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Good writers are wordsmiths. Like the building blocks, they have acquired the skills to carefully choose words that will convey specific meanings to their readers across the globe.

Acquiring the skills to write copies that will add values to your readers take time and lots of efforts. It is not a tea party.

You have to leave your comfort zone, read anything and everything under the sun, sleepless at night, stay on your computer till thy kingdom come, browse the net to get specific information, etc.

But, above all, you have to write, write and write. Reading is just 1%, while practice is 99%. There is no magic in crafting good copies. It is more of practice than talking.

But, when you write good copies, you have to let the world know.

In this 21st century, computer and the internet have reduced our world to a global family. It used to be called a global village. Of course you know this.

So, how do you market your writing skills to the entire world? Good question. The internet is a global library and a potent and dynamic marketplace for everyone.

Therefore, whatever product or service you render to humanity can find ready buyers online and offline.

Websites, blogs, social media, emails, forums, directories, online advertising agencies, etc, are good platforms for announcing yourself.

But, let me be real with you, my brother, my sister. Like every effort under the sun, there is no quick-fix approach to marketing yourself first and subsequently making money online.

It is work first before payment. When you go to some restaurants in Nigeria and abroad, you order for your meals before payment. Yes, some will demand money before the meals.

But, in online writing business, you have to work, research, read, browse and request for specific information from Google, or any of the search engines.

For days, weeks, months or even years, you must continue to announce your presence, give out almost all your products, free and then wait patiently for the conversions to start rolling in.

But, the truth is that in a world of the good, the bad and the ugly, trust online and offline is a big deal. You have got to earn the trust of your readers.

As at 2015, online reports quoted the international telecommunication union as estimating that in a world of about 7 billion people, 3.2 billion of them use the internet.

About 2 billion people from developing and 89 million from least developed countries also use the internet.

These figures show a huge market for writers. But, before I sign off, please remember the trust angle I told you earlier. God bless humanity.

Emmanuel Udom is a journalist, blogger and researcher.

Many writers get crushed when their 120,000-word novel is rejected. What happens when you enter a contest that says 500 words or less and you end up with 894 words? You might spend years writing your story or hours writing an article, but that doesn’t mean you’re done. It means you’ve completed the first draft. That’s great, congratulations are in order, not everybody makes it that far. Remember it’s a lot easier to cut words than to add them. I can picture several of you thinking, “Yea right, my editor wants me to cut 10,000 words!”

Believe it or not, it’s not as terrifying as many writers think. Let me give you an example. When I first thought about writing this article the name was: “How to Cut Your Word Count Down by 10,000 Words or More, in 3 Easy Steps.” That’s 16 words long, but it catches your attention, right? Then I came up with: “Three Easy Steps to a Better Word Count.” When I read both to my wife, she said, “That’s the same thing.” She was right, except that now it was only eight words long. If you look at the top of the page, you see I ended up with “The Word Count Diet,” which is only four words long. Did I change the meaning? No. Did I ruin the title? Obviously not, you’re still reading it, aren’t you?

One sentence is different than a whole story, but the concept is there. The more time you have invested, the harder it is to cut words from your baby. But let’s face it, you want your baby to grow up someday and leave the nest, right? That’s called editing. There I’ve said it, you don’t have to hold your breath anymore. But I’m a creative soul, you think, why would I want to tear it apart?

Listen to this statement; “Editing is not destroying, it’s simplifying, it’s enhancing, it’s making it easier to read.” With that in mind, where do you start if you’re not a professional editor or English major? I suggest you look at three areas that will improve your work. These areas are adverbs, adjectives, and glue words.

Adverbs are modifiers of verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. The easiest way to identify an adverb is that it usually ends with the letters LY. Why is everybody against using LY words? Many writers, editors, and readers consider it lazy writing because you don’t show anything. Example: She lightly tapped on the door. The word tap means “a light knock”, so it’s kind of redundant. You could say: She tapped on the door with a gentle caress for fear of waking the baby. Not shorter, but it is more engaging. I also could have said definitely not shorter, but it serves no purpose. When you look at most LY words that’s what you find, they don’t add any substance.

The phrase ‘all things in moderation’ means stop using so many stupid, pointless, space wasting, disgusting adjectives. I could have said, stop using adjectives, but what fun would that be? Many writers have the mistaken idea that the more adjectives you use, the better. This is not true. It slows the reader down. Mark Twain exhorted writers to “kill” any adjectives they could catch. I don’t know if I would go that far. Soft brown eyes are fine but… soft brown, glowing, golden eyes like pools of honey… is a little much, don’t you think?

What exactly is a glue word? Glue words are the 200 most common words in the English language. The problem is they are so common it’s easy to overuse them. Words to look out for include: like the, so, very, and, or, but, big, tall, up, down, etc. For example, you could say, “Sally walked across the room so she could check out the full-length mirror and see how good her new dress looked.” (21 words) Or you could say, “Sally admired her new dress in the mirror.” (eight words) The meaning has not changed, but the word count has. The other concern with glue words is they are so vague, they don’t mean anything. Don’t say very sad, say depressed. Don’t say really tired, say exhausted. Nine times out of ten you can remove the word that and nobody will notice. Maybe it’s only a word here and there, but when you know which words to look for it can add up. Look at the title again, from 16 words to four words. Even if you only do half that good, your bloated 120,000-word novel has just become a 60,000-word best seller. Think about it.

Award-winning writer/photographer Tedric Garrison has 40 years’ experience in both areas of expertise. As a Graphic Arts Major, he has a unique perspective on creativity.

Freelance writing offers many niche areas to select. Going by your passion, interest, and skills, starting off is much easier. Having your own blog and developing various blog post ideas for publishing, sets you to achieve mastery. However, it does not end there. Because you need to constantly publish articles to advertise and market your expertise.

How to describe expertise

Familiarity in writing does not count for customers as expert writing levels are growing in demand. If you have worked through many articles extensively that convey your knowledge and authority over a topic, you are assured of winning contracts.

Another aspect that signifies your expertise is the comment section. The views, likes, shares, and discussions from readers confirm that you have mastered the niche.

Keep your style unique, interesting and follow the industry jargon along with SEO keywords.

How many articles to publish

Publish unlimitedly. Find as many sources as you can while ensuring that you deliver quality content. In fact, many small business owners keep a practice to publish articles to have dominion overrunning a successful business. Maintain a content calendar and record titles in excel sheet.

Use Headline analyzer

Get the high score for the title. This is very important to drive traffic. It needs to have the most compelling words and emotion to derive clicks. Score anywhere between 70 to 80 or more promises guaranteed views. Further, it grows interaction and content engagement.

Submit website/blog to directories

There are few directories that index URLs for free. Social submission sites like free submission, Anoox, add more traffic etc, welcome more links for submission. This is one strategy to invite traffic.

Link Building strategy

Take time to read the articles of other writers and appreciate good work. You get a link back to your website. That’s how you grow popular. Stay honest in your opinions and comments. Keep the motive of commenting as professional rather than being commercial. It really helps.

Build Network

Connecting with those in the same field, participating in social media groups and actively voicing your opinion fetches you more followers. As you grow popular, your expert areas are also revealed to your audiences. This is an assured way to grow your business.

Conclusion

While quality publishing takes the maximum of your efforts for building expertise, there are also other segments available online that bring you a new foray for your brand marketing. It’s not hard. Just you need to begin and stay active online.

It is the most common request a speaking coach gets: “Can you please help me to not be nervous in front of an audience?” And the honest answer is, “No.” Famous singers Rihanna, Beyonce and Harry Styles all admit to a level of nervousness that makes them physically ill. Adele once said, “One show in Amsterdam, I was so nervous I escaped out the fire exit.” Actress Emma Watson has described it as “a kind of paralysis.”

So, if professional performers suffer anxiety like this, what hope is there for the rest of us? Don’t despair. While it may be impossible to eliminate nervousness, you can transform ‘bad’ nerves into ‘good’ nerves. Here are some hints that I have used over thirty years of coaching – so I know they work.

1. Stop trying to avoid the unavoidable

Just before they take the stage, most speakers have a head full of unrealistic wishes – dreams that are destined to be dashed. They hope they won’t have a ‘mind blank’ or lose their way. They probably will – then they will spend the rest of their presentation regretting it. Instead they should remind themselves of these facts:

• Most mind blanks last for less than two seconds (although it seems much longer when you’re up there). This means that most audience members won’t even notice it – or, if they do, they’ll think you’re pausing for effect.

• Checking your notes to prompt your memory or get yourself back on track does not compromise your presentation. It adds to your credibility because it shows you are prepared and have taken time beforehand to organize your thoughts. The audience is judging your credibility on your subject – not your memory. So, prepare your notes clearly so you can prompt yourself when this happens.

2. Understand your nervousness

Speaking to a group should make you feel nervousness because it’s taking up people’s important time. The time that speakers get most unsettled is when the nervousness catches them by surprise. They think, “I expected to be nervous, but I didn’t expect to be THIS nervous!” Experience has shown that we all have a particular audience that makes us feel more anxious than others. It might be friends, strangers, family, peers, superiors or subordinates. Get to know which group it is for you so it won’t catch you by surprise.

3. Control what you can

Many speakers say the worst feeling is being ‘out of control’ – with everyone watching. Standing in front of an audience will trigger the release of adrenalin. You have no control over this and it may result in speaking too fast, uncoordinated movements, quavering voice, shortness of breath, dry mouth, blushing, sweating and a myriad of other unfortunate symptoms. There are deliberate actions you can take to counteract this – to put yourself back in control. Settle yourself with deep breathing before you speak, slow yourself down with a more measured deliberate walk to your speaking position and have water nearby to sip if your mouth goes dry.

4. Stop trying to please everybody

Okay, this might not count when you’re giving a wedding toast, but in business presentations, if you modify your speech to say only what everyone agrees with it will be so bland that no-one will want to listen. Putting an alternative point of view and backing it up with a strong argument will always be more engaging than wishy-washy platitudes.

5. You don’t have to be the expert in the room

Some speakers convince themselves that to speak about a subject they must be the most expert in the room on that subject. Not so. Don’t try to play the expert. You have unique experiences and perspectives on the subject that provide valuable insights. This is your gift to the audience.

Nervousness when speaking to an audience is natural. Stop trying to avoid it and use these hints to make it work for you.

Kevin is an experienced conference speaker, workshop leader, facilitator, and MC.

He speaks at conferences and seminars across Australia, New Zealand, Asia and in the UK specializing in the areas of sales, negotiation skills, humor in business and communication skills. He has co-authored eleven books on communication skills and humor in business. His articles are regularly printed in major daily newspapers in Australia and Asia.

Kevin is a Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) which is the highest possible level in professional speaking and the only one recognized internationally. He is a Past National President of Professional Speakers Australia. He has been inducted into the Australian Speakers Hall of Fame.

Do your presentations sound boring even if you’re an expert “Toast Masters” speaker? One of the most common requests from my clients is how to avoid a monotone and spice-up your vocal sound. So how do you stop your lifelong tone of boring expression to become something new?

Here are five key strategies to add variety to your voice.

#1. Key: Extend your pitch range so you can add inflection to your voice.

Record your voice so you can see the sound wave patterns. If you notice that they are almost always at the same level, then that’s a good test result that you have a monotone delivery. You can add variety by speaking in a mixture of higher pitch tones, mid tones, and low tones.

First, do some warm-up exercises to expand your pitch range. For example, repeat the sound “aaah” going from mid to the highest level you can reach. Continue repeating “aaah” from mid to the lowest level. Next, go from low to mid to high and down again. Finally, mix it up by going high, low, and mid, or any other combination. Hum your favorite tune in a variety of pitch levels.

Once you have discovered your available pitch range, apply it to your sentences or keywords, such as repeating “Come for a walk Waldo.” in at least four different tones, even singing it. Now record your sentences and notice how the sound waves give you a varied pattern of high and low tones, instead of being stuck in only one sound level.

#2. Key: Match specific words to help listeners visualize your message.

Choose specific words or phrases in your content to apply your new varied pitch levels. It could be adjectives or verbs that your listeners need to visualize explicitly by adding your pitch nuance. Your goal is to become more expressive like a child might explain something to a friend. Paint the picture with stress on your words by raising or lowering your pitch suddenly or speaking more softly or loudly, and so on.

#3. Alter your pace to create interest and climax.

Energetic animation comes naturally from your pace and your pitch. Normally you speak at a slower rate than you do if reading aloud. When your rate of speaking is the same rhythm throughout then your speech becomes uninteresting.

To achieve variety effectively, some sentences or phrases are spoken slowly, and some are sped up. Speaking too rapidly results in indistinct sounds and jarring rhythm; and you’ll appear tense or nervous. Avoid speaking too slowly as you’ll appear dull. Practice telling a story, such as “The Three Bears” with genuine animation and enthusiasm to a group of children simply by using your pace, pitch, and inflection.

#4. Key: Use a pause as emphasis to draw your audience into anticipation of what’s next.

A pause inserted just before your climax in your story creates increased anticipation and attracts more attentiveness from your listeners. Practice saying aloud this sentence four times: “Bob arrive late last night.” Each time you say it, insert a pause after a different word in the sentence. The message changes meaning not only with the pause; but also, with your inflection or pitch nuance on the sentence.

#5. Key: Project your voice at different levels to create emotion and passion in your story or message.

Volume of speaking greatly affects your speech delivery. The key here is not to shout from your throat if you want to be loud. Instead, project your voice using your diaphragmatic breathing method so the sound reaches the farthest distance to your listeners. Whispering must also be projected so all can hear the softer tone. Choose the best part of your content where a whisper or a louder sound will add to painting the picture of your presentation. Become immersed passionately in the moment of your story to convey genuine emotion to your audience.

Communicate your content to a person or group to gain feedback from sensing your listeners’ interest, attentiveness, and comprehension. When you balance these five key strategies together with specific exercises; then, you are on the road to vitalizing your sound. Your voice will be more energized and give you a drama edge to your next speech.

Brenda C Smith, Speech and Drama Coach, is the Founder of Voice Power Training Services and has taught and coached drama students, professional actors, and business clients from high school level to College level. Her book “Breathe… Just Steps to Breathtaking Speeches: 7-Steps to Putting Your Best Voice Forward” captures an all-inclusive easy system on how to improve the sound of your voice and delivery method to become a calm, confident, and passionate speaker.