Articles archived for March 2010

I may be overly sensitive to “hard topics”. I remember getting scolded by my high school newspaper advisor for using the headline “Death of a Writer”, when a bestselling author died. “You always use the person’s name, his age, and the verb ‘dies.’ That’s it. Don’t be clever. Someone died, it’s solemn and serious.”

Got that? As a timid tenth grader looking to absorb every bit of news writing knowledge I could, I sure did.

Most writers face a circumstance where they have to write a difficult piece. Whether it’s coverage of a national or international disaster, an obituary for a loved one, or a local tragedy for your hometown paper, these assignments are never easy. But they are only as hard as we decide they have to be.

I recently covered a fire that ravaged one of the elementary schools where my husband works, burning the school to the ground. This made me think about the editorial I wrote for a school music education publication shortly after 9-11. The obituaries I’ve written. My story featuring the Columbine High School band director after the shooting.

How did I handle all of these? I don’t think the stories were particularly challenging, but they required tact and grace and, perhaps even more so than other topics, the right words. What else should you keep in mind when you write about tragic topics?

Reach for the heart with storytelling and details. Facts are fine, but tragic stories give us rich opportunities to really reach our readers’ hearts. If you can find the perfect anecdote, share it. Don’t be afraid to get personal, as long as you do so with tact, grace and sensitivity.

Use humor tactfully. One anecdote from the weeks following September 11, 2001, stands out in my mind. I went to the local Starbucks with my editorial assistant a few days after the towers fell, and we got in line behind a woman who was complaining loudly that she wanted a refund. She was giving the barrista a hard time and — being regulars there — our hearts went out to him. Her problem? Her latte didn’t have enough foam. For those who know coffee, cappuccino has plentiful foam. A latte does not. The story struck me and my friend as so funny, I used it as the basis for my editorial, to segue into talking about what is really important in life.

Get the facts right. People are hypersensitive in times of tragedy (just think about latte lady). They will notice if you write a beautiful story but get a fact or two wrong. Additionally, rumors and misinformation fly during disasters. Check to make sure names are spelled correctly and take nothing for granted. Fact check everything.

Make sure you have something to say. After the hurricanes in Haiti, a lot of bloggers capitalized on the popularity of the keyword with articles that loosely tied into the hurricanes. If you have something significant and unique to say about a global or local tragedy, write about it. But don’t look for a tie-in just to capitalize on keyword searches. It’s the cyber-equivalent of going to a funeral to pick up girls.

Use the opportunity to do good. When I covered the fire at South Bay Elementary School for Long Island Exchange, I wanted to spotlight local businesses who were helping. I also wanted to do what I could myself by spreading the word but, as the business and technology columnist, I had to find the right angle. Long Island Exchange is a locally-targeted website, and the fire has been big news for more than a week here on Long Island. I wanted to make sure the story had relevance for my readers and I felt it was important to include a call to action. The school is collecting donations of books, school supplies and, most importantly, cash or gift cards, to help their re-building efforts and to continue teaching in the interim. That was the point I wanted to make.

All the “hard” stories I’ve written have had a specific purpose — a statement that aimed to change people’s perspectives or to help them in a similar situation. When I wrote about September 11, I wanted people to slow down and appreciate what they had (even if all they had was a latte with no foam). When I wrote about Columbine, I did so with the clear intention of showing music teachers their role in helping students get through difficult times. When I write obituaries, I aim to evoke good memories about the deceased.

Knowing why you’re covering a topic is the key. When your intentions are pure, your passion and sincerity shows. As the Bible notes, our words can move mountains. Use them –and choose them — with care.

I’ll leave you with two quotes that are good to remember when you tackle tough topics.

South Bay Elementary School fire photograph by T.J. Allcot
Visiting Grave photograph by Marcus Lindström

by Laura Cross

Book industry insiders estimate that ghostwriters author 60% to 80% of books published each year. And with book ghostwriting fees range from $10,000 to $100,000 per project — $10,000 being the very low end and $100,000 usually paid to more established writers (“celebrity” ghostwriters earn $250,000+ per book) – more and more freelance writers are discovering that authoring books as a “hidden writer” or collaborator can be a viable and lucrative career.

Here are three secrets to help you create a successful career as a book ghostwriter:

1. Learn How To Capture The Client’s Voice

The ability to capture and convey the client’s voice is an essential component for a successful career as a ghostwriter. Being able to effectively structure content and manage a project are also necessary skills for ghosting, but the ability to mimic the client’s speaking style and make it come alive on paper is the skill that will land you recurring, high-paying projects. Carefully listen to the client during your interviews and conversations (and review any available audio – videos, podcasts, etc. – as well previously published material written by the client) to learn how he or she structures sentences. Listen for specific phrases, word patterns, vocabulary choices, and tone, texture, and energy – and then practice recreating it until your words and the client’s words blend seamlessly.

2. Position Yourself As One Of The Experts In Your Niche

Are you the go-to writer for women’s fitness and health? Do you mostly write narrative essays or opinion pieces? Are you the how-to article guy or the relationship advice guru? Are you a freelance writer with a background in accounting or experience in social media? Ghostwriters who specialize in specific genres (such as memoir, finance and investing, or women’s issues) tend to be more successful than those who generalize. Capitalize on your experience and expertise by focusing your ghostwriting in one to three areas of specialization. Use your portfolio and online presence (website, blog, social media profiles and interactions) to establish and build your platform. Consistently deliver quality content and exceptional customer service to solidify and maintain your status.

3. Connect With Literary Agents

Literary agents are one of the best referral sources for quality ghostwriting projects. Many experts, business leaders, entrepreneurs, politicians, actors, television celebrities, sports figures, chefs, doctors, professors, gurus, and media-darlings-of-the-moment, lack the necessary skills to write a compelling book. Literary agents need to match their clients with professional ghostwriters or collaborators. Connecting with literary agents, and growing and nurturing those relationships over time, is an invaluable element to a successful ghostwriting career. (You can download a free chapter on “Finding and Selecting an Agent” from my book The Complete Guide To Hiring A Literary Agent at GetALiteraryAgent.com)

Laura Cross is an author, screenwriter, ghostwriter, freelance book editor, and writing coach specializing in nonfiction books and script adaptation (book-to-film projects). She writes two popular blogs, NonfictionInk.com and AboutAScreenplay.com, and teaches online writing workshops.

Laura’s latest book is The Complete Guide To Hiring A Literary Agent: Everything You Need To Know To Become Successfully Published. You can download a free chapter, view the book trailer, read the full table of contents, and purchase the Book in electronic format at GetALiteraryAgent.com.

Have you every considered ghost writing? Are you in the process of finding a literary agent? Laura joins us today on her blog tour. You’re invited to ask questions in the comments. What would you like to know?

“Success without honor is an unseasoned dish; it will satisfy your hunger, but it won’t taste good.” – Quote Garden – Joe Paterno

In my last post about reviewing (Becoming a Reviewer: Where to Begin), I shared 5 tips with you on how to get started.

Today, I’d like to share with you…

5 Strategies for Reviewing Success

1. Honesty is the best policy. Always, always tell the truth – even if you find a negative aspect (or several!) in the product or system you’re reviewing. This is most important, especially if you’re a blogger or the author of a review column, etc. Your audience needs to know they can trust your judgment. Your reputation is of value. Your readers’ experiences are of value. Don’t be the cause of them spending their hard-earned money on products you highly recommend, but aren’t in keeping with your rave review. Keep it real.
2. Be thorough. Highlight details and clue readers in on everything you can think of to share – including fun facts or solid information about the company’s history, team and/or owner(s). Saying something like “oh, I loved the product… it was great” is not enough to provide a solid foundation for someone who is truly interested in purchasing the item you’re mentioning.
3. Follow up with readers. If comments are allowed where you posted your review, try to answer readers’ questions or at least direct them to someone who can. Sometimes we forget to include something they may want to know. (We can’t think of everything!)
4. Don’t forget the pros and the cons. Readers want to know both the good and the bad. If it’s a food or beverage, be sure to include how it tastes and/or smells, how appetizing it may be, how much it costs, and even list a few ways they might introduce this product to their usual meals or snacks, etc.
5. Openly thank the company/individual who sent you the product(s) to review. They not only deserve the recognition for their generosity, they deserve a thank you for taking the time to acknowledge you as a reviewer and give you the opportunity to sample their product, free of cost.

And, yes, I absolutely try to adhere to these strategies when I write reviews. I’ve grown and learned along the way, so I have written reviews in the past that were short and sweet. Each time I’ve written a new review, though, I’ve built upon what I learned from writing the previous one. And, so writing reviews is not only becoming easier for me, they’ve become so much more enjoyable as I pass on to the reader not only my thoughts, but valuable, honest information, with integrity and a genuine heart.

Do you write reviews? Are you thorough? Will you try to be more thorough from now on? Do you think it’s wrong to be paid for reviews? Do you think it’s wrong to receive free products for review? And what do you think about the Federal Trade Commission’s ruling for bloggers? Has it kept you from writing reviews? Or, are you just more cautious? I’ve always been upfront and openly thanked the sponsoring company who sent me products to review – I’m glad!

And stay tuned… more tips are on the way! Is there anything in particular you’d like to know? Share in the comments!

Did you enjoy this article? Feel free to visit the other articles Michele has written for Writer’s Round-About–or contact her to write for you.

Image credit: lockstockb