| The Top Five Writing Mistakes Professionals Make |
Judy Cullins c. 2003 All Rights Reserved
Yes, you know your subject. You also need to think about
entertaining your audience, and making your book or other writing easy to
read. If your writing lacks organization and compelling, vital sentences that
convince your readers to keep reading, they will leave your book or web site
immediately. There goes your "word-of-mouth" promotion.
Try my "Check and Correct" for These Top Five Mistakes
1. Stop passive sentence construction.
When you write in passive voice, your writing slides along into long
sentences that slow your readers down, even bore them.
Before you put your final stamp of approval on your writing, circle all the
"is," "was" and other passive verbs like: begin, start to, seems, appears,
have, and could. Use your grammar check to count your passives. Aim for 2-4%
only.
Correct: "Make sure that your name is included on all your household
accounts and investments." "Make" and "is included" --the culprits. Create more
clarity with this revision," Include your name on all household accounts and
investments to keep your own credit alive after your divorce."
2. Stop all pompous language and phrases.
Well-meaning professionals often use the word, "utilize."
You see this criminal in resumes, military directives and medical or lawyer
documents. "Utilize" not only puts people off because we don't relate to
"jargoneze," but because we want simple language. Think of Hemingway who knew that
one or two syllable-words work better than longer ones.
When you aim at 10th grade level, you aim for your audience. Attempts to
impress your audience with research babble or long words fail because they sound
unreal and create a distance from the audience. Your reader wants a savvy
friend, not an expert.
3. Show, don't tell to keep your audience reading.
When you take the lazy shortcut using -ly words like suddenly, or the adverb
"very," your telling makes your reader yawn a "ho hum" and stop reading.
Instead show "suddenly." For example,
"When she saw the pistol, she ran and slammed the door behind her," shows
"suddenly." Instead of "Alice was fat," say "Alice's girth prevented her from
buying just one airline seat."
Circle the -ly and very words and sit down with your Thesaurus and replace
them with power words that describe or show emotion.
4. Reduce your passive -ing constructions.
Think of a title that inspired you in the past. I like "Jump Start your Book
Sales" by Marilyn and Tom Ross. "Jump Starting"
lacks power because it doesn't ask for action. "-Ing" construction means
passive. Next time you think heading, title, or even compelling copy, think
command verbs as sentence starters as well as using other strong verbs and nouns
Keep your sentences active using verbs in either present or past tense .
5. Take the "I" out of your writing to Satisfy your Reader
Whether you write a book introduction, biography, chapter or web sales
message (did you know these are part of the essential "hot-selling points?"), keep
the "I's" to a minimum. Your audience doesn't care about you, only what you can
do for them.
Think about where your audience is now--their challenges or concerns.
Remember to answer their question, "Why should I buy this from you?" Put a big YOU
at the top of each page you write. Write three or four paragraphs. Then,
circle the "I's" and vow to replace them with a "you" centered sentence or
question.
So instead of telling your story. (I know that's important to you) put your
story in the third person. Use another name, maybe a client's or friend's. If
you think your bio is important, instead of placing a long passage on your home
page, place it instead, on your "About Us" page. On your book's back cover,
put your longer bio and photo inside the back cover page, so you can put more
of what sells on your back cover--testimonials and benefits. Get everything
you write checked by a book or writing coach to make sure it sells.
You can not only get more sales from what you write, you can put yourself out
there as the savvy friend to your audience who wants a problem solved. In the
long run, these satisfied readers will return to you again and again--even
buy your products and services.
===============
Judy Cullins: 20-year author, speaker, book coach
Helps entrepreneurs manifest their book and web dreams
http://www.bookcoaching.com/teleclasses.shtml
eBk: "Ten Non-techie Ways to Market Online"
To receive FREE "The Book Coach Says..."
go to http://www.bookcoaching.com/opt-in.shtml
Ph:619/466/0622
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