The ministries in the Gospel.com Community organize information into 'topics' to help you find what you're looking for. Learn more
Write a church press release - get free publicity for church news or Christian groups
Wouldn’t you love to have free advertising for your next event that doesn’t look like advertising? Well, that’s what a well-written press release can provide. Of course, the key here is “well-written”. Many people send out press releases only to have them discarded by the local media. This isn’t because the editor didn’t like the organization or didn’t want to print the release. Rather it was because in order to fix the release enough for publication would just take too much time.
http://internetevangelismday.com/writing-pressreleases.php
Christian writer housestyle guide to grammar, punctuation and writing style
This house-style guide was produced by a UK Christian printing ministry for writers of books and magazines and is used by permission. It also aims to be international in scope.
http://internetevangelismday.com/style.php
Readers Digest - why does its writing style communicate so well?
The enormous popularity of Reader's Digest over 80 years suggests that they have learned something in communication techniques! The magazine therefore offers approaches that we can use in writing for the web:
* It aims at the reading level of a 13-year-old, yet does not talk down to adults.
* It uses many true real-life stories about people. “People are interested in people.”
* These stories are told in a dramatic way, usually with a key element of the person's story as a lead-in.
* Stories use plenty of quoted speech: “He said... She called back...” etc.
* It addresses practical problems and worries, and offers ideas to help readers improve their quality of life. In other words, it addresses felt needs which is a key strategy in evangelism.
* Humor is mixed with serious articles.
http://internetevangelismday.com/readersdigest.php
Writing enticing headlines, subheadings and links on pages is key to retain visitors
Why is the skill of the headline writer so important for a newspaper or magazine? It’s the headlines that sell the publication, and keep the reader reading! It’s an essential requirement for the web-writer too.
There is much we can learn from journalism. The classic text on this subject is Confessions of an Advertising Man by David Ogilvy. It is widely available: Amazon.com new and secondhand.
http://internetevangelismday.com/headline.php
How to write your testimony: writing effective evangelistic Christian testimony life story
Testimony can be a powerful tool of Christian communication. Imaginary young woman 'Angie' has written her story in three different styles:
1. For Christians, as she might tell it in church
2. Completely rewritten for non-Christians
3. Also for non-Christians – using the style of a magazine feature
Note – this is not a true story though it sums up the experience of many real people - it was written to illustrate writing techniques. Please do not quote it as fact!
http://internetevangelismday.com/angie.php
A Christian writers guide to writing, revising, checking and editing literature
Checking, editing and rewriting is an essential part of the writing process. In fact, it should take much longer than the writing of the first draft version. It is also very important to shorten pages and cut out all unnecessary words. Less is more.
http://internetevangelismday.com/revise.php
Learning from journalism: write better using writing tips for effective Christian communication
Writing for the Web requires the style and gifts of the journalist, not the preacher. The Press has had more than 200 years to learn how to communicate effectively in print. Learn from them. Read books on journalistic writing. Observe the way newspapers and magazines tell stories. They know the rules for clear communication and keeping a reader’s interest. “These skills pertain equally to the Web. We need to grab attention fast!” says journalistic writing expert Marshall Cook.
If you are a preacher or an evangelist, sorry – you have some unlearning to do. Your gifts do not transfer directly to the Web!
http://internetevangelismday.com/writing.php
Avoiding idiom, writing simply: keys to effective Christian writing and web communication
‘Idiom’ is the use of language in a way that is not literal. The English language is full of idioms. Unfortunately, they are not even universal around the English-speaking world. For people who speak English as a second language, idiom is even harder to understand.
We use idiom all the time without realizing. Here are some really obvious ones...
http://internetevangelismday.com/idiom.php
Best books on web design, usability, web writing, inc 2 free e-books
The books in this section cover different aspects of writing and creating usable websites, and are highly recommended.
http://internetevangelismday.com/bookreviews/web-design.php?id=menu
Books on effective writing
Reviews of best books on writing, especially for the Web.
http://internetevangelismday.com/bookreviews/writing-books.php