Tuesday’s writing tip for authors

Writing is easier when you start by choosing a title that provides a framework for your project. Regardless whether you’re writing an article to promote your book, a blog post, or the book itself, numbers jump start your progress and reduce the length of time it will take to complete your project. Numbers also do a better job of “selling” your book to potential readers and help readers track their progress through your article, book, or speech. Let’s take a look at each of the above points:

1. Numbers make it easy to choose the contents of your article, book, or speech. Frequently, the hardest part about writing an article, book, or speech is to choose the content, or main points you want to cover. Adding a number to the title engages your brain and helps you be selective. Knowing that you only have 3 points to talk about, for example, paradoxically opens up the floodgates, and several ideas occur to you. Now, instead of trying to come up with ideas, your task is to select the best and arrange them in the right order.
2. Numbers help you write your article, book, or speech. Identifying the main points you’re going to write about takes the stress out of writing. Knowing the major ideas you’re going to write about reduces writing to a “paint by numbers” formula; for each of the numbered points you’ve identified, you simply need to describe its relevance and important characteristics to your readers activity. More important, the numbers help you track your progress. Once you’ve finished the first point, a feeling of progress sets in, knowing that only two 2 remain. When you finish the second point, your writing speeds up because you’re past the half-way point.
3. Numbers help you “sell” your article, book, or speech to your readers. In a similar way, numbers help readers track their progress through your article, book, or speech. Numbers also enhance the credibility of your article, book, or speech title by add credibility, specificity, and–in many cases, urgency. A book title like Guerrilla Marketing in 30 Days does a better job of selling its contents than Guerrilla Marketing. Likewise, The 7 Habits of Highly-Effective People is more credible than Habits of Highly-Effective People.

Content Catalyst = Formula for writing success

Roger C. Parker’s popular Content Catalyst is a 200+ page e-book that describes the number-based writing in detail. It contains over 400 specific topic ideas for writing an endless stream of articles, blog posts, books and e-books, newsletters, podcasts, speeches, and presentation.

Millionaire-level Internet marketers like Ryan Lee call my Content Catalyst “the most useful content book I’ve ever purchased.” Learn how to put numbers to work here.