So, you have completed your article and are now basking in a rosy glow, possibly complemented by several libations of Laphroig (and who could blame you ?)...I practice what I preach - Cheers !
BUT...before you post your masterpiece to an Article Directory, where hopefully it will be read and enjoyed by thousands of people, consider your street cred ... is your article well researched, and full of fresh up-to-date information ?
Is it written with due regard to good grammar, spelling and syntax ?
If it isn't, then you will be commiting the literary version of walking into town with your flies open, or the back of your skirt tucked into your knickers !
If that's your thing - fine ... but if you would prefer to avoid that kind of embarrassement then you must edit and proofread your copy at least twice.
I personally find it helpful to dictate the finished piece onto a tape recorder or Dictaphone to help spot obvious mistakes ... starting a sentence in first person singular (I), and then reverting to "We" later on, etc.
Editing is the process of weeding out inconsistencies like this and generally making sure that the copy flows in a natural sequence.
Proofreading is the final check to make sure that spelling and punctuation are within acceptable limits ... the Internet is perhaps not as judgemental as the print media, but this should not be used as an excuse for sloppiness !
Make no mistake, well written informative articles submitted to Directories will give your credibility a huge boost and, as a bonus, will vastly increase visitors to your site.
But...what if you don't have the percieved ability, the necessary incentive or the time to write your own articles ... what then ?
In my next couple of postings I shall address these issues, and discuss various methods available to get round these problems.
Until next time
Frank
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"For the best Work-From-Home Internet Marketing Opportunities," visit:
http://tinyurl.com/3x8m9g
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Tuesday, 24 July 2007
Friday, 20 July 2007
Writing Articles...what are you waiting for - let's write !
So, we've done our research, and have our skeleton consisting of a series of headers and sub-headers...we are now cooking by gas !
Just to digress slightly, when we were considering a condusive working environment in an earlier posting, one thing I didn't mention, and should have, was peace and quiet...I defy anyone to produce creative writing without it !
The problem is that if you work from home, even well-meaning friends and family all assume that you don't have a 'proper' job, and will either call round for coffee or a chat.
The fact that I actively discourage this may explain why I received a book for Christmas last, entitled "Are you a miserable old git"...perhaps my message has been received loud and clear !
But, back to the task in hand...
So, assuming we have achieved both a conducive working environment and the much-to-be-desired peace and quiet, where do we go from here ?
We have done our research and have our list of headers and sub-headers making up our skeleton, and now we must organise these...this is the point when your creativity should start rearing its head.
The secret now is to re-arrange all your copy in proper order to tell a story...how you achieve that will depend on both your creativity, and on the particular niche you intend writing for.
But at least we have gone far beyond staring at a blank sheet of paper...we now have a skeleton made up of headers and subs which can now be fleshed-out.
If you are comfortable with, and knowledgable on your subject...and you should be...then you don't need to be a Geoffrey Archer (and who would want to be, for God's sake ?) to be capable of writing two or three paragraphs to flesh-out each header.
So, having done that, you are sitting back, whisky in hand, congratulating yourself on your deathless prose, complete at last - but Whoa ! ... we haven't finished yet, folks !
If it were that easy, everybody would be doing it !
But don't worry, we have more or less cracked this thing ...
Join me in my next posting for the final task neccessary for launching your masterpiece
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"For the best work-from-home Internet Marketing opportunities, visit:
http://www.info4income.co.uk/sales
"Earn as you Learn"
Just to digress slightly, when we were considering a condusive working environment in an earlier posting, one thing I didn't mention, and should have, was peace and quiet...I defy anyone to produce creative writing without it !
The problem is that if you work from home, even well-meaning friends and family all assume that you don't have a 'proper' job, and will either call round for coffee or a chat.
The fact that I actively discourage this may explain why I received a book for Christmas last, entitled "Are you a miserable old git"...perhaps my message has been received loud and clear !
But, back to the task in hand...
So, assuming we have achieved both a conducive working environment and the much-to-be-desired peace and quiet, where do we go from here ?
We have done our research and have our list of headers and sub-headers making up our skeleton, and now we must organise these...this is the point when your creativity should start rearing its head.
The secret now is to re-arrange all your copy in proper order to tell a story...how you achieve that will depend on both your creativity, and on the particular niche you intend writing for.
But at least we have gone far beyond staring at a blank sheet of paper...we now have a skeleton made up of headers and subs which can now be fleshed-out.
If you are comfortable with, and knowledgable on your subject...and you should be...then you don't need to be a Geoffrey Archer (and who would want to be, for God's sake ?) to be capable of writing two or three paragraphs to flesh-out each header.
So, having done that, you are sitting back, whisky in hand, congratulating yourself on your deathless prose, complete at last - but Whoa ! ... we haven't finished yet, folks !
If it were that easy, everybody would be doing it !
But don't worry, we have more or less cracked this thing ...
Join me in my next posting for the final task neccessary for launching your masterpiece
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"For the best work-from-home Internet Marketing opportunities, visit:
http://www.info4income.co.uk/sales
"Earn as you Learn"
Monday, 16 July 2007
Writing Articles...more building blocks
In my previous posting I promised to address the problems experienced by many writers...lack of creativity and the dreaded 'Writers' Block', so here goes :
The solution to these problems lie in developing a logical plan of action, which, after all forms the basis for solving any problem.
Every professional writer, whether they specialise in fiction, non-fiction, or commercial copywriting, including journalists invariably carry a little black book in which they note ideas and plots as they come to mind for future reference...ideas and creativity can strike at any time, which can later be developed into unique material.
But when developing ideas into a finished product, we need to be in the right frame of mind.
Ideally you need a workplace that is comfortable and in which you feel relaxed.
Creativity needs these conditions as distractions and negative vibes will be counter-productive to your creative flow...but once you are happy with your writing environment, it's then time to get down to the creation of your article, and initially this consists of research.
Remember, once you have posted your opus magnum on line, it has the potential of being read by literally thousands of people, so at the very least you need to get your facts straight !
Don't disregard research - check your facts and the latest developments in your particular industry - your aim should be to present yourself to your readers as a professional front-runner.
Old, or out-of-date information will not do your reputation or the perception of your product/services any favours.
When undertaking research and checking facts that you intend using in your article or copy, identify the main points and jot these down as rough headers...then do the same with secondary points for use as sub-heads.
By the end of your research period you will then have a skeleton on which to hang the flesh of your article.
If that sounds a bit gory, hang on in there, and in my next posting I will show you how to cook it all up into a tasty article !
Until next time - Bon Appetite
Frank
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"For the best work-from-home Internet Marketing solutions, and to get your very own FREE Cash-pulling website visit:
http://www.info4income.co.uk/sales
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The solution to these problems lie in developing a logical plan of action, which, after all forms the basis for solving any problem.
Every professional writer, whether they specialise in fiction, non-fiction, or commercial copywriting, including journalists invariably carry a little black book in which they note ideas and plots as they come to mind for future reference...ideas and creativity can strike at any time, which can later be developed into unique material.
But when developing ideas into a finished product, we need to be in the right frame of mind.
Ideally you need a workplace that is comfortable and in which you feel relaxed.
Creativity needs these conditions as distractions and negative vibes will be counter-productive to your creative flow...but once you are happy with your writing environment, it's then time to get down to the creation of your article, and initially this consists of research.
Remember, once you have posted your opus magnum on line, it has the potential of being read by literally thousands of people, so at the very least you need to get your facts straight !
Don't disregard research - check your facts and the latest developments in your particular industry - your aim should be to present yourself to your readers as a professional front-runner.
Old, or out-of-date information will not do your reputation or the perception of your product/services any favours.
When undertaking research and checking facts that you intend using in your article or copy, identify the main points and jot these down as rough headers...then do the same with secondary points for use as sub-heads.
By the end of your research period you will then have a skeleton on which to hang the flesh of your article.
If that sounds a bit gory, hang on in there, and in my next posting I will show you how to cook it all up into a tasty article !
Until next time - Bon Appetite
Frank
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"For the best work-from-home Internet Marketing solutions, and to get your very own FREE Cash-pulling website visit:
http://www.info4income.co.uk/sales
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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