Writing for Dollars - How To Get Started

"When you provide good information from which readers can learn and profit, people are more likely to buy your products and services."

- Heidi Richards -

So just how do you get started? The first step, of course is to write the article. The second step is to find the right medium. I have a small business in the floral industry. So the floral community would be my first likely target. Industry experts are generally the most sought after writers for targeted publications. Since I write mostly about sales and marketing for small business, my second likely medium would be business-related publications, such as those published by Chambers of Commerce, small business journals and other retail industry publications.

I have also found that each type of media that has printed my articles has different criteria for submission. Some want you to send a letter outlining your ideas while others will allow you to submit the actual article. However, most editors prefer that you send a query letter first and include a paragraph about yourself. I also include a link to both my websites in case they want additional information. However, many ezines and online publications allow you to send the actual article. Visit your library, online or local bookstore or do an Internet search with the words query letters for the "how to's" of writing them.

It should go without saying that the article must be grammatically correct and free of spelling errors. A publisher is looking for quality content that will make her or him look better to the reader. The more unique your article, the better your chances of getting it published. Real-life, personal examples and stories have a much greater chance of getting published than do "book reports." Make sure the article is yours! No plagiarism allowed. If you do copy someone else's work, not only will you open yourself up to all sorts of legal problems, you will destroy any credibility you hoped to establish.

Whether you write articles for print media or for online publications, follow these guidelines to increase your likelihood of getting them published.

Read the publication. Become familiar with the writing styles and content. It took several months, before one of my articles was accepted by Balance Magazine. It was an article on leadership, which they liked and found space to include. Because I was patient, tenacious and had developed a relationship with the editor, I was asked to be the South Florida Profile Editor and now write an ongoing series of articles called the PMS Principles?. I interview successful women in South Florida and write their stories. What a great way to gain exposure! By the way, the PMS stands for Partnering, Mentoring and Service, which is also the title of a new book I am writing.

Send your article to the assistant editor when there is one. You will find her or him listed in the publication.

Ask the publication for their editorial calendar (often found on their website). An editorial calendar lists the "focus" or theme of each issue. This is a great tool to use when deciding what to write and submit.

Find out the submission requirements (writer's guidelines). These will include length of article, format, number of words, do's and don'ts, as well as deadlines for submission. In some cases it will also include writer's compensation, if and when they pay for articles.

Write about what you know. It's easier to "sell" and easier to write when you draw upon your own experiences and those of others you know. You could also write about a personal experience or a hobby you pursue (if it is newsworthy).

Keep it simple ? plain text, simple fonts, 12-point type are generally the most widely accepted format.

Use short paragraphs. Commercials use sound bites to keep the audience's attention. Short paragraphs have a better chance of keeping the reader interested.

Don't over-punctuate. By this, I mean the use of the exclamation point!!! or ? or ??? mark. Overusing punctuation will make your words have less impact over time. And if you are submitting your articles on the Internet, these are often flagged as "spam" and may never even be read.

Ask questions. Then answer those questions. This will keep the readers' attention and interest.

Bullets can accentuate your points. Since people read in sound bites, bullets help the reader absorb the information in bite-sized pieces.

Use creative headlines to sell your message. Instead of "How to Write Articles," use "Writing for Dollar$" or something more enticing. Send me a note with Headlines in the subject line and I will send you the article on Headlines that sell.

Keep track and follow up. This gets more difficult over time, since your articles might be reprinted and you don't even know it, unless the publisher sends you the courtesy copy. Keep track of where you submit your articles, and follow up with editors to find out if and when they will be used. If editors don't use your work, ask for feedback. This will help you become a better writer. Create a record for yourself of the publication, the URL (web address) and the name and contact information of the person to whom you submitted your article.

You can submit your work online to some of these more popular places. Keep in mind, there are literally thousands of ezines out there, below are just a few sites to submit your work:

http://www.ezinearticles.com

http://www.netterweb.com/articles

http://www.go articles.com

http://www.ideamarketers.com

http://www.articlecity.com

http://www.au thorconnection.com

http://ezinelocator.com

Never give up! Be patient. As the saying goes, "timing is everything," and editors and publishers are busy. If your content is good (and interesting) eventually someone will notice' and you will get published. Once that happens, capitalize on the momentum and keep going. The purpose of writing articles is after all to get people to start talking about you. Oscar Wilde said "The only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about." Make writing a part of your marketing plan and who knows, several articles later, you could be the talk of the town.

Excerpted from The PMS Principles - Powerful Marketing Strategies to Grow Your Business © 2005 - Heidi Richards

Heidi Richards is the author of The PMS Principles, Powerful Marketing Strategies to Grow Your Business and 7 other books. She is also the Founder & CEO of the Women's ECommerce Association, International http://www.WECAI.org (pronounced wee-kī) ? an Internet organization that "Helps Women Do Business on the WEB." Basic Membership is FREE. Ms. Richards can be reached at http://www.HeidiRichards.com or Heidi@wecai.org.

---

Use Textpad Program for Easy Ezine and Web Site Submissions To Bring More Sales

When you create your articles in TextPad format, something like Notepad, but much more versatile, you will have them in 65 characters across wrapped, just the right... Read More

Direct Sales Reps CAN Write Articles - Heres How!

We all know that article writing is a great way to promote our businesses AND helps establish us as an expert in our fields. But, just because... Read More

Reward Those Who Publish Your Articles!

It is pretty obvious that content is king online. It is also obvious that writing more content and submitting them to other sites will help boost your... Read More

The Best Advertisement For Your Business

It is no secret among internet marketers that writing articles is a great way to market your website. With all the article distribution services and all the... Read More

Articles: How To Turbo Charge Traffic When Your Promotion Budget Is Tiny

Writing articles for your site and for the use of others, is a simple proven way low cost way to get more traffic.Articles can be used for... Read More

Wise Article Marketing Strategies

If you are an article writer, you may have been submitting your articles to ezines in order to get your name out there. Ezines are wonderful in... Read More

Niche Marketing: The Power Of Articles

If you haven't considered the power of articles as part of your niche marketing strategy, then you should.Articles are a great way to drive targeted traffic to... Read More

How Article Marketing Will Make You a Fortune

Article marketing-the simple act of writing one 400 word article and submitting it to various sites-is the surprise online marketing medium of the past year. For a... Read More

Sticky Leads

The first twenty-five words of your article are the most important. If they're not powerful and "sticky", readers will not stop and invest the time to find... Read More

10 Things To Remember When Writing Articles To Market Your Website

Whatever you're selling, writing articles to distribute freely amongst webmasters is one of the best ways of getting yourself and your service known.Although I know nothing much... Read More

How To Rank Your Articles Higher in Search Engines

All of us, the authors, know that to enhance our sites' listings in search engines we need to do certain things and some of them are :(a)... Read More

An Article

People love to hear stories. They'll identify with what you have to say much more easily if you tell them an anecdote that relates to your subject... Read More

Thought Leaders - Using Article Marketing To Entrench Yourself and Your Personal Brand

A "Thought Leader" is someone recognized as an authority in their field of expertise...also known as a visionary. Few people set out to become a "thought leader"... Read More

Effective Affiliate Marketing Using Articles

Every day thousands of people join affiliate programs and yet every day thousands more get discouraged and give up trying to make money from their affiliate programs.Still,... Read More

Be in the Trade Publications Your Customers Read

Your publicity dreams may include being featured in Forbes, Fortune, Time, Inc., and other magazines read by millions. Appearing in those publications can boost both your ego... Read More

The Magic Words to Writing Successfully on the Internet!

Writing effectively on the internet is the most effective way to achieve maximum profit from your website. You can use effective writing in articles and ads so... Read More

A Writers Glossary (Part Three)

Find definitions from Q to Z... ~~~~~~~~~~~ Q ~~~~~~~~~~~ Query -A letter written by a writer asking an editor if she is interested in a piece on... Read More

Writing Articles - Six Mistakes To Avoid

Not writing articles yet? You really should try it, if you want a lot of free traffic to your web site. A simple "Top Ten..." Or "Six... Read More

Increase Your Visitors By Writing Articles

If you want to increase the amount of visitors to your website, start writing articles. There are many reasons why writing articles is a must for any... Read More

Lots of Extra Money Waiting to be Made from Writing $5 Articles

There is probably no easier way of earning extra money online. Yet many people ignore online writing and lose all that extra money, mainly because they get... Read More

Writing a Statement

You have decided on a great idea and researched a publication, what's next?Before you write any part of your article you should write a statement. This will... Read More

Everything I Needed to Know About Article Writing I Learned from My English Teacher

By now you probably understand how important writing for trade publications is to establishing credibility in the home business world.On to the first hurdle: how do you... Read More

Article Marketing Interview With Kevin Bidwell

Recently I interviewed Kevin Bidwell of All-In-One-Business.com on some of the insights on how he leverages article marketing to help build his business.[Christopher Knight] You've been using... Read More

Writers Block Begone

Back when I was in college, I belonged to one of those professional associations for the video industry. (I was a student member.) The monthly newsletter had... Read More

Finding Experts, Sources and Contacts

I was asked to write an article on a short deadline. No problem, I thought. Then I got the article specifications which included quoting several experts in... Read More

Top 7 Tips For Submitting Articles Online

Online PR in the form of website and ezine article placement can be a great way to build your personal brand. You showcase your expertise in the... Read More