Magazine Article Writing - Things You Need To Know Before You Start A Career As A Freelance Writer For Magazines
1. Writing magazines for articles is a tough job. Well, at least, if you're just starting out. Writing these types of articles require hard work, patience, and determination. There's simply no getting around it. You need to develop certain skills (writing, research, interviewing skills, etc.), make time to develop an idea that will really sell, and exert conscious effort to get it written. Don't get me wrong -- I am not saying that it's impossible to succeed in this field. What I am saying is that the road can be bumpy but with perseverance and hard work, you'll get there eventually.
2. Be ready for stiff competition. You're not the only one who wants to make money by writing articles for magazines. In fact, there are millions of people out there who'll be happy to work from home and get fat paychecks each time their articles are published. You can get ahead of the competition by simply being the best one in this field. Making this happen will take a lot of time. Start by improving your skills, learning from the experts, understanding your audience, being passionate on what you do, etc.
3. Get idea on how much you'll make in the long run. You might ask me, is it all worth it? Well, let me tell you that writing articles for these publications is one of the most lucrative ways to make money from your writing skills. There are people out there who are getting paid as much as $1,500 per article.
4. Pick the magazines that you'll write your articles for. For your own advantage, choose those magazines which themes are aligned to your interests and areas of expertise. Through this, you can make the whole thing not only fruitful but enjoyable as well. List down all the topics that you would like to write about and rank them base on your preferences. Then, list down the magazines that might be interested in these topics. Pick those ones that are popular and those who'll most likely to pay you more.
5. Know what your chosen magazines are looking for. It's imperative that you carefully study your chosen magazines. This will surely increase your chances of getting them to buy your articles. Start by reading the masthead and take note of the various kinds of editors. Also, determine if they're accepting submission from freelance writers. Then, study their table of contents and the usual types of articles that they publish. It will also help if you read the letters that are addressed to the editors. This will give you a feel for the audience.
6. Increase the chances of your articles being published. Capture the attention of editors by making sure that your articles are the best that they've ever seen. Talk about topics that are relatively new or those that were not yet explored by their other writers. Offer useful, refreshing information particularly those that will interest your target audience. Also, ensure that your articles are well-written, entertaining, and engaging. Lastly, ensure that you write them base on the requirements and preferences of the editors.
About the Author
Sean Mize teaches coaches, consultants, and small business owners how to package their knowledge and sell it at a high price.
PowerShot A95 Digital Camera (5.0MP, 2592x1944, 3x Opt, 32MB CompactFlash Card) Strengths: High quality 5MP pictures, Camera feels great in hand, swivel LCD screen, best bang for the buck camera. Weaknesses: Included 32MB CF card is too small. Summary: This camera is awesome. I upgraded from a Canon A70 and it was well worth the money. The Canon A95 uses 4 AA bateries, but it eats through normal alkalines way too fast. I highly recommend getting rechargeable NiMH AA batteries and a quick charger.The swivel screen is a major plus, it's 1.8" compared to 1.5" from the Canon A70. The screen is also higher resolution than the A70.I have used the camera for 3 weeks and printed about 50 pics so far. The pics look great and I even cropped to zoom in on some pictures and you couldn't see any sign of pixelation. I love the manual flexibility with this camera, plus the automatic modes make it easy for anyone to use.The camera has a nice solid feel to it and fits well in the hand. I prefer the Canon A95's size rather than the ultra compact cameras like Sony's T1 because you can easily hold the camera in one hand and take pics. But if you have an ultra compact camera, you have to hold it awkward and it my easily fall from your hand.I highly recommend this camera to anyone looking into getting a 5MP camera that's affordable, flexible, and normal size.
Cyber-shot DSC-W1 Silver Digital Camera (5.1MP, 2592x1944, 3x Opt, 32MB Memory Stick)
Strengths: Size, LCD, AA batteries, movie mode and black & white modes are GREAT - use 'em all the time. Weaknesses: Flash is weak, zoom inadequate at times. Summary: I spent a LOT of time investigating digital cameras online -one would think I was buying a car or something. Anyway I am a novice camera user and remain very impressed with this little guy. I would certainly recommend it. The movie mode is great for 'vignettes' or small movie snapshots. I also use the black and white a lot. I also didn't think the LCD would matter very much, but it does: I never use the viewfinder. I appreciate the large size of the LCD when passing the camera around to friends to view pictures and movies.Hint #1: Immediately jack up the megapixel resolution to 5 so that you can capture moments in the best resolution possible. Then, bypass Sony's ridiculous profit margins- for memory cards buy SanDisk instead. The 512 MB is fantastic - you will get a lot of memory space. I saved $75.00 this way - $150 vs. $225. The 32 MB is inadequate for daily usage. I use it as 'emergency' memory when my 512 has filled up on me and I need an extra pinch of memory to get me through the moment.Hint #2: Do NOT buy the Sony camera case. They charge a ridiculous price for a shoddy version. Go for a Lowepro - I paid ten dollars and it is very sturdy - also has a nice inside pocket to keep memory cards.Hint #3: Buy a separate set of rechargeable batteries you can swap on the go. The AA battery format is a huge plus.Picture clarity is great for the size and price of the camera. The camera and case are small enough that I WILL take it anywhere, and have. In other words, it is a convenient model.I did find that for indoors the flash was inadequate at a distance. The zoom could also have been 4x or 5x.All in all I am quite happy with this model - but stay away from buying Sony brand 'peripherals' unless you like spending money.This camera fulfills my needs. The only reason it does not get five stars for the above drawbacks. Otherwise, a great job by Sony and their third-party peripheral competitors!
FinePix E550 Digital Camera (6.3MP, 4048x3040, 4x Opt, 16MB xD-Picture Card)
Strengths: Well priced, 6+mp, all features including raw image Weaknesses: This camera uses 2 AA cells in a hurry Summary: As a professional digital camera lecturer, I must admit that the Fuji E-550 was a very pleasant surprise for me. Priced at about $340, this digital camera produced digital photos that were much sharper, more detailed, and more excellent than I, frankly expected.I found the digital camera very easy to use right out of the box. While this digital camera does have a 12mp interpolated image size available, I found the 6mp native image size to have more contrast, detail and resolution.As you might expect in a consumer digital camera, the digital camera's flash is not very powerful. At 200 ISO it will produce excellent exposures out to 13 feet. By adding a supplementary slave flash such as the Sony HVL-FSL1B and a bit of flash compensation, I was able to extend the effective flash range out to 25 feet, making the Fuji E-550 useful for indoor photos of large groups.The Fuji E-550 does an equally amazing job with macro or close-up digital photos. It will focus quite close making it very effective for photos of small items and jewelery that might be photographed for sale on auction sites such as www.ebay.com.The strongest suit for the Fuji E-550 is it ability to record a great deal of detail with extreme sharpness and clarity while being handheld. The Fuji E-550 is also very capable of taking excellent night photos when it is placed on a tripod.All in all, I was extremely impressed with the Fuji E-550. I received a lot more digital camera than I expected for the samll price of $340. For those who like to use the raw image format, you will understand that you can essentially re-take the digital photo all over again right in your computer. This is a huge advantage.Of course, being a Fuji digital camera, the Fuji E-550 uses the somewhat more expensive XD electronic data chips. However, the Fuji E-550 is very speedy. From power on to being ready to take the first digital photo takes 1.4 seconds. This digital camera is equally as fast in writing your digital photo to the XD chip.The newer Fuji digital cameras are marketed to compete dollar for dollar with the Kodak line of digital cameras. Therefore, they tend to be very competitive with Kodak and offer in most cases, a lot more features.There is available for the Fuji E-550 an adaptor as well as both a wide angle and a telephoto (1.9X) supplementary lens. The supplementary lenses are very fairly priced and readily available through Fuji's own website. This is a pleasant contrast to the accessories offered by Sony, through their own website, whose wide angle and telephoto supplementary lenses are unreasonably high in price.
Conclusion: The Fuji E-550 is a top quality digital camera. It more capable than most might expect. In addition, it is quite small and pocket sized, extending its appeal to many more digital camera users. It is worthy of your attention. The digital photos produced by this digital camera are amazing and compare most favorably with much more expensive consumer digital cameras. I would happily purchase this camera again.I will be very confident in introducing the Fuji E-550 to the attendees of my workshops all over the world. It is a digital camera that I can point to with a lot of pride, simply because it gives the digital camera user many features and excellent digital photos for a very resonable price.
How To Get Published: Eight Surefire Steps For Writing Success
How to get published? That's the big money question for writers. Writing is fulfilling in and of itself, but every writer ultimately wants to learn how to get published.
A lot of writers think getting published is a matter of luck. Or it's a matter of knowing the right person. Or it's a matter of simply being born a brilliant writer.
Although all of the above will help you get published, you don't have to have any of these things. You can LEARN how to get published.
When you follow The Eight Steps Success Plan For Writers, you'll no longer wonder how to get published. You'll BE published.
Here's The Eight Steps Success Plan For Writers:
1. Create a successful writer's mindset.
To have a successful writer's mindset, you must know where you want to go with your writing. A goal of getting published isn't enough. You must have a laser-focused intention. Use visualization to keep that intention at the forefront of your mind.
You must also take an inventory of your beliefs about writing. Any negative beliefs about writing will get in the way of your publishing success. Turn any negative beliefs to their opposite and make them positive beliefs that will serve you.
Once you have your intention, which you nurture with visualization, and your positive beliefs, you've established a success mindset that will help you get published.
2. Develop the habit of journaling regularly.
Journal writing isn't just for memoir writers. Every serious writer MUST keep a journal. It is a tool that will improve your ability to notice the events in your world. Good writers are good observers.
It is also a tool that helps you mine your emotions and thoughts. Writing is revealing. If you don't understand yourself, your writing will seem flat and uninteresting. Get to know yourself, and you create a goldmine of emotion and thought that will make your writing rich.
Creating rich prose is a key to how to get published.
3. Practice writing daily.
The other way to improve your writing daily is by doing a daily practice. Writing is like playing a musical instrument. You must practice in order to improve.
The easiest writing practice to do is timed writings. Choose a length of time (at least 5 minutes; more is better). Set a timer and just write.
The only rule to timed writings is don't stop for any reason. If you can't think of anything to say, write, "I can't think of anything to say." But KEEP WRITING! The flow of words limbers up your creative pathways.
4. Understand your strengths and weaknesses and write to your strengths.
Every writer has specific strengths and weaknesses. For example, my style is spare and direct. I wouldn't do well as a literary fiction author. I am better suited for genre fiction and direct nonfiction.
Discover what you do well as a writer and be okay with what you don't do well. When you know yourself as a writer, you can choose the projects with which you can have the greatest success.
5. Write with feeling.
Writing is all about emotion. If your writing lacks emotion, it will be flat and uninteresting. You must know your own feelings about what you're writing, and you must also know what feeling you want to evoke in your reader. Keep these emotions in mind as you write.
6. Fill your writing with just the right details.
Detail is essential to great writing, but too much detail can bury good writing under a layer of distraction that turns the writing dull. When you learn to create the perfect balance of details-just enough, but not too much, you become a writer who can easily get published.
You can choose the perfect details by knowing what it is you want your reader to focus on. For example, in a scene with a man and a woman in a bar, you could focus on the details of the brawl going on behind them or you could focus on the details of their fingertips touching. If it's an action story, you'd choose the brawl. A romance story would be better focused on the fingertips.
Some writers try and describe everything in a scene in great detail. This just bogs down the writing. Choose details carefully and then describe them well.
7. Make your writing hypnotic.
"Hypnotic writing" is a term created by author, Joe Vitale. It's a wonderful term that explains how a writer must be able to write in a way that grabs and holds a reader. You must have the ability to mesmerize your reader.
You create hypnotic writing with the use of short phrases, the use of rhythm, and pacing. You also create it with perfect word choice and a constant awareness that your writing must be for the reader.
Understand that the reader always has in mind as he or she reads, "What's in this for me?" When you write with that awareness, you can make word choices that will make your writing hypnotic.
8. Always have a writing plan.
An absolutely essential element of writing success is motivation. You must be able to stay motivated to start and finish your writing projects.
Many writers fail for lack of motivation. Procrastination and writer's block are two common writing career killers.
You can avoid both procrastination and writer's block by always having your projects planned out. Create a short term and a long term plan. List the projects you want to do this week, this month, and this year. Once you've created the list, get out your calendar and make a schedule for how you can complete your projects.
Creative people have a tendency to resist structure, but the irony is that structure can actually enhance creativity. So be willing to structure your writing time.
That's it--The Eight Steps Success Plan For Writers.
These steps are not a quick-fix publishing solution. They won't turn you into J.K. Rowling overnight. But The Eight Steps Success Plan For Writers will, if you work the steps diligently, turn you into a quality writer. It is also the foundation of how to get published.
About the Author
Andrea Rains Waggener, J.D., novelist and book author, is the creator of the Novel Writing Made Easy System. Her writing help
includes 3 Free Reports on how to avoid common writing mistakes and how to avoid writer's block and Weekly Writing Tips.
Christina Baldwin, Author, on the Joys of Journal Writing
Article marketing includes careful and concise writing for a target audience on the Internet. While all writing begins with good grammar, spelling and interesting content, there are several differences between writing for print and writing line, both in structure and purpose. Online articles tend to be shorter than the printed text, as well as individual sentences that make up the text. Readers tend to skim what they see online, so that articles are not only shorter, but often divided into small sections rather than presented as a large block of text.
Writing articles online to article marketing is to reach a specific audience and providing them with relevant content that is usually intended to lead to another resource through a link.
Writing on the Internet and SEO
Search Engine Optimization, or SEO, is a strategy to increase traffic to a website using the organic search engines. In As for article marketing, this means creating an article that addresses readers around the words could be used to search engines content search. To drive targeted traffic to the content of the article, the article should rank high in search engines. To do this, your desired keywords should be sprinkled liberally throughout the text in a natural way that does not make the content seems a sales pitch.
Search engines use programs that scan the content of a website by sending "spiders" to crawl every bit of information on the site. The most used search engines give much importance to backlinks, or links to a site from other websites. Article marketing helps to get these links because you have inserted into the author's biography at the end of the article. They point to your site for readers interested in your content, and relevant web spiders crawl in search linked web sites running.
An emphasis on quality
Quality content is one of the most important article marketing success. Provide your readers with relevant information that delivers what you're looking for is not just traffic to your site, but targeted, relying on readers to respect what he has to offer. On the other hand, many article directories have quality control measures that protect against low quality items. Misinformation or invalid content is often not included in these directories, let alone indexed by search engines.
The importance of effective titles
The title of an article online is essential for success marketing campaign. A title that contains your targeted keywords not only helps readers find the content they need, but also increases article search engine rankings. The choice of title of an article online is a balancing act that involves the development of readers potential with clever catchiness, but also satisfy the system of search engines' ranking.
Simple and clear
Online readers tend to explore what they read online and the need for its text divided into small pieces that flows logically. As a result this, the body of the text can be divided by the operators or divided into short paragraphs. Using sub-headings, lists, bullets and bold key phrases are effective ways to create an item that is easy enough to read so you will not lose your audience. The importance of using the key word remains, but divide Try the text into the rich and the readers can easily hook you from the first word to the end.
Grammar for guidance
Writing articles for the Internet effectively requires time, research and practice to become an expert. Here are some tips:
* When you write to your audience, write using the active voice to make your words more direct, clear and concise.
* Always use the grammar correct and avoid jargon.
* Run the text through a spell checker to avoid simple but obvious errors.
* If the text includes any special terms to define for his audience so that their reading is easy and enjoyable.
* Do not, under any circumstances, copy text from another source. This is not only wrong, it will make your article tumble in the ranking of search engine duplicate content.
For more information about writing there are many good books available. A good starting point is with William Zinsser in On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to writing fiction.
Outsourcing
If you do not feel that can produce high quality goods yourself, a solution is to outsource work to freelance writers. While this may be an efficient way to get your articles written, you should be sure to find writers of confidence that can produce content in the level of quality you want. Outsourcing can work only if it identifies a resource or a company that provides writers, a effective cost rate with consistent and reliable delivery of high quality content.
Article marketing can be a powerful strategy for generate targeted traffic and backlinks to your site. It can enhance their credibility and positioning in search engines. But to succeed, we must use the unique style of writing specific to the Internet. Online writing is different from print writing in the structure and content, but writing in line with success is guaranteed to help line business results. About the Author
Enzo F. Cesario is a Copywriter and co-founder of Brandsplat. Brandcasting uses informative content and state-of-the-art internet distribution and optimization to build links and drive the right kind of traffic to your website. Visit our website to learn more about how we can deliver higher traffic and more profits to your website. Go to www.Brandsplat.com
Entering creative writing contests can become a lucrative yet addictive pastime for many writers who are spurred on by the challenge of pitting their wits against those of other dedicated writers. Cash prizes, publication and recognition for their endeavours entice many writers to submit their stories in the hopes of securing one of the top prizes. There are numerous creative writing contests available and a scan through any writing magazine will highlight some but for a more detailed search, simply type creative writing contests into a search engine such as Google or yahoo and a vast array of results will appear.
Finding a contest that inspires is the key to doing well. There is no point entering if the topic fails to stimulate as the resulting entry would lack enthusiasm and passion, something that a judge would clearly see. Writing with passion is important but writing with a controlled and sustained passion is even better, a good writer will be able to impart all the information needed a little at a time, unveiling unique aspects about the characters and the plots at just the right speed to tantalise the reader. When submitting fiction for creative writing contests, the writing must be tight and yet highly compelling.
For greater results in any creative writing contests, adhere to the following points:
Find a contest that appeals and sparks off that all important imagination trail
Read the rules several times. Most writers fail simply because they do not pay attention to detail.
Don’t just start writing, think. The thinking process is an integral part of being a good writer; they work hand in hand so allow time to mull over potential ideas and then eventually, when happy, make your choice and start writing.
Plan the story. Decide where to start within the plot itself and create a compelling introduction by starting off at an exciting point, then draw the reader in with carefully crafted words.
Know those characters. If your characters are under-developed and uninteresting, the judge’s interest will wane, so invest some time to create strong, exciting and 3 dimensional characters that appear larger than life. It helps to really get inside the skin of the characters and make them believable.
Try to live through the story as you write it, feel every emotion and witness every event that unfolds. This gives your writing an extra and most important winning element.
Edit ruthlessly and ensure that the specified word count has been adhered to. Editing is vital to ensure that any unnecessary words are eliminated. Never pad out a story unnecessarily, every word should be important.
Develop your own style and a confidence in your work.
Don’t leave it until the last minute to write your story. Whilst determination and a ticking clock can kick-start that all important creative process, having time to re-read and edit is paramount. Don’t waste a great storyline and a well-written piece of fiction through starting your story too late and submitting with spelling mistakes or grammatical errors.
Check out previous winning entries if available, then you are able to judge the standard and the types of stories that won and consider why.
Think from a judge’s perspective, could your submission be improved and achieve greater winning potential?
Creating a winning story in creative writing contests is easy, but it takes great determination and forward planning to write original and well-thought out storylines that stand out from the crowd.
About the Author
Annette Young Editor of http://www.creative-competitor.co.uk The Writing Competition Specialists. Annette teaches Creative Writing and Journalism and offers courses, one to one coaching and a critique service
How to get referrals by keeping in touch and growing your network
Who was the last person that told you that they were having a bad day or needs to be cheered up?
Who was the last person that told you their wife was pregnant?
Who was the last person that sent you a business referral?
Why do I ask??? Simply because these people need to hear from you through the written word. I am not talking about sending them an email either. I am talking about them receiving something that is hand written from you, that is personal. Email is COMMON and will not make you stand out, but something hand written in the mail, other than a bill, WILL.
What did I do?
Who was the last person that told you that they were having a bad day or needs to be cheered up?
I had a young lady who cancelled for an event at the last minute because her son was rushed to the emergency room. I sent her a hand written card that was motivational in nature for her and wished her son well. Ten days later I received a hand written card from this young lady thanking me for taking the time to care about her situation. Now, lets be clear, I sent her the card because I knew she was going through a tough situation, not to try to sell her anything. However, do you think she might think of me first if she comes across anyone who needs my services?
Who was the last person that told you their wife was pregnant?
A very nice Chiropractor (email me if you need a NYC Chiropractor by the way because he really seems to know his stuff) mentioned at one of my events that his wife was expecting any day. I sent him a hand written new baby card and included a special baby pillow as a little gift.
I received a very heart warming phone call message thanking me for the card and gift and truly expressing his appreciation to me for taking the time to care about his family. Again, there was no sales pitch or anything like that with the card/gift, just a sincere effort to do something nice for someone. Think he may try to keep me in mind if he comes across someone that may need my services someday?
Who was the last person that sent you a business referral?
A gal I had not seen in about two years signed up for a special defensive driving class I was offering and registered one of her friends. After the event, I sent her a thank you for the referral card and included a "Save $10 on a future event coupon."
This gal who I had not seen in almost two years and since come back to three other events on her own and has brought a different friend each time. Simply showing her that I appreciated her referral not only influenced her to come back to more events, but resulted in additional referrals.
Would I have done the above if I had to go to the card store to pick out a card, hand write a message, pick up a gift, put a stamp on the envelope and go to the post office to mail it? The answer is probably not.
The beautiful thing is that I did not have to! I was able to do all of the above from my computer and it cost me less than doing things manually.
KEEP IN TOUCH WITH SOMEONE TODAY
So, think of someone you need to keep in touch with, wish happy birthday, cheer up when having a bad day, thank for a referral etc and send them a handwritten card. If you want to learn an automated system and skip the legwork, call me at (718) 757-6933.
November hosts the end of Daylight Savings Time, Veterans Day and Thanksgiving, but if youre a fiction writer this month hosts an even more important and exciting event. November marks the annual start of National Novel Writing Month, affectionately called NaNoWriMo. I am proud to say that in 2005, I was one of many winners of this 30-day contest. Winning simply requires that you turn in (and have counted) a 50,000-word (175-page) novel by midnight on November 30. The novel doesn't have to be any good. In fact, the contest is all about quantity not quality, the idea being that you should shut your inner critic away in a closet in your mind for 30 days and simply write something -- anything. The goal simply revolves around starting and to finishing a novel.
I bet you are wondering what happened to that novel of mine, right? Well, I pitched it to several agents at the San Francisco Writers Conference in 2005 and had them all interested, but they all turned it down. I even won the fiction pitch contest with my 25-word description of the book, and my prize lunch with two agents later landed me literary representation but not for my fiction! I was told by to leave my fiction writing behind and focus on what I do best -- non-fiction. (I took the agents advice.)
Which brings me to the point of this essay: For those of us who don't write fiction (ever or anymore...), what are we supposed to do during the month of November? I say, "WE WRITE NON-FICTION!" I challenge you to join me in starting and finishing a work of non-fiction during the next 30 days. You can write an article, a booklet, a newsletter, or a book. Just write something. Whatever non-fiction writing project you've been putting off, get started now. No one will be looking over your shoulder. This is not a contest, and there's no prize at the end other than the great feeling you will get from knowing you wrote every day and completed your "assignment." No on is counting your words, nor does anyone care how many words you write (not even me). This is simply a challenge to write -- and to not write alone. I'll be writing every day, too, and hopefully some other people will be writing as well.
Plus, I invite everyone who is writing non-fiction during November and wants to share their experience to go to my new nonfiction writing blog (see link below) and post comments. Ill be writing every few days about nonfiction writing in general why I enjoy it, tips on getting published, how my writing is going, etc.
One of my first blog entries explained how my foray into fiction writing during the 2005 NaNoWriMo event actually renewed my love of nonfiction writing. While I loved the fun of writing fiction, which happened to be my childhood dream, getting away from nonfiction briefly gave me a new perspective on nonfiction and reminded me of what I enjoy about it so much.
I love nonfiction writing, because it allows me to explore subjects that are interesting to me and to then share them with others. As a magazine journalist and as a book author who likes to wrestle with issues in my life or subjects that excite me, I get to spend my days researching those very same issues and subjects, speaking to experts about them, finding answers and solutions to them, and coming up with ideas and theories related to them. Then, I get to craft what Ive learned into a story an article, essay or book -- that offers what Ive learned and discovered and possibly even put to use successfully in my life into a form that others can read. This then hopefully helps or excites them. I find this both stimulating and rewarding.
Nonfiction writing also proves useful to many people for many reasons. If you need to let people know about who you are and what you do, writing articles and books serves as a great way to promote yourself. Plus, once your articles appear in major magazines or trade journals or your book is selling at the back of the room when you speak or on Amazon.com or in bookstores, you achieve expert status.
So, November is here, and no matter why you want or need to write nonfiction, its time to start writing. Dont worry about how good your writing is, just write. Thats the point of NaNoWriMo to put your inner critic or inner editor in the closet while you write (or so you can write). Use the same principle for writing nonfiction in November. Dont worry about the quality of what you are writing now; simply write and strive to meet the goal of finishing what you start. Editing happens later after youve finished writing. In memory of Margaret Mitchell's Gone with the Wind (and some really great fiction writing), imagine yourself as Scarlett OHara and think about editing later. You can do that in December. November is all about writing.
About the Author
Nina Amir, ajournalist/author, writing coach, non-fiction editor, and speaker has written several booklets, hundreds of articles and three anthology essays. She currently is writing several books while promoting them and herself with her writing. Visit her writing blog at at http://writenonficinnov.blogspot.com/ . For information on her services, visit http://www.purespiritcreations.com , e-mail namir@purespiritcreations.com or call 408-353-1943.
How to Business Plan - Top 10 Reasons to Write One
Copyright (c) 2009 Marco Carbajo
You've probably heard the importance of'business plans' but do you know the real benefits of having one?
Not every entrepreneur who starts and runs an online or offline business begins with how to write a business plan, but it definitely helps to have one. If you're seeking funding from a venture capitalist, angel investor or other source of private capital then you will definitely need a comprehensive business plan that is well thought out and shows sound business reasoning.
However, too many entrepreneurs believe that business plans are only needed when you require business capital or financing to launch your business.
When it comes to the internet many entrepreneurs can start their business on a shoe string budget so in their minds 'business plans' don't apply to them right?
WRONG!
Nothing can be further from the truth. It's like building a home without using any plans or blueprint. Imagine making the mistake of believing that just because you have all the materials, laborers, and tools needed to build a home you figure why do we need the plans? Let's just start building away!
A business plan is your blueprint that lays out every necessary ingredient for the success of your business. Now for internet entrepreneurs how can you expect to build your business online without a simple business plan? If you plan to build your business on the internet using internet marketing and social media you're going to need a plan?
You've probably heard me say this 'A sign of no business plan is a sign of no business'.
Still not convinced?
If you ever decide to approach a banker for a loan for your business, your loan officer will require a startup business plan. If you have an existing business and you are approaching a bank for capital to expand the business, they may not require a business plan, but it will look much more favorably on your application if you do have one.
Here are '10 Reasons Why You Should Have a Business Plan'
Supports a loan application
To raise equity funding
Define objectives and describe programs to achieve those objectives
Compete in the marketplace (through an analysis of what your competition lacks)
Make money from the start by devising an effective marketing strategy
Provide a revenue estimate (by defining your market —who your customers will be — and the percentage of the market you can expect to reach)
Define agreements between partners
Set a value on a business for sale or legal purposes
Evaluate a new product line, promotion, or expansion
Determine whether your business has a chance of making a good profit
What's in a business plan?
A business plan should prove that your business will generate enough money to cover your expenses, but a business plan may vary depending upon who your target audience is.
If you are writing a plan for your associates and partners, for example, to expand an existing business, then the focus of that plan may be more on the operation side than it will be on the financial side. This plan would show your partners how the expansion will mean more revenues, but they are going to want to know the nuts and bolts of how this new venture is going to be implemented.
If you are writing a business plan for a bank, your bank manager will want to see that your ideas are well thought out, but the most important aspect to him or her will be your financials. Are your projections realistic? And will the cash flow of the business be enough to ensure that you can make the monthly payments for the loan that you have requested? If your business is making $1,000 a month and your payments are $1,200 a month, the bank is likely to reject your application.
When considering an investment opportunity, most venture capitalists will look at the obvious trends and market niches. The most important factor in a decision to invest in a company is the quality of the people.
In real estate, the three biggest factors are "location, location and location." The venture capital factors are "people, people and people." VCs will ask, how experienced are the people that are going to run this business? Do they have knowledge of the industry? Have they started successful businesses in the past?
I know it's quite a bit to digest but are you seeing all the benefits to having a business plan?
Excellent!
What makes a successful business plan?
Presents a well thought out idea
Contains clear and concise writing
Has a clear and logical structure
Illustrates management's ability to make the business a success
Shows profitability
Lets bring it all together...
Your business plan is your business blueprint and like a calling card, it will get you in the door when you'll have to convince investors and loan officers that you can put your plan into action. You want your calling card to look impressive, so make sure your business plan is printed out on good quality paper, you have checked the spelling and grammar and that your numbers add up. Anyone who sees errors while reading your plan will wonder whether you are going to make similar errors in running your business.
A sound business plan accomplishes two main goals:
1) It provides you a blueprint for building your business including but not limited to product development, target marketing, operations, and revenue projections
2) Show bankers, venture capitalists, and angel investors that you are worthy of financial support.
Make sure that your plan is clear, focused and realistic. Then show them that you have the tools, talent and team to make it happen.
If you’ve been sitting by your computer for days, weeks, months, or even years wringing your hands and wondering what’s stopping the words in your head from landing on the page, the following tips may provide some food for thought and quite possibly end your writer’s block:
1) Make sure you BELIEVE you are a good writer: If you harbor any limiting beliefs or self sabotaging feelings (even down deep in your subconscious), you may find it difficult to write. Do you ever find that when you make an effort to write, the inner critic (false voice in your head), starts tossing objections at you? Thoughts like "What are you thinking – you’re no writer! You don't have time to write! You have no content left! No one will be interested in this thing you are trying to write," flood your head, leaving you feeling so overwhelmed your hands seem paralyzed! In my case, I wanted to write articles and books on self-growth, but my inner critic had me convinced that without a degree no one would take me (or anything I wrote) seriously. First, I had to become aware of this constant negative tape that played in my head “You can’t write about self-help! You don’t have a degree!” Second, I had to be willing to believe otherwise - I went into the bookstore and looked at all different self-help books and was amazed at the number of books that were written by people without degrees! That really helped me to get past that limiting belief. I suggest you determine what your inner critic is saying to you and then choose to think differently or prove to yourself (as I did) that you have what it takes just like any other well known author.
2) Journal your inner pain and frustration: This is what I call “venting on paper”. If there is something your inner SPIRIT needs you to write in order to heal, you may find it difficult to write the things you want until you write the things you need. I was raised in an abusive home and never dared to fight back even when I was treated terribly. I felt I lost my "voice". As an adult, I learned if I couldn't confront the abuser, I could at least vent my pain via pen and paper. To certain individuals, I wrote letters that I chose not to send. Just the act of writing the letter and burning it was incredibly healing and enabled me to move forward with my publications to some degree. But it wasn’t until I finally worked up the nerve to stand up to a relative by actually mailing a letter that I noticed my writers block began to disappear! I wrote an honest, but firm letter out of love and not as an attack, and the moment I dropped the envelope off at the post office, I felt a freedom like none I'd felt before. Within a couple weeks I published 6 articles in electronic and hard copy magazines. I knew it was because I had finally written something that my inner spirit needed me to write (the letter). All that painful stuff had blocked my ability to write the stuff I enjoy writing! I encourage you to look inside and see if there is something your own spirit is yearning to release in writing in order for you to heal. Either in a journal or in a letter you burn...or best of all, in a letter you send. I assure you, the act of journaling your pain will free you up to write your desires.
3) Be aware of the “fear of success”: Could you harbor some fear way down deep that you may not be aware of? Fear that your writing will make you so successful you may offend someone (like a parent, or a husband, or a sister?) Fear of success means counting the cost. "What will I lose if I become successful?" Or better said - "WHO will I lose if I become successful". Many successful people, who were raised in middle class families or families barely making ends meet, found it difficult to do something amazing (like write) for fear it would offend their parents on some level. I know a famous author (20 some books and still writing), who was raised by a family of little means whose values were "hard work is good for you!” This author started making so much money as a result of his writing, that he no longer needed to work long hours, but then he would hit financial plateaus and experience writer’s block on a grand scale. His dad’s values from childhood haunted him and he worried dad would think him lazy for not working much...or that dad would be offended by a son who did better in life than he did. The son became aware of this deep seeded fear and chose instead to believe his dad would actually be very proud of him for his accomplishments thus ending his fear of success and eliminating his writer’s block.
4) Procrastination VS Processing: This last tip is an excerpt of an article I wrote recently. Procrastination certainly causes writer’s block, but is actually the symptom, not the cause of writer’s block. The question to ask yourself is why are you procrastinating? Is it something easy to identify like time management issues - no time left in the day to write? Or is it something deeper that relates to things I’ve mentioned - limiting beliefs or fear of success? When you’ve ruled out those things, I encourage you to consider this. You might not be stuck, you might not be procrastinating, you might just be PROCESSING! Your internal “computer” brain takes in information every micro-second of every day – that’s a lot of information, ideas, energy and drama! Processing time is very important; think of it as a “download” of information into your brain. If you have ever downloaded new software on your real computer, you understand the need to turn off all other applications and restart your computer. Can you apply that same principle to your brain? Simply believe that even when things appear to be “stuck”, that something is really happening – filling you, refreshing you, and preparing you to move forward successfully. Be patient and don’t fight the process!
About the Author
Lynette knows all about LIMITING BELIEFS and how they can keep you stuck! That's why she created an inexpensive product called: SWAP THE BS THAT'S BLOCKING YOUR CONFIDENCE! - and for a limited time, purchasing the product is extremely CHEAP and gets you a FREE BONUS TELECLASS! Visit www.LookfortheSun.com to learn how to change your "BS"!
Lynette Landing is an enthusiastic speaker, personal development coach, and owner of Look for the Sun Empowerment Center in Morrisville, PA. She's an expert on personal empowerment; specifically building self esteem, overcoming strife, coping with change and expanding one's comfort zone. Once a penniless, single mom forced from her home with her 6 year old son, Lynette abandoned her complete lack of self-worth and became engrossed with studying the habits of leaders, self-made successes and entrepreneurs. She developed her own life-changing tricks to creating a successful life and manifesting her heart's desires. Today she helps others to set and surpass their own goals by bringing her motivational message to individuals and groups.
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