Writing Tips–7 Tips to Kick-Start Your Summer Writing Projects

Posted on July 19, 2012 by ebourne

photo credit: Just Jefa

Welcome to the dog days of summer. On the east coast of the U.S. it’s been a sizzlingly hot summer with heat wave after heat wave keeping people indoors to escape the 90 degrees plus temperatures. But writers must write everyday despite the distractions of the oppressive heat, kids coming in and out of the house, and vacation travel. I’m a writer, so I can tell you first hand that it can be challenging to stick to a daily writing schedule when everyone around me is in fun, vaction mode. I realized that if I’m going through these challenges, there must be other writers out there who are finding it hard to keep their butt in their chairs and write during summer break. To help both of us out, I’ve come up with a list of seven creative tips that you can try to see if they help you boost your writing production this summer:

1. Connect some fun rewards to your daily word count goals. It’s like a drinking game, but instead of doing shots you’ll be writing pages. Let’s say your daily writing goal is 2,000 words. Set up a small reward for every 500 words you write. You know yourself, so you know what rewards will motivate you to be as productive as possible. Make it fun and keep it light. (Avoid using food as a reward because then I’ll have to write an article about weight loss for writers. . .)

2. Keep your writer’s notebook handy wherever you go. Make it a point to take notes and make observations wherever you go. Capture snippets of dialogue that you heard when you were eavesdropping on a nearby conversation, take notes about historic places you visit, write about new foods that you try, or new people that you meet. Take it all in because you never know what will inspire your next story or article.

3. Participate in a writing challenge or contest
National Novel Writing Month is still a few months away, but there are many other opportunities to participate in a writing challenge or contest. Here’s a few links to some summer creative writing contests:

be-a-better-writer.com/creative-writing-contests.html
wow-womenonwriting.com/contest.php
bookrix.com/precontest.html

4. Find a writing partner
Having a writing partner can help both of you to boost your productivity. Enlist the support of a writing buddy and share your goals with each other. Not only will this inspire you to stick to your goals, you’ll feel good about helpin your friend reach her goals.

5. Scout out some new writing locations
Don’t stay in your house staring at the same wall all of the time. Get out and find some alternative spots to write. Find a park bench, sit on the grass and write, find a table in the library, a coffee shop that’s not too loud, or your car. I heard from another writer that she would take her laptop to her car to write in order to escape the chaos and noise in the house. Sometimes a new location will spark new energy and creativity to your work. At the very least it will keep you from getting bored with your writing desk at home.

6. Take a writing class
Take a writing class from your local university or community college. You can also take an online writing class or workshop. Either way, taking a class is a great way to force yourself to write, and you get the advantage of having the instructor’s feedback on your work.

7. Be accountable for your writing goals
How often do we set goals and then after a few days blow them off? What if you had someone who would hold your feet to the proverbial fire and expect that you are going to do what you said you would do? A writing coach can do that for you, or an accountability partner can also fulfill that role.

*Bonus Tip: Use the summer to inspire your writing
Whether it’s the wildfires in the west, drought in the midwest, the heatwaves, interesting news stories, a visit to a new, or exotic location for summer vacation, let the summer season inspire your work in some way.

If you think you might benefit from working with a writing coach, please feel free to contact me. I am putting together a writing productivity program that will kick off this fall. If you are interested in really accomplishing your writing goals, send me an email and we can make that happen.

Please leave a comment with your favorite tip for kick-starting a summer writing project.

Evelyn Bourne is a writer, blogger, spiritual coach and artist. Evelyn is a heart-centered writer who is passionate about her craft. She loves showing business people how fresh, relevant content can elevate their brand and increase sales. The proud mother of three daughters, Evelyn is also a vegetarian, fine chocolate loving Yogini.
Find her on Google+, Twitter, or Facebook

Guest Post: Making Marketing Writing Easier

Posted on May 1, 2012 by ebourne

By Robert Middleton

One of my favorite marketing sayings is, “Writing is to marketing
strength as pumping iron is to muscle strength.”

So, if you want stronger, more effective marketing, you need to
write. There’s really nothing else that has that impact. But
writing, for most people, is a real struggle. That is, it’s not a
pleasant task. In fact, it can be downright stressful.

Let’s look at what makes it that way:

1. You don’t have a method or structure for writing that works.
You’re not sure what to say and how to put it all together so that
it has impact and makes prospects respond.

2. You are intimidated by your English teacher and all the formal
rules of writing. So your writing comes across as stilted or overly
formal, not connecting with your audience.

3. You are afraid that other people will judge you for your writing,
so you hold back, not wanting to make a fool of yourself. What if
your writing makes you look unprofessional or ignorant, or worse,
it comes across as hype?

All of those are realities I’ll address in a minute, but first, what if
writing wasn’t such a stressful chore, then what?

1. You’d have a tool immediately available to you to communicate
about your business with impact. Your prospective clients would
get the information they needed to make a decision and they’d
be motivated to contact you to find our more.

2. You’d build business relationships quickly. After all, when
people first hear about your business and want to know more,
you’d have that information readily available in an easy to
understand and digestible format. Good writing connects you to
your prospects in a way nothing else can.

3. Confidence with writing would enable you to do other
marketing activities much more easily as well. Presentations,
audio, and video programs all start with writing. Once you’ve
nailed down the formula for writing, none of these things would
be a mystery anymore; you’d know exactly where to start.

Let me give you the two most important tips that could transform
your writing.

1. The place to start is with “conversational writing.”

One of my guest bloggers, Diana Kightlinger, covered that about
a month ago in some depth, so I won’t dwell on that here. Read it
if you missed it; it’s great:

http://actionplan.com/blog/258-conversational-writing

2. Use Marketing Syntax in all your marketing writing.

This is simply the order in which you organize your writing. And if
you take a look at this article, you’ll find I’m following marketing
syntax to the letter. Here are the steps in marketing syntax that
work for articles, blog posts, web pages, presentations, sales
letters, etc.

a) Start with a clear topic or issue in a paragraph or two.
Immediately make it very clear what you are writing about or
people will tune out fast. This may be either a problem that your
prospects face or a solution you’ve discovered. Sometimes a bit of
both.

So if you’ve discovered a way to help your clients get more
“employee engagement” which will increase productivity and
retention, let your readers know that right away.

b) Follow that with some issues, concerns, or problems regarding
this topic. This gets you and the reader on the same page:

“Have you ever experienced times when your employees are
disengaged and can’t seen to move steadily towards your
company’s most important goals? Perhaps some of these
symptoms are familiar?”

That draws prospects right in. Everyone likes to discuss what’s not
working; they can relate to it perfectly.

c) Then talk about what it could be like. You don’t have to go
overboard here, however your possible outcomes should be both
compelling and believable. This creates desire in the reader to
know how to get from where they are to where you’re pointing:

“Not only is it possible to get your employees engaged, once they
become engaged the power of peer pressure will get their fellow
employees engaged as well, often increasing productivity
dramatically.

d) Next, you list a number of points of HOW you actually get
those results. This could be anywhere from three to five points,
depending on the medium. You are giving away specific, hands-on
and how-to information your readers crave.

As you see, this is exactly how I’ve outlined this article. It’s very
easy once you have this structure of Marketing Syntax. Let me
review it again:

1. Get attention with a relevant problem or solution.

2. Get interest by discussing issues they can easily relate to.

3. Increase desire by explaining how things could be.

4. Provide fulfillment by giving away some practical ideas.

5. Make a clear call-to-action.

Suggest a simple action the reader could take to turn your ideas
into results for themselves. This might be a link to your website
or a certain service, or perhaps a meeting to find out more.

The call-to-action depends on the context of the written
communication. So here’s my call to action for this article:

If you found these ideas useful, you might like to learn more
about marketing syntax, effective marketing writing, and a whole
lot more, that would help you attract more of your ideal clients
with less struggle.

I’d like to give you a free hard-copy of my new book, “Marketing
Ball – Lessons on Attracting Clients from the Marketing Coach.”

It’s yours at no cost or obligation if you try out a month of the
Marketing Club which contains a wealth of programs, courses,
expert interviews, coaching calls, client tracking software, and a
whole lot more to help you grow your business.

If you’re already a member of the Marketing Club, I’ll send you a
copy of the book if you upgrade your membership to quarterly,
yearly or lifetime.

Just click on this link to find out more:

http://actionplan.com/fasttrack

Cheers, Robert Middleton

This post was written by Robert Middleton of Action Plan Marketing. Please visit
Robert’s web site at www.actionplan.com for additional
marketing articles and resources on marketing for professional
service businesses.

Become a Writing and Organizational Genius for Your Website or Blog(theresesquared.com)

Your Online Business Needs Customers (ronmedlin.com)

Your Ideal Client: How to Find Them, Target Your Niche and Refine Your Marketing Message

Posted on March 14, 2012 by ebourne

I had a client meeting this morning with one of my ideal clients who is working on launching a new initiative for her existing business. We were talking about marketing and I was trying to give her some ideas for narrowing down her niche so that she could refine her message and reach the clients that she was trying to attract.

She is a personal trainer, so potentially she could serve many different kinds of people, right? But this trainer is different from other personal trainers. She has her own style and approach to fitness and healthy living that she has been refining over the 20 years or so that she has been involved in the fitness industry.

In the process of rolling out this new product offering, it is necessary for her to create a profile for her ideal client so that as we begin to develop marketing materials, she will know exactly who she is looking for, and those people who are in her target market will resonate with her marketing messages and come to her.

Here’s a round-up of some articles that tackle this issue of finding your ideal client:

How Psychographics Strengthen Your Small Business Marketing

by Lisa Mininni

“Know who your audience IS, not just what they want… to find the ideal client.

Whether you’re starting up your business or have been in business a while, you must be exact to attract your ideal clients. However, when the going gets rough small business owners cast a wide net hoping to pull in someone. They quickly become disappointed when their prospect pipeline dries up.

One tool to keep that prospect pipeline full is your ideal client profile.

Your ideal client profile is the description of the person you would be happiest to work with. It focuses on a specific kind of client. One that reads your materials and is so mesmerized by your message they keep reading. It means that when you speak to them, they are compelled to. . .”

Be Sure to Grab Your Seat: SistaSense Power Circle TeleSummit for Web Women Entrepreneurs

Posted on February 21, 2012 by ebourne

Regular readers of this blog know that I am a big fan of LaShanda Henry, founder of Black Business Women Online. LaShanda is hosting another SistaSense Power Circle TeleSummit for Web Women Entrepreneurs, and I wanted to tell all of my readers about it. If you are a women entrepreneur with a business on the web you can’t afford to miss this fabulous event.

Are you ready to take your online business to the next level of greatness? The SistaSense Power Circle TeleSummit for Web Women Entrepreneurs is BACK by popular demand and its happening on March 1, 2012. LaShanda posted the registration page a few days ago and the virtual seats are going fast (BTW, there are only 50 seats available).

There will be a power house of speakers including some of your favorite business women from last year’s circle and 5 new women you need to have in your circle today! Speakers include: Pam Perry, Jai Stone, Richelle Shaw, Deborah Owens, Katrina Harrell, Beverly Mahone, Ananda Leeke, Tara Jefferson Pringle, and Artiatesia Deal.

The mission of this TeleSummit is to help women entrepreneurs take their online businesses to the next level with solid PR, branding, blogging, wealth-building, marketing, working with media skills and more. The Success of Your Business Depends on the Company You Keep! Get in Good Company by joining us for the next Power Circle – 12 Live Sessions + Access to all Replays –->> Use Early Bird discount code EAR10.

You don’t want to wish you were there and you don’t want to keep wishing things will just get better. Join us for the next all day Power Circle. To register today and get session details visit: http://bit.ly/ACOhQ8 and use discount code AFF10 if the early bird discount code has expired.

Guest Post: 6 Powerful Reasons You Should Write a Book–and How to Get Started Today

Posted on January 30, 2012 by ebourne

By Steve Harrison

In the 20+ years I’ve spent working with entrepreneurs and authors, I’ve found that one of the best ways to grow your business is to be seen as an expert. People value experts’ opinions and advice. They want to buy from the man or woman who wrote a book on topics they’re interested in.

How to become known as the expert in your niche
Surveys show that more than 80 percent of Americans dream of writing a book someday. But most will never do it. So if you have written a book, people will see you as having accomplished something that sets you apart from other experts.

Writing a book will elevate your status, your income and your influence. It will also position you as a knowledgeable authority they can trust. Let me give you an example of how this works.

A few years ago, I spoke to a mortgage loan officer who told me this story. He said that he used to get calls all the time from people asking about his mortgage rates. The minute he told them, they’d hang up the phone and start calling around looking for the cheapest rate. He realized he needed to find a way to stand out from other mortgage brokers. He then decided to target people who had a bankruptcy in their past and now needed a mortgage. So he wrote a book about how people who have had a bankruptcy or foreclosure can still get mortgages.

The book brought him a lot of local publicity. He did a number of radio, TV and print interviews and even got his own radio show. Now people were contacting him after reading his book or seeing him on TV. Clients would come into this office and feel privileged to learn from an expert on this subject, and some even asked him to autograph their book. This is a powerful example of how writing a book can help you expand your business tremendously.

What writing a book will do for you
A lot of exciting new opportunities will arise once you become a published author. Here are some of the biggest benefits that could come your way:

A lot of exciting new opportunities will arise once you become a published author. Here are some of the biggest benefits that could come your way:

1. Free publicity. It’s much easier to get radio, TV, magazine and online publicity if you have a book. The media need experts to interview, and often call upon authors to comment on timely topics in the news.
2. More sales leads and referrals. Once you have a book, you can promote and sell it to your existing customers. Some authors give their books away to key clients to create more word of mouth. This is a great way for people in a service business to generate referrals, since a book is much more powerful than a brochure.
3. Speaking engagements. People who book for corporate events, conferences or workshops may never have heard you speak, but they know people want to hear from someone who’s written a book. Almon Gunter is a good example. He’s a former world-class sprinter turned motivational speaker who wrote a book called Focus on the Final Seconds. Almon told me, “I had a very successful business before, but the book increased my speaking engagements by 50 percent.”
4. Higher fees. People are willing to pay an expert more money than someone without that expertise. Having your name on a book usually leads to higher name recognition–and the ability to command higher fees.
5. Dream customers will find you. The best way to take your client base to the next level is to find customers who can spend a lot more money with you. This is something that happens all the time for authors. Their completed book is like having a marketing agent that never sleeps; it continues to build exposure and bring in new clients.
6. It could lead to a whole new future. Your book can make the difference between feeling stuck in your current career and doing what you’re really called to do. Greg Kozera was a Halliburton executive with a passion for leadership. He believes that no one is a born leader–you have to learn how to lead. After Greg wrote a book called Learned Leadership, it generated so many speaking engagements that he was able to leave his job and speak full time.
So, whether you want to reinvent yourself, increase your sales and publicity or generate a whole new line of business or a consulting practice, a book can do that for you.

10 possible formats for writing a good book FAST!
Let’s say I’ve convinced you that it’s a good idea to publish a book. How do you decide what to write about? I’d like to make it easier by giving you some examples of different formats you can choose from. Starting with a proven model will make the writing process much less overwhelming. (Note: most of these ideas are designed for nonfiction authors.)
1. The Mistakes Book. People are always interested in learning about mistakes they can
avoid, so this is a popular format. A good example is this title: New Sales Speak: The
9 Biggest Sales Presentation Mistakes and How to Avoid Them by Terri Sjodin.

2. The How-to Book. I want to address a concern that many authors have. They often
ask me, “Why should I put what I know into book form? Will people still buy from me if I
give away this information?” Yes, and here’s why. Dan Kennedy is a well-known copywriter who gets paid tens of thousands of dollars to write a sales letter. But he still wrote a book called The Ultimate Sales Letter. By revealing how difficult it is to write strong sales letters and how much work goes into it, Dan’s book has brought him many new paying clients. When you give readers good solid information but don’t tell them everything you know, they will want to contact you to find out more.
3. The Question and Answer Book. Do people ask you questions when they hear about your area of expertise? Which questions are you asked most often? Maybe they could become the basis for a book. A good example is What’s a Synthesizer? Simple Answers to Common Questions by John Eiche. Imagine having a book titled “Answers to Your Most Common Questions:” (about your topic), and see what comes to mind.

4. The __ Ways to Do Something Book. You’ve probably heard of the bestselling book 50 Simple Things You Can Do to Save the Earth. This is a format that many authors have successfully imitated. You can use any number–7, 10 and 101 are other numbers that are frequently used.

5. The How to Hire Someone Book. Two books that use this format effectively are How to Hire a Nanny and Before You Hire a Contractor, this a great way to showcase your expertise and gain new clients by sharing information you’ve learned in your line of business.

6. The Book of Interviews. J.M. Trippon is a CPA who followed this model when he wrote How Millionaires Stay Rich Forever. His book became a great networking tool that enabled him to connect with millionaires and interview them.
7. The Collection of Stories. One of the bestsellers our company helped launch is Chicken Soup for the Soul. This format is easy to follow–you request other people’s stories on a particular topic and choose the best ones to reprint (once you get their permission). Sales trainer Dan Seidman wrote another book I really enjoyed. In Sales Autopsy, he told and analyzed 50 funny stories about salespeople who have really screwed up a sale.
8. The Memoir or Biography. Most of us love hearing other people’s stories, if they’re compelling and well told. That’s why memoirs and autobiographies often show up on bestseller lists. Consider telling your own or a family member’s life story or sharing lessons from your life.
9. The Joke or Quotation Book. People don’t think lawyers are funny, but two attorneys disproved that when they compiled The Lawyer’s Joke Book. The media love topics that are funny and entertaining. This joke book opened many doors for the authors and led to dozens of media interviews.
10. The Collection of Your Previous Writings. Have you been doing a blog or writing articles? Do you publish a newsletter or an ezine? These could provide lots of great material for a book.
I hope I’ve inspired you to embark on your own book project. Writing a book is not as difficult as many people think. Like all journeys, it begins with a single step. I encourage you to take that step, and wish you the very best in your quest to grow your business by becoming a published author.

Note: This article originally appeared in Steve Harrison’s paid print newsletter Book Marketing Update which goes to members of my Million Dollar Author Club – get info at http://www.milliondollarauthorclub.com

Why Every Entrepreneur Should Self-Publish a Book (techcrunch.com)
Wake Up and Write For Your Existing Readers (Don’t Look for Readers Later) (debbieweil.com)
Book promotion – it’s not rocket science (bookbrowsing.wordpress.com)

SistaSense Digital Business & Marketing Update

Posted on January 26, 2012 by ebourne

Regular readers of this blog know that I’m a fan of LaShanda Henry, aka SistaSense. She’s the founder of Black Business Women Online, and for me, a work at home business woman to watch. Yesterday she created this video to share, ’5 Things Happening Right Now,’ so I wanted to share this video with my readers because it’s full of timely information if you’re running an online business and want to stay up on what’s up in the world of marketing and growing your business online. Enjoy!

How Productive Are You?

Posted on August 9, 2011 by ebourne

One thing that you will learn as you are growing your online business is that it is important to have mentors. I consider the best mentors to be those people who you admire who have achieved the goals that you are seeking to achieve. You watch what they do and model their success. One of the people that I have watched and admired is Connie Ragen Green. I have been on her email list for awhile and she is one who likes to teach others how to do what she does so that they can get good results.

Today, Connie sent out an email inviting her subscribers to visit her blog and take her 21 Day Productivity Challenge. You know that I’m all about challenging yourself to achieve more than you thought possible. I read her post and I liked it so much and thought it so useful that I’m sharing a link with you. I’ve already started a 30 day challenge for August, so I won’t be taking this on right now, but I will keep this in mind for later on in the year when I need to kick-start things around here.

Go take a look and give her challenge a go:

http://www.hugeprofitstinylist.com/21-day-productivity-challenge/

Even if you don’t do all 21 days, you will learn some valuable information. Already I’m going to borrow her idea and come up with a challenge of my own to help those who want to get started with online freelance writing.

Who are your mentors? What kinds of challenges are you taking on to stretch yourself? Share the details in the comments.

Stretching Yourself

Posted on August 1, 2011 by ebourne

No, I have not switched this to a fitness blog. What I mean by stretching yourself is reaching beyond your comfort zone just a bit to step up to your next level of greatness. We are entering a new month and nearing the end of the third quarter of the year. It’s time once again to consult your goals and see where you can take your achievement to a higher level.

On my personal blog, evelynbourne.com, I wrote a post today about doing 30 day challenges as a way to kick your goal achievement into a higher gear. I want to invite you to read that post and then visit my Facebook page and leave a comment if you are ready to take on your own personal 30 day challenge, or if you just want to put in a supportive word for those of us who are doing our own personal challenges.

Stretching yourself is about letting go of your old routines and trying something new. If fear is rearing its head and keeping you in your place, remember that everything you want is on the other side of what you fear. One of the pre-eminent philosophers of the 19th century, Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Do the thing and you will have the power.” You can’t sit back and wait until you feel more confident. It’s in the doing of what makes you quiver a bit that gives you the confidence you need.

You want me to go first? OK. This summer I slayed a personal demon by walking over a bridge. No big deal, you might say, but I have had a phobia about even driving over bridges. But this summer I was forced to just get over it, and with the help of two supportive friends I eliminated that fear from my life.

Tonight I am preparing to give my fifth speech at my Toastmasters club. I have set the goal to achieve my Competent Communicator designation this year, and this presentation marks the halfway point to that goal. Public speaking is one of those things that some people fear more than death. I am determined to hone my skills so that I can eventually add public speaking to my list of skills. I hope to speak at events and lead workshops. Each time I do a speech I can feel my confidence growing and my skills improving.

So, as this year whizzes by us all, I invite you to stretch yourself. Try something small at first to build your confidence and then start going for your big goals. The time will pass regardless. Do you want to get to the end of another year full of regrets, or feeling flush with excitement about how much progress you have been able to make because you simply refused to quite moving forward?

Please feel free to share how you have been stretching yourself lately in the comments.

Creating Sales Velocity: Awaken Your Power to Attract Sales Effortlessly: A Review

Posted on July 25, 2011 by ebourne

Here’s a copy of the review I posted about this book on Amazon.com:

Creating Sales Velocity: Awaken Your Power to Attract Sales Effortlessly

by Matthew Ferry, Spirit Publishing, LLC

First, I will say that I don’t remember ever ordering this book, so when it arrived in the mail I was a bit puzzled. I was intrigued by the subtitle: A Pocket Guide to Becoming a Conscious Salesperson. I don’t really consider myself to be a salesperson, but as a business woman, sales is definitely part of what I do, so I decided to read it and see what it had to offer, and boy was I in for a surprise.

Don’t be misled by the title because this little book is really about how to become a better conscious creator in all aspects of life not just in the arena of sales. Written by Matthew Ferry, who calls himself a, “Happiness Expert,” Creating Sales Velocity contains several simple processes which Ferry calls games that help the reader develop their ability to manifest what they want. When you become a more conscious creator and you are manifesting your desires through service to others, happiness is a natural by-product.

If you are a sales person looking to step up your game, I imagine that reading this book and putting the processes into action will transform your career and your life. Ferry writes about making a contribution rather than making sales. He shares concepts such as, ‘The shift from self-absorption to awareness of others, taking responsibility for everything, and the fact that action does not get results just might rock your world a little bit.

Ferry manages to cram an abundance of practical wisdom into this little guide book. As I read this powerful book I could feel the love and devotion that Ferry has for his readers. Here’s an example:

“Ultimately your time spent selling each day is a journey towards uplifting the planet. You are, now more than ever, experiencing your job as an opportunity for conscious growth and development. You have discovered that peace in every situation brings incredible productivity. You’ve found that acceptance is the most persuasive tool in the toolbox, and clearly the most important person for you to accept is you.”

Let me include a word of warning here: If you are not ready to move to a higher level, to let go of your lame excuses for why you are not where you want to be and take full responsibility for your results then don’t bother picking up this book. But if you want to become a more conscious creator of your own experience, contribute to the world and create a tidal wave of abundance then you are ready for this powerful little book that will transform your thinking and help you to embrace the perfection in everything.

Guest Post by Lynne Klippel–The Most Important Sentence in Your Book

Posted on July 14, 2011 by ebourne

Remember the old Peanuts Cartoon? Snoopy, a lovable beagle, wanted to be a writer. There was a recurring story line featuring Snoopy atop his dog house with his old manual typewriter, beginning his book. Snoopy never got further than his opening line, “It was a dark and stormy night.”

The first line is the most important sentence of any book, be it fiction or non-fiction. That first sentence has a big job to do. It must capture the interest of the reader and convince her to read the rest of the first page and then the rest of the book.

Today’s reader is increasingly busy, distracted, and in a hurry. He will not spend time with a book that is boring, hard to read, or needs twenty-five pages to get to the point.

So, what can you do to craft a compelling first sentence?

Follow these steps to make your first sentence powerful:

Don’t worry about your first sentence until you are in the editing phase of your book project. If you are in writing phase, just begin your book and know that you can come back to your first sentence to polish it during editing. If you try to write the perfect first sentence during the writing phase, you run the risk of never moving past it to the remainder of the book.
Pay attention to headlines in news reports, on magazine covers, and on websites. While your first sentence is not a headline, it is the very first experience your reader has of your book so it should be exciting and invite readers to continue. Begin to notice how these headlines are written and see what you can learn from that style of writing.
Is your first sentence boring? Read it aloud and listen. Does it sound compelling? If not, it needs revision.
Next, look closely at your first sentence and see if it generates curiosity. When a reader is curious, she will want to keep reading.
You can elicit curiosity by leading with a surprising fact, a compelling story, a thought-provoking statistic, or by using a metaphor in unusual way.
Read your first page. Find the most interesting piece of information on that page and make that point in your first sentence.
Pare down the number of words in your first sentence so that each word is crisp, clear, and serves a purpose. Shorter sentences convey more energy.

Continue to work on your opening sentence until you feel satisfied with it. When your book moves into publication, your editor will also review this opening sentence and make additional suggestions if more revisions are needed.

Your first sentence is the prelude to your reader’s experience of your book. Invest time in making that sentence shine and your readers will thank you by continuing to turn every page of your book.

Lynne Klippel is a best-selling author, publisher, and book coach who specializes in helping non-fiction authors write books that build their business and transform the world. For a f.r.e.e. assessment that will help you see your author strengths and opportunities, visit http://www.BusinessBuildingBooks.com

A Productive Pen

A blog about Freelance writing, online marketing and personal development

Category Archives: professional development

Writing Tips–7 Tips to Kick-Start Your Summer Writing Projects

Guest Post: Making Marketing Writing Easier

Your Ideal Client: How to Find Them, Target Your Niche and Refine Your Marketing Message

Be Sure to Grab Your Seat: SistaSense Power Circle TeleSummit for Web Women Entrepreneurs

Guest Post: 6 Powerful Reasons You Should Write a Book–and How to Get Started Today

SistaSense Digital Business & Marketing Update

How Productive Are You?

Stretching Yourself

Creating Sales Velocity: Awaken Your Power to Attract Sales Effortlessly: A Review

Guest Post by Lynne Klippel–The Most Important Sentence in Your Book

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