| p>Are you looking for a boost in book sales? You | | | | 5. Failure to shorten your sentences. Slash your |
| posted your book's sales letter months ago. You | | | | sentences to under 15-17 words. Don't bog your |
| double checked your easy ordering process. Yet, | | | | readers with complex sentences. Remember |
| people visit your book's web site and leave | | | | multiple phrases slow your reader's |
| empty handed. | | | | comprehension. Make it easy. Get to the point |
| Don't be discouraged. You may be making the | | | | fast. |
| simple mistakes many make before selling. This | | | | 6. Failure to write compelling copy. Write for the |
| could be the trigger you've been looking for. | | | | 8-10 grade level. Reward your readers with |
| Simply put, professionalism inspires confidence. | | | | benefits for them. Clear, easy to understand copy |
| Whether you're writing an article, a brochure or | | | | makes your reader want to read your piece to |
| your web site sales letter, your words work | | | | the end. Fill your writing with what's in it for them. |
| powerfully for you or against you. | | | | They'll come back for more and tell all their |
| In the same way professionalism inspires | | | | friends. |
| confidence to purchase your book, grammatical | | | | 7. Failure to avoid pompous language. The |
| errors and misspelled words may cost you in lost | | | | shortest, most well known words are best. The |
| sales. Correct these writing mistakes and translate | | | | more syllables in a word, the less compelling it |
| your professionalism to more book sales. | | | | becomes. Cut all unnecessary adjectives. |
| 1. Failure to check for spelling and grammatical | | | | 8. Failure to be specific. Avoid generalities. Engage |
| errors. Don't be lazy; use spell check. Also, look | | | | your reader's emotion with specifics. Let them |
| for singular nouns coupled with plural verbs and | | | | experience color, size and shape. Instead of, |
| vice versa. Check for homonyms correctly spelled | | | | "Complete your degree online fast to increase |
| but misused words like to, two, and too or effect | | | | your income." Say, "Complete your master |
| and affect. Correct punctuation errors like the | | | | degree online fast so you can upgrade your |
| symbol Em dash to indicate duration instead of | | | | lifestyle, get vacations, health insurance and other |
| two dashes. | | | | corporate benefits." Specific benefits create a |
| 2. Failure to check all dates, times, prices. Assign | | | | stronger pull than the general benefit of increased |
| someone else to verify dates, prices and times. | | | | income. |
| It's embarrassing and may drain profits to send | | | | 9. Failure to slash adverbs. Go through and cut |
| out information then retract it because it's | | | | words like openly, suddenly, very that tell the |
| incorrect. Before distributing a newsletter, posting | | | | reader instead of show the reader. Circle all the |
| web content or submitting a proposal, call | | | | (ly) and very words. Pull out your thesaurus and |
| telephone numbers, visit websites, send emails | | | | replace them with power words that show |
| and faxes requesting return confirmation. | | | | emotion or describe. |
| 3. Failure to slash passive structures. Passive | | | | 10. Failure to check the flow of information. Check |
| sentences slow and dull your writing. Get rid of | | | | your paragraphs for good harmonic flow and |
| the passive voice sentences. Give your sentences | | | | understanding. Meaning, make sure you don't drop |
| a clear subject and a verb to avoid the passive | | | | off suddenly and change the subject. Clear writing |
| voice. "The writer found fame and fortune | | | | creates compelling copy. Compelling copy leads to |
| through marketing her books online." instead of | | | | more book sales. |
| "The writer's books were instrumental in leading | | | | Are you ready to translate your professionalism |
| her to fame and fortune." Avoid connecting verbs | | | | to profits? Correct the above mistakes and |
| like 'was', 'is', 'had', and 'seemed'. Replace passive | | | | watch your sales soar from the minute you |
| voice verbs with active verbs. | | | | publish. Remember to check for spelling and |
| 4. Failure to cut selfish constructions containing 'I'. | | | | grammatical errors, check all dates, times and |
| Minimize the "I" in your writing. Your audience | | | | prices, slash the passive voice, cut the selfish |
| wants to know what you can do them. Answer | | | | constructions containing "I", shorten sentences, |
| their questions. Solve their problems with each | | | | write compelling copy, avoid generalities, slash the |
| solution. During the editing process, circle each "I" | | | | adverbs and check your flow of information. |
| and replace as many as you can with a "you" | | | | Implement these ten tips to begin proofreading |
| centered sentence. | | | | for profits! |