“The Hard Truth: Is My Blog Post Worthy of Becoming an Ebook?” plus 1 more

The Hard Truth: Is My Blog Post Worthy of Becoming an Ebook?

Posted: 08 Dec 2012 12:07 PM PST

This guest post is by Nicolas Gremion of Foboko.com.

Bloggers invest a lot of time in their craft. Whether they're dissecting the latest episode of Dexter, offering business tips, or creating Twilight-inspired fan fiction, bloggers work to provide timely, relevant content for their readers.

Most bloggers eventually wonder if they should develop a book, but they struggle with deciding what's "important enough" for a full-length work. Should writers repurpose existing posts from their blogs, or go with entirely new content?

Determining whether a blog post topic is worthy of an entire book can be hard, but it's not impossible.

Is this post compelling enough?

One great thing about blogs is they allow you to measure the popularity of a post easily. By tracking the number of reads, comments, social media shares, trackbacks, reposts, and questions asked, you have data that highlights what your audience wants to hear.

If you've written 100 posts about quilting, you may have enough content to repurpose into a book. Rather than scrabbling to find a new topic, use your best content to establish the foundation of your ebook.

If you doubt whether a post's topic is still relevant, take a look at the impact it made long after it was published. Lifehacker.com, for example, frequently has year-old posts receive airtime and commentary. Because the issues discussed are everyday problems, they maintain a timeless quality. That means, conversely, that topical issues are less likely to have a long shelf life – an eBook dissecting the Obama/Romney race won't have nearly the relevance today it had two months ago, for example.

Pulling in more feedback

Yes, blogs' features make it easy for you to determine how interesting people find your work (gulp!). But in order for these tools to be useful, you have to actually be receiving feedback. How can you get more of what you need?

Write for offline publications, whether that's an occasional article or a regular column. Writing for print publications will help you refine and edit your pieces.
Participate in traditional media, such as T.V. or radio interviews, using sites like PRWeb.com to find opportunities. The chance to share your thoughts via other outlets allows you to garner feedback from their readers.
Provide an email address and encourage feedback.
Speak at industry events; if your blog focus doesn't naturally lend itself to a specific industry, check out lifestyle shows. Live events collect the conversations occurring in your space.
Join a "virtual book tour" via teleconferences, webinars, or online T.V. or radio interviews. Callers' questions and comments offer great, real-time feedback.

Once you have feedback, how can you gain a bigger perspective about implementing changes to your work?

Visit blogs in the same space or industry, especially those with conflicting opinions or viewpoints.
Check out blogs outside your arena in order to sample other styles of writing, presentation, and attitude. What works for them may make excellent tweaks for you.
Read books, from contemporary works to historical tomes, to gain a deeper understanding of different ways of thinking and being.
Invest in continuing education, whether that means conferences, trade shows, courses, or training. These keep you updated on the latest news in your field, preventing your ideas from feeling stale or recycled.

Because blog posts are short and sweet, you can easily test different topics or approaches. Take advantage of your blog's flexibility to develop a voice—and perspective—that will lend itself well to a full-length ebook.

"Red flags of death"

While most of your posts are probably fascinating, there are some topics that raise the "red flag of death" over your ebook before it's even started.

If you're working on non-fiction pieces, the usual topics should be off-limits; this means sex, politics, and religion should be relegated to the back corner. However, if it's controversy you want, these may be the very issues you touch on. The challenge then becomes controlling the conversation so it remains constructive—and doesn't degenerate into the name-calling brawls these topics lend themselves to.

If your non-fiction is business-based, don't create a book that reads like one long sales letter, or piece of overhyped marketing material, for your company. Not only will people not want to read your ebook, you'll not add anything to the industry conversation—a deadly trait for a blogger.

The great thing about investing time and effort in these different kinds of research is that you're giving your audience a chance to see you in action. They're engaged with the content you're working on, and that creates interest. These are exactly the people who will download your ebook—so you're building not just a product, but promotion for it.

You've invested a lot of time in your blogging. Don't shy away from a longer piece if you're ready for it. To boost your success, assess the interest level of your topic, as well as the voice and insights you're offering. By making sure your ebook speaks to your readers, you'll develop an even more loyal following than you currently enjoy.

Nicolas Gremion is the CEO of Paradise Publishers, Inc., and founder of Foboko.com, a social publishing network where members get support writing their books from peers and connect directly with readers.

Originally at: Blog Tips at ProBlogger

The Hard Truth: Is My Blog Post Worthy of Becoming an Ebook?

How to Write Emails that Get an Immediate Response

Posted: 08 Dec 2012 06:05 AM PST

This guest post is by Robert D. Smith of TheRobertD.com

Remember the last time that you sent out a guest post request, suggestion of a joint venture, interview invitation, or some other important message … and waited … and waited … and waited…?

And then nothing happened. You got no response whatsoever. Not even a "No"! They couldn't even take the time to just say "No"! How dare them, right? What a bunch of jerks!

Or maybe you're the jerk. Ever think about that?

The list of reasons why people don't respond to email is long, so I'll abbreviate it slightly by focusing on the main ones below:

Your email wasn't clear.
Your email didn't sound sincere.
Your email only talked about you.
Your email didn't leave them with an action or logical next step.
Your email was full of typos and grammar errors that conveyed an amateurish sloppiness.
Your email was fantastic, but they're just a jerk and didn't respond.

Out of all of those, which do you think is the most unlikely scenario? In all likelihood, it's not them; it's you. Now, let me explain why that is great news—if the problem lies with you, then that means you have the power to fix it. So let's get to it!

5 Ways to fix your bad emails

Now that we've listed out the most common problems, let's list out some solutions.

1. Be yourself

Whether you're requesting to write a guest blog, sending out a press release, or just sending someone a friendly hello, it's so easy to forget that there's actually a real, live person on the other end.

Like you and me, they prefer communicating with other real, live people. They just want to see your personality, some signs of life! Don't be dry and boring—just be yourself.

2. Write from a good place

This is the key to letting your personality shine through your email. Your mind needs to be in a positive, confident space. When you write with positivity and confidence, personality just seems to seep in effortlessly. And that's when personality is most genuine: when it isn't forced.

Of course, the problem with this tip is that we're not always in a good mood. With some emails, we may be a little nervous or intimidated by the outcome. Here are a few things I do to combat those negative emotions:

Write standing up. There's something about standing up that just gives you a little more confidence. It might sound a little silly, but I urge you to give it a try. I bought an adjustable desk that I can raise to standing height almost solely for this purpose.
Turn on some upbeat music. Play something that you love, something that's your favorite. Our favorite music is directly connected to our personality, so this tip can really get you going. Since you're already standing up, you can even throw a little dancing in the mix!

3. Read your email out loud before you hit Send

If any part of the email feels weird coming out of your mouth, change it. I don't think anyone particularly likes reading their own writing out loud, but this is a very simple practice that will work wonders for you.

4. Establish an emotional connection

Here's an example of an email with no emotional connection:

Hi Robert,

I like your blog a lot and was wondering if you wouldn't mind helping me spread the word about my latest self-published venture, "Emails Form Hell: A Journey Deep Inside My Outbox." I will eagerly await your response. Thanks.

I see emails like this all the time, not just in my own inbox, but in the inboxes of everyone I know who has a platform of some kind. Emails like this are popular because they're very easy to replicate. You can send it out to 300 different people and all you have to do is change the first name at the beginning. Unfortunately, 300 different people will also ignore it.

If you want a response from someone, it is essential to connect emotionally. If they're a blogger, for instance, don't just tell them you like their blog. Tell them about the specific post they wrote that kicked you in the rear and caused you to go do something awesome! And if they've never written a post that made you react that way, don't pretend you love their blog. It's not that difficult to tell what's genuine and what's not when you're on the receiving end.

5. Don't use a dumb email address

I almost didn't include this point because it seems like it's already been said enough. Apparently, however, it has not, as I continue to regularly receive emails from AOL addresses. So one more reminder: if you have your own website, use an email address associated with it. If you don't, use a gmail address that contains something as close to your full name as you can get.

Getting people to respond to your emails really comes down to one all-encompassing thing—coming across like a real person who cares. Practice the above tips on a regular basis and you will be shocked by how much more effective your online voice and persona become. Get ready for an inbox full of replies.

What was the last email you sent that’s overdue for a reply? Tell us in the comments.

Robert D. Smith is the author of 20,000 Days and Counting and a consultant to numerous best-selling authors, speakers, and entertainers. Grab his free eBook, Battle-Tested Branding, here.

Originally at: Blog Tips at ProBlogger

How to Write Emails that Get an Immediate Response