? Share them with us here.

Bethany Cadman - bethanycadman.co.uk

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The Simplest Way To Write A Book

There are many difficult things about the writing process, but getting the words of your story out onto the page in the first place is an obstacle with which many people struggle. Writing a book is a huge commitment and an investment of your time, patience, money, and so much more. That's why so many people start to write a novel and never get around to finishing it. 

However, if the art of writing a book could be broken down and simplified in some way, more people might have a chance of getting to the finish line. To write a book, you have to start it; it's as simple as that - and no writing tip in the world is going to help you if you don't. Decide what you are going to write and then start.

Secondly, you need to find the motivation to continue to write your book until you have finished it. Many writing obstacles may get in the way of yo writing journey. However, by preempting these obstacles and having an action plan, or counter attack ready for when they strike can make all the difference. Then you've got to finish it. No one's going to read an unfinished book, no matter how close you got. So that's pretty important too. 

So how can writers help themselves achieve this? Here are some simple steps to follow:

Decide what you are writing about

Get your plot laid out, do some research, sketch some chapter outlines, and feel confident and prepared that yours is a good story worth reading.

Set a goal of words per day or week

Give yourself a daily word count goal, or if you know you can't write daily, then give yourself a weekly word count goal. Don't let yourself ever fail on this. No matter what.

Find time to write

Make sure you set aside time to write and make that time a priority for writing. This is so important if you want to get that book finally finished.

Set up some goals and deadlines

Having goals and deadlines, both long and short and big and small, can help keep you on the right track. 

Commit to sending it off

Once you've finished your novel, you need to be prepared to ship it off. Give yourself a deadline for this, too, and then make sure you stick to it. It can be all too easy to continue to procrastinate to the point where your finished manuscript remains gathering dust in a drawer forever, and you've come this far, so don't stop now.

Expect and prepare for failure

Your book will get rejected; you will get bad reviews; you will feel disheartened. Prepare for this and learn how to manage it without letting it destroy your confidence. Have a robust plan for self-publishing in place as a backup.

Keep writing

Whatever you do, don't stop writing. The more you write, the better you'll get. If this is your dream and your passion, don't let anyone stand in your way. 

Sounds simple right? Well, the truth is that it is. If you want to write a book, you can. The only person that will stop you is you. So use the above as a guide, commit to it, and then do it, and you'll have your published novel in your hands in no time at all!

Bethany Cadman - bethanycadman.co.uk

The post The Simplest Way To Write A Book appeared first on Writer's Life.org.

How To Understand What Kind Of Writer You Are

Being a great writer is about a lot of things, and it takes time, practice, and dedication to the craft to become more masterful at it.

Understanding what kind of writer you are is also essential. If you can understand this, you can get a much clearer picture of what you need to do to achieve your goals and become a more productive and prolific writer as a result. 

When it comes to setting your writing schedule, your goals, and timelines, there is a whole world of advice out there. However, not all advice works for all writers (though almost every piece of it will work for someone!). So it is through a process of self-discovery, experimentation, and trial and error that you can hope to find out what kind of writing you are, and therefore what type of writing works for you. 

So what type of writer are you? Here are some of the archetypes that might sound familiar:

The writer who seeks outside motivation

Sometimes it is not by looking internally, but by instead focusing our attention on what happens outside ourselves that can provide the inspiration necessary to motivate ourselves to start and complete a book. Do you find it helpful to know how many now successful authors were rejected in the past? Do you secretly judge other writers published work and think 'I could do a better job than that?' If this sounds like you, then you need to keep those gears turning by checking out lists such as Publisher's Weekly to discover the latest on what's being published and sold, and what editors are looking for and why. If this inspires your competitive side, then this could help fuel the fire to get that manuscript finished. You could also find your writing 'nemisis' and follow their career and try to outdo them.

The writer who holds themselves to the highest standards

If you are the kind of writer who undertakes continuous research before starting your novel, who refuses to submit a manuscript until you've checked it, edited it and polished it many times over, and needs everything to be 'just so' before you begin a writing session this could be you. Of course, it's great to set the bar high for yourself, but sometimes it can stop you from getting going in the first place. To prevent this from happening, why not get a writing partner or join a writing group? Having others to help drive your writing forward and who will hold you to account if your perfectionist tendencies get in the way of completing your work can help ensure that you stay on the right track.

The writer who gives everything (or nothing)

If one day, you are totally immersed in your writing and everything seems to be going swimmingly, and the words flow, and they are beautiful and poetic, and your heart sings with the knowledge that this is what you were born to do…and the next, you feel sluggish, demotivated, and like you are a total fool for even trying, you could be an all or nothing type writer. While, when things are going your way, you are the most productive of all your comrades, when you aren't feeling it, you get nothing done, and this makes progress and continuity slow. Try to combat this by taking yourself off to write in different locations and giving yourself specific time-bound challenges to keep your interest piqued and motivation high. 

This list of writing archetypes contains the three most common, though there are others, and variations and combinations of these also. There are, of course, many different ways to write, and no absolute right way to do so. However, by getting to know your writing self you can get rid of the obstacles that might get in your way, and can ensure your progress is steady and robust and as satisfying as possible. 

Bethany Cadman - bethanycadman.co.uk

The post How To Understand What Kind Of Writer You Are appeared first on Writer's Life.org.

How To Write More Persuasively

Writing persuasively means that you write in a way that inspires a reader to think or act or engage in a specific way. Persuasive writing will move a reader, will motivate them, and whatever it is you want them to do, or whichever way you want them to react, that’s precisely what will happen.

Persuasive writing is used in both factual and fictional work and across all mediums too. It is most intensively used in copywriting for businesses where the more convincing the copy is, the easier it will be to engage potential readers and convert them into frequently spending, loyal customers. 

So what are the key considerations any writer needs to take into account if they want to write more persuasively? Let’s take a look.

Understand your target audience

While some copy is for a more general readership, the more specific you can be about your desired reader, the easier it will be to create a piece of writing that speaks to them and persuades them to act.

Remember to say why

If you want to capture the attention of your audience, you need to give them a good reason. It’s very easy to forget to say why - so make sure you spell it out your customers for maximum effect.

Get the tone right

It’s not just about what you say; it’s also about how you say it. Make sure that you get the tone right to exert more considerable influence and make sure your message comes across in the right way. 

Build trust

The more authentic you sound, the more readers will trust you and, therefore, be compelled to follow your instructions. Be honest, be transparent, back up your claims with proof, and you’ll build a loyal following of people who feel they can trust you. 

Empathize

Writing with empathy is essential. If you can resonate with your reader, if you can show them you understand their problems and suffer from the same ones, then you’ll form a connection with them that will mean they are more likely to listen and take on board what you have to say.

Use your storytelling skills

Be creative and imaginative in your copy. Paint a picture, tell a story - this will establish a human connection, and engage emotions that have been proven to motivate people to buy. 

Pay attention to your language

Persuasive copy is littered with words that inspire action. Learn which words are most likely to drive your customers to act and make sure you include them in your text. 

Be clear about the benefits

If you want a reader to do something, you need to demonstrate the benefit to them of doing so. If you can be specific around the benefits that will come to the reader as a result of doing what you are asking them to do, they’ll be far more likely to do it!

Address objections

The better you can preempt what a reader might object to about your proposal, the more successfully you can address these objections and reassure them, and the more powerfully persuasive you will be. 

Don’t forget your call to action!

Of course, persuasive writing won’t work if you don’t have a clear CTA, one that tells your readers what you want them to do. So don’t hide this instruction or be too meek about asking. If your copy is persuasive enough, this should feel like a natural next step - just don’t forget to include it! 

Bethany Cadman - bethanycadman.co.uk

The post How To Write More Persuasively appeared first on Writer's Life.org.

How To Get Hired As A Writer

If you are a freelance writer, you'll know that sometimes it can be tough landing the jobs you want. While there are plenty of jobs out there, there is also lots of competition. So making sure that your application, pitch or proposal stands out can make all the difference and mean that you can continuously work on highly paid projects that you care about, as opposed to poorly paid ones that you don't.

So what can you do to increase your chances of being hired as a writer? Here are some helpful tips: 

Learn to write

The better you can become at writing, the easier it will be to build your reputation and start to find bigger, more exciting, and more lucrative roles. Read books on how to write, practice writing every day, and read everything you can get your hands on to continuously improve your skills.

Research your favored publications

If you have a particular magazine, newspaper, or even sector in mind, the more research you can do, the better. Reading about the kinds of features that any particular publication likes to include, as well as studying the writing style can help ensure that you pitch and create relevant pieces, are going to be of interest to the readership and are in the right tone, so they fit seamlessly in with the current style, and will be precisely what the editor is looking for. 

Write for free 

This is a tricky but important one. We all understand that a writer's time is valuable, and they should be paid for good work. However, if you are just starting or want to move from smaller publications to bigger ones, offer to write for free initially. If they like what you've written, they'll come back for more and be willing to pay you for your next piece. You can also write for free to build up your portfolio, i.e., by setting up a blog, writing for a local paper, for charity, anything you can think of - if you've got a portfolio of published clips, you'll look professional and be more likely to be taken seriously, and more easily able to prove your worth as a result. 

Perfect your pitch

Applying for advertised jobs is one thing, but pitching is quite another. Learning how to write the perfect pitch, and who to direct it to is essential. In your pitch, you not only need to be able to summarise your idea succinctly but also explain why it is right for the publication, why their readers would want to read it, and why now is a good time for the story to be written. If you can do so in as persuasive and compelling a way as possible, an editor will likely want to know more. 

By using the above tips, you can increase your chances of being hired as a writer, start building your reputation and become a greater success.

Do you have any tips to share with other freelance writers? Why not tell us in the comments section below? 

Bethany Cadman - bethanycadman.co.uk

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Don’t Let Others Ruin Your Writing Career!

Writing a novel is a long journey and one that is fraught with obstacles. Some of these are self-imposed, and others are somewhat inevitable. One such hurdle is deciding when your work is ready to share with others. This is a critical decision that some writers don't give as much thought to as perhaps they should. Too late and you might find it difficult to accept criticism or suggestions, too early and you could end up feeling crushed, confused, and doubtful as to whether you should continue. Sharing your work from others, if not done with consideration and forethought, could end up ruining your writing career. Let's explore the reasons why:

Suggestions can destroy your story

Even the most well-meaning suggestions can send you into a state of turmoil. If you start to try and take on board every piece of criticism before you've even finished your first draft, your story could be pulled to pieces before you know it. While it might be helpful to catch an unworkable idea early on, you won't know how your story pans out until you've got it written down in its entirety first of all. Asking for advice before this point could be detrimental and leave you fretting and bogged down in incorporating suggestions and changes that could actually end up ruining your story altogether.

Other writers don't count as publishers

Remember, whoever you share your work with, unless it's a publisher who has offered you a contract, their opinion should be one you can take or leave. Writing is exceptionally subjective, and just because one person, however much you respect their views and admire their talents, thinks you should do such and such, it doesn't mean this is the right thing to do, or that it will make your work any more publishable as a result. 

Writing groups can be harsh

If you join a writing group or share your work with an online forum, you might find the criticism a little too, well, critical. In fact, anyone who isn't your close friends or your mum is likely to give you some feedback that you might not want to hear. If you are going to let others read your writing, prepare yourself, get your thickest skin on, and be sure that you can come out of it the other side, still able to continue finishing your book. 

Top tips for sharing your work with others

Get your first draft done first

Ask for specifics

Stay true to yourself

Prepare for criticism

Take it or leave it

In Stephen King's memoirs, he shares some helpful advice he received during his writing career:

"Write with the door closed. Rewrite with the door open."

Try to remember this when you are going through the writing journey, and only share your work when you feel genuinely ready to do so. Otherwise, if you expose it too soon, you could end up getting bogged down trying to write the perfect story for your critics, and end up losing your formerly brilliant and well-thought-out idea, shaking your confidence and ruining your writing career altogether. 

Bethany Cadman - bethanycadman.co.uk

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