By now you probably understand how important writing for trade publications is to establishing credibility in the home business world.
On to the first hurdle: how do you get past that HUGE writers' block? How do you know what to write about, and how do you make it unique, informative and interesting?
Remember how you resisted writing those reports in school, insisting that you would never need to know how to do that in "real life"? Welcome to the real world of business writing.
Your English teacher gave you the bare bones: pick a topic, research, take notes, make lists and an outline, write a rough draft in your own words, rewrite, rewrite, rewrite. Don't forget introductory paragraphs, summaries, footnotes and bibliographies.
Thanks to the internet, you can use a search engine, copy and paste, cut and paste, type, cut and paste edit into infinity, include hyperlinks and add your resource box at the end.
But...you're still stuck on picking a topic. You feel as imaginative as a two by four. Start with your own home business, internet marketing, or entrepreneurial problems. Better yet, start with your journal. You don't keep one? Here, you can borrow some of my own entries: (better yet, each of these items is looking for a foster home)
Didn't want to get out of bed this morning.
Turned on the computer and would rather play a computer game than work.
The quiet is driving me crazy...music would help...now I want to dance...now that I'm up, I could vacuum....wonder what's on tv...
The noise is driving me crazy, I can't concentrate.
Ok, I finally got started. Ten hours later, I just can't stop. I wonder why my wife is glaring at me.
I can't finish anything--the next new project always looks more interesting.
Friends call and want to chat, the cats want fed, that window needs fixing.
How do I know when to be persistent and when to try something else?
My website has lots of visitors, many don't stay for more than 30 seconds, few sign up.
I'd rather be __________ (fill in the blank): sleeping, golfing, fishing, watching tv, eating, reading, swimming.
Now let's turn that list into a list of how-to's. I need to learn how to: get enough sleep; stay focused; identify goals, strategies and action plans; develop credibility among friends and family; identify success (measurable results?); make my website more sticky; encourage prospects to become active affiliates; balance work and pleasure; plan my day; stay motivated... and so on.
First I brainstorm: when have I been able to accomplish any of these things? (take notes) Then it's off to the search engines. (take notes; bookmarking and copy and paste makes this easy) Now organize your notes: whatever floats your boat, whether it be lists, outlines, mind mapping or freeform writing.
Just keep searching, taking notes and bookmarking until something hits you over the head. "This really might work, especially if you did this first and then tried this..." Be patient, it may take a little time.
Don't copy word for word what another writer has already written; but on the other hand, don't worry about inventing the lightbulb either. If you've done much surfing at all, you realize that the internet is HUGE, a veritable wasteland.
The chances of two people reading exactly the same articles or websites and coming to exactly the same conclusions are slim. Any bleary-eyed surfer will THANK you for your arduous research.
And don't rule out your own experiences and thoughts. I once was dealing with a problem and was becoming more frustrated and angry by the minute. I finally just dropped it and went for a walk. (You can substitute any of those things, such as fishing, that you used to fill in the blank above).
While walking I was thinking about another situation in my life, was looking at the part of the natural world I was walking through, and came to a brilliant conclusion. As soon as it occurred to me, I saw that the solution also applied to the problem I was trying to solve earlier. So you see, sometimes it's good to just follow your instinct and GO FISHING.
I'll write that all up into an article some day soon. It's on my list. Meanwhile, I've got a few more ideas I'm writing up first. Now I can't wait to get them all written into articles. So...there's my topics, my motivation, and my action plan.
If you've followed these steps, thanks to your English teacher, the internet, your own experiences, and your stumbling attempts at writing, you're now an author. But more than that, you've learned:
Then start over at the beginning...and don't forget how important it is to take time out for fishing.
Glenn Beach is a poet, writer and home business entrepreneur in Nova Scotia, Canada. Free newsletter, more articles, and business start-up info at: http://www.work-at-home-business-opportunity-canada.com
detailed home cleaning Park Ridge ..Need traffic? Write an article.Need sales? Write an article.Need Your... Read More
Publishing articles on the Internet is a tremendous way to... Read More
Writing can be fraught at the best of times but... Read More
I was busiy submitting some articles I ghost wrote for... Read More
We all know that article writing is a great way... Read More
In order to sell your article must do three things:1.... Read More
Part 1 of a 2-part series To read Part 2... Read More
One of the best ways to build credibility and promote... Read More
Most all ezine publishers need fresh content. Article writing is... Read More
Chances are good that the next article or book you... Read More
Your author bio is a vital part of your article... Read More
If you are starving for traffic, can't seem to consistently... Read More
You have decided on a great idea and researched a... Read More
Writing articles for publication on the Internet is, at the... Read More
You've got to start somewhere, but once you've created your... Read More
Article marketing is becoming more and more popular, especially as... Read More
There are times when I want to write an article... Read More
It doesn't really matter who you are; you definitely know... Read More
The more you write, the larger your impact. If that's... Read More
Some six weeks ago, I began writing and submitting articles... Read More
Do you know why the "Chicken Soup for the Soul"... Read More
It is no secret among internet marketers that writing articles... Read More
Don't let overwhelm hold you back- follow this expert advice... Read More
Queries are not written like business letters or emails; they... Read More
Writing for the internet requires that you create a large... Read More
express cleaning service Des Plaines ..Anyone who's been in the business for 2 or 3... Read More
Determining keywords is a critical step in writing articles online... Read More
Sharing knowledge on the web can be a very powerful... Read More
Everyone focuses their web marketing efforts on search engines, and... Read More
The biggest challenge facing any online business today is how... Read More
Not writing articles yet? You really should try it, if... Read More
Article authors who use SEO (Search Engine Optimization) keywords to... Read More
Are you an Article Marketer? If so, you know that... Read More
Recently I interviewed Kevin Bidwell of All-In-One-Business.com on some of... Read More
Online readers love information, but be sure your information is... Read More
Sometimes when I am communicating with other webmasters and I... Read More
Adsense is a program designed by Google to help publishers... Read More
MS: John, you must be one of the most prolific... Read More
The Shortest Distance to Your Home Town Enterprise is Over... Read More
By avoiding these common mistakes, you will greatly improve your... Read More
Most authors are wasting their time producing dozens to hundreds... Read More
If you have submitted your articles to EzineArticles.com you have... Read More
As of July 1st, the year was half over! July... Read More
There are many ancient writings, which dive into the importance... Read More
How to write an informative article?The following tips can help... Read More
Do you know one of the most powerful marketing techniques... Read More
Part 1 of a 2-part series To read Part 2... Read More
Need traffic? Write an article.Need sales? Write an article.Need Your... Read More
As an article author, sometimes you can only pull so... Read More
How does a writing agency market itself effectively in a... Read More
Article Writing |