Entrepreneurs Ask... How Can an eBook Help My Business as a Key Component of my Online Marketing Efforts?

eBooks are an excellent way of establishing a solid foundation; a firm launching point for the future direction of your business. eBook authorship lends credibility to what you're building longterm.

As you know, a thriving business is a series of daily activities to establish and maintain the know, like and trust factor. The premise is that when these three elements have been effectively communicated in your marketing materials, existing customers and prospects will resonate with your purpose and vision, purchasing from you in the future without hesitation. They do this because they already know, like and trust you based on the resonance with your Web copy, blog, articles, testimonials, press releases or other marketing content.

So, how can an eBook enhance your business once you have established that you are knowable, likable and trustworthy? eBooks propel your business by:

• building loyalty-eBooks educate and empower your target market, cultivating a devoted customer/prospect base
• providing validity-eBooks easily and quickly establish you as an expert within your field, increasing your credibility
• increasing opportunities-eBooks leverage your skill set and knowledge for greater exposure, including radio and online radio interviews, and requests for live appearances
• generating revenue-eBooks allow you to strategically position yourself as a valuable resource and/or accomplished authority, thereby potentially increasing your income
• amplifying momentum-eBooks set you up for future success and achievement and facilitate a focused drive toward that prosperity

The disadvantages to a high-quality, content-rich eBook are non-existent. The benefits are many. As one facet of your whole marketing approach, creating an eBook effectively places you in a powerful position to experience even more of the many advantages of entrepreneurship.

What Is "Copyediting" and What Is The Process From a Professional Editor's Perspective?

Surprisingly, the word copyediting is an industry-specific term. If you don't function within this community or have some exposure to it, the word may be simply unfamiliar, or even mysterious, but it's easy enough to demystify.

To answer the question, let's start with a reference from the Chicago Manual of Style. It says copyediting involves both mechanical editing and substantive editing:

"Mechanical copyediting requires a close reading of the manuscript with an eye to such matters as consistency of capitalization, spelling, and hyphenation; agreement of verbs and subjects; punctuation; beginning and ending quotation marks and parentheses; numbers given in numerals or spelled out; and many similar details of style.

Substantive copyediting involves rewriting, reorganizing, or suggesting other ways to present material."

Mechanical copyediting is more of a science because most rules of grammar are absolute. In contrast, substantive copyediting is more of an art based on innate talent, training or a combination of both. A talented copyeditor effortlessly and simultaneously performs both types, unless specifically requested to do otherwise.

So you can see how copyediting actually works behind-the-scenes, below is the step-by-step process, which might be modified from editor to editor based on individual style preferences.

After a thorough review of the content for the degree of copyediting required (light vs. heavy) and a signed Agreement has been received, as well as a project deposit, the copyediting process officially begins. The step-by-step process contains:

1. a full review of the content with no changes. This simply allows a broad understanding of the materials.
2. a second full review with a focus on flow, readability and structure
3. a third full review with an eye for grammar, spelling and punctuation details
4. a fourth and final review of a printed copy of the contents. It is amazing how many "catches" one finds in this final stage of the process. Seeing words on paper vs. a computer monitor ensures proof-perfect copy.

Copyediting is both a skill (mechanical) and an art form (substantive). In the hands of a masterful wordsmith, your copy is clean, succinct and creates a full impact both seen and felt by your customers or clients.

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Entrepreneurs Ask... What Can I Expect To Pay For Expert Copywriting?

The Answer: It depends. There's no specific answer because there are too many variables.

Craigslist.com has copywriter postings for $10/hour. Top copywriters command upwards of $750/hour. So, you can expect to pay between $10 and $750 per hour. Averaged, that is $370 per hour.

I know. It's not much of an answer.

Hiring a copywriter sounds like an easy task. Then you begin researching the possibilities and quickly enter the abyss of frustration and overwhelm. There are no easy "apples-to-apples, oranges-to-oranges" comparisons because pricing depends on:

• Years of experience
• Target market
• Knowledge/expertise in a specific industry
• A proven track record of results
• Investment in ongoing training and learning about industry trends from national experts
• What the current market will pay

Most copywriters don't charge by the hour, but provide a bid or proposal instead based on the specifics of your unique project. This is the most professional and effective method of charging you fairly... again because there are so many variables.

Generally, there are 4 ways copywriters charge for services:

1. Per word (copy suitable for newsletters, Web sites, brochures, business cards and blogs)
2. Per page (Web site copywriting)
3. Per project (based on a review of your materials and a formal written proposal)
4. Per package (a specific number of copywriting hours per month, pre-paid in full)

The best method of comparing copywriters is:

1. Ask for referrals from fellow colleagues/entrepreneurs you trust.
2. Review Web sites for all referrals to determine if the copywriter is a good fit for you based on experience, knowledge of your industry, specific expertise and a personal vibe.
3. Read the policies/procedures and pricing pages, if posted, to determine how projects are priced.
4. Submit a request for proposal via email, submit a "Request for Proposal" form or schedule an appointment to discuss the project parameters. Your final decision is often based on how you connect with the copywriter.

Compare proposals not only for pricing, but items included at no additional charge. Typically, the following additional services are included:

• Review of client materials
• First draft
• Two rounds of client revisions (additional revisions charged hourly rate)

REMEMBER: The old adage You Get What You Pay For definitely applies to hiring a copywriter.

With a quick internet search, you can find services offering copywriting for $10/page. That sounds good at first... until you realize the work is actually performed in India (or Pakistan or China) by non-native English speakers.

You don't think that will cost you later in grief, time AND money?

Sure it will, but by the time you realize your lapse in judgment to get the best deal, it's too late. Your Agreement has been signed, you paid a deposit, your credit card number is on file to pay the balance due, and what you get back after waiting weeks or months cannot even be used, the quality is so poor. So, the search begins all over again and the saga continues.

In conclusion, what you can expect to pay for professional copywriting comes down to the investment you make to find a good fit financially, energetically and professionally.

Don't choose the cheapest bid simply because it's the lowest. Pros charge professional rates because they can and do deliver. That's the whole point in hiring them in the first place. You pay a rate that ensures professional results.

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Entrepreneurs Ask... What Is Copyediting?

To answer, let's start with a reference from the Chicago Manual of Style. It says copyediting involves both mechanical editing and substantive editing:

"Mechanical copyediting requires a close reading of the manuscript with an eye to such matters as consistency of capitalization, spelling, and hyphenation; agreement of verbs and subjects; punctuation; beginning and ending quotation marks and parentheses; numbers given in numerals or spelled out; and many similar details of style.

Substantive copyediting involves rewriting, reorganizing, or suggesting other ways to present material."

Mechanical copyediting is more of a science because most rules of grammar are absolute. In contrast, substantive copyediting is more of an art based on innate talent, training or a combination of both. A talented copyeditor effortlessly and simultaneously performs both types of editing unless the client specifically requests one type or the other.

As easy as it sounds to perform either editing task, both are arduous and time-consuming. That's why it's important to hire a pro so you can focus on growing your business!

Entrepreneurs Ask... Should I use articles from other authors if they contain errors? Can I make changes to the articles?

You’re searching for content for your newsletter and access the many resources available to find one that’s perfect for your market. However, the article you chose contains several grammatical and spelling errors. What to do? What to do?

The best response came from Lisa Manyon at Write on Creative ~ Creative Writing Services. She says, “As a professional courtesy, contact the author and let her know you'd like to use the article in your newsletter, but want to know if you can change the few errors you found. Give her the specific occurrences. Most times, authors will allow you to change the content if it contains spelling, grammatical and punctuation errors. Obviously, they doesn’t authorize you to make any other changes. An added benefit to making contact is to introduce yourself and offer your services.” Brilliant idea, Lisa!

Keep in mind that the content of any article is the intellectual property of the author. You cannot change ANYTHING without prior authorization.

So, what if you cannot reach the author in time to distribute your email or you asked for permission and didn’t hear back? In this case you need to decide whether or not to use the article.

It’s okay to use the article even if it contains a few errors... especially if it’s content-rich. However, the last thing you want is for your audience to think YOU overlooked them. This makes you look unprofessional. If you decide to use the article, preface it by stating, “Sourced as-is from [name the source].”

If you think the content isn’t worth using because there are simply too many errors or you cannot get authorization to make the changes, find another article instead. There are plenty of online sources and authors willing to let you use of their articles in exchange for a bio mention – which is usually at the end of the article.

Entrepreneurs Ask... I’m already successful. Do I still need to define my target market?

To write impactful marketing materials with guaranteed results, first your target market must be clearly defined.

You’ll notice I didn’t say, “To be successful in business, first your target market must be clearly defined.”

That’s because many entrepreneurs experience accidental success. They introduce a product at a most opportune time, they grow a business based on intuition, or they are just at the right place at the right time. It happens all the time, but at some point you realize the value and importance of speaking directly to your target market. You want to refine your existing system to realize even greater results. You want a strategic and specific plan for drawing in even more clients. Do this simple yet revealing exercise to open your eyes to the possibilities.

Once this happens, your vision is now crystal clear. Your perfect clients find you and instantly resonate with you. It’s because you speak “their” language. They feel you know them. And, in a way you do. You’ve zeroed in on their pain, their struggles, their life worries and you paint yourself, your products, your services as the answer to their problems.

Let me give you an example. For which market is this headline intended?

The Latest Sparkly Hair Thing-a-ma-bobber
Will Have All Eyes On You This Spring...
Make Sure It’s YOU Who Ignites This Edgy Trend

a. A 55-year-old corporate male executive with a corner office
who lives and works in Manhattan

b. A 15-year-old female fashionista who attends a public --
but very upscale -- school

c. A 37-year-old conservative, religious female who lives in a
town with the same population as her age

Yep. You guessed it; B is the correct answer.

If you’re like many entrepreneurs who – until this moment – thought a target market analysis was unnecessary, now you understand why this exercise is so crucial.

Do you think the 55-year-old executive or the 37-year-old small town lady will read past the headline? NO! And neither will your customers/clients if you are not clear on who your message is trying to reach. When you have a mental image (you’ll create this during the exercise below) of your perfect client, your marketing materials reflect that clarity.

Your message must speak the language of your intended audience. If it doesn’t, you unnecessarily expend too much time, money and energy trying to sell to everyone. That’s another way to say you waste a great deal of all three.

Your target market isn’t everyone. No product or service is meant for every person on the planet. Stop trying to be everything to everyone and start being the #1 resource for the people with whom you want to do business. Cater to them. Cater well to them. Speak their language. See what happens.

At first you may think this is a waste of time. But I promise: Doing this exercise reveals aspects of your ideal customer that don’t surface any other way. It helps if you have an existing client file, but if not, don’t fret. Chances are your ideal client is you! If that’s true, use that as a starting point.

From this point forward, write every marketing piece directly to one person who represents your target market. With a prominent mental image of this person, your writing becomes more personal and hits the mark every time.

Mark your target, and hit it with precise and pre-determined language that engages, inspires and prompts your reader to take action. Now THAT’S the power of copywriting that sells.