Five Steps to Writing for a Business Boost, Increased Web Site Traffic,
Expert Status or Just Plain Fun
Would it help your business if you were the author of
numerous articles, an ebook or various guides? Would it
boost your career to write for professional journals? Could
you increase traffic to your web site by having news
releases and articles picked up by e-zines that cater to
your industry and that are read by people interested in
your product or service? Or have you simply dreamed of one
day writing articles, essays, ops eds, or books for your
local newspaper or your favorite publications?

Whether you feel the need or simply have the desire to
write, you can get started on your publishing career today.
In the process, you can give yourself expert status, boost
traffic to your web site, reach new career goals, improve
your visibility on the Internet, and see your dreams of
being a published writer come true.

How do you accomplish all this? By taking the following
steps.

Step 1: Know what you want to write about. The best advice
for any writer has always been to write about what you
know. Journalists interview experts so they, themselves,
become the experts on a subject. If you are the expert on a
subject – for example walk in tubs, simply write about that subject. If you want to be
the expert, then you need to start researching and learning
about your subject. Then, when you know everything you
can, you are ready to write about it.

Step 2: Know your article form. Assuming you are writing
an article, you need to know what form your article will
take – essay, news release, profile, trend piece, news
story. You can learn about the different types of articles
in books or by taking journalism classes or by studying
different types of articles in newspapers, magazines or
newsletters. If you are writing for the Internet, examine
e-zones and web sites.

Step 3: Just write. Most people allow their fear of writing
– or of not writing well – to stop them from writing. So,
the first step to getting your writing career in gear is to
simply write. As the Nike slogan says, “Just do it.”
Writer’s write. Sit down and write. Put your internal
editor on hold, and write without worrying about whether or
not what you write is good or not. You can come back later
and edit. Just get your ideas down on paper. Give
yourself a timed writing period. Start short, say 10 or 15
minutes. Write straight through without stopping. Don’t
let your fingers stay idle over the keyboard or paper.
Just write as fast as you can for as long as you can.
Later, come back and edit what you’ve written.

If you aren’t afraid of writing or writing well, while you
are writing fast or during your timed writing period, try
to write within the confines of the format of your chosen
article form. In other words, don’t just write. Write the
article from start to finish. Then go back and edit. This
will save you lots of editing time later.

Step 4: Edit you work. Anything that has been written
always benefits from a good editing job…usually from more
than one editing job. Edit your work once, and then put it
away for a day. Come back and edit it again. Do this
several times if you have time. Even put it away for a few
days if possible and then edit it again. Have someone else
edit it if you can. Hire a professional editor, if you
have the money. The better your article or news release or
ebook reads, the more expert status, sales, web traffic,
etc., you will achieve.

Step 5. Submit your work. Make sure you actually submit
your writing somewhere. You’ll never get published if your
written work stays in your computer or on your desk. Scads
of magazines, newspapers, journals, newsletters, and
e-zines are just waiting for the perfect article or essay
to arrive by snail mail or e-mail. If you don’t submit
yours, they won’t know if it is that perfect article or
not. But before you submit, research the publications you
have in mind so you, one, are sure they take the sort of
article you have written (or, even better, do this before
you even begin writing so you are sure to be writing for
your intended markets) and, two, know how they like
articles submitted (by email or snail mail, with a
completed manuscript or with a query first).

And don’t let rejection get you down. Remember that every
writer has to face rejection. Be determined and keep on
submitting your work.

If you are trying to get publicity and exposure on the
Internet, you don’t need to worry about acceptance by
editors; there are loads of ways to get your articles and
news releases picked up by scores of e-zines and to have
your name and writing reaching millions of people within
days. Look for paid services that post your articles and
essays for free to e-zines and other services looking for
free copy. No, you won’t get paid, but you’ll get a lot of
really cheap publicity.

—————————————————-
Nina Amir, a journalist, writing coach, freelance
non-fiction editor, and author has written several
booklets, hundreds of articles and three anthology essays.
She is currently working on several books while promoting
them and herself with her writing. Her next WRITING FOR
PUBLICATION teleseminar begins October 22, 5:30-7:00 p.m.
PST. For information, visit
http://www.purespiritcreations.com (click on CopyWright
Services) or call 408-353-1943.

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