How To Make Your Booklet A Fun Read

When you write your booklet manuscript, you should think of it as a roadmap for your audience to follow.  Your information should NEVER be vague or leave your readers guessing as to what you’re really trying to say. The information should be easy to understand yet fun to read.

Relevant Information Only Please

Since a booklet is a small publication, you don’t have room for information that isn’t absolutely necessary.  You want to give the facts, or a taste of the whole, like giving the peanut butter and jelly without the bread.

Every word you write in your manuscript should be relevant to your subject and what you’re trying to tell the reader to do.  Words or phrases that are not relevant, or that confuse, or that add additional information that really isn’t necessary in order for the reader to get the idea, should be left out.

Your booklet should be jam-packed with useful information that is completely relevant to your subject. Anything less will bore your audience and leave them disappointed.

Make Your Writing Colorful

Being relevant doesn’t mean you have to be boring.  You want your information to be presented in way that is engaging. This not only gets your audience to read your booklet, it also gets them excited about it – hopefully to the extent that they will want to tell others about this great piece of information they have found.

So, how can you engage your readers?  By dressing up your writing a little and using some colorful words that help to create an image in the reader’s mind.   You want to avoid over using common words, and replace them with more colorful ones that your readers will still understand.

For example, instead of using the word excited, you might use “on fire,” or “fired up.”  You see this kind of thing all the time in advertising.  Instead of saying “raise” your income, you’ll see “skyrocket” your income.  It means the same thing, but the word ’skyrocket’ gives the phrase some extra oomph.

Don’t over do the more colorful words.  Think of them like seasoning.  Too much salt will spoil it.  You want just the right amount.

Give Complete Information

Your manuscript should give a complete picture. It won’t do your readers any good if your manuscript has some relevant facts, but not enough to give the reader a clear sense of what to do.  And no amount of colorful words will fix this problem either.

Your manuscript is really like a set of directions. Imagine you were driving to a place in a city you had never been to before.  If your road map only took you half way there, you would have a problem.  Just as you would need a complete set of directions to find that place in the city,  so your readers need complete information (although condensed to fit into a booklet) to be able to accomplish what your booklet promises they can.

Your booklet will be a fun read when the writing is relevant, colorful and complete. Make sure it is and your audience will ask you for more!

To your riches!

Kim

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Photos And Artwork – Can They Really Make Up For Bad Writing?

As an author and business owner, I do a lot of reading online to keep up with current trends.  Recently, I came across an article that had the audacity to state that good photos or artwork can make up for bad writing.  This blatant ignorance is an affront to everything I stand for as an author, and if you were to follow such careless advice you would quickly find that your booklet would not sell.

Why Good Writing Is Crucial To Your Riches

Good writing is important whether you’re creating an advertisement, an article, a book or a booklet.  When your customers purchase from you, they are making an investment. They are willing to make that investment because they believe that your information is valuable to them.  If, after they invest in your booklet, they discover that isn’t the case, they won’t buy from you again.  Therefore, good writing is crucial to your sales and your riches.

What Makes Good Writing?

What makes your writing good?  Your writing is good when it appeals to your audience and gives them the information they desire. It should be professional, but it should also speak directly to your market in their language.

Think about why you buy the publications you do – especially non-fiction publications.  If you needed to know how to fix a flat tire, and you bought a booklet you believed would tell you how to do that, but after reading it you still had no clue how to fix a flat tire, you would feel that you wasted your money on that booklet and you would try to find the information somewhere else.  Your audience is the same way.

Artwork And Photos Are Just The Icing On The Cake

No amount of artwork or photos will ever replace bad writing, no matter how beautiful the artwork or photos are.  Websites are proof of this.  Have you ever been to a really beautiful website that didn’t tell you anything or give you and information?  Most of us have.  And what do we do when we get there?  We leave.

Photos and artwork are simply the icing on the cake.  Your writing is the substance. It’s why people will buy from you.  Make it good and keep them coming back for more!

To your riches!

Kim

PS: Don’t forget to click on one of the links at the top right of this page to subscribe so you never miss a single, important post!  Remember, it only takes ONE idea to start the riches flowing to you!  Also, if you like this post, please share it on del.ic.ious or StumbleUpon, or the social website of your choice.  Thanks!

How To Write Great Content – 13 Ideas That Will Help You Write Your Best Every Time

Have you ever sat down to write and found that you just couldn’t get those first few words on the page?  This is something that every author struggles with at some time.  But, there are some things you can do to help your creative process.  Here are some ideas that will help you write your best every time.

1. Write when you’re alert and not tired. If you’re too tired, your mind will shut down and you won’t be able to think clearly.  Everyone has their best “time” to write.  Some authors are morning people, others are night owls.  Whenever you feel the most awake and alert, that is your best time to write.

2.  Eat Something. It’s difficult to concentrate when your stomach is growling.

3.  Use the bathroom before you sit down to write. Enough said.

4.  Clear your mind. You can’t write when you’ve got something else on your mind.  If there is something that is bothering you, take care of it first, and then write.

5.  Write when the mood strikes. While you can’t always afford to wait for the mood to strike you, when it does by all means take advantage of it!

6.  Write when or where it’s quiet. Noise and disruption will destroy your concentration.  Wait until the house is quiet, or go to a quiet place to write.

7.  Go somewhere beautiful. Sometimes it helps to get out of the house or away from the office.  Go to a park or beach, or somewhere peaceful and beautiful such as a garden.  A change of setting will do wonders for your creativity.

8.  Play classical music. Classical music is known for stimulating the brain.  Try playing a little Vivaldi softly in the background if you’re writing in a whimsical style.  Or, perhaps Mozart if you’re writing about something intense.  This technique works well for non-fiction as well as fiction writing.  Non-fiction writing has different styles and moods, just as fiction does.

9.  Get some exercise. This doesn’t have to be any kind of planned or daily exercise.  You might just walk to the grocery store or take the dog for a walk.  You could even put on some music and dance to it.  The point is to get your body moving.  This will make you feel energized and will help your thinking process.

10.  Drink caffeine. This isn’t something you should do in order to stay awake to write.  Rather, use it to perk you up during the day – as an energy booster.  But, don’t over do it.  Small amounts work best!

11.  Get organized. Make sure you have everything you need in front of you – note, interviews, etc. so that you don’t have to interrupt your writing to go and find these things.

12.  Unplug the phone and turn off your cell phone. You can’t write your best when you’re interrupted.

13.  Take care of yourself. This is the most important.  Make sure you eat healthy food and get enough rest.  You can’t write your best when your tired or sick.   Pamper yourself once in a while too!  It helps to clear your mind and ease stress.

Would you like to add your ideas to this list?  Please add them to the comments section below.  Maybe we can come up with 20 ideas, or 50, or even 100 or more!

To your riches!

Kim

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The “KISS” Principle For Booklet Authors

Booklet writing is all about getting your message out to your market in a fast and efficient manner.  It is fast and efficient for you, and fast and efficient for your readers.  A booklet is not a mini book.  It is not written like a book, and it doesn’t have the volume that a book contains.

The KISS Principle Re-Explained

When you create a booklet, you want to keep it short and simple.  This is the “KISS” principle for booklet authors.  Your booklet should be a short work unto itself, able to stand alone.  It must convey a clear, tightly focused message.  It should not give every last detail – only the most important ones.  And your booklet should be simple to understand, as well as simple in design.

Keep It Short

Sometimes it is difficult for authors to keep it short.  They have so much they want to say.  But, in the case of booklets, you must discipline yourself to be brief.  Brevity is a major selling factor of booklets.  It is what sets them apart from books.  If you could get the information you needed by reading 20 pages, would you really want to read 200?

Keeping your booklet short, however, applies to more than just the number of pages.  You also want to keep your paragraphs short.  Because, generally speaking, a booklet has a smaller page size than a book, the longer paragraphs you find in a book will overwhelm the pages of your booklet.  In fact, a paragraph from a single page in a book could take up more than one page of your booklet.  Therefore you must consider the space you have in your booklet and create your paragraphs accordingly.

Keeping it short also applies to your sentences and your words.  Short sentences are easier to read, and this makes your booklet both a fast and efficient read for your audience.  The same applies to your words.  If you’re using alot of big, complex words, you’ll probably lose most of your audience.  They won’t understand what you’re trying to tell them and this means they won’t buy from you again.

Why Simple Is Better

Short and simple go hand in hand.  By keeping your booklet’s length, paragraph, sentences and words short, you’re automatically keeping it simple.  But, simplicity goes beyond the length and grammar of your booklet.  You also want to keep your booklet’s design and construction simple.  That’s not to say you can’t have color or glossy pages if you want them, or that your booklet has to have some kind of plain Jane look to it.  But, it does mean that your booklet has a simplicity to it that makes it easy for people to understand it’s concept.  They know from looking at it what it is, and they don’t expect anything in depth or complex.

A simple design means an uncluttered cover with a clear title.  It means the colors on the cover don’t clash and are appropriate for your subject.  It means your design is eye appealing, not eye assaulting.

Remember the “KISS” principle when you create your next booklet.  When you do, your booklet will be created and on the market fast, and your audience will be excited to have such good information at their fingertips.

To your riches!

Kim

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The Secret To Having Devoted Fans And A Fat Wallet

Do you feel like you haven’t included enough information in your booklet’s manuscript?  Or, are you concerned about how you’re going to fit all the information you have into a small booklet?  Trying to put too much information into your booklet will actually work against you in terms of sales.

What Your Audience Wants From You

A booklet isn’t meant to be the final word or authority on your subject.  It’s just a little booklet.  It’s supposed to give the reader the basics, or the facts in a simplified manner that’s quick and easy to read.  People don’t expect a booklet to give them everything there is to know about a subject.  They’re only interested in the information they need right now.  This means your audience isn’t interested in all of the information about your subject.  They’re only interested in a small fraction of it.

Are You Wasting Time On An Impossible Task?

To illustrate this point, let’s use the example of weight loss.  There are literally thousands of publications that deal with this issue, from magazines to books to booklets to websites and blogs.  Why are they all so successful?  Because no single publication can corner the weight loss market.  There’s too much information and the market is too vast.  If you were to try and write a single publication that covered everything there is to know about weight loss, that publication would have to be divided into several volumes and it would fill an entire library and then some.  You would have to write about different body types, explain metabolism, talk about diseases that interfere with weight loss, discuss how age affects the body’s ability to lose weight, write about every diet that’s ever been tried and whether it’s known to work or not, review different weight loss products, and on and on and on.  It would be an impossible task.  And the same goes for your booklet.

How To Pare It Down

Your goal for your booklet should not be to include all the information available on your subject.  Using the weight loss industry example above, if you wanted to create a booklet about weight loss you wouldn’t cover every aspect of the issue.  Each aspect is a special gem.  You would choose one, such as how age affects the body’s ability to lose weight.  And, this one gem is actually made up of several smaller crystals, each one a gem in itself.  And so, you might break this down and come up with a booklet about weight loss for those over 40, or for baby boomers, or for seniors.  And even within each of these groups there is tons of information you could discuss.  You will have to pare down the information so that the reader gets what they want, without any clutter of information they don’t want or need.  Your booklet should be a tightly written product that presents one issue, one small slice of a greater whole.

Your Rewards – Devoted Fans And A Fat Wallet

When your information in your booklet is tightly focused, it does two things.  First, it tells your readers that this booklet was written just for them.  Your booklet will be just what they need, just when they need it.  And second, it leaves room for you to create more booklets and other products about your subject.  If you were to give your audience everything they needed to know about your subject in your first booklet, they would have no reason to return to you for more.

Don’t try to pack as much information as you possibly can into your booklet.  Make your focus a narrow one.  Give valuable information, but keep it very tightly niched.  When you do, your audience with thank you for it and your wallet will grow fat!

To your riches!

Kim

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How To Find Material From Which To Write Your Booklet

Do you want to write a booklet, but you’re concerned that there isn’t enough material for you to research from which to write it?  The best way to write a booklet is to glean from the knowledge you already possess.  But, when you don’t possess enough knowledge to create your booklet or you need additional information, you will need to reference outside sources.  Fortunately, today this is easy to do.  Here are three ways you can get the information you need.

The Internet

Today, we have at our disposal more information than we will ever need or be able to use.  The internet is a valid resource for doing research, as long as the information you get from it is credible.  One problem with doing research online is that anyone can post anything, anywhere at anytime.  People are full of opinions and agendas, and you must be certain that the information you use in your research fits with your agenda for your booklet.  You also want to be sure that the information you are looking at or reading is true.   If it isn’t, you’ll be seen as a fraud and you’ll lose credibility with your market.

The Library

Your local library probably has plenty of books on your subject or a closely related one.  Books tend to be more credible than information found online, although anyone today can easily write and publish a book.  Once again, you must be sure that the content you read fits your booklet’s agenda and that the information is from a credible source and it is true.

Aside from your local library, there are also special libraries, such as college and university libraries, and medical libraries, where you can find the information you need.

The Expert

Another way you can get information is by talking to an expert.  This can be something formal where you pay the expert for their time, or it can be informal, such as when the expert is a friend and you meet for coffee or lunch (and yes, you should pick up the tab!).

As expert who deals with your subject every day or on a frequent basis will be very knowledgeable and will be able to give you special insight that you may not find online or in a book.  There is a big difference between reading about something and actually experiencing it.  If you haven’t had the experience from which to write about your subject, finding an expert who has will be very valuable to you.  Not only can they give you information, but they can also point you to other resources that might be helpful to you.

There are many resources you can use to find the information you need to write your booklet.   And, the more research you do, the more knowledge you will gain – making you an expert in your subject!

To your riches,

Kim

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How To Use The Seinfeld Method For Writing A Booklet

Back before Seinfeld hit the airwaves, the idea for the show was presented something like this:

Producer:  What’s the show about?

Seinfeld:  Nothing.  That’s what makes it so unique.  It’s a show about nothing.

Producer:  Hmmm.  A show about nothing.  I don’t think viewers will tune in every week, but let’s see what you’ve got.

Of course, Seinfeld was really about something, but that something wasn’t easily definable.  It was something different.  What Seinfeld was really about was normal every day living and friendships.  It was comical and fun, but it was unique and that’s why people tuned in and made the show a hit.

Seinfeld And Booklets

What’s this got to do with booklets?  Plenty!  When you write your manuscript, you need it to be about something.  A booklet that simply re-hashes old information and presents nothing new, or doesn’t present it’s content as being important or interesting will never fly.  To get your booklet off the ground you’ve got to give people a reason to “tune in,” or read your content.

Weight Loss – An Example

For example, plenty has been written about the subject of weight loss, especially in the United States.  It would seem that everything that could possibly be said about the subject of weight loss has been said, and that people are bored to death with it.   The last thing we need is another book about weight loss.  What else could be said that hasn’t been said already?  We’ve got weight loss books for men, women, children, the elderly, weight loss for your blood type, and even weight loss for your pets!

A New Perspective On Weight Loss

But, what if you gave weight loss a new perspective?  What if you decided to write a weight loss booklet using the characters from Seinfeld?  Sure, you’d need to get permission, a special license, and probably share some of the profits, but now you’ve got something, and that something is very unique.  Now you’re not writing a bland, boring text.  Anything that includes Seinfeld can’t be a dull read.

The Seinfeld Method

Consider this the next time you sit down to write a booklet or any other type of content.  Make sure your content is interesting and that it is truly about something.   This is what I call the Seinfeld Method for writing booklets.   Beating around the bush, hemming and hawing, droning on and on and re-hashing re-hashed material will only bore your market.  Beef it up!  Take the ordinary, like Seinfeld did, and make it extraordinary.  The riches will follow.

To your riches,

Kim

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Writing Your Content – Do You Know What Your Readers Want?

When you decide to create a booklet, chances are you’ll do it because of what having that booklet on the market means to you – notoriety, money, working where you want to when you want to, having more freedom to do as you please, living a better lifestyle.  But, before you can have what you want, you must give your readers what they want.

Who Are You Trying To Please?

If you write a booklet only to please yourself, your readers will know.  A booklet created only for the purpose of making a profit will be lacking in that certain something that connects with the reader.  You may give all the facts in your booklet correctly, but something will be missing.  The reader may not quite be able to figure out just what it is, but they will sense it.  What’s missing is your concern for the reader and their needs or wants.  If you fail to fulfill this on any level, they won’t want to buy from you.

What Your Readers Want

In order to please your readers you must make a connection with them.  This means knowing what they want or need from you in the way of content, and then not only giving them that, but going above and beyond to give them something more than what they require.  This is how you ‘wow’ your readers and keep them coming back for more.  It becomes obvious to them very quickly that you know what you’re talking about, you know them and you know what they want or need.

For example, if you were to create a booklet about infant care for new mothers, you would want to do a little more than just cover the basics.  Anyone who has had a baby could give the new mother tips on how to care for her newborn.  You need to make a special connection with her.  So, in addition to feeding, bathing, sleeping, and entertaining her newborn, you might also include a special section just for her about new mother care.  This special section might tell her how to make sure she gets enough rest, how to divide her time when she has other children at home who also need her attention, how to make sure the laundry gets done and the meals get cooked, and how to avoid becoming overwhelmed.  This special section of your booklet lets the new mom know that you created the booklet with her in mind.

No matter what kind of booklet you decide to write, you must make a connection with your readers.  Show them that you understand what they’re going through, what they need or what they want.  When you give your readers what they want, you will get what you want!

To your riches,

Kim

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Writing Your Booklet’s Content – How To Find The Treasure Chest

When you first come up with a topic for your booklet, you’re probably thinking about the topic from a surface point of view.  But, you must dig deeper in order to create a salable product and make money.

A Bird’s Eye View Of Your Topic

Here is an example of thinking about your topic from a surface point of view.  Imagine you want to write a booklet about popular vacation spots for baby boomers.  You have chosen your niche – baby boomers – and you may be thinking that’s enough to make your booklet attractive to that particular market.  With this kind of thinking, you would simply list the most popular vacation spots and be finished.  But, that’s not enough.

Think of it this way.  Your topic is like an ocean.  If you were a bird flying over that ocean, you would see the water on the surface.  In the same way, merely listing all the popular vacation spots for baby boomers is like only scratching the surface of information that you can give to your readers.

Exploring The Depths Beneath The Surface

As a booklet author, you want to give your readers more than just the bird’s eye view.  You want to dive below the surface to give them more in-depth information.  Using our ocean example, here is how this is done.

When you were a bird and you flew over the ocean, all you could see was the watery surface.  Now, imagine you are a fish.  As a fish, you have a very different view than the bird does.  You can see how the light goes from being bright near the water’s surface, to getting dimmer and finally fading into darkness as you go deeper and deeper below the surface.  You can see many kinds of fish – some friendly and some to watch out for.   You can see plant life growing up from the bottom.  You can see sand.  You can see a ship that sank many centuries ago.  You can see a treasure chest.

The Treasure Chest

Did you think the treasure chest was on the ship?  It isn’t.  The ship is the treasure chest.  So are the other fish, and the way the light fades from bright to total darkness.  All of these things make up a rich treasure under the ocean that you can’t see if you are bird.  You can only see them as a fish.

Getting back to your booklet, when you choose a topic, you want to dig deeper into that subject and find good information your readers will really be able to use.  Anyone can get online and pull up a list of popular vacation spots for baby boomers, or for families, or just about any other niche you can think of.  But, the rich author is the one who looks for much more than that.  The rich author will look for the friendly fish – the things that will be helpful in deciding where to stay and what to do, or which vacation spot is best and why.  The rich author will also look for the predators – things to watch out for when planning that vacation, such as weather patterns at various times of the year or pricing scams.  The rich author will bring these things to light for the reader.

The One Question To Ask That Will Help You Get It Right Every Time

This can all be summed up in one simple question.  When you think of a topic to write a booklet about, ask yourself, “How can this information be used?”  If you find that there is no specific use for the information, you need to dive beneath the surface.  If you can’t find anything beneath the surface, you need to choose another topic.

When you write a booklet, you don’t want to be a bird or a fish.  The bird can’t see what’s beneath the surface.  The fish can.  But, the fish can’t see the whole ocean.  The fish can only see one small part at a time.  You need both views to be able to write a salable booklet.  Then, you need to choose the most important things from the fish’s view to include in your information.

To your riches!

Kim

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How To Get Content For Your Booklet When You Don’t Have Enough

Are you worried that you can’t come up with enough content to fill up a booklet?  Many people have this fear, but it’s an unfounded one.  It’s another excuse that’s holding you back from achieving your goals and getting your riches.

You can’t possibly know just how much information you’ve got until you start writing.  Once you do begin writing your booklet, you’ll probably find that you’ve got more information than you thought you did.  In fact, you’ll most likely have enough information for two or more booklets.  This is what happens to many writers when they create a booklet.  They have so much information that they can’t fit it all into one booklet!

If it does turn out that your information falls short of 16 pages, that’s ok.  You can get information from other sources.  The internet is a viable resource as is your local library.  You can even go to the bookstore to find more information on your subject.

Also, there are some simple ways you can add to your information without having to write an entire page of text.  For example, in my Simple Tips & Recipe series, I have included several lists as well as a page of tips which readers will find helpful.  These were easy to do and took little time to put together.  I felt they were a natural and necessary part of my booklet’s content.  You may find that including lists or tips will naturally go with your content too.  Or, you may decide to include them as something extra.

Another thing you might include in your booklet is a check list.  If a check list is relevant for your topic, by all means include it.  However, don’t add one just for the sake of adding it.  Be sure it has a true purpose for being included and that it would be useful to your audience.

How about a photo or two to liven up your pages?  Photos are great in how-to booklets when they show how to do something or how something should look.

A page that lists resources for more information is another possibility for you to include.

Don’t think of your manuscript as a big, long writing chore.  It isn’t.  It’s a helpful resource.  You don’t have to have tons of text.  You just need to have enough helpful information to have a marketable product.

Now that this excuse is erased, you can start writing!

In my next post, I’ll deal with the mother of all excuses!

To your riches,

Kim

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