Friday, July 31, 2009

I Sure Hope There Will Be a "Harry Potter Expanded Universe"

Have you ever thought about Harry Potter and Star Wars in the same manner?You should, because I have come to the conclusion that they are one in the same.When broken down, it's easy to compare them to one another.So I have written this article to do just that.

Harry Potter consists of basically the same elements of brilliance as Star Wars.These two sagas tell the story about a boy that is searching to be something more than what he is.He can feel the truth and the answers in the air, waiting to find him.He discovers there is much more than could ever be imagined when the truth is revealed.Both characters are being threatened by the dark side of magic/the force.Each has an equally nightmarish evil figure, Darth Vader and Lord Voldemort.Each of these stories is teaching the same underlying meaning: many things in life are difficult, and to do the right thing is not always easy.There are many shortcuts that lead to "The Dark Side," for lack of a better term, and you must stay the course to be complete as a "good" person.

The stories are intriguing and intricate enough to appeal to both children and adults alike.Other worlds, civilizations, and time lines were created in the manifestation of these stories.

When George Lucas was ready to let the rights go to other authors, he kept a chronological order of things past present and future.Other authors would then need to have their ideas and stories approved through him, to ensure the time line was being kept in sync.The Star Wars Expanded Universe, as it's referred too, is a limitless play land for authors and movie makers. For example, A.C. Crispin wrote a Han Solo Trilogy, where in you read about Han's short Imperial soldier/pilot career, how he met Chewie and Lando, and how he received the scar under his chin just to name a few.

The Harry Potter stories also bring that same unlimited potential to the table.Obviously, it is nowhere near as old as Star Wars, and J.K. Rowling has just finished telling the tale.So I doubt she will part with the rights until the movies are over.The personalities that are written into Harry Potter are so diverse, you like and are intrigued by them.The writing is so pristine, when you read the books, you feel as though you know the people in the story.With that being said, of course, I think people would want to write and read, "The Voldemort Chronicles," telling detailed stories in pieces of Tom Riddle's decent into darkness.J.K. Rowling does touch on history and past events in the books, but this could be taken so much farther if given the chance.Dumbledore, Snape, The Black Family, any of it would work for a writer and people would read it.

Maybe it's a simple comparison that everyone sees, maybe it's not.All I can say is, I hope that Mr.Lucas does three more movies, or hands it off to another director.I feel the same way about Harry Potter, I would Love to see a series' of stories about other characters history and adventures.What do you think?Would you read a book, or watch a movie, about your favorite Harry Potter character?They are dissecting X-Men, which they should.Why can't we use the Harry Potter world to do the same?

I am a freelance writer looking to establish a name for myself in this bright big new world. Specializing in creative/article writing, rewriting, web research, web content, and short stories.

Thursday, July 30, 2009

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.

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

What Do You Do When You Are a Writer and Witness History

What do you do when you are a writer and observe a historical event unfold and you know the truth? Should you write the truth and burst the lies of the present period so that those in future periods can know the reality of the era, or should you promote the lie in hopes that somehow this might change the world?

It has always been my contention that political correctness is other than reality and thus, is a dangerous marker from which to judge and make decisions. Once we forgo the reality of human nature and the primate politics of humankind, we deny ourselves decisions that will be free from the laws of unintended consequence.

As a retired Franchisor Founder, I've made a little bit of history in my esoteric Industry sub-sector niche and as I've both participated and observed history over the last four decades. Now as a writer in early retirement I write about present and know that my record will live on.

It pains me to know that others who have mastered the power of the pen are so ethically challenged and confused, and purport falsehoods of our time while covering the truth with their wordsmith ways. Today, we have a new President of the United States, and we are to celebrate how diversity has overcome glass ceilings and barriers.

What a great day for America indeed, yes, but only in name. You see, there is a reality behind this election of the first Black President, a story that is known, but goes untold. Is it fair to history and to truth to sugar coat now? If we do, as others have in the past, are we any better than they, have we learned nothing?

Is all history a lie, just like the present? If we sweep truth under our carpet and modify the textbooks of the next generation to suit - where is the integrity in that? If we really want to do something great in our time, there is no need to pretend or fake it. We can make a difference without fakery, propped up propaganda, and pretending in the present period.

Is our whole civilization and society going to live a lie to themselves - is this what America has become? We are better than this. There is nothing wrong with having an African American President, that indeed is commendable, proof if you will of our strength and vision, but allowing so in a manner that is far beyond the span of rules we have set for ourselves is a disgrace.

We are to blame, we have traded our promise for a myth, and into the gates of hypocrisy we do march.

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

30 Days To Creating Super Habits

Monday, July 27, 2009

Article Writing Revealed - How to Write Informative Articles, From Beginning to End

The first step in article writing is to create a knock-them-out title for your article. This title serves a very important purpose - to get web surfers to actually click on your article and begin reading it. So your title is actually the most important part of your article, although most people spend very little time on it.

The next thing to write for your article is your introduction. I typically keep this to one paragraph, with 3 to 5 sentences introducing the topic at hand. I will briefly talk about the reader's problems and how I'm going to go about solving it in the article, either through a series of steps or a set of tips that they can put into action.

For the body of your article, you will need a few main points that you can talk about. Five to seven main points is good. Putting them into point form will also make your article extremely readable, and also easy to write.

An important point to take note of is to keep your paragraphs and sentences short. The longer your paragraphs and sentences seem, the less people will read your entire article through. So keep them short for easy readability.

When your body is done, it's time to come to the conclusion of your article. This will also be made of one paragraph most of the time. You can simply summarize what you covered in your body and emphasize and sort of tie them in together so that your reader gets a clear picture of what to do to solve his problem.

Fabian Tan is a well-known Internet Marketing expert and the author of the popular 45-page Report:

"Murder Your Job: How To Build Cash Sucking Autopilot Businesses In 30 Days Or Less!"

Head over to http://www.MurderYourJob.com to get your FREE copy now!

Also, quickly download his FREE "Explosive Traffic System" report that shows you how to generate 10,000+ targeted visitors per month at no cost! => http://www.ExplosiveTrafficSystem.com

Difficulties Talking About Religion

A Review of How to Write Successful Feature Articles

It is often said that one skill that will never go out of style is that of writing. As long as you can write, you'll find an industry that will give you what you want, but you'll find that cracking into that industry might be harder than you think. If you are interested in making a living as a writer, you'll find that you need to know a lot more than when to capitalize and when to put commas in!

Writing to make a living is a lot different from writing to please yourself, and if you want to move forward in this industry, you'll find that there are a few things that you need to keep in mind. The first thing that you should remember is that making a living as a writer involves knowing how to make it in the industry, and you'll find that by taking a look at the How to Write Successful Feature Articles course that you will find yourself well on the road to succeeding at this.

When you are taking a look at the How to Write Successful Feature Articles program, you'll find that you will be given over to a new world of writing. If you have ever taken a writing course before, you are already familiar with pieces of advice that say things like keep the plot going, or be clear when you are trying to get your point across.

The truth of the matter is that even with that good advice under your belt, you'll still have a tough time getting published. When it comes right down to it, you'll find that editors and magazines have their own standards, which are not always readily apparent just from looking over what they are saying in the first place. You'll find that when you are looking to move forward that you need to be aware of this, and you need to figure out what you are looking forward too.

Keep in mind that you do need to stop and think about where you are going when it comes to the basics as well. Have you forgotten how to write and speak properly? If you have, this will disqualify you as much as anything else, and you'll find that in the long run, you should think about what you need to do to make sure that you can get the options that you need. You'll also learn about things like how to get your audience's attention, not just through good prose but through good formatting, and you'll find that there are plenty of tips that you need to know to get ahead in the field of writing that you choose.

Don't get left behind when it comes to your writing. Take a look at the How to Write Successful Feature Articles program and you'll find that there are secrets that can get you accepted as long as you have the drive. You already know you have the drive, so take the time to think about what else you need!

Let Article Marketing Review Kings Brian Garvin and Jeff West teach you more about Internet Marketing Review Kings. Feel free to use this article but please leave all links and author bio intact.

Creating A Habit

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Persuasive Writing Topics

Whether it is for a school assignment or for a personal whim, choosing persuasive writing topics is as important as the content. However, there are certain times when choosing among many persuasive writing topics can become a difficult process.

This happens to both novice and experienced writers, so there is really no need to fret about it. If you are experiencing this kind of "writer's block", here are a few tips you might want to consider when choosing for that topic you need or want.

What Is Persuasive Writing?

Before anything else, you need to know what persuasive writing is really all about. This will give you a guideline on how to choose a topic.

Persuasive writing is composing an article or an essay that contains the objective opinion of a person specifically the author.

In a written article, you may write to persuade the readers to do something they have not done before or to just support your point of view. In persuasive writing, you need to make the readers believe what you write.

Most Common Persuasive Writing Topics

There are a lot of different persuasive writing topics that have been composed before. Among all the topics, the most common are smoking, abortion, health, politics and rights of women.

Persuasive writing topics should not only be limited to these. You can write just about any topic you want. Remember to do extensive research about the subject. Opinions based on experience, supported by facts, will have a very effective outcome.

How To Choose Your Topics

If you are tasked to create your own persuasive writing topics and you need to write about it, then it can be quite difficult especially if you are not inclined to writing. The same goes to people who are not that opinionated. So how do you choose your persuasive writing topics?

The first thing you need to consider when choosing for a topic is whether it is interesting or not. This does not pertain to the interest of your possible readers, but of your interest. You need to choose a topic that sparks interest in you. How will you be able to persuade a reader if you can't even persuade yourself with the specific topic?

Second, before you choose the topic, you need to reflect on what the purpose of your persuasive article is. You need to have an objective to make it easier to choose your topic.

When you already have a list of your potential persuasive writing topics, you can now ask the opinions of other people. Through this, you can find out which of your topics can also spark the interests of other people.

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.

30 Days To Creating Super Habits

Writing Chapters And Scenes

You don't even need chapters anymore in some novels, but then you might simply have a lot of chapters.

Normally a Chapter in a Novel is three to five scenes. What then makes the difference between a chapter and its scenes? And why is this important in planning a novel?

In planning your novel or screen play, first you want to create every possible scene or event. Visualize putting each scene or event on a paper card, whether you actually do this or not.

The above exercise, even if you are not a writer, can show you if you can produce an exciting story out of your imagination and life experience. Take an evening and just writing on small cards a series of story-events and see what you come up with. You might be surprised at your creativity!

A scene-event is a dramatization, usually with characters, that happens in one place. It has one action, its reaction, reflection and developmental choice.

Keep this formula in mind and use it over and over again. The formula applies to both characters and plot developments.

The action may be from one of the characters or an outside event like a bank robbery. Thus developments happen both to and in characters but also in the time-line called a plot.

A plot is a time-line of character development and resolution combined with a time-line of action and event development and resolution. Keep this is mind as another primary writing structure for both the novel and the screen play.

The developed writer knows and uses over and over the writing craft structures that work in dramatizing story.

Know your fundamentals. You are the writer using craft tools to tell story. Your readers and viewers experience your story vicariously as real to them because you have used writing craft tools successfully in telling story.

Know your writing craft!

It's a short and simple message, but true.

Story development and resolution is a time-line of scenes, one right after another. Each scene causes another scene to happen, usually sequentially. As a writer you are little different from a scientist. A scientist investigates cause and effect over and over again in his and her research area. You as a writer get to construct cause and effect sequences over and over again in creating dramatically your story.

Thus use scene development and chapter development to keep the story development happening in the most involving ways possible.

Do we need chapters if we have scenes? Do we need acts in plays if we have scenes?

A chapter is a collection of interrelated scenes around a common theme or sub-theme. A story theme is a life issue and life insight dramatized. All great story has a life theme that is dramatized. Story-goals and story-themes are elements of the dramatization of the main story-theme that the story is all about.

Love triumphs over hate, or does it?

In the movie about the theme: pay it forward, the boy who invents and practices this is killed in the end at school, almost accidentally in a knife attack by two other boys. The theme is a great one of good doing more good in the world despite evil that would destroy the good in life.

However, the writer of the novel and the movie is unclear how to write story to theme and so fails the story potential despite a new and strong theme.

In a nutshell, the boy who does acts of kindness in paying it forward gets killed for no reason. Why his attackers hate him enough to kill him is never developed, nor is a character behavior of the good boy dramatized in such a way as to cause murderous hate in another boy.

Killing the boy at the end makes no sense. It gives the wrong feeling to the viewer and reader. It makes one feel the message is 'do good while you can for bad will eventually or quickly overcome you.' I don't really think this is the story message that the writer wanted to convey. If so it is interesting but contradictory to reality and to the story theme of pay it forward, which is to do good deeds to those in need because good deeds have been done to you by others.

Our point here is that you need to be aware of good story-craft in writing up your stories.

Events as scenes are singular. Chapters are families of scenes and so are multiples which cluster around sub-themes of your main theme and story.

In the full The Writer's Interface, a 92,000 words document, you will find a lot more craft tools and ideas that go with scene and chapter development.

While scenes, one after another, give the stepping stones development of your total story, chapters give the cluster development of sub-themes dramatized and leading to main theme development in theme resolution.

Do the good guys win out over the bad guys, the main story archetype? Well, mostly the answer has to be yes because of reader and viewer psychology. Resolution to the tension of good versus evil, with good winning out over evil, is thought of in the human mind as positive and healing.

Thus again in the Pay It Forward novel and movie the hero boy getting stabbed to death as a resolution to the story does not make sense internally or externally in life. Are we supposed to think that in thousands of grade and high schools in the country there are killer boys with knives out to kill at least one other student before they fully grow up? Absurd, but here done and ridiculous. Thus again we say this writer has no good knowledge of story and theme and how it all works to produce and really important novel.

You don't have to be as unconscious or stupid, do you?

Learn your craft then. This is what we also are devoted to. We give a few important ideas here. We give around 2000 writing craft ideas in The Writer's Interface as a service to serious writers who want to do an effective job in writing their novels and screen plays.


Comments To Make

What are your views on writer imagination versus writer craft knowledge in creating novels, plays and stories? What now stands in your way as a writer from producing good work that will sell to lots of readers and viewers?

Strephon Kaplan-Williams is a well-published writer with over 350,000 of his books in circulation in eight languages. He is also a professional dreamwork psychologist and now specializing in writer creativity and writing craft tools. His The Writer's Interface is the first comprehensive collection of writing craft tools ever published that is sure to gain wide acceptance among writers and in the field of writing software. He uses the WriteItNow software as his primary writing organizer for his novel, now with 100,000 words and undergoing a major revision. To learn more about how chapters and scenes go to make up an exciting novel you can visit him at



thewritersinterface.com

The Writer's Interface - Web Store

creativewritingandwriters.com

Backup Plans Feel Good

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

What Do You Do When You Are a Writer and Witness History

What do you do when you are a writer and observe a historical event unfold and you know the truth? Should you write the truth and burst the lies of the present period so that those in future periods can know the reality of the era, or should you promote the lie in hopes that somehow this might change the world?

It has always been my contention that political correctness is other than reality and thus, is a dangerous marker from which to judge and make decisions. Once we forgo the reality of human nature and the primate politics of humankind, we deny ourselves decisions that will be free from the laws of unintended consequence.

As a retired Franchisor Founder, I've made a little bit of history in my esoteric Industry sub-sector niche and as I've both participated and observed history over the last four decades. Now as a writer in early retirement I write about present and know that my record will live on.

It pains me to know that others who have mastered the power of the pen are so ethically challenged and confused, and purport falsehoods of our time while covering the truth with their wordsmith ways. Today, we have a new President of the United States, and we are to celebrate how diversity has overcome glass ceilings and barriers.

What a great day for America indeed, yes, but only in name. You see, there is a reality behind this election of the first Black President, a story that is known, but goes untold. Is it fair to history and to truth to sugar coat now? If we do, as others have in the past, are we any better than they, have we learned nothing?

Is all history a lie, just like the present? If we sweep truth under our carpet and modify the textbooks of the next generation to suit - where is the integrity in that? If we really want to do something great in our time, there is no need to pretend or fake it. We can make a difference without fakery, propped up propaganda, and pretending in the present period.

Is our whole civilization and society going to live a lie to themselves - is this what America has become? We are better than this. There is nothing wrong with having an African American President, that indeed is commendable, proof if you will of our strength and vision, but allowing so in a manner that is far beyond the span of rules we have set for ourselves is a disgrace.

We are to blame, we have traded our promise for a myth, and into the gates of hypocrisy we do march.

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

Starting With Simple Things

The Writer's Affirmation

All beginning writers dream of someday being published. It's the ultimate affirmation that says, "My work is good; I was right to believe in it!" However, many good writers give up too soon.

Did you know that J.K. Rowling's first Harry Potter book was rejected 10 times before finally being accepted by a publisher? Canfield and Hansen's Chicken Soup for the Soul was rejected (according to Canfield) more than 130 times before being picked up by a small Florida publisher, and we all know what happened after that! Dr. Seuss's first book, And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, was rejected by 27 publishing houses, and Seuss (Theodor Geisel) considered burning the manuscript. Fortunately, he didn't. Jane Austen's first novel, First Impressions, was rejected in 1797. She revised and retitled it (Pride and Prejudice) and finally sold it to a publisher who printed it in 1813.

If you've tried and tried, and don't want to wait 16 years, as Jane Austen did, self-publishing is a viable alternative. Many famous authors self-published their first books, including Tom Clancy, Zane Grey, D.H. Lawrence, Mark Twain, and Richard Nixon. Richard Nelson Bolles, author of What Color Is Your Parachute?, was a self-publisher.

Does "self-publishing" mean that an author writes, designs, prints, and promotes his book all by himself? No, of course not. It means that the author pays a publisher to design and print his book. He writes it and must promote it himself, sometimes with the help of a "promotion package," which he can purchase from the publisher. Self-publishing is often, but not always, a last resort for authors who have had numerous rejections from publishers who pay royalties. These authors believe their work is worthy of publication.

Vicki Lansky submitted Feed Me! I'm Yours to 49 publishers who turned it down. So she self-published it and sold 300,000 comb-bound copies. Bantam Publishing-attracted by success-then bought the paperback rights and sold another 500,000 books! That book was worthy, and the author knew it.

Karen E. Quinones Miller wrote Satin Doll, a book that was rejected by publishers 35 times. Quinones Miller decided to self-publish her book because she was convinced it was good. Through smart marketing and promotion, she personally sold 28,000 copies. That attracted Simon & Schuster Publishers, who then bought the rights - for six figures! - and republished it. Following that, Quinones Miller wrote four more novels for Simon & Schuster, all best-sellers.

M.J. Rose self-published her first novel, Lip Service, in 1998 after many rejections. She knew she was a good writer. Ten years later she is the celebrated author of 10 novels, including the acclaimed The Reincarnationist and, more recently, The Memorist.

When faced with multiple rejections, self-publishing can be an effective and satisfying option; and, as in the cases of Lansky, Quinones Miller, and Rose, an in-your-face affirmation! Don't give up.

Janet Litherland is the author of the novels, Song of the Heart, Vanished, Chain of Deception and Discovery In Time, as well as 10 nonfiction books, several collections of music/drama-related scripts, and numerous articles and stories for national publications. As former associate editor of Florida Hotel & Motel Journal, she contributed 78 feature articles to that magazine. She also has taught college extension courses in creative writing and has served as a seminar leader for writers' conferences. For more information, please visit http://www.janetlitherland.com

Spending 15 Minutes Each Day

3 Levels and 3 Profiles of Technical Writing

If you are wondering what levels one can expect to reach in a technical writing career, here are 3 profiles just to give you a rough idea.

Please don't forget that this is just an approximate picture and does not mean that you have to go through each level in exactly the same manner.

You may perhaps start off from the Intermediate level if you are bringing with you a strong background in software skills and job experience.

Or who knows, you might reach a senior level within just 5 years? That's certainly possible too.

Individual cases always vary. But I believe what follows is still a useful general picture in terms of presenting you an overall survey of the technical writing landscape and providing some general benchmarks. They are not based on any scientific study but on my personal experience of over 10 years as a technical writer.

Please let me know if you'd have any questions about these career profiles.

Profile 1: Junior-Level Technical Writer

Time on job: 0-5 years

Job skills:

  • Writing interface documentation including user guides, installation guides, quick reference guides, release notes, help files.
  • No supervisory or management skills.
  • Optional: graphic and illustration skills.

Software skills:

  • Microsoft Office Suite
  • Optional: FrameMaker (Unstructured)
  • Optional: Photoshop
  • Optional: Illustrator
  • Optional: Help file editor (RoboHelp, Flare, Quadralay, DoctoHelp, etc.)
  • Optional: Version control software (MS Source Safe, etc.)

Profile 2: Intermediate-Level Technical Writer

Time on job: 5-10 years

Job skills:

  • Writing and editing interface and procedural documentation including user guides, installation guides, quick reference guides, release notes, system configuration guides, help files.
  • Single-sourcing and structured authoring.
  • Graphic, illustration, print-page and web design skills.
  • Assisting projects as lead-writer and supervising one or more junior writers.
  • Optional: simple document and web site localization and translation skills.
  • Optional: publishing articles in popular professional periodicals like STC's Intercom.
  • Optional: serving as a Juror in professional technical communication competitions.

Software skills:

  • Microsoft Office Suite
  • FrameMaker (Unstructured and Structured)
  • Photoshop
  • Illustrator
  • Help file editor (RoboHelp, Flare, Quadralay, DoctoHelp, etc.)
  • Version control software (MS Source Safe, etc.)
  • Optional: Advanced version and content management software (Agile, etc.)
  • Optional: Dreamweaver and/or HTML coding

Profile 3: Senior-Level Technical Writer

Time on job: Over 10 years

Job skills:

  • Writing and editing interface and procedural documentation including user guides, installation guides, quick reference guides, release notes, system configuration guides, help files, API guides.
  • Single-sourcing and structured authoring including DITA structuring and database publishing.
  • Graphic, illustration, print-page and web design skills.
  • Leading projects as lead-writer and supervising one or more junior and senior writers.
  • Advanced print and online documentation project localization skills.
  • Publishing articles in peer-reviewed professional periodicals like STC's Technical Communication.
  • Optional: serving as a Lead Juror in professional technical communication competitions.

Software skills:

  • Microsoft Office Suite
  • FrameMaker (Unstructured and Structured)
  • Photoshop
  • Illustrator
  • Help file editor (RoboHelp, Flare, Quadralay, DoctoHelp, etc.)
  • Version control software (MS Source Safe, etc.)
  • Optional: Advanced version and content management software (Agile, etc.)
  • Optional: Dreamweaver and/or HTML coding
  • Optional: XML Editor (FrameMaker, Arbortext, Oxygen, etc.)
  • Optional: Database Publishing editor (TEX, PatternStream, etc.)

If you are interested to read more about technical writing as a career and how it can help you earn a steady living, visit http://www.learntechnicalwriting.com You might be pleasantly surprised with what you'll find out. Join the thousands who are already helped and inspired by this information provided by a Fortune 500 Senior Technical Writer. Visit today and claim your free report "How Much Do Technical Writers Make?"

Habits To Prevent Losing Things

Monday, July 20, 2009

The Successful Freelance Writer

Back in the old days, it was quite easy to get freelance writing jobs. When our grandparents were still in their teens, they already had jobs at newspapers and magazines. Back then, they were also gutsier and were more resourceful. Perhaps it was because of the urgency during their time that they had no other choice but to excel and do their best.

These days, we have the comfort of technology. Writing does not require you to actually own a pen or a notebook (although other people find such practice more conducive to writing). Modern technologies like the Internet, television and even mobile phones have paved the way for more freelance writing jobs.

But how come only a few seem to have tapped into this new media (especially the internet)? After being in the business for quite some time now, I've come to realize that some people are just not aware. They think it's hard work looking for a gig online. I'm here to correct that notion.

It's not difficult to find writing assignments online and sustain it as long as you find your niche.

Freelance writing jobs start out with you looking for something you're comfortable writing about. At first, you might be given assignments you know next to nothing about. However, don't be dissuaded and give up.

Since you're already online anyway, why not try doing research? Research is a freelance writer's best friend. For example, I was once tasked to write about employee relations. Back then, I had no idea what I could write about. Instead of returning the assignment, I looked around for information and read other articles. Soon, I found myself understanding what it meant and I was able to come up with a great piece.

Freelance writing jobs will expose you to a wide range of topics. However, you will soon find yourself having a greater and easier time writing certain topics. At this stage, you have already found your niche and while you may still keep your old job, you can now begin looking for other opportunities that will focus on the topic of your interest.

There are plenty more tips for freelance writing jobs where this came from. Already unspoken rules, of course, include polishing your grammar and being responsible for your articles. Plagiarism is absolutely a no-no. The Internet might be an endless vast space but it's not that hard to bump into articles every now and then.

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

Spending 15 Minutes Each Day

Ways to Make Money Online For Writers

As a freelance writer, there are loads of ways to make money online. The Internet is afterall nothing more than a collection of content, much of which is text based. From blogging to content writing to copywriting, there are loads of different writing fields you can get involved in that could generate a serious income.

That's not to say earning money as a writer is easy - it's just that with the variety of different ways to make money online as a writer, there's so much demand for writing services. As a content writer, you can easily command up to $100 an hour, with even just a few months experience. Provided you know which clients to work for, you present yourself properly and you deliver on your client's expectations every time, this isn't far off what you can expect to earn.

Bloggers are paid anywhere from $5 to $500 per post. Some blogs pay writers per post, some pay through revenue share, some bloggers earn money through ads on their own blogs, and others do it for free. It's a much more specialized type of writing than content writing, and much more difficult to succeed and make money in. Because of the demand for high quality, the competition is fierce, and while it can be possible to earn money blogging on some of the smaller networks with very little experience, your earning potential may be restricted, unless you start your own blog.

Copywriting is again very specialized, but also provides opportunities for earning a great deal of money. Sales copywriting for Internet marketing especially pays particular well, with fees ranging from about $97 through to $10,000 and beyond for a singly sales letter. Again, it's not as straightforward as writing articles, but it can still be a great way to earn money writing if you know what you're doing.

STOP: Want to learn more about earning $100/hour writing articles? Visit ContentWritingRiches.com to learn the secrets the industry insiders tried to cover up!

Structuring Your 24 Hour Day

Article Writing Tips - Get Excited - Get Very Excited

OMG...did you see that? No, you didn't? Oh man, you have NO idea what you just missed. You are NEVER going to see anything like that ever again as long as you live...even if you live to be a hundred. What am I talking about? Guess what? It doesn't matter. What does matter is that you just got excited. You got sucked into something and you were wondering where it was going. You felt something. My friend...THAT is what you have to feel EVERY TIME you sit down to write an article or your readers are going to fall asleep on you.

Think about this. How many times HAVE you been really excited about something to the point where you just had to tell all your friends and when you finally told them, the only reaction you got out of them was, "So, when are we going to the park to shoot some hoops?" Let's face it...nobody cares as much about what you're all worked up about as you are. So even under the best conditions, you're going to have a hard time capturing your audience...no matter how excited you get. So imagine how horrible the reaction is going to be if you just "go through the motions."

So, how DO you get excited about what you're going to write about? Well, if it's a subject that you really love, it shouldn't be too hard. At least I hope not. Otherwise, you've got some real problems on your hands. I mean if YOU can't get excited about what you're writing about then your reader is doomed from the start...no matter how interested they are in the process. And, if the subject you're writing about ISN'T one you really care about, that only makes the process harder.

In the case of an unknown subject, you need to first do as much research as you can on it so that you at least know what you're talking about. Then, you have to trick your mind into thinking that this is just the coolest thing in the world. If you have to bribe yourself to do it, then bribe yourself. I usually promise to treat myself to a session of Combat Mission or some other fun video game that I love playing. That usually gives me enough inspiration to write an article that gets the juices flowing. Heck, promise yourself a night on the town if you have to. Just get yourself excited.

If you're a writer, you should be passionate about your art anyway. Sure, there are days when you're not going to feel like writing. If you get days like that and don't have to write...don't write. Forcing it rarely works. If you follow these simple tips, you'll find that not only will YOU get excited about your writing but your readers will too.

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.

Backup Plans Feel Good

Sunday, July 19, 2009

Increase Your Traffic by Writing Articles

If you want to increase you website traffic quickly there is only a few ways to it. One of the ways is by Writing good quality articles that people would want to read.

It is not easy to increase your website traffic without cutting corners and this is something you should never do. There are a few things that can increase you traffic that are legal as long as you have the time and skill to be able to write interesting articles.

So you've built your wonderful new website and submitted it to the search engines and directories. In your eyes you are so proud of all your hard work that Google and all the search engines will just fall over themselves to add you to the top page.

So you wait...and you wait...and nothing happens. It takes a very long time for a newly developed website to get any form of listing in search engines and directories and even longer to get any meaningful listing. So, what's the solution to speeding up the process?

The best way you can increase traffic to your website for a short period of time is to write and submit newsletter articles. The beauty of this method is that anyone can do it all you need is a good idea, the ability to write accurately and some spare time. I'm not talking here about working for a magazine or website but the wonderful world of free articles. If you are short on cash and can't afford to promote your business then this technique is especially suited to you.

There are many websites that require constant content on a daily basis and most Newsletter editors are always looking for well written content. This is more so if their newsletter or blog is updated daily or weekly. As you can imagine it would be very difficult to maintain that level of content and prohibitively expensive and so they turn to free articles to ensure their website is relevant and interesting to their visitors.

As with most things on the internet if a gap appears it's very quickly filled and so we have the wonderful world of free articles. The deal is that in exchange for allowing the authors content to be published for free, the author of the article is allowed to place a link or advert at the bottom of the article without any charge.

Just imagine that for a minute, if your article is interesting enough and good enough it could be included in hundreds of websites in a matter of days and what does that mean, one way in-links. This of course is great for your pr ranking and will no doubt increase your traffic for as long as the article is placed high on the publishers website pages. The thing to remember is that you are not giving the article away just given away the rights to use the article on other peoples websites...you still own the article.

These links or adverts are usually placed just below the article and are called "resource boxes". The resource box is your chance to sell yourself or your website or both. It usually contains information about the author and a link to his website.

It's important that you take some time over the content of the resource box because if it is well written then more people will be tempted to click through to your main website and let's face that's the main reason you're given this information away in the first place. Don't add a affiliate link or straight link to another persons site as most publishers are wise to this and would not add your article.

Once you have written your article you now need to find the write publishers and newsletters that will take your work of art. This can be a long and boring job but it is a very important one. I would suggest you find at least 20-30 newsletters of a decent size and don't give up until you have done so.

The main reason why taking a little time over this part of the process is simple: It does not take much longer to submit your article to 500 sites that only main difference is the amount of traffic you will receive.

It's hard to say how much this type of approach will increase your traffic because it's very dependent on how well your article is written and how well you market it. In the best case scenario your article could be accepted at several larger ezines that have 150,000+ subscribers each and could result in 1000+ visitors to your website.

On the other hand you could end up with nobody publishing your article and not single hit. My personal opinion and experience is that a reasonably well thought out and written article usually produces around 500+ unique visitors per article.

There is another way you can get help with the tiresome job of finding publishers and newsletters and that is to pay one of the many companies out there to submit your article for you. I have used several of these companies and the quality and cost of their work can vary enormously. Some of these companies charge per submission ad some charge a flat monthly fee. The most important thing is that you are getting your article to enough quality publishers.

Brian is the editor of Bee Ltd a domain acquisition and development company that has many years experience in the domain name and internet market. You will find many useful articles and advice on all manner of subjects associated with domains names at our site: Bee.eu.

Finding Something You Don

Writing About What You Know

Tapping into the information bank you have inside of you already requires a way to get access to your inner author. It is that part of your brain that you normally hear about as your right brain. The right brain is the part that likes music, laughter, fun, games and being creative.

When you try to approach your writing from an a more structured approach you will immediately be shifted to your left brain that is more logical. That side also is more intellectual and analyzes well but is not usually very good at communicating. That is why writers block seems so frequently to be a problem with many people.

Step outside of your logic and just tell your reader about your information as if you are telling a friend who is sitting across the table from you. Writing in that kind of conversational tone will connect with more people and will also be easier for you to do. When the flow of words begins to start you can relax into your story and writing will be easier for you.

Next time you sit down to write you will find that the flow will start more easily and if writers block appears you can recognize immediately that you are leaning toward your left brain and need to go back toward the right. When you experience this you will find that your block will be easier to dissolve because you have identified what is the cause of the block. This flag will help show you there is a need to change your writing approach. It is a great tool for you to use so you can begin to write as well as write more creatively.

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.

Finding Something You Don

Writing Fiction Can Put Real Money in Your Bank

Most writers dream of writing that big novel, and while many fictions writers may never see their book gracing the shelves of the local book store, they can make a bit of dough writing fiction online. If the goal of your writing is to make a living, and you cannot stand writing web copy then it is time to look for ways to write your fiction online for money.

Most aspiring fiction writers write their novels in their spare time, and spend their days doing copywriting, ghostwriting and blog writing to keep a roof over their head and food in their refrigerator. Their goal is eventually to write fiction fulltime but this takes time, sometimes years and in the meantime everybody has to eat!

In comes Story Mash, billed as the future of collaborative fiction, Story Mash pays you, the writer for your nonfiction stories. You can create new stories or contribute chapters to existing stories and once you publish them Story Mash pays you a percentage of the advertising revenue earned by your chapter. The Percentage starts at 50% and can go up from there depending on how much you have written and how popular it is.

Story Mash also runs contests; there are five rounds to every contest, with one round every two weeks. Each round represents one chapter in a story they specify, the prize for each chapter is $100 except for the final round which is $200.

Of course you can self publish your stories through a number of sites online like LuLu and there are a number of sites online that will sell your self-published book for you.

Another option is publish your short stories or novels in eBook form, using a program such as Adobe Acrobat, then sell them through your website or through Clickbank. If you choose this option you could even include a chapter for free on your website to get people hooked and then ask them to purchase your eBook to get the rest.

Finally you can publish your short stories on your personal website and use advertising to create your revenue, this does mean you will need to do a lot of marketing to get people to your website to read but if your writing is really good that should not be a problem.

Fiction writing does not have to be a dead end or a seemingly endless journey, with a bit of creative thought and effort you can turn your fiction writing into dough online.

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.

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Creating A Habit

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Become a Truly Successful Writer

The secret of successful writing is this: you must be able to hold the unwavering attention of the reader, listener or viewer, for the duration of your work. As soon as you have lost their attention, your writing has failed.

So how do you do that? Well, it is necessary to identify exactly what it is within the audience that causes their attention to be held.

The mind is constructed to react and respond in particular ways to specific inputs. We are all literally hard wired, in our brain-mind complex, to have our attention rivetingly held by certain types of stories. These may be true or fictional. Each age, culture and strata of society has slight variations on the basic structure, but essentially, each style follows the same principles, because they are a biological imperative in the human race.

The first secret of story telling is to realise that our mind has particular structures that are identical in each and every one of us.

These structures cause us to respond in emotional ways to particular inputs such as excitement at our own success, sadness at a death, anger at being frustrated in our desires, a lump in the throat watching someone being rescued, tears of joy at the homecoming of a long lost, and loved, family member, the thrill of surviving a dangerous situation, and so on.

Your emotions are the driving forces of your life. Story telling is the means of causing the subconscious mind of your audience to produce specific emotions. It is also the way to bring specific parts of your personalities to the surface.

It is this emotional reaction which causes people to pay full attention to what you are expressing, whatever the format of your writing - novels, plays, scripts, speeches etc. The more you can cause people to remain attentive, which means the more you master the art of eliciting of emotions, the more successful you will be.

It is this single skill that separates the ordinary person from the leader and trendsetter. You need to develop the ability, and have the knowledge, to speak directly to the subconscious mind of those you wish to communicate with.

Screen and story writing can be taught in a very short space of time, once you have the method laid out for you

If you wish to explore this topic further please check out: http://sites.google.com/site/wuzzlemarketing/Home/updates/screenstorywriting

Finding Something You Don

Bartering for Writing Articles

If you are an online writer perhaps you have thought of writing articles and trading for free stuff from companies you write for? This is a totally wise choice and is a great way to get paid "in kind" for your writing skills for the things you need.

Indeed it is a great idea but also be careful to disclose that you have a relationship with that company because if not that could be considered "Buzz Marketing" and the FTC Federal Trade Commission has a big problem with it; you will recall last year sometime when a couple of companies had to pay a big fine.

So, you may wish to review those cases and also be upfront in your writing about the bartering transaction. Similar laws exist at the SEC to prevent people from using the media to hype stocks that they own so they go up and the people can sell them at a profit. You will notice on the financial news now that those being interviewed have to disclose on the air if they own or do not own the stocks they are discussing.

As a writer I believe that bartering for writing of articles makes sense for some writers, but I think you may need to be careful about this stuff. There are so many laws often people inadvertently break them unknowingly doing something that seems like a perfectly honest idea.

The Federal Government way over-regulates business in this country and it is really too bad, because they hurt all the good people while those who really break the law do not care. So be sure to be above board and ethical when trading writing for free stuff, coupons or trades. Consider all this 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 an online writer in retirement.

Developing Wealth Building Habit

Writing Articles and Earning Money

If you are planning to write articles for the web and forge a successful financial career out of the same, there are few points that you should keep in mind. Remember, nobody has time to waste online and the average surfer will browse a site for a maximum of 10 seconds. That is all the time you have to catch his attention. Can you imagine the outcome of your carefully planned 500 words article if nobody even stops to read the first paragraph completely?

Remember, the heading and the first paragraph constituted the most important part of an article and hence special care should be taken to compose the same. One should put eye catching headlines and follow up the same with an interesting introductory paragraph. I do not know about others, but I generally write the entire body of the article first and then compliment the same with an interesting heading and an introductory paragraph. The initial section should act like a table of contents for the rest of the text.

One might be well inclined to put false statements in the preliminary paragraph, but that is akin to committing suicide. After you have composed the body of your article, just read through it a couple of times and try to understand what you want to convey to the viewers. This information is what should be used to make up the first paragraph.

Earning money by writing articles is not tough as long as you are willing to work hard and do a bit of research. There is a huge content writing industry waiting for you and all you need to be successful (check out the last word in my heading, it contains the word successfully) is to write content rich articles that might be of use to others. Do not expect to get orders overnight. Remember, Rome was not built in a day.

Initially, you should dream up articles and post them on sites like the one where you are reading this. These are the basic stones for writing money-earning articles. Most of the people who want to outsource their article writing jobs check sites like this one and if your article has managed to catch their attention, you can be rest assured that they will get in touch with you.

There are some pitfalls too which one should avoid. Do not use `article spinning' software. All they do is search for words at random and replace them with their synonyms. The end result can be horrendous and senseless. Use a proper email identity that has your name in it. I would rather contact joesmith@domain.com than joemaddywriter@domain.com. Try to be honest with yourself and do not plagiarize the net for articles. You will be caught and in all probabilities, blacklisted too. Do use the net for your research, but the content should be yours. You might have no ideas about autism (one of the hottest blog topics nowadays) but just study the net about it and before long you will feel comfortable with the same. Bingo... you can now write articles about it too, for you have managed to understand what that term, autism, is referring to.

When you will start receiving orders for writing articles, you will be presented with a primary keyphrase and some secondary keyphrases. In my next article I shall be touching upon these subjects. If you have been interested in this article, and if the same has appealed to you, there is no doubt that you will be on the lookout for my next article. This is one more way of making people interested. Write something that they will cherish and follow it up with more.

Getting Up Earlier

Friday, July 17, 2009

What it Takes to Become a Freelance Medical Writer

Freelance medical writing is a career that requires lots of studies and mastery. Like any other freelance article writers, a freelance medical writer should be resourceful, hardworking and creative. Famous freelance medical writers have gone through every hardship in writing for delivering quality articles to the readers. There are many terms to know, advice that need to be accurate and new medical applications to study.

What is the price that has to be paid for becoming a freelance medical writer? "Health is wealth", this is what we all know. Yes, this is true and will always be true. Medical articles are very important to everyone. For someone who is very concerned about his or her medical condition or someone who wants to be informed about any other field related to medicine. As a freelance medical writer you have to provide latest and accurate information to your readers.

There is a lot of research and work behind every health and medicine related article. Being a freelance medical writer can be hard, but this is the path chosen by many because it is one of the highest paying job in today`s world. Writing articles can be easy, but putting your heart to your articles like freelance medical writers do is incomparable. Medical writers should have solid foundation and experience because one wrong advice on the article can cause someone`s life.

It is a good idea to join some courses before you start your freelance writer career. There are many online courses available all over the internet.

If you want to know more about Freelance Medical Writing then feel free to visit http://www.uniquearticle.net

Spending 15 Minutes Each Day

I Sure Hope There Will Be a "Harry Potter Expanded Universe"

Have you ever thought about Harry Potter and Star Wars in the same manner?You should, because I have come to the conclusion that they are one in the same.When broken down, it's easy to compare them to one another.So I have written this article to do just that.

Harry Potter consists of basically the same elements of brilliance as Star Wars.These two sagas tell the story about a boy that is searching to be something more than what he is.He can feel the truth and the answers in the air, waiting to find him.He discovers there is much more than could ever be imagined when the truth is revealed.Both characters are being threatened by the dark side of magic/the force.Each has an equally nightmarish evil figure, Darth Vader and Lord Voldemort.Each of these stories is teaching the same underlying meaning: many things in life are difficult, and to do the right thing is not always easy.There are many shortcuts that lead to "The Dark Side," for lack of a better term, and you must stay the course to be complete as a "good" person.

The stories are intriguing and intricate enough to appeal to both children and adults alike.Other worlds, civilizations, and time lines were created in the manifestation of these stories.

When George Lucas was ready to let the rights go to other authors, he kept a chronological order of things past present and future.Other authors would then need to have their ideas and stories approved through him, to ensure the time line was being kept in sync.The Star Wars Expanded Universe, as it's referred too, is a limitless play land for authors and movie makers. For example, A.C. Crispin wrote a Han Solo Trilogy, where in you read about Han's short Imperial soldier/pilot career, how he met Chewie and Lando, and how he received the scar under his chin just to name a few.

The Harry Potter stories also bring that same unlimited potential to the table.Obviously, it is nowhere near as old as Star Wars, and J.K. Rowling has just finished telling the tale.So I doubt she will part with the rights until the movies are over.The personalities that are written into Harry Potter are so diverse, you like and are intrigued by them.The writing is so pristine, when you read the books, you feel as though you know the people in the story.With that being said, of course, I think people would want to write and read, "The Voldemort Chronicles," telling detailed stories in pieces of Tom Riddle's decent into darkness.J.K. Rowling does touch on history and past events in the books, but this could be taken so much farther if given the chance.Dumbledore, Snape, The Black Family, any of it would work for a writer and people would read it.

Maybe it's a simple comparison that everyone sees, maybe it's not.All I can say is, I hope that Mr.Lucas does three more movies, or hands it off to another director.I feel the same way about Harry Potter, I would Love to see a series' of stories about other characters history and adventures.What do you think?Would you read a book, or watch a movie, about your favorite Harry Potter character?They are dissecting X-Men, which they should.Why can't we use the Harry Potter world to do the same?

I am a freelance writer looking to establish a name for myself in this bright big new world. Specializing in creative/article writing, rewriting, web research, web content, and short stories.

Structuring Your 24 Hour Day

Writing Articles the Right Way

Just about anyone who has a business on the Internet uses article marketing as part of their marketing efforts. Article marketing is when a person writes an article related to a product or service they're offering in an attempt to get more people to become their customer. Unfortunately not many people even know the right way to write articles.

One of the keys to writing articles is to make sure they will rank high on the search engines. This is done through search engine optimization. This means that the article is written using a keyword or a keyword phrase in the article so that the article appears when that keyword or keyword phrase is searched for.

Just about everyone who writes articles knows that the articles have to be search engine optimized. So this is followed but the other key for the right way to write articles is completely overlooked. The other key ingredient is to make sure the article is well-written, easy to read, and informative.

Too many people simply write an article as fast as they can and pump it full of keywords or a keyword phrases and then throw it up on the Internet. The article is not educational and has no value to anyone. So people will find the article but they won't go any further.

So anyone writing an article has to remember there are two steps that must be taken by any potential customers. First the person has to find the article and then they have to read it and find enough value to want to continue to where the article directs them.

There are many people who write articles but absolutely hate it. Many of these people also have no idea how to write a good article. Luckily there is a formula they can follow.

The first part of a good article is the title. The title should include the keyword or keyword phrase and it should also promise to give a benefit to the reader. For example, it might promise it will tell them how to save money on gas or it might promise to tell them how to write an article the correct way (just as the title of this article does). One thing to keep in mind is to always give people a list or a specific number of solutions to a problem. People love reading these types of articles.

Next an introduction has to be written. This will introduce the reader to the topic and should include a "hook" - something that will keep the people reading.

Then in the body of the article, you should give them the benefit that was promised in the title. Make sure you give them what was promised. If you promised "4 Ways to Save Money on Gas" then you better give them 4 ways to save money on gas. If not, they'll get disgusted and simply click-out of your article.

Finally, in the conclusion you should just sum-up what the entire article was about. Some people like to make the conclusion a mirror image of the introduction.

Many people write articles and post them on the Internet but not many people actually know the right way to write articles. A good article needs to be optimized for search engines and it also needs to be well-written so that the article leads the reader to where you want them to go.

Ken Troyer is a very passionate online entrepreneur and has a very high level of integrity. Ken has been involved in online business coaching since 2005...and has developed several successful websites since then. You can read more about Ken over at his main website: Online Business Coach

Structuring Your 24 Hour Day

Thursday, July 16, 2009

How to Increase Your Article Marketing

Article marketing can offer you with all the elements that you need in growing your ebusiness -- quality, search engine traffic, higher page ranking, an expert status online, great exposure for your products and website, and a stronger online presence. You just have to make sure that you do the process right so you can easily realize your marketing goals in no time.

Here's how you can increase your article marketing:

1. Write about topics that are relevant to your products and services. Always remember that your ultimate goal in publishing your articles is to gain exposure for your offerings so you can increase your sales and revenue. You can properly build up your products and services if you touch on topics or problems that can be addressed or resolved by using your products. For instance, if you are selling information products about SEO, you can talk about the common myths about search engine optimization that can mislead both marketers and bloggers. By doing so, you can easily pitch in your products on your resource box as the answer to your potential clients' dilemma.

2. Deliver newsworthy and timely information. Keep your readers abreast with what is happening on your chosen niche by writing about the newest topics that can surely interest these people. Subscribe to relevant RSS feeds or constantly check relevant reputable sites that can offer you with new information.

3. Multiply the number of your articles. You cannot promote easy recall if you just post 1-2 articles online. If you want your target market to easily remember you, you must be able to offer them with more information compare to your leading competitors. Work harder and strive to produce at least 5-10 articles per day. This can dramatically boost the number of your inbound links that can lead to an impressive search engine ranking.

4. Get your articles republished. Allow ezine publishers or other marketers to use your articles on their blogs, portals, and website as long as they will give you credit for it. This is one way of widening your reach and increasing the exposure of your articles.

5. Keep your articles short and simple. You can attract more attention online if your articles are not lengthy and boring. You can also effectively promote better understanding if you use simple terms or plain English all throughout your content that can help your readers to easily get the message that you are trying to get across.

Do you want to learn more about how I do it? I have just completed my brand new guide to article writing success, 'Your Article Writing and Promotion Guide'

Download it free here: Secrets of Article Writing

Do you want to learn how to build a big online subscriber list fast? Click here: Secrets of List Building

Sean Mize is a full time internet marketer who has written over 9034 articles in print and 14 published ebooks.

Habits To Prevent Losing Things

Some Quick Tips to Make You a Better Press Release Writer

It's relatively easy to create a press release. In fact, you can spend 20 minutes in front of your computer, start pounding on your key board and you'll be able to produce a press release or two. However, if you aim to create something that will grasp an audience, you will need more time and you will need to discover these 6 proven secrets so your copies will come out as compelling and enticing.

1. Create an outline. It is very important to ensure that your content will flow smoothly. Before you start writing, brainstorm and list down all the things that you would like to discuss. Then, decide how you want them to flow throughout your content. This simple task will help you make your press release sound organized because it will not let your ideas go off on tangents.

2. Deliver only newsworthy content. Before you write your press release, ensure that the topic you would like to write about is newsworthy. You cannot write just about anything under the sun. To capture the attention of your readers, you need to ensure that your news is worth their time and energy. You may talk about the recent changes in the leadership ladder within your company, events or charity that you are sponsoring, milestones that you have reached, recognition that you have received, and your partnership with other companies and entities.

3. Deliver timely information. Avoid writing about something that has happened two years ago. Nobody will surely want to read about something do not have impact on their lives. Keep your eyes open on new issues or new activities that involve your company. If there is nothing newsworthy to share, then don't write a press release.

4. Focus on one topic. If there are so many activities within your company, ensure that you discuss them separately. Don't try to gather and put all the information on one press release as this can cause information overload to your readers.

5. Use hyperlinks. If you are distributing your copies, ensure that you insert anchor texts on your content. These will take your readers to your website so you can boost your page views in no time.

6. Leave your contact information. Although you may have answered all the who, what, why, when, and where questions of your readers, they might still other concerns in mind. Make it easier for them to contact you by leaving your email address, phone number, website's URL, and fax number at the end of your copies.

Do you want to learn more about how I do it? I have just completed my brand new guide to article writing success, 'Your Article Writing and Promotion Guide'

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Sean Mize is a full time internet marketer who has written over 9034 articles in print and 14 published ebooks.

Habits To Prevent Losing Things

Article Marketing Traffic Takes Persistence

In order to effectively get the benefits by article marketing you need to have a lot of articles. The only way to have a lot of articles is to write a lot, and have persistence writing articles.

You have to have persistence in anything that you want to do in order to be successful. Imagine trying to learn how to drive a car. You get into the car for a test drive once, and never drive again. You will never become a good driver this way.

Just like you will never get the consistent traffic you desire with article marketing if you only write a few articles a month. Article marketing should be the life blood of your business.

Meaning you should write articles everyday. No other form of traffic generation is better at establishing your reputation and getting your business consistent traffic then through articles.

On the web content is king. Meaning your articles will be your front door to your business. It'll be the first things people read when they are introduced to your business. Because EzineArticle directories have a high Google pagerank and authority, your articles will show up on top amongst the search engine results pages.

Imagine being the top one or two slots for your particular business niche term. You will get loads of traffic and the authority that comes with being an expert article writing with EzineArticles.

The only way to attain this "expert status" and insure constant stream of website visitors is to constantly write and submit your articles.

Eventually your articles will give your website so much authority and back-links that your website will be the one on top of the Google search engine result pages. Ensuring your spot in your niche, providing constant visitors and will make you tons of sales.

Submit articles really really fast, with my new article submission tool. Article Submit HQ.

Chicago Auto Glass

Habits To Prevent Losing Things

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Submission Tips For the Writer

A problem will arise if you write your article like a sales or marketing brochure, as it will most likely to be rejected by the directory or directories you have selected for article submission because of that very reason.

As mentioned, when writing an article the writer is subject to certain rules and regulations, which will inevitably affect the article submission process. When your article is viewed by editors or potential readers do not want to be bombarded with useless sales information that they are not interested in, they would rather prefer professional and helpful information that may help them. Therefore one should keep your sales information on your website in your web content. By attempting to submit this type of sales copy will result in the article being rejected.

Stick to the subject that you are providing for your reader, leave your links for the resource area of your article, where it belongs, this is one of the main reasons that articles are rejected, there are to many people that lay links in the body of the article which results in the article being rejected. Stay with your desired subject and what you intend to convey to your readers, you will have a better chance of enticing the reader to come through to your website if you provide valuable useful information that can serve as a reference to your expertise in that field. Within the article submission process, by retaining focus and professionalism allows for fewer potential problems to creep in and the chance of publication is increased.

Once you have your written work and are preparing for article submission, there are certain processes and formats that you should keep in mind. Some directories require that a specific format be utilised or article submission is done through a specific software program. The following general tips should help when submitting your article to the directories.

Before submitting please familiarize yourself with all criteria pertaining to the specific directory, this will avoid any misunderstandings or frustration later on in the article submission process.

Pay attention to the editorial guidelines as published by the directory, once again to avoid disappointment of going through the article submission process and then not having the article published. Editorial content of your article should not be plagiarized; there are online tools to assist with this, one that springs to mind is copyscape. The article should not contain direct sales or marketing messaging, it should not promote racial or religious hate or persecution, and definitely no pornographic or adult material content. Correct structure and simple punctuation rules should be followed. These are just a few basic tips for you in article submission; rather establish the exact requirements so that you are fully aware of the processes.

Although the article submission process sounds fairly comprehensive, once you get used to the rules and required format, it becomes second nature, as they say practice makes perfect. Take the time and make the effort to correctly formulate and structure your article prior to submitting to ensure both smooth submission and publication of your article.

I hope your enjoyed this article.

Talkinmince Article submission and resources can be a valuable marketing tool, the site is devised to assist you. Submit your articles to TalkinMince or find out more at Talkinmince Article Blog

Structuring Your 24 Hour Day

Write Better English!

Grammar Punctuation Help Software automatically proofreads our writing for basic grammar, punctuation and spelling errors. English writing is a skill that only improves through practice, and it seems like these fresh technological solutions are able to assist us on improving our writing skills. Professional writing is about proper grammar, punctuation, spelling and style. Learn how you can easily acquire these professional writing skills.

Introduction

Grammar Punctuation Help Software is a tool that helps us with one of the most tedious writing tasks - that is proofreading our writing for any problems and errors. Just as you write your text, it is instantly being analyzed by a dynamic, self-learning mechanism that constantly collects and maintains a growing 'correct grammar dictionary' made of millions of text variations. Grammar writing programs enable us to: grammar check, misspelling and typos correction, and suggesting proper punctuation.

Important advantages

Let's summarize the main benefits and advantages:

* Helping us to avoid embarrassing grammar mistakes.

* Analyzing our sentence structure for correct punctuation, thus transforming our writing more comprehendible.

* Enriching our English vocabulary.

Extra research on this solution would probably bring up additional benefits that were not mentioned in this review, as this unique system is constantly moving forward, bringing us new ideas and additional solutions that help us on improving our Writing performance.

Conclusion

Grammar Punctuation Help Software assists us on catching common writing errors as we proofread our writing assignments. Correct grammar and proofreading is matter of practice, this technology won't teach us correct grammar directly, but indirectly. In the next few years we can expect this solution to further develop itself, simply because writing is one of the most important tools that help us achieving many of our goals.

Watch how an advanced English Grammar Check Software analyzes text and learn more about innovative technologies that can help you transform your English writing correct, professional and creative.

Structuring Your 24 Hour Day

Tips for Scholarship Essay Writing

Scholarships that require essays offer you the opportunity to stand out from the pack and make an impact on the reader. If an essay is ever optional, always, always include it! By choosing to ignore a request for an essay, it shows the application-committee or reviewer you really did not want to put the work in. You are writing this essay for money; it's worth the time and effort you put into it. (It is unwise to write one essay and copy/paste it for all the scholarships you are applying for.)The essay section of a scholarship is your only chance to distinguish yourself from the rest of the applicants. You may be just as qualified, or perhaps even less qualified, than others, so this is your time to shine and let them know why YOU deserve this scholarships.What will distinguish yours from all the others? Perhaps you deserve this scholarship, but other students probably do too. What makes you different from the masses? Put some time into thinking about what you're going to write and always have someone else read it. A second opinion, third, or even fourth will likely bring you plenty of valuable feedback. Ask your teachers, coaches, managers at work, your friends. The more feedback you can get, the better off you are.The purpose of the essay, for the reviewers, is to learn about you. Your words reveal something about your personality and plans for the future, and a chance to get an in-depth look at the topic at hand. Clear writing ability and creativity do not go unnoticed in your essays. Before you begin writing
Create an outline of your paper. Regardless of the order in which you write each section, you should know prior to writing what topic or main points you should cover in each part of your paper. Basic outlines have an introduction, body, and conclusion. Intro
Typically it is a good idea to use some sort of "attention getting" aspect; make the reader want to continue reading. Do not begin every sentence with "I" or "my". Although this essay may be about you, it sounds redundant. Add some variety and spice by changing your language and sentence structure. For example: I am a senior in high school and I am going to college XYW after I graduate. I have participated in many great activities during the last four years. I think I deserve this scholarship because ..." The repetition within those sentences is boring and will not engage the reader.Body
The body of the essay should support the main topic of the essay; make sure to give examples and explain why you are qualified. Avoid repeating yourself using the same language. Personal and specific examples create a story that may draw in the reader and create a memorable impression. Using generalities is not convincing; they may be applied to most people and do not create a unique impression of you.Conclusion
To conclude your essay, restate your main point, although do not use the same language word for word. Using a future-tense may be appropriate. If you choose to use a quote or a poem in your essay, choose wisely and be selective; it may be perceived as clich or unoriginal, or even inapplicable.

For free scholarship information, check out http://www.squarehatmoney.com/scholarships

Finding Something You Don

Thursday, July 9, 2009

3 Writing Tips For Greater Productivity and Profits

If you're interested in a few quick writing tips to make you a more productive, efficient and therefore, more profitable writer, this article is for you. Any one idea can make a difference. Combine them all and you'll write more this month than any previous month. And chances are you'll earn a whole lot more money as a result.

Here are 3 quick writing tips to help you get more from your efforts:

1. Write every day. This one may seem obvious. And if you're already a daily writer, you're probably thinking "Well duh... tell me something I don't already know." If that's the case, you've already tapped into the magic of daily writing. But if you only write when a purple moon shines, or when the spirit moves you, you're missing out big time.

Regular writing makes it easier, just as doing anything repetitively increases your skill and effectiveness. The more you write, the less likely you are to experience writer's block.

Set your daily quota of words or pages and... just do it, as Nike says. Make it a habit to write, even when you don't feel like it. Doing so makes it part of your routine. Soon writing will be something you just do automatically, like brushing your teeth.

2. Read often. Reading makes you a better writer. And the more you read, the better your writing tends to be. Read a variety of materials, rather than sticking only to your favorites. If you only read magazines, adds books of various kinds to your reading stack. If you tend to favor nonfiction materials, read a John Grisham novel.

Mix it up and you'll maximize the writing value you get from reading. The more you read, the more it helps you craft your ideas into paragraphs. You'll be able to spot good writing and you'll want to emulate it wherever possible.

3. Use a timer. The task of writing tends to expand to fill whatever time is allotted. If you give yourself all day to write one segment, how long do you think it will take you? That's correct: all day. But challenge yourself to get it done in the next ten minutes and set your timer to sound at that time. If you've never used a timer before, you'll be blown away by its effectiveness... and shocked at both the quality and quantity of your writing.

Anyone can write a book and make a lot of money. Most people dream of it at some point in their lives... but few follow through to live the dream. If you want to learn how to write your book in just days... and profit for years - you can! Visit my web site for more free tips, techniques, tactics and helpful resources, visit TODAY: http://www.WordsIntoMoney.com

Structuring Your 24 Hour Day

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

English Comma Checker

If you haven't already noticed, English Comma Checker is already available for several years and it offers important advantages for anyone who writes in English. Improving your English writing skills requires discipline and practice. Looking for new ways that will help you to enrich and correct your English writing without any extra effort? Read this article.

Quick overview

Automatic proofreading solutions such as the following English Comma Checker are designed to ensure that your English writing matches the basic grammar and punctuation rules. It automatically identifies and corrects any writing errors. Advanced English proofreading programs rely on smart algorithms and ever-growing databases. It works in three steps: Analysis, comparison, and correction. When we examine their capabilities and what they offer, we can notice the following: text editing and proofreading, correct grammar, punctuation analysis, and automatic spell checking.

Quick benefits and advantages

We can easily find several important advantages while using this technology:

* Helping with critical writing assignments such as job and patent applications.

* Helping us to avoid embarrassing grammar mistakes.

* 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 webmarketing tool is constantly moving forward, bringing us new improvements that help us on improving our Writing performance.

Conclusion

English Comma Checker can easily help us correct and 'polish' most of our daily writing assignments - Emails, documents, job applications, and more. There is no doubt that this kind of artificial intelligence can never compete with professional human editors, but it can sure help most of us with basic grammar, punctuation, and spelling errors. Although it is already available, we can expect this webmarketing tool to further develop itself, for one simple reason: writing is among the most significant tools that help us with many of our day-to-day assignments, whether at home, at school, or in the office.

Watch how an advanced English Comma Checker 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

Developing Wealth Building Habit