Low standard flash software will spoil any creative online publication. Once you’re determined to produce an online catalog the key decision is to pick out your software vendor. This isn’t a trivial matter of merely picking a nice format for your magazine - indeed this decision is serious as it can well make or break your venture. Being simple to use is the most important part you want in your software. If you can’t use the software package it doesn’t make a difference how good it is hyped to be… Make the time to try out different packages before you pick a provider for your ebrochure. In producing an ebrochure you also have to be aware of the threat posed by hackers. Do you understand whether your account has been secured? How about the content? Can the readers simply copy and paste the catalog content or does the flash publishing software supplier have something to stopping such things? Is the content secure?

Have you made an outline for selling your flash publication? How have you worked in non-traditional media with it? How will you work with advertisements? Not that each publication has to consider all of these but your business model certainly should. Advertising your online journal will probably need search engine appropriate content.

Does it allow for mixing paid and free content? You might think about offering single copy subscription options. Will the content be commercialized ? What about providing teasers and summaries to sell the ebrochure? How available is the catalog? Will it be private — then you can look into all your hosting possibilities or is it public? You should probably host directly with your supplier. And what will you do about back-isues? Before you have to deal with any serious problems you should consider a few things. What’s the level of tech support? Is it just an FAQ page? Do they have a how-to guide? If the response time isn’t mentioned this should raise questions. How well staffed is their tech-support line or email address? Make no mistake: the importance of tech support cannot be over-estimated.

The final choice of hosting service could ruin your zine. You may also Google the terms “create digital edition” to find some more pointers.

---

Anyone who is serious about making a long term business on line will need to consider just where they are going to get their content since anyone and his Uncle knows that content is King or perhaps Queen!

Before we proceed any further with this exhortation let’s get the following out of the way. Despite what you may have been led to believe, buying a whole truck load of so called Private Label Articles and loading them into an article crunching machine that magically rewrites them and spits them out as though they were your own is not the way to go if you plan on creating a reputation! These attempts at passing yourself off as the number one Guru in your niche will be obvious to most web site visitors as the work of someone who is a baguette short of a picnic!

Article altering software may be an innovative idea but by the time this has run its course and probably long before then, the pathetic excuses for so called expert articles that they spew out will be circulating a zillion times over around the Internet as newbies and other marketers who are either too lazy or unable to write themselves, think that they are on to a Winner. A few altered lines in the header and footer of an article are not going to do anything for your reputation. So what to do? Especially if you didn’t go to College, failed English in High school and can’t spell worth a cent! That’s a tough cookie!

Even if all the above is an accurate description of you, there is still hope for you yet because if you recognise that you have shortcomings then you sure as hell can do plenty about it! In fact you are already half way to the finishing post!

Here is my” Ten Sure Fire Ways to Get Started on your Writing Career”. Notice the very obvious absence of the words” Make a Million from your Articles in only ten days while you are asleep and on a beach the other side of the Planet” Now I know that successful Internet entrepreneurs are frequently writing these sentiments in their sales copy and I am equally sure that for many of them it is true but it certainly didn’t happen for them overnight. No Sir. we don’t do Overnight! Six months to a year may be but definitely not overnight!

It’s as well to tell yourself this several times before you reach for the credit card and buy your 37th e-book this month that promises that you will hold the key to untold wealth once you hold it in your sticky hands. Actually it will be on your sticky hard drive which is probably filling up very rapidly at this stage.

1. Before you can get over Writers Block you gotta start by getting over Readers Block! Plenty of reading and then some! Everything that you can lay your hands on in your own special niche and everything on writing and copywriting.

2. Subscribe to a few (very few) newsletters from Top Copy writers and Successful Marketers. Writers just love to share their ideas and often give freebies such as E-Books or Mini- Courses on writing for the web and creating content.

3. Subscribe to Google Alerts but be careful here in your selection of keywords since you will be flooded with stuff to read very quickly. It is a wonderful resource which will keep you totally up to date with happenings and give you more ideas for your articles than you thought possible!

4. Keep a folder of your sent e mails especially if they are business related. You will have a treasure trove of ideas here to trawl through whenever you get stuck.

5. Attending Seminars is an excellent way of not only brushing up your skills in many disciplines but also a trove of possible article and book ideas that you can put to good use. (gotta have a blue notebook with you though…see next sentence that’s Jim’s trick)) Yes seminars are expensive but you don’t have to spend $5000 and travel half way round the World to attend one. Jim Edwards hosted his first U.K Workshop recently at a sumptuous Hotel and it was just $1000 dollars and a wonderful experience for a whole weekend.

6. Set up a blog or two or three (in different niches) and make it a must-do first thing in the morning to put up a post or two. Until you have done it, it seems daunting but set the alarm 20 minutes earlier and you will be amazed at what you can achieve in a few weeks.

7. Here is where it gets interesting…you must put your blog posts into a separate folder so that you can refer back to them on a regular basis. If you are rather verbose you will be surprised to find that with very little tweaking you can create an article out of a blog post or string several posts together to make a presentable article in double quick time.

8. If you are passionate about your subject or niche then you could end up easily spending ten or twelve hours at your keyboard over a weekend and while this is not to be recommended on a regular basis especially if you have family considerations(or pet tortoises that need exercising) you would be surprised at how much content you will have created. Getting into the flow and a regular writing routine is the trick here and after a few months it will seem as though you have been doing it all your life.

9. How will you keep your enthusiasm going? Well you have to take on the onerous task of submitting to Article Directories which will give you very quickly some surprising search engine placements. When you see that what you are writing is actually appearing in print on the Web and joy of joys, actually being republished by other web Site owners who are scrambling for fresh content, you won’t need any more encouragement!( believe me this is a hot one!)

10. Getting started is the key …whinging and whining about your inability to write won’t get you anywhere but if you will only start I promise you that the momentum will gather strength quite rapidly. It doesn’t matter that your first attempts are not Booker Prize winning standard. To fine tune and improve, you have got to actually have something to begin with. A blog is great since not that many people will see it to begin with so you don’t need to be embarrassed and it doesn’t have to cost you anything. Later on you can spend time learning the mechanics of blogging and further improving your web site. First things first.

Could you see yourself in 12 months with a published article per week under your belt?…You bet …you have just read the fiftieth article by this Author and today is the first Anniversary of Article number one! So to use a familiar cliche…if this author can do it anyone can.(well he did have electrocution lessons for two months !)

Sorry got to go and get back to the keyboard…happy hunting.

---

Many of the top reputable online article submission sites allow for interaction between readers and writers. That is to say that readers can post comments on the articles or rate these articles and this interactivity makes them very happy indeed. As an online article writer perhaps you enjoy getting people posting stars on your articles or commenting

With regards to my comments about ratings and comments, I am not interested in kudos or awards anymore. And if other writers are I understand I think that is wonderful for them and I do not mind commenting on other people’s articles. But I just do not want comments on my articles or anyone to rate my articles.

Personally I know where I stand politically and my articles might frazzle people, Good, as that is what I intended to do. I do not want to allow the article readers an outlet; I want them to think about it. And to that point if someone is of a certain religion, political affiliation and disagrees, I expect them too, but I do not wish to hear about it. After traveling to every city in the US and sitting in coffee shops, I find humans awfully predictable and their comments, well it is a lot of sound and fury really.

Therefore I have asked to permanently remove my STAR system and COMMENT section, so no one is allowed to comment. That solves that issue, for me. My wisdom is available or not, it is solely up to the reader. If you do not like it or it is too offensive then do not read it or do read it; your choice and your free will. Consider this in 2006.

---

While it is true that the demand for content providers on the net is very high, it is also equally true that success has been elusive for most online freelance writers. How is it possible that when demand for good writers online far exceeds the supply, writers are still starving? Shouldn’t they be making lots of cash almost effortlessly?

The main reason why most writers are still struggling is simply because many content providers do not possess the required skills necessary for success. One of the biggest disadvantages that online freelance writers have is that they are usually not marketing experts and in fact hardly possess enough marketing skills to be able to find clients online.

In the offline world, freelance writers had it a little easier because all one needed was one or two solid clients and your freelance writing career would take off like a rocket. Online the situation is very different because the rates are much lower and the only way content providers can embrace success is by handling plenty of work from numerous clients.

The easiest way a content provider with no marketing skills can earn good money online is by leaving the marketing of their articles to somebody else. There are sites online that allow a content provider to concentrate on their writing by doing all the marketing and selling on their behalf for a commission. Many content providers have been able to taste a little success in this way.

---

My husband accuses me of being obsessive-compulsive, but I know this isn’t true, or the house would be clean. Instead, I think I just suffer from temporary obsession. I tend to go from ‘project/theme’ to project/theme. I have four or five that I tend to rotate through (thankfully one of them is cleaning, a la Flylady), and whichever is on top, the rest tend to shift beneath them. Some months writing is on top, others it is couponing or saving money, others it is studying up on homeschooling (my oldest is only four so we still have time). Generally, my daily focus rotates around these themes. Very little else seems to get done when I am most obsessive.

What does this have to do with drama? I’ve read many good drama stories where the protagonist (or the antagonist) is so focused on one thing that minor problems are neglected, thus increasing the tension within the story. Take, for instance, most police dramas. How many hard-core, Tums eating cop stories have you read where the spouse is getting irritated? In John Grisham’s A Time to Kill, the lawyer, Jake Brigance, is so obsessed with winning his case that he ignores the physical danger around him. Or how about the classic, Moby Dick, where Captain Ahab cannot turn away from the white whale? In each case, the characters obsession help drive the story.

How can you help your characters to cling so single-mindedly to a goal that they block out the rest? To start, it helps to make the obsession something of interest. Most readers probably wouldn’t be interested in a short story about my love affair with The Complete Tightwad Gazette and whether or not I reuse ziploc bags and aluminum foil (lest you think I’m too weird, I don’t). However, Medea’s determination to gain vengeance on her husband no matter what the cost drives the play forward. My story of plinking away daily on my computer, writing, may not be of interest - unless you make the results intriguing.

Next, make sure you know something about the focus of the fanatic. Grisham, for instance, is a lawyer-turned-writer, so Brigance’s obsession is most likely one he can identify with. And if you don’t know, do a little research.

Finally, what will your characters learn from their fixation? Will they come out with shifted priorities? Will they finally solve the crime? Will they make appropriate changes? Think about how this passion will help them through the story.

That said, let me take a minute to write about obsessive writers. Make sure when you write your story that you don’t focus so much on one thing - Jenny’s cheerleading experience, for instance - that you forget to balance it with the other components of a good short story (her other mannerisms, setting, minor characters, etc). Otherwise, your obsession may not sustain other readers.

---

Adsense Publishers and those who are into making of content websites for the display of advertisements all recognize the importance of unique content and specially written articles containing high paying keywords which are then put up as webpages.

That is why it is not a surprise to see a plethora of new software purporting to help morph or twist articles, or private label right articles that you can purchase from any source and then subject it to the manipulative actions of the software to generate hundreds of different articles.

But then how good are their “morphing” or “twisting” abilities?

What are some good criteria to keep in mind if you are seeking to use some software to do some morphing or twisting of your articles?

The first thing to know is that any software you use must be seen as a tool to help you write your articles or to re-write your articles in different ways. These tools must never be treated as software that will take over the task of intelligent re-writing on automatic. These tools are considered as time-savers, and helpers to assist to give you synonyms, paraphasing, similar words and so on to help you form new ways of re-expressing yourself and therefore re-writing an article.

Any other way to look at it will result in you having a disappointed view because the result of so called auto-rewriting will fail to impress in most cases.

There are some software that allow you to manipulate whole sections of whatever article that you have written before. This is by way of a series of guided steps involving highlighting different parts of the article and adding in synonyms, then highlighting whole blocks of phrases to change the phrases and so on. As a result, the end article is a more intelligble article. However, there is the writer’s involvement. Manual work is required to use the software with its tools to re-write the article.

Some software are in their basic form - allowing you to add on prewritten snippets at the introduction of the article, at the center of the article and at the end of the article before your resource box.

The use of such softwares at the basic level seldom impresses, because the addition of these snippets are merely to add padding to the article, which are not genuine meaningful content. They add on to the wordiness of the article, increasing their word count and do nothing much more.

There is no short cut to writing your own well crafted articles, and to learn the art of article writing. Use all these new tools as what they are best suited for- as tools to help you re-write parts of your articles, and not as auto generating tools for the entire article. Consider them as time savers and not the ultimate software to generate content for you mindlessly.

Peter Lim is a Certified Financial Planner who writes often about developments in the internet marketing and online world. To access a Niche Marketing keyword finder free and to gather hundreds of relevant keywords to write your articles manually to great impact, visit http://www.cashflowpc.biz/niche-marketing

---

I had my first book and my first baby in the same year. Not great planning, I know, but it just turned out that way. Now I’m nearing the two year mark and reflecting on what I’ve lost and what I’ve managed to get back after absorbing the inevitable changes that come from having a child. I’m back to my pre-pregnancy weight, that’s good. I’m exercising and practicing yoga again, that’s good. I’m writing again. Is that good? Well, yes and no. I’m writing, but not in the disciplined, habitual way I wrote before my life changed. Now I write in fits and starts, depending on when I can snatch some time to myself, which also depends on how well my son is sleeping at any given time. When I write this way, it’s harder to find my way back to what I was thinking, depending on how long it’s been since I last looked at the pages. I find this a painful way to work and now I realize I miss my writing habit most of all.

I realize, of course, that my habits can’t be the same. I am a mother now, after all. But I believe I can have my writing habit–it just has to be different now and I have to figure out what those differences need to be. Here are some of the things I’m doing to find my way back to my writing habit. If you’re having trouble developing a writing routine, perhaps these steps can help you find a way to yours.

Focus on One Project at a Time

If I’ve learned anything as a new mom, it’s this: multi-tasking is highly overrated! You may be able to physically do more than one thing at a time, but in one way or another, your work in one of the tasks will be affected negatively. I think this becomes more apparent when you near your overwhelm point. The tasks are manageable when your life is relatively quiet, but throw in a holiday, visiting relatives or an unexpected trip and suddenly you’re struggling with the weight of unfinished work that has begun to pile up.

Right now I have four writing projects underway and I’m starting to feel it’s way too many. My brain is pulled in too many directions. I know it’s time to clear the decks. Over the next few weeks I will be completing these projects, one at a time, so I can embark on a bigger project on which I will lavish my full attention. What can you complete or let go of in the coming weeks so you can focus on your writing?

Develop a Ritual

Rituals are those little acts of routine that signal your mind that it’s time to get to work. I used to have a little piece of paper and on it I had written something I had paraphrased from Annie Dillard’s The Writing Life. It said, “Write Sophfronia, write Sophfronia, write Sophfronia, write and do not waste time.” Whenever I went into my cubicle at The Writer’s Room in New York’s Greenwich Village, (where I did most of the work on my first novel), I would pin the paper onto the bulletin board in front of my desk. Then I would take out my materials and begin work.

Some writers light a candle. Some pray. Your ritual can be whatever you want it to be, whatever would most spark your engine. I’m going to look for some pictures of women who look like my characters. I’ll put them up in front of me or on my desk. They will tell me it’s time to work. What ritual can you create to move you to write?

Find Routes Already Traveled

Whenever I’m having a problem getting focused, I look to other artists to see how they dealt with the same issue. Why re-invent the wheel when someone else may have a solution already battle-tested? Right now I’m getting some much-needed support and inspiration from the book, “The Creative Habit” by choreographer Twyla Tharp. She’s all about developing a routine so she’s reinforcing my feeling that I need to get back to a disciplined writing habit. Because of her I know I’m not putting my energies in a fruitless direction. Where could you look to seek aid for your journey?

Can You Make a Commitment?

There’s a certain habit I have that I’ve never dropped: I wash my face and apply toner and moisturizer every morning and every night. I’ve done it for so many years I don’t even think about it. I do it because I know it’s good for my skin and long ago I made a commitment to doing it. I’ve heard author Wayne Dyer made a commitment to jogging every day. He does it even if he’s traveling–he’s been seen running up and down hotel hallways!

When I think of those kinds of commitments, I realize there’s a big piece missing in my work to regain my writing habit. I have yet to make a commitment to it. In the earlier incarnation of my habit, I used to schedule my work and turned down every invitation, appointment or distraction that would have conflicted with my writing schedule. I know I must make that decision to be that committed again. I will work all the steps I mentioned above, but I know it will come to nothing if I don’t make the decision.

What will it take for you to make a commitment to your work? What will it take for you to put it first, to make no excuses, to do it even when it seems like you can’t fit it in? Find that answer–it is somewhere within you–and you will find your writing habit.

© 2006 Sophfronia Scott

Author and Writing Coach Sophfronia Scott is “The Book Sistah” TM. Get her FREE REPORT, “The 5 Big Mistakes Most Writers Make When Trying to Get Published” and her FREE online writing and book publishing tips at http://www.TheBookSistah.com

Sophfonia is also author of the bestselling novel, All I Need to Get By. If you liked today’s issue, stay tuned for more because The Book Sistah also offers FREE audio classes, FREE articles, workshops, and other resources to help aspiring authors get published and market their books successfully.

The Book Sistah

230 South Main St.

Ste. 319

Newtown, CT 06470

203-426-2036
Info@TheBookSistah.com

http://www.TheBookSistah.com

---

Acknowledgement Letters are simply a response to a recipient for some action they or an organization they represent have performed. Beyond the response provided in the letter, Acknowledgements do not have to offer an opinion or provide any information. For example, an Acknowledgement Letter sent to a job applicant who is requesting a status of his job application needs only to acknowledge the fact that an application has been received and is not required to suggest any decision on hiring. An Acknowledgement sent to a customer who has registered a complaint must only acknowledge that the complaint has been received and not accept or deny culpability. When writing these letters, be careful not to divulge more information than you are completely prepared to honor. At the same time, however, don’t be curt or out of touch with the reader.

For an example of a completely written Acknowledgement Letter, take a look at…

Acknowledgement Letter of Receipt ~ appreciative of gift or donation.

To write and Acknowledgement Letter, follow this outline…

Format

1.) Use the Full Block format arrangement for Acknowledgement Letters:

a. to the left margin of the letter header place the return address
b. make two carriage returns
c. directly below the return address, place the date
d. make two carriage returns
e. directly below the date, place the reader’s address
f. make three line feeds
g. if necessary, include a reference line
h. begin your letter
i. begin each paragraph at the left margin
j. place the closing, signature and typed signature at the left margin.

Wording

1.) Remove your emotions when writing this letter…but remain positive.
2.) Restate the basis of the event to which you are acknowledging, i.e., application for employment, request for information, etc. In our example, we are acknowledging with gracious words the receipt of the gift/donation.
3.) The second paragraph, as we described above, needs to convey a positive message without divulging too much information. An acknowledgement in response to a gift/donation given without any expectations can say almost anything without consequence. In our example, we used words that safely offered a positive message to the reader but didn’t commit the writer to future dealings.
4.) We closed the letter by sending our appreciation.

Tone

1.) Be positive
2.) Remove emotion from your writing
3.) Depending on the situation, be formal or informal; formal is recommended.

Email

1.) With time being as critical to everyone as it is, sending an acknowledgement letter via email, once considered a faux pas, is now becoming increasingly more accepted.
a. Send your letter in the same format as you would for snail mail - this conveys to the reader that you took the time to create a professional correspondence.
b. Depending on the circumstances, send the message from the appropriate email account: personal email account for a personal correspondence, professional email account for professional correspondence.

Printing

1.) Before printing, decide on what paper to use. For Acknowledgement Letters, it is best to use common bond paper and envelopes.
2.) Print your letter and envelope on the same printer using the same font and an envelope that matches the stationery.

Signature

1.) Make three carriage returns between the closing and your typed signature. Inside this space, sign your name for professional correspondence. For personal correspondence, there is no need for a typed signature. Simply, sign your name.

Visit www.LetterRep.com for Free Acknowledgement Letters, hundreds of sample personal and business letters and Online Tools for Addressing, Dating, Editing, Formatting, Printing, Emailing and Faxing.

Rob Noyes owns and operates the Internet’s premiere Personal and Business Letter-writing site. LetterRep.com. Contact Rob at admin@letterrep.com for answers and solutions to common letter-writing situations.

---

Before I was an internet marketer, I was a writer. As a writer, I spend as much time possible writing because this is the most pleasurable part of my business.

It can be very time consuming doing research, and it’s very easy to get distracted with all of the information that’s available on the internet.

These tools will help you spend less time focusing on the administrative tasks in your writing business and more time focusing on your writing.

1. Research

Part of being a writer is having to do research. If you want credibility as a writer, your facts had better be right.

It’s vitally important to use only credible websites as resources. With billions of pages on the internet, it’s too easy to offer a resource that isn’t credible, or doesn’t stand up to scrutiny.

To avoid that, I recommend the site below.

Ref Desk - http://www.refdesk.com - This site is addictive. It should also be the first place you start when you do any type of research.

You’ll have access to some of the top research tools like the CIA Factbook, as well as dictionaries, thesauruses, and other tools to help you quickly locate the information you need.

2. Research Tracking

If you do a lot of research, all of those notes can quickly become out of control. To keep track of all that data you find in your research, you need a good management program to help you organize your data.

Keynote - http://www.tranglos.com/free/index.html - This piece of free software will take the hassle out of keeping track of your research. You can use it to quickly and easily organize all of your research notes.

Although this project is currently shut down, you can download a copy of the software, it works on any Windows computer, and it’s open source.

3. Word Processor

Although the current standard for word processing is Microsoft Word, the problem with this program is that if it isn’t loaded onto your computer when you buy it, it’s expensive. Also, it can be unwieldy at times because it has too many features.

If the main reason you use word processing is because you are a writer, then you need a word processor specifically for writers. Not only will this save you time, it will help you better organize your writing.

Jarte - http://www.jarte.com/ - This free word processor is specifically designed for writers. It is free of the bloat of a lot of other word processors in terms of features, and it can once again make your writing a pleasurable experience. Easy to integrate with a free dictionary and thesaurus.

4. Article Formatter

Formatting articles or other documents for submission can be a pain. If you need a document that’s exactly a certain width, like 65 characters, you have to hit the return key at exactly the right time at the end of each sentence. This can quickly become a hassle when you’re writing.

Article Formatter - http://www.fwointl.com/FWOFormatter.html - This free online formatting tool will not only format your document to the correct width, but it will give you character and word counts, a tool that’s absolutely invaluable to a writer.

5. Manuscript Tracking

It’s not only vitally important that you keep track of all your data from your research, but you also need to keep track of your manuscripts. Track your manuscripts, and you can actually increase your income because you’re submitting on a regular schedule.

Tracking your income from your writing is important too. You need to know how much income you’ve made from a particular manuscript.

Sonar2 - http://www.spacejock.com/Sonar.html - This free software makes keeping track of your manuscripts and publishers a breeze.

All you have to do is add the publishers you want to submit to. Then add the manuscript. When you’re ready to submit, just enter the submission, use the drop down menu to select the publisher, and you’ll know where your manuscript is all the time.

You can also use this program to track your income.

This program is a lot less clunky than a lot of other tracking programs, and since it’s free, even better.

6. Ecourses

Ecourses are a great way to try before you buy a product from a site. These courses will give you an idea of the quality of information you’ll be getting.

It’s also a great way to get some new ideas for your writing, as well as pick up a few writing tips.

The two sites below offers free ecourses on article writing, freelancing, and writing an ebook. There are tons more of these free courses on the internet. Just search for free writing ecourses.

Writing Ecourses - http://www.digital-e.biz/freecourses.html

Article Writing Ecourse - http://www.freetraffictip.com/2-article-marketing/

7. Ebooks

Ebooks are a great way to acquire new writing skills, find new information on a topic you are researching, or just take a break from your writing.

There are plenty of places to get free ebooks on the internet on just about any topic you can imagine, but if you need ebooks on writing, I recommend the two sites below:

Ebook Directory - http://www.ebookdirectory.com - This site contains over 12,000 ebooks available for immediate download. The directory is fully searchable, and you can find free ebooks on just about any topic, including writing.

Article Writing - http://www.articlewritingtips.com/ - When it comes to writing articles to promote your writing, this site goes to the top of the list. You’ll find plenty of resources on article writing and promotion, including ebooks on writing articles.

As a writer, the more you write, and the more you sell, the more money you make. By using the right tools, you can make more money from your writing and find the writing success you’re looking for.

Jinger Jarrett is the “Internet Marketing for Free” lady. She will show you how to use free techniques to market your writing. Get thousands of dollars in free internet marketing stuff when you Visit her blog at http://www.askjinger.com

---

According to many people and various surveys, public speaking is the number one fear in our society, even more than death. Why is this so? Many of those same people have no problem talking up a storm with a group around the conference table or at a party, but ask them to stand in front of a group and their immediate response is a loud “no.”

I understand this fear well, for if anyone had told me years ago that I would one day become a public speaker I would have begun shaking at the mere thought. I had always shrunk from the limelight and speaking in front of a group was beyond my limited comprehension at that time. But as my life progressed, and various experiences and teachers showed up, I felt the nudging to get out there with my message. I fought it for months until I couldn’t stand the restlessness anymore and took a speaking training.

I remember that day as if it was yesterday. I arrived trembling with cold hands and feet and a rapidly pulsating heartbeat. Twice I almost left but something kept me there, probably the thought of all the money I’d be wasting if I didn’t stay. As I got up to present my first two-minute talk, my body was trembling so much my clothes were visibly shaking! The instructor actually stood nearby during that first presentation in case he had to catch me since he feared I might faint. But I did it, and by the end of the two-day training I was no longer visibly shaking and the experience wasn’t so painful. Now I speak all the time and the fear has been overcome.

So what exactly is fear? Fear is simply False Evidence Appearing Real. It is something imagined by your mind to be true but in actuality is isn’t true unless you make it your truth. It appears to be real but is only a figment of your imagination. But I can tell you that I felt every bit of the fear on that day when I presented my first talk in that speaking training I attended. You see, my thoughts were continually on the self-imposed belief that standing in front of an audience would be terrifying. By thinking those thoughts I actually created the fear into physical form. This is how all of life is. You create from your thoughts every moment of every day. What shows up for you is exactly what is in your mind, conscious or unconscious.

Over the months that followed my introduction to public speaking, I thought about why I was so afraid and why others are also afraid. Here’s what I realized.

When in front of an audience the speaker is on display. Everyone is watching him/her and if the speaker is insecure within then fear is the result. Most individuals feel inadequate about themselves, not realizing their own greatness. As a result they don’t feel good enough to be presenting anything to anyone. As I began to understand my own greatness over the months following my speaking training, my confidence soared. Part of it was of course just doing it, but in order for the fear to leave for good I had to do some inner work of realizing my inborn worth.

So basically people don’t want to be revealed. Standing in front of a group and sharing from the heart can be scary if you’re afraid of what the audience will see about you inside. Since many individuals avoid looking inside at themselves, they certainly don’t want others to see anything either.

Another fear is that you’ll show up as incompetent. Perhaps you’ll forget what you wanted to share or say something dumb, or what if you lost your place and fumbled with your words? Maybe the audience will be bored and not listen to you. What if someone asks you a question and you don’t know what to answer?

I have actually created a speaking training in which I train a small group of individuals over a weekend to rise above this fear of speaking so they can become all they are meant to be. It can also be done individually with a coach. Public speaking is actually the most powerful tool you can ever acquire for any profession or business endeavor. Being able to share what you know and feel is invaluable when it comes to creating what you want.

So here are 10 tips for rising above your fear of public speaking so you can become more of your potential. I promise you that if I can do it, so can you!

1. Realize the audience is simply human as you are. They are
there to hear what you have to say and have no agenda that
says you are not good enough. In most cases they are there
because they want to be.

2. Within the first 10 seconds they have sized you up and
decided many things about you. They’ve checked out your
attire, your hair style, whether or not your lipstick matches
your outfit, your overall appearance, and if you show
confidence or not. Know that once they’ve looked you over
they are ready to listen, so you can relax.

3. Rehearse your material over and over. I’ve read many times
that 75% of the fear goes away with much rehearsing. I know
from my own experience that preparation does make it easier.
However, do not memorize your entire talk. Know the beginning
and end well and let the rest flow from your heart.

4. Take some notes with you. This helps to boost your
confidence and there is no reason you cannot glance at your
notes if necessary. I often use a brief outline with
highlighted words or phrases for easy sighting. Sometimes
note cards with key words will do the trick. Don’t read your
notes as that depicts lack of preparation and will definitely
turn off the audience interest fast.

5. Use visuals such as a handout, eraser board, or items to
show. This puts the attention of the audience on those rather
than you, or at least it seems that way to you, and usually
enhances your talk since visuals reinforce.

6. Never, never, never say you are nervous or acknowledge your
fear in any way. That puts up an immediate barrier with the
audience and will deflate any confidence you have gathered
together to present your talk.

7. Pick a subject to talk about that you know a lot about or
it interests you. Don’t try to fake it and present on
something that is foreign to you unless you do your research
and learn about it. The audience will find you out.

8. Give the audience some new information. By nature people
want to leave from a presentation with new information that
can benefit their life. Give them some benefits.

9. Be a story-teller. It has been said that the best speakers
are story-tellers because most individual enjoy hearing the
stories. You can use stories about yourself - that helps the
audience relate well to you - but use stories of others as
well. Use emotion in them too: humor, sadness, happiness,
mystery, surprise.

10. Of all the tips I can give you from my research and own
experience, I have found that sharing from your heart always
works. An audience wants to feel your sincerity and
genuineness. To me and those I train, this is key. Anything
less than truth cannot ever survive! Truth is from the heart.

Of course there are other tips that can benefit you speaking in front of any audience, but these mentioned above have proven effective and fear-reducing for many, and are the consensus of many great speakers. Begin with a couple of these and add as you can, continually seeking to improve and grow. You can do it. I believe in you!

About the Author

Carolyn Porter, D. Div.

Empower Productions, Inc.

info@drcarolynporter.com

www.drcarolynporter.com

Carolyn Porter, D. Div., is an Inspirtational Speaker, Author of multiple books, ebooks and audios, Spiritual Wholeness Coach, Trainer for speaking, and Energy Facilitator, whose passion is to help you move beyond your self-imposed limitations and become the magnificent person you already are.

---