Content Mastery Guide

Editor and Ghostwriter

Publishing Your Article in a Print Magazine – An Expert Interview with Sharon Crawford, freelance writer, editor and writing instructor

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Sharon Crawford and I met at an evening seminar presented by the Toronto chapter of the Professional Writers Association of Canada. I’ve really been enjoying these events, and I appreciate the work that Sharon and the rest of the PWAC Toronto executive put into them! 

I asked Sharon if we could get together for a chat about print magazines. It’s a subject that came up in a survey of my readers awhile back – and I suspect that more than one of you are curious about it.

We talked briefly about her early days in the business – I was curious about the first story idea she ever pitched to an editor. It was scary, she said, but it went so well that she drew up the courage to pitch a second one right there on the spot – and he took that, too!

Sharon provided some wonderful details and tips about "hooking" an editor with a good query. I’ve put these together in a separate post, "Publishing Your Article in a Print Magazine – Anatomy of a Winning Query" (coming soon).

Listen to my interview with Sharon below:

To find out more about Sharon, please visit her website at www.samcraw.com.

The Wily Seduction of Technology Toys

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Well, it seems I am battling the Bright, Shiny Object Syndrome again. I guess it's a bit like bronchitis or a bad back – when you've had it once, you're more susceptible to it in the future.

You know the BSOS, right? Common signs are when we become obsessed with some cool new idea, technology tool or other interest – so much that we lose all perspective, stay up far too late tinkering on the computer and get distracted from our business goals.

Right now I'm quite enamoured with  the functionality of wiki websites, and I'm being wooed by the folks at PBWiki – yes, it actually feels like they're wooing me. I even got a "golden ticket" to try out their upcoming 2.0 version.

I chose PBWiki for my experiment because some other groups I've followed (e.g. podcamp Toronto) also use them. When I started poking around their blog, I saw that Timothy Ferriss chose them, too – not a bad endorsement!

Anyway, back to the BSOS. Lena West of xynoMedia gave me a GREAT prescription for it. She invited me to look at what I NEED first and THEN look for the tool that fits my needs.

While MY first instinct, when I'm blinded by the lights, is to get wowed by the technology and figure out (i.e. scheme, manipulate) how I can make use of it in my business. Then I'm in danger of ending up with a bunch of mismatched tools, a lot of clutter, and running between one system and the other because I didn't think ahead about how they would integrate.

What I'm looking for right now are three things:

  1. A central repository for client projects (I'm also checking out Basecamp and other project management solutions – though some of the negative publicity about Basecamp really turned me off)
  2. A way to manage the collaborative editing process more easily (I'm also checking out Google Docs)
  3. For clients with larger projects, such as full-length books, a way to manage their content that's easier to work with than multiple word files or one long, sprawling document (I've considered using one of my TypePad blogs for this, but because with a wiki you can edit and view on the same screen, it's really no contest)

So I'm trying to remain calm, put a limit on the amount of time I spend on this task, and keep experimenting with an open mind.

How do YOU deal with the Bright, Shiny Object Syndrome? Please add your comments below.

Get to the Point – My Newest Elevator Pitch

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The latest tweaks to my elevator pitch came as a result of reading these words from Michel Neray of Essential Message, reprinted in adherence to the reprint agreement:

"Is context clouding your message?

If you're like most people, you feel the need to give people the context of what you're saying before telling them the important stuff.

You probably do it in your memos, proposals, networking introductions, presentations and speeches, and sales letters.

While context can be crucial in some situations, it often creates distance between you and your audience.

These two techniques help you — and the people you speak to and write for — get to the point more quickly. Try them. They really work.

1. Next time you introduce yourself in public, like at a networking event, don't give your audience a chance to tune out: skip the part about your name and your company, and get straight to what you offer.

They couldn't care less about who you are until after they think you have something they need. Starting with non-essential stuff simply gives them time to tune out. If they show an interest, you can easily fill in the blanks later.

2. Next time you write a memo, recommendation or email, try this after you write your first draft. Replace the first paragraph with the second paragraph or delete it entirely. For a case study we developed for a client, this is exactly what we did — with dramatic results.

Instead of giving the company background and context, now the very first line of the case study is: 'Global success couldn't keep Carrefour Spain from falling prey to the retail industry's most common problem: inventory and cash shrinkage.'

Admit it, you want to read more too…"

Michel's newsletter is a quick and fun read — subscribe free at www.essentialmessage.com.

Writing Prompt: How will you use Michel's ideas to get to the point in a piece of writing you're working on right now?

Now, here's my new elevator pitch:

"My clients have great ideas for a self-help book they want to write. They know having a book will bring them more credibility and more business. But they're intimidated by the writing process or they're worried about the quality of their writing. That's why they're so relieved to find me! I'm Linda Dessau, I'm a ghostwriter and editor, and I put my client's great ideas into writing. My website is www dot you talk dash I write. That's www dot you talk dash I write."

I tried it out the other week at Referral Quest and it felt like a winner to me, what do you think? Your comments are always welcome and appreciated!

Do you Attract, Invite, Receive or Block Success?

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At the end of a work day, I like to reflect on how well I allowed success (money, prosperity and abundance) to flow into my life.

Did I attract it? Did I stand tall like a lighthouse and shine out a unified, confident message about who am I and what I do, so that the customers who are the best match for me could find me?

Did I invite it? Did I actually ask for the business, even when it scared me?

Did I receive it? Did I gratefully receive and respond promptly to all requests for business, gracefully declining the ones that weren’t right for me to leave room for ones that are?

Or did I block it with procrastination, confusion or ego, or by losing myself in trying to compete with or mimic my colleagues who offer similar services?

How did you do when success came your way today?