Dig for Gold with Your Pen
What would you say if I told you that the piazzas of the Internet are paved
with gold? You'd think I was another snake-oil salesman - right? But, it's
true! And in the most unlikely way.writing articles!!
Except for a few eccentrics, most people think that writing anything is
really hard work. They picture the school essays they hated or the tortured
soul in her attic struggling by the light of a candle! But, that's all
rubbish!
What folks never realize is that the heavy lifting has already been done by
others. You don't need to come up with original content off the top of your
head. You just need to look for what's already out there and 'improve' on
it.
Every topic you can think of has been covered and written on by someone.
But, most of the time, these folk do it for the fun of it, which is headline
news.for you.
Now don't mistake me. You mustn't steal these folk's hard work, (you
wouldn't want to anyway; you don't want to be sued or banned) but no one can
stop you picking up the ideas and creating your own 'take' on the facts.
It's what academics call research!! In a world of browsers and huge
repositories of information, anyone at all can become enough of an expert in
any subject to write a 750 word article on it in minutes.if you know where
to look.
Here's how you do it.
Step One: Generating Ideas.start from the end
Remember, you're in business. The article has to serve a business purpose.
So the first step is to find a product you want to sell. If you don't have a
product already, use standard affiliate thinking and find one with a
reliable supplier and a good dollar commission.
Step Two: Find the content
Say you selected fly rods. Then your article needs to relate directly to fly
fishing. Go directly to the source of the Internet's content. Online
bulletin boards, FAQ pages and Article directories! Try.
Everything you could ever want to know about nearly every subject on earth
you can find there, and it's free if you're willing to dig for it.
Now, you're writing a 750 word article (this is the ideal length). You need
an introduction, 3 or 4 points and a short conclusion. And, as a beginner,
always try to give your readers information they can instantly use and
implement. So you go through the content until you have filled your needs.
Let's take an example. You're writing about fly fishing.
Well, go to Groups.google.com and see what themes people discuss about fly
fishing - techniques, fishing spots, fishing vacations, tying flies,
equipment, and so on. Pick one and tilt it to relate it to fly rods. E.g.
Cane versus carbon fiber in different fishing conditions, fly lines and
different weight rods, laying a fly in tight conditions needs a particular
type of rod.then conclude with suggestions on where to access suitable
equipment; you'll get the idea.
Now go to Goarticles.com and type in fly fishing and see what articles are
already written and how many people have viewed them so you can tell which
article topics are the most popular. Always write on popular themes!
Then go to FAQ.org and look there for fly fishing Frequently Asked Questions
on the selected theme and find content to flesh out the article.
You'll now have more content than you would have believed possible.
Step Three: Write the Article
Write as you would talk. Imagine the reader is across the table from you and
tell them a story! People love stories.
Personalize it if you can.
Step Four: Create a Snappy Headline
The most important part to your article is your article title; it will make
or break your article. People browse headlines - just like you do! So you
need something that talks to their problem/fear/desires and promises a
solution.
It you're writing about babies and colic, you need something like: "7 Tricks
for Surviving a Baby with Colic!"
Ok, that's not perfect but you get the idea.
Step Five: Edit Your Article - Look Professional
The #1 reason why most articles don't get published (behind not following
posting guidelines) is spelling errors. You
simply must proof read and spell check. Even if you don't
have a spell checker program on your computer, there are plenty of free web
based ones.
http://www.jspell.com/jspell.html
If you are having trouble with one or two words, why not try
Read the article out loud to someone - does it flow? Does it make sense?
There is nothing worse than an article that doesn't make sense, people - and
publishers - find it profoundly irritating.
That's it!
No deep secret. Writing is a step-by-step process - anyone can do it.
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Michael Kay edits the * Insights Letter* and *The Home-Based Business
Review*. These are FREE publications stuffed with ideas, access to resources
and free gifts.
Subscribe now at http://www.HBBReview.com To find out more about making
money by writing articles find go to http://www.HBBReview.com/Articles.html
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