a.k.a writer

a.k.a writer

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6 Tips for Writing a Killer Bio and About Me Page

January 13, 2010 — 9 Comments

One of my priorities for the New Year is to refresh and refine the pieces I use to market my freelance copywriting services. This includes my LinkedIn profile, letters of introduction, resume and portfolio. Most importantly, this includes my all forms of my bio, which also means that pesky “About Me” section on my website.  (It’s not updated yet, just in case you decide to check my work. EDITOR’S NOTE: I posted a revised “About” page on January 25.)

About Me imageSo why am I telling you this? Writing about myself is extremely hard for me. I love writing bios and related pieces for other people, especially entrepreneurs and business owners. Those gigs often come with “I get paid for this?” joy.

What about you? Do you struggle to write about yourself? From a two-sentence “about the author” for an essay to query letters to marketing materials, writers do have to sell themselves with words on a daily basis. I’ve been fortunate to have fellow writers and editors who trade drafts with me for feedback and creative suggestions. Of course, I could hire another writer to do it for me, but this is something I know I need to conquer.

While I’m working on my bio and one for a talented photographer, I thought I’d share my tips for creating a kick-ass “about me” piece.

  1. Know your audience. This is basic to any writer—especially any copywriter—but it’s worth repeating here. Depending on what you hope to accomplish with your bio, you may need to develop more than one version. The longer bio I use for copywriting is drastically different than the short paragraph I use in conjunction with essay submissions.
  2. Don’t wear the “Hello, My Name Is…” badge. While you do need to demonstrate your skills and experience, you can do it creatively. Weave it in as you show what you’ve done to help your customers instead of listing in a lengthy, time-line fashion. My current bio leans too much in the timeline direction, so that’s one of my priority revisions.
  3. Solve a problem. It’s the same philosophy I recommend for effective letters. Show the client (or potential client) what you can do for them. Using this approach is also a good way to avoid too many uses of “I” or your name in your bio or about me page. If you’re focusing on an “about me” page on a blog, let your readers know what they can gain from reading your posts.
  4. Do as you say. If you state that your clients love your ability to write short, snappy copy yet your bio is laden with long, heavy sentences, you’re going to leave potential customers scratching their heads—or moving on to another copywriter. However, if done deliberately, contradictions can work in your favor. For example, I’ve been hired to write creative, zippy short content for traditionally dry subjects (e.g., food and beverage manufacturing). My bio needs to reflect that I understand these traditionally “serious” industries—and that I can write with zing.
  5. Be competitive. You can also call this one “be distinctive.” Check out other writers in your niche to see how they describe themselves. Then showcase what makes you unique. It’s not necessary that you prove you’re better. It’s about making sure you stand out in the reader’s mind.
  6. Give ’em a takeaway. If you could only use a one-sentence bio, what would it say? Try to incorporate this sentence into your longer piece. Approach it with the attitude of what you’d say if the reader remembers only one thing about you.  This sentence is something you can use in other areas, such as one of your social media profiles, so it’s worth the time to get it right. This is the key sentence in my current bio: “With humor and insight, Jesaka makes even the most mundane ‘eat-your-vegetables’ messages seem savory, sweet and tangy.”

What about you? Do you have suggestions for writing bios? What’s your experience been in writing about yourself in order to market your work? Please share in the comments below.

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Rescuing Writing That Feels Like Overworked Cookie Dough

December 14, 2009

One of the hardest things for me to do as a writer is to turn off my inner editor and just write. I’m getting better about actually allowing myself to get the words onto the page. That said, I really enjoy revisions. Whether it’s fine-tuning and delicately tweaking web copy or slashing extraneous paragraphs in an essay, I find revising to be fulfilling.

But there needs to be a stopping point. This past fall, I penned copy for a marketing campaign and website as part of a project that included a creative director and several mulitple writers who were responsible for other products. The group was great for brainstorming and it was refreshing to hop on the phone for an impromptu headline bantering session.

At one point in the project, however, I realized that my copy was stiff and no longer pliable. Had I baked it, the result would have been the equivalent of cookies that tasted like cardboard. And, when you’re hired (like I was) to make a something traditionally “boring” sound new and snazzy, dry copy is a big, fat fail.

What happened? I was writing around too many “sacred” phrases that weren’t necessary to the message—but they were precious to someone else. So here’s what I did to resuscitate my writing:

  • Open a blank page. While I was careful to keep in mind the edits I’d received and the essence of what the copy needed to sell, I rewrote the text in a new document. The act of writing from scratch infused the words with new energy. Sometimes a blank page can be your friend.
  • Create a hybrid. Once I’d created a fresh draft, I turned on my editor mode and merged what I liked from the new with what had worked well from the old. It’s like adding a small bit of fresh, cold water to revive dough that’s dried out.
  • Walk away. Getting some distance from your copy can make a tremendous difference—especially if you do something to raise your own energy level. A walk in the park, a swim, dancing around your house or playing fetch with a pet.
  • Turn to inspirations. If you’re on a tight deadline and can’t walk away or give yourself a break, turn to things that inspire and uplift you. Things that help you start a project—like music—can often help you when you’re stuck.
  • Be confident. I realized that I had succumbed to believing the other writers on the project were better than me because they had more experience with the particular industries. But we were hired for very different reasons and my expertise was delivering creative marketing copy—and the client wanted originality. That meant I had to believe in myself and, when necessary, defend the copy to keep it lively, not over-floured with too much industry-specific language.

Your turn. Have you rescued copy that turned into overworked dough? How did you do it? Or have you had to completely start over? How did you handle it? Please share your opinions and experiences in the comments below.

Photo attribution: (note, the cookie dough shown is not overworked) http://www.flickr.com/photos/sweetbeetandgreenbean/ / CC BY-NC 2.0

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Cognitive Connection December 4

December 4, 2009 — 1 Comment

Many of the blogs I regularly read have been on fire this week! It was hard to choose which posts to showcase here. If you found a particularly powerful post this week, please be sure to share it in the comments.

Did you read anything that particularly stuck with you this week? Share, please! The floor is yours.

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A 50/50 Post: How Writers Undermine Their Own Voices

December 2, 2009 — 6 Comments

This blog article needs your input, that’s why it’s labeled a “50/50 post.” It relies on your experience, opinions and sharing. Consider it a close cousin to an open thread. I’ll use these 50/50 posts for topics that especially call for a variety of insights. Get ready to speak up in the comments!

A strong, distinctive voice is the strongest tool a writer can have. Achieving such a “tool” requires exercise, feedback and ongoing improvement. I recently attended a reading by Lit author Mary Karr, and she was amazing. If you’re looking for a stellar example of a well-defined writer’s voice, Karr is one of the best. When an audience member asked her for advice to memoir writers, Karr said that it’s about voice. To paraphrase: If you get the voice right, everything else will follow.

That can be said for many writing projects, from a freelance website copywriting gig to a personal essay to a magazine article to a blog post. If you’re in the market for tips on discovering or developing your writer’s voice, you can find help here and here.

Now, let’s take a closer look at what can undermine your voice. These are sneaky habits or phrases you may not realize you’re using until someone else points them out.

  • “I think…” If you are trying to persuade or establish yourself as an expert, using “I think” weakens your argument. When I’m editing others’ works, it’s one of the first things I cut. It can come across as timid, unsure or even weak. Unfortunately, it’s a habit that particularly plagues women. Be brave—state what you want to say without trying to preface it.
  • Being passive. Unless you’re deliberately using it as character development, it’s best to avoid using passive language. It can weigh your prose down, making your voice sound slow and heavy. Using active verbs can help you build energy into your words and keep your readers engaged.

Okay, so this is where we start sharing.

What’s a third way that writers undermine their own voices? Has someone given you a great tip that you can pass on to fellow readers here? Have you helped someone develop his or her voice? How did you do it? Please share in the comments below.

Photo attribution: http://www.flickr.com/photos/daveknapik/ / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

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5 Ways to Use Your Leftover Words to Dish Up New Writing

November 30, 2009 — 3 Comments

With magazines, blogs and TV talk shows hyping new recipes for using the leftovers from the turkey meals so many of us had last week, I thought I’d share how remnants of your writing can be transformed into a fresh dish.

I keep writing scraps everywhere, from electronic files to tiny notebooks and wrinkled sticky notes. When I need new ideas for my personal writing, I’ll rifle through old drafts, seeking that one snippet that can inspire a new blog post or essay. A former co-worker loved to tease me about my “vintage” email, but I frequently used old messages to find new ideas.

It can work with clients, too.

A client loved a sentence we ended up deleting from one campaign. During the kick off meeting for a new demand generation series, she asked if we could build a campaign based on the seven words we’d left on the cutting room floor.

You don’t have to be a syllable hoarder to craft new copy featuring abandoned phrases. Here are five ways leftover words can be your muse.

  1. Events. Sometimes an event can feel like relevant back-story or character development in an early draft but, as the story takes shape, it can become a tangent. Revisit events that didn’t make the final cut. For example, a description of a fight didn’t make the final essay. I reused that scene to build a new piece—and it actually worked well as a stand-alone event.
  2. Characters. Maybe you’ve tried to introduce a secondary character in a novel you’re writing, but he or she never seems to gel with the plot. Use that character to build a story—maybe this guy (or girl) deserves the spotlight.
  3. Descriptions. If you’ve written detailed character or place descriptions, but then trimmed back the text, those leftover descriptions could be the seeds to something new. You could find the basis for a short story, personal essay or other piece of creative prose.
  4. Perspective. A snipped piece of dialogue could be the genesis for a whole new approach, especially if you’re not writing in first person. You could find that a story suddenly clicks because you’re focusing on telling the situation through another character’s perspective. Or maybe exploring that discarded dialogue from another perspective could help you develop a layered piece that connects with readers on a more emotional level.
  5. Update. This can be especially powerful for a blog piece, giving you an opportunity to update your readers on a situation, event, resource or idea. I recently ran Reprise: Ode to FM Sunday Mornings as an update to the original because, one year later, I was able to reconnect with the person who’d inspired the post.

Have you found revisiting old drafts or retired emails has inspired you to write something new? How did you do it? Please share in the comments below.

Photo attribution: http://www.flickr.com/photos/cafemama/ / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

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SEO, Oh No! Repetition Can Cause Writers Shame

October 28, 2009 — 3 Comments

My blog piece on ridding your writing of repetition has made the rounds, appearing on several other blogs and social media sites. So you’d think I know how to follow my own tips and spot words I overuse. SEO. Image courtesy of stock.xchng®

Or not.

Out of curiosity, I recently ran my blog through a website grader, which also included an SEO analysis. Really, it was a graph of the words appearing most frequently here. There were the usual suspects, like writing, reading and freelancing. But there was one shocking four-letter word that appeared in the top 10. I’m using it again here and then never again. Ready?

Just.

Of the thousands upon thousands of words here, how could I have used that one so frequently and not caught it?

If you’re a writer who does any self-editing at all, you know the tricks for avoiding mistakes in a single post. But how do you catch yourself over months—or years—of writing?

Well, obviously, you can use a website grade that measures SEO and screen for overused words. You could also randomly pick a batch of posts and ask someone you trust to give you direct feedback to read them.

You can also ask your readers for feedback, like this:

Readers, have you noticed words I use too frequently? Don’t be shy! Tell me in the comments.

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What I Learned from Group Blogging

August 26, 2009 — 2 Comments

In thinking about what I’ve learned in this past year of blogging, I also thought about my stint with the Blood-Red Pencil, a group blog (or “grog”) run by professional editors. red ribbon gift. Image courtesy of stock.xchng®It’s a really diverse mix of manuscript editors and writers who pool their talents to help readers improve their writing as well as gain a peek into the publishing process. The editors were also encouraged to use the Blood-Red Pencil as a platform to help grow their individual businesses.

Although I enjoyed participating in the group blog, I had to bow out early this summer due to client workload.   It was a valuable experience and one that I would definitely do again, especially if I found the right group.

Here’s what learned from being a group blogger.

Expectations should be clear.

  • One of the lessons we learned with the Blood-Red Pencil (BRP) is that we needed to tell prospective members what they were required to contribute each month. When I first started, we had a pretty full roster and always had content. As schedules, business and personal matters demanded more attention, we found ourselves with a shortage of posts. Several individuals began posting multiple times per week to keep our daily content goal – but it was not sustainable.
  • So, as a collective, we decided that each member was responsible for two posts per month. A pretty small ask, especially when you were allowed to use posts from your own blog (as long as they were at least one month old). From then on, all new members were told of this expectation up front and were required to deliver on their commitment within a certain time frame.

A group blog is, well, a group effort.

  • While many of the BPR members were exceptionally dedicated and provided extra content during lean times, one person in particular carried the heaviest load. Birds of a feather. Image courtesy of stock.xchng®She was the one who kept bloggers accountable and on task. She also approved postings, supplied our analytics and encouraged us to promote the blog.
  • If you form a blog as a group, these responsibilities can – and should be – spread out among all the members. A blog with daily postings (seven days a week) is a heft responsibility. It takes everyone committing fully be successful … and to stay sane!
  • One of the reasons I left the BRP was that I could not help with promoting the blog like I knew I should. Just providing my two posts per month was not enough and I couldn’t stand the thought that others were carrying extra work because of me.

Subject matters.

  • The subject and content of the blog is extremely important – and so is experience. One of the interesting things about the BRP was that it included a range of skills levels, though most were established professionals. The “newbie” of the group used her inexperience to create a fun and educational advice column, with her posing questions to the seasoned editors. With a group, it’s important to either set requirements for skills or know how each member of the blog can best contribute.
  • While the BRP also featured posts from writers who were learning about editing or had industry-specific insights to share, I was a bit of an anomaly. I’d done some manuscript editing but had zero experience with self-publishing, which was an extremely popular topic for the BRP editors. Most of my editing work was with corporate products, including training manuals. It was a bit of a stretch from the posts my fellow editors were crafting about fiction and mystery manuscripts!
  • As my days were filled with branding and marketing projects, it was harder for me to write editing-centric posts that would truly add value to the Blood-Red Pencil. It was hard to say farewell, but I still enjoy keeping up with several of the editors I met through the blog.

A group blog can be a great experience and benefit to everyone involved. I hope to do it again some day. If you are interested in group blogging, you may want to read ProBlogger’s Let Me Show You Inside a Secret Blogging Alliance.

Although the seven people in the “alliance” kept their blogs separate, their support of one another is similar to what I experienced with a group blog.

Do you have experience grogging or have tips for successful group blogging? Please share in the comments. The floor is yours!

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Four Favorite Writing-Related Books: The Quick-Grab Shelf

June 28, 2009

writing-book_Old-Friend-From-Far-AwayWhen I moved from Seattle to Denver last winter, there was no denying my love for reading or my collection of books. The proof: more than 50 book boxes. No joke!

My walls are lined with bookshelves, but there are a few writing-related books that stay within easy reach and frequently find themselves on my desk. Here are four such books. *The links below go to the authors’ websites.

Old Friend From Far Away: The Practice of Writing Memoir by Natalie Goldberg. Like a writing class collected into 310 pages, this great book also contains thoughtful exercises to help you recall memories. writing-book_AP-Stylebook-2009Anyone with an interest in writing memoir or essays based on personal experiences can gain great insight and guidance from Goldberg.

The AP Stylebook (also known as “The Journalist’s Bible”). Ask any aspiring editor the first book I recommend and they will tell you it’s this. It’s been my go-to style manual for many years. Even though you can get an annual subscription and look up everything online, I still keep a hardcopy within arm’s reach at all times. Familiar with this book? You’ll also get a kick out of following @APStylebook on twitter.

writing book_My So-Called Freelance Life My So-Called Freelance Life: How to Survive and Thrive As a Creative Professional for Hire by Michelle Goodman. Since my honey did most of the driving between Seattle and Denver, I re-read this amazing resource and mapped out my plan for launching a.k.a writer. From tips on reaching out to potential clients to planning for quarterly estimated taxes, Goodman offers frank how-tos for aspiring as well as seasoned freelance writers. I still refer to this book for a refresher – or a second opinion.

Only As Good As Your Word by Susan Shapiro. More memoir than how-to, Shapiro shares her writing journey and quest to be a freelance writer with wit and wisdom. writing-book_Only-As-Good-As-Your-WordSince I don’t live close enough to New York to take one of her classes, at least I can pick up pointers as Shapiro shares personal experience as well as writing lessons from her favorite literary gurus.

Your turn. What are your favorite go-to books related to writing?
Share what makes them so special – and useful – to you.

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