Click the graphic to access Webbiquity’s compilation of 33 carefully-curated content marketing and copywriting guides and tips.

Whether you’re new to content marketing, or are looking for fast access to the latest ideas and trends, you’ll find Tom Pick’s 33 Phenomenal Content Content Marketing and Copywriting Guides and Trips blog post worth visiting and bookmarketing.

You could spend hours surfing and searching, and not find as many helpful voices and viewpoints organized in one place!

When you visit Tom’s post…

One of the first things you’ll notice when you visit is the range of voices, from familiar to new discoveries with fresh, informed ideas and perspectives. You’ll undoubtedly find discover new resources for future follow-up.

You’ll also appreciate the range of topics included, and the in-depth information contained in the 33 articles.

I’m also pleased to report that Webbiquity has included one of my own articles, Write the Best Titles for Content Marketing: A 10-Point Checklist. It’s one of my favorite projects, and includes my downloadable title evaluation worksheet. (Thank you, @tompick and Webbiquity!)

After spending time on the site and following the links, share your favorite articles and discoveries as comments, below. Which of the 33 content marketing and copywriting guides and tips provided inspiring ideas and insights, and who are you going to start following in the future?

A white paper can be a powerful book marketing tool for authors, helping sell more books than the sample chapter excerpts typically offered.

Today, many authors and publishers offer readers interested in their latest books an opportunity to download a PDF containing a table of contents and sample chapter.

In some cases, visitors can immediately download the sample chapter.

More often, however, to obtain the sample chapter, visitors must submit their name and email address, and allow the author to recontact them via email in the future.

Because they can be printed and read offline, these downloads are far more convenient than Amazon’s Look Inside! feature.

Problems associated with sample chapters

There are, however, several problems associated with PDF sample chapters:

• Distracting pages.  Often, before the recipient gets to the table of contents or sample chapter, they have to scroll through several blank pages. These blank pages may have been necessary in the printed version of the book, but they act as unnecessary barriers when encountered online.
• Lack of context. Sometimes, the PDF download begins with the table of contents and sample chapter, omitting the author’s Foreword or Introduction. The Foreword or Introduction are as important as the sample chapter, as they provide an opportunity for the author to explain their goals in writing the book and the relevance of their book to their readers.
• Impersonal. The “contents only” approach is, basically, impersonal. Good authors build personal connections with their readers in their books. But, all too often, this personal touch is missing from the traditional sample chapter.
• Long-range marketing goals. The “excerpt” approach is focused entirely on “teasing” visitors to buy the author’s book, which is good–but it doesn’t go far enough. The excerpt fails to advance the entrepreneurial author’s long-range goal of filling their marketing funnel with prospects for future information products, consulting services, and a filled speaking schedule.

White papers offer a better solution

White papers, like those described in the new White Papers for Dummies,  offer a better book marketing and career-building solution for authors.

By distributing a white paper describing their book along with the sample chapter, authors can build a bridge between their book and their reader’s needs…as well as pave the way to future income opportunities.

The key to success, of course, is for authors to view a white paper about their book as something that complements, but doesn’t replace, their book’s table of contents and sample chapter.

Both the white paper and the sample chapter should be sent together, ideally as two files included in a single compressed Zip file.

3 ways authors can benefit from White Papers for Dummies

There are three  primary reasons White Papers for Dummies is an important resource for authors:

• Valuable how-to advice. If you’re new to white papers, White Papers for Dummies provides an in-depth introduction to the white paper options available, as well as the best practices for creating white papers. Gordon Graham, the author, has written over 200 white papers for the world’s leading brands. He’s also written about white papers, judged, and taught courses about creating white paper. White Papers for Dummies describes a 12-step process for creating white papers that you can adapt to your book marketing needs.  Later, you can use the same process for creating white papers about your coaching and consulting services.
• Marketing your book’s white paper. White Papers for Dummies does more than just describe how to plan and write a white paper about your book, it also describes how to market your white paper for best results. You’ll learn how to create a synergy between your book and your blog, website, and social media activities.  A lot of the white paper marketing information can also be applied to promoting your one sheets and event marketing materials.
• Additional income opportunities. Once you’ve gotten your feet wet writing a white paper about your book and how it reflects your expertise and commitment to your clients, you might develop a profitable  secondary source of income writing white papers for others. You might find white papers a welcome, and profitable, change from concentrating on book-length projects. You’ll also benefit from Gordon Graham’s tips about dealing with clients and the personalities you’ll meet creating white papers for corporate clients.

Clearly, white papers belong in an author’s arsenal of writing and marketing tools. White papers can multiply the effectiveness of the sample chapter you’re offering from your latest book. White papers can help you introduce and promote new coaching and service offerings. And, once you decode the DNA of white papers, you can offer white paper writing services to your clients.

Are there white papers in your future? Do you agree that authors need to share more than just sample chapters from their new books? Do you think that knowing how to prepare a white paper could help you do a better job promoting your other client services? Share your white  paper impressions as comments, below, along with your questions about white papers.

Use these 4 simple questions to audit your writing and content marketing progress.

Writing is the core competence necessary for content marketing, personal branding, and publishing success. Constant improvement is the key to success.

Here are 4 questions to ask as you audit your writing progress, based on a recent Personal Branding article.

1. Research. Are you always looking for new ways to share your writing? There’s more to sharing your writing and content marketing ideas than blogs and websites. There may be dozens of familiar tools, like articles, guest posts, podcasts, and YouTube videos that you haven’t yet explored. There are also storytelling sites like Cowbird and social-media optimized presentation hosts like SlideShare. Track your progress as you research new ways to share your writing.
2. Reach. Are you writing up to your usual standards, or are you striving to outperform your previous best? Are you presenting yourself new challenges and opportunities to improve your ability to write? Have you experimented with new writing formats or writing tools? Have you set the bar higher with new standards of writing efficiency or excellence?
3. Packaging. Are you appropriately “packaging” your writing through the way you format and fine-tune your words and the design of your marketing materials? The appearance and syntax of your words plays an important role in their effectiveness.  Are you making an attempt to improve the readability and legibility of your documents by applying proven design and layout principles? Are you attempting to master your time better, leaving more time at the end of projects for editing?
4. Habits. Are you committed to mastering the writing habits that lead to increased writing success? Simple habits, like planning before writing, using subheads to break up long documents into bite-sized chunks, and writing in short, frequent settings can play big dividends. By mastering these habits, you’ll find it easier to get started writing when you sit down to write!

Setting the right goals and auditing your progress

It’s never too early, or too late, to commit to a writing improvement program, one that places an emphasis on auditing your writing progress and tracking your successes.

Writing is the key to achieving your goals, whether they include writing and publishing a book, using content marketing to attract qualified prospects, or building your personal brand to promote your expertise.

To learn more about auditing your writing progress

If you’re a Published & Profitable member, you’re invited to download a recorded book coaching call that discussed ways to audit your writing.

In addition, you’re invited to ask  a question about writing or email me to set up a call to learn more about how I can help you fine-tune your message, explore new writing options, and suggest ways to get more done in less time.

History is full of lessons you can use to improve your personal brand-building messages.

For example, click the mind map example to compare two of the Twentieth Century’s most important presidential speeches in my article, Build Your Personal Brand by Simplifying Your Message.

In the article, I compared:

• Woodrow Wilson’s Fourteen Points
• Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s Four Freedom

Similarities and differences

My goal was to compare the similarities and differences between the two speeches, and relate it to the short-term results and long-term impact upon the speaker’s personal brands.

Both speeches reflected reflecting a mixture of idealism and pragmatism. Both were written to mobilize domestic and international opinion and prepare the way for the future.

One failed and one succeeded!

More important, one speech contributed to the president’s personal brand and lasting legacy. The other speech, however, generated controversy and tarnished the end of his career.

What are your takeaways?

What are the personal branding lessons you draw from my comparison of the speeches? More important, which speech do your branding messages resemble….and what steps can you take to simplify your message? Share your takeaways as comments, below. In addition, share other historical speeches that either solidified, or undermined, their speaker’s personal brands.

Use graphic design and sketches to breathe new life into an established bestselling book.

That’s what Michael Port did when preparing Book Yourself Solid Illustrated, the latest edition of his classic bestseller.

Since 2006, Michael Port’s Book Yourself Solid has been a consistent bestseller as well as the core of thousands of business training and personal development coaching programs.

Using design to reach new audiences

Michael teamed up with Jocelyn Wallace to introduce his Book Yourself Solid system to a new generation of visual learners, brought up on infographics and YouTube videos.

The result of the new partnership partnership between Michael Port’s words and Jocelyn Wallace’s illustrations is a dramatic enhancement of the book’s ideas, making them at easier to understand and easier to remember.

Equally important, the Illustrated edition provided an opportunity to relaunch the book and breathe new life into its sales and the brand:

• Book reviewers who had previously reviewed the book are likely to take a fresh look and re-review the book.
• Bookstore owners and buyers have a legitimate reason, backed-up by a proven sales track record, to order the new edition and prominently display it.
• Readers who can trace their recent success to Michael Port’s Book Yourself Solid system have a legitimate reason to purchase the new edition and re-apply the system to their business growth.
• Bloggers who share writing and publishing news and trends, likewise, have a genuinely newsworthy topic to analyze and discuss.

Updated text, alone, would not be enough

If Michael Port had simply updated Book Yourself Solid, would not have been enough to breathe new life into his classic bestselling book. Even if substantial changes were made in the text, the new edition would not have generated significant news value and coverage.

However, working with an illustrator changed the ball game and repositioned Book Yourself Solid Illustrated, significantly cranking up interest in the book.

The change in emphasis from graphics, and reformatting the book from a portrait (i.e. tall) to a landscape, (i.e., wide) format, created a noticeably different–and newsworthy–book.

Questions for authors

Do you have an existing book that could benefit from a new, illustrated, edition? How could an illustrator help you simplify and better communicate your ideas? Have you examined Book Yourself Solid Illustrated at your local bookstore, or did you Look Inside! it on Amazon.com? Share your impressions and thoughts,  below, as comments.

Introducing a fresh strategy for organizing your brand-building book around the letters of the alphabet.

Recently, I wrote about alphabet books, like Doug Patt’s How to Architect. The 1-chapter-per-letter structure provides an easy way to organize your ideas:

Once you identify the 26 ideas relevant to your readers, you’re ready to start writing!

The limits of “alphabet books”

Although an alphabet book approach helps you quickly organize your ideas, there are some possible disadvantages associated with the idea. These include:

• Limited options. You’re limited to 26 possible chapters. This may, or may not be, offer you enough opportunities to establish your expertise and build your personal brand.
• Difficult decisions. By limiting your book to 26 chapters, you may find it hard to try to decide between several options available for some characters.
• Problem letters. On the other hand, you may find it difficult to find ideas, examples or terms appropriate for letters like q, x, or z.

Redefining alphabet books

The Universal Principles of Design greatly expands the concept of alphabet books.

The Universal Principles of Design covers 125 topics, alphabetically arranged. The advantages of this approach include:

• Multiple entries when needed. By focusing on the total number of ideas, rather than strictly adhering to one-chapter-per-letter allowed multiple chapters beginning with the same characters. For example, the h entries include Hierarchy (pages 122-123) and Hierarchy of needs (pages 122-123).
• Freedom to omit letters. By going beyond a strict, 26-chapter, structure, and emphasizing the 125 ideas, also allowed the authors to omit letters like j, q, and x, where there weren’t relevant ideas to discuss.

To view the book’s table of contents, visit Amazon.com and click Amazon’s Look Inside! book cover icon. You’ll be able to review the alphabetical table of contents. You can also explore other aspects of this extremely popular title which remains in the Top 10 books in 2 of the 3 categories where it’s listed.

Does this example change the way you view organizing your ideas for a brand-building book around the letters of an alphabet? Share your comments and questions about preparing to write a brand building book below. And, start your journey to writing a book with my free workbook, 99 Questions to Ask Before You Write and Self-Publish a Brand-building Book.