I’m a publisher for numerous sites. I HATE many of your articles. Here’s why I hate the byline of your article and what you can do about it.
Bylines
The byline of an article is your chance to pimp your site and yourself. I don’t really care what you write. There only time I would forgo using an article because of the byline would be if you’re one of those people that writes seven or eight lines of text. Please try to keep it to three lines or less.
Something To Consider
If you’re writing articles, you undoubtedly know it is a great way to build the link count for a site. Assume you put two links in the byline of an article. Assume further that 60 sites publish your article. You have effectively generated 120 links for your site, a number that would take forever if you were pursuing reciprocal link trades.
Article links are also valued highly by search engines because they are inbound only links. In the “minds” of a search engine, inbound links are far more valuable than reciprocal links. Inbound links are interpreted as an indication the site in question has highly relevant information and should be ranked high in search engine results. If you don’t believe me, give some thought to the IRS.
The IRS has an excellent site covering every tax topic you could possible imagine. The IRS doesn’t link to anyone, yet it ranks at or near the top of the search rankings for practically every tax keyword phrase. Why? Roughly 971,000 sites link to the IRS. These sites include CPA firms, newspapers and so on. All of the links are inbound. Get it?
Keywords and Bylines
When writing your byline, don’t just blabber on about how great you are and so on. You are wasting the links when you do so. If you need an ego boost, go talk to yourself in front of a mirror. Instead, the byline should contain the keywords you emphasize on your site. If you do this, the search engines will associate the links with the keywords and move the appropriate pages of your site up in the rankings.
Assume you’ve written an e-book on how to lose weight and have a site. Assume further that your primary keyword phrase on the home page of your site is “how to lose weight”. Your byline should read something like:
“Halstatt is with http://www.domainname… - teaching people how to lose weight permanently. Dropping pounds is easy to do once you learn how to lose weight.”
You’ve now correlated your inbound link increases to the keyword phrase you are trying to get ranked under. Rankings are sure to follow if you keep pounding articles.
Unfortunately, most people write bylines such as:
“Halstatt was a fat slob until he had a moment of enlightenment after eating bad sushi. While spending a miserable night in the bathroom, he found that food poising was an effective way to regain his self-respect and get washboard abs. Visit http:www.domainname to read more.”
Do you see the difference? The first byline is going to move you up the search engine rankings quickly. The sushi byline isn’t going to help nearly as much. It doesn’t even include the correct keyword phrase!
Again, I rarely discard an article because of a byline unless it is over four lines. Many of you, however, could get better mileage out of yours.
Saturday, 1 December 2012
Thursday, 1 November 2012
A Publisher’s Rant – Why I Hate Your Articles
I’m a publisher for numerous sites. I HATE many of your articles. Here’s my rant and what you can do to change my mind.
Don’t Send Me Your Articles
First of all, don’t send me articles. I only take them from directories. The purpose of this article is to give you a better idea of what I’m looking for in articles. It is not to create an assault on my email account.
You’re Killing Me
Okay, "hate" is strong word and I probably shouldn’t use it. It is, however, the word that comes to mind when I blow an hour in an article directory trying to find usable articles!
As an Internet marketing firm, we beef up client sites by adding article content. This means I handle the article sections of more sites than I wish to admit. Because of this, I spend most of my time hunting for good articles. By "good articles," I am talking about articles that are formatted and arranged in a manner that makes them ready for publishing. I am NOT talking about what you write, just how you organize and format it.
Building article pages on sites is a tedious process. If dealing with your article is going to require me to make a lot of modifications, I will not publish it. More so, I will NEVER look at your articles again. Despite your captivating headline, I will simply bypass it as soon as I see your name. Whether you realize it or not, you have a reputation with webmasters, publishers and editors.
But I Need You
I hunt through article directories because I need your content. New content equals happy visitors for the sites I work on. With the exception of a few of you, however, I loath the very ground you walk on because you make my job miserable. Yes, miserable. The problem I have with your articles is you create them in a style and format that makes my teeth grind. Again, I am not talking about WHAT you write about, just HOW you put it together.
When I look for articles every two days, I am trying to find something I can slap onto the sites as quickly as possible. This means your article should be formatted to make meta tagging and hyperlinking as easy as humanly possible. Keep in mind that I am publishing hundreds of articles a day, not one or two. Time is at a premium. If you make the job easy for me, I will snap up articles as fast as you can post them.
Why Should You Care
You should care about my gripe because many of my peers feel the same way. When we get together, bitching about your articles is a popular subject. That hurts you from both a readership and link building perspective. You want to get publicity from your articles and we want to give it to you. Comply with our demands and we will paste you all over the net. Don’t and you can watch the proverbial tumbleweed continue to roll by your site.
Now, you’re probably thinking none of this applies to you. In truth, I suspect it applies to 90 percent of the authors publishing in directories. Yes, this is even true for the authors publishing hundreds of articles.
I am going to publish a series of articles on this subject all at once. These articles will cover in detail what I want to see in each section of your article. I pray that you will read them and ease the misery of all of us lowly publishers.
Don’t Send Me Your Articles
First of all, don’t send me articles. I only take them from directories. The purpose of this article is to give you a better idea of what I’m looking for in articles. It is not to create an assault on my email account.
You’re Killing Me
Okay, "hate" is strong word and I probably shouldn’t use it. It is, however, the word that comes to mind when I blow an hour in an article directory trying to find usable articles!
As an Internet marketing firm, we beef up client sites by adding article content. This means I handle the article sections of more sites than I wish to admit. Because of this, I spend most of my time hunting for good articles. By "good articles," I am talking about articles that are formatted and arranged in a manner that makes them ready for publishing. I am NOT talking about what you write, just how you organize and format it.
Building article pages on sites is a tedious process. If dealing with your article is going to require me to make a lot of modifications, I will not publish it. More so, I will NEVER look at your articles again. Despite your captivating headline, I will simply bypass it as soon as I see your name. Whether you realize it or not, you have a reputation with webmasters, publishers and editors.
But I Need You
I hunt through article directories because I need your content. New content equals happy visitors for the sites I work on. With the exception of a few of you, however, I loath the very ground you walk on because you make my job miserable. Yes, miserable. The problem I have with your articles is you create them in a style and format that makes my teeth grind. Again, I am not talking about WHAT you write about, just HOW you put it together.
When I look for articles every two days, I am trying to find something I can slap onto the sites as quickly as possible. This means your article should be formatted to make meta tagging and hyperlinking as easy as humanly possible. Keep in mind that I am publishing hundreds of articles a day, not one or two. Time is at a premium. If you make the job easy for me, I will snap up articles as fast as you can post them.
Why Should You Care
You should care about my gripe because many of my peers feel the same way. When we get together, bitching about your articles is a popular subject. That hurts you from both a readership and link building perspective. You want to get publicity from your articles and we want to give it to you. Comply with our demands and we will paste you all over the net. Don’t and you can watch the proverbial tumbleweed continue to roll by your site.
Now, you’re probably thinking none of this applies to you. In truth, I suspect it applies to 90 percent of the authors publishing in directories. Yes, this is even true for the authors publishing hundreds of articles.
I am going to publish a series of articles on this subject all at once. These articles will cover in detail what I want to see in each section of your article. I pray that you will read them and ease the misery of all of us lowly publishers.
Wednesday, 10 October 2012
You Can Write An e-Book
You might be thinking, "No way, I can't write a book."
You are wrong.
If you can write an article, you can write books, e-Books, and special reports using the same system.
Think about it. Each chapter in a non-fiction e-Book is equivalent to a long article. The skills you developed writing articles are the same as the skills you need to write an e-Book.
BUT, WHY SHOULD YOU WRITE AN e-Book?
It's simple. Information products are the easiest products to sell online. You write it once, and your work is done. Your e-Book can be delivered to your customer automatically. All you have to do is cash the checks.
OK, maybe it isn't quite that easy. e-Books are fast to complete and fast to get to market. There is no inventory to stock. No shipping costs. Start-up costs are low. The delivery process can be automated.
e-Books can also be made into audio products and sold as downloads on e-Bay, iTunes and soon on Amazon.com. You can get your e-Book recorded very affordably by a professional at HearYourBook.com.
HERE'S THE CATCH
Aside from actually writing your e-Book, there is one aspect that will take some work and some skill: Marketing.
You will need a plan for selling your e-Book. If your potential readers do not know it exists, they can't buy it. This means that your probably need an effective sales page and some good marketing ideas. Everything you need to know is available for free online. All you have to do is search.
If you have to hire someone to put up your sales page and set up your sales process, it is worth the small investment…and just about the only monetary investment you will have to make.
BACK TO WRITING: YOUR TABLE OF CONTENTS COMES FIRST
Write your Table of Contents first, and use it as an outline for your book. Treat each chapter as an article and follow the same steps that your would take to complete an article.
There is one difference. Instead of striving to get your point across in a concise manner as you would when writing an article, expand on each topic. Take your time and explore each point completely.
When writing an article, especially for publication on the Internet, you need to use short sentences and short paragraphs. Sentences and paragraphs can be longer in an e-Book.
Spend a lot of time with the Table of Contents. Make your chapter titles interesting and follow a logical progression.
IF YOU CAN'T COMPLETE, DELETE!
As you write your e-Book, you will get some new ideas and some of your original ideas won't seem right. Good! You are in charge. Just use your delete key and eliminate the chapters you no longer want to write and substitute the new chapter titles.
There's no stress here. Just pick and choose what you will write about and skip the parts you are stuck on. You may find it easier to write about those topics when you come back to them later.
Copyright Georganne Fiumara
You are wrong.
If you can write an article, you can write books, e-Books, and special reports using the same system.
Think about it. Each chapter in a non-fiction e-Book is equivalent to a long article. The skills you developed writing articles are the same as the skills you need to write an e-Book.
BUT, WHY SHOULD YOU WRITE AN e-Book?
It's simple. Information products are the easiest products to sell online. You write it once, and your work is done. Your e-Book can be delivered to your customer automatically. All you have to do is cash the checks.
OK, maybe it isn't quite that easy. e-Books are fast to complete and fast to get to market. There is no inventory to stock. No shipping costs. Start-up costs are low. The delivery process can be automated.
e-Books can also be made into audio products and sold as downloads on e-Bay, iTunes and soon on Amazon.com. You can get your e-Book recorded very affordably by a professional at HearYourBook.com.
HERE'S THE CATCH
Aside from actually writing your e-Book, there is one aspect that will take some work and some skill: Marketing.
You will need a plan for selling your e-Book. If your potential readers do not know it exists, they can't buy it. This means that your probably need an effective sales page and some good marketing ideas. Everything you need to know is available for free online. All you have to do is search.
If you have to hire someone to put up your sales page and set up your sales process, it is worth the small investment…and just about the only monetary investment you will have to make.
BACK TO WRITING: YOUR TABLE OF CONTENTS COMES FIRST
Write your Table of Contents first, and use it as an outline for your book. Treat each chapter as an article and follow the same steps that your would take to complete an article.
There is one difference. Instead of striving to get your point across in a concise manner as you would when writing an article, expand on each topic. Take your time and explore each point completely.
When writing an article, especially for publication on the Internet, you need to use short sentences and short paragraphs. Sentences and paragraphs can be longer in an e-Book.
Spend a lot of time with the Table of Contents. Make your chapter titles interesting and follow a logical progression.
IF YOU CAN'T COMPLETE, DELETE!
As you write your e-Book, you will get some new ideas and some of your original ideas won't seem right. Good! You are in charge. Just use your delete key and eliminate the chapters you no longer want to write and substitute the new chapter titles.
There's no stress here. Just pick and choose what you will write about and skip the parts you are stuck on. You may find it easier to write about those topics when you come back to them later.
Copyright Georganne Fiumara
Monday, 1 October 2012
A Publisher’s Rant – Why I Hate Your Article Headlines
I’m a publisher for numerous sites. I HATE many of your articles. Here’s why I hate your headline and what you can do about it.
The Headline
There is a school of thought out there that your headline should be designed to captivate readers. In the real world, this is probably true. When I am looking for articles, it is not.
I want keywords front and center in an article headline. This may come as a shock, but I am using your articles as part of a search engine optimization effort on sites. With seo, the keywords always come first. ALWAYS!
Consider the following examples:
1. California Real Estate – The Secret to Making a Bundle
2. The Secret to Making a Bundle in California Real Estate
The first headline is by far the best. The keywords are front and center. I can easily turn this headline into a meta title for site page. More importantly, this tells me that you may be a writer that understands what I want. I am going to click through to your article and read it. If the rest of the article is done in the correct format, I am going to publish this article on my site AND I am going to add you name to my worthy authors list. When I need new articles, I will go out of my way to see if you have published anything new.
The second headline is a disaster. The keywords are at the end of the headline, which is terrible for search engine optimization purposes. This is a waste of my time and tells me to avoid your articles. If I can’t find enough articles with the proper headline, I may come back and read yours. Then again, I may not.
Captivating Headlines
Now you may be thinking you need a captivating headline because you want to capture as many readers as possible. You DO NOT. I’ve already done the job for you. My sites already have traffic. I am delivering the readers to your article. They will read it if it is on the site. Of course, you’ll have to put the keywords first to get my attention.
Writing a headline is a fairly simple process. So do it!
The Headline
There is a school of thought out there that your headline should be designed to captivate readers. In the real world, this is probably true. When I am looking for articles, it is not.
I want keywords front and center in an article headline. This may come as a shock, but I am using your articles as part of a search engine optimization effort on sites. With seo, the keywords always come first. ALWAYS!
Consider the following examples:
1. California Real Estate – The Secret to Making a Bundle
2. The Secret to Making a Bundle in California Real Estate
The first headline is by far the best. The keywords are front and center. I can easily turn this headline into a meta title for site page. More importantly, this tells me that you may be a writer that understands what I want. I am going to click through to your article and read it. If the rest of the article is done in the correct format, I am going to publish this article on my site AND I am going to add you name to my worthy authors list. When I need new articles, I will go out of my way to see if you have published anything new.
The second headline is a disaster. The keywords are at the end of the headline, which is terrible for search engine optimization purposes. This is a waste of my time and tells me to avoid your articles. If I can’t find enough articles with the proper headline, I may come back and read yours. Then again, I may not.
Captivating Headlines
Now you may be thinking you need a captivating headline because you want to capture as many readers as possible. You DO NOT. I’ve already done the job for you. My sites already have traffic. I am delivering the readers to your article. They will read it if it is on the site. Of course, you’ll have to put the keywords first to get my attention.
Writing a headline is a fairly simple process. So do it!
Saturday, 1 September 2012
A Publisher’s Rant – Why I Hate The Body of Your Article
I’m a publisher for numerous sites. I HATE many of your articles. Here’s why I hate the body of your article and what you can do about it.
You’re Giving Me A Headache
Let’s cut to the chase on this issue. I really don’t care what you write about. As long as it isn’t an overt sales pitch, knock yourself out. I am more interested in the format of the article, not your view or take on the subject matter. The readers on my sites may not like what you write, but that is your problem.
I do care about the flow and format of the body of your article. I strongly encourage you to have a point and stick to it. If another idea comes to mind half way through writing an article, turn it into a separate article. Don’t try to cram it all into one article.
One Sentence Paragraphs
Don’t. For the love of God, just don’t write these. The only time you should write a one sentence paragraph is if it is a narrative. Occasionally, you can write one for dramatic impact, but try to stay away from these.
Loooonggg Sentences
Even in our capitalist society, punctuation is free. This “.” is a period. The period is your friend. For some of you, it is a long lost friend.
Sentences should be relatively short. If you write articles through the stream of consciousness method, good for you. When the masterpiece is done, read it out loud to yourself. How does it sound? Perhaps you should do something with the 10-line sentence?
Linking In The Body
Why, why, why do you do this? I absolutely refuse to publish any article with links in the body. In truth, I don’t have anything against such links. My bitch is that you’re making me take extra steps to hyperlink the damn things when I publish them on sites. If you think I am going to spend extra time on your article, you’re wrong. Chant with me, “I will put all links in the byline.”
Spelling
Contrary to popular opinion, I don’t care if you misspell words. I can’t spell worth a damn and assume you can’t either. I will run your article through spell check programs. In fact, I’ll run them through two spell check programs. Spelling is not a big issue with me.
Body Headlines
Using headlines in the body of your article is a very good idea. I love them and will view you in a more favorable light. The only thing I ask is that you CAPITALIZE the first letter of each word. Remember, I am lazy.
The Last Paragraph
The last paragraph should summarize the point you made in the article. The last paragraph is not a place to put links, hints about your site or your biography. I will not publish your article if you do such things. You can cover all of these items in your byline.
When it comes to the body of your article, knock yourself out. Just keep in mind these pet peeves.
You’re Giving Me A Headache
Let’s cut to the chase on this issue. I really don’t care what you write about. As long as it isn’t an overt sales pitch, knock yourself out. I am more interested in the format of the article, not your view or take on the subject matter. The readers on my sites may not like what you write, but that is your problem.
I do care about the flow and format of the body of your article. I strongly encourage you to have a point and stick to it. If another idea comes to mind half way through writing an article, turn it into a separate article. Don’t try to cram it all into one article.
One Sentence Paragraphs
Don’t. For the love of God, just don’t write these. The only time you should write a one sentence paragraph is if it is a narrative. Occasionally, you can write one for dramatic impact, but try to stay away from these.
Loooonggg Sentences
Even in our capitalist society, punctuation is free. This “.” is a period. The period is your friend. For some of you, it is a long lost friend.
Sentences should be relatively short. If you write articles through the stream of consciousness method, good for you. When the masterpiece is done, read it out loud to yourself. How does it sound? Perhaps you should do something with the 10-line sentence?
Linking In The Body
Why, why, why do you do this? I absolutely refuse to publish any article with links in the body. In truth, I don’t have anything against such links. My bitch is that you’re making me take extra steps to hyperlink the damn things when I publish them on sites. If you think I am going to spend extra time on your article, you’re wrong. Chant with me, “I will put all links in the byline.”
Spelling
Contrary to popular opinion, I don’t care if you misspell words. I can’t spell worth a damn and assume you can’t either. I will run your article through spell check programs. In fact, I’ll run them through two spell check programs. Spelling is not a big issue with me.
Body Headlines
Using headlines in the body of your article is a very good idea. I love them and will view you in a more favorable light. The only thing I ask is that you CAPITALIZE the first letter of each word. Remember, I am lazy.
The Last Paragraph
The last paragraph should summarize the point you made in the article. The last paragraph is not a place to put links, hints about your site or your biography. I will not publish your article if you do such things. You can cover all of these items in your byline.
When it comes to the body of your article, knock yourself out. Just keep in mind these pet peeves.
Friday, 10 August 2012
You Can Write An Article
Anyone can write an article and use it to promote their website. The distribution of articles through free article directories is one of the best ways to promote your website. Even if you have never written one, there is at least one type of article that almost anyone can write.
A Top-Ten Or List-Article
Choose with a topic that is relevant to your website and find a good keyword for it. This is the phrase that people will use when they use a search engine to find your article. If you aren't sure how to do keyword research, just ask yourself what words you would use to search for an article on this topic.
Think of an aspect of your topic that can be made into a list. You're going to write an article that has the "Top Ten Ways" to do something, or "Six Simple Techniques For" something, or "Five Questions To Ask" Whoever. Other possibilities include "Six Great Ideas For...," "Top Ten Tips for...," "Ten Secrets About...," "Three Steps To...," and so on.
Now just follow the simple outline below. Suppose the article is on ways that you can get free traffic for a website, and the key word is "free website traffic."
1. Write a title for the article, using the keyword it, so searchers can find your article more easily: "Six Ways To Get Free Website Traffic."
2. Write a description of one or two sentences, telling the reader what they will get from reading your article: "How many ways do you use to get free traffic for your website? You'll learn six of the best here."
3. "Sell" the article in the first paragraph, using the keyword again: "Free website traffic is a few clicks away if you know where to look..."
4. Create a numbered list, and explain each entry with a couple sentences: "1. Write articles. This is perhaps the best way to get free website traffic. Submit your articles to article directories, and readers find there way to your site by way of the link at the end of your article. 2. Exchange links with high traffic websites..."
5. End the article with a short paragraph, using the keywords one more time: "You can see that some of these ways to get free website traffic are easier than others, but why not try all of them. The real question is which will work best for your website..." This summary paragraph isn't always necessary.
6. Create a short "About The Author" or author's resource box. Have just one link to your website in it. Talk less about yourself than about why the reader should visit your site. Entice and tease: "For more ways to get free website traffic, visit..." This is possibly the most important part of how to write an article for website promotion. For an example of a resource box that has worked, see below.
A Top-Ten Or List-Article
Choose with a topic that is relevant to your website and find a good keyword for it. This is the phrase that people will use when they use a search engine to find your article. If you aren't sure how to do keyword research, just ask yourself what words you would use to search for an article on this topic.
Think of an aspect of your topic that can be made into a list. You're going to write an article that has the "Top Ten Ways" to do something, or "Six Simple Techniques For" something, or "Five Questions To Ask" Whoever. Other possibilities include "Six Great Ideas For...," "Top Ten Tips for...," "Ten Secrets About...," "Three Steps To...," and so on.
Now just follow the simple outline below. Suppose the article is on ways that you can get free traffic for a website, and the key word is "free website traffic."
1. Write a title for the article, using the keyword it, so searchers can find your article more easily: "Six Ways To Get Free Website Traffic."
2. Write a description of one or two sentences, telling the reader what they will get from reading your article: "How many ways do you use to get free traffic for your website? You'll learn six of the best here."
3. "Sell" the article in the first paragraph, using the keyword again: "Free website traffic is a few clicks away if you know where to look..."
4. Create a numbered list, and explain each entry with a couple sentences: "1. Write articles. This is perhaps the best way to get free website traffic. Submit your articles to article directories, and readers find there way to your site by way of the link at the end of your article. 2. Exchange links with high traffic websites..."
5. End the article with a short paragraph, using the keywords one more time: "You can see that some of these ways to get free website traffic are easier than others, but why not try all of them. The real question is which will work best for your website..." This summary paragraph isn't always necessary.
6. Create a short "About The Author" or author's resource box. Have just one link to your website in it. Talk less about yourself than about why the reader should visit your site. Entice and tease: "For more ways to get free website traffic, visit..." This is possibly the most important part of how to write an article for website promotion. For an example of a resource box that has worked, see below.
Wednesday, 1 August 2012
A Publisher’s Rant – A Checklist of Items
Assuming you’ve read my rants on articles, you may want a checklist of items to consider for future articles. I am at your service.
Checklist
This checklist is going to be short and to the point. Remember, I’m lazy. Go back and read the original article if you need more information.
1. Headlines – Keyword phrases should ALWAYS be the first words. No exceptions.
2. First Paragraph – No more than 38 words. Two to three short sentences with the keywords from your headline included near the beginning.
3. No one sentence paragraphs.
4. Cut up long sentences into shorter ones. If a sentence is over two lines, it can be cut down.
5. Linking In Article – Don’t. Just do it in the byline.
6. Body Headlines – Break up the article with headlines in the body. Just keep them short and capitalize the first letter of each word.
7. Last Paragraph – Sum up the point of your article. Don’t include links or a plea to go to your site. Use the byline for your begging. I do.
8. Bylines – Keep them under four lines. Try to include the keyword phrases you are using on your site. If you are linking to an internal page of the site, use the keywords on that page, not your home page.
Eight stinking guidelines. Is that too much to ask? I think not! Besides, I’ve already had laser surgery and can’t afford a second session of smelling my eyeballs smoke. Please follow them. If you do, I will publish your articles and so will others.
Despite the tone of these articles, I am trying to help you get more bang for your buck with your articles. Okay, I am also trying to make my life easier, but there isn’t any reason why we can’t both benefit. If you want to get published more often, follow these guidelines. Publishers, webmasters and editors will love you.
The again, I could be wrong.
Okay. Occasionally you can use one-sentence paragraphs.
Just not very often.
Checklist
This checklist is going to be short and to the point. Remember, I’m lazy. Go back and read the original article if you need more information.
1. Headlines – Keyword phrases should ALWAYS be the first words. No exceptions.
2. First Paragraph – No more than 38 words. Two to three short sentences with the keywords from your headline included near the beginning.
3. No one sentence paragraphs.
4. Cut up long sentences into shorter ones. If a sentence is over two lines, it can be cut down.
5. Linking In Article – Don’t. Just do it in the byline.
6. Body Headlines – Break up the article with headlines in the body. Just keep them short and capitalize the first letter of each word.
7. Last Paragraph – Sum up the point of your article. Don’t include links or a plea to go to your site. Use the byline for your begging. I do.
8. Bylines – Keep them under four lines. Try to include the keyword phrases you are using on your site. If you are linking to an internal page of the site, use the keywords on that page, not your home page.
Eight stinking guidelines. Is that too much to ask? I think not! Besides, I’ve already had laser surgery and can’t afford a second session of smelling my eyeballs smoke. Please follow them. If you do, I will publish your articles and so will others.
Despite the tone of these articles, I am trying to help you get more bang for your buck with your articles. Okay, I am also trying to make my life easier, but there isn’t any reason why we can’t both benefit. If you want to get published more often, follow these guidelines. Publishers, webmasters and editors will love you.
The again, I could be wrong.
Okay. Occasionally you can use one-sentence paragraphs.
Just not very often.
Tuesday, 10 July 2012
You Can Write a Good Paper!
Research Paper….. What are your associations of this word? Some will answer: college, higher, education, perspective job. When I come to recollect writing my first Literature Research Paper, my imagination draws a depressing picture of piles of books, newspapers, magazines, large library reading rooms and sleepless nights at the computer. Education is vital in our competitive society and each of us is likely to face the problem of creating his/her own writing. At schools, we write compositions, short essays, reports. As students we have to generate essays, research papers, term papers, etc. If we decide to continue our education in graduate school, again we are to submit articles, reports, and finally theses and dissertations.
But no college, no university provides you with simple realistic advice how to write, for example, your own Psychology Research Paper. That is why both students and post graduates are dashing about with no clear idea how to produce this titanic work of 30 – 50 pages. Nobody just explained them how to do it…There are so many requirements for completing your research paper or essay. Some tutors demand your own ideas and opinions, some professors cut them out, others expect their students make a close study of the given literature, and so on.Are there any universal requirements, some common rules that will facilitate the writing process? I believe that they exist. Otherwise I would not be writing this article…Each of us is creative and imaginative. Some of us know it, others hide it, and some just need to reveal it. But for most of us writing a research paper seems just a waste of time. Even if the topic does not interest you very much, working on it will help you to develop your creative potential, to get more confident as you will learn to write on your own.
Any writing from an essay to thesis can be written in a short period of time and does not require any peculiar talents. What you really need is concentration and right course of your efforts. The following Research Paper Help.
Tips will direct your energy and attempts into the right course:
- Choose your topic very carefully and thoughtfully
- Select and study the informational sources very seriously
- Start planning from the very start!
- Write — express the experts’ opinion
- Share your point of view (back it up with the solid evidence)
- Keep your writing style distinct and clear.
- The conclusion flows naturally from the preceding paragraphs.
- It is time to write an introduction! Yes! (I know what am saying)
- Arrange your paper according to the standards.
- Be proud of your work!!!!
Research Paper… What are your associations of this word? Some will answer: college, higher, education, perspective job. When I come to recollect writing my first Literature Research Paper, my imagination draws a depressing picture of piles of books, newspapers, magazines, large library reading rooms and sleepless nights at the computer. Education is vital in our competitive society and each of us is likely to face the problem of creating his/her own writing. At schools, we write compositions, short essays, reports. As students we have to generate essays, research papers, term papers, etc. If we decide to continue our education in graduate school, again we are to submit articles, reports, and finally theses and dissertations. But no college, no university provides you with simple realistic advice how to write, for example, your own Psychology Research Paper. That is why both students and post graduates are dashing about with no clear idea how to produce this titanic work of 30 – 50 pages. Nobody just explained them how to do it…
There are so many requirements for completing your research paper or essay. Some tutors demand your own ideas and opinions, some professors cut them out, others expect their students make a close study of the given literature, and so on.
Are there any universal requirements, some common rules that will facilitate the writing process? I believe that they exist. Otherwise I would not be writing this article… Each of us is creative and imaginative. Some of us know it, others hide it, and some just need to reveal it. But for most of us writing a research paper seems just a waste of time. Even if the topic does not interest you very much, working on it will help you to develop your creative potential, to get more confident as you will learn to write on your own. Any writing from an essay to thesis can be written in a short period of time and does not require any peculiar talents. What you really need is concentration and right course of your efforts. The following Research Paper Help.
Tips will direct your energy and attempts into the right course:
• Choose your topic very carefully and thoughtfully
• Select and study the informational sources very seriously
• Start planning from the very start!
• Write — express the experts’ opinion
• Share your point of view (back it up with the solid evidence)
• Keep your writing style distinct and clear.
• The conclusion flows naturally from the preceding paragraphs.
• It is time to write an introduction! Yes! (I know what am saying)
• Arrange your paper according to the standards.
Be proud of your work!!!!
But no college, no university provides you with simple realistic advice how to write, for example, your own Psychology Research Paper. That is why both students and post graduates are dashing about with no clear idea how to produce this titanic work of 30 – 50 pages. Nobody just explained them how to do it…There are so many requirements for completing your research paper or essay. Some tutors demand your own ideas and opinions, some professors cut them out, others expect their students make a close study of the given literature, and so on.Are there any universal requirements, some common rules that will facilitate the writing process? I believe that they exist. Otherwise I would not be writing this article…Each of us is creative and imaginative. Some of us know it, others hide it, and some just need to reveal it. But for most of us writing a research paper seems just a waste of time. Even if the topic does not interest you very much, working on it will help you to develop your creative potential, to get more confident as you will learn to write on your own.
Any writing from an essay to thesis can be written in a short period of time and does not require any peculiar talents. What you really need is concentration and right course of your efforts. The following Research Paper Help.
Tips will direct your energy and attempts into the right course:
- Choose your topic very carefully and thoughtfully
- Select and study the informational sources very seriously
- Start planning from the very start!
- Write — express the experts’ opinion
- Share your point of view (back it up with the solid evidence)
- Keep your writing style distinct and clear.
- The conclusion flows naturally from the preceding paragraphs.
- It is time to write an introduction! Yes! (I know what am saying)
- Arrange your paper according to the standards.
- Be proud of your work!!!!
Research Paper… What are your associations of this word? Some will answer: college, higher, education, perspective job. When I come to recollect writing my first Literature Research Paper, my imagination draws a depressing picture of piles of books, newspapers, magazines, large library reading rooms and sleepless nights at the computer. Education is vital in our competitive society and each of us is likely to face the problem of creating his/her own writing. At schools, we write compositions, short essays, reports. As students we have to generate essays, research papers, term papers, etc. If we decide to continue our education in graduate school, again we are to submit articles, reports, and finally theses and dissertations. But no college, no university provides you with simple realistic advice how to write, for example, your own Psychology Research Paper. That is why both students and post graduates are dashing about with no clear idea how to produce this titanic work of 30 – 50 pages. Nobody just explained them how to do it…
There are so many requirements for completing your research paper or essay. Some tutors demand your own ideas and opinions, some professors cut them out, others expect their students make a close study of the given literature, and so on.
Are there any universal requirements, some common rules that will facilitate the writing process? I believe that they exist. Otherwise I would not be writing this article… Each of us is creative and imaginative. Some of us know it, others hide it, and some just need to reveal it. But for most of us writing a research paper seems just a waste of time. Even if the topic does not interest you very much, working on it will help you to develop your creative potential, to get more confident as you will learn to write on your own. Any writing from an essay to thesis can be written in a short period of time and does not require any peculiar talents. What you really need is concentration and right course of your efforts. The following Research Paper Help.
Tips will direct your energy and attempts into the right course:
• Choose your topic very carefully and thoughtfully
• Select and study the informational sources very seriously
• Start planning from the very start!
• Write — express the experts’ opinion
• Share your point of view (back it up with the solid evidence)
• Keep your writing style distinct and clear.
• The conclusion flows naturally from the preceding paragraphs.
• It is time to write an introduction! Yes! (I know what am saying)
• Arrange your paper according to the standards.
Be proud of your work!!!!
Tuesday, 10 April 2012
Writing in exchange for bread on the table
Some people say that I have it all – I disagree. I constantly have to struggle with this love-hate relationship I have with writing. I love reading, that’s for sure. And I love to write….about myself as and when I want to. But when I am required to write about something like….say….how to change the black oil in a car or how to pick the right motherboard for your computer….I have to literally drag myself to the computer and prompt my fingers to move.
This is the relationship I have with writing. It’s because I make a living out of churning out articles after articles…sometimes completing up to 30 articles a day face to face with a deadly deadline….it is not such a heavenly life after all.
It’s ironic that I spent a large part of my life looking for the right thing to do. Something that excites me and challenges me. Something that I WANT to do instead of being FORCED TO do. I hate being forced into doing something but this is sometimes called the ‘REAL WORLD’. Even when you love doing something and you start having people telling you HOW to write your articles, or books, it begins to lose its initial appeal.
And yet, despite turning into a drudgery of kind, I continue to write. Writing is what I do best. Because my husband would turn to me in the dead of night, awakened by some kind of swearing and the tap-tap-tap of my keyboard, he shakes his head and says, “Gosh, you’re still writing? Why?”
I hiss back. “Because I am paid to do this. Because I LOVE this. It’s my job. It’s my life. This is what I am being paid to do, you moron!”
With a chuckle, knowing me, he turns his back on me and goes back to sleep. Smart ass!
While over the years, many other opportunities came a-knocking on my door and I wondered if I would do better if I did something else. Oh, I would still write but I will write my own stuff. My own novel. My own articles. My own blog. Whatever…my own diary. But no one else will ever get the chance to tell me how to write the things I write – NEVER!!!
And yet, surprisingly, I turn my back on those opportunities because I know I love to write. Like I said. I write for a living and secretly love it. If I started selling insurance or doing real estate, it would be like…so superficial. So temporary. But when I write…I write well and I do it quickly, fast and very efficiently. And I sometimes feel proud of myself…although my fingers and eyes were throbbing like an earthquake waiting to happen.
Writing is a passion. If you have a passion for writing, you’ll start writing passionately and whatever comes out is a masterpiece in its own right. Every single article that I’ve ever written, I am proud of them. I treat them like my little babies. I’ve lost count of the number of ‘babies’ I have today but all those articles that I have written, they are a part of me.
And I have learnt how to write efficiently and quickly without sounding like a train running out of steam. Get going, get going, get going. Come on, go on with it, write, write, write. And then after you’ve completed the article, go back and dissect them and inject some botox into them. If you stick around the first few sentences and try to get it perfect right from the start, you’ll never complete the article.
And with this secret (which is not a really a secret to begin with), I am now making my life as a writer.
Do I still love writing after spending the last 7 years writing on topics that are completely dry and arid to me? Well….I love to hate it …and sometimes I hate to love it.
I believe I will continue writing until I am lying on my deathbed….breathing my last few breaths….I can imagine myself saying, “Honey, get me my keyboard…I want to be buried with it.”
Once a writer, always a writer.
Evidence: I took a total of 3 mins 22 seconds to write this whole article.
This is the relationship I have with writing. It’s because I make a living out of churning out articles after articles…sometimes completing up to 30 articles a day face to face with a deadly deadline….it is not such a heavenly life after all.
It’s ironic that I spent a large part of my life looking for the right thing to do. Something that excites me and challenges me. Something that I WANT to do instead of being FORCED TO do. I hate being forced into doing something but this is sometimes called the ‘REAL WORLD’. Even when you love doing something and you start having people telling you HOW to write your articles, or books, it begins to lose its initial appeal.
And yet, despite turning into a drudgery of kind, I continue to write. Writing is what I do best. Because my husband would turn to me in the dead of night, awakened by some kind of swearing and the tap-tap-tap of my keyboard, he shakes his head and says, “Gosh, you’re still writing? Why?”
I hiss back. “Because I am paid to do this. Because I LOVE this. It’s my job. It’s my life. This is what I am being paid to do, you moron!”
With a chuckle, knowing me, he turns his back on me and goes back to sleep. Smart ass!
While over the years, many other opportunities came a-knocking on my door and I wondered if I would do better if I did something else. Oh, I would still write but I will write my own stuff. My own novel. My own articles. My own blog. Whatever…my own diary. But no one else will ever get the chance to tell me how to write the things I write – NEVER!!!
And yet, surprisingly, I turn my back on those opportunities because I know I love to write. Like I said. I write for a living and secretly love it. If I started selling insurance or doing real estate, it would be like…so superficial. So temporary. But when I write…I write well and I do it quickly, fast and very efficiently. And I sometimes feel proud of myself…although my fingers and eyes were throbbing like an earthquake waiting to happen.
Writing is a passion. If you have a passion for writing, you’ll start writing passionately and whatever comes out is a masterpiece in its own right. Every single article that I’ve ever written, I am proud of them. I treat them like my little babies. I’ve lost count of the number of ‘babies’ I have today but all those articles that I have written, they are a part of me.
And I have learnt how to write efficiently and quickly without sounding like a train running out of steam. Get going, get going, get going. Come on, go on with it, write, write, write. And then after you’ve completed the article, go back and dissect them and inject some botox into them. If you stick around the first few sentences and try to get it perfect right from the start, you’ll never complete the article.
And with this secret (which is not a really a secret to begin with), I am now making my life as a writer.
Do I still love writing after spending the last 7 years writing on topics that are completely dry and arid to me? Well….I love to hate it …and sometimes I hate to love it.
I believe I will continue writing until I am lying on my deathbed….breathing my last few breaths….I can imagine myself saying, “Honey, get me my keyboard…I want to be buried with it.”
Once a writer, always a writer.
Evidence: I took a total of 3 mins 22 seconds to write this whole article.
Sunday, 1 April 2012
13 Steps to a "Slippery Slope" Online Sales Letter
But here's the problem: I see many of them trying to sell their e-book, tutorial, etc. on a regular Web page. They list a paragraph about the info-product and give the price, and they expect a slew of sales.
Wrong.
You need a special sales page that has a "slippery slope" sales letter.
Remember that game Chutes & Ladders? If you landed on a space that had a chute on it, you just went down, Baby. No turning back. That's how your sales letter should be - a "slippery slope" that pulls in the reader because it's so compelling and interesting.
Here's a basic outline of the 13 elements you want to include. To see an example of them all in action, visit MY own sales page at www.BoostBizEzine.com.
1. Limit your navigation.
The visitor should not be distracted by links that take her to your bio, other products, etc. The idea is to keep her on this page, reading your copy and leading her to order. So on this page, only have navigation that relates to the product (e.g. FAQs, Order now).
2. Give a powerful headline.
Your headline can make or break your sales. If it's not compelling, your visitor will click away. Here's an easy headline formula: "How to _________ So You Can ____________." Make sure the 2nd part gives a big benefit, for example, "double your business" or "gain peace of mind."
3. Discuss the problem the prospect has, or incorporate your own story.
Marketers call this "pushing the 'ouch' button." First discuss the problem or pain that the reader has, and then lead in to how your product will solve it. Or share your own failure-to-success story that the reader can empathize with.
4. Tell us who you are.
If I'm going to buy your stuff, I'd like to know why you're qualified to write about this topic. Give me the feeling that you've learned a lot about this topic and want to share it with me.
Even add a picture of yourself and an audio greeting, like I did. These help the reader instantly feel like she knows you better, increasing the "trust factor." And people buy from those they feel they know, like, and trust!
5. Use bullets like mini headlines.
Lay out everything I'll get from your product. Don't just list your table of contents verbatim! Turn each point into an exciting secret. For example, suppose your e-book features 5 tips on how to save money on groceries. That bullet could read, "Revealed: 5 ways you can save hundreds of dollars on your monthly grocery bill."
6. List plenty of testimonials.
Show your prospects they won't be the first to buy. It's more effective to weave-in testimonials throughout your sales letter than to have a separate section for them. Give each person's full name and Web address, and for extra power, post their photo and an audio testimonial as well.
7. Tell us why your product is such a great value.
How does the price of your product compare if I hired you one-on-one? For example, your manual is a great value at $49 if an hour consultation with you would run me $250.
8. Throw in a few great bonuses.
Offer special bonuses (preferably created by you) that are so good you could sell them alone if you wanted to. It could be a list of resources, a collection of articles, extra tips on a certain subject, or a free consu1tation.
9. Give an unconditional guarantee.
This puts your prospect at ease, giving her no reason to NOT buy. A few turkeys will take advantage of your generosity, but the amount of sales you GAIN from this strategy dramatically outweighs the risk.
10. Request immediate action by having a limited time offer just click <a href="http://www.ezinequeen.com/">online newsletter</a> service.
Some sales pages use trick scripts to make it seem like the offer always ends on that day at midnight, but I find these insulting. If you really will be raising your price soon (and you always should be), list the exact date and stick to it. Otherwise just say it's an introductory, limited-time offer.
11. Make it ABSURDLY CLEAR what to do next.
Nothing bothers me more than when I'm at a Web site, I have my credit card ready, and I can't find the $%#@& order link! Make your order process idiot-proof. Example: "Cl1ck below to 0rder n0w on our secure server." Also sprinkle in order links throughout your page -- some people will be ready to buy before they get to the bottom.
12. Make one last plea.
In your P.S., right after your signature, emphasize that I should act now. For example, "Don't miss out on this great 0pportunity. Remember, you can buy n0w and change your mind at anytime."
13. Don't forget your contact information!
Readers WILL have questions, so provide an e-mail address on your site that you or someone else will check at least daily. Also, don't you feel better buying from a Web site that lists a real address and phone number?
Want More Detailed Step-by-Step Help, With Examples You Can Model?
See my quick-start audio program, "The Secret, Simple Formula to Writing Web Copy That SELLS".
Wrong.
You need a special sales page that has a "slippery slope" sales letter.
Remember that game Chutes & Ladders? If you landed on a space that had a chute on it, you just went down, Baby. No turning back. That's how your sales letter should be - a "slippery slope" that pulls in the reader because it's so compelling and interesting.
Here's a basic outline of the 13 elements you want to include. To see an example of them all in action, visit MY own sales page at www.BoostBizEzine.com.
1. Limit your navigation.
The visitor should not be distracted by links that take her to your bio, other products, etc. The idea is to keep her on this page, reading your copy and leading her to order. So on this page, only have navigation that relates to the product (e.g. FAQs, Order now).
2. Give a powerful headline.
Your headline can make or break your sales. If it's not compelling, your visitor will click away. Here's an easy headline formula: "How to _________ So You Can ____________." Make sure the 2nd part gives a big benefit, for example, "double your business" or "gain peace of mind."
3. Discuss the problem the prospect has, or incorporate your own story.
Marketers call this "pushing the 'ouch' button." First discuss the problem or pain that the reader has, and then lead in to how your product will solve it. Or share your own failure-to-success story that the reader can empathize with.
4. Tell us who you are.
If I'm going to buy your stuff, I'd like to know why you're qualified to write about this topic. Give me the feeling that you've learned a lot about this topic and want to share it with me.
Even add a picture of yourself and an audio greeting, like I did. These help the reader instantly feel like she knows you better, increasing the "trust factor." And people buy from those they feel they know, like, and trust!
5. Use bullets like mini headlines.
Lay out everything I'll get from your product. Don't just list your table of contents verbatim! Turn each point into an exciting secret. For example, suppose your e-book features 5 tips on how to save money on groceries. That bullet could read, "Revealed: 5 ways you can save hundreds of dollars on your monthly grocery bill."
6. List plenty of testimonials.
Show your prospects they won't be the first to buy. It's more effective to weave-in testimonials throughout your sales letter than to have a separate section for them. Give each person's full name and Web address, and for extra power, post their photo and an audio testimonial as well.
7. Tell us why your product is such a great value.
How does the price of your product compare if I hired you one-on-one? For example, your manual is a great value at $49 if an hour consultation with you would run me $250.
8. Throw in a few great bonuses.
Offer special bonuses (preferably created by you) that are so good you could sell them alone if you wanted to. It could be a list of resources, a collection of articles, extra tips on a certain subject, or a free consu1tation.
9. Give an unconditional guarantee.
This puts your prospect at ease, giving her no reason to NOT buy. A few turkeys will take advantage of your generosity, but the amount of sales you GAIN from this strategy dramatically outweighs the risk.
10. Request immediate action by having a limited time offer just click <a href="http://www.ezinequeen.com/">online newsletter</a> service.
Some sales pages use trick scripts to make it seem like the offer always ends on that day at midnight, but I find these insulting. If you really will be raising your price soon (and you always should be), list the exact date and stick to it. Otherwise just say it's an introductory, limited-time offer.
11. Make it ABSURDLY CLEAR what to do next.
Nothing bothers me more than when I'm at a Web site, I have my credit card ready, and I can't find the $%#@& order link! Make your order process idiot-proof. Example: "Cl1ck below to 0rder n0w on our secure server." Also sprinkle in order links throughout your page -- some people will be ready to buy before they get to the bottom.
12. Make one last plea.
In your P.S., right after your signature, emphasize that I should act now. For example, "Don't miss out on this great 0pportunity. Remember, you can buy n0w and change your mind at anytime."
13. Don't forget your contact information!
Readers WILL have questions, so provide an e-mail address on your site that you or someone else will check at least daily. Also, don't you feel better buying from a Web site that lists a real address and phone number?
Want More Detailed Step-by-Step Help, With Examples You Can Model?
See my quick-start audio program, "The Secret, Simple Formula to Writing Web Copy That SELLS".
Monday, 12 March 2012
Article Writing: Can It Help Grow My Forum?
Question: I’ve got a forum and it’s a ghost town. How can I get people to my forum? – NobodyLovesMe
Dear Nobody Loves Me,
Building a forum into a happenin’ place is a LOT of work. Don’t be discouraged if your efforts aren’t paying off yet. It does take time.
That being said, there are ways to boost your forum and keep boosting it, without having to spend a lot of money. Let me share one of my favorite ways to get traffic, writing articles.
You may not be familiar with article sharing. Basically, you write and share your articles with other websites and newsletters that need content. They publish your article with your author resource box (including your website URL). This helps both of you. The website publisher needs interesting, informative content and you need the exposure.
But, what does this have to do with building your forum? It can help you in two ways.
1. In your author bio, include a link directly to your forum so people that click through your link can sign up immediately and get chatting with the other members.
2. Or link to your website and have your forum prominently displayed on every page. The more incoming links you have pointing to your website content, the more important the search engines will think your site is – and you’ll get more natural traffic from google, msn, and yahoo.
So, how do you take advantage of this method of generating traffic? You can start today.
1. Choose a topic. You can even use your own forum posts for inspiration. If you’ve recently answered questions in a post on your forum about any topic, turn it into an article. (Of course you may only use the materials you yourself have written and any and all names should be changed.)
2. Include your Author Resource box. Make sure to think about this part a lot. Many people just skim over it and, frankly, have useless resource boxes. What do you offer to the visitors? Do you have a free incentive for joining? Think this one through. Make it enticing.
3. Submit your Articles. Find article directories where you can share your articles.
4. Then, don’t sit and wait for traffic, repeat the process over and over and watch your forum grow.
The results will be long-lasting as your articles will float around the web for years and years to come.
Dear Nobody Loves Me,
Building a forum into a happenin’ place is a LOT of work. Don’t be discouraged if your efforts aren’t paying off yet. It does take time.
That being said, there are ways to boost your forum and keep boosting it, without having to spend a lot of money. Let me share one of my favorite ways to get traffic, writing articles.
You may not be familiar with article sharing. Basically, you write and share your articles with other websites and newsletters that need content. They publish your article with your author resource box (including your website URL). This helps both of you. The website publisher needs interesting, informative content and you need the exposure.
But, what does this have to do with building your forum? It can help you in two ways.
1. In your author bio, include a link directly to your forum so people that click through your link can sign up immediately and get chatting with the other members.
2. Or link to your website and have your forum prominently displayed on every page. The more incoming links you have pointing to your website content, the more important the search engines will think your site is – and you’ll get more natural traffic from google, msn, and yahoo.
So, how do you take advantage of this method of generating traffic? You can start today.
1. Choose a topic. You can even use your own forum posts for inspiration. If you’ve recently answered questions in a post on your forum about any topic, turn it into an article. (Of course you may only use the materials you yourself have written and any and all names should be changed.)
2. Include your Author Resource box. Make sure to think about this part a lot. Many people just skim over it and, frankly, have useless resource boxes. What do you offer to the visitors? Do you have a free incentive for joining? Think this one through. Make it enticing.
3. Submit your Articles. Find article directories where you can share your articles.
4. Then, don’t sit and wait for traffic, repeat the process over and over and watch your forum grow.
The results will be long-lasting as your articles will float around the web for years and years to come.
Saturday, 10 March 2012
An Indispensable Writing Tool
A small but indispensable tool if you're serious about writing is a notebook; I mean the paper kind and not the computer. Yes, that's right, a notebook. It should be carried around whenever you leave your home or office. Here's why:
1. You just don't know when an idea will strike. Unless you have a photographic memory, you'd want to write down that idea immediately so you may study it at a later time. Ideas often come when you are aware of the sights and sounds around you.
2. It's better to write down experiences as much as possible in real time then try to relive and write about it later. For example a first-time visit to a park or rain forest can produce emotions or feelings that would be difficult to duplicate in writing if recalled by memory when it's long over.
3. You might meet an important or exciting personality whom you'd like to quote verbatim. To write about it later out of memory might cause you to misquote the person, which will render your article false. What's worse is that you might draw the ire of the person misquoted.
4. When you have a chosen subject matter, it helps very much to collect information. An article with lots of information endears you to readers, especially those who go to the Internet for information. Jotting down as much information you can get will also give you fodder for more future articles. Information will also generate those all-imortant ideas.
Of course, it goes without saying, that carrying a notebook will entail carrying that other indispensable tool, a pen (or pencil). Carrying these are unobtrusive, lightweight and can easily be retrieved and used.
They may seem old-fashioned, but they work nonetheless.
1. You just don't know when an idea will strike. Unless you have a photographic memory, you'd want to write down that idea immediately so you may study it at a later time. Ideas often come when you are aware of the sights and sounds around you.
2. It's better to write down experiences as much as possible in real time then try to relive and write about it later. For example a first-time visit to a park or rain forest can produce emotions or feelings that would be difficult to duplicate in writing if recalled by memory when it's long over.
3. You might meet an important or exciting personality whom you'd like to quote verbatim. To write about it later out of memory might cause you to misquote the person, which will render your article false. What's worse is that you might draw the ire of the person misquoted.
4. When you have a chosen subject matter, it helps very much to collect information. An article with lots of information endears you to readers, especially those who go to the Internet for information. Jotting down as much information you can get will also give you fodder for more future articles. Information will also generate those all-imortant ideas.
Of course, it goes without saying, that carrying a notebook will entail carrying that other indispensable tool, a pen (or pencil). Carrying these are unobtrusive, lightweight and can easily be retrieved and used.
They may seem old-fashioned, but they work nonetheless.
Thursday, 1 March 2012
11 Quick (and Good) Content Ideas for Your Ezine or Website
Publishing articles, especially via an e-zine, is the ideal opportunity to showcase your business. By sharing your knowledge and expertise, you build credibility as an expert, while spreading the word about your services and products.
While I'm sure that sometimes you have dozens of content ideas, I bet other times you find yourself staring at a blank computer screen, grumbling that it's publishing time again. Well, have no fear! Here are 11 quick (and good) content ideas for when you're in a pinch.
1. Give real-life success stories.
Describe a problem you've solved for a client/customer, and use that as a springboard to offer more general advice. Show your readers how you've helped customers address challenges -- "case studies" if you will. This positions you as the expert in your readers' minds more than your coming out and saying so.
2. Think of three areas in which you'd like your clients to think of you as a resource.
Now develop content in those areas. For example, in my past life as a professional copywriter, I really enjoyed writing for Web sites. To help encourage my clients and prospects to hire me for these projects, I published several articles on how to write Web copy that sells.
3. Read industry publications for ideas.
Are there any hot issues in your field right now? The more controversial, the better. Don't be afraid to offer your own opinion -- your readers want to know it. After all, YOU are the expert in their eyes.
4. Jot down 8 questions your clients have asked you in the past.
You know, the ones they ask you over and over. Answer each in a short article. If you publish weekly, that's two months' worth of content, right off the bat! And if you can't think of any questions, send all your current clients/customers a quick e-mail, asking them what topics they're most interested in learning more about.
5. Learn anything neat lately from an industry conference, workshop, seminar, or insightful article?
No one says you have to reinvent the wheel of information! Pass on any gems of advice you've learned elsewhere -- just give them full attribution. Or give your opinion of the event or article itself. Your readers will appreciate your frankness.
6. Offer a list of your top 5 or 10 tips on a certain subject.
It's much easier to bang out a list of tips than to put together a real article. Of course, the tips can evolve into an article if you wish! Be sure to list your best tip first, or at least close to the top. (If you "fire your biggest gun" last, you risk losing your audience before they get to the good stuff.)
7. Interview associates whose expertise would interest your readers
(while not competing with yours). E-mail interviews are incredibly easy to do. Just send your interviewee 3 to 5 questions via e-mail, edit their answers, and have them approve the final version. Be sure to give them a short plug in your e-zine as a thank you. (A one- or two-sentence description of their business and their Web address should be fine.)
8. Recommend books and resources that you use, and offer full reviews on them.In one issue of my old
<a href="http://www.ezinequeen.com/">ezine newsletters</a>, "AKB MarCom Tips," I featured reviews of my favorite four copywriting resource books. I'm glad I also gave my Amazon.com associate links, because I ended up making some nice commission, to boot!
9. Invite clients or readers to write you with their own questions, and answer one in each issue.
Right after their question, publish the person's name, business, and Web address, with their permission. They'll enjoy the attention and free publicity!
10. Invite readers to send in profiles.
Ask them to tell you about themselves -- their names, businesses, locations, and how they use the information gained in your e-zine. Feature one profile in each issue or one every few issues.
11. When all else fails, borrow an article!
There are dozens of Web sites offering hundreds of articles that you can use in your e-zine. The articles are free and available for you to use immediately. The only catch is you're required to leave the entire article intact, including the author's promotional information. One of my favorite places to search for articles is www.ezinearticles.com.
One last note: Keep in mind that if your e-zine's main objective is to get you more clients and customers, you should NOT feature other writers' articles more than once in a blue moon. Remember our main goal is to continually showcase YOU.
While I'm sure that sometimes you have dozens of content ideas, I bet other times you find yourself staring at a blank computer screen, grumbling that it's publishing time again. Well, have no fear! Here are 11 quick (and good) content ideas for when you're in a pinch.
1. Give real-life success stories.
Describe a problem you've solved for a client/customer, and use that as a springboard to offer more general advice. Show your readers how you've helped customers address challenges -- "case studies" if you will. This positions you as the expert in your readers' minds more than your coming out and saying so.
2. Think of three areas in which you'd like your clients to think of you as a resource.
Now develop content in those areas. For example, in my past life as a professional copywriter, I really enjoyed writing for Web sites. To help encourage my clients and prospects to hire me for these projects, I published several articles on how to write Web copy that sells.
3. Read industry publications for ideas.
Are there any hot issues in your field right now? The more controversial, the better. Don't be afraid to offer your own opinion -- your readers want to know it. After all, YOU are the expert in their eyes.
4. Jot down 8 questions your clients have asked you in the past.
You know, the ones they ask you over and over. Answer each in a short article. If you publish weekly, that's two months' worth of content, right off the bat! And if you can't think of any questions, send all your current clients/customers a quick e-mail, asking them what topics they're most interested in learning more about.
5. Learn anything neat lately from an industry conference, workshop, seminar, or insightful article?
No one says you have to reinvent the wheel of information! Pass on any gems of advice you've learned elsewhere -- just give them full attribution. Or give your opinion of the event or article itself. Your readers will appreciate your frankness.
6. Offer a list of your top 5 or 10 tips on a certain subject.
It's much easier to bang out a list of tips than to put together a real article. Of course, the tips can evolve into an article if you wish! Be sure to list your best tip first, or at least close to the top. (If you "fire your biggest gun" last, you risk losing your audience before they get to the good stuff.)
7. Interview associates whose expertise would interest your readers
(while not competing with yours). E-mail interviews are incredibly easy to do. Just send your interviewee 3 to 5 questions via e-mail, edit their answers, and have them approve the final version. Be sure to give them a short plug in your e-zine as a thank you. (A one- or two-sentence description of their business and their Web address should be fine.)
8. Recommend books and resources that you use, and offer full reviews on them.In one issue of my old
<a href="http://www.ezinequeen.com/">ezine newsletters</a>, "AKB MarCom Tips," I featured reviews of my favorite four copywriting resource books. I'm glad I also gave my Amazon.com associate links, because I ended up making some nice commission, to boot!
9. Invite clients or readers to write you with their own questions, and answer one in each issue.
Right after their question, publish the person's name, business, and Web address, with their permission. They'll enjoy the attention and free publicity!
10. Invite readers to send in profiles.
Ask them to tell you about themselves -- their names, businesses, locations, and how they use the information gained in your e-zine. Feature one profile in each issue or one every few issues.
11. When all else fails, borrow an article!
There are dozens of Web sites offering hundreds of articles that you can use in your e-zine. The articles are free and available for you to use immediately. The only catch is you're required to leave the entire article intact, including the author's promotional information. One of my favorite places to search for articles is www.ezinearticles.com.
One last note: Keep in mind that if your e-zine's main objective is to get you more clients and customers, you should NOT feature other writers' articles more than once in a blue moon. Remember our main goal is to continually showcase YOU.
Wednesday, 15 February 2012
Do You Want Your Articles to be Read? Do This
Remember the old riddle, "If a tree falls in the forest and no one is there to hear it, does it still make a noise?" If you write articles, ask yourself, "If I write a great article and no one reads it, does it still do its job?"
The simple answer is: NO!
You could be the best article writer, but if the title of your article is just a boring label it will not attract attention and all of your effort will go down the drain.
TEST YOURSELF
The next time you are waiting in line at the supermarket, read the article titles on the covers of the women's magazines and figure out what it is about them that attracts millions of sales each week. Which titles attract your attention and why?
The best titles will always offer to solve a problem, tell the reader how to get something he or she wants. or warn of a big problem the reader might experience if they don't read the article.
WHICH ARTICLE WOULD YOU RATHER READ?
It is clear that the most important words any article writer will write are the ones in the title. In fact, the title of an article can either attract or repel readers.
Here are two sets of headlines to analyze:
"Activities Kids Enjoy" OR "Give Your Kids A Summer To Remember"
"Make Staying Healthy A Priority" OR "5 Symptoms You Can't Ignore"
In each case, the titles refer to the same topic, but the second one conveys a benefit that the potential reader desires. They use the word "you" to make the appeal more personal. One appeals to a parent's desire to "give" to their children (emotional) and the other peaks curiosity and fear.
Chances are, you would choose to read the second article titles over the first ones if they both popped up in a search engine.
NO YAWNING ALLOWED
The titles of your articles should invite further attention, not a yawn. It may take a little more time to come up with an interesting and compelling title, but it is well worth your time.
There are several ways to generate article titles that stand out from the crowd and get read. Here are a few examples:
--Use numbers, such as "5 Steps to True Happiness" or "3 Good Reasons to Choose Fixed Insurance Over Variable." You don't have to limit number titles to list-style articles. Nearly any article can be broken up into a number of steps or reasons.
--Create a play on words using a popular phrase. For example, an article about how to wash the outside of your second-floor windows might be titled "Don't Let Window Washing be a Pane in Your Neck."
--Make your title a question: "Can You Really Make Money Online?"
--Compare something to something else: "Why Apples are Just Like Oranges."
--Fill in the blank: "How To (Blank)," "From (Blank) to (Blank)," or "Everything You Always Wanted to Know About (Blank)."
REMEMBER THE BEST MEAL YOU EVER HAD, THEN WRITE
When you write a great headline, it is like eating desert before dinner. Your article is the meat, your resource box is the potatoes, but your headline is the promise of sweet things to come.
The simple answer is: NO!
You could be the best article writer, but if the title of your article is just a boring label it will not attract attention and all of your effort will go down the drain.
TEST YOURSELF
The next time you are waiting in line at the supermarket, read the article titles on the covers of the women's magazines and figure out what it is about them that attracts millions of sales each week. Which titles attract your attention and why?
The best titles will always offer to solve a problem, tell the reader how to get something he or she wants. or warn of a big problem the reader might experience if they don't read the article.
WHICH ARTICLE WOULD YOU RATHER READ?
It is clear that the most important words any article writer will write are the ones in the title. In fact, the title of an article can either attract or repel readers.
Here are two sets of headlines to analyze:
"Activities Kids Enjoy" OR "Give Your Kids A Summer To Remember"
"Make Staying Healthy A Priority" OR "5 Symptoms You Can't Ignore"
In each case, the titles refer to the same topic, but the second one conveys a benefit that the potential reader desires. They use the word "you" to make the appeal more personal. One appeals to a parent's desire to "give" to their children (emotional) and the other peaks curiosity and fear.
Chances are, you would choose to read the second article titles over the first ones if they both popped up in a search engine.
NO YAWNING ALLOWED
The titles of your articles should invite further attention, not a yawn. It may take a little more time to come up with an interesting and compelling title, but it is well worth your time.
There are several ways to generate article titles that stand out from the crowd and get read. Here are a few examples:
--Use numbers, such as "5 Steps to True Happiness" or "3 Good Reasons to Choose Fixed Insurance Over Variable." You don't have to limit number titles to list-style articles. Nearly any article can be broken up into a number of steps or reasons.
--Create a play on words using a popular phrase. For example, an article about how to wash the outside of your second-floor windows might be titled "Don't Let Window Washing be a Pane in Your Neck."
--Make your title a question: "Can You Really Make Money Online?"
--Compare something to something else: "Why Apples are Just Like Oranges."
--Fill in the blank: "How To (Blank)," "From (Blank) to (Blank)," or "Everything You Always Wanted to Know About (Blank)."
REMEMBER THE BEST MEAL YOU EVER HAD, THEN WRITE
When you write a great headline, it is like eating desert before dinner. Your article is the meat, your resource box is the potatoes, but your headline is the promise of sweet things to come.
Saturday, 11 February 2012
Article Writing: Can It Help Me Get More Newsletter Subscribers?
Question: I’ve got a newsletter that just isn’t growing. I’m posting my site on free classified ads and I’m paying for advertising, but I’m just not seeing results. What can I do?
Signed, Nobody Loves Me
Dear Nobody Loves Me,
Let me start by saying you are not alone. I believe you are working hard. Unfortunately, just because you are working hard doesn’t mean you’ll have success. You need to also work smart and invest in long-term ways to grow your list.
Let me tell you about my favorite way to grow your list – giving away articles.
If you’re not familiar with using articles as a marketing method, then you’re in for a big treat. Website owners and blog owners are always looking for content to share with their web visitors. So, there are places called Article Directories (basically a library of free articles) where they can go to find articles that they can use – free.
All of these articles have an Author bio at the end. (See the end of this article for an example.). The author bio is the primo space where the authors get to talk about their business. Their brag space, so to speak.
What does any of this have to do with you? You can write and distribute articles to these article directories, too. And, in your author bio, instead of linking directly to your main page of your site, you can link to a page where you have a signup box for your newsletter. Voila. Everyone who clicks through that link will be taken to the page where you can offer them your wonderful newsletter (with a great incentive they can’t pass up.) Of course your page will lure them into signing up and your newsletter list will grow.
Signed, Nobody Loves Me
Dear Nobody Loves Me,
Let me start by saying you are not alone. I believe you are working hard. Unfortunately, just because you are working hard doesn’t mean you’ll have success. You need to also work smart and invest in long-term ways to grow your list.
Let me tell you about my favorite way to grow your list – giving away articles.
If you’re not familiar with using articles as a marketing method, then you’re in for a big treat. Website owners and blog owners are always looking for content to share with their web visitors. So, there are places called Article Directories (basically a library of free articles) where they can go to find articles that they can use – free.
All of these articles have an Author bio at the end. (See the end of this article for an example.). The author bio is the primo space where the authors get to talk about their business. Their brag space, so to speak.
What does any of this have to do with you? You can write and distribute articles to these article directories, too. And, in your author bio, instead of linking directly to your main page of your site, you can link to a page where you have a signup box for your newsletter. Voila. Everyone who clicks through that link will be taken to the page where you can offer them your wonderful newsletter (with a great incentive they can’t pass up.) Of course your page will lure them into signing up and your newsletter list will grow.
Friday, 10 February 2012
An Article Writing Philosophy – Do You Have One
Thousands of articles about writing articles are bouncing all over the internet and the printed media at any given time. Most of these articles are tips and advice, a few are about grammar and clarity and yet others are about subject matter and how to find it. A philosophy for writing articles is none of the above.
Simply put an article writing philosophy is not about how you write but why. Although it is acceptable to write articles for publicity or hits to your website it is not the strongest motive. Then there are those who write by researching the most sought after keywords on the net and write articles that lead people to those words, thus to their sites. This also qualifies as a reason to write but only in the most strained sense of the word.
Writers are somewhat like preachers, they have a soap box called the printed page and they have a message just like the minister, even if the subject matter is not homiletically inclined. As a young preacher I overheard someone say that “young preachers just have to say something, but older preachers may actually have something to say.” The first step in developing a writing philosophy is to ask your self this question…do I have something to say?
Professional people can quickly answer yes to the question of whether they have something to say. Years of study, training and experience put them ahead of others and all they may lack is just a bit of priming to know how to convey their knowledge by the written word. For those who are not professionals the next question should be “how do you see.” Some people are naturally endowed with a good eye. They don’t need to be politicians to have a good grasp of politics. They can predict, criticize, evaluate and comment on the whole sphere with great clarity and in some cases may affect the outcome of politics in some way. They weigh in so to speak on the subject. In case you think that isn’t so check out the vast opportunities for op-eds (opinion editorials) on the internet today. Thousands of political right and left wing sites are looking for people with good political vision. In this “of the people” society John Q Public is still sought for his view of political figures and things done in the political theatre.
Having a good “minds eye” applies to any field of interest whatsoever. Technicians put together complex electronic and telemetering devices in spacecraft but some people are weighing the result of all that space hardware on people, the environment or the future of man and their insight may be just as needed as the tiniest circuit board any techie can produce.
The motivation for writing an article may only be to provide information; at other times it may be to provide inspiration. Even anger could qualify as a good motive if you are particularly incensed over some injustice or bad behavior. It may sound all to rudimentary or perhaps old fashioned to say that if you are seeking a higher good to be done through your writing then you will always succeed. Sound corny? Think again. No one will ever reject an article that attempts to right a wrong, lift people up or provide a little light and comfort in a troubled world. If that is your motive then that is your philosophy. Good writing.
Simply put an article writing philosophy is not about how you write but why. Although it is acceptable to write articles for publicity or hits to your website it is not the strongest motive. Then there are those who write by researching the most sought after keywords on the net and write articles that lead people to those words, thus to their sites. This also qualifies as a reason to write but only in the most strained sense of the word.
Writers are somewhat like preachers, they have a soap box called the printed page and they have a message just like the minister, even if the subject matter is not homiletically inclined. As a young preacher I overheard someone say that “young preachers just have to say something, but older preachers may actually have something to say.” The first step in developing a writing philosophy is to ask your self this question…do I have something to say?
Professional people can quickly answer yes to the question of whether they have something to say. Years of study, training and experience put them ahead of others and all they may lack is just a bit of priming to know how to convey their knowledge by the written word. For those who are not professionals the next question should be “how do you see.” Some people are naturally endowed with a good eye. They don’t need to be politicians to have a good grasp of politics. They can predict, criticize, evaluate and comment on the whole sphere with great clarity and in some cases may affect the outcome of politics in some way. They weigh in so to speak on the subject. In case you think that isn’t so check out the vast opportunities for op-eds (opinion editorials) on the internet today. Thousands of political right and left wing sites are looking for people with good political vision. In this “of the people” society John Q Public is still sought for his view of political figures and things done in the political theatre.
Having a good “minds eye” applies to any field of interest whatsoever. Technicians put together complex electronic and telemetering devices in spacecraft but some people are weighing the result of all that space hardware on people, the environment or the future of man and their insight may be just as needed as the tiniest circuit board any techie can produce.
The motivation for writing an article may only be to provide information; at other times it may be to provide inspiration. Even anger could qualify as a good motive if you are particularly incensed over some injustice or bad behavior. It may sound all to rudimentary or perhaps old fashioned to say that if you are seeking a higher good to be done through your writing then you will always succeed. Sound corny? Think again. No one will ever reject an article that attempts to right a wrong, lift people up or provide a little light and comfort in a troubled world. If that is your motive then that is your philosophy. Good writing.
Thursday, 9 February 2012
Are You Struggling To Write Informative Articles? Follow My 5 Simple Writing Tips To Success
Submitting your quality written, and keyword rich articles is certainly your first step to achieving your personal or business related goals. However, many authors wonder why their articles are not being picked up by publishers and webmasters to be placed on their theme related websites, and if you're willing to follow a few simple steps, you will be on your way to having a successful article writing campaign that will appeal to publishers, webmasters, and also your online readers.
The truth of the matter is, that many publishers and webmasters are looking for fresh, well-crafted content to place on their site that offers their readers valuable information and tips, but they don't like to accept articles for their sites that show obvious signs of self-promotion of your own business, products, or services. Selling your business in your article is just going to drive people away, and they will move on to the next article that will help them answer the questions they're seeking.
Tip #1: When readers search for a specific topic of interest, they're searching for information that answers specific questions they may have at the time. If you're not exactly sure how to format your article to flow with all the necessary information, just remember that when you start writing your articles, consider formatting your articles with the focus on the WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, and WHY. When you start to develop your articles in this format, you will definitely make it easier to write your articles on specific topics that will flow naturally.
Tip #2: If you're writing about a specific topic that can help your readers, provide a brief introduction of what you're about to talk about. This way if the reader is interested in what you have to say, they will know what direction you're going in on your specific topic. In the body of your articles, have the key information that your topic is talking about with many features followed by the benefits.
The best way to achieve this is to talk first about the feature of your topic, product, or services briefly, and then follow right below your feature, a detailed benefit (make sure you focus and write more on the benefit). At the bottom of you article, always end it with a brief conclusion. Never stop writing without having an ending. Readers will be wondering if they received the entire article, or if you're missing some information. Remember, most if not everyone likes an ending.
Tip #3: In the body of your article, make emphasis on your features and benefits that you're talking about by adding "bullets" and also "highlighting" the important features and benefits. This does several things to your article, it allows your readers to quickly find the important information in your article, and if they happen to not want to read the entire article from top to bottom, they may opt to go directly to the information that they want, and you make it much easier for them to find it with bulleting, and highlights!
Tip #4: If possible, when writing about a unique topic, you will add more impact and credibility to your content when you offer your readers important resources to back up your claim. You can provide a few legitimate testimonials, a list of awards that were achieved, or anything else you feel will back up what you're talking about. This is a great way to provide your readers solid proof you're the authority on this topic, and you have value for them to obtain from your information.
Tip #5: The biggest mistake many new authors make when writing their articles for ezine directories to be picked up for distribution is creating a really weak "Author Bio"! You spend all your time and effort creating the perfect article to be submitted to the ezine directories, and many ezine publishers and webmasters start picking up your article and adding them to their emails and sites. However, if your author bio at the end of your article doesn't have impact, it will not motivate the reader to click through to either read more, or get additional information on what you are truly offering.
Make sure you spend as much time in creating the best author bio as you do when you start writing your article. Make sure that you let your readers know who you are, and that you are the expert on this topic, and if you're talking about several products or services, in your author bio, if you're allowed a maximum of 3 hyperlinks to your site, blog, or email, also make sure that you take advantage of this option, and add your maximum allowable links for your readers to click through and continue their journey to specific information they're interested in reading.
These tips are only a guideline to your article writing success, and if you take some of the information I provide and use it that best fits your writing style, I feel that you will be on your way to being a great Web Author, and many of your well written articles will be picked up by publishers and webmasters hungry for freshly written content that offers a quality message to their readers.
The truth of the matter is, that many publishers and webmasters are looking for fresh, well-crafted content to place on their site that offers their readers valuable information and tips, but they don't like to accept articles for their sites that show obvious signs of self-promotion of your own business, products, or services. Selling your business in your article is just going to drive people away, and they will move on to the next article that will help them answer the questions they're seeking.
Tip #1: When readers search for a specific topic of interest, they're searching for information that answers specific questions they may have at the time. If you're not exactly sure how to format your article to flow with all the necessary information, just remember that when you start writing your articles, consider formatting your articles with the focus on the WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, and WHY. When you start to develop your articles in this format, you will definitely make it easier to write your articles on specific topics that will flow naturally.
Tip #2: If you're writing about a specific topic that can help your readers, provide a brief introduction of what you're about to talk about. This way if the reader is interested in what you have to say, they will know what direction you're going in on your specific topic. In the body of your articles, have the key information that your topic is talking about with many features followed by the benefits.
The best way to achieve this is to talk first about the feature of your topic, product, or services briefly, and then follow right below your feature, a detailed benefit (make sure you focus and write more on the benefit). At the bottom of you article, always end it with a brief conclusion. Never stop writing without having an ending. Readers will be wondering if they received the entire article, or if you're missing some information. Remember, most if not everyone likes an ending.
Tip #3: In the body of your article, make emphasis on your features and benefits that you're talking about by adding "bullets" and also "highlighting" the important features and benefits. This does several things to your article, it allows your readers to quickly find the important information in your article, and if they happen to not want to read the entire article from top to bottom, they may opt to go directly to the information that they want, and you make it much easier for them to find it with bulleting, and highlights!
Tip #4: If possible, when writing about a unique topic, you will add more impact and credibility to your content when you offer your readers important resources to back up your claim. You can provide a few legitimate testimonials, a list of awards that were achieved, or anything else you feel will back up what you're talking about. This is a great way to provide your readers solid proof you're the authority on this topic, and you have value for them to obtain from your information.
Tip #5: The biggest mistake many new authors make when writing their articles for ezine directories to be picked up for distribution is creating a really weak "Author Bio"! You spend all your time and effort creating the perfect article to be submitted to the ezine directories, and many ezine publishers and webmasters start picking up your article and adding them to their emails and sites. However, if your author bio at the end of your article doesn't have impact, it will not motivate the reader to click through to either read more, or get additional information on what you are truly offering.
Make sure you spend as much time in creating the best author bio as you do when you start writing your article. Make sure that you let your readers know who you are, and that you are the expert on this topic, and if you're talking about several products or services, in your author bio, if you're allowed a maximum of 3 hyperlinks to your site, blog, or email, also make sure that you take advantage of this option, and add your maximum allowable links for your readers to click through and continue their journey to specific information they're interested in reading.
These tips are only a guideline to your article writing success, and if you take some of the information I provide and use it that best fits your writing style, I feel that you will be on your way to being a great Web Author, and many of your well written articles will be picked up by publishers and webmasters hungry for freshly written content that offers a quality message to their readers.
Wednesday, 1 February 2012
10 Article Writing Keys For Newbies
This article on the 10 (no, 11... yes, 11) tips for newbies is not written from the catbird seat point of view of the article host or database manager. Rather it is by and from the perspective of an author who remembers the early misgivings. It is written especially for the beginning article writer. The Tennessee Mountain Man has written and submitted hundreds of articles for publication to thousands of article hosts and database managers and still finds article writing his nemesis.
1. Necessity vs Desire:
Articles and Blogs are necessary in today's scheme of search engine indexing. Not what the newbie wants to hear. Just remember what the Bible says, "there has nothing over taken you that is not common to man". That's right! All of us hate article and Blog writing at times, and some of us dread the journey to pen and paper (or keyboard as the case may be) all the time. Many a webmaster would call them "a necessary evil" as they are not generally anyone's best liked house keeping chores.
2. Just Start, It Gets Easier:
First it is sometimes difficult to get a subject or theme and to get the first couple of lines scribbled down. The Tennessee Mountain Man knows authors who literally get sick thinking about the process. Lighten up. Once an author has a starting point and gets passed the initial thoughts, article and Blog writing usually goes fairly smoothly.
The main thing is that you get started. Pick a subject you know something about and just start. You will be pleasantly surprised at just how easily ideasflow. Don't assume everyone knows what you know. They don't. Will Rogers once said, "all men are ignorant, just on different subjects". And, so it is!
3. Good vs Perfection:
Your old English comp professor is not looking over your shoulder. This paper does not have to be perfect. That is not to say it does not have to be on point or to say that it does not have to be correct. It does or at least it should be. But, perfection is not the goal and is, in fact, seldom possible. Too much detail and you run the risk of losing your reader on several levels. Too long and
most readers simply don't have the time or interest to wade through the material regardless of how important it is.
4. Blog Length vs Article Length:
Most publishers want a minimum of six hundred (600) words per article - some will let you slide with four hundred (400) words. Blogs can be much smaller. Blogs can and maybe should support appropriate pictures and embedded links.
Just don't over do it. Too gaudy or too slow to load and you have wasted your time, ticked off a potential reader, and probably upset a host who can ban you from their publications. Articles, on the other hand, typically cannot carry these extra touches according to the requirements of most publishers.
5. Format:
Prepare your article in American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII) format. There are many tools from which to choose to get the job done. A search for 'free ASCII editor' or for 'free plain text editors' will provide one with a multitude of free options. Word Press is a popular choice. If all else fails simply use notepad to turn out your masterpiece.
6. Spelling and Grammar:
Once you have your article or Blog run it through a good spell checker and a good grammar checker. Microsoft Word works well for these purposes. Just don't use the MS Word copy for publication of your article. Rather use it's suggestions to make any necessary corrections to your plain text copy. The MS Word copy will work for Blogs although the Computerman prefers other editors.
Just like the days when you were pushed by Profs, you will find Article and Blog writing skills become easier with time and practice.
7. Publish and Announce:
Once your Blog is ready you may want to use some automatic tools to publish and announce it. First do a search for Blog hosts and select those which best suit your needs. Join one or more and publish your Blog there. Then search for Blog announcers and rss announcers and use them to get your Blog noticed.
Now that you have that out of the way find an article wizard that will post your Articles to free publishers. You can post them one at a time by hand if you are really bored and have absolutely nothing else in life to do. Using an automatic poster you can publish to hundreds of hosts in an hour or so. The only way to go.
8. Patience:
Now, have some patience. Here is where you lose control. Many of the men and women who host articles are timely and your articles will be reviewed within twenty-four (24) to forty-eight (48) hours. But, many others will be days and weeks down the road therefore never date an article - a sure way to get rejected.
9. Rejection - "sorry your article has been declined":
Be prepared for most hosts to reject your articles. Do not take it personally. It usually has little to do with you or your article.
Some databases routinely reject articles for spelling errors when there are none or where there is more than way to spell a word. And, just as in any other endeavor some hosts are simply too lazy and get so far behind, the easiest and fastest thing to do (and perhaps the only alternative) is to reject everything. You will learn who these are over time.
Then there are those who run your articles through the sausage grinder and if they find certain words, irrespective of how they are used, your article gets no farther. These are the people who can't publish the Holy Bible because it contains words that offend them or their readers. Don't worry about these folks who are so heavenly minded they are of no earthly use.
Remember, just as in everything else in life, for every rule there is an exception
10. Keep the faith, and keep cranking out articles:
Since most authors, especially newbies, prepare only one copy of an article against the advice of most seasoned authors it is important that the newbie keep his chin up - keep the faith. That will be easier as more and more of your articles are accepted and published driving visitors to your website while creating those all important back links.
It is not necessary that every host to accept everything submitted to them. After one or two hosts publish your article on any given subject, the search engines tend to penalize you anyway by ignoring additional postings. This is close to spamming and while it could help someone find you, it probably won't. It is not necessarily, the more the merrier. The additional listings will not increase your page rankings or links reported by the search engines. It is more important to get published by hosts with the highest Google page rank possible.
Now, one BONUS TIP for you: Along with "the rejection slip" will usually come a suggestion on how to "fix" your article and a request that you resubmit it. Don't waste your time. While trying comply with one database manager's request you could have written a new article from which you get much more punch. Enough publishers will pick your article up so move on and save yourself some time and heartburn.
Everybody has a thought or idea at least once a day usually at the most inopportune time. How many good ideas have you lost because of waiting? Don't procrastinate! Go! Capture that thought before it is gone forever.
1. Necessity vs Desire:
Articles and Blogs are necessary in today's scheme of search engine indexing. Not what the newbie wants to hear. Just remember what the Bible says, "there has nothing over taken you that is not common to man". That's right! All of us hate article and Blog writing at times, and some of us dread the journey to pen and paper (or keyboard as the case may be) all the time. Many a webmaster would call them "a necessary evil" as they are not generally anyone's best liked house keeping chores.
2. Just Start, It Gets Easier:
First it is sometimes difficult to get a subject or theme and to get the first couple of lines scribbled down. The Tennessee Mountain Man knows authors who literally get sick thinking about the process. Lighten up. Once an author has a starting point and gets passed the initial thoughts, article and Blog writing usually goes fairly smoothly.
The main thing is that you get started. Pick a subject you know something about and just start. You will be pleasantly surprised at just how easily ideasflow. Don't assume everyone knows what you know. They don't. Will Rogers once said, "all men are ignorant, just on different subjects". And, so it is!
3. Good vs Perfection:
Your old English comp professor is not looking over your shoulder. This paper does not have to be perfect. That is not to say it does not have to be on point or to say that it does not have to be correct. It does or at least it should be. But, perfection is not the goal and is, in fact, seldom possible. Too much detail and you run the risk of losing your reader on several levels. Too long and
most readers simply don't have the time or interest to wade through the material regardless of how important it is.
4. Blog Length vs Article Length:
Most publishers want a minimum of six hundred (600) words per article - some will let you slide with four hundred (400) words. Blogs can be much smaller. Blogs can and maybe should support appropriate pictures and embedded links.
Just don't over do it. Too gaudy or too slow to load and you have wasted your time, ticked off a potential reader, and probably upset a host who can ban you from their publications. Articles, on the other hand, typically cannot carry these extra touches according to the requirements of most publishers.
5. Format:
Prepare your article in American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII) format. There are many tools from which to choose to get the job done. A search for 'free ASCII editor' or for 'free plain text editors' will provide one with a multitude of free options. Word Press is a popular choice. If all else fails simply use notepad to turn out your masterpiece.
6. Spelling and Grammar:
Once you have your article or Blog run it through a good spell checker and a good grammar checker. Microsoft Word works well for these purposes. Just don't use the MS Word copy for publication of your article. Rather use it's suggestions to make any necessary corrections to your plain text copy. The MS Word copy will work for Blogs although the Computerman prefers other editors.
Just like the days when you were pushed by Profs, you will find Article and Blog writing skills become easier with time and practice.
7. Publish and Announce:
Once your Blog is ready you may want to use some automatic tools to publish and announce it. First do a search for Blog hosts and select those which best suit your needs. Join one or more and publish your Blog there. Then search for Blog announcers and rss announcers and use them to get your Blog noticed.
Now that you have that out of the way find an article wizard that will post your Articles to free publishers. You can post them one at a time by hand if you are really bored and have absolutely nothing else in life to do. Using an automatic poster you can publish to hundreds of hosts in an hour or so. The only way to go.
8. Patience:
Now, have some patience. Here is where you lose control. Many of the men and women who host articles are timely and your articles will be reviewed within twenty-four (24) to forty-eight (48) hours. But, many others will be days and weeks down the road therefore never date an article - a sure way to get rejected.
9. Rejection - "sorry your article has been declined":
Be prepared for most hosts to reject your articles. Do not take it personally. It usually has little to do with you or your article.
Some databases routinely reject articles for spelling errors when there are none or where there is more than way to spell a word. And, just as in any other endeavor some hosts are simply too lazy and get so far behind, the easiest and fastest thing to do (and perhaps the only alternative) is to reject everything. You will learn who these are over time.
Then there are those who run your articles through the sausage grinder and if they find certain words, irrespective of how they are used, your article gets no farther. These are the people who can't publish the Holy Bible because it contains words that offend them or their readers. Don't worry about these folks who are so heavenly minded they are of no earthly use.
Remember, just as in everything else in life, for every rule there is an exception
10. Keep the faith, and keep cranking out articles:
Since most authors, especially newbies, prepare only one copy of an article against the advice of most seasoned authors it is important that the newbie keep his chin up - keep the faith. That will be easier as more and more of your articles are accepted and published driving visitors to your website while creating those all important back links.
It is not necessary that every host to accept everything submitted to them. After one or two hosts publish your article on any given subject, the search engines tend to penalize you anyway by ignoring additional postings. This is close to spamming and while it could help someone find you, it probably won't. It is not necessarily, the more the merrier. The additional listings will not increase your page rankings or links reported by the search engines. It is more important to get published by hosts with the highest Google page rank possible.
Now, one BONUS TIP for you: Along with "the rejection slip" will usually come a suggestion on how to "fix" your article and a request that you resubmit it. Don't waste your time. While trying comply with one database manager's request you could have written a new article from which you get much more punch. Enough publishers will pick your article up so move on and save yourself some time and heartburn.
Everybody has a thought or idea at least once a day usually at the most inopportune time. How many good ideas have you lost because of waiting? Don't procrastinate! Go! Capture that thought before it is gone forever.
Tuesday, 10 January 2012
A Publisher’s Rant – Why I Hate Your First Paragraph
I’m a publisher for numerous sites. I HATE many of your articles. Here’s why I hate your first paragraph and what you can do about it.
A Biggie
First paragraphs are a huge issue with me. Better to have died a small child than get this one wrong. If you can get just this one thing right, your publication rates will go through the roof. Unfortunately, almost nobody does it correctly.
The entire issue comes down to meta tagging. When I create a page on a site for an article, I have to enter the meta title and meta description. Your headline is the meta title and your first paragraph should be the meta description. If your first paragraph doesn’t fit my meta description needs, I will blow by your articles like a debutante on Rodeo Drive with a new credit card. I don’t have time to re-write your masterpiece. Don’t make me.
Here is what I want:
1. No more than 38 words.
2. Preferably two sentences.
3. Your keywords in the first sentence.
Now, that seems easy enough, but none of you do it. Instead, you charge right into the body of your article and write these truly horrific 10 line first paragraphs. I HATE these. I will not publish you. I may decide to never look at your articles again.
Writing articles can be a challenge. Often, the best way is to just start writing. I have no problem with this approach. All I ask is that you write a two-sentence introduction after you have finished the article.
Scroll back up to the first paragraph of this article. What do you see? Three short sentences totaling 26 words. The keywords, “publisher” and “first paragraph” are contained within the three sentences. When I publish this article, I will copy the first paragraph and slam it into my meta description.
Wham! Bamn! I’m off to the next article.
This approach has a huge benefit for you as well. When I publish articles in this format on sites, the articles will appear high in the search rankings for Google, Yahoo and MSN. Put another way, you will be able to piggyback my high ranking sites and get your article in front of your target audience. This means traffic for both you and me, which should make us both happy.
The first paragraph is extremely important. I will look past crappy headlines and ungodly spelling errors if you write a good first paragraph. I am a lazy person. Make my job easy and you will benefit.
A Biggie
First paragraphs are a huge issue with me. Better to have died a small child than get this one wrong. If you can get just this one thing right, your publication rates will go through the roof. Unfortunately, almost nobody does it correctly.
The entire issue comes down to meta tagging. When I create a page on a site for an article, I have to enter the meta title and meta description. Your headline is the meta title and your first paragraph should be the meta description. If your first paragraph doesn’t fit my meta description needs, I will blow by your articles like a debutante on Rodeo Drive with a new credit card. I don’t have time to re-write your masterpiece. Don’t make me.
Here is what I want:
1. No more than 38 words.
2. Preferably two sentences.
3. Your keywords in the first sentence.
Now, that seems easy enough, but none of you do it. Instead, you charge right into the body of your article and write these truly horrific 10 line first paragraphs. I HATE these. I will not publish you. I may decide to never look at your articles again.
Writing articles can be a challenge. Often, the best way is to just start writing. I have no problem with this approach. All I ask is that you write a two-sentence introduction after you have finished the article.
Scroll back up to the first paragraph of this article. What do you see? Three short sentences totaling 26 words. The keywords, “publisher” and “first paragraph” are contained within the three sentences. When I publish this article, I will copy the first paragraph and slam it into my meta description.
Wham! Bamn! I’m off to the next article.
This approach has a huge benefit for you as well. When I publish articles in this format on sites, the articles will appear high in the search rankings for Google, Yahoo and MSN. Put another way, you will be able to piggyback my high ranking sites and get your article in front of your target audience. This means traffic for both you and me, which should make us both happy.
The first paragraph is extremely important. I will look past crappy headlines and ungodly spelling errors if you write a good first paragraph. I am a lazy person. Make my job easy and you will benefit.
Sunday, 1 January 2012
9 Steps to Unique Articles
1 Remove your limits
Reduce your subject to a single core word and then brainstorm around it. For example, if you're trying to write about "Study Skills", expand your thinking to "School". Now jot down everything that comes to mind when you think about School, and when you run out of ideas start asking yourself open questions around the subject and noting your answers.
Examples:
What did I enjoy about school?
What scared me?
What did I wish I'd known from Day 1?
This will help you get back into the mindset of someone struggling with school issues of all kinds and you'll start to get a feel for their concerns and worries.
2 Restore your focus
Once you've started to understand the general feelings of your readers, allow your mind to focus back on your original topic of Study Skills. From your new perspective, what questions would you ask? What would you want to know? Is this really a "Studying" issue or is it more about Time Management or being able to work without distractions or being paralyzed by the fear of not doing well?
3 Be your audience
Write each question on a separate sheet of paper; don't stop until you have at least ten and preferably more. Stay in the mindset of your readers until you feel you've asked every major question that concerns them.
4 Take a step back
Put your pile of question aside for a few hours, overnight if possible. Don't consciously think about them; just go about your day as usual. Give your subconscious time to process them without any further prompting from you. If new questions come to mind jot them down somewhere safe and then forget about them.
5 Get out your pen and write
When you're ready, sit down with your pages of questions and simply start to answer them. Writing your answers by hand can give you access to ideas that might be missed if you type them. Don't edit yourself at this stage. Using Speech to Text software or a digital recorder can also be helpful in bypassing the internal editor.
Imagine someone sitting in front of you asking for advice and just talk to them. Keep your tone natural and conversational and stay with the question-and-answer format.
6 Edit lightly
Trust your first instincts. Proof-read and correct any obvious errors, but don't do any major editing until your piece has had time to "sit" for a while. Again, leaving it overnight will give you a fresh perspective the next time you look at it, but even if your deadline doesn't allow for that it's important to give yourself a break from it.
When you're pushed for time, writing several articles at one sitting can create enough change of focus to make you "forget" the one you've just written.
7 Polish it up
Short articles are unlikely to need major editing if you've written them as described here. They will flow easily and naturally already and having each Q & A on a separate sheet makes it easier to select only the ones you want. Your job now is to put them in a reasonably logical sequence and make sure they're understandable and that the reader is led smoothly from one question and answer to the next.
8 Top and tail it
Write a brief introductory paragraph as a "teaser" for the main article. Many article directories now put the first paragraph of each piece into RSS feeds which are picked up by other websites, so you'll want to make sure that your two or three major keywords appear at least once in that first paragraph.
Write another short paragraph to summarize the major points of the article and provide some ideas for the reader to explore the subject further. Don't of course forget your own resource box: use the format <a href="http://www.SubmitYourNewArticle.com">SubmitYourNewArticle.com</a> for your link, so when your article is converted to html your link will automatically be live.
9 Submit it!
Reduce your subject to a single core word and then brainstorm around it. For example, if you're trying to write about "Study Skills", expand your thinking to "School". Now jot down everything that comes to mind when you think about School, and when you run out of ideas start asking yourself open questions around the subject and noting your answers.
Examples:
What did I enjoy about school?
What scared me?
What did I wish I'd known from Day 1?
This will help you get back into the mindset of someone struggling with school issues of all kinds and you'll start to get a feel for their concerns and worries.
2 Restore your focus
Once you've started to understand the general feelings of your readers, allow your mind to focus back on your original topic of Study Skills. From your new perspective, what questions would you ask? What would you want to know? Is this really a "Studying" issue or is it more about Time Management or being able to work without distractions or being paralyzed by the fear of not doing well?
3 Be your audience
Write each question on a separate sheet of paper; don't stop until you have at least ten and preferably more. Stay in the mindset of your readers until you feel you've asked every major question that concerns them.
4 Take a step back
Put your pile of question aside for a few hours, overnight if possible. Don't consciously think about them; just go about your day as usual. Give your subconscious time to process them without any further prompting from you. If new questions come to mind jot them down somewhere safe and then forget about them.
5 Get out your pen and write
When you're ready, sit down with your pages of questions and simply start to answer them. Writing your answers by hand can give you access to ideas that might be missed if you type them. Don't edit yourself at this stage. Using Speech to Text software or a digital recorder can also be helpful in bypassing the internal editor.
Imagine someone sitting in front of you asking for advice and just talk to them. Keep your tone natural and conversational and stay with the question-and-answer format.
6 Edit lightly
Trust your first instincts. Proof-read and correct any obvious errors, but don't do any major editing until your piece has had time to "sit" for a while. Again, leaving it overnight will give you a fresh perspective the next time you look at it, but even if your deadline doesn't allow for that it's important to give yourself a break from it.
When you're pushed for time, writing several articles at one sitting can create enough change of focus to make you "forget" the one you've just written.
7 Polish it up
Short articles are unlikely to need major editing if you've written them as described here. They will flow easily and naturally already and having each Q & A on a separate sheet makes it easier to select only the ones you want. Your job now is to put them in a reasonably logical sequence and make sure they're understandable and that the reader is led smoothly from one question and answer to the next.
8 Top and tail it
Write a brief introductory paragraph as a "teaser" for the main article. Many article directories now put the first paragraph of each piece into RSS feeds which are picked up by other websites, so you'll want to make sure that your two or three major keywords appear at least once in that first paragraph.
Write another short paragraph to summarize the major points of the article and provide some ideas for the reader to explore the subject further. Don't of course forget your own resource box: use the format <a href="http://www.SubmitYourNewArticle.com">SubmitYourNewArticle.com</a> for your link, so when your article is converted to html your link will automatically be live.
9 Submit it!
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