A Guest Post by Wayne E. Pollard, Creator of Bo’s Café Life

I believe that persistence is the most important trait you should have if you want to get published. To get my first piece published in The New York Times, I pitched it to at least five different editors until I found one who was interested in the piece.

Before pitching that piece to The New York Times, I had pitched it to an editor at The Village Voice, who rejected it. If I hadn’t pitched it to The New York Times, the piece would still be sitting in a file on my computer, unpublished.

To get published, you must query constantly. Send out queries every day if you can and be persistent because persistence pays. Yes, persistence pays – but not enough to cover the rent. In addition to being persistent, to get published, you must know how to effectively query.

I’m going to tell you how to increase your chances of getting an article published. These are the steps that I followed to get articles (mine and my client’) in publications ranging from American Banker to Wine Enthusiast. Here are my seven steps to querying success:

1. Position Yourself as an Authority.

Just as an author should have a platform, a writer should also have a platform. What makes you qualified to write the article? Write a brief, two to three sentence bio sketch that establishes your credibility and then put this in the first paragraph of your query letter.

2. Have a Strategy.

To get bylines in better publications, you must stick and move; hit one publication and then move on to another one. Your aim is to build momentum. What do I mean? Start with smaller publications and then work your way up. Submit a few pieces to your community paper or magazine. Then use those clips to get into a regional publication.

After that, use those clips to get into a statewide publication. My bylines in a county-wide newspaper enabled me to write for the #2 paper in my state. This enabled me to get a piece published in The Village Voice, which then enabled me to get a byline in The New York Times. Get the idea?

3. Be Choosy.

You must strategically choose where you submit your work. The truth is that some bylines are more prestigious than others. I occasionally blog for The New York Times The Local. Another writer who wanted to blog asked me if she should submit pieces to The Local or to another blog in my community. I told her that if she’s trying to get build her career as a writer, then she should submit pieces to The Local because having a byline in The New York Times will give her more credibility as a writer.

I know that some writers don’t feel comfortable hearing this, but it’s the truth; there are some publications that editors-in-chief and managing editors will respect more than others. And if you are trying to build your career as a writer, you can’t waste too much time writing for publications that won’t help you achieve your writing goals. Do you understand?

4. Research. Research. Research.

The key to successfully getting published is to do your research. Once you have your article or an idea for an article and you know which publication you want to target, study what’s been published in that publication in the past two years. If you find nothing similar to your article, great! Mention this in your query letter. If you come across an article that covers your topic, tell how yours will be different.

5. Give the Benefits.

In your query, tell why the publication’s readers will find your piece informative or interesting. This is crucial. My very first piece that was published in a national magazine was, “Confessions of a Software Salesman.” It was published in CIO (Chief Information Officer), a difficult magazine to get published in.

When I pitched the article to the managing editor, I told her that I was a former software insider and that I could give her readers tips that would help them save hundreds of thousands of dollars. She bought my article. You, too, in your query, must tell how readers will benefit from your article.

6. Pick up the Phone.

Unless the submission guidelines say, “absolutely no phone calls,” you should consider calling the editor. I loved doing telesales and I’m extremely effective over the phone. If you, too, know how to effectively pitch over the phone, then by all means get on the phone and call that editor!

Create a brief pitch that gets the editor’s attention. Here’s mine: “My name is Wayne Pollard and my work’s been published in The New York Times, The Village Voice, and Writer’s Digest. I’m calling you because I’d like to submit an article on… I’ve researched your archive and you haven’t published anything like it in the past two years.î

In the few seconds that it takes to say this, I establish that I’m an experienced writer who should be listened to. I also establish that I’ve done my research. Go back to your bio and create a five second pitch that will get an editor’s attention. The key thing is, when you deliver this over the phone, DO NOT PAUSE. Once you’ve gotten the pitch out, wait for the editor’s response. And if the person says that now’s not a good time, just apologize and say that you’ll send an email. Then get off the phone!

7. Let Them Know that You’re a Pro.

Finally, in your query letter, let the editor know that you’re a pro. In my queries, I say, “I can meet any word count and any deadline. I’m also willing to make any edits.” You’re probably thinking, edit my piece?! Yes – if you want to get published, you must be willing to edit your piece. Do you want to get published or do you want to hold on to your precious piece?

Bo’s Café Life is my look at the writing life through the eyes of Bo, an aspiring novelist who spends his time in a café writing and talking to other writers who are also on the quest to get a book deal. It is an honest look at the writing life.

Writers find the strip funny, however, Bo’s Café Life is primarily about determination; Bo is determined to get a book deal. That’s what the strip is really about, pushing on with a dream despite the rejection and the tremendous odds you face.

Have you heard of writers who knew from the time that they first held a #2 pencil that they wanted to be writers? I’m not one of them. I didn’t even major in journalism. I only decided to start writing about ten years ago. Before that, I was in public relations and sales, which is how I learned to be persistent and how to effectively query.

By using my seven steps to querying success and by being persistent, you will get more of your articles published. And don’t forget to have fun and enjoy the process. This is another key message in Bo’s Café Life. See the lighter side of trying to get published and enjoy the ride.

Wayne E. Pollard is the creator of  Bo’s Café Life, a comic strip about an aspiring novelist who spends his time writing in a café and talking to other writers.

By James Chartrand of Men with Pens

If you’re going to put your words on public display, it’s your job to make that content compelling, intriguing, entertaining or informative. If it’s boring… well. Suffice it to say that very few readers are going to be interested.

That’s why your About page has to be just as good as every other piece of content on your site. A well written About page is an extra more tool in your arsenal. It can help you engage readers, encourage sales, enhance trust and increase respect.

Here are some tips on how to write a great About page that pleases everyone:

Know What You Want

Your About page needs to help you accomplish a goal. It’s not there to look pretty; it’s there to work for you. What you need your About page to do depends entirely on what you want to achieve with your site. Do you want more sales? More readers? More clients? Gear your content towards your goal and make your About page work hard for you.

For example, if you want more readers, then write in a way that engages people and develops a bond. Get personal. Tell a story. If you want more sales, then your About page becomes an extra place to pitch the benefits of buying or how your product helps customers get what they want. If you want more clients, then use your About page to convey what you’re like to work with and why you’re different from the competition.

Consistently Stylish

There are some rocking blogs out there, and there are great sites full of entertaining info. But sometimes, you click the About page of one of these sites, and you’re jarred from that greatness thanks to content as dry as breadcrumbs. Be consistent with the voice and style you use throughout your site, and reflect the same personality on your About page.

Don’t switch from sassy blog posts to overly stiff professional credentials. Don’t go from casual class to raving wild child. Don’t switch from swearing like a sailor to top manners and queenly etiquette. And if your crumbly-dry About page is consistent with the rest of your site’s style? Then you need a major content style overhaul, my friend.

Put Yourself Out There

Welcome to Generation X and Y, where millions of people crave personality, transparency and honesty. Gone are the days of About pages listing the year of company founding and boring credentials. Now people want to see who you are, how you came to be here and what your favorite color might be.

That doesn’t mean you should use your About page to tell your life story, reveal your deepest, darkest secrets or go on about unrelated traumatic events. Keep the content relevant and concise. Just add a personal touch and give people a taste of who you are. List a bit of ‘you’ trivia. Talk about how you got started. Show a little of the face behind the online mask.

Don’t Forget the Credentials

While About pages should tell an honest, interesting story, they should also still have those credentials in there. Mention your experience, your education or your skills – just do it with style. Note how long you’ve been in business (if it’s been a while), and indicate any accomplishments that make you stand out. You can also list associations you’re involved in, distinguishing factors, or organizations you support. Do you do volunteer work or donate funds? List that too, because it helps show people what you stand for.

Don’t have any credentials? Just getting started? That’s okay; we all start somewhere. In this case, mention how you learned your craft and why you became involved in this line of work. You don’t have to say when that was, but you do have some backup that makes you a credible provider, authority or business.

Tell a Good Story

Everyone likes to hear a story, and every single person in this world has a story to tell. A bland description isn’t going to interest people, but a story hooks them in every single time. That doesn’t mean listing your bio from birth to now. A long About page that isn’t relevant or that gives too much information isn’t a good read. Stay sharp and concise, with a hook intro, a nice build up, a climax and a wrap.

People like to know the story of what brought you here and how you became interested in what you do. One of the most frequently asked questions I hear is, “How’d you get started in writing?” You could start with something like, “Looking up at the sun one day, it struck me that there was something better than the damp dirt of the cow field I sat in.” That’s a story right there, and it gets people interested in knowing more.

So What Is Your Story?

By now, you’re thinking, “Well, then, what do I write? I don’t have a great story and I can’t write my full history… what’s left?” You. That’s what’s left. What kind of person are you? What makes you the star you are? Why do you do what you do? What makes you special? What makes you interesting? What makes you a good person to work with, or to buy from, or to listen to?

Your turn: What do you like to see on an About page? More importantly, what’s on yours?

About the author: James Chartrand’s mission is to help writers and freelancers get out of the cow fields and get into earning a decent living online. Get more great freelance writer tips at his site, Men with Pens

Photo by Daniel H. Agostini aka dhammza

Help others and it will come back to you.

By Leo Babauta

When you sit down to write a blog post, the question posed in this headline should be the one question you’re asking yourself. How can I help my readers today?

This might seem obvious to some, but it’s not really apparent to many bloggers. I can’t count how many times I’ve read a blog post that obviously took a different route, or how many times I’ve read blogs about blogging that encourage people to ask different questions.

Other questions that bloggers commonly ask, but that they shouldn’t concern themselves with as much, include:

• How can I make more money with this blog?
• How can I get popular on Digg or StumbleUpon?
• How can I get 10,000 subscribers?
• How can I make a name for myself?
• How can I promote my product or service?
• How can I show off how great I am to my readers?
• How can I get rich?
• How can I write a post today, just so that I can say I did a post?

There are many more questions, but you can see my point — none of those should matter, ultimately. All that matters: how you can help your readers.

Why is this so important? Because readers come to your site not because they want to help you reach 10K readers, or buy your product, or read about how great you are … but for their own reasons. They might want to get fit and in shape, they might want to learn to be a better writer, they might want to be a better parent, a better worker, a better person … or maybe they just go to laugh or be entertained or be informed. Figure out what those reasons are, why people come to your site, what they’re looking for.

When you help others, it’ll come back to you. It’ll help you, in the long run. That’s not the only reason to help others, but it’s a nice side benefit. Look: when you help your readers, they will keep coming back. They’ll share it with friends because they want to help their friends. They will share it on their blogs or on Twitter, because it’ll help their readers too. They’ll bookmark it on delicious, because it’s so useful they’ll need it later. Helping your readers will help you achieve other goals … but you have to ask yourself how you can help them first.

And there are millions of answers to that question, that will be answer differently by each of us. Just a few ways you can help your readers … remember, these are just a few:

• Show them how to do something they’ve always wanted to do.
• Show them what mistakes they might be making.
• Ask them a thought-provoking question.
• Share useful resources.
• Be entertaining, funny, informative.
• Show them why they should care about something important.
• Answer questions they have.
• Provide inspiration.

Notice that selling them something, promoting something of yours, promoting yourself … these things aren’t on the list. Help your readers first.

So, how can you help your readers today?

—

If you liked this article, please share it on del.icio.us or StumbleUpon. I’d appreciate it. :)

A guest post from Sean Platt of Writer Dad

As a professional writer, my job is to saturate my days with words and ideas, filling screen or page with sentences designed to inspire. When I first started blogging I actually wondered how I would possibly manage to produce a fresh topic every day of the week. It’s now seven months later and I’m writing on around ten topics per day as my words are sprinkled from dot coms to dot infos all across the Internet.

The amazing thing about blogging, besides the instant access to a global population, is the inordinate amount of writing you must do just to keep your blog in orbit. Before starting Writer Dad, I wrote for only myself, my thoughts merely spun into sentences from within the desert of my own mind.

I sat, wrote,  and pondered. Then I wrote some more.

Blogging is different. Writing for a blog means there’s a ticking clock always behind you. Within a month of my first post, the mood had changed to something more along the lines of: write, ponder, publish, repeat.

It isn’t just about writing the posts. Being an active blogger means you also have comments to answer, an inbox to sort through, and a reader full of other people’s thoughts to meditate and possibly remark upon. Thought fuels further thinking. A few months into Writer Dad and I realized how deep the well ran.

Our brains will keep on giving. So long as we’re willing to feed our creativity, and give our muse her rest when needed, there is no shortage to what we will see return. By the second month I had found my flow. By the third month I was almost on auto pilot, writing now taking the tone of conversation rather than the labor of construction.

At first I started to craft content for sites outside my own, then I began to help friends and colleagues polish copy. By the end of the year, I realized I was effectively writing five or six articles (minimum) day in day out across an unbelievably wide spectrum of topics.

Just like a freelance writer.

Ghostwriter Dad was born.  I swept the floors and opened shop. The same tools I had been using to effectively blog seven days a week had provided me with a razor sharp toolset to deal with anything that fell on my plate Monday through Friday without ever having to feel the flutter of failure.

Lawnmowers, DUI, graphic design, vacation rentals, pet grooming, and bar-b-que grills. Those are literally the first six subjects that bounced into my brain when I decided to list just a few of the subjects I’ve been asked to write across the last couple of weeks.

If you can speak, you can write. If you can write, you can blog. If you can blog, you might be able to blog yourself into a steady career living as a freelance writer.

Sean Platt is a fantastic father and a gifted ghostwriter who also tweets.

Cartoon by Sean DSouza

A guest post by Sean DSouza of Psychotactics

Imagine you were reading a mystery novel. You’ve just finished five pages. The story line is becoming really interesting.

And then you turn the page

And find the sixth page has been torn out. Now that’s really irritating, eh?

But let’s suppose you decide to continue reading anyway

And you move to page seven, and pick up the thread of the story. And you’re reading page eight, page nine, page ten.

And page eleven is torn out. At this point, you’re more than frustrated.

And this is the feeling that many readers have when they read your article.

It’s because you’re not planning your disconnectors.

So what are disconnectors?

Disconnectors can be simply described as a sudden stop.
So let’s say you’re telling a story.
Or telling a joke.
Or singing a song.
A sudden stop in the middle of your story/joke/song would be a disconnector.

But a disconnector isn’t a bad thing, provided you understand the difference between a planned and an unplanned disconnector.

Planned Disconnectors.

Planned Disconnectors are what you see on any TV serial. You’re watching this villain chasing the hero. The tension builds up. And it reaches a crescendo.

And the scene changes to something else. Like a scene at the beach. What you’ve just experienced is a disconnection. One moment you’re watching a crazy chase. Next moment the waves are lapping on the sand.

And this experience is a planned disconnector.

But how do we know it’s a planned disconnector?

Because the villain and the hero will show up again in the same serial. Which means the thread of the serial is to disconnect, then connect, then disconnect.

And this planned disconnector allows us to pick up the thread of the serial.

But what of unplanned disconnectors?

Unplanned disconnectors are simply a factor of too many thoughts. Imagine that same villain chasing the hero. And you don’t see the scene again.

The scene doesn’t re-connect at all. So you’re left with half a story.

And that’s frustrating

Because the reason you were reading the story, was because you were interested.

If the story suddenly ‘disappears’, you’ve created a disconnect. The reader may tolerate the disconnect, as long as you bring up the connection later in the article.

So let’s see an example:

Peter worked for few years as a volunteer in a little village in Peru. He really enjoyed his work and felt he was doing something useful. Eventually he moved back to his own country, and got a job.

35 years later, his professional life came to an end, as he had reached the mandatory 62 years retirement age. His volunteer Peruvian years came back nagging him more and more.

What happened to the people he had lived with 35 years earlier? What became of the village? In the case of Peter, his time was filled with questions about the people and the village in Peru.

It was difficult for him to focus on other activities. He
eventually went to Peru.

Martha felt that retirement age came to early. She still had things she wanted to do professionally. She resented seeing her years of professional experience as a bank manager almost being cancelled by the fact she reached retirement age.

She felt drained of all her energy. She felt tired right in the morning when she woke up.

See what happened in the story above?

You got into the story of Peter and Peru. But the story suddenly disconnected. And went on to Martha.

Now as you read further, you’d expect the writer to bring back the connection. To complete the Peter in Peru story, as it were.

But most article-writers never bring back the connection

They’re so eager to move to the next idea, that they fail to
complete the first.

They’re onto the next idea. The next paragraph. The next piece of information.

And the reader is now totally confused. But reads on any way.

But isn’t that the point of the article – get the reader to read on anyway?

Yes, it is. As we’ve found, disconnectors provide an intense lift in drama. Or a drop in drama. But if the reader continues to find disconnects, and there’s no connection, the reader feels cheated.

They feel like they’ve read to page five. And then page six is gone.

And then continued to page ten. And page eleven is gone.
This unplanned disconnect leaves an incomplete, icky feeling.

And it’s not what you set out to do

So either complete your story in the greatest detail (No, you don’t have to create disconnectors at all).

But if you disconnect—disconnect deliberately! Or not at all.

***

Most businesses wonder why customers get to the point of buying, and then suddenly back away. Psychotactics shows you exactly how customers think–and why they do what they do. To find out more, go to http://www.psychotactics.com

Check out this great article: 100 Inspirational Posts to Make You a Better Writer

Photo courtesy of ebruli
Note: This is a guest post written by Jonathan from the blog Illuminated Mind.

Chances are, if you’re a beginner blogger, you read a lot of articles on how to be a better blogger. Even experienced bloggers read articles like this on a regular basis.

You’ll probably see stuff like this a lot:

1. How to Catch Your Readers Attention (because you wanted to make them fall asleep, right?)
   
2. Provide Value to People (like you intentionally wanted to be crappy?)
3. Know Your Readers (duh)
4. Tell a Story (so much for all those pie charts you made)
5. Be Remarkable (your plan wasn’t to make them forget?)

And so on and so forth.

But what you won’t hear is this little secret:

90% of these tips are useless.

I mean, yeah, techniques are great. Instruction manuals can be valuable at certain times. But it’s kind of like studying a list of vocabulary words without ever using them in real sentences. It’s a waste of time. You’ll forget them in a few minutes, if not seconds. More than likely you’ll forget everything you’ve read in this article tomorrow. I don’t blame you. The internet is a crowded place. So many links to click, so little time. If you’re anything like me, you probably have a horde of bookmarks you’ve been meaning to look at, but just never seem to get to.

The truth is, we want all these little convenient posts on better writing, because we desperately seek to avoid being terrible. Embrace your ugly side, I say. Publish anonymously. Use a stage name. Do what you have to do. But for God’s sake, don’t put off improving until after you’ve read enough “10 ways to write better headlines” posts.

So, you still really want 10 Reasons Trying to be a Better Blogger is a Waste of Time? All right, you win.

Here are 10 bullets you can forget in 10 minutes:

1. Real skill takes practice.
2. Seeing is not doing.
3. Listening is not playing.
4. Books can’t teach creativity.
5. Bullet points can’t teach intuition.
6. Does
7. it
8. Really
9. Matter?
10. You’ll forget these tips before you’re done. Go ahead, see how many you can remember without looking.

This post was written by Jonathan Mead from Illuminated Mind. For more sound bites that you’ll soon forget, follow him on twitter.

By guest writer Dean Rieck of Direct Creative Blog.

Your English teachers taught you all the rules of proper grammar, punctuation, and style. But what they didn’t realize is that all those rules could crush your chances of making a living writing marketing materials, ads, and other commercial copy.

Why? Because copywriting is not about good writing, it’s about helping businesses sell things. Successful businesses have to connect with real people to sell their products and services. And since real people don’t speak “proper” English, commercial copy must speak the way real people talk.

In other words, the key to being a successful copywriter is to write effectively rather than correctly. You must be willing to bend or break the rules to accomplish the business objective of your writing project.

Here are a few examples:

• Write in the second person. Standard styles rules dictate that you write in the third person in most cases. But when you write commercial copy, you are no longer a writer, you are a sales person. And like any good sales person, you must speak directly to your prospects to make the sale. This often means writing in the second person, using words such as you, your, and yourself. You can occasionally use the first person (I, my, mine, me, we, our, us) in letters and other one-on-one communications. Unless you’re telling a story about someone, third person (he, she, they) is rarely appropriate.

• Use command language. You can’t be shy in the copywriting business. There’s no such thing as implying, intimating, or subtly suggesting an action. You have to bark orders firmly and clearly to get people to do what you want them to do. If you’re creating “teaser” copy for a direct mail envelope, write “Look inside” or “Open immediately.” At the bottom of the first page of a sales letter, write “Turn the page” or “Read on.” On an order form, write “Complete and mail today” or “Order your widget now!” No matter how obvious you think the action is, you can’t leave it for people to figure out. You must tell them directly.

• Avoid rambling sentences. Nimble, experienced writers love to weave long, complex sentences. But according to readability research, your average sentence should be about 16 words and express a single thought. Once a sentence exceeds 32 words, it becomes harder to understand. So despite what your creative instincts tell you, when you have a long sentence with two or more ideas, break it into separate sentences. Of course, you should vary individual sentence length – some short, some long – for variety.

• Keep most paragraphs short. Long, idea-laden paragraphs are fine if you’re writing the great American novel, but not if you’re writing an ad for acne cream. In effective commercial copy, your paragraphs ideally should run no longer than 7 lines, especially in sales letters. If a paragraph gets too long, break it into shorter chunks. Forget standard paragraph development. Your goal is to keep people reading. Short paragraphs are easier on the eye and make reading “feel” easier and more pleasant. Look at any newspaper and see how short most paragraphs are.

• Drop in one-sentence paragraphs – they’re punchy and add variety.

• Begin sentences with conjunctions. This includes and, also, besides, furthermore, likewise, moreover, or, else, otherwise, but, however, nevertheless, so, then, and therefore. These words can help you break long sentences into shorter ones and still make your copy flow smoothly. This is particularly helpful when you have a number of items you want to include which are difficult to fit together. For example, “The new RX9 is twice as fast as the RX8. Plus you get 12 new features.”

• End sentences with prepositions. Ouch! This one’s gotta hurt. And it will send the persnickety into a dead faint. But to paraphrase Winston Churchill, the preposition commandment is a rule up with which you should not put. In ordinary conversation, do you say, “With whom are you going?” or “Who are you going with?” Allow yourself the freedom of putting of, for, with, and other prepositions at the end of a sentence. Strive to be natural, not slavishly correct.

• Add occasional fragments. This helps add excitement. Urgency. Picks up the pace. And creates a firm tone. Don’t overuse this technique, though, or you’ll annoy readers.

• Write like you talk. Use dialog and conversational writing. “People especially like to read anything in quotation marks.” Use pronouns such as I, we, you, and they. Use familiar expressions, including a sure thing, rip-off, O.K. Use contractions such as they’re, you’re, it’s, here’s.

• Use intelligent redundancy. Free gift, actual fact, call anytime 24-hours a day, and other such constructions may get you poor marks in English class, but in the real world they help to emphasize your point and clarify your meaning. You can argue this one all you like, but a “free gift” sounds more valuable than just a “gift.” Embrace what works.

• Punctuate headlines lightly. Periods signal a stop, so you should avoid using them. To draw the reader into the body copy, you can use ellipses (…) at the end, but no punctuation at all is often best. Avoid colons and semicolons, because they also signal a stop and are too formal for most copy. To separate thoughts in long headlines, use a dash – like I’m doing now – or use ellipses … both signal a pause, but don’t stop the reader.

Remember, copywriting is not about writing. It’s about communicating and selling. It’s about getting people to act – to call, order, visit a Web site, or go to a retail store. For the successful copywriter, words are tools. If you are willing and able to wield them in a way that is proven to get results, you may have a lucrative career ahead of you.

Dean Rieck is a leading copywriter who has worked with more than 200 clients in the U.S. and abroad. Visit his Direct Creative Blog.

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Photo courtesy of goooder

By Chris Guillebeau of The Art of Nonconformity

Have you ever heard the story of the one-armed economist? President Harry Truman famously requested such a person, because he was tired of all his economic advisors immediately following their opinions with the qualification, “Well, on the other hand…”

When writing for a broad audience, it can be tempting to follow the example of Truman’s advisors, always giving pros and cons on sensitive topics without ever really taking a stand. But when we give in to that temptation, our writing becomes limp and boring, filled with platitudes and qualifications that fail to help anyone. To avoid this mistake, add a dash of personality and courage, and don’t be afraid to take a tough stand.

Readers Want Your Real Opinions

Conventional wisdom holds that readers are not interested in your opinions that are unrelated to the topic of your blog or platform. Nothing could be further from the truth! Your readers follow you because they learn from you. Sometimes they agree, sometimes they disagree, but they were originally attracted by an element of inspiration and education. Don’t give them the “on the other hand” treatment all the time.

Once in a while, if not frequently, readers want to know what you think about something controversial. Sure, readers are attracted to you because of your great writing, but they are also attracted to your personality. Many of them want to know more about who you are, and that includes your opinions on politics, religion, and other sensitive topics.

Be Bold, Not Rude

The goal in taking a tough stand is to clearly present your views and challenge readers — without being a jerk. Devote more positive language to describe your opinions and less negative language that denigrates another view. In other words, lift up as much as possible without bringing someone else down.

I apply this standard: if I read a different opinion on someone else’s blog that I regularly visit, am I going to be offended? Answer: probably not, unless they beat me over the head with their views or make me feel insignificant for believing someone different. Instead, I’m just going to think, oh, that’s interesting – and move on. I’ll return next week or next post, because I identify with the writer in other ways.

For example, on the night of the recent U.S. election, I had a post on Lifestyle Design and Your Ideal World all queued up for Wednesday morning. That post had nothing to do with the election, a decision that I originally thought was good, since everyone else would be talking about politics the next day and I wanted to do something different. Besides, I thought, I’m not really a political blogger, and I attract readers of various backgrounds… so better to stay out of that fray, right?

At 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday, though, I knew I had to scratch the previous plan. There was no way I could let this moment pass. I told people how I felt watching the concession and acceptance speeches, acknowledging other perspectives but also clearly presenting my own.

Yes, a few people unsubscribed from my newsletter, including two who wrote hostile comments in the unsubscribe notice. But far more people said they appreciated hearing my stance. “This was too important to pass up,” one said. “I’m really glad you wrote this,” said another.

Filtering Is Good

When you share a real opinion instead of a watered-down one, you’re naturally taking a risk. Some readers will leave your site or put down the page. This is OK. This is normal. In fact, this is what you want. When you decide on a target market for your writing, remember that there is no everyone.

Assuming you’re not an extremist who pulverizes people for disagreeing with you (see above), then the people who decide to stop reading after they learn of your tough stance weren’t the best fit for your audience anyway.

Let them go. Wish them well. Then, focus on the readers who do stay with you. Give them what they want. Tell them how you really feel about something without aiming for the middle ground. Take a stand!

Chris Guillebeau shares unconventional strategies for Life, Work, and Travel at The Art of Nonconformity. From 2002-2006 he was an aid worker in West Africa. Over the next five years, he will be traveling to every country in the world.

Recently I interviewed uber-blogger Steve Pavlina for Zen Habits on the topic of personal development, habits and daily routines …

But I thought the writers and bloggers of Write To Done would be interested in a deeper look at Steve both as a blogger of an A-list personal development blog, and as a writer of a great new book: Personal Development for Smart People.

What follows is a 3-question interview I did with Steve to share with all of you, and I hope you enjoy it. Steve really went into some depth with his answers, and they’re pretty long, but fascinating nonetheless.

Leo: Tell us a little about your book — why was it important for you to write this? What’s the main message and how will it benefit readers?

Steve: Personal Development for Smart People is my attempt to solve a long-term problem I’ve had with the field of self-help.

I’ve been actively pursuing personal growth since the early 90s, and I’ve been working in this field full-time for four years now. There are many things I’ve found frustrating about it.

The first problem is that most personal growth books, audio programs, and seminars overpromise and under-deliver. If you visit your local bookstore and read the back covers of many self-help books, the sales copy often tries to persuade you that you can change your whole live overnight. While I agree that it’s possible to make big changes in your life through conscious effort, genuine growth is incredibly challenging. In my experience it’s definitely not fast and easy. This exaggeration of results creates unrealistic expectations. Unfortunately when people fail to get the anticipated results, they don’t usually blame the book. They blame themselves. Many people repeat this cycle over and over, feeling slightly more inadequate with each self-help book they read.

A second problem is that most self-help books aren’t very helpful. They rehash worn-out ideas that have been around since the ancient Greeks, or they fill their pages with rah-rah fluff. You may get a temporary pump from reading such books, but they won’t do much for you in the long run. Of all the personal development books I’ve read and the audio programs I’ve listened to (easily over 1,000 of them), only a small percentage were truly helpful to me. It can take a lot of time to find the diamonds among the lumps of coal.

A third problem is that when you read a lot of personal development books, you’ll discover that the self-help field is incredibly fragmented. There are different rules and methods for improving your health, finances, relationships, and so on. The experts don’t agree with each other since everyone has their own agenda. Even when you discover some good ideas from different sources, it can be nearly impossible to apply them consistently because they’ll typically arise from incompatible frameworks.

If you read some books on making money, a few books on productivity, other books on health and fitness, and still more books on spiritual development, you’ll end up with dozens of complicated rules for managing your daily life. And you’ll constantly have to switch between incompatible contexts to apply those rules. For example, the money-making rules you learned won’t likely help you with your relationships and spiritual growth. No one gets very good results with this approach. It’s a fragmented way to live. Most people who attempt this strategy end up backsliding, procrastinating, giving up, or becoming self-help junkies. They think they know what they should be doing, but they can’t get themselves to do it consistently. If you’ve fallen into this trap – as I have many, many times – you certainly aren’t alone. It’s not your fault, however. The problem lies with the fragmented approach itself.

My goal in writing Personal Development for Smart People was to create a book that would solve the major problems of this field. That was no easy task. It required building a complete holistic framework for personal growth from the ground up. The idea is that once you mentally step inside this framework (meaning that you adopt a certain mindset), everything would finally click, and you’d be able to make meaningful progress in all areas of your life without having to repeatedly switch contexts. In other words, you could use the same set of rules to improve your health, build a fulfilling career, achieve financial abundance, cultivate loving relationships, boost your productivity, and increase your spiritual connectedness. Making improvements to your life would therefore be much simpler and far more practical.

That was a tall order, but I truly believe I pulled it off. It took me a good 2-1/2 years to figure out the basic building blocks of this holistic mindset and to test it. Ultimately this pursuit yielded a set of seven core principles. The principles are universal, so you can apply them with great effect to any area of your life – your health, relationships, career, finances, and so on.

So this book takes a holistic, top-down approach to personal growth. This may sound like a bold claim, but once you read it, I think you’ll agree that it’s the most structured book on personal development you’ve ever seen.

The book is divided into two parts. The first half establishes the key principles. This is where you learn the mindset for how to think about growth and change.

The second half of the book delves into the practical application, explaining how to apply this new mindset to improve your habits, career, finances, relationships, health, and spiritual development. You can use the principles to diagnose any problem and to generate solutions that point you in the direction of positive growth and change.

So the benefit of reading this book is that you’ll be able to shed those fragmented approaches to personal growth, replacing them with a more practical holistic model. You can finally let go of all those complicated rules for managing different parts of your life. By anchoring yourself to unchanging, universal principles, you’ll gain a singular “growth compass” that will point you in the direction of positive growth and change regardless of circumstances. Whenever you have a new problem to solve, you can consult this growth compass to point you in the right direction. And you’ll know exactly why you can trust it.

You won’t lose the benefit of all the personal development techniques you’ve learn thus far. Instead you’ll be able to clearly see which techniques are truly principle-centered and which aren’t. You’ll know why certain strategies work for you and why others don’t. And you’ll be able to use this knowledge to engineer your own low-level techniques.

Leo: What was it like writing this book? Did you have tough times and how did you overcome them? Did you have a writing routine?

Steve: I must say this was the most difficult project I’ve ever completed in my life. It was also the most rewarding.

I originally began writing this book in May 2005. My initial goal was to write a book that would be a collection of personal advice, similar in quality and style to my blog articles but with more organization and structure. I created an outline and wrote three complete chapters (about 30,000 words). Then realized I was writing a me-too book. I was disappointed with how it was turning out. It wasn’t bad per se. It just wasn’t going to be anything special or unique. I’m sure it would have been a fine book relatively speaking, but I came to see that such a book didn’t need to be written. It wouldn’t add anything to the world that didn’t already exist in some other form. So I wasn’t inspired to continue with it.

I decided I needed a more ambitious and inspiring goal. That’s when I got the idea to write a truly holistic, top-down book about personal growth. I wanted to go deeper than I’d seen anyone else in this field ever go before. I wanted to define the core structural pattern behind all successful growth efforts. I trashed what I’d written up to that point and started over from scratch.

I have to say this pursuit was incredibly frustrating. I was trying to solve a very complex problem, and I didn’t even know if it was solvable. I spent hours upon hours pondering questions like, “What does it truly mean to grow as a conscious human being?” and “What’s the connection between building a successful career and maintaining loving relationships?” I wanted to connect the dots between all things growth-related, but I didn’t even know what those dots were. Intuitively I could sense there was a deeper structure somewhere beneath the surface, but I just couldn’t get my mind around it. Every path I pursued was a dead end. Every angle I considered seemed wrong. Whenever I tried to go deeper, I just impacted on the surface. It was just too complicated to figure out.

But something about this pursuit absolutely possessed me. Even after two years with little to show for my efforts, I refused to give up. I tried many different methods to stimulate fresh thinking in new directions. I read books. I meditated. I wrote lengthy journal entries. I looked for patterns in reader feedback from my blog articles. I brainstormed long lists of ideas.

Eventually I was able to uncover a piece of the edge of the whole structure, but I couldn’t get past it. I figured out that the concept of truth absolutely had to be a piece of it. It was plainly obvious to me that the more we align ourselves with truth, the more effective our growth efforts will be. When we turn our backs on truth and succumb to falsehood and denial, we sabotage our results. Truth is clearly a universal principle. We can use truth to help us increase our results in any area of life. It doesn’t matter if you want to lose weight, boost your productivity, enter a new relationship, or earn more money. Turning your back on truth can destroy your health, finances, career, relationships, and more. If you want to grow as a conscious human being, truth must become your staunchest ally.

Identifying the remaining structure that connected with truth was the hardest part. But once I’d latched onto truth, at least I finally had a piece of it. The principle of truth gave me something to work with, but I still had no clue what the rest of the structure looked like. It was clear that truth wasn’t enough by itself, but it was certainly important. How much more was there? It wasn’t enough for me to discover one key principle of growth. I wanted to unearth all of them.

I was guided by this quote from R. Buckminster Fuller:

“When I’m working on a problem, I never think about beauty. I think only how to solve the problem. But when I have finished, if the solution is not beautiful, I know it is wrong.”

Each time I came up with a potential solution, I knew it couldn’t be correct because it wasn’t beautiful. It always lacked elegance. So I scrapped it and tried again. It wasn’t enough to satisfy my mind. I sought a solution that spoke to my soul. I figured that if I discovered something that struck me as truly beautiful, it would have a similar effect on others. Only then would I feel I’d accomplished my goal and created something truly worthwhile.

Eventually, through a combination of inspiration and perspiration, I was able to figure out the rest of the structure. It was so ridiculously simple that I felt an overwhelming release of emotion when I finally saw what it looked like. The whole structure was reducible to just three core principles: truth, love, and power. If you understand those principles and how to align yourself with them, you can make major advancements in every area of your life. When you turn your back on these principles, you’ll encounter nothing but failure and hardship.

The results of applying this new framework to my own life have been profound. For example, in the months after I discovered the core principles, I was able to adopt a 100% raw vegan diet. In the decade before discovering these principles, I made many attempts to adopt this diet. I enjoyed great results while it lasted, including an amazing level of mental clarity, but I could never make it stick in the long run. I always found it too difficult and kept sliding back to cooked food. By using the new framework, I was able to diagnose why I was failing and what I needed to do to succeed. My initial reaction was, “It can’t be that simple, can it?” But I applied the solution, and it worked.

To be specific, in my case the problem that kept me from sticking to a raw diet was that I was out of alignment with the principle of love. This principle suggested that in order to succeed as a raw foodist, I should build relationships with other raw foodists. Otherwise my existing relationships would keep pulling me back toward cooked food. As it turned out, that was exactly what I needed to do to succeed. Today I count many raw foodists among my friends, and I receive an abundance of encouragement and support from them. It’s amazing how much easier it is for me to stick with this lifestyle now. Before I discovered these growth principles, I kept misdiagnosing the problem. I mistakenly assumed I needed more discipline and commitment, when I really needed more connection.

I’m not suggesting you have to adopt a diet like mine. I’ve been on a path of dietary refinement for more than 15 years, so there’s a good chance my choice seems extreme to you. I’m just using this as an example to illustrate that an empowering framework makes it much easier to diagnose and solve growth problems, regardless of what you consider your next logical step to be.

Once I discovered the core principles, writing the book was fairly straightforward. It wasn’t trivially easy, but it came together without serious difficulties. It took me a few months to write the first manuscript and perhaps a couple more months to edit it. The editing involved a bit of back-and-forth with the publisher, so much of that was waiting time. I spent a lot more hours figuring out the framework than I did writing the book, so the writing part felt like it was all downhill. I think the fact that I had an inspiring framework made the writing easier. I was excited to share these ideas.

One hard part about writing the book was keeping my blog going at the same time. I had to withdraw some of my attention from blogging to devote more time to working on the book, so I didn’t blog as often during that time. That wasn’t too bad though. Most of my visitors seemed very understanding. Since my website also has popular discussion forums, my readers had plenty of opportunity to discuss their own topics and engage with each other. And for new visitors, there were hundreds of timeless articles to read in the archives.

Leo: You’re an A-list blogger, so our blogging readers will want to know: what are the most important things a blogger should do to write a powerful post that attracts a lot of readers?

Steve: I’ve definitely seen some patterns that help turn certain posts into hits with my readers, social bookmarking sites, other bloggers, search engines, and general word of mouth. I put a lot of effort into my articles, so I think it’s wise to discern why certain articles are more widely read than others. That way I can consciously create content that’s likely to be more impactful. I learned that if I followed certain rules, I could basically engineer a hit article with a high degree of success.

In May of this year, I gave a 90-minute presentation called “How to Create Compelling Content” to a group of speakers. It was based on my observations on which articles became hits and which didn’t. It would be too much to share all of those details here, but I’ll share the key points.

The single most important factor is topic selection. I’ve noticed that when I write about certain topics, the hit ratio goes way up. For example, one of my hit topics is sleep habits. When I blog about this topic, I have an unusually strong chance of creating a hit.

Key topics vary from blog to blog, so you’ll need to experiment. Whenever you enjoy a surge in traffic, consider that it may not have been a result of your high-quality writing or your clever post title. It may simply have been that you choose a topic of keen interest to your readers. When you do experience a hit, wait a little while, and then write something else on that same subject. See if you can duplicate your success. I’m sure you’ll find as I do that certain topics yield hits far more often than others. It’s easier to succeed once you discover your hit topics. You don’t have to limit yourself to those topics – I certainly don’t – but it’s nice to know you can create a few hits when you so desire.

Next, write content that leverages your personal strengths. For example, strategic thinking is one of my strengths. When I write high-level strategic articles, including how-to pieces, those articles are more likely to become hits. If your writing fails to leverage your strengths, it’s safe to say you’re playing a game you can’t win. Other bloggers will surely be strong in your weak area, so you’ll simply be dominated again and again. If you’re unclear about your strengths, read the book StrengthsFinder 2.0, and take the accompanying test. It will tell you what some of your strengths are.

Another thing I do to create hits is to focus on providing genuine value to my readers. My blog uses a popular “Email a friend” WordPress plug-in, and this allows me to see which articles are generating referrals each day. I’ve noticed that certain articles generate a lot more referrals than others. Every day I see the same articles being emailed. In general the articles that receive the most attention are those that deliver a lot of punch. They motivate and inspire people to make real changes. An example is the article “How to Discover Your Life Purpose in About 20 Minutes.”  Even though it’s nearly four years old, it continues to generate strong word of mouth referrals.

Sharing my personal stories is another common element in hit articles. I often use the “make a point, tell a story” method. I share stories from my own life all the time. Sometimes I tell stories to illustrate a point. Other times I’ll write about a problem I encountered and explain how I dealt with it. My blog oozes with my life stories and personality. If you were to read every article from my archives, you’d get to know me pretty well. This act of sharing myself creates a strong bond of intimacy and connection with my readers.

Sometimes I’ll ask myself, “Is there anything I’d be embarrassed to share publicly on my website?” If anything comes to mind, I know it’s a potential golden topic. It’s more important to be human than it is to appear perfect. Whenever I write about my failings, such as the time I got arrested for grand theft or the time I failed in business and went bankrupt, I get lots of personal feedback from people who can relate to what I went through. It’s a cathartic experience for me and a source of value for my readers. Those articles often become “sleeper hits.” They don’t get much attention from social bookmarking sites, but they can generate tons of “Email a friend” referrals.

Writing inspired content is another key success factor. There have been times when I’ve written and edited complete articles, and instead of clicking Publish, I clicked Delete. I’ve done this when I felt like I was forcing out content instead of letting the ideas flow. I feel it’s better to post less often and have something meaningful to say than to push myself to post something uninspired.

A final success factor I’ll share is that if you want to write something memorable, it must violate people’s expectations in some way. When we encounter something unexpected, we tend to remember it. The longer people remember your content, the more people they can share it with. For example, one article that generates countless referrals for me and which did very well on social bookmarking sites is “10 Reasons You Should Never Get a Job.” The title of that article violates expectations, and the content is even more over-the-top. People don’t soon forget it once they’ve read it.

Since I’ve been blogging for nearly four years now, I feel a bit more seasoned than when I first started. I no longer put much energy into engineering hit pieces. Now I think about how I can connect more deeply with my readers. I want to write articles that touch people’s hearts, not just their heads. Such articles don’t normally become social bookmarking hits, but I think they’re more impactful and memorable for those who read them. As I see it, the hits I’ve written may draw plenty of fresh traffic, but the deeper articles are more likely to change people’s lives. At the end of the day, I want to know that I’ve made a difference. I feel it does people a disservice if I capture their eyeballs without delivering real substance on the backend.

If you want to attract a lot of readers, write content that deserves to be read by lots of people. If you imagine yourself standing on a stage and speaking your content to an audience of millions, you’ll have a keener understanding of what you can share that would be worthy of such a privilege.

Leo: Thank you, Steve, for your generosity once again … it’s been a pleasure, and the writers and bloggers amongst us will certainly benefit from what you’ve shared with us.

Photo courtesy of AngelsWings.

Editor’s note: This is a guest post from Liz Massey of Creative Liberty.

If you’ve written nonfiction for any length of time, particularly if you write in a specialized “niche,”it’s possible to reach a point when you feel as if you’ve run out of fresh ideas. You’ve done all the seasonal stories, covered all the breaking developments in your field—and the ideas for your next feature just aren’t coming. You’ve reached what we in the industry politely refer to as a “dry spell,” although when you’re in one, it more often feels like you’ve crash-landed in the desert.

However, it’s possible to transform this sandy expanse into an oasis. Reframing what you consider good story sources and how you approach topics you cover frequently can add zest and vigor to your writing and increase editor, and reader, interest.

Fresh sources of story ideas

Part of the reason many writers get stuck is that they tend to look in the same old places to drum up new story ideas. Looking in unexpected, even counter-intuitive, places for inspiration can break free new insights that can lead to intriguing story concepts.

Places to look for new ideas can include…

• The trash.Take note of what gets labeled “waste” or “a problem” in your field. What is everyone trying to avoid?
• The ol’ watering hole. Don’t stop at interviewing your sources—hang out where your sources congregate. Spend some time at the restaurant everyone frequents or the popular mixers during the “must-do” conference. What projects are hot?
• Your network of industry “Deep Throats.” Talk to those on the other end of the spectrum from your typical audience. Write for trade magazines? Talk to customers. Write for consumer-facing publications? Talk to vendors and suppliers to the industry.
• Your own bravado. Start a list titled “articles that will get me fired” or “stories no editor will ever publish” and jot down all the ideas you don’t dare suggest. Then scale these paradigm-busters back to what’s possible.

Fresh story approaches

Dry spells also get started because writers (and their editors) get in the rut of writing (or assigning)the same types of stories over and over again. It’s possible to take an evergreen topic and give it new life by experimenting with the following approaches.

• Practice “service journalism.” If you don’t already, start packaging article information in a way that readers can act on immediately. Think tip sheets,resource boxes, bulleted lists.
• Pick apart the ordinary. Use photos and reportage to deconstruct briefcases,lunches, desk drawers, calendar systems, etc., and document the effect of large-scale trends on individual employees, customers, or vendors.
• Be a contrarian. Editors love contrast for a reason—it sells. Turn an old approach on its head and see if the concept flies. Suggest a story where a company’s CEO interviews you (the reporter), or pitch an article focusing on how companies meet the needs of their smallest accounts, rather than the largest.
• Put old stories in new formats. Pouring stories into formats such as letters, memos,grade cards and scripts can aid understanding and increase reader enjoyment.
• Get the reader involved. Quizzes and puzzles can make difficult-to-understand information interesting. Suggest that your editor run contests (with prizes) to encourage feedback and input on articles or entire issues.

Keep those fresh ideas coming

Perhaps the easiest way to avoid dry spells is to proactively cultivate story ideas. Use the activities below to produce a steady rain of ideas, so you’ll have a wellspring which you can draw from any time you’re asked to contribute an original story idea.

• Keep a writer’s notebook with you at all times to capture random insights or research leads.
• Expose yourself to new experiences constantly. Stretch yourself.
• Buy five magazines that are far outside your area of expertise (and interest). Read them cover to cover. Catch your insights from this process in your writer’s notebook.
• Keep a list of“Burning Questions” in your notebook, too. What provokes you? Angers you?Amazes you? Ideas that provoke strong responses also possess built-in energy that can help you stay motivated as you research and write on the topic.

Liz Massey is a freelance editor and writing coach based in Phoenix. She blogs about the creative process at Creative Liberty.