Tips Guides

Speech writing is a talent, and like playing basketball, it is a fact that some people will do it better naturally than others. However, exactly like playing sports of any kind, it is also something that that you can get better at with practice. In this article I am going to explore several techniques as to how you can improve your speech writing abilities, and also how to approach writing a speech for ceratin different circumstances. Whether it be for a wedding, where perhaps you are the best man, or for an important business meeting where you really need to impress.

First though the good news!

The good news is that you are already a ’speech writer’. You just don’t know it yet! Ok. What do I mean? Simple. The truth is that you have already spoken to people before. You have already been constructing dialogue long before the harrowing thought of having to write it down and deliver it came into the equation. You speak to your friends, family and work colleagues (though maybe not your boss!) without having to pre-plan everything you say. You just react. Well, the good news is that writing a speech is not really any different from that. It simply takes the process one step further along and has you writing it down.

Where the panic sometimes comes in is that to write a great speech there are three further elements that are useful to consider. The first of these is empathy. Speech writing is an empathetic medium. It is concerned both with connecting with yourself, but also with your audience. In a sense it is all about building bridges. And the best speeches are always going to be where the audience empathise with you or your message. In a way it is a bit like being a surfer. As you deliver a great speech it is as though you are riding a wave of emotions, both internally, but also in the mind of your listeners. And the more engaged they are with the message and sentiment of your speech, the more they will connect with it and get benefit from it.

Empathy is something however that can be taught. The ‘trick’ is trigger points. And no, I don’t mean that you should shoot your audience to make them like you! No. What you have to realise is that every great speech has trigger points. Moments where the speech builds to a crescendo, and a memorable line or sentiment is delivered. What this means for your speech writing is that you should tailor the speech so that every so often the speech has these points. It could be a moment of great passion. Like in Martin Luther Kings ‘I Have a Dream’ speech where he uttered those lines. Or moments of comedy perhaps if you are delivering a best mans speech. Remember to write them in.

The second element of a great speech that you must have is momentum. Speeches are defined by the momentum they create. In the same way that a good book has a beginning, a middle and an end, a great speech is one where the tension is building until the end before being released. The audience should never feel this lapse, because it is in the building of this tension that you create the momentum that drives the speech forward and keeps people interested. This is one of the key failings with most speeches, namely that they lack direction. They end up being a convoluted collection of anecdotes, but without a driving momentum. Every speech must have a message.

The third key element is Practice. Never underestimate the value of repetition. Drill that speech so far into your head that you could deliver it under any pressure. It was said of the Romans - ‘Their drills were like bloody wars. And their wars were like bloody drills’. The point is that they practiced! They didn’t control an empire for over 1000 years for nothing. And the same is true of your speech writing.

So, get busy. Get writing. Speak with Passion. Empathise with your audience. Draw them in. Deliver trigger points throughout. Build to a crescendo, and remember to practice. It makes perfect.

Want more information about writing a KILLER speech? Then read our speech writinghow to guide at http://www.anecdote.org Where we have a world of writing resources at your fingertips, including Topics for Persuasive Writing information.

Is your book organized? The best non-fiction books are organized like a paved road guiding readers through their chapters. That paved road of organization includes mile markers, exit signs and other road markers for each chapter. Think about it; we easily get lost unless the path is clear. It’s stressful to take a journey without a clear road to travel.

Most people enjoy a journey (even a book journey) on a paved clearly marked road. Instead of leaving your readers to follow a mucky path of disorganization through your book, use repeating elements to create a can’t-miss-it road like the yellow brick road in the ‘Wizard of Oz’ movie (1939).

In John Maxwell’s “21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them and People Will Follow You” book, he skillfully uses repeating elements. These repeating elements form a paved road that leads you clearly through each chapter. Each chapter has the same basic form (road). To create chapters that guide your readers like a yellow brick road include these 10 elements:

1. Sizzle your chapter title: Create grab you by the collar chapter titles. You can immediately follow up with a subtitle that emphasizes and explains the title’s meaning. Or you may consider a brief quotes.

2. Insert brief quotes: You may follow each title one or two quotes from your speeches or other authorities in your field which support the title.

3. Write an Introduction: Begin each chapter with 6-8 paragraphs of introduction. The introduction may include a short story presenting the chapter’s main principle or underlying thesis. For short books 3 to 4 paragraphs work best. You don’t want your introduction to over power your chapter.

4. Create an opening statement: For example, you could open each chapter with a thought provoking question or a startling statistic that show where your audience is now (before reading your book.) Many authors begin with a short analogy or story. Whatever you decide to open with, create an attention getter to hook your reader.

5. Prepare a thesis statement: After your short introduction including your hook (opening statement), write your thesis. Keep it simple; let your readers know what benefits await them if they keep reading. For example, one author friend uses sizzling bullet points to entice the reader into the chapter. You may place them right below quote or directly below introduction.

6. Write 7 to 10 points: Next, you may be write lessons or present tools used to achieve the goal presented in the introduction. Condense your material as you develop each point. Some lessons may require one paragraph and others may need several.

7. Include case studies: Incorporate one or more story form case studies that support the chapter’s central idea.

8. Add self-evaluation tools: Add brief questions that permit readers to measure their progress with each of the principles described inside the chapters.

9. Summarize your chapter. Each chapter may end with four to eight paragraphs that summarize the central idea and supporting points. Don’t forget to hold the carrot out at the end: insert 1-2 sentences at the end of your summary to entice your readers with benefits waiting in the next chapter.

10. Use engagement tools. Create active participants of your book readers using engagement tools like worksheets and note sheets. Make lists, questions to ponder or boxed tips to actively engage your readers instead of allowing them to be observers.

Step out of your comfort zone and create a yellow brick road for each chapter. Use the simple template above and before you know it you’ll speed write your book to completion. Enjoy the journey. Life is made easier.

Earma Brown, 13 year author and book writing coach
Get a free Book Writing Course when you sign-up for iScribe newsletter on book writing, publishing and marketing. Send any email to iscribe@bookwritinghelp.com or visit her at How to Write a Book for more book writing resources and tips.

Everyday someone hops a train to start writing a book. Unfortunately as one person gets on the train to write a book there are several people who decide that it’s hopeless, they’ll never complete their book and get off the train.

My hope is that you will be the one who starts the journey of writing a book and stays on to completion. Staying on track to write a book is not without effort and diligence; even so you can do it with an easy road map (a system.) If you’re reading this article, I’m almost certain you’ll have to change your priorities, the times that you write and the amount that you write. This is why writing a book is so difficult for some because it requires you to change your priorities. Or at the least it requires you to move your book writing project to one of the top 3 priorities in your day.

Most of us, don’t want to change, we put our goal of writing a book at the bottom of our list and think voila, and someday soon I’ll have a book! In reality, this way it could be years before we reach our goal.

The people who get off the train of writing a book are most likely the ones who didn’t use a roadmap for success. They did not sit down and create a book writing plan. You must have a plan for your book writing; if you don’t then there’s no point in starting. You might be on a program that brings you close to finishing your book but because you didn’t have a plan or a practical goal you abandon it and say it was not working.

The road map for success in your book writing program is to have a specific, but sensible goal. Be specific about your book writing goal. Do not tell yourself that you would like to write a book by the end of this year. That is not a specific goal. You have not set a start date, you have not set an end date and you have not stated what book you would like to write.

A specific book writing goal is stating that you are going to start your book writing program on January 28th at 5:00 a.m. during which time you want to complete your 156-page book ‘10 Ways to Stop Divorce Before It’s Too Late’ and it will end at midnight on June 30. Be as precise as you can. Now you have the beginning of the road map to start your book writing journey.

Your next step in this plan is to be practical. Your goals have to consist of a goal that can be achieved. If you state that you would like to write a book in the next few weeks working a couple of hours a week, you are setting yourself up for failure. Not only will you not achieve this goal but also it will cause you to possibly give up because your plan was unrealistic.

Start your book writing plan with a goal that you know you will be able to achieve if you just challenge yourself to achieve. Writing a book in 6 weeks working at least 20 hours a week is something you can do and you will not have to say good-bye to your family and become a hermit to achieve it.

Don’t wait any longer; begin your book writing journey with a road map. Start seeing yourself writing and completing a book by your end date. Before you know it, you’ll have a finished book in your hand all because you started with a road map to guide you to the finish line.

Earma Brown is an expert in book writing and publishing advice.

She focuses on innovative and unique techniques to helping others get their book written in record time. She has been successful in using these techniques to write her own books and bring them to market faster.

For a limited time, you can claim the Jumpstart Writing Your Book mini course free at How to Write a Book

Get other FREE resources now at http://www.bookwritinghelp.com

Have you ever sat at your computer or with your writing pad and your mind is blank? The words just won’t come. You had a great plan to write a book but you are stuck. Or maybe you are feeling a little insecure and wonder if you will ever finish your book. You begin to feel that writing is such a lonely profession.

Fret no more! Did you know that you could have a cast of characters to draw from to help you finish your book? With this team you not only will complete your book but it will be the best book you’ve ever written because of the feedback you received while your were writing your book.

To get you started, below is a list of people you can include on your list. This cast can help you write and market your book.

Cast of Characters:

Writing Buddy: This person is awesome. A buddy that agrees to listen to your story as you write it, ask you questions to help you move the story forward, and agrees to follow up when you make an agreement to finish a part of the book by a specific date. Also, gives you support and encouragement.

Book and Publishing Coaches: These experts can save you a lot of time and grief. They know the field and can move you quickly through writing and publishing your book. However it is important that you are ready to write and commit to this endeavor. Don’t waste your money if you cannot commit some time on a regular weekly basis to write a book.

Cheerleaders: Family, friends, co-workers, clients, and prospects can help you market your book. Ask them if they would be willing to tell their friends and customers about your book when the time comes. Or on a casual basis you can tell them how your book is coming along. People love to be in on the beginning of a book idea. They will cheer you on if you let them in on the progress of your book

Interviewer: This is someone who agrees to listen to each chapter idea and then interview you on the chapter topic. Ask questions. Once a week you two will work together on a chapter of the book and record the session. Then you can take the recording and use the information in your book.

Researchers: College interns or library assistants can help you with any research you need. For a reasonable fee you can let someone else do this grunt work for you and you will stay on the creative side of writing.

Your Bookstore: Go to the bookstore once in awhile. Search the shelves for books like yours. Buy a book. Sit and have some coffee and enjoy the moment. You will feel more like an author every time you go to the bookstore.

Read the Acknowledgement page of books that will be similar to yours. Write down the names of editors and literary agents mentioned in the book. You may want to contact them when part of your book is done. Or ask one of your cheerleaders or research people to do this for you.

Reviewers: Make a list of people — no more than five — that are willing to review your book once the manuscript is done. Have a set of questions ready for them to answer — Is there anything that needs more clarification, is the continuity okay, etc. These are the people that review the book before it is in its final stage. You will want to implement some of the suggestions they make in your final draft.

Foreword Expert: Who is going to write the Foreword of your book? Make a list of potential experts. You want a recognized expert in your field if possible. Start collecting names and addresses.

Published Authors or Speakers: Gather the names of published authors and speakers that you meet at conferences and networking events. Ask them if you might contact them with questions you might have as you are writing your book. It is important to keep them informed if they agree because they can also be cheerleaders and marketers for your book.

Testimonials: Every book should have testimonials in it and on the book cover. Start making a list of people you want to give you testimonials for your book. Start a relationship with them as soon as you can. Especially those authors and speakers you have on your list.

Bloggers: Wouldn’t it be nice to have some bloggers write a review of your book in their Blog? Research Blogs for the ones you feel are the best ones to promote your book.

Do your homework, create your lists, and be prepared. You could save hours of writing time and stay on target with your cast of characters. Plus you will have a ready-made team of people who will market and promote your book when it is published. Writing is not such a lonely profession after all. In fact, it’s fun when you have built such a fantastic team that is rooting for your success.

Copyright 2008, Joan Clout-Kruse.

America’s Book Coach, Joan Clout-Kruse, helps entrepreneurs and business professionals write a biz book that will get them recognized as an expert, attract more clients and boost their income. Claim your Free audio and tips on writing your great book at http://www.WriteMyBizBook.com

“I want to write an eBook and make some money,” my earnest writer, Nancy, said to me. She heard that eBooks make money and she wanted to use this easy method rather than write a traditional book that takes much longer to publish.

There are thousands of articles on the Internet that show you how to write an eBook, but very few that tell you what you need to do to market and sell your eBook online.

Writing the eBook is the easy part. There are many other things that need to be done to sell your eBook. Listed below are some of the basic activities that need to be done so that people will come to your Website and buy your eBook and you will make money. If you don’t know what some of the terms I mention below mean, then start searching the Internet for these words and buy an eBook that covers this information.

1. Do your research
Before you begin writing, do your research. Research your area of expertise and determine if your eBook is likely to be profitable. Do an Internet search for your topic and see what eBooks are out there on your subject. Check out the prices. Soon you will know how to write an eBook with your niche that will sell.

2. Build a website that attracts traffic
First you have to have a place to sell your eBook. It must be traffic rich with keywords that attract a targeted traffic — people who already are looking for the type of eBook you have to offer. Build your keyword rich Website and the Internet surfers will come and visit you.

3. Build your list
Collect business cards at networking and speaking events. Add the names and email addresses to your autoresponder. Drive traffic to your Website by writing eZine articles on your subject and sending them to eZine article services. Offer a free report if they sign up for your newsletter which you will send to them once or twice a month. Oh yes, you have to get an autoresponder service to collect your names. Do an Internet search for “autoresponder” and you will find several services that offer this.

4. Write a sales page
Start looking at Websites that offer an eBook similar to yours. Check out their promotional sales letter. Would you buy the product based on their sales letter? If yes, then write a sales letter similar to theirs, but don’t copy word for word. Create your own exciting copy that will make people want to buy your eBook.

5. A Paypal account with a Paypal button on your sales page
Start with a Paypal account to use to sell your book and make money. Later, when your sales are bigger and you have more than one product to sell on your site you can sign up for a commercial credit card account.

6. Promote your book in forums, blogs, and social networking sites
On blogs and forums everytime you make a comment include your name, eBook title and Web address if possible. Sign up for Facebook, Linkedin and other social networking sites to promote your book and direct people to your site. Include a chapter, or part of one, on your networking sites to give people a taste of the eBook. There are eBook directories that can help promote your eBook.

7. Write articles for article directories
Writing articles of 600-1000 words and sending them to eZine article services is a good way to get people to come to your site. Check out the site EzineArticles as they have good articles on how to use them and the guidelines are similar for other services. This gets your name and Website address out there in Internet world and some people will come to your site and sign up for your eZine. Then you will have more names added to your list.

8. Joint Ventures
Team up with other eBook authors to cross promote each other’s eBooks. Promise to send referrals to each other and recommend each other’s products. It may be difficult at first if you don’t have a large list of names, but give it a try. If it is a good eBook partners may be interested in promoting your book for a 40-50% commission.

Selling your eBook takes weeks or months of work. Begin doing these activities while you are writing your eBook. Don’t wait until it is finished. Wouldn’t it be nice if you already had a built in list of names to announce your new eBook to? This can happen if you have been steadily acquiring business cards and adding them to your list. Plus get signups for the eZine (online newsletter) that you promised your subscribers you would send out once or twice a month.

Get started writing and submitting articles, building your website, building your list, creating your sales copy, posting to your blog, and getting joint venture experts to promote and sell your eBook.

Little did Nancy know that selling an eBook would take lots work. But if she takes some baby steps every day she will get it done in her own time, and so will you.

Copyright 2008, Joan Clout-Kruse. All rights reserved.

America’s Book Coach, Joan Clout-Kruse, helps entrepreneurs and business professionals write a book that will get them recognized as an expert, attract more clients and boost their income. Sign up for the Free Sneak Preview of Joan’s Writers Retreat where you’ll learn how to write, market and publish your book at http://www.BizBookWritersRetreat.com

A best seller is every author’s dream. You can write a best seller if you follow some key writing tips and it isn’t just the inside content. Besides helping your readers solve problems or achieve goals you need to focus on the book cover design. That is the key to getting readers to pick up your book and browse through it.

I recall years ago I was stuck figuring out how to accomplish some tasks. Working in corporate America at the time I was always challenged to try new ways to get things done: improve productivity, identify ways to improve the bottom line, write a report, etc. Some things I tried wouldn’t work. I realized that I had a fear: If I couldn’t do it I would go so far and if I got stuck I would stop.

Then one day as I meandered the bookstore I saw a book entitled, “Getting Unstuck: Breaking Through Your Barriers To Change,” by Dr. Sidney B. Simon. It was published in 1989 and it was a best seller.

The title caught my attention, “Getting Unstuck.” In fact it is a popular title that has been used dozens of times since 1989 and probably before that. With the book in my hand I read the rest of the front cover and the back cover. I opened it up and read the testimonials on the inside front cover and browsed the Table of Contents. I fanned through the pages to see if it was my kind of book: lots of sub-headings, some activities to practice and lots of white space.

“This is it,” I thought. “This is the book that has the answers for me.” I bought the book home and read it from cover to cover. I read that book over and over again, made notes, highlighted important sentences, did some of the activities, and in time I got unstuck. In fact I chose to leave corporate America and get out of my comfort zone and try new things: speaking, writing articles and books, and helping others achieve their goals.

It all started because I bought a book that helped me make a change in my life and know that I could do it with a plan.

Nonfiction books bring us many new ideas and ways to solve our problems or achieve our goals if we apply what we have learned to our lives. We purchase these books because of the change we believe they will make in our lives.

Are you writing a book that can help your reader like Dr. Simon’s book helped me? Let’s review the steps that attracted me to this book in the first place.

1. Attention-Getting Title. The title captured my attention because it was something I needed at the time. Be sure that your title is short but to the point. You can have a subtitle that describes it further.

2. Attractive Book Cover Design. The book cover design must catch the reader’s eye when browsing the many books in the bookstore. Even when searching on Amazon and other online bookstores the colors, artwork, illustrations and photo placed appropriately are important.

3. Sales Information on Back Cover. It is amazing how much can be put on the back cover. This is your sales piece. A brief bio, 2-3 testimonials, 3-4 benefits; all will entice your reader to go further and buy your book.

4. Testimonials on Inside Front Cover. Before your book is finished send a few chapters to people such as CEOs, Presidents, health professionals if your book is about health or fitness, and leaders in the community that are willing to give you a testimonial of 2-3 sentences. Better yet after asking and getting an okay to send you materials on the book, send them the book proposal you have already prepared. Remove the marketing and promotional information, as they aren’t interested in that. Send them everything else that pertains to the inside content of the book.

5. Eye-catching Titles for Table of Contents. Create great eye-catching titles for your Table of Contents that will intrigue your reader and make them want to see more.

6. Good Content is still King. If you have done a good job with these five elements for your book you could have a buyer for your book. Remember though, the most important thing is the content you write. It must be helpful information that your reader wants. It must be written in a way that your reader understands and can apply to his or her life. Your book must help your readers solve a problem, achieve a desired goal or be a book of inspiration.

Follow these tips: Have an attention-getting title, attractive book cover design, sales information on back cover, testimonials, terrific titles for your Table of Contents, and good content. You have the formula for a best seller!

Copyright 2008, Joan Clout-Kruse. All rights reserved.

America’s Book Coach, Joan Clout-Kruse, helps entrepreneurs and business professionals write a book that will get them recognized as an expert, attract more clients and boost their income. Sign up for the Free Sneak Preview of Joan’s Writers Retreat where you’ll learn how to write, market and publish your book at http://www.BizBookWritersRetreat.com