I'm an idiot! I can't write! (Are you too dumb to talk?)

[John S. Rhodes]

Did the headline grab you? No offense meant to anyone. ;-)

Let me ask a simple question...

Can you TALK?

Seriously. Can you speak?

Also, do you have a computer? (Yes, I'm serious.)

OK, so if you can talk and you can speak, you can write.
Don't believe me? It's simple. There are two answers to
this puzzle:

1. Speech to text (e.g., Dragon Naturally Speak, MacSpeech Dictate)
2. Transcription services

I don't ever accept the, "I can't write!" excuse from
anyone. It doesn't wash. It's an excuse not to get
off your butt and do work.

If you can talk, you can write. It's THAT simple.

But wait, there's a MONSTER BONUS here...

If you use a transcription service then you actually can
create two products at once. You can have a sizzlin'
hot MP3 but also a report or ebook. Customers love to
have both formats because it offers something very
powerful: choice.

Listen? Check.
Read? Check.

You've got them both covered.

Hold on, there is even more here...

You don't need fancy software to make this happen.
It's paint-by-numbers simple.

1. Get Audacity so you can record your speaking (free)
(Note:You'll need LAME for conversion, also free)

2. Upload MP3 to your server (you can do that right?)

3. Send URL to the MP3 to the transcription service

4. Wait for the transcription

5. Take text, format it a little using OpenOffice (free)

6. Convert to PDF; links *will* be clickable

If this isn't simple enough, I guess you'll have to
pack your bags and go home. This formula for info
product creation is deadly simple.

I'd like to talk about promotion here too, but I can't.
This'll turn into an infomercial.

~ John

[Mark Brock]

Originally Posted by John S. Rhodes

Did the headline grab you? No offense meant to anyone. ;-)

Let me ask a simple question...

Can you TALK?

Seriously. Can you speak?

Also, do you have a computer? (Yes, I'm serious.)

OK, so if you can talk and you can speak, you can write.
Don't believe me? It's simple. There are two answers to
this puzzle:

1. Speech to text (e.g., Dragon Naturally Speak, MacSpeech Dictate)
2. Transcription services

I don't ever accept the, "I can't write!" excuse from
anyone. It doesn't wash. It's an excuse not to get
off your butt and do work.

If you can talk, you can write. It's THAT simple.

But wait, there's a MONSTER BONUS here...

If you use a transcription service then you actually can
create two products at once. You can have a sizzlin'
hot MP3 but also a report or ebook. Customers love to
have both formats because it offers something very
powerful: choice.

Listen? Check.
Read? Check.

You've got them both covered.

Hold on, there is even more here...

You don't need fancy software to make this happen.
It's paint-by-numbers simple.

1. Get Audacity so you can record your speaking (free)
(Note:You'll need LAME for conversion, also free)

2. Upload MP3 to your server (you can do that right?)

3. Send URL to the MP3 to the transcription service

4. Wait for the transcription

5. Take text, format it a little using OpenOffice (free)

6. Convert to PDF; links *will* be clickable

If this isn't simple enough, I guess you'll have to
pack your bags and go home. This formula for info
product creation is deadly simple.

I'd like to talk about promotion here too, but I can't.
This'll turn into an infomercial.

~ John

True. Very good advice here but I don't think it's people's inability to write that stops them...

It's their inability to write compelling articles/sales pages/headlines (like your title).

I assume that the writing part is something anyone can do (like you said) but to actually make people take action from having read what is written is something altogether different.

Solid advice though!

Thanks,

Mark

[John S. Rhodes]

Originally Posted by Mark Brock

It's their inability to write compelling articles/sales pages/headlines (like your title).

Thanks for the compliment...

Pulling people in is important for sure. However, if you
need some articles for article marketing, this method
is going to work for you too. It's fast-n-easy, low cost
(dare I say "cheap"?) content anyone can generate.

~ John

[Mark Brock]

Originally Posted by John S. Rhodes

Thanks for the compliment...

Pulling people in is important for sure. However, if you
need some articles for article marketing, this method
is going to work for you too. It's fast-n-easy, low cost
(dare I say "cheap"?) content anyone can generate.

~ John

No problem John. That compliment was intended!

[Shannon Herod]

Hey John,

I was actually one of those people that never did anything because I could not write. So, I finally went out and got Dragon NaturallySpeaking. Once I did this by production has almost tripled.

My income has skyrocketed. I no longer sit and look at the computer. I actually get work done.

Unfortunately, sometimes I have a few mistakes in my writing, but oh well.

For instance, I totally dictated this entire post in about 25 seconds using Dragon NaturallySpeaking.

So, if there are any mistakes please excuse me.

I unfortunately do not have time to go through and check this post. I need to go out and finish writing my articles for the day.

Regards,

Shannon Herod

[Michael Oksa]

Hi John,

I'm not so sure.

I've like, you know, heard some $%&# people, like, say words, and not know if, for the simple fact that, if they, you know, really can talk more better to make even enough sense, like for a taxidermist to write it down whatever they say - you know?

However, your point is a good one. I tend to write like I talk, and vice-versa.

For those who have a poor grasp of grammar, they may be well served to get a transcriptionist who can also edit/proofread while transcribing.

All the best,
Michael

[John S. Rhodes]

Originally Posted by Michael Oksa

For those who have a poor grasp of grammar, they may be well served to get a transcriptionist who can also edit/proofread while transcribing.

Agreed!

Transcriptionist for people with terrible speaking skills.

Dragon or MacSpeech Dictate for people with good speaking skills.

I use both depending on what I'm trying to get done...

~ John

[tommygadget]

Sorry John, most people can speak, but as you and I know, we really don't want to hear what they have to say Dragon Naturally Speaking can't fix that!

TomG.

[Magy]

You can speak, you can write, maybe. But some peoples have a lot of mistakes when they write. And others cant write because they are not native (like me for english articles)

[Michael Oksa]

Originally Posted by John S. Rhodes

Agreed!

Transcriptionist for people with terrible speaking skills.

Dragon or MacSpeech Dictate for people with good speaking skills.

I use both depending on what I'm trying to get done...

~ John

Hi John,

Well said!

I was just having a bit of fun with the 'like, you know' stuff.

It really is a great tip. In IM you are not out to impresspeople with large words and show off your vocabulary, you are trying to talk to them with your words. That doesn't mean you can't go back and refine some of those words for clarity, but you shouldn't use poor writing skills as an excuse either.

All the best,
Michael

[John S. Rhodes]

Originally Posted by tommygadget

Sorry John, most people can speak, but as you and I know, we really don't want to hear what they have to say Dragon Naturally Speaking can't fix that!

True!

I was just having a bit of fun with the 'like, you know' stuff.

It really is a great tip. In IM you are not out to impresspeople with large words and show off your vocabulary, you are trying to talk to them with your words. That doesn't mean you can't go back and refine some of those words for clarity, but you shouldn't use poor writing skills as an excuse either.

Also true!

However, a good transcriptionist can help with those issues.

~ John

[Ken Preuss]

Originally Posted by Michael Oksa

Hi John,

I'm not so sure.

I've like, you know, heard some $%&# people, like, say words, and not know if, for the simple fact that, if they, you know, really can talk more better to make even enough sense, like for a taxidermist to write it down whatever they say - you know?

Michael,

So true....and thanks for a great laugh!

Ken

[Asher]

Hi John,

I disagree a little though. There are some people who
can speak but they can't write it.

I say that it's because in a multi-cultural place like
Singapore where English is used a lot... I still come
by a lot of people who can't write if their life depended
on it.

But they can still speak fluent English (or at least,
understandably).

In fact, a lot of Singaporeans who are well-to-do
IMers outsource literally all of their english work
because they're simply bad at it.

Knowing how to speak a language doesn't necessarily
translate to knowing how to write the language.

My $0.02

Asher

[narek_gabrielyan]

Thanks John for spelling out the process
for everybody to understand and get started
right away.

This is one of the easiest and most powerful
ways to creating content online.

This is a smart strategy, sometimes too easy
for people to get to doing it...

Better and better,

Narek Gabrielyan

[John S. Rhodes]

Originally Posted by Asher

Knowing how to speak a language doesn't necessarily
translate to knowing how to write the language.

And just having a pepper crab recipe doesn't mean
you can make *real* Singapore pepper crab! ;-)

~ John

[Steven Wagenheim]

John, is that how you do all those great videos?

If you've never heard John speak, he has one of the most professional
sounding speaking voices I have heard online. He could easily do voice over
work if he wanted to.

Great post John, but I can still type faster than DNS can get my Judy
Garland voice down right.

[John S. Rhodes]

Originally Posted by Steven Wagenheim

John, is that how you do all those great videos?

If you've never heard John speak, he has one of the most professional
sounding speaking voices I have heard online. He could easily do voice over
work if he wanted to.

Great post John, but I can still type faster than DNS can get my Judy
Garland voice down right.

Hmm...

Perhaps I should offer up a WSO for my voice talent. Any takers? ;-)

~ John

p.s. You deliver great content, Steven. Who cars about the voice!

[Asher]

Originally Posted by John S. Rhodes

And just having a pepper crab recipe doesn't mean
you can make *real* Singapore pepper crab! ;-)

~ John

Okay, that messed up my noogins a little...
(by noogins I mean brains) But yeah, that's
true.

You sound like you've had some of it before

Anyone who like spicy stuff should try some
of that when you're in Singapore.

Asher

[John S. Rhodes]

Originally Posted by Asher

Okay, that messed up my noogins a little...
(by noogins I mean brains) But yeah, that's
true.

You sound like you've had some of it before

Yes, I have had the spicy crab. Delicious!

What I wanted, but didn't get, was the barbecued stingray. :-)

~ John

[Louis Raven]

I'm a fast speaker can Dragon-N keep up or is it "laggy"?

I can just imagine it trying to keep up and missing half sentences lol.

Louis

[Melody]

John - Sent you a PM - hope to hear from you soon!

[John S. Rhodes]

Originally Posted by Melody

John - Sent you a PM - hope to hear from you soon!

My brother and I have literally tried to email you 10 times.
Nothing works. I am using BOTH emails you provided. I'm
also trying to PM you here on the WF and I cannot. I get a
"Page Not Found" when I try to send it -- this isn't happening
with any other customers and I'm dumbfounded. I have even
tried emailing from a 3rd account, to both email addresses
that you've given me. Nothing is working and I do not know
why. I hope you see this note.

~ John

[Shannon Herod]

Originally Posted by Louis Raven

I'm a fast speaker can Dragon-N keep up or is it "laggy"?

I can just imagine it trying to keep up and missing half sentences lol.

Louis

Actually, I find that the faster you speak the better it dictates.

I concluded the reason that is true is when you speak fast the software has more words to compare to make sure the words it is typing are in the right context.

I hope that made sense?

I find that the slower and choppier I speak, the worse the dictation becomes.

Shannon