The Bloggers Handbook: What You Need To Know About Defamation

By Daria Black

Currently there are over 30 million blogs on the internet and thousands more being created each week. Assuming ownership of one blog per person, that's a minimum of 30 million people slinging around their personal opinions on all that exists under the sun. This is a good thing. The free exchange of thoughts and ideas is what prevents the world from becoming a stagnant pool of dictatorship with the appropriate green scum floating on top.

However, to steal a line from the movie Spiderman, 'With great power comes great responsibility'. Blogging has become a way for the voice of the people to be heard. We must be careful, though, not to abuse our power through thoughtless acts that hurt the credibility of bloggers and blogging. One place that continues to be our Achilles heel is when good posts go bad.

In the United States, libel and slander are the two categories of defamation. In many states, courts have begun treating them the same as the only difference between the two is that libel is a false written statement about a person, place or thing that harms his/her/its reputation while slander is the verbal act of the same offense. Whether blogged on the internet or whispered offline to your mother, the common denominator is that what is said is false.

Since I'm psychic, I already know what you are thinking. 'The First Amendment of the US Constitution protects me. As long as it is the truth, I can say whatever I want.' Well, sort of. As crazy as it sounds, truth is not the silver bullet defense for every case of libel or slander. A judge may require that besides being true the information relayed is in the public interest to know.

So reporting that the CEO of a major corporation had been caught pilfering money from the employees' retirement fund would probably get dismissed from civil court whereas telling the world that your neighbor has smelly feet could get you into more trouble than you want. Even if it were true, why would it be in the public interest to know that your neighbor's feet could clear out Yankee Stadium?

Now, the First Amendment does protect your right to an opinion. If you think that the Mr. Squiggly Toddler Toy is a piece of crap, you are certainly free to tell anyone within earshot as long as you make it clear that it is your opinion on the subject. Likewise, if a person puts forth a negative sentiment with regards to their experience with you and it is clear to any reasonable person that it is their opinion, your legal recourse against them is severely limited.

Parody and satire are also protected. If they weren't, Saturday Night Live and South Park would have never made it past the first episode. And criticism of a public performance such as a symphony, a play and even a book is protected under the Fair Criticism and Comment clause.

Now the internet contributes some interesting layers of complication to the whole blogging shebang. Instead of being contained in a localized area, libel has the potential to cross international borders and not every country handles these cases the same. One of the major problems courts around the world are having to deal with is the one of jurisdiction. If I live in the US and I libel someone who lives in the UK where exactly does the case take place and who's laws do we go by? Several cases have set a scary precedent that leans towards being able to sue anywhere around the world for libel published on the internet.

Then there is the issue of third party liability. Say you are a responsible blogger who is careful about her posts to avoid a troublesome libel accusation. One of your readers posts a libelous statement on your blog. Can you be held responsible for that person's actions? Well, so far the law has only made provisions for internet service providers stating that they cannot be held responsible for how their customers use their services (as it pertains to defamation). Likewise, blog service providers such as Google and Six Apart would likely be immune to any lawsuits arising out of a person's use of the service.

Whether or not you would be held responsible may come down to if you moderate your comments. If you allow comments to be posted automatically, you might be protected under Section 230 of the US Code (for US Citizens). It may be a different story, however, if you approve comments before posting them. It could be argued that your posting of the comments equates your agreement to them. To date, no one has shown up in court to argue this, hence the fact that we are kind of forced to make it up as we go along.

Defamation is a tricky issue and one that needs to be tread carefully if one is to avoid landing in court. Here are a few tips to help keep you out of trouble. Note: I am not an attorney. I don't even get to play one on television. If you and your blog deal with some highly controversial issues or you're just not sure how much trouble you would get into if you published that post about your best friend's boyfriend, I recommend getting in touch with a lawyer to get the best advice.

Change the names. By far the easiest thing you can do is to change or to avoid using the name of the person you are talking about and to strip away as much identifying information as possible. If a reasonable person can visit your hometown and quickly identify the 'mealy-mouth cow' you blogged about online, you might want to do some editing.

Make use of a disclaimer. Kevin S Brady has an excellent one on his website. Even something as basic as 'By making use of this blog site, you agree that the opinions expressed are the property and responsibility of their respective owners' may provide some defense in the event of a lawsuit. (Check with a real attorney please).

Consider writing your rant as a parody or satire. Extreme exaggerations that no reasonable person would believe are not considered defamation because, quite frankly, they are unbelievable. Be careful though, this type of writing takes a certain je sais quoi, and could easily backfire on you. Have a reasonable person proofread your entry to make sure it passes the believability test.

Watch your language. Be sure to use wording that makes it clear that this is your opinion about the subject. Statements like, 'That Mr. Squiggly Toddler Toy is a piece of crap makes it sound as though you are stating a fact when in all actuality you are making a personal judgment about the toy. Something like 'I think that Mr. Squiggly Toddler Toy is a piece of crap' or 'That Mr. Squiggly Toddler Toy fell apart after the first use' are safe bets. At least as far as the law is concerned.

And last but definitely not least, don’t tell false tales. Now this may seem like common sense but how common is common sense these days? Really. If you feel the need to resort to lying about a person, you may want to seek professional help in examining why you want to do that. 'Cause chances are, it's not to protect the public.

Blogging is a great way to meet people and stay current in the world and doing so responsibly will only make the experience better. Stay safe, stay sane and most of have fun.

Daria Black is a freelance writer and web designer. Visit her website Webernet Architect located at http://webernetarchitect.com for information and tutorials on web design, website administration, blogging, social networking and having fun on the Webernet. To learn more about Daria or to contact her visit her personal weblog Lexicon Indigo at http://lexiconindigo.com.

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Blogs Are Us! Create A Money-Making Winner

By Karen Cook

Do you have a blog? Maybe you have more than one. It may just be a vehicle to publish your personal views. Or you may have set up a blog to make money.

Maybe you don't have a blog yet. You've been thinking of starting one because it's all you keep hearing about and you want to get in on this cultural phenomenon. You just are not sure how to go about setting
a blog up. After all, it wasn't too long ago that you didn't know what or who a "blog" was!

Either way, I've noticed bloggers seem to take advantage of AdSense. That tells us the blogger wants to receive payment from Google. Who among us can say NO to having our incomes supplemented?

What if there was a new and one-of-a-kind way to make money with your blog? What if it was easy to set up? So easy, total newbies are doing it!

There are simple steps to follow setting up your new blog...

1. Choose your target market.

Obviously, it will be a niche you are interested in. A hobby or a subject where you have special knowledge. This is important. After all, you don't want to work in doing something that gives you zero
interest.

This system offers you a choice of over 25 million markets! The most time you will spend on setting up your blog will be the time it takes you to decide which markets you want to pursue.

2. Set up your blog.

(Blogger.com offers you a free service) With this software, as soon as you have selected the products you want on your blog, you simply press BUILD and voila! Your very own store/boutique is automatically created for you!

The best part? Your blog will be unique! Nobody, nowhere, will have a store like yours. You'll be thrilled when you see what you can achieve with this software.

And, you don't have to stop with only one shop. Build more. Go crazy with your piece of virtual real estate.

3. Turn traffic into money.

Each page of your store will target different keywords. Meaning, better search engine rankings. How? Because you now have content-rich pages which search engines love! And...it's constantly changing as products are bought and new stock added. Search engines will love you.

When visitors are attracted to your blog, they will be funneled through to the products they are interested in. You will be paid commissions on the products your visitors purchase. Plus, they have the
bonus of a pleasurable shopping experience. Who can say that for the mall?

So, whether you have a blog for fun or profit, this newly-developed system deserves your attention.

(c) 2007 Karen Cook

Live demo! Case studies! Everything you need to know to have a one-of-a-kind blog!
Go here now...http://addebay.blogspot.com

Karen Cook works in a Public Library where she helps patrons with their blogs.

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So What Happened To All Those Enthusiastic Internet Marketers Who Didn't Have A Opt-in Email List?

By John C Vincent

FACT: 95% of internet marketers are failing with their marketing efforts, i.e., they're either losing money or just barely breaking even.

You wouldn't believe the emails I get from the 95%-ters, in fact, I'll tell you a little story.

A few years ago when I was just beginning, I had a total of 4,000+ emails, UNREAD in my inbox lol

So at that time I decided to get rid of the waste.

I started from the earliest emails to the most current, and here is what I discovered:

Some of the emails looked interesting and so I would open the message and click on the url link inside the email and guess what?

The urls and I mean most of the urls in those emails did not work. I got the old Blank Page, Can't Find Page or No Such URL.

What did this tell me? All those marketers who were so enthused about their product, so yippity happy, so, "You Better Jump On-Board Or You're Gonna Miss This Train" had jumped ship LOL

They had either unknowingly joined a scam or they didn't have the determination to stick with a good program.

Most people say they want to succeed and they want to make a TON of Money, Cash, Moolah but when it comes down to the effort it takes to succeed, they cut and run and they remain a wage-slave.

Internet marketing takes Determination, Persistence and a Love for what you're doing.

My favorite quote:
"Find something you love to do and you'll never have to work a day in your life."
~ Harvey Mackay

Once you discover your niche (that thing that you love), learn everything related to it, become the expert, the MUST GO TO Guy or Gal.

In addition, hone your marketing AND traffic generating skills so your particular niche/love, your website will have an audience.

Once you have an audience (Traffic) place an opt-in form on every page of your website.

Why?

Because Your Opt-in List is the MOST Important item in your business.

More on this in later articles.

Entice your visitors with a valuable free report, free eBook or even free software so they will gladly give you their name and email address.

This is how you build your list.

AND THIS IS YOUR #1 PRIORITY!

95% of marketers don't do this, hence, the High Failure Rate.

Additionally: You should be in the "People Business". Putting People/The Consumer/Your Prospect ... FIRST. To consider FIRST their wants and their desires. To set your own desires to the side for the moment and concentrate on giving the best service, the best tools, the best education possible to your Prospect/Customer/Client.

This builds trust, this builds a good business relationship.

REMEMBER: An educated Prospect becomes, through TRUST in you, a lasting Customer/Client.

Truism:
"To Give Before You Receive"

This should be your purpose as a marketer, to assist, to educate, to give of yourself. For if you do this...you will be truly rewarded (monetarily) , your business will prosper and you will finally be a part of the 5% of internet marketers who succeed in this Game.

Remember: It ain't Brain Surgery, it ain't Rocket Science... It's Just Internet Marketing...

John C. Vincent hosts The Opt In Marketing System Websites which provides free downloads and easy-to-follow guidelines on how to build a Massive Opt-in Email List that continuously makes you money every time you click your email "send button". Content Rich.
http://Opt-in-Magic.blogspot.com

http://OptInMarketing.net/

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How To Start Your Own Podcast For Free

By Demetria Zinga

Clearly if you’ve been thinking about podcasting these days, you’ll notice right away that there are a TON of solutions out there on the web to help you begin podcasting. There are lots of companies which offer great solutions for podcasters…so be encouraged—there are many ways to go about doing this, and it’s really all up to you.

Here’s an easy, and free way of podcasting:

Set up an account with blogger.com. It’s a really simple step by step process. You’ll see once you get there. Now set up an account with audioblogger.com. It will be connected to your blogger.com account. You will be using AudioBlogger to phone in and leave your recorded posts at your Blogger account. Therefore, you now have what’s called an “audioblog”! And for those of you who are familiar with blogging, this is a really quick and dynamic way of communicating on the web. Add to blogging “audio” and you now have “audioblogging”. The next element in your audioblogging would be converting this to a language understood by podcast “readers” and aggregators. This would be the language “XML”, which, of course, we won’t get into in this tutorial. All you need to do now in order to convert your audio blog posts into a podcast is to open an account with Feedburner.com In Feedburner you’ll be asked to burn a feed…you will enter the website address of your Blogger account, and Feedburner will automatically burn a feed for your blog. Your feed is what podcast displayers, aggregators, and such will use to download your podcastSo now that you have a feed for your podcast, you can announce your Podcast feed to friends, family, and the entire world! Simply give them the feed URL address which Feedburner created for you, and keep on audioblogging!

Demetria Zinga, M.S. is a web designer, internet marketing strategist, video &
podcast consultant, & digital media trainer. Let Coach Demetria’s business
technology training take your business to the next level today, by visiting http://www.faith-media.com

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Managing Backup And Recovery Services

By Alexander Eiriksson

Iceland Seafood International (ISI) has numerous offices located in ten countries and sells seafood products to UK retailers, and in order for the headquarters in Iceland to manage the business on a global scale, it is important that the data generated in all of its satellite offices is protected. ISI was previously using a tape-based backup service, which was not efficient or effective in its subsidiary office locations in the United Kingdom and Germany. The tape-based backup was "just about" manageable in the Iceland offices, but it was proving difficult to manage the tape backups on an international scale: The tapes weren't being changed at the stipulated times, it was difficult to recover data from tapes located all over the world and there was the additional concern of tapes potentially going missing.

SecurStore Remote Backup Service used all its knowledge and experience to bring the most effective and efficient solution to ISI by using Asigra Televaulting. ISI's multi-office corporate structure demanded a backup/restore service that respected remote data and ensured that it is protected to the same level as corporate data. ISI turned to SecurStore to eliminate these problems with their agentless distributed backup software service, which does not require tapes and allows a company with geographically dispersed offices to back up and recover data from a single location. Data protection is assured as encrypted data is backed up via disk over the WAN and stored offsite. SecurStore's high-calibre services guaranteed ISI successful and fast retrieval of any data they require from any office location around the globe.

"Within minutes of starting the test phase of the SecurStore Remote Backup Service we realised the benefits distributed backup and recovery would provide us with, not just from a cost perspective, but also from a global business continuity perspective," said Runar Bjarnthorsson, IT Manager of Iceland Seafood International."We chose SecurStore because their service eliminates the possibility of human error and allows us to protect our entire company's data from every global office location, which can all be managed from our headquarters in Iceland," continued Bjarnthorsson. "We saw very quickly from initial tests how much cost we could save with agentless software by paying for the amount of data stored and not for each machine that is backed up.”

SecurStore Remote Backup Service, provides ISI with an agentless backup/recovery environment for the entire organisation, including information residing on desktops, laptops and servers. This allows ISI to protect every system on the network without the hassle of agent-based license fees, agent installation, agent-induced performance loss and annual agent upgrades. Whenever a new PC is added to the ISI network, there is no need for a backup agent to be installed, which is a complex and costly burden. ISI only pays for the total amount of compressed data stored.

Alexander EIRIKSSON, Director of Securstore Business class Online Backup Service.

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The Simplest Asthma Solution

By Ralph DeAmicis

During the Democratic convention the Reverend Al Sharpton quoted a shocking statistic: One third of the children in Harlem suffer from asthma. This shouldn’t be completely surprising since asthma cases have been consistently increasing over the years, especially in the cities, escalating recently during the rollback of some key environmental laws, but it is a trend we must turn back.

While parents have only limited control over the environment where they raise their children, there is a personal environmental decision they can make that may dramatically reduce the symptoms their children experience. It all comes down to detergent, and not just any detergent. It is the detergent that they use to wash their children’s clothes and sheets. The biggest selling detergents in the United States contain large amounts of irritating phosphates, which are not only a major irritant to the skin and respiratory system, but a source of serious pollution, and a component in global warming.

If you are wondering if your laundry detergent contains phosphates just read the label, it is listed there. In most industrialized countries phosphate detergents are outlawed for good reason, but in the United States the chemical industry has a strong lobby and cheap phosphates help manufacturers keep their costs low, so their use continues. The next time you walk though the laundry detergent section of your supermarket, take a deep breath and notice how much the smell irritates your nose and lungs.

What kinds of detergent contain low, or no phosphates? Baby detergent! No mother would dream of washing their newborn’s clothes and sheets in the family’s powdered detergent! That would give their baby’s delicate skin rashes, not to mention an increase in crying and crankiness. There are many readily available natural detergents that are phosphate-free and it’s worth the time to find them.

We have noticed tremendous improvements for both children and adults when their clothes and sheets are consistently washed in a phosphate-free detergent. By itself this change may not alleviate all of the symptoms of asthma and those related skin rashes, but it clearly removes an insidious irritant from the equation.

It might be helpful to explain why this simple change is so effective. Testing in Europe shows that, while sleeping, people are between two thousand and ten thousand times more sensitive to chemical and electromagnetic pollution than while they are awake. When a child’s pajamas are washed with a chemical irritant and they sleep on bedclothes containing those same toxins, their immune system is challenged nightly, during a time when they are most vulnerable. Their body’s nutritional reserves are consumed in that battle and they are less able to defend themselves from the pollutants they encounter during their day. Asthma and allergies are not produced by a single irritant, but by an accumulation of minor irritants that eventually overwhelm the body’s ability to adapt. It is not a huge leap to imagine that removing a respiratory irritant from the sleeping environment, where a person spends one third of their time, is going to produce an improvement in a child’s ability to breathe.

Drs. Ralph & Lahni DeAmicis are Naturopathic Physicians. Their educational program, The 10 Minute Herbalist, seeks to put the knowledge of everyday good health into everyone’s hands. Information about their program and publications is available at www.SpaceAndTime.com.

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Sell More Books With an E-mail Newsletter

By Alexandria K. Brown

NOTE: Because many words in this article are likely to trigger sp^m filters, we've disguised them with symbols (e.g. sp^m). This will ensure a higher delivery rate if you use this article in your e-zine.

If you're selling your book online, you're practically guaranteed to increase sales by publishing an e-mail newsletter, or "e-zine."

Why? Well, for a start, it's a super way to give readers a taste of your expertise and style along with samples of your content. This ensures they'll come to be familiar with you, trust you, and hopefully buy your book when they're ready for more information.

Also, it's a great way to *capture prospects* who aren't ready to buy your book when they visit your site, but are still interested in the info you have to share.

Based on my own experiences in marketing my manual, 'Boost Business With Your Own E-zine,' here are 7 ways to help increase book sales using an e-mail newsletter.

1. First thing: Encourage e-zine SIGNUPS on your Web site where you promote your book.
   
   Before you even begin publishing, start collecting e-mail addresses. Place a signup form in many places on your site to invite visitors to subscribe to your free e-zine. This way, if a visitor isn't interested in buying your book today, she can sign up for your free e-zine. Now you haven't lost her, and she'll learn even *more* about your book from being a subscriber.
   
   E-zine publishers also report GREAT signup results using pop-up and pop-under boxes at their Web sites.
   
   Examples: On my main site, http://www.ezinequeen.com, I feature a signup form on EVERY page, as well as a pop-up box. On my book sales site, http://www.ezinequeen.com/tutorial, I have a pop-under box that appears once you close the main window.
   
   Remember: NEVER sign anyone up without her permission!
   
   
2. Feature EXCERPTS and/or TIPS from your book in your e-zine.
   
   These can be either direct excerpts or short tips that summarize some of your content. Go through your book and highlight individual tips or small sections that could stand well on their own. Just don't give away the whole store! For example, giving your readers a whole chapter of your book in each issue is going overboard.
   
   Besides lifting material directly from your book, try some other spins on your topic such as a list of top 10 tips, a how-to article, a list of resources, or a review of a trend in the industry.
   
   Example: One of my clients, a life coach, has a hard-cover book out right now that features 101 tips on how to attract what you want in life. Each issue of her weekly e-zine features one of those tips, along with a brief explanation of how to implement it.
   
   
3. Directly after your article, give a quick PROMO BLURB that shamelessly plugs your book.
   
   Why right after the article and before anything else? If someone reads your article/tip and says to themselves, "Gee, that was great information," they'll be ready to hear what else you have to share on that subject. Really pump it up and have a good time with it.
   
   Example: "Did you like today's article? If you did, you'll LOVE my new book, 'Double Your Business in Six Months.' It's jammed with more than 257 great ideas to help you grow your business FAST. Learn more and order now at [Web address here]. You can begin using my best tips within minutes!"
   
   
4. In each issue, offer a TESTIMONIAL from one of your book purchasers.
   
   Let your readers know that many other people just like them ARE buying your book and LOVE it. Idea: Create a small section in your e-zine for this purpose. In each issue, feature a short testimonial from one of your readers here.
   
   Example: "What 'Beauty Blastoff' Readers Are Saying: 'I can't tell you how much your book has helped me improve my appearance. Thanks to your tips, I've lost 20 pounds, cleared up my skin, and rid of all my unwanted hair. Now my rich ex-husband even wants me back. You're a saint!'" — Suzy Smitten, Los Angeles, Calif.
   
   
5. Offer your readers a SPECIAL DISCOUNT for a l1mited time.
   
   Make your readers feel special by offering them a special discount on your book when you can. For best response rates, make it a limited time offer to lend a sense of urgency. I did this with my manual when it first came out and got great results.
   
   Example: "For Subscribers Only: Buy my book before midnight this Friday and receive a 20% discount!"
   
   If you can't give your subscribers a discount, offer something else to make them feel special, such as a bonus report or free phone consultation with their purchase.
   
   
6. Mention your book in as many other places as possible in your e-zine.
   
   Bottom line: The more you mention your book, the higher your chances they'll buy. While your opportunities are endless, here are a few ideas to start with:
   
   
   • in your masthead (This is where you give the reader info about your publication — usually at the very top.)
   • in your editor's or publisher's note (This is where you give a personal note to your readers.)
   • in your article (If you mention a certain point that you cover wonderfully in your book, say so!)
   
   
7. To attract even more prospects, advertise your e-zine in your everyday e-mail SIGNATURE FILE.
   
   You know what a signature (or "sig") file is, right? It's that little blurb with contact info that you can automatically insert at the end of every e-mail you send. Besides your obvious contact information, give a quick plug for your book AND e-zine.
   
   Why? Well, if you just advertise your book, some people will read your sig file and think, "That's cool, but I don't want to buy anything right now." BUT if you advertise your FREE e-zine, they'll likely take advantage of your offer. THEN you've got them on your list.
   
   Example: Here's what I have at the END of my sig file, after my contact information: "BOOST BUSINESS by publishing your own e-mail newsletter! Learn how now — sign up for fr*ee how-to tips at http://www.ezinequeen.com."

(c) 2000-2003 Alexandria K. Brown. All rights reserved.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Alexandria K. Brown, "The E-zine Queen," is author of the award-winning manual, "Boost Business With Your Own E-zine." To learn more about her book and sign up for more FREE tips like these, visit her site at http://EzineQueenTutorial.com/

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11 Things You MUST Know Before Hiring a Copywriter!

By Alexandria K. Brown

If you're considering hiring copywriting help for your next brochure, Web site, or marketing project. Congratulations! You should get great results if you hire a pro to do it right.

Many business owners and marketing professionals have valid concerns about letting an outsider develop their content. After all — it's your business, you know it best, and your image is critical. However, you're wrapped up in your business every day. A good copywriter can see your business in a new light, draw out the key benefits of your products and services, and communicate that excitement to your clients and prospects.

Working with a writer isn't a complicated ordeal, however it will benefit you tremendously to become familiar with how the relationship typically works and ways to help the process move along smoothly. So, here are my top 11 tips on how to choose and work with a copywriter:

1. Understand what you're trying to accomplish.
   
   

A crucial factor in streamlining the writing process is determining the principal points you need to communicate — *before* you bring in a writer. Who is your target audience? What is your message? What is unique about your company? In what type of tone do you want to speak to your reader? And most important: What type of response do you ideally want the reader to make? Having this information agreed upon BEFORE you get a writer involved will save you unnecessary copy revisions and keep your costs down.

• Have a realistic schedule.
  
  

Rushed work usually means it'll be expensive...or just plain bad! Avoid hastily hiring a copywriter and dumping a rush job on her. Not only will you not have time to thoroughly check her experience and references, but, no matter how wonderfully talented she is, her first draft will not be 'fully cooked.' Most copywriters need time to let words and ideas simmer.

Most writers will request several WEEKS to develop your copy, so set a realistic schedule to give the creative process ample time. Count on going through one or two revisions as your writer refines the piece's angle and conveys the key benefits of what you're promoting.

• Make sure the writer you hire has written for the medium you want.
  
  

Let's say you need someone to re-energize the copy on your Web site. A freelancer who has only written magazine articles won't likely have the skills to create content for a dynamic Web site. She's probably not proficient at breaking-up copy into easily digestible bits, integrating hyperlinks that entice your users to take action, and keeping your end-user in mind to plan a friendly, easily-navigable site. She may be able to learn how, but you'll be paying for her slow ramp-up speed. Take time instead to find the right person — it will save you many headaches down the road.

• Experience within your industry isn't always necessary.
  
  

When I was a copywriter myself, I heard many prospects say, 'So you've never written for a _______ company before?' A valid concern, but don't worry. A writer's ability to write well for the medium is more important than her having prior experience in your industry.

Many writers are true generalists and write just as well for an edgy new media start-up as they do for a giant hospital network. They're very proficient at diving into your business, learning it inside and out, and churning out great prose to entice your target market. Now of course, if you're producing a technically oriented business-to-business Web site or marketing piece, you may want to hire a writer with experience in both your project's medium and your industry. If you find a good one, hold on tightly. You've struck gold!

• Ask for references, and contact them.
  
  

All writers can show you samples of well-written material, but how do you know if they'll work to understand your communication needs, meet deadlines, and act professionally in front of clients? Any great copywriter should have an ample list of references that she can share with you. Be sure to contact at least two of them, and ask them about the writer's weaknesses as well as her strengths.

• Keep in mind that you get what you pay for.
  
  

It amazes me how businesspeople will drop thousands of dollars on Web or print design and hesitate to spend half as much on great copy. Pictures and design enhance your message, but jeez folks ...the writing IS your message!

Good copywriting does not come cheaply — you'll find writers who charge anywhere from $50 - $250 per hour and up. You'll pay more for an experienced writer, one with a particular specialty, or one who's also a proficient editor. (Many writers are also great editors, but not all writers are editors, and vice versa.)

• Work on more than a handshake.
  
  

True writing pros will give you an agreement they've drawn up for you. However, you'll occasionally find yourself having to draft an agreement for the project. This doesn't have to be complex — a simple letter that you both sign should do fine. Be sure to include the project size, number of revisions included, timetable, and agreed fee (this can be a flat fee or hourly rate).

And don't forget to ask what's *not* included. For example, many writers charge extra for in-person meetings, research time, and weekend or rush work. You should also expect to pay an upfront retainer. Most writers charge one-third to one-half of the total project fee upfront, and many won't begin your project until they have the signed agreement and check in hand. And if you have sensitive or proprietary information, don't hesitate to have your writer sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA).

• Give your writer background info at the start.
  
  

I've often heard the story of a writer being hired for a large project, and the first thing she's asked to do is come in and interview several principals of the company. After several days of interviews, the writer is then handed the company's annual report, previous brochures, and marketing plan.

If this background info had been given up front, the client could have saved hours of time and money! At the beginning of your project, pass on any and all previous brochures or sales kits, direct mail, Web site URLs, annual reports, research results, or business or marketing plans.

• Appoint one person as your project captain.
  
  

Appoint one person at your company as project captain. If you allow too many people in your organization to work with the writer directly, each of them will likely have a different opinion of the copy and request different edits from your writer. She may be forced to make many unnecessary revisions, adding time and cost to your project.

If you need to involve multiple reviewers in the process, have your project captain handle the internal reviews and edits and decide which ones supercede others. Then give your writer one master copy that includes all edits to be made. Also, be sure to involve your final decision maker early on, be it your CEO or board of directors. This gives your writer clear direction and avoids costly revisions down the road.

• Give constructive criticism.
  
  

Although copywriters have egos of steel and are accustomed to criticism, make yours helpful for best results. 'This paragraph just doesn't work' isn't as effective as 'What we need to do here is stress the benefits of the non-skid surface.' Also, tell her what parts you *do* like, so she can emulate them elsewhere. And of course, everyone loves to know when they've done a good job. If you like her work, be sure to share that with her!

• Don't discount chemistry.
  
  

You need to feel comfortable with your writer in order to work effectively together. Take the time to find a great copywriter whom you truly like and develop a good working relationship together. You'll get top-quality work that will help your business thrive. And you'll have a skilled and knowledgeable copywriter on call for your next communications effort.

2000-2003 Alexandria K. Brown. All rights reserved.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Alexandria K. Brown, "The E-zine Queen," is author of the award-winning manual, "Boost Business With Your Own E-zine." To learn more about her book and sign up for more FREE tips like these, visit her site at http://EzineQueenTutorial.com/

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