Archive for February, 2009

Common Errors on Business Websites

Monday, February 23rd, 2009

I read a number of business websites each day and I see the same types of errors over and over again. These typos or mistakes aren’t the end of the world, but they definitely lower the level of professionalism of the website. For a consumer like me, I’m turned off from the company when I find blunders:

  • Mostly found in the website’s footer, I find the misspelling of “copyright” as “copywrite,” “copyrite,” and other types of “rite,” which isn’t right.

  • I’m not a fan of a company that spells their name in more than one way, excluding abbreviations. Is it A1 Listings, A-1 Listings, A-One Listings, or A1Listings? (Note: This company’s name is completely fabricated, and I even checked for it on Google.)

  • It’s a good thing to have your complete address if you choose to include it on your contact page (or any other page). It really is. I don’t like when they leave out the suite number or zip code, especially if it’s a place I’m planning to visit. Oh, and if you move to a different location altogether, update your website’s address. This is very helpful to consumers and only takes seconds to do.

  • If you have a time-sensitive coupon, make sure to delete it or change it after your purposed expiration date. Having outdated coupons on your website lets your visitors know that you don’t care about them.

Long story short, if you are in charge of a business website, be sure to proofread your text or at least get a copy editing service to help you out. It can make a difference to your online presence.

So, my faithful readers (reader?), what are some errors that you come across on websites that make you scrunch your face? I’m always interested in what you have to say. Please leave a comment below. It’s free to do, and in this economy, don’t we need more free?

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Luis D. Bonilla
luis@wordszilla.com
Wordszilla, LLC

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Does Professionalism Cross Over from Print to Internet?

Monday, February 16th, 2009

What’s Up, Wordy?

I was talking with a colleague last week about how frustrating it is for me to be reading an article (i.e., ezine.com), a “professional” blog post, or anything else online that is written with the intent of being considered reputable and finding a considerable amount of errors or jumbled thoughts. It’s not only the fact that many online articles contain mistakes and are poorly written, but that people don’t seem to care that it’s happening.

You wouldn’t expect to read newspapers, magazines, books, or other forms of media with misspellings or broken English, so why is it okay for the Internet? I understand that basically anyone with an Internet connection can write and “publish” online articles and not everyone can clearly state ideas. And I’m not saying that I’m for the regulation of online material.

I suppose that I’m so used to reading articles from respectable sources (both online and in print) that when I come across someone trying to teach me something online but can’t convey the message effectively due to the ineptitude of basic English, then I struggle to take what is said seriously.

Am I the only one who feels like this? Should printed articles and online articles be read with different expectations? I’d like to hear your ideas. Leave a comment below and let me know how you feel about reading printed materials and online articles.

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Luis D. Bonilla
luis@wordszilla.com
Wordszilla, LLC

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Tips for Writing a Fiction Book (Part Three)

Monday, February 9th, 2009

The first tip for writing a fiction book highlighted how outlining your novel can help develop ideas, while the second tip focused on added character development. This last tip will emphasize how to flesh out your novel with subplots.

Building Depth

Creating supplementary stories to your main storyline really helps to engage readers by giving your novel depth (as opposed to a boring, linear story). Also, it allows you to put your characters into situations that vary from the central plot which can enhance certain attributes or demonstrate a different side of your characters.

Unless you’re creating a children’s book, readers want complexity and substance that will make them question characters’ motives and actions. By having a subplot or two, it supplies an opportunity for your characters to expand out of their conventional element into situations where they can display more personality or abilities that wouldn’t be possible within the structure of the main plot.

Make it Connect

Of course, one of the major concerns is not to letting your subplots dominate your novel or water down the central plot. Subplots are meant to supplement, not supplant. Likewise, subplots need to be well-developed or they might take away the reader’s attention as they ask, “Why was that in there? What was the point of that?”

So, the trick is making the subplot secondary (which is what it’s supposed to be) to the main storyline, but at the same time making it relevant enough to have in the first place.

Conclusion

I hope that the three-part series of tips for writing a fiction book were helpful. As always, I’m interested in hearing what you think. Do you have additional tips for novelists? Feel free to write a comment below.

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Luis D. Bonilla
luis@wordszilla.com
Wordszilla, LLC

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Pros and Cons of Hiring a Ghostwriter

Monday, February 2nd, 2009

If you are looking to hire a ghostwriter, your selection could seem endless. Do you want to hire by price or by quality? Is there a way to get both? Do you want the ghostwriter to have English as their first language? Does the ghostwriter’s voice matter? Are they proficient (or at least familiar) with the topic I need written?

After you take a quick inventory of what you need completed by a ghostwriter, make a pros and cons list that will aid in your search. Doing so will allow you to get an idea of how much a ghostwriter can help with your writing project…or it can reveal that you might not benefit from having someone ghostwrite for you. The following is a small list to get you started.

Pros

  • Save Time: If writing isn’t your niche, think of what you could be doing with your time (i.e., promoting your project, finding a publisher, etc.).

  • A New Voice: It has happened to all of us at one point or another; we know what to say, but don’t know how to make it sound quite right. The appropriate ghostwriter can help you sound more professional, laid back, humorous…anything that you need your project to be.

  • Support: Having someone who is proficient in writing is a great luxury when you need new ideas for your project. A good ghostwriter will be constructive and encouraging with your written project, allowing for a completed work that is acceptable to you.

Cons

  • If English Isn’t the First Language: Although there are some rare exceptions, when a writer’s native tongue isn’t English, you can sense it in their writing. Make sure you know who you’re hiring and what quality (if any) you’ll be sacrificing.

  • Royalties/Contracts: Some ghostwriters prefer (or require) some type of royalties for subsequent sales of the book or writing project. This may be okay if you don’t want to pay a lot upfront, but it could be more than you’re willing to pay in the long run should your manuscript sell many copies. Be sure you know the boundaries of your ghostwriting contract.

  • Pricing is Too Low or High: C’mon, are you really expecting brand new, articulate work that is written by an experienced professional for about $3 a page? How about a 300-page self-help book written in three months for $10,000? Personally, I would steer clear of the “dollar menu pricing” ghostwriters (lack of quality) and the “my pen writes with liquid gold…really, that’s why I charge this much” ghostwriters (lack of…reality?).

(Note: There are ghostwriters that have attained “pen writes with liquid gold” status, but it is far from the norm, in my opinion.)

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Luis D. Bonilla
luis@wordszilla.com
Wordszilla, LLC

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