Write your Publishable Article Fast--With an Angle!

Write your Publishable Article Fast--With an Angle!
Judy Cullins
© 2003. All Rights Reserved

You want your business to be noticed by thousands daily.
Online ezine publishers and webmasters are constantly looking
for new, original content. They want and need your articles. This
is a promotion marriage made in heaven. But you will have a
much better chance of being chosen if you write an article that
solves a problem for your audience. Give each article an angle.

Let's assume they are business people like yourself who need
a problem solved--to stop procrastinating, write a book,
promote their business, develop a loving relationship.

What Format Suits You?

1. Write a how-to-article.

Information hungry people want this one! First, open with
a hook--something that will entice your reader to keep
reading. Then, write a short introduction on the background
of the problem and the need for your solutions. Follow with
solutions in a new paragraph. You can number these if you
wish.

Don't worry about giving away the store.Readers will judge
you by your concise style and content, and will be attracted
to see what else you offer.

Make a list of topics you know or that relate to your business.
Take one at a time and write a short piece on it. You can write
a short article under 500 words or a longer one if you desire.

For solutions to the problem, give information and resources
that will assist your audience. Here's some sample article titles
from my clients: How to Procrastinate to Your Heart's Desires;
How to Create Employees Who Can Hardly Wait to Get to
WorkEach Day; Promote your Coaching and Speaking Business
Through Free Articles.

2. Write tips.

This kind of article takes the shortest time to write and is also the
easiest format. Always include an introduction with your thesis--
the point you want to prove, or the problem you are about to
solve.
Usually one or two sentences are enough. Include a one or two
sentence conclusion in which you add one more punchy way to
stimulate your reader to act. Remember to include your power-
packed signature file below each article or tip.

To write a tip:

1. Start with a command such as " Do this."

2. Follow that by the consequence of not following the tip.Or,
show a benefit of following the tip.

3. Show examples or resources to solve a problem and put the
tip into action.

Write an article with 3, 5, 7 or 10 tips in it. It's best to give
a complete tip as listed above rather than just list 29 tips.

Client examples: "Seven Mistakes People Make When they
Create a Web Site" or "10 Ways to Organize your Online
Office."

If you keep your numbers reasonable--say around ten, you can
use the other tips in other articles. Sometimes you can offer a
resource to your reader in your tip as an example of solving the
problem.

4. Write a myth and solutions Article.

This kind of article is one of my favorite because myths abound
in book publishing and promotion. These keep authors from
expressing their brilliance. Emerging authors think that
traditional publishes will actually promote them. How about this
myth? "Bookstores are a Great Place to Sell Books" or "you
need an agent or publisher to write and publish a well-respected
book," or "you need the print media to publicize your products
or service."

After the myth, the book coach then shares the real truth and
what aspiring writers can do about it to succeed.

5. Write an interview.

Choose a credible expert or dynamic online personality to
interview, and offer not only how-to-solutions, but allow the
public to see the personal side of the person. I have participated
in several of these. It's a great way to be seen by thousands of
people Online each time the article runs. Interviews are usually
done in question and answer format. Always use the specific
questions to get more interesting answers. You can also recycle
this information for more content on your Web site or in your
own ezine.

6. Write your success story.

Author Debbie Allen asked me to write my online marketing
success story for her new book. I shared this: Two friends
dragged me to the Web--one insisted I set up a Web site--the
other introduced me to the concept of coaching via telephone,
and using email such as an online newsletter to draw new clients
and stay in touch with other ones. Curious, I spent time
expanding my teleseminar and ebook business Online. Learning
from these information articles, I wrote 4 new books to help
others succeed on Online. I've never looked back.

Web sales jumped from $75 to $2265 in just five months. In
eight months, sales soared to $3000.Consistent sales each
month made up over 1/2 my income.

I thought, I need to share this gold with others! And, so a
success story is born and shared with anywhere from 1000 to
500,000 ezine readers in cyberspace. It's also included in
Debbie's print book "Brazen Online Promoters" published in
2002. Three of my articles appeared in the book.

You have ideas for your article format. Now choose an
outstanding title and include the largest benefit to solving a
challenge in the title. No matter what length your article is, it is
well on its way to being a top Online and offline promotion
method for your business.