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Overnight Miracles
by Bob Osgoodby
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Many of the pundits say that a good way to get known on the
web is to write articles. I agree and this can help your
online business as you gain name recognition.
As a publisher of four online newsletters, I get a number
of articles submitted to me every day. While most of the
articles have merit and are interesting, there are a few
things that many of the authors don't take into account.
No I'm not talking about spelling or grammatical
mistakes. Serious authors seldom submit an article with
these types of errors. But even the best do so on occasion.
As editor of our publications, I will correct an occasional
error. If the submission contains multiple errors, it
quickly gets put in the "round file." Face it we publish
six days a week and simply don't have the time to rewrite
submissions.
So, what is important and will give you as an author a leg
up. If your article is simply a rehash of something that
has been covered in the past, the odds are it will not be
published. Articles should be timely and cover things that
are of current interest. The topic of starting a home
business, for example, has been "done to death", and unless
you have a fresh approach, forget about it. Above all,
don't date your article. What I mean is that an article
that is built on a certain person or event, may have only
short term interest. If it isn't picked up immediately, it
will most likely be trashed.
Never discuss religion or politics. You will immediately
alienate a portion of your potential readers. If you use
humor irony, or innuendos be very careful, because some
people may take offense.
A good source of ideas is your local newspaper or browsing
the web. There are many topics of current interest that
could get the attention of a publisher. And don't limit
yourself to just business. Personal improvement is always a
good topic. Don't trust your memory. I carry a pen and
notepad with me at all times. When an idea surfaces, jot it
down. It may or may not prove to be worthwhile when you try
to "flesh out" the article. If you are struggling to write
the article, it usually isn't a good topic.
The next thing to consider is the length of the article.
Shorter articles have a better chance of being published
than longer ones. While an article of 1,300 words or so
might be excellent, it has little chance of being
published. It is simply too long. The author must realize
that their article is just one piece of an online
publication. If the article is too long, it won't be read.
Subscribers to newsletters are looking for quick
information and not scholarly tomes.
If you don't know what you're talking about don't. There
are a lot of people in this world who may be more
knowledgeable than you on a specific subject. Write about
things that you know, and if there is a doubt on a fact or
a date, research your facts.
Don't be discouraged if your submission is not immediately
published. Many newsletters are written around a current
theme, and at that time, yours may not be a fit. My library
of articles goes back about 6 years. Very often when I am
looking for something specific to publish, I go back into
that library. If the article is not out of date, it is a
good candidate for publication.
Finally, when you submit your article include a short
description and a word count. Never make a publisher "jump
through hoops" to read your article as they won't. Don't
make them go to a web site or an auto-responder to get your
article. Include it in the body of your email so it can be
read immediately.
If you follow these simple rules, you will be published. As
you gain name recognition it will improve, but don't expect
overnight miracles.
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Did you know that subscribers to Bob Osgoodby's Free Ezine
the "Tip of the Day" get a Free Ad for their Business at
his Web Site? Great Business and Computer Tips Monday.
Wednesday. and Friday. Instructions on how to place an ad
are in the Newsletter. Subscribe at:
http://adv-marketing.com/business/subscribe2.htm
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