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Archive for October, 2010

No matter how good your book, product or service, unless you get the word out to as wide an audience as possible you will struggle to make sales. Spiking the interest of the media with a well written press release is not difficult and can lead to all kinds of opportunities including boosting your bottom line.

As well as a superb way of grabbing public attention there is another reason why every author or bloglancer for that matter should get into the habit of writing press releases. They are a great way of creating quality backlinks to your website or product pages which of course is vital if you wish to get free traffic courtesy of Google and the like.

Problem is, the media in all its forms receive millions of news stories every day. To stand a chance of your release getting picked up by a reporter you need to know how to write a news story that will stand a chance of being picked up by a curious journalist.

A PRESS RELEASE IS NOT AN ARTICLE!

Explaining in intricate detail how you decided to sell ebooks on rare fungi and submitting it as a press release is unlikely to cut any ice with a reporter looking for a story which will boost circulation!

However, issuing a release saying how you discovered a magic mushroom which cures teenage acne while writing ebooks on the subject is much more likely to make ears prick!

Lesson: A press release contains a strong NEWS story.

WRITE FOR THE JOURNALIST, NOT THE READER!

Now that might seem at odds with what you may have read elsewhere, but journalists are usually hard pressed people constantly fighting deadlines. Write your press release in the way they expect with the most important news at the top and you will at least get a second look.

Keep your paragraphs fairly short and try and make each self contained as journalists will often shorten by simply deleting later paragraphs. Your press release ideally should not be more than 500 to 800 words. If more information is needed your full contact details should be included at the bottom of each release.

Lesson: Write for the journalist, keep it short and give them what they want by using what, where, why, when etc.

CLEVER TITLES AND CUTE QUOTES

A good attention grabbing title is fine, but it must relate to the story by making it clear what the reader will learn. You only have seconds to grab attention so do not sacrifice clarity for cleverness.

The same goes with quotes. Use these sparingly. They should come from an expert or someone who is themselves newsworthy. Quoting your grandmas comments on your body snatching book is a no-no, but if you happen to catch the attention of Terry Patchette and he is willing to be quoted then by all means make a meal of it! (That is actually your news story!)

Lesson: Keep it simple. Only use catchy headlines and quotes if they add something to the story and never use testimonials!

PREPARE FOR FOLLOW UPS

Make it easy for the media to contact you by including your full name, address, telephone number and email. Also include your website if you have one. In a moment we will look at press distribution services. Do not be tempted to use false contact information. You will loose credibility if a journalist tries to contact you and finds you have submitted false information.

You also need to say whether you have photographs available if applicable or are willing to be interviewed.

Lesson: Include your real contact details and say whether or not you are available for interview and what other resources you can provide.

GET THE WORD OUT!

There are dozens of places you can circulate your press release. Try these:

1. Your niche media. Publications relating to books and the topics covered by your latest effort should be near the top of the list. It is worth trying to make personal contact with journalists in your niche area as you will want to get further publicity.

2. Local papers and magazines. If your story is strong enough you will easily get picked up by these. You should find the news desk email of the relevant individual by either ringing the newspaper office or going online. Do not forget local radio. They are there to serve the community and are usually more than happy to have you on one of their shows.

3. Spread your net wider by submitting to the relevant section of the nationals. Much harder to get in these, but if you really do have a strong story, there is always the possibility.

4. Submit your release to as many online press release services as possible. Many charge and offer refinements such as ensuring your release is distributed to relevant individuals, but there are also free services.

SUBMITTING A NEWS RELEASE TO A PRESS RELEASE SERVICE WILL CREATE A BACKLINK TO YOUR SITE AND EARN YOU

GOOGLE BROWNIE POINTS!

This is just one of many articles on book promotion available from the Writelink online creative writing community

Maybe you have high blood pressure. If you do, at least you have got an idea why, from cigarette smoking to being overweight. However, many Americans have experienced a severe health condition for many years without a clue in regards to what caused it. This problem is an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) like Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, and moreover it turns out at fault is, of all things, an acne drug.

This pimple treatment is called Accutane, an acne prescription medication that’s had 13 million users globally since its release in 1982. Since then, IBD sufferers have suffered with no knowledge of what went wrong. But now they are learning, via news reports and lawsuits that their incurable gastrointestinal illnesses may be due to acne “miracle drug” Accutane.

This acne medication is called Accutane, an acne medication that’s had 13 million customers globally since its launch in 1982. Since that time, IBD sufferers have suffered without knowing what went wrong. But now they are finding out, via news reports and lawsuits that their incurable gastrointestinal maladies may be due to acne “miracle drug” Accutane.

Actually, it’s not that brand name drug but its powerful active ingredient, Isotretinoin, that causes severe Accutane side effects. Roche Pharmaceuticals, based in Switzerland, used this drug in spite of knowing that it could possibly cause gastrointestinal distress and significant injuries. Consequently, patients are suing Roche and so far have prevailed with a sum of $56 million in court verdicts.

Even so, acne sufferers still can buy generic Accutane, which is sometimes called Sotret, Amnesteem or Claravis yet contains the same hazardous active ingredient, Isotretinoin. Though the Food and Drug Administration has placed warnings on such medications and calls Accutane “potentially dangerous,” the item remains available, fighting acne by decreasing oils released by the glands and increasing Vitamin A.

The consequence of using the medicine can be Crohn’s disease, affecting the entire intestinal system with inflammation, bleeding and cramping. Accutane’s Isotretinoin can also spark ulcerative colitis, which inflames and ulcerates the actual internal lining of the colon. Both UC or Crohn’s disease may lead to constant and extreme abdominal pain, as well as grisly digestive disorders.

But at least Accutane victims can fight back. They are able to pursue an Accutane lawsuit against Roche for its negligence. Such an Accutane lawsuit can be fought in all 50 states by the lawyer group known as Accutane-Lawsuit-Lawyers.com. A no cost case review form on its website can put patients in touch with the appropriate defective drug lawyer for his or her state and start the entire process of looking for monetary compensation. Accutane victims also can call toll-free to 1-800-339-0606 to get a legal professional who’ll help them evaluate prospects for their Accutane lawsuit.

Roche has got the money to pay patients, in the aftermath of amassing billions in revenue during its 27 years of selling Accutane – a medication that Roche knew was causing injury but sold regardless. Such neglectfulness need not go unchallenged because of the well-informed law firm group of Accutane-Lawsuit-Lawyer.com.

In what diamond cuts are concerned, we can speak of several different types in which they can be done, all developed in order to fully exploit the properties these beautiful gemstones have. The choice between one particular cut and another is determined by factors such as the form, in which the rough stone was initially shaped, the existence of any potential internal flaws and the place they are located, the concern for preserving the carat weight and the degree in which certain shapes are more or less popular amongst buyers of anniversary rings.

Based on the style and arrangement of a diamond’s facets, diamond cut styles fall into three categories: brilliant, step and mixed. Each of these cuts can be easily distinguished from the others due to their particular features. For instance, brilliant cut diamonds charm the viewer’s eyes with its facets in shapes of triangles and kites with their light radiating outwards. Among these, the round brilliant cut is probably the most sought after in 5 year anniversary as round diamonds have as many as fifty-eight gorgeous facets reflecting the in and out light. Things change a little when we bring step cut diamonds into discussion. They can be described as being a type of diamond with sloping four-sided facets. Examples of step cuts are emerald ones with their usual rectangular shape or the old Asscher cut. Finally, mixed diamond cuts involve techniques borrowed from both brilliant and step cuts and are used quite often for colored gemstones.

As we can see, choosing a anniversary rings is something more than just picking the size and color of the rock. As the beauty of it resides primarily in its brilliance, it is important to pay attention to the way in which it was cut. It may seem too much to be asked to an untrained eye, but we should not forget that we are not alone when deciding to buy jewelry. This is something we would usually do in a jewelry shop due to the multiple benefits they offer. Not only will we find here valuable advice from professionals, but also all the accessories we need.