7 Mistakes in Article Writing

The most important thing to remember about article marketing is building trust between you and your potential customers. Your primary concern is to establish yourself as an expert in your niche so every word, sentence and paragraph of your articles should subtly communicate this to your readers through quality writing.

Unfortunately, too many authors think it's all right to bang out article after article hoping that quantity will override quality. The opposite is true. If you cannot avoid the following 7 mistakes in your article writing, you will sabotage your own efforts at article marketing.

Article Writing Mistake #1: Poor title

This is your headline and it needs to catch your reader's attention as well as potential publishers. Try to work in keywords but don't overdo it. Of all places, don't misspell or have a grammatical error here as it only makes you look as if you don't care. If that's true, why should readers care to read any more of the article. Make sure the title accurately reflects what the article is about.

Article Writing Mistake #2: Badly written summary

Most article directories allow for a summary of your article but this is not the place to stuff your keywords or repeat a keyword phrase ten times. You would be surprised how many authors think this will help when all it does is get their article immediately rejected. Create a summary that expands upon the title and draws in the reader with a little more information and a possible tease that makes them think, "Yes, I need to read more about this." One to three sentences is all it takes. I tend to write my entire article first before coming back to the summary to make sure it's the best it can be.

Article Writing Mistake #3: Failure to edit

The following was the opening of an article submitted to my site:

"Instantly, let's start at the very starting out, what's the first thing you have to do before starting a..."

The author obviously wants to stress the importance of what is to come but failing to correct this rhetorical abuse through editing defeats the purpose entirely. Remember: First drafts never make good reading. Editing is what makes good writing.

Article Writing Mistake #4: If you hire a ghost writer, check their work

I see way too many articles where a ghost writer is hired and English is not their native language. There's nothing wrong with hiring someone to write articles for you but if you don't review and approve the results, then I have no sympathy for you. Turning over the entire process of writing and submitting articles on your behalf is a sure way to make your company look stupid.

Article Writing Mistake #5: Use the preview button

Article directories don't have any time to format your articles for you. If you can't take the time to properly format your article into paragraphs with spacing, don't count on getting your articles published very much. After pasting your article into the submission form, use the preview button to see if its properly formatted. If not, go back and make the corrections.

Article Writing Mistake #6: Writing in the passive voice

What separates great writing from the rest is writing in the active voice.

Passive: The boy was bitten by the dog.

Active: The dog bit the boy.

Eliminate words such as was, were, been, have, has, and had. Replace them with an active verb or direct voice. Your articles will stand out head and shoulders above the rest if you edit with this in mind.

Article Writing Mistake #7: Failure to deliver

Perhaps the most common, this mistake is surely the deadliest of all. Each part of a submitted article is designed to pull the reader further along a path of information that eventually leads to your website. The title grabs, the summary teases and the article body delivers. But if it doesn't, what makes you think the reader will click for more information? They won't if you fail to deliver on what was promised.

If you ignore the advice given in this article, I can guarantee mediocre results from your article marketing efforts. Will you take this article to heart and eliminate these mistakes from your article submissions? If so, you can be sure that your article marketing will achieve maximum results.

Charles Gregory is a freelance writer and owner of Ezine Article Exchange where submitting quality articles means free website advertising for you.

New Writers Mini Guide

Fundamentals Needed for a Writers Success

When composing written works whether it be fiction or non-fiction a successful writer relies on the combination of fundamentals they have developed over time. At this point in their career initiative is a natural process and comes easily.

Their minds have been well conditioned over the years resulting in a diversity of talent inclusive with the initiation of ideas and story lines. Therefore, as with any successful endeavour continuous effort from the artist is what creates the end results.

However, it takes many years of effort to develop the mind of a successful writer, to acquire individual style and the talent to structure creativity. And it all begins with the simple desire to read and absorb information. Avid readers can become successful writers.

Exercising and utilizing the mind develops intellect and expands the imagination. Experimenting on the imagination develops style and creativity. However, most importantly, the maturity the writer develops from years of reading is what spawns the agility of their developing talents. This cannot be learned in a classroom setting over a short period of time. On the other hand, the process of developing grammar skills can.

Young writers in their efforts to implement both their reading and writing skills together may believe this to be the ideal way to reduce the time frame from which success can be obtained. This approach for acquiring success does work for some.

But they should keep in mind, as with other talented successors, writing may come naturally to a select few and the years required to perfect the skill may not be needed. For others the basics of writing prose may begin with simple poetry or card verse. This is an ideal foundation to build upon but soon the aspiring writer will out grow this single dimensional form of writing.

Fiction

The increasing desire to expand and diversify develops quickly with their first work of fiction. The most difficult form of writing fiction not only requires creative imagination it requires realistic characters and plots. Constructing the ideal setting and or environment must be relevant with the plot and the events that unfold throughout the story.

Description of such settings is imperative in order for the reader to visualize detail and colour, to unify completely. If the reader can virtually position themselves within the setting itself they in turn become an outsider looking in. This creates an enchanted connection with the characters, and a form of escapism.

Character personalities and motives must also be realistic and consistent throughout the piece. A character whos introduced with an optimistic personality should remain as such unless tragic events distort the characters personality. Main characters should be kept to a minimal and provided with supporting roles. Consistently introducing new characters who briefly take part can cause confusion with the reader.

Many new writers prefer writing in first person but are soon motivated to develop the skill of writing in third person. Established writers are known to write in third person allowing the reader access to all characters. Mental connection with just a single character just doesnt compare. The story is far more stimulating if the reader can mentally connect with all the main characters.

Non-Fiction

Non-fiction can be challenging in other ways and use of the imagination requires a different set of rules. Recollection on the events, the people and the order in which things happen must be conveyed in the same manner as fiction.

However, where research is needed, the simple duplication of facts is not considered ideal when presenting articles or reports. The origins from which information is gathered must come from a variety of resources not from a single article or review.

Facts should be collected, re-arranged and re-written using the writers style and skill. Articles and reports are written with a little more proficiency presenting the reader with factual information along with further resources pertaining to the subject at hand.

Articles are not short stories of a personal experience and they shouldnt be written as such. Its the knowledge gained from the experience that is used and presented as an informative article.

The complexities of the English language are vast and unforgiving. Nonetheless, indulging oneself into the world of the written word can be the most satisfying endeavour a person can experience.

The human imagination can take the writer to places others can only dream of. Not only does the imagination offer therapeutic qualities it allows the writer a temporary existence, an alternative to the physical world theyre bound to.

Creating and developing worlds, characters and events this form of escapism benefits the writer and the reader alike. And for anyone who seeks reprieve from the demanding world they live in exploring through the mind of a talented writer is far more rewarding than the simplicities of physical activity.

Its been a pleasure sharing with you

Kellie Hastings copyright 2007

Freelance research writer of articles pertaining to health, anti-aging, writing, pollution, public awareness, UFO Phenomenon. To view How Your Articles Can Attract Millions and Article Syndication Tips visit http://www.freewebs.com/skilled-writer

Success in Freelance Writing

It can be easy to follow a new diet, a new exercise routine, a cleaning schedule or just about any thing that you can list right here for just one day. It isn't the one day that is difficult, but it is the day after or the day after or the day after. No matter what it is that you are attempting to do in your life, consistency is a key component.

1. Have a plan. Being consistent in what you want is easier if you have a plan set up to help you get there. Think of the plan as a map that will lead you to your purpose or goal. Make your plan personal to your style - it can be a list of things that need to be done, it can be an hourly schedule or it can be a time line set up to show the how, the win and the ultimate goal of it all.

2. Set smaller goals along the way. Thinking about losing 100 lbs can seem impossible (unless you are on The Biggest Loser Ranch) and your ultimate goal may be to publish a book, to make a living off a blog or to leave your current 9 to 5 job to write full time. Setting goals that are too overwhelming can derail your efforts. Think about baby steps. What will you do this week to get one chapter written? What will you do today to build your unique visitors by just 10%? Break your ultimate goal into smaller goals and you will find that will each accomplishment comes a surge of energy to help you push on.

3. Become accountable. The reason people tend to be more successful at accomplishing tasks in a work environment or group situation is because of the accountability that comes from being around other people. Start a writing group. Put your goals in writing and sign a contract to complete those goals. Have your fellow writers witness the contract and agree to encourage you along you path. Knowing that someone else is watching out for what you are doing (or not doing) is sometimes enough to keep you going in the right direction.

4. Be realistic. It is okay to shoot for the moon, but make it the one orbiting Earth. Keep your goals far fetched but attainable. You are NOT going to get an 8 million dollar signing bonus for your first book (unless you've been married to certain Presidents) so setting a goal like that will only lead to disappointment, discouragement and difficulty reaching out towards new goals in the future. Look at the normal publishing world and situations and aim for something in or just above the norm.

5. Give yourself a reward when you reach different points of your success. Have a list of rewards as part of your plan so that you know what you are working towards for each level of accomplishment. Think of these as bonus pay for a job well done. It could be a day at the spa, a day at the beach or a day reading a good book and doing little else. Make your rewards something that you wouldn't normally do so that you will work for the treat.

Becoming a successful freelance writer is no different than finding success in any aspect of your life. You have to be consistent in your pursuit of the purpose. That means that each and every day you have to step out in the plan and push to make the plan a reality.

Kathryn Lang is a freelance writer out of Alabama. She posts regularly on several financial websites about finances, budgets and travel. Kathryn also writes about a writer's life at http://www.successfulfreelancewriter.com You can also find out more information about her business at http://www.kathrynlang.com

What Happened To The Wise Men

Ghostwriting - A Behind-the-Scenes Job

One thing we have to do as ghostwriters is put our ego aside. We may do all the grunt work and create a fantastic book that goes to market and hits number one-I've had that happen. A book I ghostwrote made Amazon's bestseller list a few weeks after it was published. I even helped the author find a publisher, but I can't even tell you the title of the book because I worked under a non-disclosure agreement. I wrote the book, but my name is nowhere to be found between the covers. A ghostwriter is invisible, behind the scenes. You won't be given credit for any material you create as a work-for-hire writer. The copyright is turned over to the author of record as soon as payment is made to the ghostwriter. That's one of the challenges of the business.

The name of my company reflects the mystical notion of ghostwriting and offering spiritual help. Like book angels, Writers in the Sky is hidden in the clouds helping, encouraging, and cheering authors on but we're really not here to get our name on the front cover of your book. We do get a perk every now and then because the clients we work with are very appreciative. Some clients will give us some acknowledgment in their book as a developmental or copy editor. We appreciate it, but we know better than to expect it.

Ghostwriting is a collaborative process. We may go back and forth emailing a chapter at a time, sometimes section by section or one character to really home in on developing a book that has the author's imprint, voice, and style. When I say "style," I don't mean style guides because we use Chicago Manual of Style and any book we write or edit is going to be aligned with those standards. But, an author has a writing style and we don't want to get rid of that; but, we do want to improve it where necessary. So, what we are doing then is not only improving the book, we are also improving the writer because they are learning from the process. We act as book shepherds or mentors so the next book that author brings to us is even better.

Another challenge is the condition in which some manuscripts come to us. We've written books from a jumbled mess of notes written on sticky notes, menus, napkins, church bulletins, or whatever scrap paper was handy when their idea occurred on the spur of the moment. They may drop off a box and leave it up to us to create the entire book from the contents. Some authors have a great outline or a rough draft with their research well documented who say, "Write the book this way." We take their manuscript and produce a book that has their style and voice. When writing about someone's life, we have to get to know that person in order to assume that person's voice.

We develop relationships with some clients who become our close friends. Even after their book is on the market, we're still in touch with the authors because of the bond we made in our collaboration. I regularly hear from some clients I worked with years ago. I may email them to ask, "How's our baby (book) coming along?" or "What can I do to help you with the marketing?" The may call to wish me a happy holiday or just say hello.

If you've got to have your name in lights and have everyone know you wrote a book, then being a ghostwriter is probably not your calling. If you enjoy helping other writers improve their writing, you may enjoy ghostwriting.

Yvonne Perry is a freelance writer and the owner of Writers in the Sky Creative Writing Services (WITS). She and her team of ghostwriters are ready to assist you with writing and editing for books, Web text, business documents, resumes, bios, articles, and media releases. For more information about writing, networking, publishing, and book promotion, or to sign up for free email delivery of WITS newsletter, please visit http://www.writersinthesky.com. New subscribers receive a free eBook Tips for Freelance Writing.

Radical Religious Leaders

Article Submission Tool

Expose your articles on the web with the help of an article submission tool. This tool is a vital component in successful article marketing. It can be either software or an online service which assures the exposure of your article to a greater number of readers online.

Article marketing involves getting articles to be seen by web surfers. This is no easy task as online advertising is much more complicated than it looks. There are a huge number of websites where you can submit and post your articles. However, depending on the website's popularity, your articles would probably receive only a limited amount of viewers. Using an article submission tool will help you place your articles in websites that matter most.

An article submission tool will help you build the credibility of your website. You might wonder how this works. First, the tool submits your articles to target sites where you will receive a lot of readers. When readers read your articles, they will see a back link to lead them to your website. The more readers you have for your articles, the more visitors your website will receive.

Having a large number of visitors to your website will increase your sales dramatically. You can thank the efforts of the article submission tool, for without it, you could take months to years trying to duplicate the effort it has made in an instant.

With article submission services, your articles will receive the much needed attention from readers. Consequently, you will receive lots of traffic to your site and you can generate a large amount of income from it. However, online article submission services require a certain amount of fees for you to avail of them.

An article submission tool or software is a prime alternative to article submission services online. There are software which can be bought at low costs and there are those which are free. This is a very good option to get that large number of reader's right where you want them to be, reading your articles.

An article submission tool is programmed to work by themselves with minimal supervision from the user. They can be set to do their tasks automatically or semi-automatically. You get to submit more articles and generate more back links with the help of these tools. You acquire more traffic to your website thereby boosting your sales. Most of all, you get to achieve all of these by just a few simple clicks.

Learn more about article marketing and which article submission tool is best for you by visiting my blog.

Read honest and detailed reviews of article submission service. Also, find out how article submission software can work for you.

Action Plan For Success

Productive Press Release Writing

Press release writing is not something that can be learned on the fly. And it is not something that amateurs do well at in the vast majority of cases. If you are interested in productive press release writing, there are 7 best ways to excel at press release writing today.

1. You absolutely must understand and learn the proper format that a press release is to be in. Over 90% of all press releases that are written today are in the wrong format and are thrown away. Reporters know who is a professional and who is not.

2. In regards to productive press release writing, you need to be concise. Long, drawn out press releases will be completely ineffective.

3. In order to excel at press release writing, you need to be familiar with how the press works. Unless you've been a part of the press in the past, or actually have been involved in media relations, you need to get educated.

4. In productive press release writing, you never bombard reporters with one release after another.

5. You need to make certain that your press release contains accurate and honest information. Submit false information to a reporter one time and you will be finished in press release and in productive press release writing.

6. Do not make grandiose promises to anyone you are doing press releases for you can make no guarantees about what the media will or will not report on at any given time.

7. Finally, when it comes to productive press release writing, you need to understand and rely upon those media niches that will be most receptive to a certain type of announcement or information.

Want to learn more about it? Download the free ebook, Steps to Article Marketing Success

Backup Plans Feel Good

What Makes an Article?

Good quality articles are easy to be sold out over the Internet. Articles are needed because they are the ones that make the websites alive and more informational. Without these articles, web pages are useless. In order to have a good website, it must contain good articles.

In order to write a good article we must comply with the SEO or Search Engine Optimization rules in writing a good article.

First, choose a topic which is in demand today. Once you already have a topic in mind, formulate a good title. A good title will make a best impression on the readers. Use a catching title. After that, the title should appear in the first paragraph of your article. Use the words in your title as your keywords.

A keyword must appear at least three times in a paragraph. Always write a sentence with a good structure. Never make your article something like a turning wheel by going round and round with your topic. Once you all have that quality in your article, always remember that the readers are reading from their monitors. It is hard to read in monitors than in papers.

Viewers don't spend much time reading long articles, so keep your articles short but not short enough to lose its thought. A good article must contain at least 250 words up to 500 words. Lesser than that, the article would be cripple and more than that it would be boring.

Never thought of writing a popular article, you'll be disappointed but rather write a good article and if your article is good enough, popularity enters.

If you want to know more about Search Engine Optimization India then feel free to visit SEO India

Getting Up Earlier

My Book of Truth

Many years ago, when I was still in college, my mother sent me a newspaper article in which a woman described a nun who had influenced her during her years growing up in a Catholic school. She described her relationship with this wonderful lady who was also the school's librarian. Both being avid readers, they had found each other and connected through their mutual love of books.

The years past and time came for the writer to graduate and leave the school. The librarian nun gave her, as a graduation gift, a little journal. In this little book, the nun had recorded her thoughts over the course of many years. She based her entries on a simple concept. When she found something to be true, she would record it in her journal.

The writer admitted that at the time she received this precious gift, she was very young and did not truly appreciate its value.

Some years later, the writer heard that her dear friend had past away. Upon hearing this, she remembered the little journal. After some digging through things packed away, she found the little book. She opened it and for the first time read it for the jewel it was.

The insights she found recorded there by the quiet nun were so moving and astute that she, in turn, felt compelled to write an article and share the story with others.

Fortunately that was the article my mother sent me. I was captivated by the idea of recording what one found to be true, so I went out and purchased a new, crisp paged journal of my own.

Through the years, starting November 9, 1994 (first page inscription), I have plied the simple concept - when I find something to be true, I jot it down in my Book of Truth.

Now, more than fifteen years later, I have quite a collection, and from time to time, I will read through my book's pages. The entries serve me over and over as reminders of not only the events of my life which spawned the entries, but to act a reminder of the truths I have come to conclusion on.

I am reminded that although we are clever beings, capable of tremendous feats of grace, creativity, generosity, insight, gentleness, kindness and amazing intellectual leaps beyond, we can so easily forget the invaluable lessons cast our way over the course of a lifetime. We must, from time to time, be reminded of beauty, of peace and of truth.

My hope with this article is that perhaps upon reading this story, others will be inspired to start their own books of truth.

http://www.truthbeing.com

Developing Wealth Building Habit

Best Internet Content Writer

On the Internet, SEO and Copywriting are highly competitive fields. Nonetheless, opportunities abound across a broad spectrum. If you're new to content writing, courting prospects, or need a writer for your blog or website, some research of the fields of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Copywriting is the most vital asset you can acquire before making a decision. On the other hand, some basic understanding of both initially can be very helpful in simplifying your research.

There is a mix of confusion on the Internet in terms of defining content writers. Content is a general term used to define writing for websites, blogs or other Internet based media. The greater misconceptions appear to be Copywriters verses SEO writers. Avoiding the misconceptions will help you attain a firm footing to write content with SEO or copy in mind or, to be able to hire a professional suited to your specific needs. There are similarities between the two but understanding the distinctions may provide more clarity.

Copywriters have been around for a few centuries as long as there has been print media. Their basic job description is writing copy that promotes strong actions among consumers. The objective is to cause an action around the buying or selling of a product, service or even increasing a subscriber base that may lead to sales.

SEO writers are a unique effect of the Search Engine Industry. If there is one distinction that separates the two fields it is this.

Copywriters would exist with or without the Search Industry online. Their origin is in Print media, marketing and advertising. This field has exploded with the presence of commerce and marketing on the Internet.

When an SEO writer is hired to produce content the objective is to cause a blog or website to increase it's visibility on the Web in search engine results pages (SERPS). It can be part of a whole campaign offered to a client or the work of an individual or freelance writer.

An intense technical back-end knowledge of blogs or websites are not necessary for an SEO writer but it can't hurt to know as much as possible about it.

Primarily, whether involved in a campaign or working individually with a client, they are not expected to cause an action resulting in sales.

Their job is to improve the position of a website or blog in search engine results pages, as well as its attractiveness with search engines. The result being more targeted traffic. The best scenario being the first page, in the number one position. This is not always possible because of a number of other factors that come into play. An optimal result can also be a great improvement over where the client may be currently positioned on the Web.

In both fields, keywords are one of the important tools used skillfully to write content and command the attention of search crawlers or bots scanning content to index within search engines. They may also offer analysis based on the overall look, design and flow of a website or blog and offer advice of how to improve a site to attract more targeted traffic, but it is not required.

A copywriter must produce an action that results in sales, while the SEO writer must cause an action that results in the best possible position on search engine results that can be attained. Other factors could impede or assist in attaining that goal.

Not all websites and blogs have a core purpose involving products or services. They may desire targeted traffic for equally important reasons other than monetary profits. SEO content is about attaining the best optimal position on the Web, to attract targeted traffic for a wide array of goals suited to an individual's online mission.

It is not unusual to find both fields over lapping and that can be an asset for a client if a writer has both skills. Additionally, it could cut budget costs which is always good news for the client.

On the other hand, knowing the difference between the two is necessary given the fair chance that a writer may be excellent in one field but not the other. A Client should hire a writer according to their need of either Copy: Increased sales and a growing subscriber database or, SEO: an optimal position on Search Engine Results Pages to attract targeted traffic.

Vanessa D. Alexander writes, edits and publishes the daily blog column 52 Signals, exploring the signals and noise of organic search, optimization, traffic, tools and bits of other stuff in user simple terms. http://52signals.blogspot.com

Spending 15 Minutes Each Day

Creating Conflict - Writing Skills

All drama relies on conflict. Conflict creates challenge and the process of the protagonist facing the challenge to resolve the conflict is the very basis of storytelling.

To the novice writer the concept of conflict means something physical, typically war, but war is only the ultimate conflict. Below it lie the many levels of difference and misunderstanding between peoples which drive drama. Even a romance, which one would imagine is the antithesis of conflict needs it or it fails to stand up. Boy meets girl, gets married, lives happily ever after, is not only wishful thinking, it also fails as drama.

So, at what level should you pitch your conflict? The answer is at as many levels as is possible and believable. Readers love complication and a protagonist, a soldier in a war, with a girlfriend who disapproves of his profession, a criminal past which is catching up with him, and a terminal disease, just about hits the limit of what readers will swallow.

Better perhaps to stick with a dual conflict scenario, always remembering that your conflict must be at such a scale that it cannot be easily solved. Remember too that your conflict need not necessarily be between humans. It can also be between man and a force of nature. Chief Brodie in Jaws battles not only against a great white shark, but also against the Mayor who does not want to close the beaches during a holiday period. Only by resolving one conflict can Brodie face the next.

Conflict can be created by any of the human failings. Greed, jealousy, intolerance, avarice, hate, lust, we are a seething mass of potential conflicts. But remember too that the more noble emotions can lead to conflict. A man who loves a woman may find that his love is unrequited and this in itself creates a conflict.

The other strength of conflict is that it creates tension, and this can be true between characters who are ostensibly friends. Resolving such conflict will lead to dialogue and dialogue again drives forward your narrative.

Remember too to base one of your conflicts at a human level. Rebels fighting against an evil Galactic Empire may be the headline, but it is the simmering tension between Luke, Solo and Princess Leia that audiences log on to. This conflict is resolved not by action on the part of any of the protagonists, but by received information in the form of the truth about the relationship between Leia and Luke. This relationship and its resolution had no particular part in the great tale Lucas was telling, but had a part to play in the development of his characters. It was essentially, a conflict within his subplot.

Conflict too can be used as a device when the narrative is running on empty to re-energise the story. A new conflict can bring fresh life to your story. This must be used sparingly however as it may become too obvious to the reader that the writer has been struggling.

Creating conflict is easy. Put two characters on the page and have them disagree about something.

Gurmeet Mattu is an award-winning writer with a track record in print, stage, radio and television, as well as being a qualified Trainer. He is currently operating http://scriptschool.co.uk from which he offers various writers' services ,including a critique service, his Creative Writing Guide, a range of Free Factsheets and ebooks, together with many other resources.
ScriptSchool also offers clients a page-turning 3D Ebook packaging and marketing service for their self-published material. Books, catalogues, brochures, photo albums or whatever.

Backup Plans Feel Good

Success in Freelance Writing

It can be easy to follow a new diet, a new exercise routine, a cleaning schedule or just about any thing that you can list right here for just one day. It isn't the one day that is difficult, but it is the day after or the day after or the day after. No matter what it is that you are attempting to do in your life, consistency is a key component.

1. Have a plan. Being consistent in what you want is easier if you have a plan set up to help you get there. Think of the plan as a map that will lead you to your purpose or goal. Make your plan personal to your style - it can be a list of things that need to be done, it can be an hourly schedule or it can be a time line set up to show the how, the win and the ultimate goal of it all.

2. Set smaller goals along the way. Thinking about losing 100 lbs can seem impossible (unless you are on The Biggest Loser Ranch) and your ultimate goal may be to publish a book, to make a living off a blog or to leave your current 9 to 5 job to write full time. Setting goals that are too overwhelming can derail your efforts. Think about baby steps. What will you do this week to get one chapter written? What will you do today to build your unique visitors by just 10%? Break your ultimate goal into smaller goals and you will find that will each accomplishment comes a surge of energy to help you push on.

3. Become accountable. The reason people tend to be more successful at accomplishing tasks in a work environment or group situation is because of the accountability that comes from being around other people. Start a writing group. Put your goals in writing and sign a contract to complete those goals. Have your fellow writers witness the contract and agree to encourage you along you path. Knowing that someone else is watching out for what you are doing (or not doing) is sometimes enough to keep you going in the right direction.

4. Be realistic. It is okay to shoot for the moon, but make it the one orbiting Earth. Keep your goals far fetched but attainable. You are NOT going to get an 8 million dollar signing bonus for your first book (unless you've been married to certain Presidents) so setting a goal like that will only lead to disappointment, discouragement and difficulty reaching out towards new goals in the future. Look at the normal publishing world and situations and aim for something in or just above the norm.

5. Give yourself a reward when you reach different points of your success. Have a list of rewards as part of your plan so that you know what you are working towards for each level of accomplishment. Think of these as bonus pay for a job well done. It could be a day at the spa, a day at the beach or a day reading a good book and doing little else. Make your rewards something that you wouldn't normally do so that you will work for the treat.

Becoming a successful freelance writer is no different than finding success in any aspect of your life. You have to be consistent in your pursuit of the purpose. That means that each and every day you have to step out in the plan and push to make the plan a reality.

Kathryn Lang is a freelance writer out of Alabama. She posts regularly on several financial websites about finances, budgets and travel. Kathryn also writes about a writer's life at http://www.successfulfreelancewriter.com You can also find out more information about her business at http://www.kathrynlang.com

30 Days To Creating Super Habits

5 Tips On How To Position Yourself As An Expert

Writing articles will help you in many ways. You can build an online or offline business with your articles. You will also gain visibility and credibility when people see that you are an author. The word author come from the word authority, and it is this fact that will help you to position yourself as an expert in your field. Here are 5 tips on how to write articles that will build your business in a very short amount of time.

• Keep your articles short. No one wants to read a one thousand word article by someone they do not know. People reading online have a short attention span and want information in small chunks. Three hundred word articles will serve you best.
• Write in a conversational manner. Make it easy for the reader to understand what you are talking about and how it will help them.
• Give people useful information that they can put into action immediately after reading your article. There is so much fluff out there, people will appreciate and remember someone who honestly gives good, solid tips and suggestions in their articles.
• Show both sides of what you are writing about. Your readers need to know what will work for them and what will be a waste of their valuable time.
• Write as though you were talking to a prospect or client. If you learn to do this well enough, many of your readers will turn into clients.

Follow these five tips and you will position yourself as an expert in your field very quickly by writing articles for your business.

And now I invite you to join me for free weekly teleseminars that will teach you how to write, market, and sell your articles and ebook to increase your visibility, credibility and passive income by visiting http://www.EbookWritingandMarketingSecrets.com and download two free article writing templates at http://www.WriteArticlesWithJeffHerring.com to get started right away

Backup Plans Feel Good

3 Tips For Top Notch Articles

Article writing is an art. However, it is an art that can be learned, unlike trying to paint like da Vinci. That takes real talent. Article writing...not so much. You're probably wondering why. Well, the answer is simple. Article writing is a formula and one that can easily be taught. So, in this article, I'm going to share with you three simple tips that will make your articles stand out from the crowd. When you see how simple this really is, you'll be amazed. So sit back and relax. You're about to become a top notch article writer.

Tip number one starts with the title of your article. It MUST capture the attention of your reader. In order to do that it has to give them some benefit that they're going to receive from reading the article. Take the title of this article. The reader knows from seeing it that he's going to learn three tips for writing top notch articles. If he's interested in writing articles, he'll read this. It's that simple. Give the reader the benefit. He'll do the rest.

Tip number two has to do with your introductory paragraph. The mistake many article writers make here is that they go right into the tips. This is the wrong approach to take. You want to prepare the reader for what he's about to read. So your introductory paragraph should tell them what they're going to be getting from reading the article. That way they can decide whether or not they even want to waste their time with it.

Tip number three has to do with the closing of the article. If I were to close with the last tip, I'd be leaving the reader feeling unfulfilled. A better way to end your article is with a summary of what you just told them. This way, the details are fresh in their mind and they'll actually have a better chance of remembering what it is they just read because you've reinforced what you've just said. Simple, right?

Article writing is kind of a paint by the numbers thing. If you give the reader a good title, introduce the main points of the article so that they know what they're reading and then sum up what they've read (just like what I am doing now) they will come away with a satisfying reading experience. And that is, after all, ultimately what you're looking for.

To YOUR Success,

Steven Wagenheim

Want to write articles that get people's attention and can earn you up to $200 per article written? Then check out my Complete Article Writing And Marketing Guide that you can find at http://www.honestincomeprogram.com/tcawamg.html - This is my own book that I wrote from over 30 years of writing experience.

Creating A Habit

More About Giving Just the Facts

When deciding on a topic to write or speak about gather the information you want to present to the reader or audience. Place the information in categories relating to various aspects of your topic. From there, sort the information into level of importance from most important to least important in being able to communicate about your topic.

You then can determine what would actually contribute to presenting your topic clearly and what would be extra information that could add some value. Then determine what information would subtract value from your subject or fall into rambling about the subject.

Next, begin to gather the main points of your topic by putting them in order of what the reader needs to know first and then continue to what they would need or want to know last. You will be introducing your topic, giving information about your topic and then explaining to your reader or listener why this information would be of value for them to know.

Sort the main points into an outline. When you have the major part of the outline in place begin to add to those main points just enough extra information to increase the descriptions and give value to the topic so your reader or listener would feel like it was helpful additional information to understand the topic.

Write down your information and add just enough to keep it interesting and maybe, at that point, just a few extra tidbits that would add but were not really necessary. This way you will be staying on topic and the reader or listener will be able to determine if they want to find out more about the topic you have presented to them.

If you just stay with the main facts with limited extra information the reader or listener will value your presentation more and can then easily determine if getting more information would work for them. They will appreciate your ability to present information and stay on topic. It shows respect for their time and that places you as a writer or speaker higher on their list to come back to you for information in the future.

And now I invite you to join me for a series of writing exercises to help you discover your areas of interest in writing as well as increasing your creativity. You may access these exercises by visiting http://www.freecreativewritingstrategies.com

You also may enjoy visiting my blog at

http://www.creativewritingmadeeasy.com

Spending 15 Minutes Each Day

Writing a Flawless Research Paper in 4 Easy Steps

When it comes to writing a good research paper, you can learn many of the latest methods in research and report writing from your professors and librarians. Assuming you don't wait until the last minute, most research papers can usually be completed by following a few general guidelines.

For detailed reports, you can write a good research paper just by practicing a few steps. In fact you can easily turn your standard paper into a flawless research paper just by going through 4 easy steps listed below.

Step 1: Selecting Topics and Initial Research

Start out by choosing a good topic for yourself as this will decide the outcome of your summary. Once you have locked your topic in place, proceed in collecting your references and bibliographies. That will help you decide where to seek for solutions and locate the information you need from various media resources like encyclopedias and informative websites. After you get them all together in one centralized location, get some index cards where you'll add these bibliography entries in preparation for your outline.

Step 2: Arranging and Structuring The Paper

You are going to need additional note cards to sort out all the relevant information in a logical manner. The trick with the note cards is to put all of the related ideas into one single paragraph to fill up the entire note card. Adding the bibliographies and references to that information will aid in keeping things organized.

Once all of your note cards are complete, separate them into different groups. The versatility of the note cards allows easy shuffling and experimentation with different outlines. Try to arrange them into a tree structure where you have the main topics, subtopics, details, etc.

Step 3: Drafting and Proofreading

With all of the note cards properly organized, you can now proceed in making your rough draft with confidence. Write a couple of rough drafts for your research paper and make sure it complies to the note cards which represents your entire research paper summary.

You can also try using writing software that can generate the outline for you based on ideas that you can give. After you are satisfied with what you are reading, give it a final check for spelling and grammar and then let your professor approve it.

Step 4: Preparation and Final Development

Get your bibliography cards out and start preparing your bibliography section in fuller detail. This process should be real simple if you sorted out your cards so you can easily place them in the relevant areas. This is important when your research paper is being checked as sources may be confirmed in order to evaluate the paper

After that, you can begin paginating and preparing the table of contents and matching title page. Refer to the online resources or teacher's reference on how to make the correct title page and check if everything is in order. You should be have a very organized research paper if these 4 steps were done correctly.

Now you can triple your productivity and write books, articles, reports & presentations faster than you ever thought possible.

Research Wizard Pro is a new virtual research assistant for busy professionals that gives you more time for clients. Write books, reports, manuals, articles, and courses in half the time. Clients will love you! Just visit http://www.ResearchWizardPro.com to claim your free training video and take your writing career to the next level!

Structuring Your 24 Hour Day

Secrets of Article Writing - How Long Does it Take to Achieve Success?

I get asked this question all the time. Subscribers ask me "How long will it take before I start to see good results in my business?"

And for me there is no hard and fast rule. It depends on what your niche is. It depends on what business model you are using to run your web site. It depends on what it is you wish to achieve, what are your goals. It depends on a whole load of different variables.

But what I can say is that if you do not allocate a specific number of hours to your business every single day, every single week, consistently, then it can take an age for you to see any significant results when you first get started online.

Now for those of you that have full time jobs then it is even more important that you allocate time to work on your business. If you work a standard 35 hours per week, then squeezing another ten hours to your business each week is going to be a challenge. But do you want this online business to succeed or not?

Instead of watching the many soaps every night, instead of watching reality tv, instead of surfing the internet haphazardly searching for more information, what you need to do spend some time on your business business and stick with whatever timetable you create.

Now if you cannot find ten hours plus to work on your business each week, it might take you months instead of weeks to see some positive results. If you spend three hours per day on your business that will equate to 15 hours per week. And if you allocate a further 4 hours over the weekend then that's a total of 19 hours per week and you will begin to make great strides in your business.

Now as well as allocating the time and sticking rigidly to your timetable, you will need to be ruthless on what you focus on your valuable time on. Everything that you do during your business hours, everything you focus on must increase your chances of generating an income.

So reading emails and surfing the internet are not included. The things that will bring in an income are things like writing articles, building traffic, developing relationships and creating products. These are the types of things that will eventually generate a consistent income for you.

So although there is no hard and fast rules as to the time it will take for you to see the seeds of success.... I do know that if you are consistent, that's day in and day out, week in and week out - if you consistently work on your business then you will begin to generate consistent income online.

Do you want to learn more about how I do it? I have just completed my brand new guide to article writing to build your list:

Download it free here: Secrets of Article Writing.

Want to learn how to increase your online income by effortlessly creating high priced products that your customers need and desire? Find out more here: Create High Ticket Products Fast.

Janet Cole is a powerful coach and online mentor. She has over 570 articles in print and has created 10 products in the last 12 months.

You Have To Start Somewhere

What is Creative Writing?

Traditionally, all writing has been classified into two clear-cut categories, non-creative writing and creative writing. Non-creative writing usually deals with hard, cold facts. Its purpose is to inform readers and enhance their knowledge about a specific happening, situation, product, or concept. For instance, a book on history, a news write-up on a recent event, and a technical article on the latest software are all examples of non-creative writing.

In contrast, creative writing is inspired writing or writing that comes from within. It may or may not be based on facts. Even when based on facts, the purpose of creative writing is to reveal these facts in a new light, as perceived by the author. A creative writer reflects on the people and things surrounding her, meditates on concepts like love and fidelity, and then puts her thoughts and feelings on paper. Novels, poems, and short stories are all examples of creative writing.

To understand the difference between non-creative and creative writing more clearly, let us consider a road accident. A simple report of what happened in the road accident-who was injured, who was driving, etc-is an example of non-creative writing. However, if the same accident is woven into a story about the injured man, perhaps portraying him as a victim of fate rather than the motor driver, the resulting work would be called creative writing.

As you've probably guessed, both these styles of writing require different skill sets. While a non-creative writer must focus on writing with an analytical and methodical approach, a successful creative writer must be imaginative, philosophical, and to a certain extent, visionary.

The good news is that the traditional dividing line between non-creative and creative writing is blurring. It is not uncommon to find a non-creative work written in a highly creative way so that the work not onl book y informs but also inspires the reader. A good example of such a work is Sophie's World, a New York Times Bestseller, by Jostein Gaarder. Although Sophie's World is about the history of philosophy, something that most readers would consider a dull subject, Gaarder treats the subject as a wonderful mystery novel.

Does a writer lurk within you? Visit http://creativewritingforyou.wordpress.com to unleash the writer in you

Structuring Your 24 Hour Day

To Write or Not To Write - Is There a Writer in You?

So you want to become a writer. There are, of course, the physical and mental requirements. Education, hard work, that sort of thing. These are a must, and no writer worth his salt would call himself a writer without these. But theres more to it.

Do you have what it takes? How do you know if this is what you really want to invest the rest of your life in. These are the emotional questions that must be answered before you may put pen to paper. Beyond all the Diploma's and statements of your writing ability, it all comes down to the heart of writing. And heart is an apt term in this situation. Because sooner or later, there will come a time when the new wears off . You may have been published several times and became famous, but when that time comes , the writer within will shine his brightest. When writing becomes old hat, the true writer will forge onward, rushing to new heights, while the untrue writers will wander off on some wayside trail in search of different rainbows. With this in mind, you have to decide if you have the heart to make writing a career.

Let me give you an example. There was a time that I put writing on the back burner. I felt that I would never become a writer because I couldn't seem to finish anything, and frankly, life just got in the way. I had too many other pans in the fire, so I decided to put my writing career to the side and go on with my life, maybe to stumble across something else that I might like to do in the near future. Now this was the clincher for me. This was the moment in time that I realized that I was a true writer. For weeks, I was miserable. I couldn't sleep properly. I constantly caught myself wallowing in self-pity. It was as if I had lost a best friend.

Finally, I saw what was happening. Writing was as integral part of me as my arms. I began writing again, and another day dawned.

Writing is a friend when your lonely, or it can be a ravenous beast clawing at your mind, demanding release. Being published is a rush like no other, but for a true writer, being published is a grand side effect, a bonus, if you will. A true writer must feed this beast that hides within him, lest he be consumed by it. A bit melodramatic, but you get the point.

There are two things that you must have to become a writer. Lots of determination, and twice as much patience. You have to make yourself sit down at that computer, typewriter, or paper. Write as often and as much as you can. It is entirely too easy to say that you will do it after this is done or you've finished watching this T.V. show. This is not acceptable. Pick your times to write, and regardless of what else is going on, stick to it.

Patience is the tough part. Waiting for that idea. Waiting for this article or that book to be finished. Waiting to hear from a publisher. Writing is 50% patience, and 50% everything else.

This life-choice is hard work that can be emotionally as well as mentally stressful. Nevertheless, for those of you that have writers in you, just let me say this; as low as you feel when you get the first rejection slip, you will soar when you first see your name in print. You will become complete, and I warn you, being published is often an addictive sensation. Once you get there the first time, you will always strive to return.

Jay Graham is a 20 year professional author/columnist/freelancer/SEO writer with over 20 years experience in the literary Industry. He currently provides job opportunity links to other writers seeking work at his website.

http://chasingthemuse.blogdrive.com/
Mr. Graham is also the head of Creative Solutions Literary/Graphic/Publicity

Getting Up Earlier

1.7 Million Article Views on Only One Article Submission Website

Did you know there is an online article author and writer who has over 1.7 million article views for his articles on one website alone? Well it is true and this writer claims he is not even a writer? The accidental writer you might call him. He claims to be a retired entrepreneur, yet this gentleman seems to have literally blown away the competition and his writing has blown out to even bigger proportions.

In fact there seems to me no stopping him as he often posts some 50-100 articles in one to two days and this never stops. What drives someone to write so many articles and why does he keep picking up his pace? Better yet how does he do this? Surely he must have team of writers?

Is he punch drunk on article writing asks one very bright copywriting editor? How can he get to 1.8 million article views on an online article submission site in under 15 months from scratch, as in zero articles to start? Well, first it seems he choose the number one article submission site on the Internet to post at and then he went for shear volume in his article writing.

Today he has some 6600 articles online and appears to be speeding up, not slowing down. What does he write about, it seems you would run out of topics after you get that many? Indeed but when I run out of articles, I simply write one about myself. Consider this in your online article writing in 2006.

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance is a guest writer for Our Spokane Magazine in Spokane, Washington

Helpful Habit Planning Tips

Writer Proofreader Tool - Proofread Your Writing Now

Can an advanced Writer Proofreader Tool change the way we write English? Writing proper English is now more important than ever since many of us increasingly communicate with others thanks to computers and the Internet. Let's take a look and see how recent technological improvements can help us on improving our writing skills.

Quick introduction

While conventional word processors mainly focus on identifying spelling errors, an advanced Writer Proofreader Tool enables you to further improve your writing by checking entire text blocks for any grammar, punctuation, and spelling errors. Correcting your grammar writing isn't that easy, it requires advanced NLP technology (Natural Language Processing), huge databases, and smart analyzing engines. This advanced technology offers the following: analyzing our grammar writing construction, suggesting proper corrections as well as checking for correct spelling and punctuation.

What is in it for us?

There is no doubt that most of us can find it useful:

* Avoiding common writing mistakes we tend to repeat in our daily writing assignments.
* Analyzing our sentences structure for correct punctuation, thus transforming our writing more comprehendible.
* Transforming our natural writing clear and professional.

Looking closer on this technology, we could easily find other advantages that are not covered here, as this powerful tool keeps improving, bringing us fresh solutions that help us on improving our Writing abilities.

Quick summary

Both professional and non-professional writers may find this sophisticated Writer Proofreader Tool practical and useful for any writing assignment. Language processing technology is complex - that explains why there are very few solutions available today. Although it brings many challenges to software developers, we can expect this webmarketing tool to further develop itself, for one simple reason: writing is one of the most important tools that help us expressing ourselves.

Watch how an advanced Writer Proofreader Tool analyzes text and learn more about innovative technologies that can help you transform your English writing correct, professional and creative

Visit: http://www.EnglishSoftwareGuide.com

Helpful Habit Planning Tips

Writing as Therapy

It would be wrong to underestimate the power of writing as a point of therapy. Most writers are aware of the therapeutic nature of writing, but most may be less than willing to admit such writing therapy may be personally beneficial.

Sometimes the writing that is most helpful us on a personal and emotional level is writing that we do not wish to be published. It is highly personal, but can helps us understand something about ourselves.

Leslie Ridgeway and Dale Griffith have seen firsthand the benefits of using writing as a therapy among the women inmates at York Correctional Institute in Connecticut.

These two individuals worked with the women at YCI. They encouraged the inmates to write their inmost thoughts without the threat of condemnation. They discovered there was a sense of healing that took place when these women admitted their hurts in writing.

According to their 2002 report entitled, "Struggles: Writing as healing" Ridgeway and Griffith admit, "Many women had reached the limit of their coping skills... educational staff worried about the women's mental and physical health and discussed ways to help them cope. A safe port in the emotional storm was needed."

The 'Struggles' program centered around using words to capture their recollections on violence in their lives.

One inmate wrote, "As children we're taught to respect and obey our parents. Usually I covered with my hands up protecting my face and head. A reaction that I'm sure is a defense mechanism of survival. I didn't harm my mother, but my physically defensive behavior of pushing her away from me shocked her back into reality. The beatings finally stopped and I was left with the question as to why I hadn't reacted to her actions years earlier."

While we seek to identify with the pain the author feels, we also gain a sense for the liberation she feels in finally saying in print what had been bottled up inside for so long.

One unnamed woman who was part of the inmate writing exercise reported, "Seeing our violent experiences in writing is more personal and real - especially when we read them aloud. When I hear myself aloud, I'm relating my experience to someone else, and the emotional feelings, which have often been repressed, hit me."

As a focused writer it might be assistive to you to take regular time to write something that is simply theraputic. None of us came from perfect situations in life. By writing about your past you may discover a sense of personal freedom and increased freedom to pursue your writing career with less baggage.

Scott Lindsay is a web developer and entrepreneur. He is the founder of FaithWriters and many other web projects. FaithWriters has grown to become one of the largest online destinations for Christian writers and Christian authors. FaithWriters is a great place for writing jobs.

Getting Up Earlier

Writing For Profit - Writing Short Stories For Money

If you love to write short stories then why not write them for profit. People these days seem to have a much shorter attention span so the short story has come back into vogue.

People love to read short stories they are the perfect length for sitting in the Dr's office or while you are waiting to get your hair cut. They are just long enough to grab your interest but not so long that you cannot finish them by the time your turn has come. They can be found in books as compilations or in magazines; they come in all genres and vary in length from several hundred words to several thousand words.

How do you go about making money with your stories and where do you start? If you have never tried to get a story published before this can seem to be a daunting task, we have all heard how hard it can be to get an editor to look at your work. In the printed book world this can sometimes seem to be the case, if you have ever faced an editor's rejection you would understand.

Thankfully, there are many magazines that print short stories from unknown and well known authors, side by side. The biggest trick to finding one, is knowing how to use the Internet to couple your story with the right magazine, after all a horror story would not fit well in family circle. At most magazine companies you will find a list of their rules for submissions. If you want to have any chance at all you must follow these rules to the letter, any variance will end with a rejection notice no matter how good your story is.

There are places on the Internet that will help you get your stories published, many of them offer free services and will not only help you publish your work but will help you market it as well. Some of these such as Xilbris and Dorrance offer editorial and publishing services to help get your book the most publicity. A word to the wise though they will charge you for their services, but you get what you pay for and if you want to make money with your stories you are going to need a high quality publisher.

You can also sell your short stories on web sites in the form of eBooks. This is becoming a very popular medium for new writers and it is a great way to turn your short stories into some well deserved cash.

If you need money now, like I mean in the next hour, try what I did. I am making more money now than in my old business and you can too, read the amazing, true story, in the link below. When I joined I was skeptical for just ten seconds before I realized what this was. I was smiling from ear to ear and you will too.

Imagine doubling your money every week with no or little risk! To discover a verified list of Million Dollar Corporations offering you their products at 75% commission to you. Click the link below to learn HOW you will begin compounding your capital towards your first Million Dollars at the easy corporate money program.

http://www.makeamilliondollarsayear.com

Getting Up Earlier

Five Things Christian Writers Should Know

"Just because you have a computer, doesn't make you a writer," said a publishing executive at a recent Book Expo of America.

Fact is 81% of all Americans think they should write a book (according to Write & Publish magazine) and only two percent of that crowd ever actually complete a manuscript - and get it published.

True computers have made writing a book easier and print-on-demand (POD) has made publishing a snap. Problem is there are about 150,000 new books a year and they're not all selling!

So here are some simple things to do to move you from book idea, manuscript to real sales!

Learn about writing. Taking writing courses. You can go to American Christian Writers website and get info on their American School of Christian Writing, The Writer's Institute and/or Writer's Mini Course. Also subscribe to their newsletter (The Christian Communicator or The Advanced Christian Writer). Take time to go to various writers' conferences where you'll meet editors, publishers and other authors. You may even find a mentor at some of these events.

Getting a writing mentor is so critical to your success - if you listen and heed their advice! There are tons of book coaches. Google book coach.

Finally, read! Best-selling Christian fiction author, Victoria Christopher Murray, said on a recent Chocolate Pages Show, "In order to be a good writer, you have to read good writing." I am so surprised when I talk to many Christian writers and I ask if they have read any of the "best-sellers" - as least the Christian or spiritual books. They answer, "NO."

Some have never even read "The Purpose Driven Life" (the best selling book of all time), The Shack (a Christian publishing phenomenon in the book world) or The Secret (at least take cues how they have marketed the mega-star of a book). Most Christian authors don't even take note of any of the top 10 New York Times or CBA best-sellers.

Ughh! You have to know what the market is buying and read it to see why the book is highly acclaimed. By doing a little homework, you can improve your writing. You have to move it from a hobby to a craft if you want a viable book.

Books Every Writer Needs at Their Fingertips!

- On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction by William Knowlton Zinsser

Best book I've read on what, specifically, makes up a great piece of writing

- The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr., E. B. White

Also subscribe to Writer's Digest. Invaluable information every month!

Learn about self-publishing and how the book industry works. I have had writers come to me and tell me their "publishing nightmare" stories. They talk about how printers or subsidy publishers took advantage of them.

Yes, there are companies who will swindle you. But, if you are well-informed, it will lessen the chances of someone ripping you off. Don't rely on one source for all your information. Use Google and do some research! You must do your due diligence.

Know where to get an ISBN, how to get national distribution, where to find a cover designer, typesetter, printer, etc. Ask other self-published authors what they've done and how it has worked for them. Follow the leaders. Do what they did to achieve success.

Study what Kendra Norman Bellamy, Stephanie Perry Moore, Marilynn Griffith or Kim Brooks have done. Most authors have their "publishing testimonial" on their website or offer publishing tips to new authors. Read their advice - you can learn from mistakes or from mentors. Mentors are cheaper.

Learn about marketing and publicity. Build a platform. No book will sell without telling others about it - over and over again. Not just once. Word of mouth is the best form of advertising. Creating "buzz" requires a strategy and a strong platform. (See this Podcast show)

Once the book is published a lot of authors believe it will sell by itself. Many Christians sway the other way and are too humble to tell anyone about their book. They believe if they put it up on Amazon or tell a few of their "yes buddies" it will take off. NOT! Just like any product that is sold for cold cash, it must be marketed and promoted in order to sell. It takes money to make money.

Learn about agents. Agents are not your "literary fairy God-mothers." They are in business to make money. And they make money by selling "marketable" writers to publishing houses. Besides having a great book, decent platform, an audience - you must also have a good book proposal. The proposal is what sells your book. Part of that proposal is the marketing plan. Again, it's about the bottom line.

It took former Heart & Soul editor Stephanie Stokes Oliver 25 years to have her first book published. And she had a platform and was a professional writer. She had to find the right publishing house. She says she went through 10 agents and eventually got the divine connection and got three book deals.

Learn about Web 2.0, podcasting, blogging, social networking. Did you know you can blog on Amazon.com if you're an author? You can even put up video reviews. How cool is that? You must embrace technology and keep up with what is moving books. Obviously the best way to move books is to get people talking - and the more they hear your passion and get curious about all the "buzz" they keep hearing from you online - the more you will attract customers.

So, "get out there" by joining Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace and Twitter. Do a Blogtalk Radio Show and get a Youtube channel. Post up your blogs in RSS feeds and even do some daring stuff like join a lot of "nings" or start one! Join the Chocolate Pages Network (a new social network for Christian Authors). There is so many ways for an author to get exposure online - hey, it may even up on Oprah as part of her "Book Club."

Ministry marketing pioneer and PR Coach Pam Perry helps African American Christian authors garner publicity and leverage online strategies. As a 20-year PR veteran, she is also the co-author of "Synergy Energy: How to Use the Power of Partnerships to Market Your Book, Grow Your Business and Brand Your Ministry" For a free MP3 of "What Every Christian Author Should Know," go to http://www.PamPerryPR.com/. She's also the creator of the ChocolatePagesNetwork, a social network for Christian authors and the Chocolate Pages Show at Blogtalk radio. She offers free help at her blogsite: http://www.MinistryMarketingSolutions.com/ with her monthly Ezine and teleclasses

Habits To Prevent Losing Things

Be a Successful Freelance Writer

These days, anybody can be a writer. With the amount of freelance writing jobs available over the Internet, you don't even have to set a foot out of your house to earn some extra cash. And if you're hardworking and skillful enough, you'll probably earn more than many day job workers.

Freelance writing jobs are not as daunting as they used to be. Offers can range from anything and everything under the sun. In fact, there are plenty of people looking out for writers right this very moment.

And if you hang around long enough, you'll learn how to avoid basic mistakes and spot golden opportunities. Here are some helpful tips to succeed in freelance writing.

Surf the Net and Be Observant.

You can start making money by typing freelance writing jobs on your favorite search engine. As impossible as it is to believe, that's how easy it is. Of course, most of the links will then lead you through blogs, forums and Web sites.

As mentioned earlier, topics to write about can range from anything and everything. It could be something as common as travel, or something as technical as manipulating graphics.

Stick to What You Know.

Aside from their obvious popularity, blog articles are also easier to write. They're less formal and use a more easygoing tone.

For a beginner, it's the best place to start your career as a freelance writer. If you're fond of cooking, you can look for a blog that focuses on that subject. If you're into marketing, there are hundreds of blogs out there which deal with your interest.

Accept Payments.

Payment transactions are usually done online. You'll need to set up an account at a credible online money transferring company or payment processor in order to receive your money.

Personally, all I earn from my freelance writing jobs are wired through Paypal. It's easily one of the most popular and credible companies out there. If your country is not included in Paypal's list, another good alternative would be 2Checkout.

Freelance writing jobs may seem easy-and they are-but they also require proper working habits. You might think that it's okay to slack off since you don't exactly have a superior watching over you like a hawk; however, how you work can determine where your next paycheck comes from.

If your employer decides that he or she likes your writing style as well as your work habits, you'll be the first person he or she will call up the next time a project pops out.

Want to earn a 5-figure monthly income through freelance writing jobs? Go to http://www.20daypersuasion.com/5figurewriter.htm and discover how to earn massive amounts of money by becoming a freelance writer

Finding Something You Don

Production Techniques For the Online Article Writer

Let's face it there is a lot of competition in nearly every niche online when it comes to article marketing and online article authoring. There are also many theories on how best to write articles and which production techniques to use.

Over the years I have read many books from many writers about production techniques and some were good, some great, and some simply not for me. But, I have tried them all and on occasion I will employ each if it serves my purpose. I would recommend that article authors study what the top online writers are doing and do what works best for them.

Personally, I like to use all the production techniques and strategies out there, anything that I can use to increase efficiency. By doing this it allows me to enjoy the creative fun in writing articles and it's important to enjoy what you are doing, especially if you plan on doing a lot of it.

You do not have to sacrifice your creative genius to increase your article writing production. I refuse to do that, and you should refuse too and immediately commit yourself to doing both; enjoy creating quality articles and increase your production rates.

Eventually, every online article author has to come to terms with the realization that no matter which strategy you use, how much SEO thought you put into your work or how carefully you choose titles, topics and techniques, much of the online article author's success is about luck. Meaning you must put out large quantities of articles if you wish to get lucky consistently. Think on this.

Lance Winslow - Lance Winslow's Bio. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/.

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Article Writing Tips - Fancy Suit Or Plain Clothes?

Article writing can be so much fun. It can also be a real bore depending on what you're writing about. In either case, you've got to suck it up and put your best foot forward or nobody is going to read your work. The question is, how do you dress up your article? Do you put on your best suit or just some plain clothes? If you don't know what I mean, I'm talking about style. Yes, style is important, but it doesn't always have to be dressed in a tuxedo. This article explains.

Let's say you're going to write an article about a grand event. Let's say that every important person in the world is going to be at this event. Let's say as part of your article you need to tell you readers who was there. What do you think is going to sound better? "At the grand ball, I saw Carol Starstruck enter the big room" or "Carol Starstruck entered the grand ball with all the grace of a swan in a fairy tale"? Naturally the more descriptive description is going to capture your reader's attention a lot better.

But the "dress me up in a tux" approach doesn't work for every article. If you're writing a piece on World War II, the last thing you want to do is dress it up. You want to make people see the horrors of war, but the last thing you want to do is make it sound like a four star movie. I think they call it good taste. This will be especially true if you're writing about the Holocaust, which is a very sensitive subject with a lot of people. In this case, subdued would be the better approach.

Unfortunately, there is no black book that we can turn to in order to find out how to write each article we're going to tackle. For this, we have to use some common sense. Think about your subject matter and what your reader is going to expect. Fancy might work with some things, but with others, it's probably a better idea to just state things plainly. With experience, you'll get the hang of it.

To YOUR Success,

Steven Wagenheim

Want to write articles that get people's attention and can earn you up to $200 per article written? Then check out my Complete Article Writing And Marketing Guide that you can find at http://www.honestincomeprogram.com/tcawamg.html - This is my own book that I wrote from over 30 years of writing experience.

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Writing Press Releases - Step by Step

When it comes to writing your press release, it can be a lot easier to write than you would think. Just remember these simple tips:

Keep it simple. Potential customers aren't interested in every detail of your site; they just want to know how it applies to them. If you go into every detail, your message will be lost and you won't get any new viewers. On the other hand, if you show why the site should interest them, then you should be gain a number of new customers.

Summarize. If there is something that you need to go into detail with, summarize. People do a lot of reading for their jobs and so dislike reading when they don't need to, especially when it comes to advertising. If you have a lot of unnecessary verbage, it is unlikely that your entire message will be read before it gets deleted.

5W1H. You need the basic information, so don't forget the basics: Who is this going to benefit? What will do for them? When will it be effective? Where is this information found (i.e., what is the website's URL?)? Why does it work? How will it help me? Answer those questions, and your press release will be effective.

Let it rest. When you have finished it, put it away for at least two hours, and then come back and re-read it. Don't be afraid to re-write it, even completely. The professionals do it; why shouldn't you?

Writing a press release can be difficult the first time, but it gets easier. Just remember to have some fun with the writing, and it should go fine!

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Freelance Writers - How to Sell $25-$35 Per Article Writing Services to Clients

Article marketing works. There's no doubt about it. And, to make money online as a freelance writer, it is one of the easiest services to sell to clients. Many freelance writers either overlook this easy way of making money online, or don't know how to market it effectively.

This article explains why article marketing works, and how to make money online as a freelance writer selling the service to clients.

Make Money Online: Why Article Marketing Works

In order to convince someone to buy something, you have to first convince them that it works. In marketing, this is known as pointing out the benefits to the buyer. In succinct terms, the benefit of article marketing is twofold: (i) it generates long-term traffic; and (ii) it increases on- and off-line sales.

How Article Marketing Works to Generate Long-term Traffic

Article marketing generates long-term traffic because when buyers conduct research online, they're searching first for information. If they run across an article you wrote for a client site, for example, that answers all of their questions, how likely do you think they'll be to make a purchase?

If you're an optimist, you said, "Very likely." If you're pessimist, you said, "Not very likely." For the pessimist, I counter with, what if you found a repository of articles on a site. While one article may not do the trick, 3, 5 or 10 might.

And, this is one benefit freelance writers can point out to potential clients - ie, fill your site with informative content -- and clients will be more likely to buy from you.

FYI, information never goes out of style. It is the number one thing consumers search for online. Hence, informative articles on a site - written in the right way (eg, written with search engine optimization (SEO) techniques in mind) - can drive traffic to a site for years.

An article written 1, 3, 5 or 10 years ago can still drive traffic - if it was written with SEO in mind. And, the more traffic a site has, the more sales it makes.

SEO Copywriting: Why Article Writing is the Perfect Job for Freelance Writers

More and more businesses are putting larger parts of their budgets into online advertising. And, article marketing campaigns are a big part of this.

When you lay out to clients how and why they need informative content on their sites - and you show them why you're the perfect person to provide it, it becomes a no-brainer for them to hire you to write that content.

Freelance Writing Rates for Articles: Charge $25-$50 and Make $30K to $50K/Year

You can charge $25, $35 or $50 or more for simple articles of only 350-500 words. Write five or six of these a day, and you can easily replace a job where you make $30,000-$50,000/year.

Making money online as a freelance writer is easier than it used to be - especially if you're an SEO copywriter.

About the Author: Yuwanda Black is a freelance SEO copywriter and the author of How to Make $250+/Day Writing Simple, 500-Word Articles. Ms. Black says, "You can make money online as a freelance article writer. I do it everyday -- charging $35-$100+ per article" Learn more about how to start a successful career as an SEO copywriter, or explore other freelance writing jobs

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Six Tips to Improve Your Online Writing

Depending on who you ask, writing is either an arduous craft that takes years to develop, or something anyone with a keyboard can easily turn into a million-dollar enterprise. As it is with most controversies, so it is with writing: both sides are wrong.

Yes, you can start writing right now, and there are plenty of venues for doing so. Free web sites like Blogger.com will let you get started without even so much as an investment in a domain name. But unless you're an unusually gifted writer, you shouldn't worry too much about the risk that ladies will swoon over the stark beauty of your prose after a few minutes' work on your part.

The good news is that you don't have to be an off-the-cuff Chaucer or an out-of-the-box Hemingway. Writing is a skill that improves with time if you apply a few basic principles.

1. Write Something Every DayThere is something about writing that makes writing easier. I can't tell you what it is, but I can tell you that when I'm writing a lot, I find it easier to write even more. Ideas take shape. Connections form.
2. Writing is One Step, Editing Is AnotherIn general, your writing direction should be forward. Writing quickly helps you avoid the inner editor, who otherwise would want to wreak havoc on your brilliant ideas (that's just the kind of person your inner editor is). This is not to say you can't occasionally move back if you find a fatal phrase that simply cannot stand as it is, but make it a rule to try to save most of your edits until the end. Tell your inner editor you'll be happy to let him come out to work just as soon as you're finished playing.
3. Keep ScoreA wonderful writing exercise is to try to count your time and your words. Simply make note of when you start and stop, or use a stopwatch or stopwatch computer program. Many word processors and blogging tools have a word counter you can use. If all else fails, copy and paste the finished product into one that does. There's something like watching your word count every day that helps you stick to your writing schedule, and there's something about seeing the article or story count go up over a few weeks that really helps keep you motivated. Set up a simple spreadsheet in Excel and track your progress. (Hint; don't watch the clock as you're writing, when you're writing, write!)
4. Get a JournalEven though I spend my day at a keyboard, I find it helps to jot down the basic article ideas in an old fashioned paper journal. Also, sometimes I need to sketch something visually, and writing by hand seems to work better for doing this than a drawing program. You don't have to spend the day "journaling", just have a book where you can jot down a quick idea from time to time, because if you're writing often, you're going to have a lot of them.
5. Set Goals I find that when I set a specific goal for myself for the week ahead, and remind myself of my goal in the morning, I get more writing done. I try to make my goal just a little bit challenging, but not one that's realistically out of reach given my current numbers (remember, we're keeping score).
6. Be Gentle With Yourself No matter what profession you choose for yourself, life is going to happen to it. Physicians have to meet with Pharmaceutical salespeople, even if their big love is working with patients. Writers are no different. You'll still need to do your taxes, take the kids to school, and whatever else you need to do as part of the business of living. If you have a particularly grueling day of interruptions, don't try to stick to the same schedule as you would if you have a day clear for writing.

John Lockwood is a freelance Internet writer working in Sacramento. He realized one day he was a professional writer after the top-ranked web sites he'd written for his real estate business totalled more than 3,000 pages. He is the author of Inklit.com, an Internet Writer's Blog as well as many other web sites and blogs about real estate and Internet marketing.

This article is Copyright(c) 2008, John Lockwood Associates. Permission is given to copy this article, but users of this article must maintain the article and the author signature box in its original form. No other use is permitted.

Structuring Your 24 Hour Day

Work From Home As a Freelance Writer

With the economy shedding jobs at more than half-a-million a month since the last quarter of 2008, many are scrambling to find new employment. And, if it's a work-from-home job, then all the better. Freelance writing is one of those careers that's easy to start, and practically anyone who can read and write can do.

Following is a fast-growing, high-paying niche in freelance writing that anyone can enter - and start making money almost immediately.

Forget Magazine and Newspaper Writing: Online Writing Jobs are Where the Money Is

Specifically SEO copywriting. What is SEO copywriting? SEO stands for search engine optimization. Search engine optimization is simply using various rules to write copy in such a way that websites get more traffic and more sales.

And, website owners need a lot of it on a continual basis. Why? Because to rank high in search engine results, web businesses need to constantly add fresh content to their sites or their blogs and and/or to distribute via article directories.

Since most of them don't have the in-house staff to do this themselves, they outsource it to freelance SEO writers. It's cheaper for them. But, the amazing thing is, there are very few qualified SEO Writers. Most freelance writers don't even know what it is, so it's an untapped market.

And, this is why SEO writers are some of the busiest freelance writers you will find. The most successful ones bill $100-$250+/day -- easily. Many SEO copywriters outsource work to to other freelance writers because they get swamped so easily.

Following are some sample jobs ads you may have run across while surfing the web. These all fall in the SEO writing niche.

Seeking SEO Article Writer: Need five articles on teen fashions for my website. Looking for someone who can submit 3-5 articles a week on an ongoing basis. Pay: $10-$20 per 400-500 word article.

SEO Copywriter Needed: We are looking for writers to produce SEO articles. Each article should be around 200 words and should include the keyword approximately 6 times. We will provide a sample as well as guide for layout and style. Pay: $10-$15 per post.

Blog Writer Wanted: Newly launched humor blog is looking for writers to contribute humorous articles on a weekly basis. No experience necessary, but the ability to consistently deliver smart and witty works of hilarity is a must. Pay: Open.

Web Content Writer: We are looking for freelance article writers to write website content, product descriptions, etc. Our freelance writing service is currently expanding, adding new clients weekly, and needs additional writers to take on writing projects. Pay: $25-$100/article.

When many hear the phrase "SEO" they tune out, thinking that maybe it's too technical. The truth is, it's so simple that even a 12-year-old can grasp it - all within a few minutes. If you're looking for a work-from-home job that is easy to do, pays well and where you can start making money almost right away, SEO copywriting is it.

May be reprinted with the following, in full:Yuwanda Black is the publisher of InkwellEditorial.com: The Authority Site on How to Start a Successful Freelance Writing Career. Get full information on how to start a lucrative carer as a freelance SEO copywriter. The site features testimonials from college students, stay-at-home moms and others who've successfully started this work-from-home career. For some it took days, for others just a few short weeks

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