Great Writers Started as Avid Readers

The statistics regarding the illiteracy that is becoming rampant in our society are appalling. Would you be astonished to learn that Cuba, Barbados, Kazakhstan and Belarus have higher levels of literacy than the USA?Although the term literacy is defined by various parameters depending on the agency or institution performing the study and analysis, the common thread is the ability to cognitively understand written instruction or direction.

The ability to read and comprehend the written word directly impacts the same individual’s ability to compose and scribe grammatically correct text. When you consider that 21-23 percent of the adult population in the United States is deemed illiterate, that infers that almost a quarter of the youngsters educated during their lifetimes were passed through the school system without acquiring the ability to read and lacking basic writing skills.

Educators, however, are not solely responsible for the present levels of illiteracy. Those same children passed through the educational system also needed their parents to help instill a love of reading in the younger generation. I have often been told by parents that their children prefer to play on the computer rather than read a book. My response is usually simple - reading is reading, whether on a paper page or a computer screen. Recommend sites that provide electronic books and electronic readers that can be downloaded to their computer.

Instilling a love of reading in our youngsters should be a primary goal for both parents and educators alike. Aside from being a springboard for future learning when enrolled in college courses, a love of reading opens avenues left untraveled by the illiterate. The written word can transform melancholy to joy, touch our souls, set our imaginations free and allow one to visit faraway lands without leaving your home. In addition to the freedom of thought that reading can nurture, the ability to write and compose texts properly is directly related to one’s ability to read.

As technology has become a basic thread is almost everyone’s life, the levels of illiteracy that has invaded society is also quite apparent on the worldwide web. Numerous sites have posted web content that would not meet the scrutiny of an elementary school teacher. With improperly conjugated verbiage, misspellings galore and punctuation that defies any parameters, it becomes blatantly obvious that there are many who are unable to compose simple texts. Professional copywriters cringe when they review some of the content they are hired to rewrite.

So, how do we develop the next generation of superlative writers? Simple, we must first develop a generation of readers. Writing, excelling as an author, requires not only highly developed language skills, but also a passion for the craft. Not every avid reader will become a great writer, but every great writer must be able to read. The love of reading must be sown, from the time a child is very young and throughout their adolescent years. The actual mechanics of the process and tools utilized are secondary to nurturing the desire, igniting the passionate fire to immerse oneself in a story. Whether using books in hard print or via an electronic medium, the object is the reading, not the method of delivery. Romeo and Juliet is the same Shakespearean classic whether you have it in print or are reading it online.

As a nation and society, we have a fiduciary responsibility to the next generation. If everyone set aside one hour a week to share their passion for reading with a child, any child, page by page, we would be altering the possible outcome. So, the next time you are contemplating an activity with your child, grandchild, niece, nephew or neighbor, consider your local library, where the world awaits you on the shelves. Not only will you contribute to their reading abilities, but you may spark the passion that brings the world their next bestselling author.

Good Freelance Writers Don’t Spin Articles

Many article buyers are unfamiliar with the term “spinning” and do not realize that the inexpensive copy they are purchasing was more than likely generated by software. In basic terms, spinning software is utilized by many so-called SEO copywriting services to generate myriads of copy in a short time span and without engaging professional US/UK writers. Professional freelance writers are worth the expenditure because they deliver quality material. As the old cliché once again holds true, you get what you pay for when it comes to articles for use on the worldwide web. If you are paying less than $2.00/100 words for your copy, then the chances are that:

• The writer is not from the US/UK
• The writer does not speak English as their native language
• The writer was not educated in a US or UK school system
• The material you are receiving has been “spun”

Aside from the price you’re paying for the copy, another telltale sign of spinning is terrible flow. The article does not read well, and is reminiscent of conversations with someone who speaks another language attempting to learn English. It is commendable that many individuals wish to gain fluency in the English language, but you should not be compensating them for professional copy you plan on using to promote your website or business. As an example, let us examine a hypothetical project.

In our example, let’s assume that you have found an excellent article posted on the web, referring to one of your major competitors in the real estate industry. You are seeking a writing service that can create a similar article for your company to submit to the online article databases and directories. Now, examine a paragraph from the competitor’s original and the two possible submissions supplied by two separate writing services. One of the submissions is an actual original composition by a professional author and one was created using spinning software.

 Competitor’s original copy:
“For the homeowner and buyer alike, the selling and purchasing of a short sale property can be quite a roller coaster ride, both mentally and emotionally. The mortgage holder’s acceptance of the terms of the sale and the purchase price offered by the buyer can be like riding a carousel. It may seem as if you’re circling around infinitely, not gaining any territory in your pursuit of closure. Every call you make to the note holder’s office is fielded by a customer service representative who never seems to have the answers to your inquiry. You furtively make the effort to accelerate the process, but it seems your efforts are not making an iota of difference in the long wait.”

 Submission 1:
For the house owner and purchaser similarly, making sales and buying of a squat sold land can be fairly a wave sea boarding traverse, both in the mind and for the spirit. The finance possessor’s reception of the provisos of the deal and the procure charge offered by the shopper can be like travelling a carousel. It may look like as if you’re gyrating nearly infinitely, not advancing any region in your chase of finality. Each exclaim you compose to the memo possessor’s bureau is fielded by a customer help representative who by no means looks to have the retorts to your questions. You stealthily make the struggle to hasten the method, but it looks that your stabs are not manufacturing a scrap of diversity in the stretched wait.

 Submission 2:
Marketing a residential property that is close to foreclosure can be a nerve-wracking experience for the property owner, as well as for interested parties like potential buyers and financing companies. The loss mitigation officer at the mortgage company holding the property note must approve the selling terms and final pricing offered for the property during short sales. In your quest to sell your property and end your financial burden, the property owner may feel as if they are constantly spinning their wheels and not gaining any ground towards closing the sale. When you contact the finance company, you rarely reach a decision maker on your first attempts and must wade through myriads of support staff to obtain conclusive answers to your questions. Every attempt you make to quicken the progression to approval by the finance company appears thwarted and does not shorten the lengthy process required to close on your short sale.

After reviewing the above copy, it should be quite obvious which of the two submissions was spun versus written by a professional US/UK freelance writer (Submission 1 was “spun”). As in the above submissions, the spun article does not read or flow well. Either a spinning software was used to replace selected verbiage or someone used the thesaurus function of their word processing software to “trade out” selected words. Which version do you think would attract readers and instill in the viewer the sense that you, or your company, possess a level of expertise in the real estate industry?

When you require articles for directory or database submission, or even to post on your own website, you want to hire a professional writing service that employs professional US/UK writers. These types of authoring services will guarantee copy that is 100% original, well researched and grammatically correct. They can create compositions from scratch on a myriad of topics from every industry imaginable, or deliver rewrites of existing copy so that it will pass all plagiarism testing and still maintain great flow and readability. Posting substandard written copy on your website or in article directories will not promote your business, but can actually have detrimental results. Always use a professional writing service that delivers quality copy that will inform and entice readers to turn to your company for the products or services you offer.

Good Freelance Writers Are Hard to Find

Freelance SEO copywriters are a dime a dozen these days. The problem with many of the people touting themselves as writers is that many of them do not have a comprehensive grasp of the English language, are uneducated in English grammar and rely on spinning software for a majority of their rewrite work. There are many freelance brokerage sites for hiring freelance writers, but after encountering hundreds of inept scribes who cannot formulate a single sentence without grammatical errors, it quickly becomes clear that you often will get the result that you pay for. Although many sites like GAF and TB have a few good writers in their ranks, they are interspersed between thousands of English illiterates.

Herein lies the dilemma. Many buyers think they are getting a deal at $0.50/100 words, when in reality, if you are paying less than $1.00-$2.00/100 words, the chances are that a foreign national is writing your copy. This is not to say that some foreign nationals don't have a command of the English language. There are certainly a few who do, however, they are definitively not in the majority. The best copy and content providers for use on the web are typically US copywritersand UK freelance writers, who have been educated in English speaking school systems and have a thorough knowledge of grammar and punctuation along with insights regarding flow and readability.

If you are seeking talented, creative, eloquent freelancers who are US/UK based, then refrain from the hoards you will find on the major text brokerages. For all of your writing needs, choose a professional SEO copywriting firm whose writers command the English language and whose clients return again and again for web content, e-books, policy statements, press releases, blogs and much, much more. From articles on health care to exposes on legal travesties to ebooks on business in foreign lands and blogs about fashion and construction products, the writing team at PAS is well-rounded in a myriad of topics and industries.

Most business owners realize that their website is their face upon which the masses will gaze. You never get second opportunities to make a great first impression. Do you really want content on your site or blog that is grammatically incorrect, doesn't flow well or worse yet, is plagiarized material? Of course not! You want text that will bring the reader in, grab their attention and have them wanting to know all about your products or services. When you needs articles, blog content, website content or advertising script, then turn to one of today's leaders in the freelance writing market. Turn to Precise Authoring Services for your next project!