Things You Might Like to Know about Copyrights by Jan K.

Things You Might Like to Know about Copyrights by Jan K.

You may be under the false impression that before you can get your
text published, you must "get the copyright" to your own
written material. You might also think that in order to get the copyright,
you must "apply" for it. This is just not so. In the
following few paragraphs, I'll give you some simple facts about copyrights that
may help you in your quest to get published.

First, it is important to understand that you cannot
"copyright" an idea; you can only copyright what you have
written. That is, you might have just written the greatest self-help manual on
how to breed guppies. And you did, indeed, file for your copyright
with the Library of Congress. Three weeks after completing the formal
copyrighting process, you find out that the manager of your
neighborhood pet store (where you've been buying your guppies)
has just sold the TV rights to a new hit show "Breeding
Guppies" and he is using many of the same principles that you've outlined in
your manual on how to go about guppy breeding.

So, naturally, since this is the 21st Century and you live in
America, you want to sue the guy. You think you have a sure thing,
and you are dreaming of the million-dollar award that the jury is
sure to give you. Butyou'd better not put a down payment on
that Guppy Farm in Iowa just yet.

The manual you wrote, the exact words, phrases, sentences,
paragraphs, and chapters that you wrote, belong to you. It is illegal
for anyone to reproduce or use any of that text, in part or in whole,
for profit without your permission. However, you must be able to
prove that your exact words have been stolen before you can get an
award for copyright infringement. So, you know that guy with his hit
TV series? Well, unless he's reading from your manual
word-for-word, or attempting to sell your manual as a supplemental text that
he's written, then he's probably doing nothing illegal. He's just
using the idea of breeding guppies.

You do "own" the copyright to your text, all its words and
clever phrases. And you don't even have to file with the Library
of Congress in order to have the copyright on your text. The
copyright is conferred upon you the minute you write your New York
Times Bestseller. All you have to do is be able to prove, beyond any
doubt, the date that you wrote the material. For your protection,
then, it is wise to print and date your material, and establish with
a third party through a written communication that you have just
finished your text. At that time, you can legally affix the copyright
symbol (the letter c inside a circle) to your work.

Now here's where a formal copyright comes in. By filing with the
Library of Congress (and paying them their required application fee),
you can establish definitively a date of copyright that will stand up
in any court of law. Any judge or jury will defer to your date over
someone else who can merely claim by word of mouth that his text came
before yours. It's a good idea to formally copyright any text
that you are planning to market. So, if you're convinced that the
world population-at-large is in desperate need of "Breeding
Guppies,What Every Ichthyologist Needs to Know" and you plan to sell it on
Ebay for $19.95, you should apply for a formal copyright.

Just having the copyright, however, doesn't mean that other
people can't quote your work. They may do so, as long as you are
given full credit for having written it prior to their use. This is
called a "reference" or a "citation" and generally,
whatever passage is being quoted will appear offset in quotation marks (so that the
reader can visualize which words belong to someone other than the
author of the text in which the quote appears). Of course, at present
the contingent of Copyright Police is not up to tracking down every
single instance of copyright infringement, and chances are that not
everyone cites original authors as scrupulously as they should, so
beware of whom you casually let look at or read your text (or to whom
you give a copy).

Copyrights are not forever. Typically, a copyright lasts for 50 years
past the natural life of the original author. Authors' heirs may
sometimes re-apply for copyrights, but generally written texts that
are this old are considered "public domain" and may be
reproduced without paying the author's family a royalty fee.

In the publishing world, you will find that many publications require
that you relinquish your copyrights to the work in return for having
your work published. This is a fairly standard procedureunless
your name happens to be Stephen King or Danielle Steele. Once
you've relinquished your copyright to a given work, you can not sell or
submit that text again unless you get express approval from the
publisher that now owns the copyright.

There are sites on the World Wide Web where you can post your work
for others to read or use as they see fit, so-called "free
sites." In cases such as this, there should be a disclaimer that
anyone who uses or reproduces your work must give you full credit.
Whether this happens all the time is certainly a matter for some
speculation, but your safeguard is that you own the copyright and if
you find that someone is profiting from your work and that you have
not been compensated, you can file a copyright infringement suit
against them.

As of the date of this article, the current copyright fee is $30. All
the instructions and necessary forms can be found on U.S. Copyright
Office's web site: http://lcweb.loc.gov/copyright/. I have
copyrighted several texts and advise that you mail your application
with a "Return Receipt Requested" from the U.S. Post Office.
This is your proof that the Copyright Office has received your
copyright application.
About the Author
Jan K., The Proofer is a full-time freelance proofreader and
copyeditor. In business since 1995, she has enjoyed working for a
diverse world-wide clientele, covering subject matter including
academic research, medical law, consumer surveys, and self-help
materials. Please visit http://www.janktheproofer.com for more
information.

Back to the copywriting basics by Mark Laing

Back to the copywriting basics by Mark Laing

You've probably read lots on effective copywriting strategies, how to
utilise keywords, and various tricks of the trade for making sure your
copywriting is as effective as possible. This is good stuff ... anything
that results in a better website is worth reading and absorbing.

However, before you learn to walk, you need to learn to crawl. Before you
begin focusing on the technical aspects of copywriting, it's a good idea to
get a handle on the basics.

With that in mind, here are a few things to keep in mind when you're
pecking away at your keyboard, trying to come up with effective copy for
your site.

* Catch your visitor's attention right away. They'll be gone in two seconds
otherwise.
* Keep it short. Keep it simple. Keep it to the point.
* Along the same lines, focus. Don't try to do too much with one article or
one page of copy. You're not a novelist - you're selling your services or
product.
* Use the active tense ... don't say "the product can be bought by clicking
on this link", say "click on this link to buy the product".
* Don't use jargon. You're writing to inform, to convince and to sell, not
to confuse.
* If you have a choice between a small word and a big word, use the small word.
* Keep a dictionary at hand, and use it.
* Know your audience. If you're targeting university professors, you won't
write the same kind of copy you'd aim at skateboarders (unless your target
audience is skateboarding university professors - in which case you've got
problems).
* Keep the tone consistent. If you're writing using an informal,
conversational style, don't switch in midstream to a formal legalistic
style. It'll throw your readers off.
* Tell the truth. Not only will you avoid being sued, but you'll achieve
credibility. This translates into long term profitability. Trust us.
* Similar to the last point, don't exaggerate. Kill the superlatives and
the exclamation marks. Let the reader decide if they're excited or not. If
you've done your job, they will be.
* For website copy, use bullets and point form, and break up copy with
subheads. Short attention spans and monitor-induced eyestrain make this
essential.
* Forget word counts and padding your copy. Say what you have to say - if
it only takes 150 words to get your message out (or 75, or even 25), that's
a good thing. You've made your point, and your reader can move on and buy
your product or service.
* After you've finished writing, read your copy out loud to yourself.
You'll be surprised at how many mistakes you'll catch this way. It also
lets you know if your writing has a natural flow to it.
* Don't fall in love with a particular phrase or paragraph, no matter how
great it sounds. Ask yourself, 'does it fit into the objective of my copy?'
If the answer is no, kill it.
* Don't be happy with your first draft. Edit, rewrite, and edit some more.
On the other hand, you're not following in the footsteps of Hemingway ...
don't overedit or overanalyze, or you'll never finish the job.
* When you're done, be receptive to constructive criticism. Let others read
your work before it goes online, and if they point out mistakes, rewrite.

Following the above advice will go a long way to ensuring your web copy is
readable and does what it's supposed to do - promote your business.


About the Author
Mark Laing is a copywriter and the content creator for
http://www.graphicsandwords.com , a website featuring graphic design and
copywriting resources for newsletter editors/publishers, webmasters and
other creative professionals.

COPYRIGHT by Craig Lock

COPYRIGHT by Craig Lock

What is copyright? No one can reproduce your work with-
out your permission - not even a personal letter. How much
of a writer's work can be legitimately used? A poem of 40-50
words is generally considered to be OK. Usually one is not
allowed to copy substantial amounts of another writer's work
without their express permission.

* But then what is meant by the word "substantial"? It is
widely open to interpretation and opens up a literary and
legal "minefield" (that's a metaphor, by the way!).

There are no hard and fast guidelines about the rule of copy-
right. The following is a rough 'rule of thumb':

You can take approximately 300 words from a book or any
other lengthy work of writing. You can also quote 150 words
from a magazine article. Fifty (50) words quoted from a news-
paper article is generally considered to be "fair use" without
requiring either permission or a fee. Copyright lasts 50 years
after your death.

You can use what is termed 'fair dealing' in writing reports,
or researching material. I always advise acknowledging sources
in your reference section (the bibliography -
I tried very hard to bring in that impressive long word) .

It's all very unclear - the entire subject of copyright; so I
won't say too much. My simple words of advice are:
Just use your common sense and
discretion (if you have some)... and be HONEST by fol-
lowing your heart. Don't copy other author's material and
purport (nice word, eh?) to be the author. One should not
paraphrase a substantial amount of another author's writing,
nor use that writer's points (or theme of their writing)
without due ACKNOWLEDGMENT. Hint hint!

If you get into a dispute (oops!), there are specialised trade
and copyright laywers (or solicitors as they call them here in
'civilised' NZ) in the big centres. If in doubt, get advice...then
DON'T infringe copyright.

Send requests to use "borrowed" material to the permissions
editor of a magazine, newspaper or book publisher. Book
publishers usually have a small department which deals solely
in this. Give them as much information as possible about your
article or book, your publisher, as well as other books or articles
written by you. Tell them what quotes you want to use and
why and so on. Say you will give them due acknowledgement
in your writing. They'll usually oblige.

There is sometimes a small fee payable. Always acknowledge
the sources of your quotations - then you've kept your word,
your side of the "bargain".

Also keep copies of your correspondence in the event of an
unlikely dispute.

Now a bit for Kiwis (and Brits)...

No one can reproduce your work without your permission.
New Zealand law closely follows British law. In NZ copyright
is usually protected for 50 years after the author's death. If a
book is published posthumously (nice long word that),
copyright extends for 75 years after the time of the author's
death. After that the work can be freely used by anyone.
No hope for me then... but perhaps my great great grand-
children!

As from 1989, New Zealand copyright law requires 3 copies
of every NZ publication to go to the National Library in
Wellington. One of which goes to the Alexander Turnbull
Library, one to the National Library for bibliographical pur-
poses, while the third is kept at the Parliamentary Library in
the capital in Wellington.

Sometimes a publisher might want copyright in exchange for
a fee. My advice: It's your work of art. So always retain your
copyright... unless you are in dire financial straits, like this
aspiring (and perspiring) writer. *

In the next lesson (and article) we will look at the subject of
plagiarism . Wow, that's a big word and I hope I spelt it cor-
rectly (especially for you "slick Americans")!

No , I don't mind you using my material and I feel, it may be
very hard for another "writer" to closely copy my rather "wacky style
of hopefully informing and entertaining at the same time".

Anyway, isn't "imitation the sincerest form of flattery"?
About the Author
Craig Lock is an author of numerous books and the
creator of the ORIGINAL online creative writing
course.
http://www.nzenterprise.com/writer/creative.html

Why Good Copywriting Matters by Amrit Hallan

Why Good Copywriting Matters by Amrit Hallan

Whether it is a web page or a brochure or a mailer or a newsletter, your written words decide the direction and dimension of your enterprise. The written copy of your message can make or break your business. It can make your reader eat out of your hand, it can incite a Jihad against you, and it can be simply dry.

The Internet is a great leveler. Although the current spate of pay-per-click search engines has made the battle ground a bit uneven, it is still favorable to small, but innovative businesses.

It took a severe economic jolt to make these businesses realize the power of the written wordthe copy of your pages that you put on the Net. For long its significance has been put on the backburner, and lots of breast-beating has gone into the cause of the "latest development technology." Well, technology has its place, but what makes a customer do business with you is, the written message.

It all depends on the words you use, the way you use them, the combinations you use them with, and the way you decide when not to use them - it's all about words.

Sadly, the small-sized businesspersons do not take copywriting seriously until its too late. 95% of businesses fail because they fail to convey their message. Their copy is not convincing enough.

Whenever you convey a printed message, you have an end objective. The sort of response it invokes hefts the success of the copy of the printed message.

The message that tells your customer about you and your product in a voice and tone that reaches deep.

The message that lays the bricks of the foundation on which the wall of trust is built.

At the core of your business success is the copy content of your message.

So what sort of copy is that?

The one that touches the right nerve of your customer or client.
The one that tells your customer that you and your product can be trusted.
The one that makes the customer eager to do business with you.
The one that talks to your customers as if you are talking to them directly.
The one that tells your customers exactly what they should know to arrive at an educated decision.
The one that elevates your customers to the level of clouds so that they see your world with the colors of a rainbow.

Ok, the last one sounds a bit unrealistic but you get what I mean.

Are there hard and fast rules for professional copywriting? Not at all. I often say that I can read between the lines - the words, the commas, the full-stops and the phrases - and make out what sort of person the writer is. We all have this quality, and we all go through such an awareness, but all happens in the subconscious. Your business needs a copywriter who can tap into that subconscious.

About the Author
Amrit Hallan is a freelance copywriter, copy editor and a writer.
He also optimizes web page content for higher Search Engine
ranking.
Read his weekly essays and articles by subscribing to
amritscolumn-subscribe@topica.com
For Copywriting and Copy Editing Services, visit:
http://www.amrithallan.com

Copywriting that Sells by Amrit Hallan

Copywriting that Sells by Amrit Hallan

The first thing I learnt after writing my first copy wasit all boils down to how much your copy sells. No matter how good it is, no matter if it beats Hemingway and Dickens in the efficient employment of language, if it does not sell, it is worthless.

Whenever you sit down to work on a new copy or edit an old one, just keep one thing in mind: how you can deliver the message in minimum words. Remember that literature written for the sake of promoting a product or a service needs to be succinct and direct, and above all, understandable. The average reader of your literature is a person who is in a hurry. He/she is bombarded with similar messages already (and he/she might be cynical).

Keep the end result in mind and create the copy around that. Relinquish your inherent proclivities and biases, and just focus on the message. Present the copy in a way that it is highly informative, convincing, and compelling. Before sitting down to write, think of your target readership. Are they children? Are they housewives? Are they teenagers? Are they hardcore technocrats and scientists? Formulate your language and presentation according to that.

A method I find useful is, make a list of all the words that can be associated with the current copywriting project. It is fun, and it helps you create supersets, sets and subsets of your project.

I have seen many copies where the creative writers lose focus, get carried away with their creativity, and end up creating a message that can win accolades as a piece of art, but makes no sale for the client. The way you present your message should not dominate the actual message. Your writing style should not impede the actual message and end up creating a distraction.

I myself am a writer. It is often extremely hard to resist the temptation of sprinkling the powder of my style on the copy, but I have to resist it for the sake of the message (and my income). I have learnt to become detached. I keep telling myself: its just a copy for my client for which Im getting paid, and it is not a piece of literature that Im creating to further the cause of my art.

This is the age of information. I dont know if it is true or not, it used to take an entire life-time in the eighteenth century to process the amount of information we process in a single day. With so much information (most of it is junk, by the way) around, it becomes difficult both for the reader and the writer to pinpoint the right tone and pitch. With so much fraud around, it becomes difficult to establish credibility.

Thats what differentiates you from the others. Project your message in a way that it immediately grabs attention.

In the morning I was watching Meet Joe Black on HBO, (today is Sunday) and there was one scene in the movie when Anthony Hopkins and Brad Pitt were walking down a busy street. There were scores of people around them; still, they both were prominently visible even from a distance. I noticed that only they were wearing dark clothes. Everybody in the crowd wore light shaded clothes. I found the scene very fascinating. This is how a focus should be created. Your message should be different from the rest of the crowd.

It should hit the right nerve instantly, from the first sentence itself. Your first sentence should make the reader think, Ok, this is something worth taking note of.

Without sounding melodramatic, make your message as moving as you can afford to. Dont be too personal if you are not a known personality and the majority of your target audience is a stranger to you. Still, messages that address to individual readers are more appealing.

Try to start with a You or Your or Yours? Messages starting with a highlighted question also incite a response. Keep your sentences short, with lesser commas and semi-colons. If you have abundant space, use bullets to highlight major pointsthey are easy to read and are generally to the point. There are no strict rules for the sort of words you should use. Particular words should appeal to the particular target-segment. Mainly, keep things simple and to the point. Use dabs of humor wherever possible. Once I wrote a short story around the service of my clientthey are a detective agency.

Copywriting is all about sincerity. Youll sound monotonous and clichd if you are not sure of the motive of your copy. To sound credible, you should believe in the authentic intentions of your client. Never write for a product/service that is intended to cause harm to your readers.

In the end, practice and study. After all, copywriting is a profession, so it has its nos and yeses. Be observant. Study everything around you, and read the copies of other writers carefully. Always keep notes of things you can use. Andwrite a lot.

About the Author
Amrit Hallan is a freelance copywriter, copy editor and a writer.
He also optimizes web page content for higher Search Engine
ranking.
Read his weekly essays and articles by subscribing to
amritscolumn-subscribe@topica.com
For Copywriting and Copy Editing Services, visit:
http://www.amrithallan.com

Copywriting for the Non-English-Speaking Audience by Amrit Hallan

Copywriting for the Non-English-Speaking Audience by Amrit Hallan

The power of the Internet lies in its global pervasiveness. It is practically everywhere. People of all languages access the Net from all over the globe. Just think of it as an infinite vastness for your business and marketing possibilities. Your marketing potential is directly proportional to the number of people who can understand your message.

Keep the following points in your mind while writing the copy for a non-English-speaking audience:

==> SHORTER SENTENCES AVOID COMPLICATED WORDS USE LOCAL EXAMPLES BLEND IN THE LOCAL CULTURE COLLECT INFORMATION <==

It may not sound apparent at the outset, but the more you know about the target-audience you are preparing your copy for, the more confident you feel while writing for it. You may never use most the information you gather, but it helps you in the long run, and you develop a good habit.

Read about them. Read about what they eat, how they greet, what they wear, what they avoid, what are their social values and their religious beliefs. Eventually youll discover you are talking exactly what they want to hear.

About the Author
Amrit Hallan is a freelance copywriter, copy editor and a writer.
He also optimizes web page content for higher Search Engine
ranking.
Read his weekly essays and articles by subscribing to
amritscolumn-subscribe@topica.com
For Copywriting and Copy Editing Services, visit:
http://www.amrithallan.com

Why Dream Merchants Make More Money by Joanne L. Mason

Why Dream Merchants Make More Money by Joanne L. Mason

Why Dream Merchants Make More Money
Copyright 2001, Joanne L. Mason
www.moneymakingsalesletters.com

Want to know the secret to creating your best sales letter ever?
All of the classic copywriters have said for ages that when you help someone else achieve their dreams that youll never run out of customers.

Its true. Dream merchants always make more money. A dream merchant is someone who knows how to help you achieve your dreams. He understands the dream that youre pursuing and can offer the necessary tools to make your dream a reality. He also knows that the fastest way to achieve his own goals is by helping you reach yours.

Think about it in everyday terms. Consider going on your dream vacation. No travel agent would ever just tell you how much a
ticket to your desired location is going to cost you. Instead, the agents job is to sell your dream.

Travel offices are plastered with breath-taking posters of exotic locations from every corner of the globe. Whether you want to bask on the sunny beaches of Jamaica or ski the snowcapped-mountains of Montana, your travel agent can get you there. Whats more, by the time that your agent finishes painting a glorious picture of fun and relaxation in your head, youll be so excited that you wont care what it costs as long as you get there.

The same principle applies to writing winning sales letters. You must appeal to the dreamer that lies inside every prospect. Help them to see your products as more than peddled goods. Build up the benefits that your product offers. Focus on fulfilling your customers desires so much that your price is seen as a minimal exchange when compared to the ultimate satisfaction of achieving their goals and dreams.

Study your niche and understand what they want. Do they want to make more money and become successful in business? Do they want to save money and feel secure? Do they want to lose weight and live healthier? Discover what exactly it is that they want.

Examine your potential customers until you understand the motivational triggers that make them buy. Use this information to become a dream merchant. Tell your customers how you can help them achieve their dreams and youll have an instant increase in sales.

Let Joanne Mason show you how to increase your income by as much as 1700% by using one simple secret for pulling more sales and profits from every ad, promotion or sales letter you'll ever use! Details at
www.moneymakingsalesletters/greatheadlines/index.html




About the Author
Joanne L. Mason is the owner of moneymakingsalesletters.com and publisher of Sales Letters Secrets Ezine. Subscribe now at www.moneymakingsalesletters.com/ezine.html and receive 2 FREE ebooks valued at more than $49!