Writing articles is a very effective way to get one way links to your site as well as to have people learn more about your website or service. However, there are ways to do this that can make you more successful versus have your articles be overlooked and not considered.
Shane Pearce has written the Lazy Man's Guide to Article Writing which outlines some helpful tips. I was first impressed with his tip that when you submit your article to an ezine publisher or a webmaster, that you can offer him to use his own affiliate link in place of your own. For instance, if you have written an article on motivation and have a link to a clickbank ebook on motivation and goals, you can offer the publisher that he use his own affiliate id instead of yours. What this means is that the ezine or website publisher will be getting a free article already written with a link that may give him some monetary income. You still would have your own information in your resource box at the end, so people can click to your website as well. Think about what the website publisher you write to will get out of the exchange and find a way to make his or her life easier.
Other tips he gives are to read frequently asked questions to find out what people want to know about in terms of popular topics. Shane discusses how to make a viral ebook based on a faq niche that can be passed around. If there are frequently asked questions on a topic that is a sign that the topic has an interest as well as the fact there may be an interest in some guide or tutorial.
Also I like the sample autoresponder examples he uses as well as different ideas for a signature file at the end of one's article. I think he is very good at showing how to integrate a couple of affiliate links without being pushy. He recommends sending people to opt-in to a mailing list as part of your signature file.
Another section I found useful discusses how to create checklists and use them both for your website and in articles that lead back to your website. People like checklists. Shane discusses how to use these. They also help break through writer's block or paralysis because you can have a list of steps .
There are ideas given about utilizing both 2-tier affiliate programs and residual income programs that will help you keep you earning as your articles circulate around the net. Shane gives some interesting suggestions on types of sites that work for this.
I also like that Shane gives an example of a flop he did of an unsuccessful attempt at marketing. He analzyes it and compares it to something someone else wrote he feels was better expressed. It is a very interesting study covering various ways to get your articles noticed and published. I publish articles regularly but learned some valuable tips from this ebook.
Showing posts with label article writing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label article writing. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Writing Articles For The Web That Get Read Is Easy When You Know This
Writing articles for the web is a learned skill. And you can learn it. In fact, you can master it. Once a professional writer in the print publishing world, I had feature articles published by some well-known names (Woman's Day, The Washington Post, Family Circle, Christian Science Monitor and more). Fortunately, as a self-publisher online, I'm able to transfer some of my professional print writing skills to this form of online publishing. I don't struggle with writing articles. And that makes filling my websites with useful, well-written information a lot easier for me. But it's not so for everyone. Some people struggle with article writing. Maybe that's you.
Do you struggle with writing articles for your website readers? Do you want to write articles for other newsletters and websites that get free website traffic for you, or just more traffic to your website? If you struggle with article writing or if people don't read your articles, I may be able to help you. While writing content for the web and writing content for print publications is not exactly the same, there is some overlap. Here are some things I've learned about both content formats that might help you write better articles for both web publishers and for your websites.
Your article should have:
ORIGINAL CONTENT - The one word magazine writers hate to hear their editor say is "fresh". Editors frequently use the word as a reason to reject submissions as in "your tips are just not fresh enough". Editors want originality. Their publishers want originality. Readers want originality. Everyone is in agreement about wanting original article content.
But if something has been said or written about a thousand times before, you CAN still say it again. You just need to have your own original spin and be using your own words (that means no plagiarism too). You need to have your own writing style or personality (which you'll develop with time). My research tells me that originality is what both readers AND search engines want from online content. They want original content. The articles at your website need to be "fresh". The articles you submit to publishers need to be "fresh". With practice and persistence and a little bit of diligence thrown in you CAN write original articles for the web or for your website (to add diversity to all those reprint articles collecting on your site).
CATCHY TITLE - The online experts say you need key words in your online article titles or headlines to catch the attention of the search engines in the right way. That means you need to put the term or phrase you think people are searching for on your subject near the front of your article title (or at least somewhere in it). But you also have to remember that you're still writing for readers. So on top of making your article title work for search engine optimization, it still has to entice viewers to read it.
You don't necessarily need a clever article title, just one that appeals to your target audience and briefly describes the article topic. If I'm looking to lose weight quickly you can be certain "Weight Loss - 3 Easy Steps to Lose 10 Pounds in 10 Days at Home" will catch my attention. If I want to know what Britney Spears is doing (and by the way, I don't), a title like "Guess What Britney Spears Did Now" will catch my attention and make me read further. But if I'm trying to learn the difference between a flat panel monitor and a flat screen, I'm perfectly happy reading an article with a boring title such as "Flat Panel Monitors and Flat Screens Defined for the Home User". That title addresses my need at the time for specific information I'm seeking on the web. And it has your key phrase "flat panel monitors" right in front too.
GREAT LEAD - The best title in the world won't keep readers engrossed in your article, if the first paragraph stinks. In the print world, editors happily rewrite their writers' leading paragraphs to make the lead just so. There are MANY ways to write a leading paragraph. Just remember that your goal is to intrigue the reader while giving him a clear indication of what he's about to learn in your article. And the SEO experts say the first sentence, or near the beginning of your first paragraph, is a good place to put that key word or phrase once that you're focusing on for the search engines' sake.
GOOD GRAMMAR AND SPELLING - Sloppy writing affects your credibility and makes you look lazy. And it makes for a bad reader experience. If you want to keep readers coming back to your website for the content (or publishers coming back to article directories to use your content), get a grasp on your spelling and grammar. A dictionary and grammar book by your side while proofreading your article will be helpful.
CONCISE FLOW - In high school, many students fluffed up their articles with extra words when the teacher assigned them the task of writing a certain word count. That trick isn't useful after high school (if you ever considered it useful). Most likely you have plenty to say about your topic if you know it well or if you've researched it well. Tight concise writing is as appreciated in the online world as it is in the print publishing arena. Don't repeat yourself or use excessive words to make a point or statement. That will help keep your copy clean. And know that concise writing doesn't necessarily mean short articles. You don't have to write 300 word articles. You don't have to write 3,000 word articles. Just don't write a 1,200 word article that really can be written in 500 words.
It's these writing techniques that make you a professional writer and not a sloppy amateur whose writing for the web doesn't get read. And it's these techniques that will help you to add better content to your website and get your articles published by other websites and newsletters. And good article writing means more traffic for your website.
Do you struggle with writing articles for your website readers? Do you want to write articles for other newsletters and websites that get free website traffic for you, or just more traffic to your website? If you struggle with article writing or if people don't read your articles, I may be able to help you. While writing content for the web and writing content for print publications is not exactly the same, there is some overlap. Here are some things I've learned about both content formats that might help you write better articles for both web publishers and for your websites.
Your article should have:
ORIGINAL CONTENT - The one word magazine writers hate to hear their editor say is "fresh". Editors frequently use the word as a reason to reject submissions as in "your tips are just not fresh enough". Editors want originality. Their publishers want originality. Readers want originality. Everyone is in agreement about wanting original article content.
But if something has been said or written about a thousand times before, you CAN still say it again. You just need to have your own original spin and be using your own words (that means no plagiarism too). You need to have your own writing style or personality (which you'll develop with time). My research tells me that originality is what both readers AND search engines want from online content. They want original content. The articles at your website need to be "fresh". The articles you submit to publishers need to be "fresh". With practice and persistence and a little bit of diligence thrown in you CAN write original articles for the web or for your website (to add diversity to all those reprint articles collecting on your site).
CATCHY TITLE - The online experts say you need key words in your online article titles or headlines to catch the attention of the search engines in the right way. That means you need to put the term or phrase you think people are searching for on your subject near the front of your article title (or at least somewhere in it). But you also have to remember that you're still writing for readers. So on top of making your article title work for search engine optimization, it still has to entice viewers to read it.
You don't necessarily need a clever article title, just one that appeals to your target audience and briefly describes the article topic. If I'm looking to lose weight quickly you can be certain "Weight Loss - 3 Easy Steps to Lose 10 Pounds in 10 Days at Home" will catch my attention. If I want to know what Britney Spears is doing (and by the way, I don't), a title like "Guess What Britney Spears Did Now" will catch my attention and make me read further. But if I'm trying to learn the difference between a flat panel monitor and a flat screen, I'm perfectly happy reading an article with a boring title such as "Flat Panel Monitors and Flat Screens Defined for the Home User". That title addresses my need at the time for specific information I'm seeking on the web. And it has your key phrase "flat panel monitors" right in front too.
GREAT LEAD - The best title in the world won't keep readers engrossed in your article, if the first paragraph stinks. In the print world, editors happily rewrite their writers' leading paragraphs to make the lead just so. There are MANY ways to write a leading paragraph. Just remember that your goal is to intrigue the reader while giving him a clear indication of what he's about to learn in your article. And the SEO experts say the first sentence, or near the beginning of your first paragraph, is a good place to put that key word or phrase once that you're focusing on for the search engines' sake.
GOOD GRAMMAR AND SPELLING - Sloppy writing affects your credibility and makes you look lazy. And it makes for a bad reader experience. If you want to keep readers coming back to your website for the content (or publishers coming back to article directories to use your content), get a grasp on your spelling and grammar. A dictionary and grammar book by your side while proofreading your article will be helpful.
CONCISE FLOW - In high school, many students fluffed up their articles with extra words when the teacher assigned them the task of writing a certain word count. That trick isn't useful after high school (if you ever considered it useful). Most likely you have plenty to say about your topic if you know it well or if you've researched it well. Tight concise writing is as appreciated in the online world as it is in the print publishing arena. Don't repeat yourself or use excessive words to make a point or statement. That will help keep your copy clean. And know that concise writing doesn't necessarily mean short articles. You don't have to write 300 word articles. You don't have to write 3,000 word articles. Just don't write a 1,200 word article that really can be written in 500 words.
It's these writing techniques that make you a professional writer and not a sloppy amateur whose writing for the web doesn't get read. And it's these techniques that will help you to add better content to your website and get your articles published by other websites and newsletters. And good article writing means more traffic for your website.
Monday, October 3, 2011
Common Mistakes When Article Writing
As an article directory owner, there are several common mistakes that many article authors make, some of which may directly affect how successful an article is in its purpose of website promotion.
One of the most common errors that are made is not reading over an article to check for spelling errors. Although it is understandable that the occasional spelling mistake may go unnoticed, it is not uncommon to find articles with dozens of errors throughout. This immediately conveys that the article author is not as bothered about the article as they should be and is merely using it to try and get their resource box link out to as many sites as possible.
But what about human visitors using article directories?
In order to gain traffic directly from article directories it is important that the article is interesting but also grammatically correct and spell checked, so that readers will respect the article and will be more likely to read it to the end and follow the resource box link. An article author who does not spell check an article after completion is not only missing out on a lot of promotion and wasting time submitting to article directories that reject the article, but also from the direct traffic that could have been received from the directories that do accept it.
One surprising mistake that is made by some, although not as common as spelling and grammatical errors, is an incorrect/broken link provided in the resource area. This area is meant to be the section where a reader will read a brief promotional segment about what you and your website offers and then to hopefully follow the link to your site. However, on occasions mistakes are made in the URL. For example I have noticed a website with an URL such as "mypetdog.com" spelt as "myptedog.com". This is an obvious typo which many article directory owners will notice and correct, however it is possible that a lot of traffic and link popularity is being lost from directory owners who miss the error and accept the article "as is".
Another mistake, and one that is a pet hate of many article directory owners, is article authors who do not read a sites terms of service and article submission guidelines prior to submission. This is shown repeatedly when authors submit articles with more links in the resource box, for example, or directly linking to an affiliate program. Although many errors are corrected by article directory owners, there are some that are simply rejecting articles that do not abide by the submission guidelines, as there are so many others to review that there is no time to correct articles.
To increase the likelihood of an article being accepted, ensure that the layout is correctly formatted. This is to say that the article is not formatted to a specific line width but instead should flow to the end of the line and onto the following line. Space paragraphs clearly as paragraphs with a line space between them.
Probably the biggest point to remember here is to double check an article before submission. If possible, also have a friend read the article to check for errors. Doing so will allow for the best possible results to be gained from the submission.
One of the most common errors that are made is not reading over an article to check for spelling errors. Although it is understandable that the occasional spelling mistake may go unnoticed, it is not uncommon to find articles with dozens of errors throughout. This immediately conveys that the article author is not as bothered about the article as they should be and is merely using it to try and get their resource box link out to as many sites as possible.
But what about human visitors using article directories?
In order to gain traffic directly from article directories it is important that the article is interesting but also grammatically correct and spell checked, so that readers will respect the article and will be more likely to read it to the end and follow the resource box link. An article author who does not spell check an article after completion is not only missing out on a lot of promotion and wasting time submitting to article directories that reject the article, but also from the direct traffic that could have been received from the directories that do accept it.
One surprising mistake that is made by some, although not as common as spelling and grammatical errors, is an incorrect/broken link provided in the resource area. This area is meant to be the section where a reader will read a brief promotional segment about what you and your website offers and then to hopefully follow the link to your site. However, on occasions mistakes are made in the URL. For example I have noticed a website with an URL such as "mypetdog.com" spelt as "myptedog.com". This is an obvious typo which many article directory owners will notice and correct, however it is possible that a lot of traffic and link popularity is being lost from directory owners who miss the error and accept the article "as is".
Another mistake, and one that is a pet hate of many article directory owners, is article authors who do not read a sites terms of service and article submission guidelines prior to submission. This is shown repeatedly when authors submit articles with more links in the resource box, for example, or directly linking to an affiliate program. Although many errors are corrected by article directory owners, there are some that are simply rejecting articles that do not abide by the submission guidelines, as there are so many others to review that there is no time to correct articles.
To increase the likelihood of an article being accepted, ensure that the layout is correctly formatted. This is to say that the article is not formatted to a specific line width but instead should flow to the end of the line and onto the following line. Space paragraphs clearly as paragraphs with a line space between them.
Probably the biggest point to remember here is to double check an article before submission. If possible, also have a friend read the article to check for errors. Doing so will allow for the best possible results to be gained from the submission.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Assume Nothing: Spell It Out
37 years ago today, America landed the Apollo 11 lunar module upon Earth's moon. For those of us old enough to remember this event we have that day permanently etched in our memories. On that date I was an almost 11 year old kid taking a summer clarinet class -- we interrupted our squeakings and honkings to watch the events unfold on a black and white television as they happened.
So, why am I saying all of this? Am I attempting to mark the occasion for some reason? Well, yes and no. Truly, in the course of human history man's landing on the moon was a big event. Talk about going where no man had gone before! Yet, I also realize that the vast number of people alive today have no recollection of the event. Figure that anyone under the age of 42 or 43 remembers nothing about the first moon landing. Subsequent landings perhaps, but maybe not the first one in 1969. Furthermore, we haven't been back to the moon in over 30 years. How many people alive today only know about these events via the history books?
Okay, I am no longer young but I haven't quite hit the jurassic era either. Still, when writing about events of long ago there is one thing that I must remind myself of regularly: don't assume that people know what you are talking about. This is true for whatever types of writings you do: spell out acronyms, expound your thoughts, and make it crystal clear to your readers what you are conveying. Your readership may be a lot younger, much less informed, or simply unable to grasp what you are trying to say. Give them background information even when it seems as if they should know what you are writing about.
So, why am I saying all of this? Am I attempting to mark the occasion for some reason? Well, yes and no. Truly, in the course of human history man's landing on the moon was a big event. Talk about going where no man had gone before! Yet, I also realize that the vast number of people alive today have no recollection of the event. Figure that anyone under the age of 42 or 43 remembers nothing about the first moon landing. Subsequent landings perhaps, but maybe not the first one in 1969. Furthermore, we haven't been back to the moon in over 30 years. How many people alive today only know about these events via the history books?
Okay, I am no longer young but I haven't quite hit the jurassic era either. Still, when writing about events of long ago there is one thing that I must remind myself of regularly: don't assume that people know what you are talking about. This is true for whatever types of writings you do: spell out acronyms, expound your thoughts, and make it crystal clear to your readers what you are conveying. Your readership may be a lot younger, much less informed, or simply unable to grasp what you are trying to say. Give them background information even when it seems as if they should know what you are writing about.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Article Theft...What to do about it?
I have read several articles, blogs, and message board postings concerning the rise of article theft. Specifically, this is where your article is lifted from your site without your permission or pulled from a third party site.
In many ways I consider the internet to be the "Wild West" in terms of lawlessness. Ignoring established and set rules is common, meaning that us law abiding folks have our work cut out for us.
It may surprise you, but I don't take action in many cases of known article theft. Why? Because, I just don't have the time to police everything. I know of authors who check every link to their site, but that work is both tedious and time consuming.
A golden rule: If someone takes my article without my permission and the content and links are still in place, I don't worry about it. If they take my article and change the content, paragraph headers, the title, or steal credit for themselves, then I will contact the offending party and demand that they make the appropriate corrections. Even for links that are broken, I generally let these types of mistakes slide.
When it comes to writing, time is money. I only respond to egregious violations while letting everything else slip by. I would rather spend my time making money instead of losing that time to chasing down violators. No, my policy or "golden rule" isn't perfect, but it saves me from being bogged down in what I find to be a wasteful pursuit.
In many ways I consider the internet to be the "Wild West" in terms of lawlessness. Ignoring established and set rules is common, meaning that us law abiding folks have our work cut out for us.
It may surprise you, but I don't take action in many cases of known article theft. Why? Because, I just don't have the time to police everything. I know of authors who check every link to their site, but that work is both tedious and time consuming.
A golden rule: If someone takes my article without my permission and the content and links are still in place, I don't worry about it. If they take my article and change the content, paragraph headers, the title, or steal credit for themselves, then I will contact the offending party and demand that they make the appropriate corrections. Even for links that are broken, I generally let these types of mistakes slide.
When it comes to writing, time is money. I only respond to egregious violations while letting everything else slip by. I would rather spend my time making money instead of losing that time to chasing down violators. No, my policy or "golden rule" isn't perfect, but it saves me from being bogged down in what I find to be a wasteful pursuit.
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.
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