It’s a good problem to have, right?

Well, not always.

Last week I pointed you all to Mike Stelzner’s video about making money with white papers. White papers are educational documents that contain “under the radar” persuasive elements that lead people to buy stuff, and Mike is a master at them.

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One of the cornerstones of powerful writing is the use of concrete details that can tell your story for you. I don’t care if you’re writing a sales letter, a blog post or a short story for The New Yorker, you need details.

They have to be vivid.

They have to be compelling.

And they have to matter to your reader.

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I couldn’t believe it was actually happening. I was boarding a flight from cold and rainy JFK Airport to warm and sunny West Palm Beach.

In just a few hours, I’d be having a no-holds-barred business lunch with the one and only Michael Masterson. (In case you don’t know, Michael consults for some of the biggest direct marketing companies in the world and has personally made millions online and off. He’s also the lead instructor of the AWAI Copywriting Course.)

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Everything of importance has been said before by somebody who did not discover it. ~Alfred North Whitehead

A great quotation is gold to a perceptive writer. You can instantly boost reader engagement with the right bit of wisdom or wit. And when writing to persuade, you can bolster your arguments by pointing to the words of the well regarded.

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Have you ever asked yourself if you should be branding yourself or branding your business? You’re not alone. It’s a hot topic these days, and one worth thinking over.

Anyone can open a business on the Internet. The little guy has a chance. The individual can make it big. New businesses are cropping up left, right, and center.

People are feeling good these days, too. They have a shot at being someone special with their name in the lights and their work in demand. For professionals, opportunities are wide open. It’s the time to shine.

But professionals have a problem… all their assets are in their brains. When they go to bed at night, they bring their assets with them.

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One of the underlying themes from last weekend’s SOBCon was putting more you into your work. There are literally hundreds of millions of blogs out there, with more starting every day. In a sea of competition, you’ve got to capitalize on what makes you unlike anyone else.

Your unique point of view. Your writing style. Your own individual, personal stories and the way they shape your message.

There’s just one problem with all of that. It’s terrifying.

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