By Bob Bly

The most common mistake you’re likely to make when trying to create your own information product is not having a good understanding of the subject you are writing about. You might have strong writing skills. But if you lack mastery of your topic, your writing will be vague, unfocused, and have little value, credibility, or authority. To prevent this error, use the following four-step formula:

1. Accumulate knowledge.

Before you can write, you need to have something to write about. This means acquiring in-depth knowledge – through a combination of research and experience – of a subject people will pay to learn.

2. Organize your content.

What’s the best way to present your subject? Is it a process with definite sequential steps that must be performed in a specific order? Find a logical organizational scheme that fits the subject matter. For example, an e-book on vitamins and minerals could present each one in alphabetical order, starting with vitamin A and ending with zinc.

3. Teach your subject.

Use illustrations, stories, examples, case studies, photos, diagrams, tables, analogies, metaphors, comparisons – whatever it takes to make your subject clear to the reader. Provide plenty of worksheets, resources, and model documents that the reader can copy so he does not have to reinvent the wheel.

4. Polish your prose.

Here’s where your writing skills come into play. Write in a natural, conversational style – like one friend talking to another or a patient teacher looking over the reader’s shoulder. Use small words, short sentences, and short paragraphs. Avoid jargon. Write in plain simple English.

 This article appears courtesy of Early To Rise, an e-zine dedicated to making money, improving your health and quality of life. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com.

By Suzanne Richardson

You open your inbox, and there it is … an e-mail, waiting patiently for you to read it and respond. A few seconds, a few quick keystrokes on your laptop, a click of the send button, and your response is shuttled instantaneously to its recipient.

It’s quick and easy.

But therein lies a hidden danger …

The ability to respond quickly and easily via e-mail can land you in scalding water.

For one thing, it takes the thinking out of your response. You can “blurt out” anything in just a few seconds. Click send before you’ve had a chance to reconsider … and your words are going to be delivered, whether you like it or not.

This can be a big problem when you respond in anger. Take “Glen,” for example. A top-level executive at ETR sent him an e-mail that didn’t make Glen happy, and Glen shot off an angry reply … full of curse words, overblown accusations, and defiant remarks.

Can you recover from mouthing off like that to your superiors? Possibly. But I wouldn’t want to try it.

Instead, think long and hard about your response before you send it. If you’re angry or upset, give it at least 24 hours. If you must put your feelings in writing immediately, do so in a blank e-mail or, better yet, in a Word document. (That way, there will be no chance that you’ll accidentally send it.) Once you’ve cooled down, write a new response. You’ll probably find that you’re able to explain how you feel in a calmer, more rational way.

 This article appears courtesy of Early To Rise, an e-zine dedicated to making money, improving your health and quality of life. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com.